Just when he thought he was out, the Philadelphia Eagles are pulling Brandon Graham right back in.

Graham, 37, plans to announce his return to the Eagles for a 16th season on Oct. 21, according to multiple reports. The longest-tenured player in franchise history had initially announced his retirement in March.

In addition to reporting from ESPN and CBS, among others, Graham posted his own message to social media.

‘What’s going on, Eagles fans? Tune in tomorrow to (Graham’s podcast) ‘Unblocked.’ I’ve got some special news for y’all, and we got a lot to talk about. Go Birds,’ he said.

Once the Eagles’ first-round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, Graham has played only for Philadelphia across a decade and a half. His final game for the Eagles prior to retirement was in Super Bowl 59 in February, where he was one of just four players to play in both of Philadelphia’s championship wins.

Last year, Graham returned from a torn triceps injury he had sustained in Week 12 to play in the Super Bowl, and he re-tore his triceps in the Big Game. The defensive end underwent surgery to repair the injury and is ready to get back to game action in 2025.

The Eagles are currently dealing with injuries to edge rushers Nolan Smith, Ogbo Okoronkwo and Azeez Ojulari, along with the midseason retirement of Za’Darius Smith.

Graham’s return, even in what will be his age-37 season, will give Philadelphia some needed depth in its defensive front seven.

The NFL trade deadline is fast approaching, but fortunately most fantasy football leagues won’t have thiers for several more weeks. That should give fantasy managers plenty of time to figure out what they need to be playoff contenders.

But that doesn’t mean it’s necessary to wait until right before the deadline to get a deal done. In fact, this is perhaps the best time to make trades with six NFL teams going on bye in Week 8. If your roster is blessed with some positional depth, there’s no better time to take advantage of others in your league who will be scrambling to fill the holes in their lineups.

WEEK 8 BYES: Arizona, Detroit, Jacksonville, Las Vegas, L.A. Rams, Seattle

Here are some of this week’s best trade candidates:

Fantasy football players to buy for Week 8

WR Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams

The big bye week presents big buying opportunities. At the top of the list is Nacua, who missed Sunday’s game against the Jaguars in London with an ankle injury. Had the game been played stateside, Nacua might have tried to play, but with the Rams having a bye this week, it made sense for him to stay home. Obviously, the offense was just fine with QB Matthew Stafford tossing five TD passes. But if someone in your league is desperate for a win, snagging the top WR in fantasy points per game is worth waiting a week to use him.

RB De’Von Achane, Miami Dolphins

As bad as things seem in Miami, there’s still one bright spot. Achane has such a high floor that even when the Dolphins can’t seem to get anything going, he still manages to have a solid fantasy performance. In Sunday’s 31-6 loss in Cleveland, the offense totaled just 219 yards. But Achane accounted for 82 of those rushing and another 16 on three receptions. He’s scored double-digit PPR points in every game and has some excellent matchups ahead of his Week 12 bye.

WR Jakobi Meyers, Las Vegas Raiders

This might seem dumb on the surface (and could be in total), but with the NFL trade deadline coming up in less than two weeks and the 2-5 Raiders seemingly going nowhere, Meyers is as good a trade candidate as anyone. In reality as well as fantasy. He didn’t play in Week 7 because of knee and toe injuries – and the Raiders are on bye this week. It shouldn’t cost hardly anything to speculate on Meyers exiting the desert for greener pastures.

Fantasy football players to sell for Week 8

WR DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles

Smith was the WR2 this week (pending Monday night’s games), hauling in nine of his 11 targets for a career-high 183 yards and a touchdown. While it was a fantastic performance, it was just Smith’s second game of the season with more than 60 receiving yards. The Eagles’ offense can be maddeningly inconsistent, not to mention unpredictable, from week to week. At some point, they’re going to have to get RB Saquon Barkley back on track.

RB D’Andre Swift, Chciago Bears

Swift’s reunion with coach Ben Johnson has paid immediate dividends, especially lately. He’s had back-to-back 100-yard rushing efforts, bumping him up to the RB11 on the season in fantasy points per game (full PPR). And coming up next are a couple more potential smash games against the Ravens and Bengals. So why deal him now? Certainly the short-term gains are enticing to a potential trade partner. But rookie backup Kyle Monangai is seeing a increase in playing time, and the Bears have perhaps the worst playoff schedule for any running back with games against the Packers, Browns and Packers again in Weeks 14-16. An apparent downgrade now could be an upgrade later when it means the most.

TE Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers

The veteran had a huge game against the Bengals on Thursday, catching five passes for 111 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Thing is, he wasn’t the only Steelers tight end to stuff the stat sheet. Jonnu Smith (three catches, 28 yards) and Darnell Washington (3-2) also got into the end zone in the shootout in Cincinnati. While they can continue to play more than one TE at a time, the receiving load figures to be much more evenly distributed going forward.

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A Florida jury awarded golf legend Jack Nicklaus $50 million in a defamation lawsuit against his former company.
Nicklaus alleged the Nicklaus Cos. spread false stories that he was joining the LIV Golf League and was mentally unfit.
The lawsuit claimed the company’s actions damaged his reputation and exposed him to ridicule and contempt.

WEST PALM BEACH, Florida — A Palm Beach County jury has awarded 85-year-old golf legend Jack Nicklaus $50 million in a defamation lawsuit against his former company.

The jury on Oct. 20 found that the Nicklaus Cos. actively participated in the false publishing of facts that damaged Nicklaus’ reputation and exposed him to ‘ridicule, hatred, mistrust, distrust or contempt.’

The six-person panel also ruled in favor of billionaire banker Howard Milstein, the executive chairman of the Nicklaus Cos., and Nicklaus Cos. executive Andrew O’Brien, both of whom were named individually in the defamation lawsuit.

That portion of the verdict means Milstein and O’Brien are not required to pay Nicklaus damages as well.

Attorneys for all parties presented their closing arguments Oct. 20, and jurors deliberated for about four-and-a-half hours, returning to the courtroom shortly before 6:30 p.m. to announce their verdict.

‘We tremendously appreciate the time that the jury put into this case,’ Eugene Stearns, Nicklaus’ attorney, said Oct. 20, after the jury announced its verdict.

‘They were extraordinarily conscientious and dedicated, and I’m not going to quarrel with their outcome, because it really was their decision.’

After the verdict, Nicklaus, a longtime resident of North Palm Beach, exchanged hugs with friends and family. He did not issue a statement, referring questions to his attorney.

Attorneys for the defendants did not comment on the verdict, with an attorney who represented Milstein and the Nicklaus Cos. saying the company might issue a statement at a later time.

Jack Nicklaus: Business partners said I wasn’t mentally fit

Nicklaus, an 18-time majors champion in golf, filed the lawsuit against Milstein and O’Brien in 2023. He alleged the two men and others within the company were instrumental in spreading false stories that he secretly negotiated a $750 million deal to join the Saudi-backed LIV Golf League and that he was no longer mentally fit to manage his affairs.

Nicklaus accused his two former associates of orchestrating a campaign to damage his reputation as they wielded control of the company built on his name.

Nicklaus’ attorneys said those rumors, first included in a lawsuit the company filed against the golf legend in New York, were repeated by dozens of outlets and celebrated privately by the same executives who had once been his partners.

‘These are the people who planted a story,’ Stearns told jurors during closing his arguments. ‘The story is a lie. … What that they wanted to create in the minds of the public is Jack Nicklaus is an old guy who sold out to the Saudis.’

Stearns argued that Milstein wanted to damage Nicklaus’ reputation and claim it for himself. He disputed reports that Nicklaus Cos. executives intervened to convince Nicklaus to back out of a deal with the LIV Golf League.

“The fact is no one intervened to save Jack Nicklaus from himself,’ Stearns said. ‘The fact is he did not need saving. It’s a lie.” 

Attorneys for the defendants said Nicklaus Cos. executives never sought to smear Nicklaus, noting that the New York complaint was filed quietly on a Friday evening.

Barry Postman, representing both Milstein and the Nicklaus Cos., told jurors during his closing arguments that the case amounted to little more than a ‘business dispute.’

He argued that there was no evidence to show that Nicklaus had endured any harm to his reputation. Postman argued that the Nicklaus Cos. executives had no incentive to tarnish the reputation of the company’s namesake.

‘There is no evidence any business was lost. No evidence of money lost,’ he said. ‘His reputation is as stellar as it’s always been. His life is as stellar as it’s always been. There are no damages.’  

Daniel Shapiro, the attorney for O’Brien, told jurors there was no evidence of O’Brien making negative statements about Nicklaus. Stearns told jurors that Nicklaus’ reputation remained intact but diminished.

Postman made an oral motion for a mistrial, objecting to a comment about the internet Stearns made to the jurors during his rebuttal closing argument. Circuit Judge Reid Scott did not immediately issue a ruling.

Nicklaus folded old company into Nicklaus Cos. in 2007

In 2007, Nicklaus folded his company, Golden Bear International, into a newly created entity called the Nicklaus Cos. The $145 million transaction was financed through Milstein’s Emigrant Bank — a loan from Milstein’s own institution to the company he was buying into.

Nicklaus retired from his executive role in 2017, triggering a noncompete agreement that went into effect for five years. During that time, Nicklaus could neither design golf courses nor endorse products outside the Nicklaus Cos.

In 2022, as the clause neared its end, he sought arbitration in Florida to confirm he could again use his own name in business. At the same time, the Nicklaus Cos. sued him in New York, accusing its founder of breaching agreements, including the alleged secret talks to join the LIV Golf League.

Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jwhigham@pbpost.com and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Subscribe today.

Previously unreported elements of a falling out between LeBron James and Russell Westbrook are coming to light.

An excerpt of author Yaron Weitzman’s book A Hollywood Ending: The Dreams and Drama of the LeBron Lakers that published Monday, Oct. 20 on the Ringer detailed alleged dysfunction within the Lakers during the summer of 2022, with tension between both players as the focus.

The Lakers had acquired Westbrook in a July 2021 trade, and the pair originally appeared to thrive in the partnership. The excerpt, however, indicates that Westbrook grew tired of James and his personality, alleging that Westbrook viewed James’ behavior as phony.

To illustrate that point, the excerpt recounts an instance when movie star Will Smith was invited to speak to the team. Per the excerpt, as players waited in a conference room for Smith to be introduced, James allegedly stood up and said, “Y’all got this” before leaving through a back door. Forward Anthony Davis then followed James.

According to the excerpt, Westbrook expressed confusion and asked if that meant everyone could leave. Patrick Beverley then supposedly informed Westbrook about the expectation that he and other players would need to stay for Smith’s speech.

“Them two guys can do whatever the (expletive) they want. They won a championship,” Beverley said, referring to Los Angeles’ 2020 NBA Finals victory over the Heat.

According to the excerpt, Beverley and Westbrook continued to argue about the incident, while team brass was fetching Smith. Then-coach Darvin Ham retrieved both James and Davis, before Smith was eventually ushered in.

The speech went on without incident, according to the excerpt, and players acted as if nothing wrong had happened. Then, when a question-and-answer period began, James reportedly took over the session, asking several questions, while Westbrook supposedly sat in the third row and watched in disbelief.

“I hate that fake (expletive),” Westbrook said to a teammate after the speech, according to the excerpt. “I just can’t do it.”

According to the excerpt, James had been pushing for a reunion with former teammate Kyrie Irving after Irving had requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets. Because of salary cap matching in trades and because Irving and Westbrook play similar positions, the supposed posturing from James rubbed Westbrook the wrong way. That, and multiple incidents, led to Westbrook feeling that James didn’t support him, despite public comments made to reporters indicating that James wanted to “Let Russ be Russ,” a phrase that went around during that time.

“People are saying, ‘Let Russ be Russ,’” Westbrook had told reporters in December 2021. “I think nobody understands what that means. I think people just say it.”

Per the excerpt, that comment was “a clear shot at LeBron.”

The excerpt also recounts how Westbrook was aware of James’ reputation for apparently misrepresenting his interests, such as claiming The Godfather was one of his favorite movies, despite later being unable to recall any lines from it or the time he claimed to have predicted the night Kobe Bryant scored 81 points.

The Lakers eventually shipped Russell Westbrook to the Utah Jazz in a three-team deal in February 2023.

Rodgers, a 27-year-old cornerback for the Minnesota Vikings who’d had a decent season prior to Sunday’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, his former club, was the target of racial slurs in the aftermath of his performance.

‘Some of the most racist comments I ever seen or read since i enter the league (sic),’ Rodgers wrote on his official X account on Monday.

He added: ‘Racism is real keep football, football. Thats not even the worst Ive Seen. Stay solid or stay silent ‘F A N S’ Fake Applause, No Support Or Faithful And Never Switching Pick a side and stay on it !’

Rodgers also shared screenshots on Instagram, which showed users directing decades-old hateful slurs at him with another declaring ‘ur worse than Hitler’ − though that individual eventually apologized.

The Vikings weighed in with a statement of their own while coming to Rodgers’ defense.

‘We are disgusted by the racial slurs directed at Isaiah Rodgers following yesterday’s game,’ read the Vikes’ statement on X, while urging fans ‘to eliminate racism.’

Rodgers surrendered a 79-yard touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith in the third quarter Sunday and a 45-yard completion to A.J. Brown in the fourth that effectively clinched Philadelphia’s 28-22 victory.

Last month, Rodgers was named the NFC’s Defensive Player of the Week for Week 3 after becoming the first player since 2000 with two forced fumbles and two defensive touchdowns in the same game while playing a pivotal role in a defeat of the Cincinnati Bengals.

After earning a Super Bowl ring with Philadelphia last season, Rodgers signed a two-year, $11 million deal with Minnesota in March.

It’s a battle between air and land in the Emerald City to close Week 7.

Normally, there is no place like home for the Seattle Seahawks. However, in 2025, the home cooking has been far from edible. Mike Macdonald’s 4-2 team owns a 1-2 record at Lumen Field and now they face another test against an unfamiliar foe – the Houston Texans.

Monday night will be just the sixth all-time matchup and the first since 2021 between the two sides, with Seattle winning four of the previous five.

Seattle is trying to keep pace in the NFC West race, but the Texans are trying to get back into the AFC South’s after an uneven start to the year. The Texans are certainly well-rested coming into ‘Monday Night Football,’ coming off a bye in Week 6.

Houston appeared to finally figure out their problems on offense before the vacation, winning their last two games by a combined score of 70-10. Now they’ll look to pick up where they left off heading into Monday’s matchup.

C.J. Stroud and co. have some work to do if they want to get back into the AFC South division race, setting up an important showdown in Seattle against the Seahawks’ dynamic duo Sam Darnold and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

USA TODAY Sports will provide live updates, highlights and more from the Week 7 ‘Monday Night Football’ game between the Seahawks and Texans below. All times are Eastern.

What time is Seattle Seahawks vs. Houston Texans?

Start time: 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. PST)

The Seattle Seahawks and Houston Texans will kick off at 10 p.m. ET. It’s the second game of the ‘Monday Night Football’ doubleheader to finish off Week 7.

What channel is Seahawks vs. Texans?

TV channel: ESPN

The Seattle Seahawks vs. Houston Texans game will be broadcasted on ESPN on Monday night.

It will be ESPN’s No. 2 commentary team on the call in Seattle with Chris Fowler handling the play-by-play. Louis Riddick and Dan Orlovsky join Fowler in the booth to provide analysis. Katie George and Peter Schrager will report from the sidelines.

Seahawks vs. Texans live stream

Fans looking to stream ‘Monday Night Football’ in Week 7 have no shortage of options. Cord cutters can find the game on Fubo, which comes with a free trial, and also ESPN’s streaming services, ESPN Unlimited and ESPN Select.

Watch Seahawks vs. Texans with a Fubo free trial

Seahawks vs. Texans prediction

The Texans appeared to find something before their bye week and are set to enter some unfriendly confines on Monday night – or are they? Seattle hasn’t enjoyed much of a home field advantage in 2025, posting a 1-2 record at Lumen Field. They are fresh off another trip to the east coast and now have to contend with a Texans team that is determined to shake off an uneven start to the season. Underdogs have printing money in prime time lately and Houston had plenty of time to get ready for this contest. It may not be glamorous, but the Texans get the job done in Seattle.

Prediction: Texans 21, Seahawks 16

Seahawks inactives vs. Texans

The Seahawks will be without Devon Witherspoon and Julian Love vs. the Texans, hurting their secondary vs. Houston.

Texans inactives vs. Seahawks

Wide receiver Christian Kirk will be inactive for tonight’s game vs. Seattle.

Seahawks vs. Texans live betting odds, moneyline, O/U

Dallas Wings star Paige Bueckers just finished her rookie season in the WNBA but, if the Dallas Cowboys game on Sunday is any indication, she can also spin it.

Bueckers, who is celebrating her 24th birthday Monday, attended the Cowboys game against the Washington Commanders at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. It’s the third in a string of local games Bueckers has been to, including a Dallas Mavericks preseason game and Oklahoma-Texas football.

The WNBA Rookie of the Year signed autographs for fans from the front row of the end zone at the Cowboys game. Someone handed Bueckers a football and asked her to throw it to him. She told the little boy to go out for a pass. He didn’t go out far enough for her liking and she let him know with a 20-yard dart to another kid on the field. The second kid brought the ball back and she hit him with another long pass.

Bueckers also hooked up with another No. 5, Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, to exchange jerseys. Daniels was injured during the game, tweaking his groin. If the Commanders are looking for a backup, maybe they should give Bueckers a call.

Seth Rollins reportedly suffered a significant shoulder injury that will possibly require surgery and sideline him for several months.
An official update on Rollins and the status of the World Heavyweight Championship will be provided on the Oct. 20 episode of Raw.
If the injury is confirmed, Rollins will likely have to vacate the World Heavyweight Championship.

The World Heavyweight Championship is no longer in the vision for Seth Rollins.

Raw general manager Adam Pearce confirmed on the Monday, Oct. 20 edition of Raw Rollins had ‘major surgery’ and will be out of action ‘for quite a while’ due to a significant shoulder injury. As a result, the World Heavyweight Championship has been stripped from Rollins.

The injury comes on the heels of the shocking betrayal from Rollins’ stablemates Bron Breakker, Bronson Reed and Paul Heyman on Oct. 13.

While Pearce said the surprise attack was why Rollins needed surgery, it was reported the injury happened before then and was done to write him off TV. Fans were rightfully cautious of any Rollins injury news after he pulled off the ‘Ruse of the Century’ when he appeared to suffer a devastating leg injury in July, only to return a month later to cash in his Money in the Bank contract in stunning fashion.

However, the injury is in fact real, and it’s a significant blow to WWE’s plans. Here is what to know about Rollins’ injury:

What happened to Seth Rollins?

According to multiple reports, Rollins suffered a significant shoulder injury at WWE Crown Jewel 2025, where he faced Cody Rhodes for the Crown Jewel Championship.

It’s not clear when the injury happened or how it occurred, but wrestling reporter Dave Meltzer said in a recent edition of the ‘Wrestling Observer Radio’ that Rollins is ‘100%’ having surgery.

The sudden attack by The Vision on Rollins likely was a way to write off Rollins from on-screen so he could undergo surgery and begin his rehab.

How long will Seth Rollins be out?

A definitive timeline is unknown, but Rollins ‘is on the shelf for quite a while.’ Before Raw, Meltzer said the extent of Rollins’ injury is unknown, but he is expected to miss several months.

‘They don’t know all the damage in his shoulder and they will find out the damage when they open him up and when they do the surgery,’ Meltzer said. ‘He’s out for months for sure.’

Will Seth Rollins vacate World Heavyweight Championship?

Yes, Pearce stripped the World Heavyweight Championship from Rollins.

Pearce announced a new World Heavyweight Champion will be crowned at Saturday Night’s Main Event on Nov. 1. CM Punk, who became the No. 1 contender for the title last week, will have a shot at the championship and his opponent will be determined in a battle royale that will take place during Raw.

It is similar to what happened to Rhea Ripley in 2024. After she suffered a shoulder injury in April 2024, Ripley was forced to vacate the Women’s World Championship. Ripley eventually returned three months later.

Seth Rollins injury history

The possible injury would be another devastating one for Rollins, as his WWE career has been plagued by them − and it wouldn’t be the first time he has had to give up a title.

It’s mostly been leg injuries that have bothered Rollins, which started in November 2015 when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), medial collateral ligament (MCL) and meniscus in his right knee during a live event in Ireland. He was the WWE World Heavyweight Champion and had to relinquish the title as he required surgery, missing seven months of action.

Rollins re-tore the MCL in the same knee in January 2017. Despite requiring another surgery, he didn’t miss much time. He tore his meniscus in his left knee in January 2024, but even though he was injured, Rollins still appeared in WWE in the build-up to WrestleMania 40 and wrestled in both nights of the event. He missed two months of action following the event.

It was believed he suffered another knee injury at Saturday Night’s Main Event in July, when he appeared to take a bad landing in a match against LA Knight. Rollins looked visibly injured and the match had a quick ending so he could be assisted out of the ring. The injury was thought to sideline him for months and images of him showed Rollins wearing a brace with crutches.

However, it was all a ruse as he shockingly returned at SummerSlam in August and dropped the injury act so he could cash in his Money in the Bank contract on longtime rival CM Punk to win the title.

While knee injuries have mostly been Rollins’ issue, he’s also dealt with back problems.