Drew Brees makes a surprising comparison to this young QB
There will never be another Drew Brees. The former New Orleans Saints quarterback and future Hall of Famer still casts a huge shadow in New Orleans.
Since his retirement, the Saints have struggled to find his replacement. Three quarterbacks are vying for Brees' old position: Spencer Rattler, Tyler Shough and Jake Haener.
Although Brees says he likes all three, the one he says is more like him is Haener.
'It's a pretty unique situation, if you just look at the youth across the board,' Brees said via NOLA.com Thursday, while in town to promote the NOLA Pickleball Event. 'Obviously, there was a lot of excitement in drafting Tyler Shough, and I felt like Spencer Rattler did some great things last year. And Jake Haener, his (playing) style, his stature, everything reminds me of a lot of myself. … So we'll see how the competition shakes out. It seems like it's been a pretty eventful camp so far.'
Brees added,'I'm sure the Saints will take a much different approach than most teams do when it comes to starters, mainly the QBs,' he said. 'Some teams barely play their QB starters trying to keep healthy for the regular season. But (with) these guys, every rep is so valuable, both in practice and scrimmages. All those (reps) are so valuable just to feel like you're getting game-like reps.'
Haener, like his predecessor Derek Carr, is a Fresno State guy. After Carr got injured, the Saints played both him and Rattler, who is expected to battle for the starting QB position.
Most Saints fans were hoping before the season started that they would draft Cam Ward or Shedur Sanders, but they seem to be content with the three they have on the roster right now.
Some think they may be holding out for Texas quarterback Arch Manning whose grandfather Archie played for the Saints back in the 70s til the early 80s.
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Newsweek
a few seconds ago
- Newsweek
Former NFL Pro Bowler Shares Bold Shedeur Sanders Browns Prediction
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. At long last, the Cleveland Browns have named their starting quarterback. The team is rolling with longtime veteran Joe Flacco to lead the team when Week 1 of the regular season rolls around. More news: Browns Make Decision on Starting Quarterback for 2025 NFL Season What makes this decision interesting is what the Browns plan to do regarding the other three quarterbacks on the roster. Kenny Pickett, Shedeur Sanders, and Dillon Gabriel are now battling it out for the second and third-string positions. Pickett might be the odd man out, considering his hamstring injury has limited his ability to play in preseason. With Sanders and Gabriel, the presumed front-runners for the backup position, a former NFL Pro Bowler has a bold prediction for how the depth chart will shake out. CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - AUGUST 08: Shedeur Sanders #12 of the Cleveland Browns reacts after a touchdown during the 1st half of an NFL Preseason 2025 game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America... CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - AUGUST 08: Shedeur Sanders #12 of the Cleveland Browns reacts after a touchdown during the 1st half of an NFL Preseason 2025 game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on August 08, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. MoreMore news: Rams HC Sean McVay Offers Another Cryptic Matthew Stafford Injury Update Former NFL defensive tackle Gerald McCoy talked about the quarterback situation on the "Rich Eisen Show," where he dropped a bold prediction on Sanders. 🗣️ @Geraldini93 The @nflnetwork analyst was with us when news broke from Cleveland that Joe Flacco will be the team's starting QB in Week 1 — no surprise? or should they have gone with a rookie?#NFL #DawgPound — Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) August 18, 2025 "I think the QB battle has been for No. 2, this entire time ... you can't go with Kenny Pickett, cause he hasn't played. We don't know what he's doing in this offense. Right now, the battle is between Shedeur and Dillon Gabriel. They both did really good things, and they both did some bone-headed rookie things. However, if I'm picking, I'm going with Shedeur. He doesn't have that antsiness that you seen from Dillon Gabriel," McCoy stated. McCoy indicates that Gabriel showcased his antsy style of playing got him into trouble during his preseason start, which led to a costly pick-six. Whereas Sanders was able to keep level-headed when "chaos ensued." Sanders did take a sack, but McCoy indicates that taking a sack is better than forcing a play and ending the possession on a costly turnover, and a defensive touchdown in this case. Sanders did play his preseason game with poise. He picked up chunk yardage with his legs and threw two touchdowns. Gabriel, on the other hand, threw an interception and lost a fumble. Mistakes are bound to happen, especially in preseason. But those mistakes might point to Gabriel having more immaturity in terms of the big moment. The Browns have one final preseason game to determine the order of the depth chart beyond Flacco, but McCoy believes what most believe — Sanders should be given the backup quarterback position. For more on the Browns and NFL, head to Newsweek Sports.
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
MMA pound-for-pound rankings, August 2025: Khamzat Chimaev makes giant leap after UFC 319
Listen, Khamzat Chimaev cares very little about what you have to say about his performance on Saturday night at UFC 319. He didn't eke out a decision against Dricus du Plessis in Chicago; he turned him into a crash test dummy. Those 50-44 scorecards felt merciful in the eyes of the public. Boring, you say? Dominance of that kind doesn't concern itself with approvals in pay-per-view aesthetics. Boring of his kind doesn't come with emotion. Chimaev is no longer a cameo on the men's side of Uncrowned's MMA Pound-for-Pound Rankings — he's now right in the thick of things. He makes a drastic leap this month into the top five, this time as the UFC's middleweight champion. And for the first time in a long time, a familiar name slips through the cracks. Dricus du Plessis is out. And PFL, do you have any plans for Francis Ngannou? If not, perhaps the UFC should like to borrow him. The panel of Ben Fowlkes, Chuck Mindenhall, Shaheen Al-Shatti, Petesy Carroll, Drake Riggs, Eric Jackman and Conner Burks have ranked both the men's and women's pound-for-pound best, one through 10, using a weighted points system to determine the final rankings (being voted No. 1 equals 10 points, No. 2 equals nine points, down to No. 10 equaling one point). Our only criterion for these monthly rankings is that a fighter has competed within at least a calendar year of the publication date or has at least had a fight booked within that window. If a fighter hasn't competed in a year and books a fight after that time, he or she is once again eligible to be voted back in. Fighters who retire are no longer eligible for the rankings. Though most of the best fighters are currently in the UFC, these rankings are not UFC exclusive. We take into consideration all the major promotions, from Bellator/PFL conglomerate to ONE Championship. Without further ado, the MMA pound-for-pound rankings for August! MEN'S POUND-FOR-POUND 1. Ilia Topuria — UFC featherweight champion Topuria has the heads of Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira all on his wall in his parlor. Would the shaggy addition of Paddy Pimblett look good next to them, or perhaps the sportier head of Arman Tsarukyan? Honestly, whoever the UFC chooses next for Ilia's taxidermic collection makes for a big fight. 2. Islam Makhachev — UFC lightweight champion The pressure is on Makhachev now to stay on lockstep with what Topuria just did when he goes up to face Jack Della Maddalena for the welterweight title. The standard of excellence among champions right now is moving, as there are four champions who are doing historic things all at once, yet Makhachev still might be the king. 3. Merab Dvalishvili — UFC bantamweight champion It's a ridiculous notion that Merab finds himself third on a list like this, as he pulverizes, outclasses and outdogs everyone he faces. Cory Sandhagen is next up to try and stop him, but reader, please understand this — so far that has been an impossibility. 4. Alexandre Pantoja — UFC flyweight champion There was something urgent in the way Pantoja dispatched Kai Kara-France at UFC 317 — something feral, altogether incautious, cold-blooded. He wasn't concerned with protecting his flyweight title so much as punishing any fool who assumed he could try to take it. When the UFC makes the Joshua Van fight? Fireworks, baby. 5. Khamzat Chimaev — UFC middleweight champion Chimaev seems to be embracing the super-villain persona we have long assigned for him, yet it wasn't those demonic comportments that people groused about after his thrashing of Dricus du Plessis — it was that he removed any drama from the fight in opening seconds and never allowed it to be a competitive fight. Shame on him! (And expect more of that.) 6. Tom Aspinall — UFC heavyweight champion The one name that Aspinall doesn't want to hear — at least not until he's done with his business with Ciryl Gane — is the name that rhymes with Don Phones. That was one of the most exhaustive stretches of his career, and neither man even threw a punch at the other. Now it's time to see what the heavyweight division looks like with the Main Man from Wigam at the wheel. 7. Magomed Ankalaev — UFC light heavyweight champion He finally knows when he'll be facing off for the second time with the superstar A-Side spectacular (Alex Pereira), which happens at UFC 320 in October. But, seriously, is this the most muted title run in light heavyweight history? It has to be, right? "Ank" is like a secret the UFC keeps. We wouldn't be surprised to find out they keep him in a lair within UFC headquarters, somewhere far below in the bowels of the APEX, feeding him steaming baked potatoes without toppings. 8. Alexander Volkanovski — UFC featherweight champion The options for "Volk" are pretty much Movsar Evloev, whom the UFC seems reluctant to put anywhere near a belt, and Lerone Murphy, who was held in a similar regard until he sent Aaron Pico into the shadow realm at UFC 319 this past weekend. In either case, fresh blood for "Volk." (And both are super dangerous.) 9. Jack Della Maddalena — UFC welterweight champion "JDM" is like a Posturepedic mattress, as people love to sleep on him. They are doing it again in his upcoming title defense against the famous division-jumper Makhachev. Yet you know what Della Maddalena isn't? A soft landing spot. There's already the sound of far-off construction to be heard just outside the door. Construction in the area? Neighbors cutting lumber? No, no, no, that's the buzzsaw from Perth, getting closer. 10. Alex Pereira — UFC light heavyweight contender And look who's back in the top 10, even though he didn't have a fight since our last rankings! Ol' 'Poatan' himself. Pereira enjoyed a little leisure time ahead of his rematch with "Ank," which takes place in October, yet you know he's working on a couple of things. Namely, not to over-respect the threat of the takedown, and when to pull the trigger when that Dagestani mug is in striking distance. (Others receiving votes: Dricus du Plessis, Arman Tsarukyan) WOMEN'S POUND-FOR-POUND 1. Zhang Weili — UFC strawweight champion Zhang just turned 36 a few days ago. If ever there was a time for her to make the move to flyweight and try to capture a second title, it's now. It's true that Virna Jandiroba is right there with a five-fight win streak ready to challenge for the title, but … but, well, Valentina Shevchenko is 37 years old herself and coming off a huge title defense herself. There's a shelf life for this superfight. 2. Valentina Shevchenko — UFC flyweight champion Then again, don't be duped by her age. It's true that Shevchenko has some years behind her, which has (traditionally) been the red zone for fighter decline, yet if the Manon Fiorot fight told us anything it's that she has plenty left in the tank. If we can't make the Zhang fight, a battle with No. 6 on the women's pound-for-pound list, Natalia Silva, is a fine consolation. 3. Kayla Harrison — UFC bantamweight contender The countdown is on for Harrison's first title defense against the GOAT of the bantamweight class, Amanda Nunes. It all feels a little topsy-turvy. Nunes was just inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame (super-prematurely as it turns out), and it feels like Harrison is the one who needs to prove herself against the challenger here. Oh well, so long as the fight is happening we'll let the niggling details scatter in the wind. 4. Cris Cyborg — PFL super fights women's featherweight champion She turned 40 last month. You hear that, Donn Davis? Cyborg turned 40 last month. She was born in the 1980s. Please book her into a fight. We don't know how long we'll have Cyborg but keeping her on a shelf feels like a shame at this juncture of her career. 5. Dakota Ditcheva — PFL women's 2024 flyweight tournament champion In July it was learned that Ditcheva signed a new deal with the PFL, which was like a trumpet fart for those holding out hope that she'd end up in the UFC. Can the PFL keep her busy? And give her big fights, with big escalations? Can she be the star that she seems destined to be, and not get lost in the sustained indifference towards the brand? All TBD, but we believe she's got a million miles of upside. 6. Natalia Silva — UFC flyweight contender From Silva's perspective, it's Shevchenko or bust here. At 28 years old, she has a (not so) modest 13-fight win streak in place, and she fights like a banshee. The only thing left for her is to topple the queen, and it feels like the UFC is leaning in that direction. If Shevchenko isn't available? Rose Namajunas is interested in fighting her, which seems like opportunism at its finest (for Rose, anyway). 7. Virna Jandiroba — UFC strawweight contender Not to keep harping on age, but Jandiroba celebrated her 37th birthday at the end of May, a full month after she beat Yan Xiaonan at UFC 314 in Montreal. The window to win a title is narrower than what might be considered optimal, but things often move at a glacial pace in the women's ranks. If they do make the title fight with Zhang, we'll say this — it'll be a lot closer than people think. 8. Larissa Pacheco — PFL featherweight contender RED ALERT. If you've information as to the whereabouts of Larissa Pacheco, please contact the Uncrowned offices immediately. Repeat, if you've information as to the whereabouts of Larissa Pacheco, 5-foot-6, dark hair, cut short, with visible tattoos on her neck, please contact the Uncrowned offices immediately. We just want to make sure she is still an active fighter. 9. Seika Izawa — Rizin super atomweight champion Did you see the 'Supernova' take out Shin Yu-jin in Saitama a few weeks back? The first-round submission? No? At this point it feels like a select American audience searches out Izawa's fights the way that record lovers used to go after Japanese imports in the 1970s; it's a hipster passion that loves being ahead of the curve. One day we'll see Izawa in the UFC, and, by joven, we'll smugly say, 'this version's cool, but her earlier work was transcendent.' 10. Manon Fiorot — UFC strawweight contender That loss against Shevchenko was a tough pill to swallow, but the good news is Manon gets to take on the red-hot Jasmine Jasudavicius in October. Jasmine is Canadian, and we all know that means it'll be a partisan crowd out there in Vancouver, ready to see one of its own punch her ticket to contention. But remember the last time Fiorot went into enemy environs? That fight with Erin Blanchfield out in Atlantic City? That was her opus, brother, so don't count her out! (Others receiving votes: Julianna Pena, Jasmine Jasudavicius, Liz Carmouche) Here's how we voted: SHAHEEN AL-SHATTI MEN 1. Ilia Topuria 2. Islam Makhachev 3. Alexandre Pantoja 4. Merab Dvalishvili 5. Tom Aspinall 6. Khamzat Chimaev 7. Magomed Ankalaev 8. Alex Pereira 9. Alexander Volkanovski 10. Dricus du Plessis WOMEN 1. Kayla Harrison 2. Zhang Weili 3. Valentina Shevchenko 4. Cris Cyborg 5. Larissa Pacheco 6. Seika Izawa 7. Dakota Ditcheva 8. Virna Jandiroba 9. Natalia Silva 10. Liz Carmouche CONNER BURKS MEN 1. Ilia Topuria 2. Islam Makhachev 3. Merab Dvalishvili 4. Khamzat Chimaev 5. Alexandre Pantoja 6. Tom Aspinall 7. Alexander Volkanovski 8. Magomed Ankalaev 9. Jack Della Maddalena 10. Dricus Du Plessis WOMEN 1. Zhang Weili 2. Valentina Shevchenko 3. Kayla Harrison 4. Cris Cyborg 5. Dakota Ditcheva 6. Natalia Silva 7. Larissa Pacheco 8. Virna Jandiroba 9. Manon Fiorot 10. Julianna Pena PETESY CARROLL MEN 1. Ilia Topuria 2. Islam Makhachev 3. Merab Dvalishvili 4. Alexandre Pantoja 5. Khamzat Chimaev 6. Tom Aspinall 7. Magomed Ankalaev 8. Alexander Volkanovski 9. Jack Della Maddalena 10. Alex Pereira WOMEN 1. Zhang Weili 2. Valentina Shevchenko 3. Kayla Harrison 4. Dakota Ditcheva 5. Cris Cyborg 6. Natalia Silva 7. Manon Fiorot 8. Virna Jandiroba 9. Jasmine Jasudavicius 10. Julianna Pena BEN FOWLKES MEN 1. Islam Makhachev 2. Ilia Topuria 3. Merab Dvalishvili 4. Alexandre Pantoja 5. Khamzat Chimaev 6. Magomed Ankalaev 7. Tom Aspinall 8. Alexander Volkanovski 9. Alex Pereira 10. Jack Della Maddalena WOMEN 1. Zhang Weili 2. Valentina Shevchenko 3. Kayla Harrison 4. Cris Cyborg 5. Dakota Ditcheva 6. Virna Jandiroba 7. Natalia Silva 8. Jasmine Jasudavicius 9. Manon Fiorot 10. Liz Carmouche ERIC JACKMAN MEN 1. Islam Makhachev 2. Ilia Topuria 3. Merab Dvalishvili 4. Alexandre Pantoja 5. Khamzat Chimaev 6. Tom Aspinall 7. Magomed Ankalaev 8. Jack Della Maddalena 9. Alexander Volkanovski 10. Arman Tsarukyan WOMEN 1. Zhang Weili 2. Valentina Shevchenko 3. Kayla Harrison 4. Cris Cyborg 5. Virna Jandiroba 6. Natalia Silva 7. Dakota Ditcheva 8. Larissa Pacheco 9. Jasmine Jasudavicius 10. Manon Fiorot CHUCK MINDENHALL MEN 1. Islam Makhachev 2. Ilia Topuria 3. Merab Dvalishvili 4. Alexandre Pantoja 5. Khamzat Chimaev 6. Tom Aspinall 7. Magomed Ankalaev 8. Alexander Volkanovski 9. Jack Della Maddalena 10. Dricus du Plessis WOMEN 1. Kayla Harrison 2. Zhang Weili 3. Valentina Shevchenko 4. Cris Cyborg 5. Dakota Ditcheva 6. Manon Fiorot 7. Virna Jandiroba 8. Natalia Silva 9. Jasmine Jasudavicius 10. Liz Carmouche DRAKE RIGGS MEN 1. Ilia Topuria 2. Islam Makhachev 3. Alexandre Pantoja 4. Merab Dvalishvili 5. Khamzat Chimaev 6. Tom Aspinall 7. Magomed Ankalaev 8. Jack Della Maddalena 9. Alexander Volkanovski 10. Alex Pereira WOMEN 1. Zhang Weili 2. Seika Izawa 3. Valentina Shevchenko 4. Cris Cyborg 5. Kayla Harrison 6. Natalia Silva 7. Virna Jandiroba 8. Liz Carmouche 9. Dakota Ditcheva 10. Larissa Pacheco
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Veteran Joe Flacco selected as Browns starting QB for season opener against Bengals on Sept. 7
After four weeks, Joe Flacco has emerged as the winner of the Cleveland Browns' four-way quarterback competition. The Browns announced on Monday that Flacco will get the start when the Browns host AFC North rival Cincinnati in the Sept. 7 opener. Coach Kevin Stefanski indicated over the past week that decision was coming. The Browns were off on Sunday after their 22-13 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles but had a team meeting on Monday. The 40-year old Flacco beat out Kenny Pickett and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. Deshaun Watson is on the roster, but is expected to miss the season because of injuries. 'I think it is hard when you're only getting a couple reps here and there because it goes back to you try so hard to be perfect, and then usually you end up hurting yourself a little bit. But the last couple weeks, honestly it's been pretty good for me,' Flacco said last week about the competition after a practice against the Philadelphia Eagles. "I've got to get more reps and get comfortable and feel like I'm doing things at a pretty high level. So, I can't complain.' Besides having 191 regular-season starts and going into his 18th season, Flacco was the only quarterback who has not missed time during training camp because of an injury. This is Flacco's second stint with the Browns. He won the AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year award in 2023 as a late-season signing after going 4-1 as a starter and averaging more than 300 passing yards per game as Cleveland made the playoffs for only the third time since its return in 1999. Flacco has not played in the preseason games, but has seen most of the first-team snaps throughout camp as well as getting plenty of work in joint practices against Carolina and Philadelphia. Flacco will see action on Saturday against the Los Angeles Rams since Stefanski said the preseason finale will serve as a dress rehearsal for the starters. 'He's the same guy every single day. I think that's one of the things you admire about Joe is how he approaches his business,' Stefanski said about Flacco during last week's joint workouts against the Eagles. "He's done a really nice job in camp. He's also done a really nice job just providing leadership to the quarterback room, to the offense, and to the football team.' Pickett was considered to be Flacco's main competition, but has been dealing with a hamstring injury. Pickett — a 2022 first-round pick with Pittsburgh — is going into his fourth season after being acquired in an offseason trade with Philadelphia. Pickett is considered to be more athletic and can make plays on the run, but he has not been a full participant in a practice since July 26. Gabriel, who missed the preseason opener at Carolina on Aug. 8 because of a hamstring strain, played the first half against the Eagles. In five series, he completed 13 of 18 passes for 143 yards. Sanders missed the second day of joint practices against the Eagles and did not play in the game after suffering an oblique injury last Wednesday. Sanders got the start against Carolina and completed 14 of 23 passes for 138 yards and two TD passes. Stefanski was optimistic that Pickett or Sanders could possibly return to practice sometime this week. ___ AP NFL:
