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The Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan rivalry is so complex, with it being propped up by the fact that the players representing the teams they coach hate each other, that everything between the two franchises gets put under evaluation.
Considering both men are legacies, with McVay's grandfather John having built a Golden dynasty with Bill Walsh and the 49ers, and Shanahan's father Mike having won two Super Bowls as head coach of the Denver Broncos, there's a lot of history, especially when both men are close in age, used to work together in Washington, and are considered offensive gurus.
So when ESPN's Dan Graziano starts to ask questions about the quarterbacks in the NFL and Sam Darnold comes up, how Darnold performs in 2025 could indicate who has the superior offensive system, McVay or Shanahan.
"What happens if the Sam Darnold resurrection wasn't real?"
"The somewhat tepid market for Darnold in free agency indicates that there was a fair bit of skepticism around the league about the sustainability of his breakout 2024 season," wrote Graziano.
"Seattle got a pretty nice deal -- three years, $100.5 million and just $37.5 million guaranteed -- and if Darnold does play the way he did in Minnesota, it'll look like a massive steal. If Darnold reverts to the jittery, turnover-prone ways of his early career, Seattle is likely in for a rough campaign. But at least the Seahawks aren't committed to him beyond this season."
"Drew Lock and third-round rookie Jalen Milroe are the other options on the roster if Darnold falters. As of now, coach Mike Macdonald has been very clear Darnold is the starter and that it would take an injury to change that. Expect Darnold to get the year, or at least the bulk of it, to prove that 2024 was not a fluke."
Darnold's resurrection was very real. We all literally saw it unfold. Well some could say that's because he had Justin Jefferson and they would be right, Darnold also had Justin Jefferson in a McVay offense under Kevin O'Connell.
So if he goes to Seattle, a team with a plethora of weapons, including Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and fails, one may have to question if that's due to offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak's offense, a system that is Shanahan-based.
Darnold spent 2023 with the 49ers, so he should know how to run Kubiak's system so which leads to a new question. If Darnold doesn't come close to looking as good as he did in Minnesota, is it the system? If so, that's one more notch to McVay.
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The 'NFL all-time rushing leaders' quiz
The Baltimore Ravens got off to a slow start to the 2025 NFL season, but their dominant ‘Thursday Night Football,’ performance against the Miami Dolphins is more what Ravens fans were expecting. Lamar Jackson threw for 204 yards and four touchdowns without an interception in his return from injury, while Derrick Henry posted his third 100-rushing-yard effort of the season and second in three games. The performance put Henry at 12,052 rushing yards in his career, making him just the eighth player in NFL history with at least 12,000 yards and 100 rushing touchdowns. Remarkably, this was the first game this season Henry has gone over 100 yards in a Ravens win. Which brings us to today’s quiz. Henry ranks 17th all-time in rushing yards in NFL history. With that being said, how many of the players to rush for at least 10,000 yards in their career can you name in five minutes? Good luck! Did you like this quiz? Are there any quizzes you’d like to see us make in the future? Let us know your thoughts at quizzes@yardbarker.com, and make sure to subscribe to our Quiz of the Day Newsletter for daily quizzes sent right to your email!
Nationals set to hire MLB's youngest manager in over 50 years
The Washington Nationals were one of a handful of teams heading into the offseason needing a new manager. The Nats fired former manager Dave Martinez, who helped lead them to their first World Series title in 2019, ahead of the All-Star break. They then had to decide if they wanted to keep interim manager Miguel Cairo or head in another direction. The Nationals decided to go in a different direction, announcing on Thursday that they are set to hire the youngest MLB manager in over 50 years. Nationals will hire Blake Butera to be their next manager After going 29-43 after taking over for Martinez, the Nationals decided that Cairo wasn't the man to lead them forward. Washington is hiring 33-year-old Blake Butera to be its next manager, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Butera will be a new voice to pair with the new president of baseball operations, Paul Toboni, who took over for former executive Mike Rizzo. According to Passan, Butera will be the youngest manager in more than 50 years. Butera joins Oliver Marmol (39) of the St. Louis Cardinals as the only managers in baseball under 40 years old. In his four-year career as a minor league manager in the Tampa Bay Rays organization, Butera accumulated a 258-144 record. That should bode well for him going to Washington, especially after six straight losing seasons. A former 35th-round draft pick of the Rays, Butera is also a former two-time minor league Manager of the Year in the Rays organization and was the bench coach for Team Italy in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Nationals need to give Blake Butera everything he needs to be successful Being so young and "inexperienced," Toboni and the Nationals organization will need to surround Butera with a veteran coaching staff. In particular, an experienced bench coach to help guide him through being a big league manager. Someone like former Los Angeles Angels manager Ron Washington would be a good hire to help guide Butera, given his managerial experience and longtime coaching. Coming from the Rays organization, Butera can bring over things he's learned there to help the Nationals improve as an organization. The Rays are consistently at the forefront of analytics and new, innovative ways to build a successful baseball team. Having a young roster and only two players with a decade in the big leagues (Josh Bell and Trevor Williams), Butera should find it easy to connect with some of his younger players, given his age. However, veterans may find it hard to listen to someone as inexperienced as Butera, which he’ll need to work on if the Nationals add any more to help mentor their young core.
Dolphins, general manager Chris Grier mutually agree to part ways
The Miami Dolphins and general manager Chris Grier mutually have agreed to part ways, the team announced on Friday morning. The news come hours after Miami fell to 2-7 on the season following a 28-6 setback to the Baltimore Ravens. Multiple reports citing sources indicated the Dolphins will keep head coach Mike McDaniel in his position until the end of the season before ruling on his status. "As I assessed the state of the team and in my discussions with Chris, it became clear to both of us that change could not wait. We must improve -- in 2025, 2026 and beyond -- and it needs to start right now," said Stephen M. Ross, Dolphins chairman of the board/managing general partner. "Champ Kelly will serve as interim general manager effective immediately, and we will begin our search process for a new general manager. I want to thank Champ for stepping up and his commitment to the Dolphins success this season. There is a lot of football left to play and we all need to fight even harder." Kelly, senior personnel executive of the Dolphins, was interim general manager of the Raiders in 2023. Grier, 55, has served as the Dolphins general manager since 2016. He has been with the team since 2000 when he was hired as a scout. The Dolphins haven't won a playoff game since the 2000 season, the longest active drought of any NFL club. "I have always been and remain committed to building a winning team that consistently competes for championships," Ross said. " ... our performance on the field and our team-building process have not been good enough. There are no excuses."
From the Boozer twins to a high-flying Eagle: Must-know names for the 2025–26 men's college basketball season
'TNF' takeaways: Lamar Jackson dazzles in return as Ravens humiliate Dolphins
The Baltimore Ravens dominated the Miami Dolphins in a 28-6 rout on "Thursday Night Football" as quarterback Lamar Jackson shined in his return from injury. Here are four takeaways from the first NFL game of Week 9: Lamar Jackson returns in style You would never know that Jackson had not played since Week 4 judging by his incredible performance on Thursday night. He wasted no time getting started with this fourth-down strike to tight end Mark Andrews in the opening quarter and capped his four-TD night with a nine-yard connection to wide receiver Rashod Bateman late in the third quarter. His 18 total TD passes against the Dolphins are the second-most all-time in five games vs. one opponent, only behind George Blanda's 21 against the New York Titans. After going 18-of-23 for 204 yards and four TDs, Jackson now has 14 passing TDs and only one interception in five games. If he stays healthy, this Ravens team will be difficult to slow down in the second half of the season. Mike McDaniel's seat keeps getting hotter It keeps getting worse for the Dolphins head coach after Thursday's latest dud. Miami had 332 yards of offense, but went 0-for-3 in the red zone and committed three turnovers, including a brutal one in their own territory in the first quarter. During a pregame segment on Prime Video, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport was asked what McDaniel's future looks like in Miami and said his job status is "firmly up in the air." While he said he did not "see anything imminent" from owner Stephen Ross, it will come down to how the players respond going forward. Although he signed an extension prior to last season and is under contract through 2028, a 2-7 record and another blowout loss is doing nothing to help McDaniel's case at the moment. Kyle Hamilton spearheads strong defensive performance from Ravens The Ravens entered the night allowing the third-most points per game (30 PPG), but Thursday night was a much different story. The All-Pro safety Hamilton may have not had the most tackles on the team, but his impact was certainly felt with six total tackles and one tackle for loss. He was more impressive than the stats show, especially at creating pressure on Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa and keeping Miami from having any success between the tackles. In the first quarter alone, Hamilton did not even line up as a safety in his first 15 snaps and still only gave up one yard rushing on four carries, opposed to 31 yards on three carries away from him, per Next Gen Stats. For a team that has struggled defensively, they need more of what they got on Thursday night if they are going to claw their way back into the AFC North conversation. Don't count the Ravens out yet It was not that long ago that Baltimore was 1-5 and staring at a wasted season. After back-to-back wins, an improving 3-5 record and a sloppy AFC North in which the Pittsburgh Steelers (4-3) are the only team above .500, the Ravens are firmly in the hunt. In fact, FanDuel currently lists them as the favorites (-145) to win the division as of Thursday night. The defense still needs to prove itself against stiffer competition, but if Jackson continues to ball out, the Ravens could complete a remarkable turnaround and mix up the AFC playoff picture.
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