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Report: 'Clear favorite' emerges to sign Cody Bellinger
Cody Bellinger is preparing to test free agency, but a favorite has reportedly already emerged to sign him. The New York Yankees are seen as the “clear favorite” to retain Bellinger, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. Bellinger’s swing is regarded as an ideal fit for Yankee Stadium, and he is coming off a productive season with the team. The usual big-market contenders are cited as possible fallback options for Bellinger should he not return to the Yankees. Those include the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies. If Bellinger and the Yankees both enjoyed their time together, there is plenty of reason for them to run it back. The 30-year-old is coming off a very productive season that saw him hit .272 with 29 home runs and 98 RBI. He also logged time at all three outfield positions, and can even play first base as needed. One of Bellinger’s former teams may also have interest in bringing him back, and that could present a tempting option for the former MVP. The Yankees appear to be in the driver’s seat, however, and should be quite motivated to get a deal done given Bellinger’s importance to the team.
Shedeur Sanders makes promise to Browns fans ahead of first regular-season start
Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski announced on Wednesday that rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders will make the first regular-season start of his career when the 2-8 Browns play at the Las Vegas Raiders (2-8) this Sunday. Later on Wednesday, Sanders offered somewhat of a promise to Cleveland supporters who are hoping the fifth-round draft pick could potentially become a savior for the franchise. Shedeur Sanders wants to be "the guy" for the Browns "I know our fans have a lot of expectations and hope," Sanders acknowledged, per Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN. "And I would be doing a disservice to myself and a disservice to the organization if I didn't feel like I am the guy. ...I'm doing everything I need to prepare to be the best version of myself as possible. With the circumstances, everything got to be sped up, and that's great. I like pressure in life. I'm just excited for everything. So, I feel like I'm the guy. I know I'm the guy, but you just have to be able to see." Sanders made his regular-season debut against the Baltimore Ravens this past Sunday after fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel suffered a concussion. In total, Sanders completed 4-of-16 passes for 47 yards with no touchdowns and one interception in what became a 23-16 defeat. He was also sacked twice for a loss of 27 yards. Why Shedeur Sanders is confident he'll be better in second appearance Earlier in the week, Stefanski suggested the coaching staff is confident Sanders will play better after the 23-year-old gets first-team practice reps that were previously reserved for Gabriel. During his Wednesday media availability, Sanders echoed Stefanski's take. "I'm truly excited for that, knowing that I have a piece of [the] offense and a say so and how things fit my eye and place the players exactly where they need to be," Sanders added. "Seeing how they come in and out of routes, seeing the structure of the O-linemen, seeing their set, just having a feeling. I'm more of a feel type of person, so that's how I learn. That's how I do everything. I'm not just, 'Imma just watch it, it's just going to happen.' No, I got to be out there, feel it. I got to move around. It's like so many details that it takes for me to feel my best and play my best, and I'm doing everything in my power and the team's doing everything to help me get prepared." It remains to be seen if a more prepared version of Sanders will be able to relegate a healthy Gabriel to backup duties beyond Week 12. As of Wednesday afternoon, ESPN BET had the Browns as four-point underdogs against the Raiders.
Cowboys Announce Trevon Diggs News After Four Missed Games
Trevon Diggs watched on as Brian Schottenheimer and the Dallas Cowboys ended a two-game skid, defeating Geno Smith and the Las Vegas Raiders 33-16 in Week 11's edition of "Monday Night Football." Now, the Cowboys improve to 4-5-1 on the 2025 NFL season with a Week 12 NFC East matchup on the horizon against the Philadelphia Eagles. Ten games into the regular season, the Cowboys have fielded one of the NFL’s worst defenses, allowing 378.7 total yards per game, 30th in the league, and a league-worst 258.7 passing yards. With the unit struggling, Jerry Jones decided it was time for upgrades, acquiring defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and linebacker Logan Wilson at the trade deadline. The team also welcomed back linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, who had been recovering from a knee injury. With the reinforcements arriving for the Raiders matchup, the defense delivered its best performance of the season, allowing just 236 total yards, including only 27 on the ground. Despite the impressive outing, Dallas was still without one of its top defenders, as Diggs remained sidelined. Ahead of the Cowboys’ Week 7 win over the Washington Commanders, Diggs was ruled out after suffering a concussion in an accident at home. The following week, he was placed on injured reserve while also dealing with a separate knee injury. He has missed Dallas’ last four games, during which the team went 2-2. Diggs won't be able to make his return until the Thanksgiving matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs, meaning he will be out against the Eagles. But on Wednesday, Schottenheimer had a positive update to share on his Pro Bowl cornerback. "Brian Schottenheimer says that Solomon Thomas is 'making progress' and with Trevon Diggs, 'all signs are that he's doing everything he's supposed to do,'" Cowboys reporter Tommy Yarrish wrote on X. "#Cowboys are doing walkthroughs today, so they'll know more on the injury front tomorrow." The Cowboys will take on the Eagles on Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET at AT T Stadium.
There's 'already chatter' Vikings could make Mac Jones call amid J.J. McCarthy's struggles
The ongoing struggles of second-year pro J.J. McCarthy have already sparked conversations among the NFL community about how the Minnesota Vikings might manage their quarterback situation next year. On Wednesday, NFL insider Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk shared an interesting update regarding the Vikings' plans beyond January. Why Mac Jones could be an option for the Vikings According to Florio, "there’s already chatter in some circles that" the Vikings will explore trading for San Francisco 49ers backup Mac Jones during the offseason. Jones signed a two-year deal with the 49ers in March and, per Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer, is under contract for $4.66M for the 2026 season. Breer also linked Jones with the Vikings. Jones went 5-3 across eight starts with the 49ers this season in place of QB1 Brock Purdy, who was dealing with a toe injury. Purdy inked a massive extension with the 49ers last offseason, and there's no indication he's in any danger of losing the starting job to Jones. Meanwhile, McCarthy has made just five career regular-season starts after he missed time this fall due to an ankle injury. The 2024 first-round draft pick spent his entire rookie campaign recovering from a full meniscus repair. According to Pro Football Reference, McCarthy heads into Week 12 ranked last in the NFL among qualified players with a 26.6 adjusted QBR, a 61.7 passer rating and a 52.9 percent completion percentage. He's 2-3 as a starter, while Minnesota is 4-6. Could history repeat itself for Vikings? Last year, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell repeatedly said that spending the 2023 season working with 49ers head coach and offensive guru Kyle Shanahan helped current Seattle Seahawks starting quarterback Sam Darnold experience a necessary career reset. With Darnold in the lineup, the 2024 Vikings finished 14-3 before losing in the wild-card round of the playoffs. Breer mentioned that the Vikings trading for Jones would "be a way to bring in competition for J.J. McCarthy and provide a layer of insurance at an affordable rate for a loaded roster, should McCarthy not ascend through the rest of this season." In short, it sounds like McCarthy will be playing for more than just wins from Sunday's game against the Green Bay Packers (6-3-1) through Week 18. As of Wednesday afternoon, ESPN BET had the Vikings as six-point underdogs against the Packers.
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