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Travis Kelce reportedly made significant change during offseason
Travis Kelce had a bit of a down season in 2024 based on his lofty standards, but the Kansas City Chiefs star hopes a significant change he made in recent months will help boost his performance.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported on "SportsCenter" Saturday that Kelce slimmed down during the offseason. The veteran tight end has lost roughly 25 pounds.
"He will debut a bit of a slimmer look. He's told people close to him that he's lost about 25 pounds this offseason," Fowler said. "He played a little heavier in 2024, that was sort of a thing. He vowed to change it, and he has."
The #Chiefs will see a slimmer Travis Kelce at minicamp next week.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) June 14, 2025
(@SportsCenter with @KevinNegandhi) pic.twitter.com/WFDrnkEGq7
Kelce had 97 catches last season, but his 823 yards and three touchdowns were the lowest marks of his career. He looked like his old self with seven catches for 117 yards and a touchdown in an AFC divisional-round win over the Houston Texans in the playoffs. Still, he had just two catches in the AFC Championship Game against the Buffalo Bills and four receptions in Kansas City's loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX.
There was speculation after last season that Kelce might retire, but he quickly put that to rest. Kelce said he did not like the way he ended 2024 and would not want to go out like that.
Kelce will turn 36 in October, so it makes sense that he wants to get into better shape in the latter stage of his career. As long as he remains healthy, he should continue to be one of Patrick Mahomes' favorite targets.
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Commanders flaw exposed in blowout preseason loss to Ravens
The Washington Commanders have a potentially significant problem on special teams. During Saturday's 30-3 preseason Week 3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, kicker Matt Gay missed a 53-yard field goal wide left at the end of Washington's first offensive possession. Gay finished the preseason 3-of-5 on field goal attempts. He also missed a 49-yarder wide left in preseason Week 1 against the New England Patriots. Gay's struggles continue the chaotic journey for the Commanders at kicker. Last season's Week 1 starter, Cade York, went 0-of-2 in the opener and was promptly released. His replacement, Austin Seibert, was in the midst of a fantastic season through Week 9, going 25-of-27 on field goals and 22-of-22 on extra points before missing two weeks with a hip injury. He was later placed on injured reserve after missing three kicks in a loss to the Dallas Cowboys, including a would-be tying extra point following a wild 86-yard touchdown with under a minute remaining. Zane Gonzalez and Greg Joseph combined to go 7-of-10 on field goals the rest of the season, including each missing a 50-yard attempt. Overall, Commanders kickers struggled from long distance, with the four combining to go 2-of-8 on attempts of 50 yards or more. Only the Philadelphia Eagles had a worse percentage (14.3%) on attempts of at least 50 yards, per Pro Football Reference data. Washington signed Gay to a one-year, $4.25M fully guaranteed contract in late April following the 2025 NFL Draft. Per CBS Sports, it's the largest guaranteed contract for a kicker on a one-year deal in NFL history. Last season while with the Indianapolis Colts, Gay was 3-of-9 on 50-yard field goals. The Commanders have the talent on offense to be one of the league's top scoring units, so they might not need to convert many tries from over 50 yards. Still, having a kicker who can reliably hit from that distance is an undeniable asset, particularly late in close games or on possessions that stall after crossing midfield. Washington largely has a roster capable of contending for a Super Bowl. But following its final tune-up before the regular season, kicking is a notable flaw.
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Former Yankees Outfielder Rips Aaron Boone, Brian Cashman
The New York Yankees have been having a rough couple of months, losing their once-dominant lead of the AL East. Now, both Yankees manager Aaron Boone and general manager Brian Cashman are on the receiving end of some tough words by a former player, outfielder Clint Frazier. Boone has been criticized by a number of analysts (not to mention Yankees fans) for lineup and mid-game moves that range from head-scratching to downright bizarre, especially for a team that has been having a hard time securing wins. Cashman has repeatedly defended Boone, arguing that is knowledge of the players' capabilities is driving his decisions. To Frazier, Cashman's defense of Boone is self-serving because Cashman is the person who is responsible for Boone's tenure as manager. “When Cashman comes out and gives support to Boone, lowkey, I kind of feel like that’s self-preservation,” Frazier said on his podcast. “I know his resume is insane, but when he gives the confidence boost to Boone, I was saying ‘he’s got to, because Booney is the frontline of defense for him. I brought this guy in, and I have to support him, because he’s my guy.' Boone is Cashman’s shadow a little bit." Frazier, who played for the Pinstripes from 2017 to 2021, went on to discuss the Yankees' playoff chances, criticizing Boone for his lineup and mid-game decisions, which he claims will impact the team negatively during the post-season. “You need to make sure that you aren’t walking into it with bad decisions, because these are the decisions they’ll be doing in the playoffs,” he said. “They’re going to be way more under the microscope in the playoffs... You’ve got to make sure that you’re buttoned up and ready to go. If you start firing from the hip, it becomes a mockery of what every guy is trying to do.” While the Yankees are doing better now than they were at the time of Frazier's comments, surpassing the Boston Red Sox for second place in the AL East and securing the top spot in the AL Wild Card standings, they still aren't consistent. For New York to secure a trip to the World Series for the second year in a row, they're going to have to play better, which requires Boone to make better decisions. Make sure to bookmark Yankees On SI to get all your daily New York Yankees news, interviews, breakdowns and more! Yankees Have Advantage in Cody Bellinger Sweepstakes Former Yankees Pitchers Swap Places On NL Contender Hall of Famer Explains Leaving Red Sox for Yankees Mariano Rivera's Injury End of Yankees Old-Timer's Game? Four Yankees Among MLB's Top 25 Free Agents
Bengals' Joe Burrow puts NFL on notice amid Trey Hendrickson contract standoff
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow finished fourth in Most Valuable Player Award voting for the 2024 season after his club missed the playoffs. During a recent chat with NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, Burrow put the league on notice regarding how he's feeling heading into the upcoming campaign. "I’m not sure I would say anyone is playing the position better than I am right now," Burrow remarked. "I'm pretty confident in my ability to go out and do that every Sunday. Now, it’s just showing that consistency, showing it year in and year out. I think what separates the legends is being able to do it year in, year out for five, 10 years at a time. So, trying to be able to find that consistency in my discipline and my process, doing the easy stuff in my sleep and then making the hard stuff look easy, then making a couple of great plays here and there, that’s what I am trying to do every week." Pro Football Reference stats show that Burrow ended the 2024 regular season leading the league with 460 completions, 652 pass attempts, 4,918 passing yards, 43 passing touchdowns and an average of 289.3 passing yards per game. The Bengals subsequently rewarded their QB1 during the offseason by signing wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, wideout Tee Higgins and tight end Mike Gesicki to new deals. "We want to be the best offense in the NFL," Burrow told Breer. That said, Bengals pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson remains in the middle of what's become an ugly contract standoff. Hendrickson is in the final year of his existing deal, and the two sides seemingly aren't close to agreeing on the amount of guaranteed money that would be attached to an extension. Burrow has repeatedly made it known throughout the summer that he thinks the Bengals should "reward" Hendrickson with a pay raise. "...I think the more that I can explain the thoughts of the locker room, explain why doing one thing one way might affect feelings in the locker room, as opposed to doing something a different way, it’s my job as a quarterback to be able to relay information like that," Burrow said about campaigning for Hendrickson to get paid before Cincinnati opens the 2025 season at the Cleveland Browns on Sept. 7. "And whatever their decisions are with that information, that’s for them to decide." On Friday, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Bengals at -140 odds to make the playoffs this season. Having a happy Hendrickson in the lineup would only improve Cincinnati's chances of enjoying what could become a special campaign.
Idaho State vs UNLV Prediction, Pick, Odds for Saturday, August 23
The Idaho State Bengals take on the UNLV Rebels in college football Week 0 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. ET on the Mountain West Network. UNLV is favored by -26.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -5000. The total is set at 65.5 points. Here are my Idaho State vs. UNLV predictions and college football picks for Saturday, August 23. Idaho State vs. UNLV Pick: Over 65.5 or Better My UNLV vs. Idaho State best bet is on the Over. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page. Idaho State vs UNLV Odds Idaho State vs UNLV point spread: UNLV -26.5 (-110 ), Idaho State +26.5 (-110) Idaho State vs UNLV over/under: 65.5 (-112o / -108u) Idaho State vs UNLV moneyline: Idaho State +1800, UNLV -5000 First-year UNLV head coach Dan Mullen will bring in a highly sophisticated offensive system. We’ll likely see him use a quarterback in the running game, either Alex Orji or Anthony Colandrea, alongside running back Jai’Den Thomas, who popped off last season for 918 yards at six yards per carry. I fully expect the aptly named Runnin’ Rebels to be humming on the ground this week. Idaho State ranked 121st nationally among FCS teams in total rush defense last season, surrendering over 250 yards per game at over five yards per carry. Even worse, the Bengals lost all five defensive linemen from last year’s squad, so they’re going through a complete rebuild. The Rebels also need to run their stuff deep into the second half on Saturday, as they need to see what they have at receiver while generating some continuity in the passing game with both transfer quarterbacks. They’ll be passing deep into the game against an Idaho State secondary that struggled last season (63% completion allowed, 19 touchdowns allowed to only three interceptions). Another little wrinkle for UNLV’s game plan: The Rebels need to focus on cleaning up their dreadful red-zone offense from last season (21 red-zone field goals, 14 empty red-zone possessions). If they concentrate on red-zone execution, it’ll increase the scoring. On the other end of the field, I’m reasonably high on Idaho State’s offense. Jordan Cooke returns at quarterback after putting together a dynamic 2023 (2200 passing yards, 22 touchdowns). Unfortunately, he was hurt for most of last season, but he should be healthy for Week 0. Additionally, four of the teams’ top six receivers from last season return, and they added transfer portal receivers from Baylor, UTEP, and Utah State, who should add some explosiveness. UNLV defensive coordinator Paul Guenther runs an aggressive, blitz-heavy pressure defense. But that could be feast-or-famine for the Rebels against a pass-heavy Bengals offense. Idaho State might create some big plays or turn the ball over and allow short fields for the UNLV offense. The Rebels need to use this game to scout their offense. Idaho State loves to throw the ball around, and the Bengals have a horrific defense. We should see plenty of points on Saturday in Vegas. Pick: Over 65.5 or Better
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