The WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement will expire Friday, Oct. 31. It was reported by ESPN that the league would like to extend the current agreement 30 days to allow for more negotiating time.  If the players’ union agrees, an extension will delay a possible work stoppage, whether a lockout by the owners or a strike from the players.

“We have worked hard to be able to say on Friday, we did it. Unfortunately, that’s not going to happen,” Erin D. Drake, the senior adviser and legal counsel for the players’ union, said during an appearance on The Athletic’s ‘No Offseason’ podcast on Tuesday. “In a dance, it takes two to tango. And it has been difficult to find a beat, to find a rhythm and to find the same sense of urgency (from the league), just to be frank, to get this done.”

The league and players’ union previously agreed to a 60-day extension in 2019, three days before the last CBA was set to expire on Oct. 31, 2019. A new deal was subsequently reached on the current CBA on Jan. 14, 2020, and signed into effect three days later on Jan. 17, 2020.

The biggest sticking point this time around is pay structure and revenue sharing. Last week, the sides went back and forth after NBA commissioner Adam Silver appeared on ‘Today’ on Oct. 21 and took issue with a question about revenue sharing. Craig Melvin asked if WNBA players should get a larger piece of the revenue pie. “They get nine percent of total revenue compared to roughly 50 percent of the revenue of NBA players. Should they be getting a larger share of revenue in the WNBA?”

“Yes,’ Silver said ‘I think ‘share’ isn’t the right way to look at it because there’s so much more revenue in the NBA. You should look at it in absolute numbers in terms of what they’re making. They are going to get a big increase in this cycle of collective bargaining. And they deserve it.”

The WNBPA clipped Silver saying, ‘I think ‘share’ isn’t the right way to look at it,’ to its Instagram story with the caption, ‘Don’t want to share?’ and tagged the commissioner.

The back and forth has continued as the deadline nears. So what do we know about the WNBA, its profitability and what’s at stake?

Is the WNBA profitable?

But the WNBA is seeing an infusion of cash with three new teams — Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia — paying expansion fees of $250 million. That’s a five-fold increase from the $50 million the Golden State Valkyries paid to join the WNBA for the 2025 season.

WNBA franchises have seen their valuations go up, worth a combined $3.5 billion according to Sportico. The Valkyries top the list with a valuation of $500 million.

The WNBA also set a record with 3.15 million fans attending games in 2025, up 34% year-over-year, according to the Sports Business Journal. An average of 11,148 fans attended each game, an all-time high for the league. The WNBA also expanded its regular season to 44 games and playoffs generate more revenue. ESPN said the WNBA’s regular season and postseason were the league’s most-watched ever across ABC, ESPN and ESPN2, as games averaged 1.2 million viewers. The figure represents 5% growth year-over-year. ESPN also reported it had the most-watched WNBA postseason ever.

Lastly, the WNBA has a new national media rights package worth $2.2 billion over 11 years going into effect in 2025. The WNBA could sell additional game inventory to increase that number. The TV deals, combined with investment, ratings, ticket and merchandise sales, could help turn red ink to black.

Who owns the WNBA?

The NBA’s direct ownership of the WNBA is 42%, WNBA team owners hold another 42% and an external investment group owns the remaining 16%. 

The group of private investors, which included Nike, Condoleezza Rice, Laurene Powell Jobs, NBA owners and several prominent athletes, infused $75 million of capital investment into the league for growth in 2022.

The NBA owns an estimated 60% to 75% of the WNBA when you combine NBA team owners who also own WNBA franchises and NBA owners who took part in the capital investment.

Which WNBA teams are owned by NBA owners?

Current WNBA teams owned by NBA owners are the Indiana Fever, Minnesota Lynx, Phoenix Mercury, New York Liberty, Las Vegas Aces, Los Angeles Sparks and Golden State Valkyries.

Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert also owns the Cleveland expansion team. Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores is leading the Detroit expansion team.

When does the current WNBA CBA run out?

The CBA, which was signed in January 2020, shortly after Cathy Engelbert took over as WNBA commissioner in 2019, was set to expire in 2027 after eight seasons. The WNBPA, however, exercised its right to opt out of the agreement last October amid unprecedented league growth, meaning the CBA now ends on Oct. 31, 2025.

What are the main sticking points in negotiating the new deal?

The main points of contention in the ongoing CBA negotiations are increased revenue sharing and pay structures. The players are seeking a revenue-sharing model that ensures their salaries grow with the league, while the WNBA has reportedly offered a fixed salary system and capped revenue-sharing plan.

The WNBA released the statement on Oct. 22: “It is incorrect and surprising that the Players Association is claiming that the WNBA has not offered an uncapped revenue sharing model that is directly tied to the league’s performance. The comprehensive proposals we have made to the players include a revenue sharing component that would result in the players’ compensation increasing as league revenue increases – without any cap on the upside. It is frustrating and counterproductive for the union to be making misrepresentations about our proposals while also accusing the league of engaging in delay.  That is simply not true.  While we have delivered comprehensive proposals that seek an agreement that will benefit all, the Players Association has yet to offer a viable economic proposal and has repeatedly refused to engage in any meaningful way on many of our proposal terms.  We stand ready to continue negotiating in good faith and hope they will do the same so that we can finalize a mutually beneficial new CBA as quickly as possible.”

The league’s most recent proposal, according to multiple reports, included a supermax near $850,000 and a veteran minimum around $300,000.

“You know they know it’s bad when the best they say they can do is more of the same: a fixed salary system and a separate revenue-sharing plan that only includes a piece of a piece of the pie, and pays themselves (the league) back first,” WNBPA executive director Terri Jackson said in a statement to The Athletic on Oct. 22.

The WNBA released the statement on Oct. 28:

“We have been negotiating with the Players Association in good faith and with urgency for several months with the goal of finalizing a new collective bargaining agreement as quickly as possible.  Our most recent proposal to the Players Association was made on October 1, and we just received their response yesterday, October 27. Throughout this process, we have been clear that our top priority is reaching a new collective bargaining agreement that addresses players’ ask for significant increases in pay, benefits and enhancements to their experience, while ensuring the long-term growth and success of the league and its teams.  We urge the Players Association to spend less time disseminating public misinformation and more time joining us in constructive engagement across the table.”

Has there ever been a WNBA lockout?

Purdue guard Braden Smith and Texas Tech forward JT Toppin headline the preseason All-America team.
Three freshmen, including Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, are among the top players to watch.
The first team also includes Kentucky’s Otega Oweh, BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, and Florida’s Alex Condon.

Purdue guard Braden Smith, Texas Tech forward JT Toppin and three freshmen phenoms lead the USA TODAY Sports preseason men’s basketball All-America team.

Already one of the most decorated point guards in Big Ten history, Smith enters his senior season within striking distance of Bobby Hurley’s career assists records. Toppin was named the preseason Big 12 Player of the Year after scoring in double figures in 28 games last season, including 15 in a row to end the season.

Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, Brigham Young forward AJ Dybantsa and Duke forward Cameron Boozer are set to take Division I by storm as the biggest stars in one of college basketball’s best freshmen classes in recent memory.

All-America first team

G Braden Smith, Purdue

He’s the unquestioned leader for No. 1 Purdue and the biggest reason why this could be the year the Boilermakers deliver a long-awaited national championship. Smith finished second nationally with 313 assists last season while upping his scoring to 15.8 points per game.

G Otega Oweh, Kentucky

Oweh was named the preseason SEC Player of the Year after leading the Wildcats with 16.2 points per game in 2024-25. Added experience and increased comfort in coach Mark Pope’s up-tempo offense could make Oweh the first Kentucky player to lead the conference in scoring in nearly a decade. He’s the biggest piece for a team that would be unsatisfied with anything less than a trip to the Final Four.

F JT Toppin, Texas Tech

Toppin took his game to another level in the second half of last season and will be even more productive as the top option for the Red Raiders. He averaged 18.2 points and 9.4 rebounds per game overall in 2024-25 but was at his best in the tournament, averaging 19.3 points, 11 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in Tech’s run to the Elite Eight.

F AJ Dybantsa, Brigham Young

Dybantsa joins a team built to become the first in program history to reach the Final Four. Blessed with an insane blend of size, athleticism and shooting touch, the 6-foot-10 small forward was the nation’s top overall recruit and has already proven himself in international competition.

C Alex Condon, Florida

Condon had an up-and-down 2024-25 season that was hampered by an ankle injury suffered in February, though he rallied with one of his best performances of the year in the win against Houston that earned the Gators the national championship. After averaging 10.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per game last year, Condon should be a double-double machine and one of the top big players in the SEC.

All-America second team

G Darryn Peterson, Kansas

The reigning Naismith Boys High School Player of the Year has drawn comparison to Kobe Bryant, among others, and Kansas coach Bill Self didn’t shy away from that hype by calling Peterson “the most talented freshman, hands down,” he’s ever coached. He will be the Jayhawks’ top option from the start and should be a one-and-done superstar.

G Labaron Philon, Alabama

Somewhat surprisingly, Philon opted to return to Alabama after a sterling freshman season that saw him develop into one of the Tide’s top scorers and a terrific perimeter defender. He’ll have the ball in his hands even more for a reworked roster that should round into form before March.

F Cameron Boozer, Duke

Boozer is bigger than Cooper Flagg – last year’s standout freshman for the Blue Devils – but has a similarly wide skill set on both ends that fits perfectly in Jon Scheyer’s offensive and defensive schemes. The five-star newcomer isn’t as polished from distance but will be a bruising interior presence for the Blue Devils.

F Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan

The Alabama-Birmingham transfer considered the NBA draft but opted to be the Wolverines’ centerpiece in coach Dusty May’s second season. Lendenborg did everything for the Blazers, with 17.7 points, 11.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.8 blocks, and 1.7 steals per game, and could be an even more productive scorer with a stronger supporting cast. 

C Zuby Ejiofor, St. John’s

The senior blossomed in Rick Pitino’s second season, earning first-team all-conference honors after averaging 14.7 points and 8.1 rebounds per game for the Big East’s regular-season and tournament champions. Ejiofor will find more room to operate inside after Pitino went into the transfer portal to add some much-needed outside shooting.

According to his agent, Mike McCartney, the Detroit Lions’ budding superstar agreed to a four-year contract extension Wednesday. Top-tier pass rushers broke into the $40 million-per-year compensation level earlier this year − the Green Bay Packers’ Micah Parsons, Pittsburgh Steelers’ T.J. Watt and Cleveland Browns’ Myles Garrett all hitting that benchmark. Now, Hutchinson joins them, too.

The 25-year-old product from the University of Michigan will slot into second place on that wage scale behind Parsons, getting $180 million ($45 million annual average) with $141 million of it guaranteed. McCartney confirmed the financial aspects of Hutchinson’s big payday to USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon. The guaranteed portion of the mega pact represents a new record for defensive ends and outside linebackers.

Arguably the face of the Lions’ franchise but definitely one of them, Hutchinson has landed the second-most lucrative extension in club history after quarterback Jared Goff ($212 million over four years). Hutchinson is now contractually tied to the organization through the 2030 season.

It’s barely been a year since Hutchinson suffered a gruesome broken leg against the Dallas Cowboys that prematurely ended his 2024 season and, in large part, eventually dashed the Lions’ hopes of reaching Super Bowl 59.

But the No. 2 overall pick of the 2022 NFL draft has seemingly recovered fully following an arduous rehabilitation. He’s tied for seventh in the league with six sacks and currently rated by PFF as the NFL’s No. 2 overall edge defender. The analytics site credits him with a league-best 48 pressures.

Coming out of their bye week, Hutchinson and the Lions host the NFC North rival Minnesota Vikings at Ford Field on Sunday.

Los Angeles FC’s Son Heung-min is the second highest-paid player in Major League Soccer behind Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi, according to the latest update provided by the MLS Players’ Association on Wednesday, Oct. 29.

Heung-min earned $11.15 million in guaranteed compensation from LAFC, which acquired him in August with an MLS record transfer fee of $26.5 million.

Heung-min has quickly made an impact since joining MLS after a 10-year run with English Premier League club Tottenham. He won MLS Goal of the Year honors for his first career score, a free kick against FC Dallas on Aug. 23. He scored nine goals with three assists in 10 matches before the MLS Cup Playoffs.

Heung-min, a South Korean star widely regarded as one of the best Asian players of all time, also finished second behind Messi in all-time consumer product sales since joining MLS.

Messi remained the highest-paid player earning $20.45 million for the third straight season. However, that figure does not reflect the three-year contract extension he signed last week.

After leading MLS with 29 goals and 19 assists in 2025, Messi is expected to win MVP for the second consecutive season, and remain the highest-paid player in 2026.

Inter Miami remains the highest-spending club in MLS, guaranteeing $48.97 million to its players. However, the salaries of Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba – the third and seventh highest-paid players in MLS, respectively – will be gone after they retire at the end of the 2025 season.

The Philadelphia Union, which won the Supporters’ Shield in 2025, had the third-lowest salary in MLS at $13.43 million.

Top 10 MLS players guaranteed salaries

Lionel Messi (Inter Miami): $20.45 million
Son Heung-min (LAFC): $11.15 million
Sergio Busquets (Inter Miami): $8.78M
Miguel Almiron (Atlanta United): $7.87 million
Hirving Lozano (San Diego FC): $7.63 million
Emil Forsberg (New York Red Bulls): $6.04 million
Jordi Alba (Inter Miami): $6 million
Riqui Puig (LA Galaxy): $5.78 million
Jonathan Bamba (Chicago Fire): $5.58 million
Hany Mukhtar (Nashville SC): $5.31 million

MLS teams guaranteed compensation spending in 2025

Inter Miami: $48.97 million
LAFC: $30.89 million
Atlanta United: $28.48 million
FC Cincinnati: $23.19 million
Chicago Fire: $23.11 million
Nashville SC: $22.44 million
Portland Timbers: $22.44 million
LA Galaxy: $22.26 million
San Diego FC: $22.25 million
New York Red Bulls: $22.07 million
Columbus Crew: $19.22 million
New England Revolution: $19.11 million
Charlotte FC: $19.02 million
New York City FC: $18.84 million
Seattle Sounders: $18.25 million
Vancouver Whitecaps: $17.77 million
Sporting Kansas City: $17.61 million
San Jose Earthquakes: $17.08 million
St. Louis City SC: $16.93 million
Houston Dynamo: $16.77 million
Orlando City: $16.11 million
Austin FC: $15.68 million
Real Salt Lake: $15.66 million
D.C. United: $14.92 million
Colorado Rapids: $14.63 million
Minnesota United: $14.54 million
Toronto FC: $13.65 million
Philadelphia Union: $13.43 million
FC Dallas: $13.35 million
CF Montreal: $12.92 million

The 2025 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays is at a thrilling juncture as it heads into Game 5 on Wednesday night with a tied series at 2-2.

Despite being without George Springer, the Blue Jays rebounded from a historic 18-inning loss in Game 3 to secure a 6-2 victory in Game 4. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the third inning against the Dodgers’ two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, which set the stage for a redemptive win.

The Dodgers will start left-handed pitcher Blake Snell in Game 5, while the Blue Jays will send rookie Trey Yesavage to the mound. This matchup is a rematch of the series opener. After Game 5, both teams will travel to Toronto for Game 6 on Friday.

Here are the current predictions and odds for Game 5 of the World Series between the Dodgers and the Blue Jays.

World Series Game 5 predictions

Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY Sports: Dodgers 4, Blue Jays 3

Blake Snell proves to be too much and the bullpen hangs on for dear life.

Gabe Lacques, USA TODAY Sports: Dodgers 4, Blue Jays 1

Blake Snell’s turn to adjust in this cat-and-mouse game. Mookie Betts finally checks in and metes out punishment for Toronto’s Ohtani evasion.

Jesse Yomtov, USA TODAY Sports: Dodgers 7, Blue Jays 3

The Dodgers haven’t lost back-to-back games in about five weeks. They’ll take Game 5 and put themselves in position to clinch the era’s third World Series title away from Dodger Stadium.

Steve Gardner, USA TODAY Sports: Dodgers 7, Blue Jays 2

Not having George Springer at 100% will eventually take its toll on the Jays. In this instance, they won’t be able to keep pace with the Dodgers, who grab an early lead against Trey Yesavage and roll to a relatively stress-free win. Teoscar Hernandez goes deep to lead the L.A. attack.

Simulated Series: Dodgers 5, Blue Jays 4

Using the Dynasty League Baseball online simulation, USA TODAY Sports’ Steve Gardner and DLB designer Mike Cieslinski are pre-playing each World Series game to provide some insight into the key matchups and strategy fans can expect to see in the Fall Classic. Here’s how the Dodgers’ will win Game 5.

World Series Game 5 odds

The Los Angeles Dodgers are the favorite to win Game 5 of the World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays via BetMGM.

Dodgers: Spread: -1.5 / Moneyline: -190
Blue Jays: Spread: +1.5 / Moneyline: +165

What channel is Dodgers vs Blue Jays World Series Game 5?

Date: Wednesday, Oct. 29
Time: 8 p.m. ET
TV channel: FOX
Live stream: Watch World Series on Fubo (Regional restrictions may apply)

World Series 2025 schedule

Game 1: Blue Jays 11, Dodgers 4
Game 2: Dodgers 5, Blue Jays 1
Game 3: Dodgers 6, Blue Jays 5 (18 innings)
Game 4: Blue Jays 6, Dodgers 2
Game 5: Oct. 29, Blue Jays at Dodgers, 8 p.m. ET
Game 6: Oct. 31, Dodgers at Blue Jays, 8 p.m. ET
Game 7: Nov. 1, Dodgers at Blue Jays, 8 p.m. ET, if necessary

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – Inter Miami midfielder Yannick Bright remembers the first time he met Lionel Messi. He was in the club’s training room, looking for cleats. And he saw the Argentine World Cup champion walking toward him.

“I turned around, and saw him walking up to me. I was like ‘Oh my God.’ I felt like passing out,” Bright told USA TODAY Sports. “There were so many thoughts and emotions going on at that time. But after playing with him every day, you get used to it. That first time was awesome.”

Bright and Messi will have even more time to play together after they signed contract extensions for at least three more seasons in the last week.

“The job is not done. I got bigger goals in mind,” Bright said before Wednesday’s training session, as Inter Miami prepares to face Nashville SC on the road in Game 2 of their first-round series in the MLS Cup playoffs on Saturday, Nov. 1.

Two years into his MLS career, Bright has become an important midfielder among Inter Miami’s set of World Cup champions.

Bright carved out significant playing time next to former Barcelona star and Spanish World Cup champion Sergio Busquets, who will retire at the end of the season, and Argentine World Cup champion Rodrigo De Paul, whose loan option is expected to be picked up at the end of this season.

While terms of the deal were not disclosed, Bright certainly acknowledged he has a little bit more money to spend. He was Inter Miami’s lowest paid player, earning $83,647 in guaranteed compensation with his contract set to expire after the 2025 season.

Bright may not get a new place – he has a long lease he signed already. He said he may buy something for his parents, to repay them for all they did to support him through college and his rookie season with Inter Miami last year.

A native of Milan, Italy, Bright earned First Team All-America, America East All-Academic Team and America East All-Conference First Team honors, and was named America East Midfielder of the Year as a senior at the University of New Hampshire in 2023.

He was a first-round pick in the MLS Superdraft in 2024, helping Inter Miami set a regular-season record 74 points and winning the Supporters’ Shield. He has a goal and two assists in 68 total appearances, where his presence as a stout defender has been helpful as Inter Miami pursues its first MLS Cup this postseason.

“I think what’s nice about my story is that I’m just a normal guy. I came to the U.S. just to study. And then through hard work and resilience, I made it. So, if I did it, I think anybody can,” Bright said.

“I think everybody should always put in hard work, resilience, never stop, and no matter what happens. And I think that’s what makes the story better.

“I wasn’t even supposed to play soccer. And I ended up getting a new deal in Inter Miami, playing with the best of the best. Anything can happen – to anyone.”

Messi and Inter Miami know this well, too. Inter Miami was up 1-0 in the MLS Cup playoffs against Atlanta United last season, before their season was upended two matches later, falling in a decisive Game 3 on their home pitch and being eliminated from the postseason.

Bright and his Inter Miami teammates know they can close out Nashville in Game 2 – but a third consecutive victory against that team will be difficult.

“We’re going to try our best no matter how many times we’re going to play in Nashville. Hopefully, it’s the last one,” Bright said.

At least, Bright knows he can count on Messi – who scored a hat trick with an assist on Decision Day at Nashville on Oct. 18, then scored a brace with an assist in Game 1 at Inter Miami on Oct. 25.

“He’s a GOAT,” Bright said of Messi. “It’s just amazing to see how easy he makes it look. His hunger to never stop, his hunger to get more every time – you can learn a lot from it. And it’s amazing to witness. I’m super grateful to be here to witness it, and hopefully, he can keep doing it for a lot more years.”

Vikings quarterback Carson Wentz has been placed on injured reserve for a season-ending shoulder injury.
Wentz played through the injury in a loss to the Chargers, visibly wincing in pain throughout the game.
Prime Video analyst Kirk Herbstreit was criticized for rebuking Wentz for showing emotion on the sideline.

Carson Wentz’s face couldn’t hide what the Minnesota Vikings quarterback had tried to obscure.

Operating on a short week in his team’s ‘Thursday Night Football’ showdown last week against the Los Angeles Chargers, the veteran passer clearly understood the assignment. Wentz made his fifth consecutive start in place of J.J. McCarthy, who would only serve as the emergency quarterback for the game as he continued to recover from a high-ankle sprain.

Loaded up with a cumbersome harness and several other wraps to aid an injury to his non-throwing shoulder, Wentz prepared for another outing behind a reshuffled and vulnerable offensive line, which would also lose left tackle Christian Darrisaw after the second series. The onslaught arrived as expected, with the Chargers racking up five sacks and eight quarterback hits.

All through the eventual 37-10 defeat, Wentz grimaced his way to the next play until he was pulled on the final series. In clear pain, he grabbed his arm on several occasions while remaining in the game.

Said Wentz when asked after the game if he’d be able to play again this season: ‘It’s a week-by-week, day-by-day thing right now.’

That assessment might have been the first sign something was amiss.

On Monday, the Vikings placed Wentz on injured reserve, ruling him out for the season with what multiple reports said was a shoulder dislocation that included a torn labrum and fractured socket suffered in the Oct. 5 London matchup against the Cleveland Browns. Further details regarding the injury, however, remain murky.

What does seem clear is this: Wentz deserves an apology. It’s just not clear from whom.

The Vikings’ role

Maybe it’s from Kevin O’Connell and the Vikings. The coach and organization deserve the benefit of the doubt given their established track record of authentic care for players, which is reflected by across-the-board sterling marks in the annual NFL Players Association team report cards.

But O’Connell’s concern for his two other quarterbacks – McCarthy and undrafted rookie backup Max Brosmer – might have clouded his judgment and allowed Wentz to become cannon fodder.

‘Carson’s a veteran player,’ O’Connell said after the game. ‘He understands, kind of, some of our circumstances tonight. I think it’s very difficult to ask a rookie to go in there for his first performance and have to be weathering it a little bit for the group.’

It’s understandable that O’Connell, himself a former NFL quarterback who has bemoaned how teams treat their young signal-callers, would be protective of a first-year passer. But if playing Brosmer wasn’t a realistic option, then O’Connell needed to have a true backup at the ready given all that went into merely getting Wentz prepared for the game.

From a protocol standpoint, the Vikings appeared to have done no wrong here. Wentz repeatedly insisted he wanted to stay in the game, O’Connell said, and the medical team provided continual check-ins.

‘There is a mentality to the quarterback position where when a guy is so committed and so all-in and does not want to be taken off the field, you have to honor that,’ O’Connell said Tuesday on KFAN FM 100.3.

That might be an established precedent, but it’s not a fail-safe one. Wentz’s assertions that he was fine to keep going were undercut by his wincing throughout the game. This became a scene that was uncomfortable to watch, never mind participate in.

After the game, Wentz said the pain was ‘quite possibly’ the worst he’s ever felt in his football career. That’s coming from a player who once tore his anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments and damaged his meniscus, among a litany of other injuries.

Pain is tricky to assess, and players deserve a good bit of agency in these matters. But they’ve proven to be unreliable narrators when it comes to assessing their own limitations during the middle of a game. Interventions are needed to help protect Wentz and his peers from their own instincts. At the very least, the outcome should prompt some reconsideration of whether the process for assessing similar situations could be improved.

Kirk Herbstreit’s comments

While the Vikings’ actions might have occupied a gray area, there aren’t many subtleties to the way Kirk Herbstreit responded to Wentz’s biggest display of frustration on the night.

After taking yet another hit that left him grabbing his wrist as the game spiraled further out of hand in the fourth quarter, Wentz threw his helmet and became tearful as he sat on the bench. His actions drew a sharp rebuke from the Prime Video analyst.

‘When you’re the captain of the ship, you’re the quarterback, you gotta try to hold some of that emotion in,’ Herbstreit said. ‘And I know he’s frustrated, and he’s hurt, but it’s Week 7. There’s a long way to go.’

Playing decorum police was a regrettable move in the moment. It looks even worse with the full picture of Wentz’s health now revealed.

Yet even when responding to criticism about his remark, Herbstreit seemed to double down.

‘I talked the entire game about how impressive it was that he was playing through a lot of pain and mentioned several times how mentally and physically tough he was-all I said was he can’t throw his helmet and it was a bad look. That’s it,’ Herbstreit wrote Monday on X. ‘Doesn’t take anything away from all the great things we said about him all night. Just was surprised to see that from him. That’s it.’

For someone so concerned with optics, Herbstreit sure doesn’t seem to get how bad of a look this is.

Public perception and pressures

For a full picture of just how badly things got twisted with Wentz’s injury, look no further than his response to a question about his emotional display.

“Yeah, I’m not proud of that,’ Wentz told reporters after the game. ‘I apologize to the equipment guys for that one, but yeah, I was in a good amount of pain.”

Those actions, however, might have been one of the few genuine glimpses into just how strong the pressures facing Wentz truly were.

The Bismarck, North Dakota, native got to live out his childhood dream by leading the team he grew up following. Signed in late August after the Vikings traded away backup Sam Howell, he was tasked with taking over the offense less than a month after his arrival.

Minnesota’s roster proved to be a resounding disappointment coming off last year’s 14-3 campaign, yet Wentz found himself taking the fall for many of the team’s shortcomings. It’s easy to tear down a player who began his career as the No. 2 overall pick and a legitimate MVP candidate before becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to start for six different franchises in six consecutive seasons as his standing took repeated hits. And as the recent case of New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields reinforced, it’s all too easy for fans to strip players perceived as busts of their humanity.

Those are the conditions that create a culture that can skew internal compasses. Other quarterbacks, such as Baker Mayfield, have played through torn labrums before, and it wasn’t an unprecedented move for Wentz and the Vikings to see if he could forge ahead. But that dynamic only ratcheted up the demand on the veteran to stick through it.

Said Wentz in another contradiction of his later description of just how taxing his injuries were: ‘Pain is pain.’

Only to a point, though.