Sports
Dwight Freeney says Tom Brady was one of the toughest NFL QBs for him to sack
Dwight Freeney sacked dozens of different NFL quarterbacks throughout his 16-year NFL career, primarily spent with the Indianapolis Colts. So when the soon-to-be Hall of Famer was asked by Keyshawn Johnson on Johnson’s podcast, “All Facts No Brakes,” who were among the toughest quarterbacks for him to sack in his career, Freeney said his top choice would surprise some people.
“Tom Brady wasn’t easy,” Freeney said. “And the reason is because of how, from a system standpoint, they were getting rid of the ball in under two seconds. They knew the strength of our defense, and they knew what was going on. They said, ‘Look, I don’t care if you’re open or not, receiver, this ball is coming out.’
“I think when you’re playing against a guy like that, you better have your best move. And even if you have your best move dialed up, and you win on your best move, you still may not get there. It becomes very frustrating as a pass-rusher because you understand that this ball will not be in this man’s hand because he does not want to get sacked. I think he’s probably you know, one of the most underrated from that standpoint. People don’t talk about it enough.”
Freeney was often lined up opposite Brady’s offensive line during the height of the rivalry between Brady’s New England Patriots and Freeney’s Colts, which also featured another legendary quarterback in Peyton Manning. Brady and Manning were regarded as two of the best quarterbacks in the NFL and often pitted against each from Brady’s first Super Bowl title in 2001 through Manning’s retirement in 2016.
Brady, of course, went on to win three more Super Bowls and solidify his status as the greatest NFL quarterback ever before retiring for good in 2023. He will start his next career as the lead NFL analyst for FOX Sports this coming fall.
Freeney’s history with Brady actually stretches back to their respective college days. Freeney’s first collegiate tackle at Syracuse was in a non-conference game against the Michigan Wolverines, who had just put in their backup quarterback — a young Tom Brady.
“And fast forward years later, I’m still playing against the dude,” Freeney said.
Freeney had another name to offer in response to Johnson’s question as well, saying the late Tennessee Titans quarterback Steve McNair was also difficult to sack for a very different reason than Brady.
“McNair was country strong,” Freeney said. “I would come around that corner, and I would hit him and I swear, I felt like he hit me back. I mean, it was like hitting a wall. The thing about him is he was also mobile, so he can also just be elusive and make you miss.
“When you’re trying to go and try to tackle that quarterback, you got to figure out what you’re gonna do, because you can go ahead and try to hit him as hard as you possibly can, but he’s gonna make you miss. So if you then say, ‘You know what, let me not go as hard as I can and try to wrap him up,’ then he’s gonna throw you off. Steve was a beast.”
Freeney said there are also two quarterbacks he wished he sacked but never got a chance to. One was Brett Farve, mainly due to Freeney’s limited opportunities against a quarterback who played most of his career in the NFC. The other was his old teammate Manning, again due to limited opportunities. When the Colts’ first-team defense would go up against their offense in practice, Freeney said if he got within five yards of Manning he would get “screamed at” by coaches not wanting to see their star quarterback get hurt.
Though Freeney never got a chance to sack Manning, his Colts teammate Robert Mathis did after the quarterback left Indianapolis for the Denver Broncos — and Mathis sent both Freeney and Manning a picture of the moment to gloat.
“It’s the greatest picture in the world,” Freeney recalled, laughing, “Peyton getting killed by Robert, and his face is all twisted up. It was awesome. That’s one of those things where it’s like, ‘We love you, Peyton, but we never got the opportunity hit you.’ And Robert finally did.”
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Golf humbles many, including those who are the best in the world.
Just ask J.T. Poston at the Travelers Championship on Sunday.
What started out as a chance to put a low score on the card at the 13th hole after getting greenside in two shots, Poston, the world No. 32 in the Official World Golf Ranking, posted a 12 in an absolute meltdown that derailed his entire day.
J.T. Poston plays a shot from the first tee during the first round of the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Conn., on June 25, 2026. (Jordan Bank/Getty Images)
While Poston may not have been in contention, he wasn’t picturing himself at the bottom of the leaderboard by the end of the tournament, but the 12 was the main reason behind finishing 6-over and 1-over on the tournament for 69th place out of the remaining 72 that made the cut.
So, what exactly happened to Poston?
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Well, the 13th hole began with a perfect tee shot that found the middle of the fairway. Then, his second shot found a greenside bunker, but professionals sometimes don’t mind finding those bunkers because of how great their short game is. A good bunker shot and Poston has a chance at birdie on the par-5.
But things went awry from there, as the bunker shot came out quite short, leaving him with a chipping situation. Again, professionals understand that’s not the end of the world, with a chance at par after a solid chip.
The nightmare was just beginning for Poston, though, as his fourth shot went clear across the green and ended up in the water on the other side.
From there, Poston had to drop not once, but three separate times because he couldn’t get his ball back on the green. On his 10th stroke, he finally got the ball into a putting position.
J.T. Poston stands on the first tee box during the second round of the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Conn., on June 26, 2026. (Ben Jared/PGA Tour)
Poston still had to keep going, putting his 11th stroke and missing it before a tap-in 12 and ending the meltdown in front of the fans.
Poston spoke about the multiple drop balls near the water that continued to roll back into the drink.
“It’s not really rough, where you can kind of blast it out,” Poston said, per Golfweek. “It’s into the grain, but it looks like you can get enough golf ball on it, which is why I kept trying to hit a good chip.”
Poston was asked if he even thought about putting it out of the greenside rough with his chips clearly not working out.
“I feel like it’s just going to hop and that takes all the speed out of it,” he responded. “And you’ve got this big false front you got to get it over. So my worry with trying to putt it was it would not have enough speed to really get there.”
J.T. Poston plays a tee shot on the first hole during the second round of the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Conn., on June 26, 2026. (Ben Jared/PGA Tour)
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Poston didn’t bounce back on the 14th hole either, as he posted a double bogey on the par-4 to put himself down even more. In the end, Poston posted a 76 on the day to finish off his tournament.
Meanwhile, the Travelers Championship will come down to a playoff that must be played on Monday after Viktor Hovland and Scottie Scheffler found themselves deadlocked at 21-under after the latter sank a putt to force it. Hovland’s putt to win it all just missed and Scheffler took advantage of the open opportunity.
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Less than two hours before the Dodgers took the field in Minneapolis on Wednesday, a pair of powerful earthquakes rattled Venezuela, where the wife and two kids of Dodgers shortstop Miguel Rojas were visiting and where his sister lives.
The successive magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes left the country’s northern coastal state of La Guaira in ruins, collapsing more than 770 buildings and killing at least 1,450 people, local authorities said Sunday.
All of Rojas’ family members were OK, the Venezuelan native told reporters ahead of Friday’s game against the Padres in San Diego.
“Literally two blocks away from where my family was, two buildings collapsed — the whole building,” he said. “I’m lucky, to be honest with you guys. I’m really lucky to have my family still alive and with me. I’m not taking this for granted.”
Rojas’ wife and kids were in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, which is only about six miles south of the destruction along the coast. His wife was there to renew her passport, and the kids were going to try to get Venezuelan citizenship. His sister was in Los Teques, Rojas’ hometown about 17 miles south of the coastal destruction.
Rescue workers search through rubble on Saturday in Catia La Mar following the devastating double earthquakes.
(Fernando Vergara / Associated Press)
“It’s really tough to see teammates of mine and players that I played with at some point in my career to lose family members, to lose kids,” said Rojas, who had spent years playing baseball in La Guaira. “It’s really devastating. It’s been really hard for me to go to sleep at night.”
Rojas, on Friday, said he was talking daily with his family members, who were still in Venezuela. He hoped to bring them back to the United States as soon as possible. Aftershocks continued to rattle the country into Sunday morning.
As the Dodgers and Padres started their series in Petco Park on Friday, both teams wore caps with the letters “VZ” embroidered on the side to honor the people of Venezuela as the road to recovery begins.
“That means a lot because both teams will be doing it — it means a lot, because it brings awareness,” Rojas said.
“We are on one of the biggest stages in sports, and I really appreciate what the Dodgers do to support us,” he added. “It’s not just what happens now, it’s what’s going to happen in the future. It’s going to take a long time for people to recover.”
Times staff writer Maddie Lee contributed to this report.
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A Sunday of pro wrestling will not be complete without looking over the card for WWE NXT’s The Great American Bash, taking place at WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.
The card will feature five championship matches and two others among four people with scores to settle. The anticipation is building and there are sure to be fireworks during these matches.
It will be the first NXT premium live event broadcast on the CW Network. The show begins at 7 p.m. ET.
Read below for a preview of the matches and predictions.
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Shiloh Hill vs. Tristan Angels
Tristan Angels takes Shiloh Hill’s Mr. NXT sash during NXT at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, on June 9, 2026. (Matt Pendleton/WWE)
Tristan Angels will hope to keep his vanity at bay just a few minutes as he battles Shiloh Hill on Sunday night. Angels has been one of the newest members of the NXT roster already making an impact. He’s run into Shiloh Hill as of late. Hill was named Mr. NXT, which angered Angels and led to a blindside assault. Their feud heads to The Great American Bash.
Prediction: Tristan Angels announces his presence with authority.
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Saquon Shugars vs. Dion Lennox
Saquon Shugars speaks during NXT at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., on June 23, 2026. (Andrea Kellaway/WWE)
DarkState tossed Saquon Shugars out of the group earlier this month and it sparked a feud between him and Dion Lennox. The two men traumatized the NXT roster together and while DarkState might fizzle without Shugars, Lennox is looking to keep its momentum going. The two are set to put the bash in The Great American Bash.
Prediction: Saquon Shugars defeats Dion Lennox.
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Myles Borne (c) vs. Tavion Heights for the NXT North American Championship
Myles Borne competes against Dion Lennox during NXT at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, on April 21, 2026. (Matt Pendleton/WWE via Getty Images)
Myles Borne has been a really good representative of what an NXT North American champion should be. Borne defeated Ethan Page to win the title back in February and has put away each opponent, including Johnny Gargano and Dion Lennox in TV title defenses. Tavion Heights is a beast that Borne hasn’t faced before. Heights beat Jackson Drake on his way to earning the title shot. He already had a chance to win the title against Page at No Mercy last year, but came up short. Will anyone stop him Sunday night?
Prediction: Myles Borne retains the title.
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Wren Sinclair (c) vs. Arianna Grace for the WWE Women’s Speed Championship
Wren Sinclair wins the WWE Women’s Speed Championship during NXT at the 713 Music Hall in Houston, Texas, on March 17, 2026. (Meg Oliphant/WWE)
Wren Sinclair has been the proud holder of the WWE Women’s Speed Championship since she defeated Fallon Henley for the belt back in March. She puts the title on the line against Arianna Grace, who is a few weeks from losing the TNA Knockouts World Championship to Lei Ying Lee. Grace would love to get a championship back around her waist.
Prediction: Wren Sinclair retains the title.
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Zaria (c) vs. Tatum Paxley for the NXT Women’s North American Championship
Zaria attacks Lizzy Rain during an NXT match at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., on May 19, 2026. (Andrea Kellaway/WWE)
It’s a rematch with the NXT Women’s North American Championship on the line. Zaria stunned NXT fans when she defeated Tatum Paxley for the title a few weeks ago. Paxley has not just withered away into the shadows. She’s back and looking for a fight. The match will take place at The Great American Bash.
Prediction: Zaria defeats Tatum Paxley.
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Tony D’Angelo (c) vs. Naraku for the NXT Championship
Tony D’Angelo and Naraku face off during NXT at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., on May 27, 2026. (Andrea Kellaway/WWE)
Tony D’Angelo told Fox News Digital before his match with Naraku that he was keeping his head on a swivel for any shenanigans from Naraku. He obviously didn’t see a fireball shoot into his face during the official contract signing. D’Angelo has a lot of things to keep his eye on. Naraku is looking to make a statement with a win.
Prediction: Tony D’Angelo retains the title.
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Lola Vice (c) vs. Kendal Grey for the NXT Women’s Championship
Lola Vice competes against Izzi Dame during NXT at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, on May 27, 2026. (Andrea Kellaway/WWE)
Lola Vice has been no fluke as the NXT women’s champion since she won the belt at Stand & Deliver over Kendal Grey and Jacy Jayne. Grey has come all the way back from the loss and earned the No. 1 contender spot. Grey is the challenger everyone in pro wrestling has their eye on. She’s perceived as the future of women’s wrestling in WWE. Sunday night will be something to watch.
Prediction: Kendal Grey wins the NXT Women’s Championship.
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