Burke Sports Talk

NFL Bears fire offensive coordinator Shane Waldron It’s about time. Sure, this was just Waldron’s first season with the Bears, but the situation in Chicago became untenable. To put it simply, somebody had to take the fall for the struggles of Caleb Williams and the offense as a whole. It’s hard to envision — even…

NFL Buccaneers OT Tristan Wirfs out for a couple of weeks with MCL sprain Tampa Bay feared the worst when Wirfs went down, so this is a good outcome for the floundering Buccaneers, all things considered. Still, it’ll be tough sledding for Tampa Bay without Wirfs, the team’s best player. One saving grace, though, is…

NFL Panthers sign RB Chuba Hubbard to four-year, $33.2 million contract extension Hubbard has been a revelation this season — a bright spot on an otherwise wretched Panthers team — but Carolina is overpaying here. This pact places the 25-year-old near the upper tier of running back salaries, which would be palatable if Hubbard had…

MLB Angels sign SP Kyle Hendricks to one-year, $2.5 million contract Hendricks finished last season just 4-12 with a 5.92 ERA, but the 34-year-old posted a decent second half, giving himself some buzz heading into the winter. Despite his positive stretch, I expected the accomplished veteran to settle for a minor-league deal. The Angels swooping…

NFL Commanders receive: CB Marshon Lattimore and 2025 fifth-round pick Saints receive: 2025 third-round pick, 2025 fourth-round pick and 2025 sixth-round pick Rarely are trades perfect for all teams involved; this transaction falls into that category. Washington is off to a shocking 7-2 start, and if there was any weakness to pinpoint on the roster,…

NFL Saints fire head coach Dennis Allen Following an electric 2-0 start, many viewed the Saints as a contender, but in the NFL, things change — fast. New Orleans has dropped seven games straight, falling to last place in the subpar NFC South, making this a relatively easy decision for Gayle Benson and Mickey Loomis.…

NFL Texans G Kenyon Green out for season with shoulder injury This is unfortunate circumstance for Green, but it may be a blessing in disguise for the Texans. The 2022 first-round pick has been dreadful — there’s no other way around it — this season, and Houston’s attack will probably benefit with a new left…

NBA Raptors SF Scottie Barnes out for three weeks with orbital fracture The next three-plus weeks will be tough sledding for the 1-3 Raptors, as Toronto already struggled to compete with Barnes in lineup. Without its All-Star forward? Things will probably get worse — much worse. Through four contests, Barnes is averaging 19.3 points, 7.8…

NFL Jaguars receive: 2026 conditional fifth-round pick Vikings receive: LT Cam Robinson and 2026 conditional seventh-round pick The conditions for each draft selection are playing-time based for Robinson. It’s likely those conditions are met, which would make the pick headed to Jacksonville a fourth rounder and eliminate the pick headed to Minnesota. If that happens,…

NFL Chiefs receive: EDGE Joshua Uche Patriots receive: 2026 sixth-round pick The 7-0 Chiefs are smartly loading up. 2022 was an outlier season — 11.5 sacks — for Uche, but the edge rusher can still affect the passing game. The 26-year-old will join a defensive end unit led by George Karlaftis. Uche is an impending…

NFL Chiefs receive: WR DeAndre Hopkins Titans receive: 2025 fifth-round pick For his lofty standards, Patrick Mahomes has struggled this season, so adding Hopkins should give the quarterback and the 6-0 Chiefs a lift. Hopkins isn’t the dominant outside force he was from 2014-2020, but the five-time All-Pro still attracts plenty of attention. Hopkins has…

NFL Cardinals EDGE Dennis Gardeck out for season with torn ACL A flimsy Arizona pass rush gets worse. The perennially-underrated Gardeck tallied three sacks this season, and also found success dropping back into coverage. The Cardinals, barring a trade, won’t be able to adequately replace the 30-year-old, but the pending debut of first-round rookie Darius…

NFL Raiders QB Aidan O’Connell out for four-to-six weeks with fractured thumb The season is all but over for the 2-5 Raiders, but the next few weeks would’ve presented a favorable opportunity for Las Vegas to evaluate O’Connell, a 2023 fourth-round pick. Now, the Raiders will likely turn back to Gardner Minshew. In the grand…

Eastern Conference Western Conference Play-In Tournament Pacers 1, Heat 0Hawks 1, Raptors 0 Warriors 1, Kings 0Grizzlies 1, Lakers 0 Heat 1, Hawks 0Kings 1, Grizzlies 0 First Round Celtics 4, Heat 0Cavaliers 4, Bucks 276ers 4, Magic 3Knicks 4, Pacers 1 Thunder 4, Kings 1Nuggets 4, Timberwolves 3Mavericks 4, Pelicans 1Warriors 4, Suns 2…

NCAAF 2025 five-star DL Elijah Griffin commits to Georgia This a great response from Georgia, one day after the losing the commitment of 2026 five-star quarterback Jared Curtis. Under Kirby Smart, the Bulldogs have rarely longed for impact defenders up front, and Griffin the No. 4 player in the class of 2025, should be another.…

NBA Thunder C Isaiah Hartenstein out for five-to-six weeks with left hand fracture Hartenstein, inked to a three-year, $87 million contract, was the Thunder’s most prominent addition this offseason, but his Oklahoma City debut will have to wait. In the meantime, Chet Holmgren will play as a full-time center, an arrangement that’ll surely change once…

NFL Jets receive: WR Davante Adams Raiders receive: 2025 conditional third-round pick This trade for the Jets comes off as desperate, but it needed to be made for New York to have a realistic chance at making the playoffs. Adams — and Aaron Rodgers — aren’t quite the talents they were during their later years…

NCAAF Utah QB Cameron Rising out indefinitely It’s easy to feel bad for Rising, who just hasn’t been able to shake the injury bug. The passer missed all of 2023 and there’s a real possibility he’ll be sidelined for the rest of this season, essentially closing the door on the 4-2 Utes’ playoff hopes. Freshman…

NCAAB 2025 five-star PF Cameron Boozer and 2025 five-star PG Cayden Boozer commit to Duke The Boozer twins, sons of former NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer, flirted with other programs, but unsurprisingly will wind up at their father’s alma mater. Cameron, the No. 2 player in the class of 2025, is the big prize here. The…

NBA Mavericks sign SG A.J. Lawson to two-way contract Lawson doesn’t bring much to the table, but I suppose the 24-year-old is worth one last look by Dallas on a two-way deal. Over 42 games last season, the swingman averaged 3.2 points, 1.2 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game. Grade: C-