Connect with us

Sports

Chargers' decimated secondary survived because Derwin James Jr. 'can make it right'

Published

on

Chargers' decimated secondary survived because Derwin James Jr. 'can make it right'

A second safety went on injured reserve in as many weeks. The Chargers were calling on practice squad players who hadn’t even had a week’s worth of practices to fill in.

With the pressure of the postseason looming, how did Jim Harbaugh feel about the position that was scraping the bottom of the team’s personnel barrel?

“Tremendous confidence,” the Chargers coach said with a proud smile. “We’re talking about Derwin James’ position.”

The star safety has re-established himself as one of the league’s top defensive backs, earning a fourth Pro Bowl nomination and notching a career-best 5½ sacks while anchoring a secondary that has started 10 players.

No matter how many times the Chargers have to shuffle their secondary with rookies, practice squad call-ups and mid-season signings, James remains their defensive trump card.

Advertisement

“He’s the guy that if somebody, whatever position, we lose a guy, he can make it right,” defensive coordinator Jesse Minter said.

Top cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. has missed most of the season with a shoulder injury. Week 1 starting nickel Ja’Sir Taylor has been in and out with a leg injury while rookie cornerbacks Cam Hart and Tarheeb Still have started six and 12 games, respectively, after they were drafted in the fifth round last April.

Alohi Gilman, the Chargers’ returning free safety from last season, has missed six games because of injuries. One year removed from retirement, safety Tony Jefferson has gone from practice squad menace to reliable starter with 27 tackles in the last six games.

It seems almost impossible to keep track of the moving parts each week, but safeties coach Chris O’Leary didn’t have trouble sorting out the secondary. He knows leaders such as Gilman, James, Elijah Molden and Kristian Fulton keep matters straight.

No matter who was playing alongside him in the secondary, safety Derwin James Jr. has held together the back end of the Chargers’ defense.

Advertisement

(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

“Those guys have been the glue of the group,” O’Leary said.

The reliable veterans have rallied around practice squad elevations, including Kendall Williamson and Dicaprio Bootle. When safeties Marcus Maye and Eddie Jackson were signed midseason and needed to play within a week, film study became a group activity.

“Derwin, he’s always a guy who’s high energy,” said Jackson, who played in the last two games for the Chargers since signing on Dec. 23. “T-Jeff, those guys do a good job, if I have any questions, they always have an answer for me.”

Advertisement

The 31-year-old played nine games for Baltimore this season then moved into an Airbnb in Venice with one bag and four outfits. He gets most of his food from the Chargers practice facility these days because there’s not much time to stock his temporary home.

When the Chargers traded for Molden immediately after training camp, the safety also was scrambling to travel from Nashville, where he lived with his wife and young daughter, and learn the playbook. James was the first teammate to reach out.

Maye was claimed off waivers from the Miami Dolphins on Nov. 27, four days before the Chargers would need him to play against the Atlanta Falcons. James assured Harbaugh the staff didn’t have to worry about the new addition. He would handle it.

“Whether you’re a starter or on the opportunity squad or backup, or whatever it is, [James] sort of demands that everybody does things a certain way,” Minter said.

It didn’t take long for the Chargers’ first-year defensive staff to witness James’ standard. O’Leary recalled how James pulled his chair uncomfortably close to the coach on their first day working together. James locks eyes with everyone he speaks with. He demanded to know everything about the defense right away.

Advertisement

Minter, in his first year as an NFL defensive coordinator after a record-setting and championship-winning season at Michigan, envisioned the NFL’s best “team defense.”

Although the Chargers had immense star power with James and edge rushers Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa, Minter didn’t want to design a scheme that would fall apart as soon as one player was injured or struggled. For James, the coordinator wanted to let the versatile defensive back be the best version of himself.

To O’Leary, that means James is “hitting people really hard.”

“Legally,” the first-year safeties coach added. “When the play is finished, is No. 3 close to the football? That’s him being the best version of himself and having fun. He’s the heartbeat of our defense, when he is enthusiastic and sweating and yelling and running around, that’s when we’re at our best.”

The Chargers led the league with 17.7 points allowed per game, making a dramatic turnaround from their No. 24 rank last season.

Advertisement

James has played a significant amount at nickel, putting him close to the line of scrimmage to attack running backs or tight ends. Acknowledging James’ versatility, Minter encouraged the safety to not just memorize his position in a play but also to interpret concepts while understanding his position could vary within the same call.

James called it the best scheme he’s been in. The key is the architect behind the play sheet.

“Coach Minter,” James said of what makes the scheme so effective. “Allowing me to play, allowing everybody to play free and allowing everybody to play fast and team defense. I feel like it’s just been amazing all season and I can’t wait for us to keep playing our best football coming up in the postseason.”

Etc.

The Chargers opened the 21-day practice window for cornerback Eli Apple, who was on injured reserve with a hamstring injury. He was a full participant in practice Wednesday. … Receiver Quentin Johnston did not practice Wednesday with an illness after he was limited Tuesday with a thigh injury. Fellow receiver Joshua Palmer (foot) missed practice for the second day this week. … Defensive back Ja’Sir Taylor didn’t practice Wednesday with a rib injury. … Offensive linemen Zion Johnson (ankle) and Rashawn Slater (knee), receiver Simi Fehoko (elbow) and linebacker Denzel Perryman (groin) were upgraded to full participants after being limited Tuesday.

Advertisement

Sports

WWE to hold premium live event in Saudi Arabia amid Iran ceasefire

Published

on

WWE to hold premium live event in Saudi Arabia amid Iran ceasefire

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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

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.”

Advertisement

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.”

Continue Reading

Sports

Are you still hoping to buy Olympic tickets? LA28 shares terms for second ticket drop

Published

on

Are you still hoping to buy Olympic tickets? LA28 shares terms for second ticket drop

Thousand-dollar tickets and hundreds of dollars in fees shocked some hopeful Olympic fans this month, but they did not keep LA28 from boasting strong sales in the committee’s first ticket drop.

LA28 announced Thursday that it sold more than 4 million Olympic tickets during the first ticket drop. The private organizing committee will have a second ticket drop in August with “refreshed inventory across all Olympic sports at a range of price points.”

But after the popularity of the first purchasing period, many of the lower-priced tickets have already been scooped up.

LA28 said roughly half of the total 1 million $28 tickets were sold during the locals presale, which was limited to people living near venue cities in Southern California and Oklahoma City.

The average price per Olympic ticket is less than $200, which includes a mandatory 24% service fee, and LA28 said about 75% of all tickets, including final events, will be under $400. The premier seats at high-demand events command more than $1,000 per ticket, but the highest priced categories make up about 5% of the total ticket inventory.

Advertisement

Artistic gymnastics sold out the quickest in Drop 1. Four new Olympic sports — flag football, lacrosse, softball and squash — sold all their available inventory for the first drop. After five days of local presale, global ticket sales opened and drew fans from 85 countries and all 50 states and U.S. territories. The largest international sales came from the United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico and Japan.

For the first female-majority Olympic Games, LA28 reported that women’s Olympic sessions outsold men’s 93% to 88% during the first drop.

“The response to our initial on-sale was nothing short of historic. Fans from near and far have spoken: the world wants to be part of the LA28 Games,” LA28 chief executive officer Reynold Hoover said in a statement. “The success of Drop 1 is about more than momentum — it reflects LA28’s commitment to delivering a fiscally responsible Games that create a lasting legacy for Los Angeles and its communities.”

Drop 2, which will begin in August, will have additional tickets across all Olympic sports, including those that may have sold out during the first purchasing windows. The registration period for Drop 2 opened Thursday and will continue until July 22. Fans who registered for the first drop of tickets but did not receive a time slot and fans who did not buy their maximum 12 general ticket allotment will automatically be entered into the random lottery Drop 2. The new registration period is only required for anybody who did not sign up for the initial drop.

Fans are still limited to 12 Olympic tickets and up to 12 soccer tickets that don’t count toward the general maximum. There is a four ticket per ceremony limit for the opening and closing ceremony that count toward the 12-ticket maximum, which is cumulative across all LA28 presales and ticket drops.

Advertisement

LA28 will have multiple ticket drops with assigned purchasing time slots before ticket sales move to a first-come, first-served format closer to the Games, which open on July 14, 2028. LA28 began its ticketing process earlier than most other Olympic Games with tickets going on sale more than two years in advance of the opening ceremony. The early timeline has created excitement for the first Summer Olympics in the United States since Atlanta 1996, but also prompted concerns about scheduling. Fans clamored for tickets with little information about which teams or athletes would be competing in most sessions.

Tickets are not refundable, but fans can opt for verified resale when LA28 launches its official resale system in 2027. AXS and Eventim is the official secondary ticket marketplace of the LA28 Games and Ticketmaster and Sports Illustrated Tickets have also signed on as additional verified resale platforms.

LA28 will have 14 million tickets available for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, which would eclipse the record of 12 million tickets sold for the Paris Games. Paris 2024 sold an about 9.5 million tickets for the Olympics, but used a different ticket system than LA28. For Paris, 3.5 million tickets were sold during the first phase, during which fans were required to buy tickets to at least three different sports instead of the option for single-event tickets available during LA28’s Drop 1 process.

Tickets for the 2028 Paralympics, which will be the first in L.A.’s history, will go on sale in 2027. Ticket sales and hospitality are expected to cover about $2.5 billion of LA28’s expected $7.1 billion budget for the first Games in L.A. in more than 40 years.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Sports

Trump envoy asks FIFA to replace Iran with Italy in 2026 World Cup: report

Published

on

Trump envoy asks FIFA to replace Iran with Italy in 2026 World Cup: report

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

An envoy for President Donald Trump has reportedly asked FIFA to replace Iran with Italy in the 2026 World Cup this summer.

The Financial Times reported the plan is an effort to repair the relationship between Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, which soured after the former’s comments against Pope Leo XIV regarding the war with Iran.

United States special envoy Paolo Zampolli suggested the idea to FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Advertisement

President Donald Trump receives the FIFA Peace Prize from FIFA President Gianni Infantino during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Draw at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 5, 2025. (Emilee Chinn/FIFA)

“I confirm I have suggested to Trump and Infantino that Italy replace Iran at the World Cup. I’m an Italian native, and it would be a dream to see the Azzurri at a U.S.-hosted tournament,” Zampolli told the outlet. “With four titles, they have the pedigree to justify inclusion.”

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Fox News Digital.

Italy had a chance to be in the World Cup already, but it lost in a penalty shootout to Bosnia and Herzegovina in a qualifying playoff final.

CHELSEA STAR SAYS HE WAS ‘CONFUSED’ TRUMP SHARED STAGE AS PLAYERS CELEBRATED CLUB WORLD CUP WIN

Advertisement

Italy became the first World Cup-winning team to miss three consecutive tournaments after the 4-1 penalty shootout loss earlier this month.

“We still don’t believe it that we’re out and that it happened in this manner,” Italy’s Leonardo Spinazzola told reporters at the time, according to the New York Post. 

“It’s upsetting for everyone. For us, for our families and for all the kids who have never seen Italy at a World Cup.”

While Zampolli told Infantino about his proposed plan, FIFA’s president said Iran “for sure” will play in the World Cup despite the conflict involving the U.S.

Mehdi Taremi of Iran celebrates after scoring a goal during a 2026 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers Group A game against Uzbekistan at Azadi Stadium in Tehran March 25, 2025. (Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu)

Advertisement

“The Iranian team is coming, for sure,” Infantino said during the CNBC Invest in America Forum earlier this month in Washington, D.C.

“We hope that, by then, of course, the situation will be a peaceful situation. That would definitely help. But Iran has to come, of course. They represent their people. They have qualified. The players want to play.”

Infantino visited the Iranian national team in Turkey, which is where it has its training camp.

All three of Iran’s group stage games are scheduled to be played in the U.S. That remains the case after Iranian government officials suggested to FIFA that their games be moved to Mexico because they could not travel to the U.S.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum revealed FIFA’s rejection of Iran’s request, and it is insisting Iran play where it’s scheduled — SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, and Lumen Field in Seattle. Iran said earlier this month it would only decide on its team’s participation once it heard from FIFA regarding its relocation request.

Advertisement

Iran is scheduled to play at SoFi Stadium against New Zealand June 16 to begin its tournament. It will also play Belgium at the stadium before finishing group play against Mo Salah and Egypt in Seattle June 26.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino attends an international friendly between Mexico and Portugal at Banorte Stadium in Mexico City March 28, 2026. (Antonio Torres/FIFA/Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Trump wrote in a Truth Social post last month that Iran would be welcome to compete in the World Cup as scheduled, though it might not be “appropriate” considering the conflict.

“The Iran National Soccer Team is welcome to The World Cup, but I really don’t believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety,” he wrote.

Advertisement

Trump also told Politico, “I really don’t care,” when asked about Iran’s participation in the tournament. Infantino, who has a strong relationship with Trump, said Trump has “reiterated” to him that the U.S. welcomes Iran’s team to compete.

Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending