The defending NFC West champion Los Angeles Rams invested resources this offseason to ensure they have one of the top offenses in the league. Los Angeles retained left tackle Alaric Jackson and signed three-time first-team All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams.

The Rams continued that investment in the 2025 NFL Draft by selecting tight end Terrance Ferguson in Round 2 and running back Jarquez Hunter in Round 4.

Training camp began on July 23 for the defending division champions. They’re preparing for what could be a close battle in the NFC West once again.

There’s one key piece that’s not on the field, though: quarterback Matthew Stafford.

The 37-year-old is entering his fifth year with the Rams but has missed training camp so far with back soreness. Los Angeles coach Sean McVay said Stafford will not return to practice this week as previously hoped. McVay said they’re taking a week-to-week approach to his recovery.

“We’ve got a good plan in place,” McVay said. “We are going to still take some more time with him, though. Nothing that’s changed in terms of the setback. I probably spoke a little bit too soon, but the ultimate goal is [Week 1 game against] Houston and being mindful of that. So we’ll take it a week at a time with him.’

Stafford didn’t participate but was in attendance at training camp this weekend.

How long will Stafford be out?

There’s no clear timetable for Stafford’s return to the field at training camp as the Rams are taking this week-to-week approach. McVay reiterated that there’s no ‘reason for concern’ as to why Stafford won’t be practicing.

Los Angeles’ preseason games start Aug. 9 against the Dallas Cowboys, but it was unlikely Stafford would play in that matchup even if fully healthy.

McVay will likely provide more updates in the coming days and into next week about Stafford’s availability.

Stafford missed just one game in 2024, the regular season finale against Seattle, to rest ahead of the playoffs. In 16 games (all starts), Stafford completed 340 of 517 passes for 3,762 yards, 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

The Rams went 10-7 during the regular season and advanced as far as the divisional round of the NFC playoffs, where they lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, 28-22.

Terry McLaurin reported to training camp with the Washington Commanders on Sunday, July 27.

The star receiver is seeking a contract extension to remain with Washington beyond 2025, but there has been little word on any progress towards a deal.

Despite the stalemate, McLaurin was reinstated to the active roster Sunday and was placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list with an ankle injury, the team announced.

McLaurin’s holdout lasted four days into training camp.

‘Terry McLaurin has reported and we’re very happy about that,’ head coach Dan Quinn said. ‘On the business side, (GM Adam Peters) and the guys are still working hard with Terry and his reps. While on PUP, it’s just like we do with other guys – work with the trainers to get back as soon as he can.’

McLaurin will turn 30 in September and is entering the final year of his three-year, $68.3 million deal, according to Spotrac.

On July 15, McLaurin was adamant he would not play without ‘progression’ toward a new deal.

‘I’ve been pretty frustrated, I’m not gonna lie,’ McLaurin told reporters of his contract situation. ‘Everything that has transpired up and to this point has been pretty frustrating and disappointing. I’ve wanted to continue my career here. I’ve created my life here. My wife and I bought our first home here. So this is somewhere where I’ve always wanted to be.’

McLaurin has watched several receivers cash in this offseason, most recently on July 14 when the New York Jets signed Garrett Wilson to a four-year, $130 million extension.

The Commanders are aiming to build on their best season in 33 years. They traded for wide receiver Deebo Samuel and five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil. McLaurin’s contract seems to be the final piece in a successful offseason so far.

McLaurin has been Washington’s top receiver since he was drafted in 2019. He has exceeded 1,000 receiving yards in each of the past five seasons and caught the second-most touchdown passes in the NFL in 2024 (13). He has displayed strong chemistry with quarterback Jayden Daniels and is a key cog of the offense that is looking to take the next step.

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The Baseball Hall of Fame welcomes five new members on Sunday, July 27, with Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia, Billy Wagner, Dave Parker and Dick Allen set to be inducted in Cooperstown, New York.

Suzuki becomes the Hall of Fame’s first Japanese player – assembling a 19-year MLB career after nine decorated professional seasons in Japan – and was just one vote shy of a unanimous election.

Sabathia also got in on the first ballot after winning 261 games as one of the best starting pitchers of the new millennium. Wagner ranks eighth on the all-time saves list with 422, while Allen (1972) and Parker (1978) were MVP award winners.

An enormous crowd showed for the festivities with Suzuki a fan favorite on both sides of the Pacific and Cooperstown a four-hour drive from Yankee Stadium, where Sabathia pitched 11 seasons.

What time is the Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony?

The 2025 Hall of Fame ceremony was scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. ET. But due to inclement weather expected between noon and 2 p.m., the start of the induction ceremony has been moved to 2:30 p.m. ET.

How to watch Baseball Hall of Fame induction

TV channel: MLB Network
Streaming: MLB.com, MLB.TV, BaseballHall.org and Fubo.

Where is the Baseball Hall of Fame located?

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is located in Cooperstown, New York, about a four-hour drive north of New York City.

(This story has been updated with new information.)

A Venezuelan Little League team has been denied U.S. visas, with Little League International announcing that the team will not be able to participate in the 2025 Little League Senior Baseball World Series.

Cacique Mara, a team representing Maracaibo, earned its place by winning the Latin American region qualifying tournament in June. That event’s runner-up, Santa María de Aguayo from Tamaulipas, Mexico, will replace the Venezuelan team at the Little League Senior Baseball World Series, which began on Saturday, July 26.

“The Cacique Mara Little League team from Venezuela was unfortunately unable to obtain the appropriate visas to travel to the Senior League Baseball World Series,” Little League International said in a statement, calling the development “extremely disappointing, especially to these young athletes.”

“It is a mockery on the part of Little League to keep us here in Bogotá with the hope that our children can fulfill their dreams of participating in a world championship,” the team said in a statement to the Associated Press. “What do we do with so much injustice, what do we do with the pain that was caused to our children?”

The Little League Senior Baseball World Series is a different event than the Little League World Series that takes place in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, with the Senior version involving players aged 13-16 and play taking place on a larger field. The Senior Baseball World Series is being held in Easley, South Carolina, from July 26 to Aug. 2. The more well-known Little League World Series, which is for players aged 10-12, is set for Aug. 13-24.

President Donald Trump’s administration on June 4 listed Venezuela and six other nations as being subject to partial travel restrictions, while 12 more nations were given full-scale travel bans.

While Cacique Mara was denied the necessary visas by the U.S. Department of State, teams from Australia, Canada and the Czech Republic will still participate, along with Santa María de Aguayo. The final participants in the International bracket hail from Puerto Rico, which is a territory of the United States.

The Venezuelan team is the latest example of the sports world colliding with the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration and foreign visitors. In June, the Senegalese women’s basketball team abandoned plans to hold a training camp in the U.S. after a significant portion of their roster and staff were denied visas. The Cuban women’s volleyball team suffered a similar fate weeks ago after being denied visas to participate in the NORCECA Women’s Final Four tournament in Puerto Rico. Earlier this month, Brazilian table tennis player Hugo Calderano was unable to participate in a tournament in Las Vegas, reportedly due to a 2023 visit to Cuba for an Olympic qualifying tournament.

Athletes, team staff members and relatives were supposedly exempted from the travel ban, with the Haitian national soccer team able to participate in the recently concluded Concacaf Gold Cup. The soccer world has been particularly concerned about travel difficulties, with the Gold Cup and Club World Cup taking place simultaneously this summer. Trump was a visible figure at the Club World Cup final, and one version of that tournament’s trophy remains at the White House.

The United States is set to host the 2026 men’s World Cup next year, and there are unanswered questions about whether every qualified team will be able to participate. Iran, one of the nations subject to an outright travel ban from the Trump administration, sealed its qualification in March. Of the other nations subject to full bans or significant restrictions, Burundi, Equatorial Guinea, Haiti, Libya, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Togo and Venezuela are all currently still alive in World Cup qualifying.

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford will be sidelined for another week of training camp.

Head coach Sean McVay announced on Saturday, July 26, that Stafford will be considered ‘week-to-week’ as he manages back soreness. McVay previously said Stafford would be ready to practice on Monday, but the team ultimately decided to be cautious and take a ‘modified approach’ with Stafford as he enters his 17th season.

‘We are going to take some more time with him,’ McVay told reporters on Saturday, five days after players reported to training camp on Tuesday. ‘Nothing’s changed in terms of the setback. … But the ultimate goal is (Week 1 vs.) Houston (on Sept. 7) and being mindful of that.’

McVay added, ‘We will take it a week at a time with him. … I feel like that’s the smart thing to do.’

Stafford, 37, led the Rams to a 10-6 record last season, completing 340 of 517 passes for 3,762 yards, 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions. 

‘We were going to take a modified approach with him, kind of similar to what we did in the offseason program, so we’ll allow him to just work kind of off to the side on his own, get himself feeling as good as possible. … He feels good about that, I feel good about that, and ultimately it’s about having him feel as good as possible mentally, physically, emotionally, going into Year 17.’

Who is taking Rams’ first-team reps?

Jimmy Garoppolo is the lead backup for the Rams and likely to take a majority of the snaps while Stafford is out.

Stetson Bennett and Dresser Winn are also with the Rams as backup quarterbacks.

Bennett was drafted with the 128th overall pick (fourth round) of the 2023 NFL Draft. He has not taken a snap during the regular season.

The team signed Winn on July 21.

NASCAR hits Indianapolis Motor Speedway as Cup Series drivers take on the legendary 2.5-mile oval in the Brickyard 400.

Only three active Cup Series drivers have won the Brickyard 400, with Kyle Busch winning back-to-back in 2015 and 2016, Brad Keselowski taking the checkered flag in 2018, and Kyle Larson kissing the bricks last year.

Busch will be among the winless drivers hoping to use his experience in the Brickyard to capture his first victory of the 2025 season. Another driver who has high hopes for a great day in Indianapolis is Bubba Wallace, who has two top-five and three top-10 finishes in four Cup races on the IMS oval and would be the 16th and final driver to make the playoffs if the regular season ended today.

With just five races remaining before the 10-race playoffs begin, can a winless driver catapult himself into the Top 16? USA TODAY Sports will have full coverage of Sunday’s Brickyard 400. Follow along for the latest updates.

NASCAR at Indianapolis: Brickyard 400 start time, TV, streaming

Date: Sunday, July 27
Location: Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Start time: 2 p.m. ET
TV: TNT with an altcast on truTV
Live stream: WatchTNT, Max and Sling TV

Stream the Brickyard 400 on Sling

Who is on the pole for the NASCAR Brickyard 400?

Weather report for NASCAR Brickyard 400

It’s a cloudy but warm day in Speedway, Indiana for today’s Cup Series race. Accuweather forecasts predict temperatures will stay in the mid- to high-80s with humidity around 70%. There’s at least a 30% chance of rain for much of the afternoon with the highest chances clearing out before green flag racing.

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New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge was out of the lineup on Saturday, July 26, and will need to go on the injured list with a right ‘elbow issue.’

Manager Aaron Boone told reporters after Saturday’s 9-4 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies that Judge had a flexor strain but that his UCL is intact.

“With that strain, if you go out there and play with it, you put the UCL in jeopardy,’ he said. ‘We’ve got to get that healed up.’

Boone is hopeful that Judge won’t be out much longer than 10 days. Once Judge gets off the injured list, he will be a designated hitter at first. He’ll then start throwing so he can work his way back to playing in the outfield.

Judge leads the majors with a .342 average and .711 slugging percentage, ranks second with 37 home runs and 85 RBI entering Saturday and was the favorite to win his third American League MVP award.

The Yankees had a seven-game lead in the AL East on May 30 but have struggled for the past two months. After Saturday’s games, they trail the Toronto Blue Jays by 6 ½ games for the division lead.

Judge was the Yankees’ primary center fielder last season with Juan Soto in the Bronx, but he moved back to right field in 2025.

Ryan McMahon, acquired in a trade with the Colorado Rockies, made his Yankees debut starting at third base on Saturday, going 1-for-3.

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FORT LAUDERDALE, FL — Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano criticized Major League Soccer’s decision to suspend Lionel Messi for the team’s home match vs. FC Cincinnati on Saturday, July 26 over skipping the All-Star Game.

Messi and Jordi Alba were both out due to league discipline as Inter Miami and Cincinnati played to a scoreless draw at Chase Stadium.

“Now I have a question: What if today’s game was an away game?’ Mascherano said afterwards. ‘Would you ask for Leo not to play? Because when it comes to filling stadiums and making money, no one complains.

“The thing is: This game happened to be a home game. That’s the issue. I’ll leave it up to you to decide.”

Mascherano also questioned officiating against Inter Miami. The club is the only team in the league to not have a penalty kick granted this season.

There were two instances against Cincinnati where they should have received a penalty call, Inter Miami contested. Luis Suarez and Fafa Picault incurred contact on two separate plays, but no penalty was awarded.

“A team that has scored as many goals as we have in MLS … zero penalties,” Mascherano said. “Strange, considering how much we’re in the area, zero penalties. I’ll leave that for you to think about.”

Inter Miami did get the most controversial call of the match to go their way against Cincinnati, though.

Cincinnati’s Miles Robinson scored a header (90’+3’), but appeared to hit Inter Miami defender Noah Allen in the head during the score. The play was ruled a foul on the field, and VAR wasn’t enough to overturn it to a goal.

“The referee delayed the whistle to allow the opportunity for VAR to review for a possible goal. After the VAR check, the referee’s decision was confirmed,” lead referee Tori Penso said in a pool report after the match.

Mascherano was seen yelling “do your job” at least twice towards officials, including Penso, resulting in a yellow card being shown in the first-year coach’s direction in the 70th minute.

Both sides earned one point in the standings after the draw. Inter Miami maintained fifth place in the MLS Eastern Conference with 42 points, while Cincinnati (49 points) dropped to second place behind Philadelphia (50 points).