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💰 Five things to know Tuesday
- The Cowboys signed Quinnen Williams to a massive contract extension. Williams has been one of the best DTs in the NFL for a few years, and now his paycheck will reflect that. Williams and the Cowboys agreed to a three-year contract worth $105.9 million, with $63.35 million of that fully guaranteed. That deal makes him the second-highest-paid DT in the league — behind only Jalen Carter of the Eagles. Does this deal mean George Pickens will be the next Cowboy to get a sizable extension? CeeDee Lamb is begging Jerry Jones to pay his fellow receiver at this point.
- Christian McCaffrey missed Monday’s practice due to “tightness.” 49ers fans and fantasy football managers alike shuddered when they saw McCaffrey’s name pop up on Monday’s injury report. The star running back was held out due to “tightness,” but the full extent of McCaffrey’s ailment wasn’t clear. Hopefully McCaffrey is back on the field soon, but everyone is already holding their collective breath in San Francisco. Stay locked onto our training camp injury tracker for updates as they roll in.
- Free agent Terrion Arnold has visited the Seahawks and Texans. A pair of elite defenses are looking for reinforcements in the secondary. Arnold has reportedly visited with Seattle and Houston — and a visit with the Saints is on the books as well — as he looks for his next NFL home. Arnold is available because, earlier this offseason, the Lions released him following his arrest on felony charges of kidnapping and armed robbery. Arnold’s legal situation is still very much up in the air, but it seems as though teams still have interest in the veteran cornerback.
- The Mystics are suddenly the hottest team in the WNBA. Not that long ago, the Mystics looked like they were headed for another disappointing season as they sat below .500 in the standings. But over the last six weeks, they’ve completely flipped that narrative with an 11-3 run. Washington is now sixth in the league, and it has flown into the top five of the WNBA Power Rankings. In other league news, DiJonai Carrington explained her “white privilege” post in the wake of her altercation with Sophie Cunningham.
- Ben Simmons is eyeing an NBA comeback. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, Simmons sat out the entire 2025-26 season as he looked to get fully healthy for the first time in a while. Simmons, now 30, is playing for the Australian national team, which is the first step in his journey back to the NBA. Where might Simmons land if he does return? He’s apparently open to a reunion with the 76ers, but he’s also received an offer to join minicamp with a Western Conference team.
🏈 Do not miss this: Under-the-radar NFL teams
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This is an exciting time on the football calendar. Teams are going through training camp, and anything is possible. Certain teams and players are getting a lot of buzz, and they’ll be preseason darlings when it’s time to make Week 1 predictions.
The Chargers have a loaded offense with Mike McDaniel at the helm. The Patriots have a shiny new WR1 in A.J. Brown. The Rams have made one splash after another — and Aaron Donald could still enter the fold over the next few weeks.
But what about teams that haven’t been grabbing as many headlines? Zach Pereles identified five under-the-radar teams that could take the NFL by storm in 2026. One of those is the Broncos, a team that was likely denied a Super Bowl appearance by one freak injury.
- Pereles: “It’s impossible to definitively say the Broncos would have won with Bo Nix, but given how their defense dominated … you get the picture. Now? They have longer odds than the Lions and the same odds as the Bengals to win the Super Bowl. Neither team even made the postseason last year. The Broncos were likely a freak injury away from the Super Bowl. The Broncos are behind not only the Chiefs but also the Chargers in the AFC West odds. Even Denver’s 9.5 win total seems low; it won 14 games last year and 10 the year before, when Nix was a rookie.”
Believe it or not, the upstart Saints are also on that list after bolstering their roster this offseason. A lot is riding on the development of second-year quarterback Tyler Shough, but EDGE Chase Young lands among the top non-QB MVP candidates in the NFC.
🏀 Joel Embiid tops list of worst NBA contracts
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NBA front offices are always on the hunt for bargains — players who provide massive value relative to their salary. Getting a steal on a great player can open up a world of possibilities for a franchise.
But we’re not talking about those players or those contracts today.
Instead, our own Sam Quinn analyzed the 15 worst contracts in the NBA. Some of these deals were awful before the ink dried, and others have aged poorly over the years. Regardless, these contracts are anchors now, and none of them are worse than that of 76ers star Joel Embiid.
- Quinn: “He’s a high-usage world-beater against someone who can’t defend him, or he’s far less valuable against someone who can. And when he faces a team he can’t defend — like the high-flying, fast-shooting Knicks — he’s toast. He can’t move defensively. He doesn’t rebound like he used to. He’s one of the least portable bigs in the NBA.”
Here’s a preview of a few more names on the list:
- Immanuel Quickley, Raptors (three years, $97.5 million)
- Devin Booker, Suns (four years, $251.3 million)
- Ja Morant, Trail Blazers (two years, $87 million)
The silver lining for Philly is that they sent another one of the league’s worst contracts to the Celtics in its blockbuster trade for Jaylen Brown. The addition of LeBron James adds more money to the payroll and another ego to the locker room, but Brown says the team will be willing to do “whatever it takes” to win it all.
👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest
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- Trevon Diggs has gone from All-Pro to fighting for his NFL life in the blink of an eye.
- As it turns out, $2.1 billion isn’t enough to guarantee unobstructed views for all Bills fans.
- One Greek team owner has vowed to make a very serious push for Nikola Jokić next summer.
- Can the reeling Mariners get back on track in time to revive their playoff hopes?
- Chiefs OC Eric Bienemy has returned to the team in the wake of his wife’s shooting.
- Michigan faces a daunting schedule in 2026, but Kyle Whittingham says his team is up to the task.
- Brian Kelly predicts at least 10 wins for LSU and Notre Dame this season.
- Upset alert! These five FCS teams could topple Power Four teams this fall.
- Islam Makhachev is gunning for a major record this weekend at UFC 330.
- Here’s why Arsenal dropped $101 million to sign Bruno Guimaraes.
- Ole Miss is honoring Archie Manning with a statue outside Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
- Fifth-year players have bumped Gonzaga up in our recent Top 25 and 1.
📺 What we’re watching Tuesday
⚾ Mariners at Yankees, 7 p.m. on TBS
🏀 Liberty at Fever, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN
⚽ Atlas F.C. at FC Cincinnati, 8 p.m. on FS1
🏀 Mercury at Sparks, 10 p.m. on NBA TV
