On Facebook
On Flipboard
On Twitter
Breaking News
Trending News
TODAY'S BEST
Maple Leafs have strong reason to believe they can sign Connor McDavid
Connor McDavid has still not extended his contract with the Edmonton Oilers as he enters his eighth and final year of his current agreement. McDavid, 28, will be an unrestricted free agent (UFA) in 2026 if he does not reach an agreement with the Oilers, and according to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, the Toronto Maple Leafs are wondering "what’s happening" with the Canadian center. “Just like 15 other teams around the NHL, until Connor makes his decision, there are teams that are gonna want to know, ‘Do we have to keep our powder dry for the summer of 2026?’ The Leafs are among them,” said LeBrun. In fact, there is a strong reason to believe that Toronto could sign McDavid, and it is that the Oilers player has recently made statements that could be an important clue about what the future holds for him. The center's words, curiously, are very similar to what Mitch Marner used to say at the time, before moving to the Leafs from the Vegas Golden Knights. Is McDavid's speech a farewell from Edmonton? In September 2024, Marner seemed committed to Toronto, without giving many details about his true intention. “It’s another year of wanting to be the best you can be and help this team win hockey games,” he said then, via the NHL official website. "That’s where my mind is, it’s not thinking of a contract year, and you have to be doing this and that. It’s just another hockey year where you want to be the best you can be to help this team win hockey games and get to the ultimate goal," added Marner. For his part, McDavid's speech goes practically along the same lines. "I’ll take my time and go through everything. I have every intention of winning in Edmonton. It’s my only focus," he said at the end of August of this year, via Sportsnet. "I want the group to be as focused and dialed in and ready to roll from Day 1 as much as possible, and we don’t need any distractions," added McDavid. Unfortunately for the 28-year-old Canadian, his contractual situation has already become a big distraction. History tells us that it is more than likely that in 2026, the center will be defending another jersey.
Marvin Harrison Jr. brushes off potential Cardinals controversy
Second-year Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. added some muscle weight during the offseason in an attempt to improve after he experienced an up-and-down rookie campaign. However, eyebrows were raised when he recorded just two receptions on five targets for 27 yards in Arizona's 27-22 win over the Carolina Panthers this past Sunday. While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Harrison poured cold water over the idea that he cares more about his stats than about the fact that the Cardinals opened the season with back-to-back wins. Marvin Harrison Jr. brushes off "silly conversation" "That’s a silly conversation, really," Harrison responded when asked about the number of passes thrown his way across the season's first two weeks, per Tyler Drake of Arizona Sports. "We’re 2-0. That’s the most important thing. We’ve got a big game this week, so that’s really my only focus. Anybody that’s a competitor loves the game, loves what they do. Everybody wants the ball. They want to impact the game. But most importantly, it’s all about winning." Many expected Harrison would take a major leap this season after the fourth overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft finished his debut pro campaign with 62 receptions for 885 yards and eight touchdowns. Thus far, that hasn't happened. In the Cardinals' 20-13 Week 1 win over the New Orleans Saints on Sept. 7, he caught five of six targets for 71 yards and a score. ESPN stats show that second-year New York Giants star Malik Nabers tallied a league-high 25 targets over the first two weeks of the ongoing season. To compare, Harrison enters Week 3 with seven receptions on 11 targets for 98 yards and one touchdown. Marvin Harrison Jr. insists he's happy despite lack of targets "It’s always frustrating when you may not get the impact that you kind of want in the game, especially when you put in so much work," Harrison acknowledged. "I know my process throughout the week and all the work that I put in throughout all season and leading up to the game. When you don’t get the results that you want to impact the game, that kind of is frustrating. But at the end of the day, you’re very happy that we’re 2-0 sitting here and got a victory." Earlier in the week, Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray warned that his team must be better about finishing games after Arizona flirted with snatching defeat from the jaws of victory on two occasions. Perhaps part of that process will involve Murray targeting Harrison early and often during this coming Sunday's game at the 2-0 San Francisco 49ers.
Chargers star Khalil Mack's outlook is better than expected
Los Angeles Chargers outside linebacker Khalil Mack will be out for a few weeks after dislocating his elbow during Monday night’s matchup with the Raiders, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Who will take Khalil Mack's place for the Los Angeles Chargers? The injury is not season-ending, but Los Angeles will need one of its depth outside linebackers to take Mack’s place for the time being. That will likely be veteran Bud Dupree, who replaced Mack on Monday and has significantly more experience than third-year UDFA Caleb Murphy or fourth-round rookie Kyle Kennard. At the moment, it seems unlikely that the Chargers will make a signing to bolster their OLB depth. Mack’s injury is not expected to be long-term, and the pool of free-agent edge-rushers has suddenly dried up after both Preston Smith and Jadeveon Clowney signed with new teams this week. The Chargers did host their rival's former draft bust on a visit. Instead, the Chargers’ plan will likely be as follows: Dupree will start, with Murphy receiving a bump in snaps as the No. 3 edge-rusher and Kennard making his NFL debut after two healthy scratches to start the year. The team was comfortable with only four active outside linebackers in Weeks 1 and 2, so it may not feel the need to make an elevation from the practice squad. Mack, 34, was quiet in Week 1 against the Chiefs but looked better on Monday with one sack and one tackle for loss in Las Vegas. He re-signed with the Chargers this offseason on a one-year, $18M deal after six sacks in 2024.
Dallas Cowboys Linked to Strange Trade Before Week 3 NFL Action
Heading into Week 3 of the 2025 NFL season, the Dallas Cowboys hold a 1-1 record. Jerry Jones has to be happy with his team’s bounce-back win against the New York Giants last week, but there are some clear issues the team could look at fixing. While there are a few issues on the roster that could use some work, there are also some areas that have been a major positive. One of those areas comes at the running back position. Javonte Williams has looked the part of a starting NFL running back through two weeks, running for 151 yards and three touchdowns on 33 carries for an average of 4.6 yards per attempt. Miles Sanders has also carried the football nine times for 68 yards and a touchdown, averaging 7.6 yards per carry. Both players have handled their roles well. However, a new strange trade idea has been suggested for the Cowboys that would see them pursue another running back addition. Dallas Cowboys Linked to Strange Trade Before Week 3 NFL Action Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report has named Dallas as one of the possible trade destinations for Cleveland Browns running back Jerome Ford. Ford is a quality player and could be a nice dual-threat running back for a team. But, the Cowboys simply do not need help at the running back position. Jones and company would be better served focusing on the defensive side of the ball. Ford would come in as the No. 3 running back on the roster and simply would not provide a ton of value for the Dallas offense. Even though Knox believes a conditional 2026 seventh-round pick could be the asking price, it just doesn’t make sense. Coming into the season, there were questions about the running game. Those questions have been answered so far. It will be interesting to see how both Williams and Sanders perform as the season moves forward. Perhaps the Cowboys could consider bringing him in for quality depth in case of an injury or one of the two backs falling off later in the year. All of that being said, this isn’t a trade idea that seems very likely. Dallas has to be happy with what it has seen from its two running backs through two weeks. Making a move to bring in a third back doesn’t seem to be a pressing need at this point in time.
Customize Your Newsletter
+
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!
PRIVACY POLICY EDITORIAL POLICY CONTACT US
ABOUT YARDBARKER TERMS OF SERVICE
Use of this website (including any and all parts and
components) constitutes your acceptance of these
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
This site is for entertainment purposes only.
There is no gambling offered on this site.
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
