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Bills, James Cook agree to contract extension

Bills, James Cook agree to contract extension

NBC Sports3 days ago
Bills running back James Cook has the new contract he's been seeking.
Cook's agents described it as a four-year, $48 million deal with $30 million guaranteed.
Although Cook has been present for training camp, he declined to practice for nine days and didn't play in the preseason opener while he was seeking a new contract. Yesterday, however, Cook agreed to practice, which was a sign that both sides felt negotiations were heading in the right direction.
The 25-year-old Cook was a 2022 second-round pick and has been with the Bills throughout his career, and this should keep him in Buffalo for his prime years. He has been chosen to the last two Pro Bowls and tied for the league lead in rushing touchdowns last season.
Now the Bills, who have Super Bowl aspirations, can head into the regular season confident that Josh Allen and the offense have a full arsenal of weapons. And Cook and Allen should be playing together for years to come.
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Tom Brady avoids joining list of sports history's infamous statues
Tom Brady avoids joining list of sports history's infamous statues

Yahoo

time29 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Tom Brady avoids joining list of sports history's infamous statues

A little over a year after the New England Patriots inducted Tom Brady into the franchise's Hall of Fame and retired his No. 12, the seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback received another honor Friday night. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] Ahead of the Patriots' preseason opener against the Washington Commanders, the team unveiled a statue of Brady in Patriot Place Plaza, right next to the franchise's Hall of Fame at Gillette Stadium. Patriots owner Robert Kraft announced during Brady's team Hall of Fame induction that plans were in place to have Brady be the first player in franchise history to be honored with a statue. The addition of a statue always come with anxiety about it becoming the butt of a joke, but the fans could breathe easy once the statue was revealed. It looked perfectly fine, with a fairly accurate-looking Brady standing with his fist in the air. Thanks to the work of artist and Patriots fan Jeff Buccacio, Brady avoided joining the infamous list of sports statues gone bad, just ask the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Dwyane Wade, Mo Salah and others. Those sports legends are on the list of some of the most notorious athlete statues in sports history. Harry Caray (1999) The legendary Chicago Cubs broadcaster is depicted leading fans in a rendition of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," as he did many times at Wrigley Field. It also appears as if Caray is bursting through a baseball stadium with a creepy cluster of fans at his feet. Andy Murray (2011) A terracotta statue of the Scottish tennis player was unveiled in Shanghai, China, in 2011, much to the dismay of the three-time Grand Slam champion. 'I thought I was better looking than that," Murray said at the time. There will be a second opportunity for a more realistic-looking statue of the two-time Wimbledon champion as Murray will be involved in the design process of the statue that will be revealed at the All-England Club in 2027. Cristiano Ronaldo (2017) To many, he's the G.O.A.T. of the soccer world. In the sports statue world, he was honored with the G.O.A.T. depiction at the Madeira Airport in Portugal. The airport changed its name to Aeroporto Internacional da Madeira Cristiano Ronaldo and unveiled a bust of the soccer legend. The reaction was not positive and a new sculpture was installed a year later. Diego Maradona (2017) The Argentinian soccer god was on hand for the 12-foot statue's unveiling in Kolkata, India. He is depicted holding the World Cup trophy. Some pointed out his resemblance to the likes of Larry Bird, singer Susan Boyle and actress Betty White. Michael Essien (2018) The Chelsea and Real Madrid legend was honored in his native Ghana by a local sculptor. Little is known about the inspiration behind the statue, other than to provide nightmare fuel for those who look at it. Mo Salah (2018) Unveiled in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, the Liverpool star is shown celebrating one of his many goals with his trademark pose. Is it Salah or does it more closely resemble singer Art Garfunkel or Daniel Stern's "Marv Murchins" character from "Home Alone." Brandi Chastain (2018) While not a statue, this plaque of U.S. soccer legend Brandi Chastain deserves a mention. Chastain, who famously scored the winning penalty kick in the 1999 Women's World Cup Final, was inducted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame. The image they used of her was so bad that she was asked to send a photo of herself in order for a redo. David Beckham (2019) Unlike the temporary statue put up by H&M when Beckham was modeling underwear, the one the Los Angeles Galaxy commissioned had the soccer legend fully clothed, though he did resemble Gordon Ramsay a bit. It was still better than the one he thought the MLS side was using, until late night host James Corden revealed it was a prank. Dwyane Wade (2024) The basketball Hall of Famer was honored by the Miami Heat with a statue outside of the team's arena, Kaseya Center. The depiction of Wade was of him after hitting a game-winning shot in double-overtime in 2009, after which he stood on the scorer's table and declared: "This is my house!" The problem was that it didn't really look like him.

What TV channel is Browns vs. Eagles on today? Time, TV schedule for NFL preseason game
What TV channel is Browns vs. Eagles on today? Time, TV schedule for NFL preseason game

USA Today

time43 minutes ago

  • USA Today

What TV channel is Browns vs. Eagles on today? Time, TV schedule for NFL preseason game

After a 30-10 win over the Carolina Panthers in their first preseason game of the 2025 season, the Cleveland Browns now travel to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles in Week 2. This game comes on the heels of two days of joint practices between the Browns and Eagles, in sessions that were described as spirited and competitive. This is what you want to hear if you're a Browns fan, as they went toe-to-toe with the defending Super Bowl champs in two live practices where the starters saw all of the reps. The same will not be said about the game today. Do not expect many of the starters, including quarterback Joe Flacco, to see the field at all as the Browns continue to evaluate the younger players and the bottom of the depth chart guys on the roster. After all, the Browns are just two weeks away from cutting 37 players from their 90-man roster. That doesn't mean, however, that the game is not worth watching at all! Here's where to watch the Browns vs. Eagles in Week 2 of the NFL preseason. Stream Browns vs. Eagles (free trial) What TV channel is Browns vs. Eagles Week 2 preseason game on today? The Browns and Eagles play today in Week 2 of the 2025 NFL preseason. It's expected that third round rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel will start if his hamstring clears a pre-game test, but once again, expect Tyler Huntley to get a bulk of the reps as both Kenny Pickett and Shedeur Sanders are sidelined with injuries. Streaming options for the game include Sling TV, NFL+, and Fubo, which offers a free trial. Browns vs. Eagles start time Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where the Browns will be the away team. These preseason games usually run quickly, so there will be no need to hold your dinner plans. This will be a big opportunity for Dillon Gabriel and the rest of the Browns' younger players to make an impact. Browns tickets Looking to buy Cleveland Browns tickets? We've got you covered. Buy Cleveland Browns tickets Browns preseason schedule 2025 Below is Cleveland's preseason schedule. Browns regular-season schedule 2025 Below is Cleveland's regular-season schedule.

Will Josh Allen play in preseason? Bills takeaways from joint practice with Bears
Will Josh Allen play in preseason? Bills takeaways from joint practice with Bears

New York Times

time44 minutes ago

  • New York Times

Will Josh Allen play in preseason? Bills takeaways from joint practice with Bears

LAKE FOREST, Ill. — The Buffalo Bills knew what they were getting into as they arrived at Halas Hall on Friday. These types of practices usually provide chippiness, and one week prior, the Chicago Bears hosted the Miami Dolphins for a joint practice. Bills head coach Sean McDermott said he broached the topic with his team ahead of the session. Advertisement 'We talked about it a little bit. Really nothing specific other than we're coming out here with a purpose,' he said. 'It's for us to grow a little bit closer as a team and also for us to take another step as it relates to on the field as a team. It's a physical sport. It's going to be physical. From what I hear, it was rather physical against the Dolphins when they were out here. And so I would say that we should probably expect the same.' The expectation was the reality. Throughout the practice, there were several instances of after-whistle activity. Sometimes, a block was held a bit too long for someone's liking. Other times, there were borderline late hits, and then wars of words led to physical escalation. In the end, neither the Bills nor the Bears suffered any injuries from the post-whistle activity, as both teams now prepare for a doubleheader with their preseason matchup at Soldier Field on Sunday night. What stood out from the practice, and how does it relate to the Bills' roster decisions? Here are several pertinent notes from Friday. One of the biggest topics of conversation each preseason is how much the Bills intend to play star quarterback Josh Allen. McDermott has usually favored getting Allen work in a game, but the joint practice with the Bears presented an excellent opportunity for him to work with many of the receivers he'll throw to during the season, except Khalil Shakir, who is dealing with a high-ankle sprain. McDermott was asked before practice if he would like Allen to get game reps — whether Sunday against the Bears or next week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 'I would love to, if you could put him in a bubble (and) guarantee me that he wasn't going to get hurt,' McDermott said. 'For every player, you'd love to be able to say, 'Hey, let's get out there and let's play three good games, and we'll ramp you up each game and so on and so forth.' It's just really hard to say that. Advertisement 'So in Josh's case, really using practice to see where he's at and how he feels. And I'm giving him some ownership as well, which I think is important. He knows by now what he needs in order to be ready. Then this other piece over here is his time with healthy receivers. I think that's probably kind of that next chapter of the book right now.' Given the controlled atmosphere of a joint practice, facing another team's defense with a quick whistle to end the play, there was a chance that if McDermott saw what he needed to see from Allen on Friday, Allen might stay on the sidelines for all three preseason games. The coach didn't entrust anyone other than himself to ensure Allen's safety, as he was firmly planted on the quarterback's field, with a whistle in hand, at all times. It wasn't an outstanding start for Allen in seven-on-sevens, as he threw an interception, but he looked much sharper in team drills. In 11-on-11 work, Allen completed 14 of 20 passes not negated by a penalty. He had two touchdown passes in a red zone drill, then threw a pretty ball deep down the field to the front corner of the end zone to Keon Coleman for a touchdown. In team drills, Allen connected with Joshua Palmer on three passes, Elijah Moore on three, Coleman on two, tight end Dalton Kincaid on two and Dawson Knox on two, while running backs Ray Davis and Ty Johnson had one each. The four receivers who lined up most with Allen throughout team drills were Coleman, Palmer, Moore and Tyrell Shavers. Allen's rapport with Palmer, Coleman, Moore and Kincaid might be the most meaningful in McDermott's decision. Allen completed all but three passes to that group during team drills, and one was a drop by Kincaid. McDermott will need to review the film and talk it over with the staff, but Friday's work might be enough to satisfy McDermott, along with practice next week, to keep Allen out of harm's way until Week 1. Advertisement With the cut deadline on Aug. 26, the time to make final impressions is now for many players trying to make the 53-man roster. Previously, we pointed out how the wide receiver room appears wide open past the first three spots. That includes Curtis Samuel, the team's oft-injured No. 4 wide receiver in 2024, who has not participated in a complete practice since the second day of training camp. We outlined why he might be on the roster bubble. He began the third practice July 25, hurt his hamstring and has not been a full participant since. He has yet to take a single rep in team drills in full pads. The good news for him, though, is Samuel returned to practice Friday for the first time since suffering the hamstring injury. He went through positional drills early in practice, but he did not take a single rep in seven-on-seven, 11-on-11 or special teams. Samuel was limited with an exclamation point. Even with his return, this could be a clear case of falling too far behind the rest of the group. McDermott had some pointed comments when asked about Samuel. 'You know he's been out really most of camp, so the urgency needs to be there for all these guys, and Curtis is no different,' McDermott said before practice. 'We need to see how he fits into our offense this year. Availability is important, as well as special teams. When you're not wide receiver No. 1, that's true of everyone.' A few things could put Samuel in trouble at the final cutdown. The first is uncertainty about how he fits in the Bills' offense this year, because, frankly, they have no idea right now. He ended the 2024 season strong, and there was some offseason optimism, but missing most of training camp for a second straight year due to injury has likely frustrated the Bills. Meanwhile, Moore, Shavers and others have been on a clear upward trajectory since Samuel's injury stint began. The second, is McDermott's availability comment. Samuel has had a difficult time being available. It's the same conversation the Bills probably had about linebacker Baylon Spector, who was waived with an injury settlement last week. The team needs players it can depend on to be available when it matters most. Even though Samuel played in 14 games last year, his injury definitely limited how much they could use him. Lastly, the special teams comment. That was perhaps McDermott's most pointed statement. When the Bills signed Samuel in the 2024 offseason, they saw him as someone who could be one of their top three receivers. By the end of the year, he was somewhere between fourth and fifth. Now with three clearly ahead of him in Coleman, Palmer and Shakir, and Moore looking like he's become really dependable, Samuel might be looking at fifth at best. He also does not play special teams, making McDermott's comments land even harder. Advertisement Shavers can play special teams, even if he's not asked to do a ton of it. He also plays all three receiver positions, whereas Samuel is best suited to one, with some occasional work in the slot. However, Moore is a better fit at slot receiver than Samuel. On top of it all, the Bills' cap situation changed after the James Cook contract. The deal opened up around $2.5 million of cap space this year, which allows them to make whatever roster decisions they would like, rather than having their hand forced by a situation such as Samuel's contract. Samuel's $6.9 million base salary is guaranteed, but because we're beyond June 1, any remaining dead cap would carry over to next season if he's released. Replacing Samuel's deal with Shavers would add just over $500,000 to the cap, which the Bills could pretty easily clear with a couple of other moves. Samuel looks like he's, at best, No. 5 on the depth chart and has a lot of work to do, with only a few practices remaining to prove he would be more of an asset to the final roster than others. That includes Shavers, whom the Bills raved about, and Laviska Shenault, who has touched every special teams unit under the sun over the last two weeks in a multitude of roles. There is a clear path to the Bills moving on from Samuel at final cuts. It all depends on how next week goes. Near the conclusion of training camp practices at St. John Fisher University, fifth-round rookie defensive back Jordan Hancock spent all his time at safety. The Bills had explained it as a matter of numbers, as starters Taylor Rapp and Cole Bishop had missed time due to injuries. That carried into the first preseason game, where neither starting safety played, opening the door for an impressive full-time debut at safety by Hancock. It feels incredibly notable that during the joint practice with the Bears, Hancock remained a full-time safety despite Rapp and Bishop appearing close to returning. Hancock lined up beside Damar Hamlin for most of practice with the second unit and even subbed in on the first-team defense when the Rapp and Bishop duo needed a few rest reps. The rookie Hancock seems to have clearly passed veteran Darrick Forrest, too. Hancock has been an ascending player at safety since it recently became his default position. The Bills said this week they hadn't decided on Hancock's position, but how they used him, with everyone they had available, sure seems like a loud statement. Although it wasn't an overwhelming day for backup quarterback competitor Mitchell Trubisky in his return to Halas Hall, he saw his lead for the backup QB job grow, as Mike White struggled against the Bears in team drills. Trubisky completed 10 of 14 passes and kept the offense moving. Advertisement On the other hand, White threw an interception on his first pass attempt and followed it up by taking a sack. The interception was a big mistake, as he didn't see the zone defender in front of his intended target and put it on a silver platter for the defensive back. White didn't complete his first pass in team drills until his third set of reps. He finished the day 4 of 7 with the interception and two sacks. It wasn't a perfect day for Trubisky, though, as he fumbled a snap in team drills. Trubisky appears to be the leader in the clubhouse, and another win on Sunday over White could go a long way toward locking up the job. Did not practice: WR Khalil Shakir (ankle), OT Tylan Grable (concussion), C Sedrick Van Pran-Granger (calf), CB Maxwell Hairston (knee), NCB Cam Lewis (calf). Left practice early: DB Te'Cory Couch (hamstring), RB Darrynton Evans (hamstring). (Photo of Josh Allen, right, and Joe Brady: Bryan Bennett / Getty Images) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle

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