Author: PlayActionNews

COLE PALMER has given a blunt update on his fitness.The Chelsea and England winger has only made a solitary appearance so far this season.3Cole Palmer has only made one appearance for Chelsea so far this seasonCredit: ALAMY3The 23-year-old winger has given an update on his fitness on InstagramCredit: GETTYHe was pulled from the starting XI to face West Ham late last month with a groin problem.Palmer’s troublesome groin kept him on the sidelines for the Blues’ 2-0 win over west London rivals Fulham last weekend. But the 23-year-old has teased an imminent return to the starting XI on Instagram in…

After 206 days without a meaningful NFL game, the league returns to the field with the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles hosting the rival Dallas Cowboys on Thursday Night Football at Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles are coming off one of the most dominant postseason runs in NFL history. En route to lifting the Lombardi Trophy, they outscored their opponents by a combined 68 points. That was the most since the 2002 Buccaneers (69 points).This season, Philadelphia features many of the same major contributors, including running back Saquon Barkley, quarterback Jalen Hurts, receiver A.J. Brown, offensive lineman Lane Johnson, linebacker…

Dave McMenaminSep 4, 2025, 08:00 AM ETCloseLakers and NBA reporter for ESPN. Covered the Lakers and NBA for ESPNLosAngeles.com from 2009-14, the Cavaliers from 2014-18 for ESPN.com and the NBA for NBA.com from 2005-09.HAKIM WARRICK STILL remembers his initial glimpse of Carmelo Anthony before a pickup game at Syracuse University more than 20 years ago.As the team took the court at the Orange’s old Manley Field House practice facility on that summer day back in 2002, Warrick was skeptical, to put it mildly.”I’m looking at him and I’m like, ‘This little chubby dude is who everybody’s so hyped about?'” Warrick…

Andreas HaleSep 4, 2025, 03:44 PM ETCloseAndreas Hale is a combat sports reporter at ESPN. Andreas covers MMA, boxing and pro wrestling. In Andreas’ free time, he plays video games, obsesses over music and is a White Sox and 49ers fan. He is also a host for Sirius XM’s Fight Nation. Before joining ESPN, Andreas was a senior writer at DAZN and Sporting News. He started his career as a music journalist for outlets including HipHopDX, The Grammys and Jay-Z’s Life+Times. He is also an NAACP Image Award-nominated filmmaker as a producer for the animated short film “Bridges” in 2024.Danny…

Cue the intro music… because IT’S FOOTBALL TIME! After months of training camp rumors, heated sleeper debates, mock drafts, and real-deal fantasy drafts, the wait is finally over. NFL kickoff is here! The lights are on, the stage is set, and fantasy managers everywhere are sweating over those lineup calls. But don’t worry—The Ballers have your back! Andy, Mike, and Jason are rolling out their Starts of the Week, locking in the players primed for a big game and ready to kick your season off with fireworks (well, unless of course they are Najee Harris). Want the full Thursday episode?…

Rich CiminiSep 4, 2025, 09:46 AM ETCloseRich Cimini is a staff writer who covers the New York Jets and the NFL at ESPN. Rich has covered the Jets for over 30 years, joining ESPN in 2010. Rich also hosts the Flight Deck podcast. He previously was a beat writer for the New York Daily News and is a graduate of Syracuse University.FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Right guard Alijah Vera-Tucker is having season-ending surgery for the third time in four years, and the New York Jets’ offensive line is scrambling only three days before their season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers.Vera-Tucker,…

After a weekend without fights, UFC action returns on Saturday when middleweights Nassourdine Imavov and Caio Borralho go head-to-head at Accor Arena in Paris (3 p.m. ET, prelims at noon on ESPN+).Imavov, No. 4 in ESPN’s divisional rankings, enters the fight riding a four-fight winning streak. Most recently, he beat former titleholder Israel Adesanya by second-round TKO in February.Borralho, No. 6 by ESPN, is undefeated in his nine UFC fights. This will be his first Octagon appearance of 2025. Boralho was the first member of the Fight Nerds gym to earn a UFC contract in 2021.In the co-main event, fellow…

In 2024, the New York Jets finished 5-12. Aaron Rodgers started all 17 games and was released by the team this offseason. Justin Fields was signed in free agency as the team’s new starter. During his career, Fields has struggled with below-average offensive line play. Especially in his time with Chicago. Unfortunately, Fields’ offensive line took a major hit on Wednesday. League sources reported that the Jets’ starting guard, Alijah Vera-Tucker, suffered a “significant” arm injury. There is a fear that Vera-Tucker could miss a large part of the 2025 season. How many games will Alijah Vera-Tucker play for New…

Right-hander Joey Oakie was the Cleveland Guardians’ third-round pick in 2024 out of Ankeny Centennial High School in Iowa. An Iowa commit, he signed for an over-slot bonus of $2 million to go pro. He started this year in the Arizona Complex League, with a couple of rough outings when their season began in early May, but he’s improved significantly as the season has gone on, especially since an August promotion to Low-A Lynchburg. His outing on Wednesday night at Delmarva was his second straight with 11 strikeouts, giving him a composite line over two starts of 9 2/3 innings,…

The Giants are going back to using offensive coordinator Mike Kafka as their offensive play caller. Kafka called the team’s plays during the preseason and head coach Brian Daboll said on Thursday that will continue to be the case in the regular season. Kafka called plays from the sideline this summer and he will continue to work from that spot rather than up in the booth. Daboll called the team’s plays in 2024 after giving Kafka that responsibility during the 2023 season. Neither coach’s calls resulted in the kind of offensive success needed to win games in the NFL, but…