
America’s Ben Shelton has opened up about his perspective regarding double dating admitting as a result that a link-up with Coco Gauff is unlikely who is his close friend on tour.
Shelton, recently in a post on his official account on the social media platform Instagram, revealed that he was dating US women’s national team soccer player Trinity Rodman. The reigning world number 15 has been recently quoted in a report where he stated that he is not a big fan of ‘double dating’. He also stated that he did not think that his post about his girlfriend would break the internet.
"Not the biggest double date guy, to be honest," said Shelton. "More of a normal date guy. But I guess we’ll see. Definitely have a lot of friends who are in long-term relationships, but for it to match up where we’re all in the same place at the same time is unlikely. I was sure some people would talk about it, but I didn’t think it would be a break the Internet type of thing. But I’ve always been like, ‘OK, if I have a serious girlfriend then posting about it on Instagram isn’t that crazy."
Shelton is currently taking part in the Munich Open, where he has cemented his spot in the semifinal after beating Italy’s Luciano Darderi in the last-eight clash with a score of 6-4, 6-3. He will now face Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo in the last-four clash, who cemented his spot in the semifinal of the competition after beating Belgium’s David Goffin in the quarterfinal in straight sets with a score of 6-2, 6-4. It will be the second meeting between the two players in professional tennis. In their only previous meeting, which was in the third round of Indian Wells last year, Shelton came out on top with a score of 7-6, 3-6, 7-6.
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The NFC North-leading Chicago Bears have a potential problem heading into Week 12 against the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-4). At Wednesday's practice, the Bears (7-3) were without their top three linebackers, Tremaine Edmunds (groin), T.J. Edwards (hand/hamstring) and Noah Sewell (elbow), making their health something to monitor before Sunday's game between division leaders. Linebacker injuries an area of concern for Chicago Bears in Week 12 versus Pittsburgh Steelers Chicago's depth at linebacker will be tested if the trio can't play. D'Marco Jackson, Amen Ogbongbemiga and rookie fourth-rounder Ruben Hyppolite II are the only healthy linebackers on the active roster. They've combined to play 50 defensive snaps this season. Nine-year veteran Jalen Reeves-Maybin and Carl Jones Jr., a 2024 undrafted free agent, could be in line to move up from the practice squad. Edwards has missed Chicago's past two games after undergoing hand surgery, but the team declined to put him on injured reserve, avoiding a mandatory four-game absence. Sewell, who previously missed Week 7 with a concussion, has started in Edwards' place and led the team in tackles against the Minnesota Vikings (4-6) in Week 11. Edmunds has made 34 consecutive starts dating back to Nov. 19, 2023 and is having an All-Pro-caliber season, leading the team with 89 tackles while adding four interceptions, a sack and nine passes defended. The Steelers have their own injury concerns with quarterback Aaron Rodgers (wrist) uncertain to play on Sunday, though it remains a possibility after he was determined not to need surgery. "This might go right up until Friday or Saturday," ESPN NFL insider Dan Graziano wrote about a potential timeline for a decision on Rodgers' availability. The Bears have been tormented by Rodgers throughout his 18-year career. The longtime Packers quarterback (2005-22) is 11-3 all-time at Soldier Field, including 10-1 in his last 11 starts. He's won four in a row dating back to 2019. If Rodgers plays, Chicago could have a much more difficult time stopping the Steelers offense considering the state of its linebackers. The Bears may need a magical elixir to get back to full health in time for the pivotal showdown. With only a one-game lead in the NFC North, every game counts for Chicago. But it could be severely undermanned if its top three linebackers are forced to watch from the sideline.
The Atlanta Falcons' once bright future has turned sour. On Wednesday, reports confirmed that second-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr. suffered a partially torn ACL, requiring surgery that will have him out until mid-August 2026. Without a training camp or full preseason, Penix's status for the start of the 2026 season is in doubt. Michael Penix Jr.'s injury update complicates Falcons' future When controversially selecting Penix at No. 8 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, one month after signing Kirk Cousins to a contract worth $180 million ($100M guaranteed), Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot reasoned that it would provide stability once Cousins eventually moved on after years spent trying to find former longtime starter Matt Ryan's replacement. Instead, Atlanta is still without a legitimate franchise quarterback. And absent what's trending toward becoming a top-10 first-round pick after a misguided 2025 draft-day trade with the Los Angeles Rams, the Falcons won't have many good options to improve at the position this offseason. Penix's injury could put the team in a difficult spot next offseason, when Atlanta must decide whether to pick up his 2028 fifth-year option. The 2023 Heisman finalist may only qualify for the basic amount, which is projected to be $22.933M for the 2023 first-round quarterback class. That number would rise for the 2024 class, and that's a considerable amount for a player who hasn't proved to be worth that much. (h/t Over the Cap) In 12 career starts, Penix is 224-of-376 (59.6 percent) for 2,719 yards, 12 touchdowns and six interceptions. Penix will need to show a lot next year, coming off reconstructive knee surgery, to solidify himself as part of Atlanta's future plans. That doesn't bode well for him or the Falcons, who have several outstanding contract situations to resolve. Tight end Kyle Pitts, the No. 4 overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, is on an expiring deal. He's been a huge disappointment, but the Falcons don't have a viable replacement behind him. Wideout Drake London is set to play on his fifth-year rookie option next season and would be a holdout candidate if he's unable to work out a long-term deal. Two-time second-team All-Pro safety Jessie Bates III is also set to play on an expiring deal and should request an extension before taking the field next year. Owner Arthur Blank must determine how much money is worth putting into a team that might be a season or two away from contending, possibly leading to difficult conversations. Players like London, Bates and running back Bijan Robinson, who will be in his fourth NFL season in 2026, would command massive returns on the trade market. As talented as the three are, they're being wasted in Atlanta, which has nothing to show for their contributions. With Penix set for a long recovery timeline, things are unlikely to improve much next season, setting the trio up for another year compiling meaningless stats. The Falcons will eventually have to make decisions on all of their young stars, including Penix. His season-ending injury gives them fewer data points to make an informed call while also stalling his development. A season that began with hope has slowly morphed into another nightmare for Atlanta. It could be a while before the Falcons wake.
Steve Spurrier is a legend for the Florida Gators. Known as "the head ball coach" down in SEC-land, Spurrier was a star both as a player and as a coach for Florida. Heck, the dang field in Gainesville is named after him. That means what he says about the Florida program carries a lot of weight, and he recently revealed that he believes there are only two people who would live up to the expectations and be a great fit for the Gators as they look to replace fired head coach Billy Napier sooner rather than later. “I know Lane Kiffin and I know Eli Drinkwitz,” Spurrier recently said, according to Daniel Hager of On3. “Obviously, either one of those guys would be super if it works out. But, it’s a long way from whoever we’re going to get as our coach right now.” The Gators are currently making a full-court press for Lane Kiffin, but they're not alone in their pursuit of the Ole Miss head coach. While the Gators reportedly flew members of Kiffin's family down to Gainesville to check things out recently, the LSU Tigers also pulled the same trick — hoping to get Kiffin to ultimately come down to Baton Rouge. LSU is probably Florida's biggest competitor for Kiffin right now, but there's also Ole Miss to consider. It's not like the Rebels are going to let a coach who has led them to a 54-19 record over the past six seasons go without a fight. Kiffin would absolutely be a home-run hire for the Gators, though. He's a high-level recruiter and a high-level offensive mind in the SEC. Those are two things that the Gators desperately need in the wake of the middling Napier era. Not only that, but Kiffin has ties to the state. He was the head coach at Florida Atlantic from 2017-19. Eli Drinkwitz an interesting option for Florida if it can't land Lane Kiffin Drinkwitz is another interesting option, though. You'll also notice that there's a trend here for Florida, and that's going after established SEC head coaches. Napier had come from the Sun Belt conference. Drinkwitz has made Missouri a tough out in the SEC, and he's won a ton of football games. His overall record at Mizzou is 45-27, though his record in big games does leave a little to be desired. He's 7-14 against ranked opponents and 0-7 against top-10 teams. Still, Drinkwitz is a young coach at just 42, so the upside is there. He's a big personality who does well on the recruiting trail, and he could do a lot of good things with the firepower of the Florida Gators behind him. There are other options out there for Florida. Washington head coach Jedd Fisch is a Florida alumnus, for instance. If Spurrier has narrowed it down to Kiffin and Drinkwitz in his mind, though, you can bet those in power at Florida are likely thinking the same thing.
The Philadelphia Eagles' offense has not been as explosive since Kevin Patullo took over as the new offensive coordinator. The play-calling has been pretty predictable, and, according to The Athletic's Dianna Russini, some players blame quarterback Jalen Hurts for it. "Multiple offensive players have grown frustrated with Jalen Hurts' approach this season, particularly against zone coverage," Russini reported. However, advanced stats indicate that the Eagles aren't maximizing the talents of the reigning Super Bowl MVP. Jalen Hurts has been elite in deep throws this season According to Pro Football Focus on X, Hurts has seven touchdowns, zero interceptions and an outstanding passer rating of 128.2 in throws over 20 yards this season. The Eagles keep running a very conservative offense, even though, per Sharp Football Stats, 10% of their pass plays (55) have been explosive. Explosive pass plays are those that result in a gain of at least 20 yards. Hurts has been absolutely elite in those situations, and with two speedy receivers like A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, this team should be taking more shots down the field. Although they aren't as dominant as last season, the Eagles are still 8-2 and at the top of the NFC East. They have all the resources needed to return to the Super Bowl, and anything less than another deep postseason run should be seen as a failure. Then again, the coaching staff needs to put the players in a position to succeed, and that includes letting them do what they do best.



