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Christopher Bell accidentally spilled the beans Friday on who’s expected to replace Martin Truex Jr. at Joe Gibbs Racing next season.
Last week, Truex announced his plans to retire from full-time racing at the end of the season. Reports have emerged since the announcement that Chase Briscoe is the favorite to be driving Truex’s No. 19 Toyota next year.
Bell basically confirmed the reports on Friday while speaking to the media.
The 29-year-old was asked if he would be taking on an increased leadership role at Joe Gibbs Racing once Truex departs. Bell answered that all the team’s drivers share leadership duties before inadvertently blurting out who else was joining them in the garage.
“Whenever Chase [Briscoe] comes into the car,” Bell said before realizing his slip-up.
“I don’t even know what to say,” an embarrassed Bell continued. “Whenever we have a new driver into the 19 car, whoever that is, their experience level will dictate how much input they have on the team.”
Oh man, anyone who has ever accidentally told someone a secret that was not meant to be told publicly, has to feel for Christopher Bell. While it’s embarrassing that he slipped up, at least it led to a really funny moment where everyone got a laugh. pic.twitter.com/y1JPeyK5TR
— Toby Christie (@Toby_Christie) June 21, 2024
Briscoe has driven the No. 14 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing since 2021. He won the 2022 Ruoff Mortgage 500, which remains his one and only Cup Series victory. Briscoe also has 26 top-10 finishes in the Cup Series to date.
With Stewart-Haas’ future in NASCAR looking uncertain, it’s no surprise that Briscoe would consider making the jump.
Briscoe would slide in as Joe Gibbs Racing’s fourth full-time Cup Series driver alongside Bell, Ty Gibbs, and Denny Hamlin.
More must-reads:
- New Hampshire gives Martin Truex Jr. a good chance for elusive 2024 win
- Mother Nature may force NASCAR to race at New Hampshire on Tuesday
- The 'Daytona 500 winners' quiz
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Troubling report surfaces on Patriots' first-round rookie
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Report: Knicks made a signing based on Giannis Antetokounmpo trade belief
The New York Knicks aren't waiting for the offseason drama surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks to end before taking care of a key signing for their roster this summer. Per Shams Charania of ESPN, the Knicks signed Mikal Bridges to a four-year deal worth $150M on Thursday. "New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges has agreed to a four-year, $150 million contract extension with the franchise, agents Sam Goldfeder and Jordan Gertler of Excel Sports Management tell ESPN," Charania posted on X. "The new deal includes a player option for 2029-30 and a trade kicker." Bridges' extension might not have happened if the Knicks believed they had a serious shot to land an elite player in a trade this summer. Per Ashish Mathur of Hoops Wire, the Knicks made their decision to sign Bridges to a new deal after they learned Antetokounmpo plans to stay in Milwaukee. "The New York Knicks got intel that Giannis Antetokounmpo won’t request a trade from the Milwaukee Bucks before signing Mikal Bridges to an extension, an NBA source told Hoops Wire on Thursday," Mathur wrote. "...The Knicks would have pursued Giannis Antetokounmpo had the two-time MVP requested a trade from the Bucks. All signs point toward Antetokounmpo remaining in Milwaukee." Due to the player option Bridges has in his new deal, the guard cannot be traded for at least six months. Mathur's report signals the reality that New York wants to land another star to pair with Jalen Brunson. However, the Knicks might not make a big splash until the trade deadline next year. The Knicks need a big man who can score and play defense at a high level in the playoffs, something Karl-Anthony Towns was unable to do in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Steelers Add Familiar Face To Defensive Line Depth Chart After Recent Plague Of Injuries
The Pittsburgh Steelers likely have a handful of "bubble" players on speed-dial throughout training camp. Some guys always seem like they are on the cusp of making the roster, so they get called upon when injuries pile up. Recently, Pittsburgh lost three defensive linemen to knee issues, including Dean Lowry. There is no word on how severe they are just yet. At this point, it feels like the team needs bodies to work with the second and third-team defense. The Steelers signed more than just a camp body, however. They signed a veteran that knows the system. The announcement came via the player himself, as defensive tackle Breiden Fehoko posted on X that he is signing with the Steelers once again. Fehoko has spent 2023 and 2024 on the Steelers' practice squad after a three-year stint with the Los Angeles Chargers. In Los Angeles, he appeared in 19 games, including four starts. He has racked up 36 total tackles in his career, and he is looking to prove that he can do more than that, so he can get a chance to stick on the Steelers' 53-man roster finally. He will definitely have a window of opportunity with all the injuries on the defensive line, as well as the recent influx of youth. Captain Cameron Heyward is one of very few long-time veterans in the position group, so the coaching staff would likely be happy with having another veteran stick around for the entire 2025 season. Lowry was another veteran expected to make it past the final cuts, but that status is now up in the air. The injuries are not the only thing giving Fehoko a chance here. The Steelers' defensive line depth was already rough before the injuries piled up, and now it's even worse. It appears to be a very top-heavy unit, depending on how well rookie Derrick Harmon plays. Outside of that, there is a lot to be desired from the collective unit. A little bit of veteran presence from a familiar face is surely welcomed. Steelers Have Been Looking For Better Performances From Their Defensive Line Obviously, the 2024 season did not end the way the Steelers had hoped, as they routinely lost in the trenches late in the season. That failure forced a positional overhaul, including two rookie defensive linemen getting drafted together. That kind of end-of-year performance is absolutely unacceptable, and everyone knows it. It's time to get bigger, stronger, and meaner together, and that was what they went for in the 2025 offseason. So far, early returns have been great from training camp, although it's unclear if the defensive line is performing that well, the offensive line is performing that poorly, or a little bit of both. Either way, the first-team unit seems to be doing its job well. More depth is never a bad thing, however, and that's why Fehoko was brought back. They could really use someone like him holding down the fort for the backups. This will be a unique camp competition for Fehoko, as he will be competing against Logan Lee, who was essentially red-shirted in 2024, DeMarvin Leal, who has positional flexibility, and then more of the typical bubble players. Outside of the three projected starters and rookie Yahya Black, nobody's job is safe and secure. There are many bones for all the dogs to fight for. The roster move to free up a spot for Fehoko is to be determined, but the most likely scenario is one of the three injured defensive linemen either going on injured reserve or getting released with an injury settlement.
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Lions must avoid nightmare scenario with Aidan Hutchinson after Micah Parsons news
The Detroit Lions are officially on the clock. Again. The NFL has landed its next star-headlined holdout, with Micah Parsons taking to social media on Friday to officially request a trade from the Dallas Cowboys. The request comes after, according to Parsons, Dallas continually tried to negotiate a new deal with the star pass rusher without his agent present. Dallas has already signalled they're not sending him anywhere, anytime soon. This is just the latest perfect example for the Lions to not follow as it pertains to future negotiations with their star pass rusher, Aidan Hutchinson. Hutchinson hasn't received an extension on his current deal which extends into 2026. He's clearly due for a massive pay day, evidenced by the Lions potentially being okay with letting Alex Anzalone walk next year in order to make it happen. But, they must make it happen - or else, they run the risk of looking like the Jerry Jones run Cowboys in a season. Lions must avoid Hutchinson disaster after latest Micah Parsons developments General manager Brad Holmes has to pay a hefty price to keep Hutchinson around, and the defender sounds primed to have a season so undeniably elite that he'll need a deal akin to that received by T.J. Watt of the Pittsburgh Steelers or Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns. He's been lighting it up in training camp, appears even better than he did to start the 2024 season, and isn't afraid of contact on his leg that suffered a break last season. Detroit has a ton of cap flexibility, which makes their situation a bit more unique compared to that of the Browns, for example. They're working with $48 million in cap room for this season, per Over the Cap, so they could get something done with the pass rusher this season. The issue, however, lies with 2026 and beyond. READ MORE: This Lions-Cowboys trade finally brings Micah Parsons to Detroit However, Detroit is projected to be in the red against the cap to the tune of $43.3 million. That's thanks to a whopping $55 million due to Jared Goff beginning next year, $27.5 million due to Amon-Ra St. Brown, and $19 million due to both Hutchinson and tackle Penei Sewell. Major roster decisions regarding free agents that might demand a hefty price tag to stick around with the team seem imminent if Holmes and the Lions are bent on retaining Hutchinson. Whatever it takes to make sure Hutchinson doesn't become the next Parsons, or Watt, or Garrett, should be of the highest priority for this front office, though. With concerns about his ability to bounce back from his 2024 injury beginning to fade with each passing day in training camp, it's becoming clearer that Detroit has to avoid a high profile contract dispute - a trend, it seems, becoming exclusive to pass rushers. More Lions news and analysis
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