Sports
Chargers creating new edge on defense by deploying four tenacious pass rushers
The Chargers were supposed to be good defensively under former coach Brandon Staley.
He had just coordinated the Rams’ defense to No. 1 in points and yards given up when the Chargers hired him in January 2021. Instead, Staley’s defenses underwhelmed in an imperfect storm of unyielding inconsistency, blown assignments and general disarray. In just short of three seasons, the Chargers finished 29th, 21st and 24th in points given up and 23rd, 20th and 28th in yards surrendered.
Staley’s final game featured his defense giving up seven touchdowns by the 10-minute mark of the third quarter. He was fired the next morning.
Now, the Chargers defense is under the direction of Jesse Minter.
“I think,” Mike Elston said, “he’s the best game-day coordinator I’ve worked with in terms of calling a game.”
Elston, who oversees the defensive line, is a veteran coach of 27 seasons, including the last two with Minter at Michigan. All that time adds significant context to his words.
This new era of Chargers football dawned with the hiring of Jim Harbaugh as coach in late January, his arrival signaling a transition to a more physical and pounding offensive approach.
The changes continue today with the development of a defense anchored on the edges.
The Chargers reworked the contracts of Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa to retain both and then signed veteran Bud Dupree, adding to a group that also includes Tuli Tuipulotu, who shined last year as a rookie.
The addition of Bud Dupree means the Chargers’ defense now has four prominent edge rushers.
(Ryan Sun / Associated Press)
Said Tuipulotu on Wednesday, “I think we’re kinda stacked, you know.”
For all the deserved hype attached to quarterback Justin Herbert, the fate of the Chargers will be tied in a major way to Minter’s defense erasing the soured memory of the recent past.
“First thing we want to teach is technique and block destruction,” Elston said, following the Chargers’ latest offseason workout. “We gotta be able to knock people back and play the run.”
Then, it’s pressuring the quarterback to take some of the burden off a secondary that lacks proven support pieces.
“We have some really good interior pass rushers,” Elston said. “I think we’re going to be good there. But where we can take a big step forward is utilizing those edge guys in a way to create disruption and wreak havoc in the backfield.”
In Mack, Bosa and Dupree, the Chargers have 27 NFL seasons and 221½ career sacks. The addition of Dupree this month marked a notable commitment to building depth.
Having played with Pittsburgh, Tennessee and Atlanta, Dupree said joining the Chargers was an “easy decision.” He talked about being familiar with the games of Mack, Bosa and standout safety Derwin James Jr. The opportunity to collaborate on the field and in the film room with two accomplished edge rushers was too appealing, explained Dupree, who said he’s embracing his status of being part of a whole.
“I’m at the point of my career now where it’s a different role for me,” he said.
The Chargers are expected to use their four edge options in varying ways. At different points during practice Wednesday, three were on the field together.
Tuipulotu entered the offseason unsure what his position group would look like just a few months later. Mack and Bosa were candidates to depart because of salary-cap issues facing new general manager Joe Hortiz.
When Bosa’s contract was settled, Tuipulotu said he received a text from his teammate that read, “One more year.” And Tuipulotu’s response: “Oh, hell yeah. Let’s go.”
While Bosa dealt with injuries that limited him to five starts last season, Tuipulotu emerged as a second-round pick out of USC. He finished with 53 tackles, 4½ sacks and two forced fumbles.
Despite that production, Tuipulotu said he was far from satisfied.
“A lot of people thought I had a good impact in the pass-rush game,” he said. “But I felt like I left so much stuff on the field. I had a lot of opportunities to make more plays and didn’t take advantage of it.”
The chances should be there again and perhaps even more so. Built from the outside in, the Chargers defense will be looking to prove that it’s tough all over.
Etc.
The Chargers signed free-agent offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood, a 2021 first-round pick of Las Vegas. Leatherwood started all 17 games of his rookie season before being released. He also has spent time with Chicago and Cleveland.
The Cleveland Browns, rumored to be willing to trade down from their No. 6 overall selection in the 2026 NFL draft, did just that Thursday evening when the traded the pick to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Cleveland traded the sixth overall pick in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft to the Chiefs, in exchange for the ninth overall pick, as well as pick No. 74 in the third round and No. 148 in the fifth round.
The Browns now hold the No. 9 and No. 24 picks in the first round of the draft. They have a total of 11 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Quarterbacks Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson of the Cleveland Browns watch from the sidelines during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland, Ohio, on Sept. 7, 2025. (Jason Miller/Getty Images)
So the Chiefs gave up three picks in making the first trade of the first round.
BROWNS EXECS RAISE EYEBROWS WITH REACTIONS AFTER DRAFTING SHEDEUR SANDERS FOLLOWING HISTORIC SLIDE
And we know what the fan bases of both clubs were thinking prior to the selection:
Chiefs fans were thinking we know something they don’t. And then the Chiefs selected cornerback Mansoor Delane from LSU — a move no doubt forced by the club’s trade of Pro Bowl cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams earlier in the offseason.
So, the Chiefs fill a major need, assuming Delane is indeed the quality corner they believe.
LSU Tigers CB Mansoor Delane celebrates a defensive stop against the Clemson Tigers at Memorial Stadium in South Carolina. (Ken Ruinard/USA TODAY Network)
GREG OLSEN’S ADVICE FOR NFL DRAFT FIRST-ROUND PICKS ON HANDLING HIGH EXPECTATIONS
ESPN’s Mel Kiper didn’t like the pick, by the way. He had Delane as the 14th best player in the draft.
“It was a necessity,” ESPN analyst Louis Riddick, a former NFL defensive back, responded.
Browns fans weren’t thinking that way.
BROWNS MAKE STUNNING KENNY PICKETT TRADE TO RAIDERS AS BACKUP QUARTERBACK ROLE REMAINS WIDE OPEN
They were probably thinking something akin to “We screwed up.”
This is understandable because they’re Browns fans and this could have been the Browns Browning.
Well, the Browns, moving down three slots, gave up a shot to draft linebacker Sonny Styles of Ohio State to the Washington Commanders, receiver Jordyn Tyson to the New Orleans Saints and then the Browns got their chance with the newly acquired No. 9 pick:
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
Offensive tackle Spencer Fano of Utah.
Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Ind., on Feb. 24, 2026. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
Fano is good. And he makes the Browns offensive line instantly better because he’s going to likely start at left tackle for them.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
So what will Browns fans think of this pick?
They’ll probably wonder why the Browns didn’t pick Miami’s Francis Mauigoa, who went with the No. 10 pick to the New York Giants and promised “to die for” Jaxson Dart if necessary. They’ll wonder this because Browns fans expect the worst.
UCLA women’s basketball team has added some star power as its revamped roster begins to take shape.
Former Iowa State forward Addy Brown announced Thursday she is committing to UCLA, giving the Bruins one of the top players in the portal.
Brown averaged 11.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game while shooting 43.1% from the floor and 33.8% from three-point distance with the Cyclones last season. She played just 21 games due to injury, but she is one of the better two-way players in the nation on the transfer market.
The 6-foot-2 forward co-starred with Audi Crooks for Iowa State the past few seasons and was a part of the mass exodus from the Cyclones’ program.
The Bruins reeled in former North Carolina junior guard Elina Aarnisalo and former Texas Christian senior guard Donovyn Hunter a few weeks ago, adding two more experienced players to the depleted starting lineup after a record six UCLA players were selected in the WNBA draft.
UCLA also signed Arkansas sophomore guard Bonnie Deas earlier this month. She is likely to start at point guard for the Bruins and is one of the best rebounding guards in the nation.
Along with returner Timea Gardiner, the Bruins are starting to form somewhat of a core to defend their national championship. Gardiner was a starter during UCLA’s 2024-25 Final Four run, but missed all of this past season with injury and has one season of eligibility left.
A lineup with Deas and Aarnisalo in the backcourt, Hunter at the three and Gardiner or Brown at the four and adding another big or Sienna Betts at the five would be a competitive lineup in the Big Ten.
Before going to TCU, Hunter played two seasons at Oregon State where she earned All-Pac-12 Defensive Team honorable mention and All-Pac-12 Freshman team honors. This past season with a Horned Frogs team that went to the Sweet 16, she was third in scoring with 10.2 points per game and averaged 3.2 rebounds per contest. She also shot 45.7% from the field and was 33.7% from beyond the arc.
Aarnisalo played her freshman year in Westwood after she originally committed to UCLA in 2025. Due to injuries from point guard Kiki Rice at the start of the 2024-25 season, she was forced into action early her freshman season and finished the year averaging 5.1 points per game.
The Helsinki, Finland, native averaged 10.2 points per game for the Tar Heels as a sophomore last season while shooting 47.3% from the field and 40.3% from the arc. The Bruins will desperately need to replace the three-point production lost with the departure of Rice, Gianna Kneepkens and Charlisse Leger-Walker.
UCLA coach Cori Close said she wanted to sign five players from the portal. She probably needs one more guard and a little more forward depth coming off the bench following the departures of Gabriela Jaquez and Angela Dugalic.
Lena Bilic and Amanda Muse are returners coming off the bench who got a little bit of playing time in the tournament and should have much larger roles, but they are still relatively unproven in late-game situations. They will get a chance to develop as backups with some more Power Four experienced starters now in the fold.
Trump says there’s ‘no time frame’ to secure Iran deal
Republican Minnesota Senate candidate Tom Weiler joins ‘Fox & Friends’ to discuss President Donald Trump’s blockade in the Strait of Hormuz as the U.S.-Iranian conflict continues and react to Gov. Tim Walz’s, D-Minn., criticism of the president.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Saudi Arabia was among the countries seeing missiles fly into their airspace as a conflict broke out in the Middle East between the U.S. and Iran.
The prospect of Iran targeting its Middle Eastern neighbors like Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates put some sporting events on hold and questioned others. Formula 1 races in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain were canceled and rumors swirled around whether future WWE events could be held in the kingdom.
Roman Reigns celebrates his win during WWE’s Royal Rumble at Riyadh Season Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Jan. 31, 2026. (Georgiana Dallas/WWE)
As the Trump administration brokered a ceasefire with Iran, WWE announced on Thursday that its Night of Champions premium live event will be held in Riyadh on June 27.
“We are proud to welcome Night of Champions back to Riyadh and look forward to delivering another unforgettable night of WWE action for fans in the Kingdom and around the world,” General Entertainment Authority chairman Turki Al-Sheikh said in a news release.
PRO WRESTLING STARS CHRIS SABIN, ALEX SHELLEY TALK POSSIBILITY OF WWE USING TNA’S GIMMICK MATCHES
Sami Zayn makes his entrance during Night of Champions at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on June 28, 2025. (Georgiana Dallas/WWE)
The release touted that WrestleMania 43 will still be held in Riyadh in 2027. It will be the first time that WrestleMania is held outside the U.S.
WWE president Nick Khan was adamant before WrestleMania 42 that the event will still take place in Saudi Arabia despite the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
“We’re doing WrestleMania next year in Saudi,” he said at a Sports Business Journal event, via The Sporting Tribune. “First time ever, WrestleMania will be outside the United States or Canada. And we’ve had a big, fruitful partnership with them.”
John Cena wrestles CM Punk during Night of Champions at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on June 28, 2025. (Georgiana Dallas/WWE)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
He added that those complaining about WrestleMania being held in Saudi Arabia were a “vocal minority.”
-
Finance6 seconds agoRising gas prices put more financial pressure on Latino households, study says
-
Fitness6 minutes ago
Jane Fonda was in her 40s when she changed the way we exercise
-
Movie Reviews18 minutes agoMovie Review: The Mortuary Assistant – HorrorFuel.com: Reviews, Ratings and Where to Watch the Best Horror Movies & TV Shows
-
World30 minutes ago
Meta slashes 8,000 jobs, or 10% of its workforce, as Microsoft offers buyouts
-
News36 minutes agoTrump Says Israel and Lebanon Agree to Extend Cease-Fire by Three Weeks
-
Politics42 minutes agoTrump Reposts Anti-Immigrant Tirade Calling China and India ‘Hellhole’ Places
-
Business48 minutes agoNike to Cut 1,400 Jobs as Part of Its Turnaround Plan
-
Science54 minutes agoNew Gene Therapy Enables Children With a Rare Form of Deafness to Hear