Joe Burrow left the Bengals’ game against the Jaguars on Sunday in the second quarter.
Burrow remained on the field after taking a sack from Jaguars defensive lineman Arik Armstead.
Burrow was replaced in the game by backup quarterback Jake Browning.

Joe Burrow exited the Cincinnati Bengals’ 31-27 win against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday with a toe injury and did not return.

Burrow remained down on the field after being sacked by Jaguars defensive lineman Arik Armstead on a second-and-20 in the second quarter. Trainers attended to him before he went to the sideline and entered the medical tent before heading to the locker room with an apparent limp.

Burrow was initially designated as questionable to return at halftime but was later ruled out for the remainder of the contest.

Burrow was diagnosed with turf toe, according to Fox-19 in Cincinnati, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport and Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer. No timetable for his return has been reported. ESPN’s Adam Schefter, however, reported that images of images of Burrow’s injury are being sent to foot specialist Dr. Robert Anderson,

After the game, however, Bengals coach Zac Taylor said he did not have an update on Burrow’s status and was not certain what happened on the play in which the quarterback was hurt. Burrow left the locker room on a crutch while wearing a walking boot. If surgery is determined to be necessary, the procedure would be expected to sideline Burrow for three months, Schefter reported.

Backup quarterback Jake Browning entered the game in his place. With the Bengals trailing 27-24 late in the fourth quarter, he capped a 15-play, 92-yard touchdown drive by going over the top on a quarterback sneak to put Cincinnati up for good with 18 seconds remaining. He finished with 241 yards and two touchdowns with three interceptions.

“Resilient group. Found a way,’ Taylor said in a postgame news conference. ‘Feels like that’s what this year is turning into already.”

Burrow completed eight of 14 passes for 83 yards and a touchdown before leaving the game.

Injuries have plagued Burrow throughout the early portion of his career, with both his rookie campaign in 2020 (torn anterior cruciate ligament) and his 2023 season (wrist) being cut short. The two-time NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award winner made light of the dynamic in February.

“I wouldn’t say this is necessarily an award you wanna be nominated for two times,” Burrow said during his acceptance speech at NFL Honors. ‘But I’m proud of the work I’ve put in to come back from these injuries I seem to face every year.

This story has been updated with new information.

Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani and his agent filed paperwork on Sunday, Sept. 14 moving to dismiss a lawsuit in which they were accused of wrecking a $240 million housing development on Hawaii’s Hapuna Coast.

The original lawsuit was filed last month, in which Ohtani and his agent, Nez Balelo, were accused ‘tortious interference and unjust enrichment,’ who used their ‘celebrity leverage to destabilize and ultimately dismantle Plaintiffs’ role in the project’ and attempted to sabotage a second business venture, by developer Kevin J. Hayes Sr., real estate broker Tomoko Matsumoto, West Point Investment Corp. and Hapuna Estates Property Owners.

In an order to dismiss that was filed in the Hawaii Circuit Court and obtained by USA TODAY Sports, Ohtani and Balelo’s attorneys said that in 2023, Hayes and Matsumoto acquired rights for a joint venture, and said they owned a minority percentage in order to use Ohtani’s name, image, and likeness, calling Ohtani a “victim of NIL violations.”

“Unbeknownst to Ohtani and his agent Nez Balelo, plaintiffs exploited Ohtani’s name and photograph to drum up traffic to a website that marketed plaintiffs’ own side project development,” the lawyers said in the lawsuit. “They engaged in this self-dealing without authorization, and without paying Ohtani for that use, in a selfish and wrongful effort to take advantage of their proximity to the most famous baseball player in the world.”

Unlike the previous lawsuit, Ohtani is referred to by that name instead of ‘Otani,’ who the plaintiffs said used ‘threats and baseless legal claims to force a business partner to betray its contractual obligations.’

Ohtani is nearing the end of his second season with the Dodgers, having signed a 10-year, $ 700 million contract, which helped Los Angeles win the World Series last year. He is a five-time All-Star and three-time Most Valuable Player, who is hitting .281 with 49 home runs, 93 RBI, and has scored 135 runs for the NL West leaders.

‘Nez Balelo has always prioritized Shohei Ohtani’s best interests, including protecting his name, image, and likeness from unauthorized use.  This frivolous lawsuit is a desperate attempt by plaintiffs to distract from their myriad of failures and blatant misappropriation of Mr. Ohtani’s rights,’ Laura Smolowe, an attorney representing Balelo and Ohtani, said in a statement.

Brian Thomas Jr. endured a tough day at the office in the Jacksonville Jaguars’ 31-27 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Thomas was targeted a team-high 12 times but managed four catches for 49 yards in the defeat. Part of the reason for his lackluster stat line? He had a few crucial drops throughout the contest, including one on a key fourth down late in the game.

Jaguars coach Liam Coen was asked about Thomas’ effort after the game, and specifically whether he believed the second-year receiver was ‘shying away from some contact.’

‘I gotta go watch it and just go figure out what that was all about and what it looked like,’ Coen responded. ‘Yeah, I got to go take a look at that.’

Coen’s comment is far from a condemnation of Thomas. But certainly, it seems like the first-year coach was frustrated with his talented, young playmaker – and Jacksonville’s offense, in general – after the team’s loss to the Bengals.

Thomas was a star for the Jaguars as rookie, generating 87 receptions for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns in his first season. Thus far in 2025, he has just five catches for 60 yards, putting him on pace for 42.5 catches and 510 yards over a 17-game season.

Thomas will look to post a better line, and avoid drops, in Week 3, when the Jaguars host the Houston Texans in a battle of AFC South rivals.

Racing Louisville midfielder Savannah DeMelo is ‘stable and alert’ after being stretchered off the field following a collapse in Sunday’s game against the Seattle Reign.

Near the end of the first half at Lumen Field, DeMelo sat down on the field and appeared unresponsive. She did manage to sit up as medics rushed onto the pitch to treat her.

DeMelo was stretchered into an ambulance, with referees opting to end the first half early. The game was eventually abandoned with the score tied 0-0. It will be resumed at a later date from where it was stopped.

Several of DeMelo’s teammates appeared to be emotional on the field, as was Racing Louisville head coach Bev Yanez.

Racing Louisville released a statement after the match was abandoned, saying that DeMelo was ‘stable and alert’ following a ‘medical emergency.’

Louisville said that DeMelo had been transported to a local hospital for further evaluation.

The Reign said in a statement that they ‘stand side by side with Louisville during this time.’

DeMelo’s health was brought to the forefront in March when she was forced to leave a match at Bay FC due to feeling lightheaded.

The midfielder revealed this May that she was diagnosed with Graves’ disease and hyperthyroidism last fall.

Hyperthyroidism can cause a number of symptoms, including an increased or irregular heartbeat, tiredness, muscle weakness and weight loss. Graves’ disease is an autoimmune disorder that can lead to hyperthyroidism.

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The NFL season is in full swing and Sunday’s Week 2 is nearly in the books.

There’s a lot to unpack from all of the action in Week 2. Whether your team is undefeated or winless, fantasy managers must tinker with lineups each week.

One way to make those roster moves is via the fantasy football waiver wire. This is the next chance to make those lineup changes. Here are five players to target on waivers this week:

Week 2 fantasy football waiver wire targets

WR Cedric Tillman, Browns (Rostered in 38% of Yahoo leagues)

Tillman was featured in last week’s waiver wire adds and he headlines the list heading into Week 3. He caught 5 of 8 targets for 52 yards and a touchdown in Week 1 and followed it up with a 2 catch, 22-yard showing today against the Ravens. He also scored for the second consecutive week and led the team in targets.

Tillman had an insane stretch in 2024, finishing as WR12 in fantasy points per game in Weeks 7-12. The Browns should continue to throw plenty while Joe Flacco remains the starter.

WR Elic Ayomanor, Titans (Rostered in 7% of Yahoo leagues)

Another young wide receiver should be added. This Titans rookie is quickly building a strong rapport with his fellow rookie QB Cam Ward. The rookie caught 4 of 6 targets for 56 yards and a touchdown in Week 2 and has overtaken veteran Tyler Lockett as the WR2 in the Titans offense.

Ayomanor had an 82% route participation rate in Week 1 and didn’t slow down in Week 2. As Ward continues to develop and catch up to speed, expect him to do it alongside his rookie running mate.

WR, Romeo Doubs, Packers (Rostered in 49% of Yahoo leagues)

The Green Bay Packers have one of the most frustrating receiver rooms to decipher week to week, but with Jayden Reed out for a spell, things become a bit more siloed. Doubs leads Packers receivers in route percentage through the first two weeks, and he should be more involved in Reed’s absence. He should be rostered in all 12-team leagues.

WR Troy Franklin, Broncos (Rostered in 2% of Yahoo leagues)

The Broncos wide receiver room is beginning to get some clarity. Second-year receiver Troy Franklin played with Bo Nix at Oregon, and now the connection is being revived in the NFL. Franklin finished Week 2 with eight receptions for 89 yards and a touchdown on a team-high nine targets. In Week 1 he played in over 50% out of the slot which typically leads to stronger fantasy production. He could be a valuable addition to rosters once bye weeks arrive.

WR, Brandon Aiyuk, 49ers (Rostered in 49% of Yahoo leagues)

The 49ers veteran wide receiver is still sidelined but if he’s sitting on waivers in your league, a savvy manager would look to add him this week or next. The 49ers are bruised and battered right now but find themselves 2-0 after the season’s first two weeks. Brock Purdy is expected to miss some time with an injury of his own, but he and Aiyuk’s return could coincide around Week 5 or 6. Aiyuk is a sneaky bench stash who could end up posting top-20 numbers in the second half of the season.

Golden State Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase called out the referees after her team lost 101-72 to the Minnesota Lynx in Game 1 of their WNBA playoff series on Sunday, Sept. 14 at the Target Center in Minneapolis.

The Lynx, who advanced to last year’s WNBA Finals, earned the No. 1 seed in the 2025 playoffs, while the Valkyries, who became the first WNBA expansion team to make the playoffs in their inaugural season, are the No. 8 seed.

‘When Iliana Rupert is trying to fight for the rebound and she’s getting called for a foul on a rebound, it takes our aggression away and that’s where I’m not OK with it,’ Nakase said. ‘I want a fair fight. I really do. I want a clean fight, but I love the fact that both teams are playing their hearts out. They’re fighting. But I would like it to be fair.

‘And for me, that’s why I got a [technical foul] because at what point is it going to be fair?’

Nakase was given a technical foul for arguing a call in the second half. After the game, she inferred that the refs might be playing favorites. The Lynx had the best record in the regular season at 34-10, while the Valkyries were 23-21.

‘We’re playing the No. 1 team,’ she said. ‘We’re playing the best team in the league. They don’t need no help. This team is great. They’re stacked. They play well. They play beautiful basketball. They’re coached well. They don’t need the help.’

The Valkyries had 22 team fouls and 27 free throw attempts, while the Lynx finished with 23 team fouls and 24 free throw attempts. But after Golden State took a 28-21 in the first quarter, Minnesota had 11 free throw attempts in the second quarter and the Valkyries had one. Over the final three quarters of the game, the Lynx outscored the Valkyries 80-44.

The Lynx travel to Golden State for Game 2 of the best-of-three series on Wednesday, Sept. 17, at 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. PT) at SAP Center in San Jose, California. It will be telecast on ESPN. 

PHOENIX — The New York Liberty came away with a 76-69 overtime win over the Phoenix Mercury in Game 1 of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs, but the victory was bittersweet as Breanna Stewart exited early with an apparent injury. 

Stewart, 31, went down with 3:01 remaining in overtime after making a driving layup to put the Liberty up, 70-65. Stewart remained on the court, clutching her left knee and was eventually helped to her feet by teammates. She gingerly walked over to the bench for a timeout and missed a free throw attempt when the game resumed.

Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said its too soon to provide an update on Stewart following the overtime victory, but said the two-time WNBA MVP will undergo evaluations with the team’s medical staff. 

2025 WNBA PLAYOFF BRACKET: Everything you need to know from matchups to X-factors

Stewart attempted to play through her injury but asked to be subbed out the game about a minute later, Brondello said. Stewart didn’t check back into the game, finishing the night with 18 points, six rebounds and four assists, and was spotted wearing a brace on her left knee after the game.

‘She asked me to sub her out then. She looked uncomfortable,’ Brondello said. ‘That’s the reason we took her out. We’re just hoping that she will be OK.’

Stewart previously missed 13 games in the regular season after sustaining a bone bruise in her right knee on July 26. 

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