Sports
NFL trade deadline predictions: Will Bryce Young, Mike Williams and others stay put or move on?
The lead-up to the Nov. 5 NFL trade deadline has already featured a good deal of action, as wide receivers Davante Adams, Amari Cooper, DeAndre Hopkins and Diontae Johnson all changed addresses within the last two weeks. Monday, the Kansas City Chiefs added pass rusher Josh Uche via trade with the New England Patriots to further bolster their defense.
The names of a number of prominent players, like the Las Vegas Raiders’ Maxx Crosby and Cleveland Browns’ Myles Garrett, have bounced around the rumor mill in recent weeks. Barring a change of mind by their team decision-makers, however, neither of these marquee pass rushers is going nowhere.
Intrigue continues to swirl around several other players who find themselves stuck on losing teams or in a logjam for various reasons. Rival teams with championship aspirations or gaping holes for the immediate or long term could enter the market for roster additions.
Here’s a breakdown of some of the most prominent players/potential trade candidates being discussed in NFL circles, followed by a prediction of whether they will find themselves on the move or staying put by next week.
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Prediction: Staying put
Young faces an uncertain future in Carolina despite the fact the Panthers moved up to take him first overall in 2023. Benched after two games this season, he sat for the next five before returning to the starting lineup last week after Andy Dalton suffered a sprained thumb in a car accident. Young delivered another mixed bag in the 28-14 loss to the Denver Broncos, completing 24 of 37 passes for 224 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.
The 2025 draft class isn’t teeming with top-level quarterback talent, so debate has swirled about how willing other teams would be to offer up something for Young. The Panthers, however, don’t seem ready to admit just yet that they erred so greatly in their Young selection. They’ll likely hang onto him and let him play out the string in hopes that he displays improved decision-making and execution.
Would Detroit, Atlanta or Arizona make a deal for Jadeveon Clowney? (Bob Donnan / Imagn Images)
Prediction: Moving on
A high-level pass rusher can turn a good defense into a great defense, and teams with championship aspirations could look to make a move at the deadline to increase their chances of achieving their goals this postseason. NFC front-runner Detroit needs pass-rushing help with Aidan Hutchinson lost to injury for the season. Atlanta, which leads the NFC South, also needs help at edge rusher. Arizona, which remains in the thick of things in the NFC West, also has been calling teams in search of pass-rushing help.
The 31-year-old Clowney’s skills are being wasted in Carolina, where the Panthers rank among the worst in the league on defense. A year after tying a career high with 9 1/2 sacks for the Baltimore Ravens, Clowney has only one sack for Carolina. Clowney still has something left in the tank and can help a team in the pass-rushing department. Part of the problem is how bad the Panthers are against the run. Opponents are taking advantage and running at Clowney, who at this stage in his career seems less than enthusiastic about serving as a run stopper. Clowney is believed to prefer an exit, and given the opportunity to stockpile picks for their talent-depleted roster, the Panthers will probably oblige.
Prediction: Staying put
The sixth-year veteran has fallen out of favor just one year after signing a three-year, $30 million contract with Chicago. He started 11 games last season, and two of the five he has appeared in this season, but has been a healthy scratch the last two weeks. The Bears would like to move on from the 28-year-old Davis, and he could probably step in for a team with injuries along the interior of its offensive line. But it’s hard to see a team willing to part with much for a player now reduced to a backup guard. The Bears say they still value Davis because of the depth he provides, and they just might have to settle for keeping him unless another team becomes desperate.
The Browns may keep Za’Darius Smith in hopes of a strong run in the season’s second half. (Ken Blaze / Imagn Images)
Prediction: Staying put
Teams have called the Browns about numerous players. And while it’s already been made clear that Garrett is untouchable, his bookend — Smith — leads the team with five sacks and is generating interest. The Browns could listen to inquiries about the 32-year-old Smith, but there’s a hesitancy to unload him as well because of a belief within the organization that a season turnaround isn’t out of the question. That belief will likely prompt the Browns to hang onto Smith.
Prediction: Staying put
The 31-year-old Smith hasn’t gotten as much playing time as he would like this season under new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, so his name has recently come up in the trade rumor mill. The Packers are winning games and still view Smith as a valuable member of their pass-rushing rotation, however. With 2 1/2 sacks, he’s one of six Green Bay players with at least two sacks this season, and his 10 quarterback pressures rank second on the team. The Packers aren’t inclined to weaken their pass-rushing unit by subtracting talent as they find themselves in a heated NFC North race with Detroit and Minnesota.
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Prediction: Moving on
Despite back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons to kick off his career, Etienne has seen his workload diminish this season, thanks in part to a few nagging injuries and the simultaneous ascension of Tank Bigsby. At 2-6, the Jaguars can kiss any playoff aspirations goodbye, and they would do well to send Etienne to a team in need of improved running back depth now to get a head start on the roster implosion that is sure to come this offseason.
Prediction: Moving on
The Adams acquisition makes Williams expendable in New York. Williams spent the first half of the season working his way back into the flow after recovering from surgery to repair an ACL torn in Week 3 of the 2023 season. The usually sure-handed veteran had 11 catches for 160 yards on 19 targets in six games, but then didn’t receive a target on Sunday despite logging 36 snaps. Williams, who has averaged 57 catches for 879 yards (15.5 yards per reception) and five touchdowns a season, certainly could help improve the depth of a team looking to mount a postseason run.
(Top illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; photos of Bryce Young, Travis Etienne and Mike Williams: Brooke Sutton / Getty Images, Gary McCullough and Adam Hunger / Associated Press)
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Austin Reaves nearing return for Lakers as Luka Doncic remains out indefinitely with hamstring strain: report
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In early April, with just five games remaining in the regular season, the Los Angeles Lakers announced that star guard Luka Doncic would be sidelined at least until the NBA playoffs.
Doncic’s setback was a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, an MRI confirmed. The reigning NBA scoring champion sustained the injury during an April 2 game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Lakers also entered the playoffs without another key member of their backcourt, Austin Reaves.
The shorthanded Lakers upset the Houston Rockets in the opening game of their first-round Western Conference series Saturday. Ahead of Game 2 on Tuesday, the Lakers reportedly received a clearer update on the health of at least one of their injured stars.
Lakers guard Austin Reaves brings the ball up court against the Washington Wizards in Los Angeles on March 30, 2026. (Ryan Sun/AP)
Reaves, who was diagnosed with an oblique strain, appears to be progressing toward a return later in the first-round series if it extends to six or seven games. If the Lakers advance sooner, he could be on track to return for the Western Conference semifinals.
According to ESPN, Reaves recently returned to the practice court for 1-on-1 drills. The 27-year-old will still need to progress to 2-on-3 and then 5-on-5 work before he can be cleared for playoff action, but he appears significantly further along than Doncic, who remains out indefinitely.
Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers controls the ball against the Orlando Magic at the Kia Center on March 21, 2026. (Nathan Ray Seebeck/Imagn Images)
Doncic is unlikely to play in the first round, regardless of the series length. ESPN footage showed him on the practice court on Tuesday, though the six-time All-Star was not doing high-intensity work.
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The Rockets, despite being widely favored in the opening round playoffs series, also contended with key injuries. Kevin Durant missed Game 1 with a knee contusion. He was cleared to play in Game 2 on Tuesday night.
Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. shoots the ball against the Lakers during Game 1 in the NBA playoffs at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, on April 18, 2026. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
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LeBron James scored 19 points, while Luke Kennard led Los Angeles with 27 in Saturday’s win.
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Watching junior right-hander Fabian Bravo of Sun Valley Poly High pitch for the first time, there was something strangely familiar about his windup.
When he turned his back to reveal he was wearing No. 32, everything made sense.
He had to be a fan of Sandy Koufax, the 1960s Hall of Fame left-hander for the Dodgers.
Two friends sitting next to me refused to believe it.
“No way,” one said.
“Kids today have never heard of Sandy Koufax,” another piped in.
Only after Bravo threw a three-hit shutout to beat North Hollywood 3-0 was my belief vindicated.
“I come into the back with my arms and it’s a little bit like a Sandy Koufax kind of thing,” he said. “I wear 32 too. He was the starting pitcher for the Dodgers and was good in the World Series.”
Koufax was perfect-game good on Sept. 9, 1965, against the Chicago Cubs at Dodger Stadium, striking out 14.
Bravo started learning about No. 32 when his parents would bring him to Dodger Stadium as a young boy.
“I always saw No. 32 retired on the wall,” he said. “Once I got to know him, I was able to see who he really was. I felt I could really copy him and get myself deeper into history.”
Bravo is no Koufax in terms of being a power pitcher. He’s 5 feet 10 and 140 pounds. Since last season, when he changed his windup to briefly emulate Koufax’s arms going above his head, he has a 12-3 record. This season he’s 3-1 with a 1.50 ERA.
“I saw his windup and he looked like he was calm and composed and I tried it. I felt more of a rhythm. I was able to calm down and pitch better,” he said.
After Bravo’s arms go up over his head in his windup, he also does a brief hesitation breathing in and out before throwing the ball toward home plate.
“My dad always taught me to breathe in, breathe out before I do anything,” he said.
Nowadays, teenagers seemingly don’t pay much attention to greats of the past, from old ballplayers to Hall of Fame coaches. Ask someone if they know John Wooden, kids today probably don’t. He did win 10 NCAA basketball titles coaching for UCLA. And who was Don Drysdale? Only a Dodger Hall of Fame pitcher alongside Koufax from Van Nuys High.
Bravo is fortunate he’s seen Dodger broadcasts mentioning Koufax at the stadium and on TV, motivating him to learn more, which led to seeing his windup on YouTube.
His older brother also wore No. 32, so no one was getting that uniform number other than a Bravo brother at Poly.
There is another Bravo set to arrive in the fall. Julian Bravo will be a freshman left-handed pitcher and wants No. 32.
“While I’m there he’s going to have to find a new number,” Fabian Bravo said.
Julian might also want to help his big brother gain a few pounds at the dinner table.
“My brother takes food from me,” he said.
As for recognizing Bravo’s Koufax connection, it was No. 32 that provided the clue. How many pitchers in the 1970s were choosing No. 32? A lot. And it’s great to see a 17-year-old in 2026 paying tribute to one of the greatest pitchers ever.
Emulating Koufax is hard, but forgetting him is unforgivable.
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Eli Manning retired in 2019 and missed out in his first year of Hall of Fame eligibility in 2025. He was passed over again earlier this year but still fired back at a fan who claimed one of his contemporaries was the better quarterback.
On Tuesday, a social media user floated a theory about former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan. Ryan, who now oversees football operations as the team’s president, last played in an NFL game in 2022. He announced his retirement in 2024, making him eligible for Hall of Fame consideration beginning in 2028.
“Matt Ryan was a better QB than Eli Manning… people just worship rings. Agree or nah,” the post read.
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New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning greets Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan after their game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, on Oct. 22, 2018. (Jason Getz/USA TODAY Sports)
Manning caught wind of the suggestion and weighed in, pointing to the two Super Bowl-winning teams he was part of during his standout run with the New York Giants.
“I will ponder this while I play with my rings…,” Manning wrote in a quote-tweet.
Ryan’s statistical production surpasses Manning’s, at least on paper. He was named NFL MVP in 2016, an honor Manning never earned. Ryan is also the most accomplished player in Falcons history and finished his career with more than 62,000 regular-season passing yards, compared with Manning’s 57,023.
NFC head coach Eli Manning leads a huddle during a practice session before the NFL Pro Bowl at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on Feb. 4, 2023. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)
Both quarterbacks were selected to four Pro Bowls, but the key difference lies in championships. Manning won the Super Bowl in 2007 and 2011, while Ryan reached it once but fell short. Manning threw for a single season career-best 4,933 during the run leading up to the second Super Bowl title.
Ryan threw for 284 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions to help the Falcons build a 25-point lead in the championship game — a matchup remembered for the New England Patriots engineering the largest comeback in Super Bowl history.
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan passes the ball against the Buffalo Bills during the second half at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y., on Jan. 2, 2022. (Rich Barnes/USA TODAY Sports)
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The Falcons have reached the Super Bowl twice in franchise history, first in 1998, but the team is still chasing its first elusive championship.
The Giants marked their 100th season in 2024, winning four Super Bowls over the franchise’s century-long history.
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Sun Valley Poly High’s Fabian Bravo shows flashes of Koufax dominance