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CM Punk rules out WWE comeback at Survivor Series
CM Punk will not be returning to WWE. Fans across the globe have been hoping to see the star return at Survivor Series, but he confirmed his current hiatus in a recent interview on 670 The Score.
"They’re asking if I’m going to be there? I think it’s sold out. I think tickets are hard to get," Punk said. "I don’t want to burst anybody’s bubble. I’m kind of just sitting at home and enjoying this beautiful Chicago weather. I have an injury in the family. My dog [Larry] blew his dog ACL. I’m literally just spending my time with him... Everything has kind of stopped. I’m fortunate to take time off from everything. I’ve canceled things I have coming up."
Punk was recently released from his contract by AEW. There's no love lost between him and WWE, either. As one of the more disruptive personalities in the industry, Punk's reputation proceeds him.
UFC owner Endeavor recently acquired WWE. Some sections of the WWE fan base believed that the takeover could open the door for Punks' return. He may be a problem backstage, but his presence draws eyeballs and drives sales.
Nevertheless, WWE appears to be resisting the temptation to reunite with Punk. That decision could change in the future, but with the company in a strong position right now and multiple talents drawing good fan ratings, the timing to bring a live wire into the fold isn't right. Punk's presence could disrupt the momentum, just as it did with AEW.
Since his release, Punk has appeared at multiple indie shows and some events for brands such as TNA. If WWE isn't planning on bringing him back, and his hiatus isn't permanent, Punk could join one of the smaller brands.
He needs to rebuild his reputation and prove he can toe the line. Maybe then, WWE would be willing to give him another shot. Sadly, that won't be in time for Survivor Series, much to the chagrin of the WWE Universe.
More must-reads:
- CM Punk calls for a wrestlers union, brands peers 'selfish and stupid'
- The most notorious sports feuds of all time
- The 'NFL Defensive Players of the Year ' quiz
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Seahawks CB Riq Woolen turning heads, but can Seattle keep him?
After a down 2023 season, Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen re-established himself last season as one of the team's more reliable defenders. In training camp, the 26-year-old seems to be picking up where he left off. “Riq’s locked in this year,” Seattle third-year cornerback Devon Witherspoon said, per Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic. “He just continues to be better. Riq’s got a lot of stuff to show a lot of people.” But can Seattle keep him? Entering the final year of his rookie contract, Woolen will make $5.4 million this season (h/t: Spotrac). Per Over The Cap, the Seahawks are projected to have roughly $61M in cap space in 2026, but they also have other players to sign. Seattle soon will give a top-tier contract to Witherspoon, a two-time Pro Bowler. Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and offensive tackles Charles Cross and Anthony Lucas also may merit bigger deals soon. The Seahawks won’t have a lot of salary cap space left if they want to extend most of their top young players. In training camp, Woolen frequently defends against Smith-Njigba, who is one of the more dynamic route-runners in the league. The Seahawks are labeling him as one of the top performers in training camp. Woolen could be one of the top options by the trade deadline later in the season. He could give a team a much-needed upgrade in defending against the passing game. The Seahawks could get a good package in return if they are unable to extend to a longer contract.
Mets' slide continues with arguably their worst loss of the season
The New York Mets are trending in the wrong direction, and their slide continued on Sunday with what might have been their worst loss of the season. The Mets not only were on the losing end of a 7-6 walk-off loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, they blew a 5-0 lead in the process and extended their losing streak to seven consecutive games. Even worse, they have lost 11 out of their past 12 games during a time where the Philadelphia Phillies are starting to pull away in the National League East race. The biggest issue for the Mets for most of this slump has been an offense that has gone ice cold. But that wasn't necessarily the problem on Sunday as they pushed six runs across the plate. The problem on Sunday was a rough start for Sean Manaea (four earned runs in four innings) and a bullpen that was unable to hold on to a late lead. Trade-deadline addition Ryan Helsley allowed the tying run in the bottom of the eighth inning when he allowed an RBI single to Joey Ortiz. That set the stage for star closer Edwin Diaz to serve up a walk-off home run to Isaac Collins. The Mets are still holding a playoff spot in the National League, but it is getting more uncomfortable by the day. After Sunday's games they are in the third and final wild-card spot in the National League, and only have 1.5 games of cushion between them and the Cincinnati Reds. The Mets had sky-high expectations this season after making the playoffs a year ago and then adding Juan Soto in free agency. While Soto's bat has ended up being everything the Mets hoped it would be, the rest of the offense has struggled in the heat of the summer and now the pressure is only going to keep mounting if they do not get out of this slump soon. With nine of their next 12 games coming against the Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals — two of the worst teams in the National League — there is at least an opportunity for them to maybe get back on track. They need to, because after that stretch they have a three-game home series against the Phillies that could go a long way toward determining the path of their season.
Green Bay Packers Fans, Relax; It’s Week 1 Of The Preseason
Preseason football is a strange beast. On one hand, it’s undeniably exciting to see your team take the field after months of anticipation. On the other hand, expectations can mislead you, especially when things don’t go according to plan. Case in point—fans of the Green Bay Packers are reeling after their preseason loss to the New York Jets on August 9, 2025. A sluggish offense, a defense that couldn’t quite contain the Jets’ playmaking, and dropped opportunities all coalesced into a performance that felt like a disappointment to the faithful Cheeseheads. But here’s the thing—it’s preseason. And while the frustration is understandable, it’s important to pull back and keep things in perspective. Green Bay Packers: Déjà Vu from Preseason 2024 For longtime Green Bay Packers fans, the sky-is-falling reaction to a preseason loss might feel eerily familiar. Flashback to just a year ago, when Green Bay faced the Denver Broncos in a similarly rough matchup. The Packers didn’t score a single touchdown that day, which prompted plenty of panicked grumbles about the offense’s viability heading into the season. They only managed two points, and that was the second preseason game. And how did that work out? They finished 11-6, making the playoffs for the second consecutive year with Love under center. If there’s one thing Packers fans should have learned from last year, it’s this simple truth—preseason wins and losses are about as predictive of regular-season success as the flip of a coin. It’s not about the scoreline but rather the opportunity for the coaching staff to evaluate talent, test new systems, and shake off some offseason rust. Growing Pains Are a Good Thing Look, no one wants to lose—even in the preseason. But treating mistakes and struggles as warning sirens does a disservice to what preseason football is all about. These games serve three main purposes: Experimentation: Coaches get the chance to be bold with their playcalling and personnel. Packages that might be too high-risk during the regular season are put on display in these lower-stakes moments. Development: For younger players adjusting to the pro level, this is a prime opportunity to make mistakes, learn, and grow. Jordan Love looked a bit shaky at times against the Jets—it happens. But the more reps he gets, the better he’ll be when Week 1 rolls around. Evaluation: Preseason is when the roster battles come to life. Does that position group have solid depth? Is that rookie ready to contribute? Counts like these can only truly be settled on the field. For the Packers, the loss to the Jets highlights areas of improvement but shouldn’t overshadow the long-term goals for this team. Offensive Rust Isn’t Cause for Panic Much of the angst from the Jets game focuses on the offense. Love didn’t look crisp, the offensive line missed a few key assignments, and the receivers dropped a couple of catchable balls. It wasn’t pretty. But anyone looking at these struggles as proof of impending doom is missing the larger picture. Preseason games are often disjointed by design. Starters see limited time, rotations are fluid, and the execution is rarely polished. What matters is the process, not the outcome. Last year, the same criticisms were lobbed at Green Bay’s offense after the loss to Denver. Yet, when it counted, they found their rhythm and became a top-10 scoring unit over the course of the season. Could the same be true this year? Absolutely. Defensive Lapses Highlight Work-in-Progress Areas Green Bay’s defense didn’t escape the magnifying glass, either. Struggles against the Jets’ second-team offense disappointed some fans, especially with a few long completions allowed in the secondary. But here’s the reality—preseason defenses are notoriously vanilla. Coordinators avoid revealing their hand, sticking instead to basic schemes. Once the regular season arrives, you’ll see the Packers deploy more complex looks designed to fluster opposing quarterbacks. Rest assured, defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley will use the tape from this game as a teaching tool. Teams that can identify and correct their flaws in August win games in November. The Optimistic Takeaway While hard to see after a frustrating game, adversity is an essential part of success. Preseason obstacles give players and coaches the opportunity to refine their craft. Last year, the Green Bay Packers used its preseason flop as a springboard for improvement. There’s every chance the Jets game will serve the same purpose. This Packers team is loaded with talent, from a promising quarterback in Jordan Love to a stacked corps of skill players. Add in a defense brimming with upside, and the foundation for a strong season remains intact. Final Thoughts Green Bay Packers fans, take a deep breath and step back from the ledge. A preseason loss doesn’t mean the sky is falling, no matter how discouraging certain moments feel in the short term. If anything, rough games like these are exactly what the team needs to address weaknesses before the games start to count. Remember Denver last year? The lack of touchdowns and disconnect on the field felt catastrophic for exactly one week—until Green Bay found its stride when it mattered most. Trust the process, and trust that the Packers will use this preseason tune-up for exactly what it is—a chance to grow, learn, and improve.
Notable PFF grades, standouts from Vikings' preseason win over Texans
The big storyline from Saturday's Vikings preseason opener was how J.J. McCarthy looked in his first game since tearing his meniscus a year ago. But what the preseason is really about are younger players and guys on the roster bubble looking to make an impression. After some starters played a bit in the first quarter, it was the second and third and fourth-stringers who got the rest of the work in the Vikings' 20-10 win over the Texans. Let's take a look at the Pro Football Focus grades from the game to see who stood out. Top 5 grades on offense (minimum 10 snaps) 1. RG Joe Huber — 94.7 (55 snaps) 2. C Michael Jurgens — 80.0 (43) 3. WR Jordan Addison — 79.6 (12) 4. LT/RT Walter Rouse — 78.4 (36) 5. WR Myles Price — 76.8 (15) Huber, an undrafted rookie out of Wisconsin, played more snaps than any other Viking in this game, so his team-best 94.7 grade is incredibly impressive. He was PFF's highest-graded rookie across all eight games in the NFL on Saturday. The catalyst was his 93.9 grade in the run blocking phase. Huber still faces an uphill battle to make the 53-man roster, but he's a lock to at least stick around on the practice squad if the Vikings try to get him through waivers. Jurgens and Rouse also impressing is an encouraging sign for the Vikings' offensive line depth. Those two second-year players should have a good shot to make the roster alongside veteran backups Justin Skule and Blake Brandel if the Vikings keep nine offensive linemen. Price, who has had a solid camp, caught a couple passes from Max Brosmer in the fourth quarter, including a touchdown. He feels like a strong practice squad candidate. Two other standouts on offense who finished just outside of the top five were RB Zavier Scott (75.9) and QB Sam Howell (75.8). Scott racked up 51 yards from scrimmage on eight touches and stated his case to be the Vikings' No. 3 running back this year. Howell was 11 of 13 for 105 yards and at least temporarily quieted some of the doubts about his ability to be an adequate backup. The five lowest grades on offense went to WR Silas Bolden, WR Thayer Thomas, WR Dontae Fleming, TE Giovanni Ricci, and RG Will Fries (all on fewer than 20 snaps). Top 5 grades on defense (minimum 10 snaps) 1. OLB Gabriel Murphy — 80.2 (30 snaps) 2. DL Elijah Williams — 79.9 (21) 3. CB Reddy Steward — 76.5 (11) 4. S Tavierre Thomas — 76.5 (32) 5. CB Ambry Thomas — 75.4 (12) Murphy had 1.5 sacks and a team-high five pressures on just 19 pass-rush snaps. The second-year undrafted player out of UCLA was fantastic for the Vikings and looks like the obvious candidate to be the team's No. 4 outside linebacker this season, which is a role that comes with real playing time. "Gabe’s been a guy that has shown up daily at camp, I've highlighted it in front of the team," head coach Kevin O'Connell said. "He's, it feels like a man on a mission right now, in a lot of ways. And I'm just proud of him, proud of where he's at in camp right now, and now he's just gotta set his sights on continuing to compete." Williams was also outstanding. He had four pressures on 15 pass-rushing snaps. Williams, who starred at FCS Morgan State, signed with the Vikings after attending their rookie minicamp as a tryout player. "I remember vividly (assistant D-line coach) Marcus Dixon coming to me after day one of that tryout," O'Connell said. "And I always like to check in with all the coaches. 'Anybody catch your eye for me to look at tomorrow?' Just observing (Williams), the effort, had a little pop to him throughout the drills, and that's really what's shown up throughout training camp. He sits in the first row of my team meetings every single day. There's a lot to like about him, and it was good to see him make some plays tonight, too." Steward, Tavierre Thomas, and Ambry Thomas are veteran defensive backs hoping to make the roster. Another player in that category, safety Kahlef Hailassie, had two interceptions and nearly made the top five with a 75.1 grade. The five lowest grades on defense went to S Theo Jackson, LB Eric Wilson, S Jay Ward, DT Levi Drake Rodriguez, and CB Jeff Okudah. Most of those guys have had strong training camps, so there's no need to put much stock into this one-game sample. More Vikings coverage
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