Philadelphia Eagles (13-3) quarterback Kenny Pickett played through broken ribs in Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys (7-9), per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
Pickett came into Sunday’s game nursing a rib injury, the full extent unknown. Florio’s report confirms what Eagles cornerback Darius Slay said after the game — that Pickett indeed played through broken ribs in the 41-7 victory. Florio added in his report that Pickett received two painkilling injections — one before kickoff and one at halftime.
Pickett started the game in place of Jalen Hurts, who remains in concussion protocol retroactive to last Sunday’s loss to the Washington Commanders (10-5). Pickett went 10-of-15 for 143 yards and a touchdown before leaving the game in the third quarter after taking a hit to the body from Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons.
Kenny Pickett took a shot from Micah Parsons here and had to come out of the game. He has a pre-existing rib injury and is wearing a flak jacket today. pic.twitter.com/L7ZWCU5bCI
— Arye Pulli (@AryePulliNFL) December 29, 2024
“I’m good,” Pickett said after the game. “I’ll be all right.”
The offense didn’t skip a beat after Tanner McKee replaced Pickett under center. McKee completed 3-of-4 passes for 54 yards and two scores as Philadelphia made it look easy against the Cowboys’ defense.
“It was awesome, so happy for Tanner,” Pickett said, via the team’s official website. “He’s a great guy. Being in the quarterback room you spend so much time together. We watch a lot of tape together on the opponent for whatever week it is and in the meetings and on the practice field. So happy for him and a special day for everyone in the locker room.”
Both Pickett and McKee did their job, and now Philadelphia has the option of resting its starters in Week 18 as NFC East champions.
“Coming to a team like this was awesome,” Pickett said. “It reminds me of a college feel how much each guy cares for each other. We’re all pulling for each other, and we all leave it all out there and that’s all you can ask for.
“And then you add the talent and that’s what makes it a really special group. It’s been a lot of fun to be here. Don’t want the ride to end so, we’re going to keep working.”
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As the Green Bay Packers deal with their own crowded wide receiver room, multiple former Packers pass-catchers are also embroiled in position battles across the league. Notably, two veterans that turned in many successful seasons in Green Bay now find themselves battling to make rosters and have been labeled as big names that could become surprise cuts when rosters are trimmed down. New York Jets May Soon Be Done With Former Green Bay Packers Receiver Allen Lazard Former Packers receiver Allen Lazard was always a favorite of Aaron Rodgers during their time together in Green Bay. When Rodgers left the franchise, Lazard ended up following the quarterback to the New York Jets. While the Rodgers era for Gang Green has gone up in flames, Lazard remains on the roster – for now. Lazard entered camp as the presumed second receiver behind Garrett Wilson, but so far, fellow veteran Josh Reynolds has seemingly beaten out Lazard for the second spot. A former Detroit Lion, Reynolds has reportedly been building a good rapport with new signal-caller Justin Fields, leaving Lazard potentially relegated to slot duties. Although the Jets have receiver depth problems, some experts don’t believe that Lazard will survive cuts. The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt has stated that he does not expect Lazard to be on the 53-man roster. Some names behind Lazard on the current depth chart include veteran Tyler Johnson and rookie Arian Smith, both of whom have had flashes of ability in camp so far. Several of the younger players also offer one thing that Lazard notably doesn’t – the ability to play on special teams. If Lazard is cut by the team, it would mean the team would have moved on from another former Packer after dumping both Rodgers and Davante Adams this summer. Can Former Green Bay Packers Receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling Stick in Seattle? Marquez Valdes-Scantling was a member of the Green Bay Packers from 2018 to 2021, playing out his rookie contract with the team while being a big part of the offense. He had over 2,000 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns for the green and gold before leaving for Kansas City in free agency. In 2025, Valdes-Scantling was with the New Orleans Saints until he signed a one-year deal with the Seattle Seahawks worth around $4 million. Despite the 29-year-old being a proven veteran and solid deep threat, Valdes-Scantling currently finds himself near the edge of the Seahawks roster. Rookie receiver Tory Horton has already surpassed Valdes-Scantling on the depth chart and has been the fourth receiver in the team’s first-team rotation so far. Valdes-Scantling has been relegated to the second unit in training camp practices as of early August. Respected NFL writer Brady Henderson has said that Valdes-Scantling has “barely made any” plays throughout camp so far, whereas Horton has continued to catch eyes and has been nicknamed “Jerry Rice Jr.” by teammate Tariq Woolen. Like Lazard, Valdes-Scantling does not offer much on special teams either, and although the Seahawks would love to have a deep threat to compliment Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp, if Valdes-Scantling does not show up in camp, the team could move on from the former Green Bay Packer with little financial consequence.
Kevin Love is eyeing a return to his roots. The five-time NBA All-Star big man Love has a preferred destination on the buyout market, Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints reported on Tuesday. Love would like to end up in Los Angeles. Now 36 years old, Love spent the last two-and-a-half seasons with the Miami Heat. He averaged just 5.3 points and 4.1 rebounds over 10.9 minutes per game in 2024-25 but still managed to shoot 35.8 percent from three on the year. Earlier this summer however, the Heat traded Love to the Utah Jazz as part of a three-team blockbuster deal. Now Love, a 17-year NBA veteran, is pursuing a contract buyout from the rebuilding Jazz. Though he is a native of Lake Oswego, Oregon, Love played his college ball in Los Angeles at UCLA. He also has ties to both L.A. teams — he won an NBA championship with Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James on the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016 and was also coached on that team by Tyronn Lue, who is now head coach of the L.A. Clippers. Both the Lakers and Clippers are currently sitting at 14 guaranteed contracts each. While they still have spots for two-way and Exhibit 10 players, that means the Lakers and Clippers are both down to their final open roster spot. The ex-rebounding leader Love still has some value, though probably more so as a jokester than as a contributing rotation piece. While Love clearly wants a homecoming to Los Angeles, he may have some convincing to do for either the Lakers or the Clippers to give him that final open roster spot.
Anton Frondell threw the Chicago Blackhawks a curveball after they selected him with the No. 3 pick in June’s draft. Per Scott Powers of The Athletic, Chicago learned about Frondell’s plan to return to the SHL after they drafted him. “The Blackhawks learned more about Frondell’s plan after drafting him. Originally, they hadn’t ruled out his coming to training camp and seeing how he stacked up against NHL competition in preseason games,” Powers wrote. “But as the Blackhawks negotiated Frondell’s entry-level contract and discussed what he sought for the upcoming season, he expressed his desire to return to Djurgården for another year.” Anton Frondell declined an invitation to Chicago Blackhawks camp Chicago offered Frondell an invite to training camp, but the forward declined. The decision is at odds with what he told reporters following his selection on draft night. “If I get the chance to take a spot on the team, I will do everything I can to do that, to play,” Frondell said on June 27. “And if I’m not good enough, if I don’t make it, I’m going back to Djurgårdens.” Per Powers, the decision for Frondell to return to Djurgarden was made last fall. “Actually, we already talked about it in October, November (of 2024) that it doesn’t matter if we’re going to play SHL or HockeyAllsvenskan, in the second league in Sweden,” said Djurgarden general manager Niklas Wikegård. “So it would be good for him to play at least one more year in Sweden and just mature physically as a player. “So we had a mutual agreement with the agents and him and his father that he’s gonna stay for one more year in Sweden and play.” The Blackhawks are okay with the plan The Blackhawks are “understanding” of the plan, as the SHL is superior to the play Frondell would see if he played on the Rockford IceHogs. Still, there was a possibility that Chicago would give Frondell a spot on the Blackhawks after training camp, allowing him to build chemistry with young players like Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar as their young core develops. That won’t happen until at least next year. One wonders why Frondell wasn’t honest with the Blackhawks before the draft. It’s a curious way to start a relationship.
Arsenal are now pushing to sign Eberechi Eze as their next major addition this summer and the England international is reportedly hopeful that a move to the Emirates will materialise soon. The Gunners have been tracking the Crystal Palace star for some time after recognising his growing status as one of Europe’s most exciting attacking talents. Eze’s stock rose considerably last season as he played a central role in Palace’s impressive FA Cup triumph, which was the first major trophy in the club’s history. Arsenal prepare formal bid for Crystal Palace star Despite his continued professionalism and commitment at Selhurst Park, Eze is understood to be open to the Arsenal move and is optimistic that the deal can be completed during this window. With technical director Andrea Berta overseeing a productive transfer window so far, the Gunners believe that Eze would further elevate their squad quality. Mikel Arteta is thought to be a huge admirer of the 27-year-old, and the club views him as a player who could provide serious depth and creativity in their attacking unit. Structured offer of £52m being finalised According to Give Me Sport, Arsenal are preparing to table a bid worth around £52 million for Eze. The proposed deal is expected to include an upfront payment of £30 million, with the remaining £22 million to be paid across the next two seasons. While this figure falls short of Eze’s reported release clause, Arsenal believe the offer represents fair value given the player’s profile and potential. Palace may be reluctant to lose one of their top performers, but the player’s desire and the structure of the deal could influence their stance. If the transfer is completed, Eze would bring flair, unpredictability and competition to Arsenal’s frontline, qualities that could prove vital in their push for major honours this season. __________________________________________________________________________________________
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