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Arkansas to allow field rushing after 3-minute delay to avoid fines

by admin August 21, 2025

Aug 20, 2025, 08:02 PM ET

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas will allow football fans to rush the field following big wins, but only after a delay so the Razorbacks can avoid hefty fines.

The Southeastern Conference’s updated field rushing policy, with $500,000 fines, applies to each incident across all sports. The conference can waive the fine if the visiting team and officials are allowed to reach the locker room before fans descend.

Arkansas announced Wednesday that three minutes will be placed on the videoboards inside the stadium to delay the rush and allow the visiting team, staff and officials to exit the field.

“The safety of our student-athletes and the student-athletes from the visiting institution is extremely important to all of us,” Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek said in a statement. “By implementing this new policy, we are allowing the visiting team to clear the field so our fans can safely join our team on the field to celebrate the big win. We look forward to our fans and students complying with this policy the first time we get to implement it so we can all enjoy a huge win.”

Arkansas’ first big game will be Sept. 27 against No. 6 Notre Dame.

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August 21, 2025 0 comments

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Heavy Locomotives and Integrated Commodity Markets coming to Brass:Pittsburgh

by admin August 21, 2025

The steady trickle of information about Roxley’s follow-up to megahit game Brass: Birmingham continues this week with two mechanics reveals, Heavy Locomotives and Integrated Commodity Markets:

Heavy Locomotives

Unlike traditional Brass games, Heavy Locomotives are a permanent addition to your industrial empire. You start with 2 locomotives and can unlock more on your player board throughout the game. These powerful engines are never removed during the rail era transition, making them a lasting investment. Each Heavy Locomotive provides a special bonus when built, representing the massive advantage that superior rail technology provided during the Gilded Age.

Having a permanent piece on the board that remains even with an era change may be the secret wish of every Brass:Birmingham player. It will be interesting to see how that plays.

Integrated Commodity Markets

One of the most praised innovations by playtesters is the integration of commodity markets directly into the board. Unlike Birmingham and Lancashire, where commodities can move without network connections, all commodities in Brass: Pittsburgh must travel via established rail links. If you want to buy from a market, you must be connected by rail. But you can also pay the exorbitant “Vanderbilt price” to purchase any commodity at any time, even without a rail connection, giving players a usually undesirable but always available backup plan. This represents Cornelius Vanderbilt’s stranglehold on commerce in the region. His rail empire connected markets and enabled commerce on an unprecedented scale, and he held the title of richest man in the world from the 1850s until his death in 1877.

Assuming Pittsburgh retains the debt mechanics of Birmingham, the “Vanderbilt price” seems like it will be everyone’s favorite new way to abuse their credit in the game. Being able to purchase any commodity at any time is just too tempting.

What’s next?

Expect another reveal next week, and every week leading into the crowdfunding launch! In the meantime, sign up on the Gamefound page and join the conversation!

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August 21, 2025 0 comments

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Unknown Worlds sues former leadership team for breach of employment and “fiduciary duty of care”

by admin August 21, 2025

Unknown Worlds is suing its former leaders Charlie Cleveland, Adam McGuire, and Ted Gill for breach of equity purchase agreement, breach of implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, breach of employment agreement, and breach of “fiduciary duty of care” in their capacity as directors.

Parent company Krafton sent GamesIndustry.biz a link to a heavily redacted copy of the filing in which the three former leaders of Unknown Worlds are accused of “openly threaten[ing] Krafton with litigation, and expressly demanding and prioritizing a release date for Subnautica 2, writing: “they demanded the Earnout, not the early access release that would best entice the gaming community into the Subnautica 2 world. Personal (not Company) goals were the priority for [them].”

Details of the legal complaint against Krafton, Inc. by the former leadership of Subnautica 2 developer Unknown Worlds became public last month. The complaint concerns a $250 million bonus payout tied to revenue targets for the 2025 Early Access release of Subnautica 2, which the former shareholders of Unknown Worlds Entertainment, represented by Fortis Advisors LLC – allege owners Krafton, Inc. sought to avoid paying out by delaying the game using “pressure tactics”. The publisher said it had “requested a delay” in releasing the highly-anticipated sequel in early access to “safeguard the quality of Subnautica 2 and maintain player trust.”

This subsequent lawsuit accuses the three former leaders of then threatening to self-publish Subnautica 2, “releasing it without Krafton’s backing, marketing, promotion, or distribution.” This, Krafton claims, left it with “no choice but to terminate their employment.”

The company also alleges that McGuire, Gill, and Cleveland downloaded tens of thousands of “company files” and emails in the lead up to these terminations. “These downloads were, by far, the largest downloads for each of the three Key Employees at any time since at least 2022,” Krafton added, and said the former leadership “refused” to return “or at the very least confirm” what devices and confidential information remained in their possession.

“When pushed, the Key Employees threatened to delete files and again refused to provide access to their devices containing Confidential Information for inspection,” the publisher added.

The 74-page complaint also reiterates Krafton’s former position that Cleveland and McGuire had “checked out” of developing Subnantica 2, leaving Gill unable to “overcome to complete abdication of the Subnautica 2 creative and technical leadership team.”

Read our timeline of the former Subnautica 2 leads versus Krafton here.

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August 21, 2025 0 comments

A screenshot featuring the Kai Cenat skin in Fortnite.

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Ninja defends Kai Cenat as Twitch star’s Fortnite skin sparks criticism

by admin August 21, 2025

Ninja is coming to the defense of Twitch star Kai Cenat after Fortnite added his skin to the game ahead of prominent creators more associated with the battle royale.

On August 19, Kai Cenat unveiled his new Fortnite skin, part of the Icon Series lineup, on the Las Vegas Sphere.

While Kai is one of the biggest names in the streaming world, some fans have taken issue with the AMP star getting a skin instead of Fortnite players or other streamers such as IShowSpeed.

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Surprisingly, Tyler ‘Ninja’ Blevins, someone who has had beef with Cenat in the past, stepped up to support Kai, explaining why it’s not as big of a deal some are making it out to be.

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Ninja responds to Kai Cenat Fortnite skin backlash

During a broadcast, viewers inquired why Kai was getting a skin and Ninja had a simple reply.

“There are creators who have Icon skins and then there’s just Icons,” Belevins explained. “It’s safe to say he’s up there in the streaming scene.”

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Going through the roster of skins, Ninja said that a Speed skin would be “great” too, but added that Epic doesn’t just pump out cosmetics.

“These things are spaced out, so we can still see a Speed one in the future and there are loads of people who don’t play this game every day.”

Of note, Ninja pointed to the Eminem, Billie Eilish and Harry Kane skins as famous people not exactly associated with Fortnite, and there was more room for streamers to get skins.

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Ninja emphasised that Kai is an Icon and the fact that he’s not getting a Creator Skin means he’s not taking a skin away from someone.

Furthermore, he was convinced that Kai would be playing Fortnite a lot during his upcoming Mafiathon 3 after setting a Twitch subscriber record last year with 728,535.

The Kai Cenat collab is set to arrive on September 12, 2025.

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August 21, 2025 0 comments

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Jake Paul, Gervonta Davis book Nov. 14 boxing match in Atlanta

by admin August 21, 2025

Andreas HaleAug 20, 2025, 12:07 PM ET
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Two of the biggest names in boxing will clash on Nov. 14 when Jake Paul faces Gervonta “Tank” Davis at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, the two sides confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday.

The contracted weight for the fight and number of rounds has yet to be determined. The fight will be promoted by Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions and streamed live globally on Netflix.

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Talks between both parties have been ongoing since the beginning of the year, and there were initially plans to move forward with the fight after Davis’ WBA lightweight title defense against Lamont Roach Jr. However, those plans were put on hold after Roach and Davis battled to a shocking majority draw in March. Rumors of a rematch taking place in August never came to fruition, and the two sides picked up on their earlier negotiations, finalizing a deal for the fight to happen in November.

“The original timeline assumed that ‘Tank’ would be fighting Jake [Paul] after he fought Roach,” Most Valuable Promotions co-founder Nakisa Bidarian told ESPN. “The outcome didn’t necessarily change anything per se, but our timeline of waiting around to see what Davis was going to do resulted in Jake fighting Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.”

Although initial reports suggested that Paul secured a fight with Davis after discussions for a heavyweight tilt with former unified champion Anthony Joshua fell apart, Bidarian told ESPN that the Joshua fight is still on the table and was never planned to take place in 2025.

Gervonta Davis, left, and Lamont Roach Jr. fought to a majority draw during their March title bout, allowing Davis to maintain his WBA lightweight belt. AP Photo/Frank Franklin II

“I think it’s just a matter of hitting ‘Go,'” Bidarian said about the ongoing negotiations for Paul-Joshua in 2026. “Jake is looking at it like he wants to show the world that he’s going to fight David and then he plans to take on Goliath.”

As for the upcoming fight, with such a significant disparity in weight with Paul tipping the scales at 199.4 pounds for his fight with Chavez at cruiserweight and Davis weighing 133.8 pounds when he faced Roach, there are ongoing conversations about what weight the fight will be contested at.

“We’re still figuring that out,” Bidarian said, while not committing to the fight being an exhibition as reported by other outlets. “Jake will definitely have to come down below his 200-pound weight that he’s been fighting at. I can tell you that we’re going to have a fight that will have a definitive outcome, whether by way of knockout or decision.”

The weight disparity draws striking similarities to the exhibition fight between Paul’s older brother, Logan, and Floyd Mayweather in June 2021. Mayweather, who spent much of his career at 147 pounds, weighed in at 155 pounds while Paul weighed 189.5 pounds. No winner was declared in the eight-round exhibition that reportedly sold over 1 million pay-per-view buys and generated over $80 million in revenue.

Paul-Davis will be shown to a much larger audience on Netflix with higher stakes as Paul continues to prove himself as a full-time boxer.

Jake Paul (12-1, 7 KOs) has been campaigning as a cruiserweight and is ranked 14th by the WBA following his one-sided decision over Chavez in June. His plans to be a world champion will be put on hold for a massive cultural event against Davis, whom he has targeted for a fight as early as August 2021 when he revealed a wish list of opponents on social media that included Nate Diaz, Tyron Woodley, Tommy Fury, KSI and Canelo Alvarez.

“Gervonta is an angry little elf who has been disrespecting my name for too long,” Paul said in a statement to ESPN. “His nickname might be Tank, but I’m an FPV drone and I’m about to disable his ass. Yes, he is one of the top pound-for-pound boxers in the world, but my motto is anyone, anytime, anyplace, against all odds. And I like my odds. First, I am going to kill David, then I will go on to slaughter Goliath, and you are all going watch me do it, breaking viewership records again. Atlanta. Friday, Nov 14th. The worst night of Gervonta’s career, live only on Netflix.”

Davis (30-0-1, 28 KOs) is one of the biggest attractions in boxing but has never competed in a weight class higher than 140 pounds. He has fought at lightweight (135 pounds) in his past six fights, dating back to December 2021. His April 2023 fight with Ryan Garcia at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas was a massive success at the box office with a reported $1.2 million PPV buys and a gate of $22.8 million, fifth-highest gate in U.S. boxing history. He has been engaging in a war of words with Paul on social media for several years and will look to put an end to their rivalry in November.

Davis, 30, was dealing with legal issues over the summer with a misdemeanor battery charge stemming from an alleged domestic dispute with his ex-girlfriend on Father’s Day. Those charges were dropped last week. Davis will resume his boxing career against a former YouTuber who has also become one of the biggest names in boxing.

“This is a fight between the biggest fighters in the world for Gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences,” Bidarian said. “It’s really about who is the true face of American boxing and I view it as The Disruptor [Paul] versus The Destroyer [Davis].”

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August 21, 2025 0 comments

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Anno 117: Pax Romana hands-on preview

by admin August 20, 2025

Recently we sat down with the team at Ubisoft Mainz (Ubisoft Blue Byte) to check out their upcoming realtime strategy entry, Anno 117: Pax Romana, followed by an extensive hands-on look at the game in motion. Shortly after you read this you’ll get your own more brief look at the game thanks to a fresh new demo, but our extended time with the game showcased a massive uplift over the previous title back in 2019. Whether you’re a fan of the ANNO series, or a newcomer to Ubisoft’s city builder, there’s a lot to like here. Improvements are nearly everywhere you look, and on top of a gorgeous new look. Settle in as we head back to the past – welcome to Anno 117: Pax Romana.

The phrase Pax Romana is Latin for “Roman Peace” and represented a real-world nearly 200 year “golden age” where the Roman Empire expanded dramatically, establishing itself as the most prosperous and powerful entities the ancient world had ever known. This expansion occurred under a grouping of what is colloquially known as the “Five Good Emperors” – rulers who, from the years 96 to 180 CE, ushered in an era of relative peace, prosperity, and a nearly unbreakable hegemonic power. It’s during this time that the newest Anno takes place.

The game begins on a humble island known as Latium, the heart of the Pax Empire. This backdrop represents the earliest setting for an Anno title thus far, as well as the perfect backdrop to create your legacy – your empire.

It’s immediately obvious that the Blue Byte team has been working hard to be more than another Anno game in a new setting. Right from the start, the improvements are everywhere you look. Some small, some large, all of these represent a shot in the arm that fans like me should appreciate.

The first major change I noticed was a greater emphasis on choices. While I was learning about how to rebuild my fledgling island from its ruinous state, I was presented with an ever-expanding list of choices, many times opening up decisions that would change the course of my city’s growth as either an economic powerhouse or through military might. Before these expanded greatly, however, I was faced with simple challenges to learn how to play the game. It’s here that it became readily apparent that the team is working hard on new player onboarding, something that arguably had been lacking in previous titles.

In any good builder, the first thing you’ll learn is how to place things like homes for your citizens. You can now place items at an angle, allowing you to deviate from the giant blocks so often seen in games like this. I was also happy to see that you can flip their orientation, or even select them and move them entirely instead of having to tear them down. It makes redistricting a breeze. Similarly, you can now multi-select areas, or even select all of one type of building for upgrade or downgrade. These sorts of tool improvements are pervasive throughout.

With homes built and citizens moving in, they’ll be ready to toil for the empire. Giving them work is easy enough, but a new system for building production chains is also here. If you are, for example, making clothes for your citizens – a requirement needed to move from a basic shanty to something more stately, you’ll need two inputs. You’ll need flax to create the cloth, and a field of dye plants. That meant not only constructing a farm, but also the fields to help it produce the necessary materials.

While we didn’t get to play with it yet, there’s a second side to this coin – the province of Albion. While Latium will follow the traditional path laid forth by the Empire, Albion has a different choice, literally. Rather than following the gradual “Romanization” of the Empire, you can instead allow your citizens to choose. Your populace can choose the Roman way, or they could also choose the local way instead. Both are valid choices, with vastly different visual styles, but also requiring completely different inputs to achieve. Where the Roman path might require more hardened clay tiles, and thus clay burners and water-side extraction, the local path might have more focus on locally-harvested limestone and all that entails. These are more than mere cosmetic choices, instead affecting gameplay and ensuring that no two cities, even ones built by you, will ever look or operate the same. Using the same example as above, instead of using flax for your cloth you could instead set up a sheep farm, or perhaps what you need will require you set up a trade route with a neighbor. Solving these logistical problems should be a lot of what makes Anno 117 fun.

Logistics also sees a new feature that blends two new elements. You’ll now have a great deal more variety in terrain. Rocky mountainsides, forests, marshes, verdant waterways, and sea ports all offer opportunity for not only commerce, but mining, fishing, forestry, and more. Where you place things like sawmills have a direct impact on the efficacy of the logging industry connected to it. How close related buildings and infrastructure are located can have a similar impact.

Adjusting neighborhood layouts is often an issue that eventually plagues every city builder. Wincing, you’d have to destroy large swaths of structures to improve your layout. That’s no longer the case in Anno 117. Here, you can pick up a building, rotate it, place it elsewhere, adjust the roads (which are a lot more intelligent now, wrapping around corners and interconnecting where it makes sense), and otherwise restructure a neighborhood easily. There has to be friction in games to make them fun, but the team has worked hard to make sure that the friction of the interface isn’t one of them.

There is so much more I could cover, as the first 90 minutes with the game felt like it flew by while also being so densely packed that I’m frankly spoiled for choice for what to talk about. I could go over the side missions to ferry would-be travellers to a nearby island to interact with their peers or others in the leading caste. I could also talk about a gnawing feeling of whether I should expand my military and apply a great deal more pressure and control over my society rather than let their freedom guide my burgeoning economic power. This push and pull lurked in the background as I began to worry about how anything I’ve achieved could be taken at a whim. Do I spend my time building trade boats or triremes? The choices were ultimately mine, and that’s the heart of what Anno 117: Pax Romana has to offer this time around – far more choice. Expanded terrain, expanded economic engines, and expanded options for how the moment-to-moment gameplay can unfold. The Anno series has always looked gorgeous and played well, but Anno 117 is a whole different animal. It has a great deal of new fundamental options that look to great something far more than its predecessors. More than an iteration, Anno 117: Pax Romana might be the best Anno the team has ever made. We won’t have to wait too long to find out as the game ships on November 13th 2025 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.

Stay tuned for more on Anno 117: Pax Romana right here at GamingTrend.com – I suspect this one is going to be something special.

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August 20, 2025 0 comments

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PS5 prices increase from tomorrow in the U.S. as Sony “navigates a challenging economic environment”

by admin August 20, 2025

Sony is increasing the price of the PlayStation 5 in the U.S. as of tomorrow, August 21.

In a brief statement posted to the PlayStation Blog during Gamescom, the megacorp said that from tomorrow, the updated recommended retail price for all variations of the PS5 — base, digital edition, and PS5 Pro — will increase to:

PlayStation 5 – $549.99
PlayStation 5 Digital Edition – $499.99
PlayStation 5 Pro – $749.99

Previously, the PS5 retailed for $499.99, the digital edition $449.99, and the PS5 Pro for $699.99.

“Similar to many global businesses, we continue to navigate a challenging economic environment. As a result, we’ve made the difficult decision to increase the recommended retail price for PlayStation 5 consoles in the U.S. starting on August 21.”

Accessory prices remain unchanged, and Sony confirmed it had “no other price changes to announce for additional markets.”

We recently learned that Forza Horizon 5’s PS5 port has surpassed three million copies sold, making it the top new PS5 game of 2025 thus far.

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August 20, 2025 0 comments

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CSGOEmpire owner Monarch loses $19M in the largest public poker game ever

by admin August 20, 2025

The biggest poker match ever streamed played out on YouTube as Counter-Strike mogul Ossi ‘Monarch’ Ketola battled poker legend Dan ‘Jungleman’ Cates in a marathon session that ended with Monarch dropping $19 million.

Broadcast live on Onyx Live’s YouTube channel from Merit Royal Diamond on August 19, the spectacle featured six nosebleed stakes matches with buy-ins climbing as high as €5 million. Thousands tuned in as the pair collided in what is now being called the largest public poker game in history.

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Cates struck first in a €2 million opener, but Monarch bounced back in the next two contests, including a €3 million buy-in where he steamrolled Jungleman with back-to-back coolers and some fearless bluffs.

Record pots and brutal swings

As the night escalated, so did the buy-ins. The two traded massive blows, including a €2.8 million pot where Monarch flopped quads against Cates’ full house.

The games continued, with Jungleman pulling off an impressive bluff with 5-3, making Monarch fold his pair of Aces.

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Not long after, they battled in a staggering €7.7 million hand, the largest pot of the entire session.

Despite Monarch holding the lead at that point, the tide soon turned. Jungleman locked in key pots down the stretch, winning four of the six matches and leaving with a €13 million profit, equal to around $15 million USD.

For Monarch, he ended up losing $19M throughout the marathon in one of the most expensive single-night defeats ever publicly witnessed in poker. Still, the CSGOEmpire founder isn’t exactly strapped for cash.

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“lol rip ~$19m in one sitting,” he commented on X following the stream. “Worth the content though.”

The Finnish entrepreneur has been running businesses since he was 14 and built his fortune in 2016 when he launched the Counter-Strike skin gambling site that exploded in popularity.

While Jungleman walked away with the glory, the night cemented both players in poker history and gave fans a rare glimpse at the highest stakes the game has ever seen.

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August 20, 2025 0 comments

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2026 NFL quarterback predictions: 12 teams with questions

by admin August 20, 2025

Dan GrazianoAug 20, 2025, 06:10 AM ET
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It’s a pretty important season for many NFL quarterbacks and their respective teams. No matter how the 2025 offseason or preseason has gone, a good chunk of the league is dealing with at least some level of short- and/or long-term uncertainty at the most important position.

Every year at this time, we like to take a look beyond the upcoming season and into the next offseason, projecting which teams might or might not still have QB questions. Then we predict what they might be in position to do about those questions. We try to lock in on ones with legit questions about how this season could shake out … and we try to stay away from ones where the contract situation offers at least some certainty.

For example, this might feel like an important year for Trevor Lawrence in Jacksonville, until you realize he has $37 million fully guaranteed in 2026 and $29 million fully guaranteed in 2027. You can say this is a vital year for Dak Prescott in Dallas, but he has $40 million guaranteed for 2026, and restructures have pushed the dead money penalty for cutting him to impossible levels. And the Bears, Vikings and Falcons are still too early in the process to be giving up on the guys they picked in the first round last year.

On the flip side, the Ravens likely have to do something with Lamar Jackson’s contract soon, since his cap number for 2026 jumps to $74.5 million. Jackson’s last negotiation was contentious, so it’s possible there could be some uncertainty around this situation in the next year or so. But other than the rising cap hit (which can be addressed by extending him), there’s no reason to think the Ravens are looking to move on anytime soon. So Baltimore didn’t make the cut here, either.

We ultimately keyed on 12 situations where the QB picture could look a lot different in 2026 and laid out two options for each front office — the most likely outcome and a long shot possibility. Let’s start with Arizona.

Jump to a team:
ARI | CAR | CLE | IND | LV | LAR
NO | NYG | NYJ | PIT | SEA | TB

Current starter: Kyler Murray
Signed through: 2027, plus a team option for 2028

Murray just turned 28 a couple of weeks ago. He was healthy all of last season and is surrounded with skill position players who put him in a position to succeed. And his 66.6 QBR ranked in the top 10 last season. If there’s a criticism of Murray, it’s that he hasn’t been quite the franchise changer he was drafted to be as the No. 1 pick in 2019.

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Certainly, it’s not too late to change that, and if the Cardinals have a big season, Murray should be all set going into 2026. His contract includes about $40 million in 2026 salary and bonuses that are already fully guaranteed. But there are no guarantees after 2026, and if Murray struggles with health and/or performance, it’s not out of the question that the Cardinals could turn their attention to the future. They can cut Murray after 2026 with minimal dead money impact. If things got bad enough before then, cutting him next offseason would cost them about $58 million — a lot, but also a manageable amount.

Most likely outcome: The Cardinals have a good enough season, maybe even contend for or snag a playoff spot, and stay the course with Murray through at least 2026. If Murray plays well enough, he could be in position to ask for an extension that offers him more security than his current deal.

Long shot outcome: Arizona’s season completely collapses, people in charge get fired, and a new regime comes in and decides the best thing for the franchise is to move on at QB in the 2026 draft. Murray becomes a candidate to be released or traded, while one of the top QB prospects for 2026 lands in Arizona in Round 1.

Current starter: Bryce Young
Signed through: 2026, plus a team option for 2027

Young had a rough rookie season and a rough start to his sophomore season, getting benched for Andy Dalton early in 2024 and looking as if he might become an all-time draft bust after being the first pick in the 2023 draft. But he got the starting job back when Dalton was injured in a car accident, and he finished the season strong under the tutelage of first-year head coach Dave Canales.

Now, hopes are high that Young can continue last season’s progress and emerge as Carolina’s franchise quarterback. His contract is fully guaranteed and pays him a total of about $10.2 million over the next two years. Next May, the Panthers will have to decide whether to pick up his fifth-year option for 2027, which is likely to cost somewhere in the $25 million range.

It’s a critical year for Young. If he flops and the Panthers don’t pick up the option, they’ll probably be looking to move on from him as early as next offseason. If he plays well and they do pick up the option, then he has fully guaranteed money in 2027 and probably isn’t going anywhere.

Most likely outcome: Young builds on the success he had toward the end of the 2024 season, the improving group around him on offense begins to jell, the Panthers pick up the option to give them more time to decide and Carolina continues to develop Young as its QB of the future.

Long shot outcome: The Panthers are the surprise team of the 2025 season. Young plays well enough to make his first Pro Bowl, and Carolina makes the playoffs. In this scenario, not only are the Panthers picking up the option — they’re talking extension with Young.

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1:52

Can Bryce Young stay hot for the 2025 NFL season?

Dan Orlovsky and the “Get Up” crew discuss whether Bryce Young can continue playing well for the Panthers heading into the 2025 NFL season.

Current starter: Joe Flacco
Signed through: 2025

Whoa, boy. This is, without a doubt, the wildest, most unpredictable quarterback situation in the NFL right now and quite possibly in league history.

Flacco will start Week 1 for the Browns. He’s 40 years old and helped them get to the playoffs when he came out of what appeared to be retirement late in the 2023 season. He emerged from a four-man training camp QB competition this year in large part because everyone else missed time because of injury.

Kenny Pickett, the former Steelers first-rounder for whom the Browns traded back in March, might have had a shot to beat out Flacco but couldn’t get on the field enough after a hamstring injury in July. The Browns drafted Dillon Gabriel in the third round and Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round of this year’s draft, but both struggled to find first-team reps alongside Flacco and Pickett. By the time Pickett’s camp injury could have opened the door, Gabriel and Sanders were dealing with health issues of their own.

Any of those three could be the backup to Flacco in Week 1 (as could Tyler Huntley, if none of those three is ready), and all three could also start at some point this season if Flacco and/or the team struggle. But also don’t forget that Deshaun Watson is still signed for two more years at a fully guaranteed $46 million per year. Watson doesn’t sound likely to play this season as he recovers from an Achilles injury, but you never know.

So to recap, that’s …

A 40-year-old former first-round pick and Super Bowl MVP
Another former first-round pick who’s going into his fourth year in the league and is already on his third team
An undersized left-handed third-round rookie who threw an ugly pick-six in last weekend’s preseason start
A fifth-round rookie who’s Deion Sanders’ son and through no real fault of his own has become one of the most talked-about players in the entire league
The all-time QB contract albatross still hanging over all of it

This is going to be a wild story to follow all season.

play

0:47

Graziano: Fair for Browns to name Flacco as starting QB for Week 1

Dan Graziano discusses how the Browns’ training camp injuries justify their decision to name Joe Flacco as their starting quarterback for Week 1.

Most likely outcome: Who knows?? But there’s a really strong chance that Cleveland comes out of 2025 with more questions than answers about all of these guys and uses a 2026 first-round pick to try to get its quarterback situation right once and for all. Remember: The Browns also have the Jaguars’ first-round pick next year, giving them the juice to move up for the right QB if desired.

Long shot outcome: It turns out Sanders should have been a first- or second-round pick all along. He advances quickly in practice in the early months of the season and finishes as the Browns’ starter. Cleveland feels good enough about him that it uses those two first-round picks to build around him rather than replace him.

Current starter: Daniel Jones
Signed through: 2025

The Colts drafted Anthony Richardson Sr. fourth in 2023. He has played in just 15 of Indy’s 34 games since then, missing time for injuries and performance. Last season, he completed 47.7% of his passes and threw eight touchdown passes to 12 interceptions. So the Colts signed Jones to compete with Richardson for the starting job this summer. Well, the Colts announced Tuesday that Jones has won the starting job, and coach Shane Steichen insisted it was not just for Week 1 but rather for the whole season. We’ll see.

Jones has been the more consistent option through camp, but Richardson clearly offers a higher ceiling due to his great size, speed and arm strength. The problem for the Colts is Richardson hasn’t stayed healthy enough for them to see whether he can reach his potential. Some seats are getting hot out there in Indy, and it could be tempting to keep rolling with Jones if he gives the Colts the best chance to win games right away. But the flip side is the team made a heavy investment in Richardson and is in a bad spot long term if that pick doesn’t pan out. Plus, Jones hasn’t exactly been the healthiest QB in the league, so there’s no guarantee Indianapolis won’t have to turn to Richardson at some point.

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• Panthers’ Legette aims to stop the drops
• Is Charbonnet challenging Walker III at RB?
• What McLaurin, Hendrickson are missing

Most likely outcome: Each of these guys starts at least six games for the Colts in 2025. Maybe someone else starts one, too. The Colts get to the end of the season still uncertain about Richardson and face a tough decision on his fifth-year option next May. But Jones moves on, and Indy looks to the draft or free agency for its next answer. It’s tough to forecast the path, since a poor season by the Colts could lead to changes among the decision-makers as well as the quarterbacks. But the team would need a long-term solution, so Indy would likely prefer to use the draft to find a new QB. If the Colts needed a veteran placeholder, perhaps they could go for someone like Kirk Cousins — assuming the Falcons let him go this time.

Long shot outcome: Jones struggles, opening the door for Richardson to take the job back — and the light goes on. Sure, he’s still prone to the occasional brutal mistake, but Richardson makes three or four dazzling plays with his arm and his legs each week that others just can’t make. The Colts get to next offseason excited to pick up Richardson’s fifth-year option and keep working with him now that he has shown he can stay healthy and play at a high level in the NFL.

Current starter: Geno Smith
Signed through: 2027

Smith’s contract really doesn’t bind the Raiders to him for more than this season. He has $18.5 million in guaranteed money on the books for 2026, but because the Raiders don’t like to put signing bonuses in their contracts, that’s the extent of the dead money hit if they want to cut him next offseason. If they keep him through 2026, they’d pay him a total of $40 million this year and $26.5 million next year. There will be no guarantees on the books for 2027, meaning Vegas could move on from him after 2026 with no dead money hit whatsoever.

These are all worst-case scenarios, of course. Smith is a good quarterback. He completed 70.4% of his passes last season with the Seahawks, throwing 21 touchdown passes. New Raiders coach Pete Carroll believes in him from their time together in Seattle. So Smith could absolutely play well and get an extension (or at least more money) next offseason.

But he also turns 35 in October, and the structure of his contract indicates the Raiders weren’t willing to commit long term. This feels like a trial season for Smith in Las Vegas. Even if the Raiders found a better option in next year’s draft, keeping Smith as a $26.5 million backup wouldn’t be impossible. It’s pretty much what Atlanta is doing right now with Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr.

Most likely outcome: Smith plays well in Chip Kelly’s offense, leaning on rookie running back Ashton Jeanty and second-year tight end Brock Bowers. The Raiders win more games than we’re used to them winning because Carroll is now the coach. They don’t make the playoffs, but they hang in the race longer than last season and go into 2026 with good vibes. At age 35, Smith is still not landing a whopper of a long-term contract, but Las Vegas adjusts his deal to bring it more in line with the market before going into 2026 as a team on the rise.

Long shot outcome: Things fall apart for Smith and the Raiders pick high in the draft and select their quarterback of the future. Smith sticks around, either to start until the rookie is ready or as the backup until another team wants to trade for him.

Current starter: Matthew Stafford
Signed through: 2026

Stafford’s making $44 million this year (all guaranteed) and then $40 million in 2026 (none of which is guaranteed). Now, he threw for 3,762 yards and 20 TDs last season. But he has also been dealing with a back issue in camp, and at 37 years old, Stafford has reached the point in his career where the decision on whether to continue playing comes after every season. So it’s entirely possible this is his final season (though he has indicated no such thing).

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The Rams had a tough time coming to an agreement with him on this year’s contract, even entertaining trade talks before he agreed to his restructured deal in February. So they know this arrangement isn’t forever. Their first-round trade with the Falcons in this year’s draft leaves them with two first-rounders in 2026, so they’re positioned to address the quarterback situation that way if they so choose.

Most likely outcome: Stafford answers the bell for Week 1 and has his usual strong season. The Rams make the playoffs and win a postseason game or two. Heck, maybe they even get to the Super Bowl and present Stafford with the chance to really go out in style. The dance repeats itself next offseason as he turns 38 in February, but this time Stafford and the Rams part ways, either because he decides to retire or they decide it’s time to pivot to another option. In this scenario, the Rams likely use those two first-round picks to address the position long term. But if they draft someone who isn’t ready yet, it’s easy to see them looking toward a reclamation project from the Kyle Shanahan tree like Mac Jones or Malik Willis.

Long shot outcome: The back remains an issue all season, leaving the Rams to piece things together around Jimmy Garoppolo and Stetson Bennett. This does not go well. The Rams miss the playoffs, say goodbye to Stafford and use their two first-round picks in a package to move up to select a quarterback No. 1 overall. This quarterback, under Sean McVay’s tutelage, goes on to win three Super Bowls for the franchise.

Current starter: Spencer Rattler or Tyler Shough
Signed through: Rattler 2027, Shough 2028

The Saints have held a competition between Rattler, their fifth-round pick from 2024, and Shough, their second-round pick from 2025. Because Shough was the 40th pick with a new, offensive-minded coach in place, it has been assumed that he would have the edge. But Rattler had a strong offseason and might have done enough to hold Shough off — at least to start the season.

Because neither QB was a first-round pick, the Saints do not hold a fifth-year option on either of them. After this year, Rattler will have two years and about $2.3 million left on his contract, and he won’t be extension eligible until after the 2026 season. Shough will have three years and about $5.5 million left on his contract after 2025, and he won’t be extension eligible until after the 2027 season. Both players will be options for the Saints for the foreseeable future, assuming New Orleans wants them to be in the mix.

Most likely outcome: Rattler certainly has a shot to hold off Shough in the short term (or even the long term). Stranger things have happened. But the fact that the Saints drafted Shough as high as they did, just a few months after hiring Kellen Moore as their coach, indicates that Shough is likely to get a chance to show what he can do sooner or later. This is a very tough one to predict, but the most likely outcome is Shough develops into the starter by the end of the season and opens 2026 with the job.

Long shot outcome: The Saints have the worst team in the league, neither QB shows much promise and New Orleans uses the first pick in the 2026 draft to select a quarterback. With a combined $8 million left on their contracts, neither Rattler nor Shough represents any kind of obstacle if the Saints decide they want to go with a new option next year.

Current starter: Russell Wilson
Signed through: 2025

Coach Brian Daboll has said repeatedly that Wilson, 36, will open the season as the Giants’ starting quarterback, even though the team traded back into the first round to select Jaxson Dart in April’s draft and also signed Jameis Winston in March. Dart has performed well in two preseason games so far, and as Daboll’s handpicked choice, he’s sure to take over as the starter at some point.

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The question is whether that point comes this season, as it always seems to for first-round rookie quarterbacks. If so, then when? The Giants have a brutal-looking first-half schedule and could easily find themselves in a situation similar to the one they faced in 2004, when veteran Kurt Warner started the first nine games before giving way to a rookie first-round pick named Eli Manning.

Most likely outcome: The Giants struggle, Wilson looks as meh as he has the past three seasons and Dart takes over as the starter in the first half of the season. The question turns to whether the Giants can win enough games to convince ownership to stick with Daboll and let him continue to develop Dart in 2026. I say he gets the chance.

Long shot outcome: Wilson finds the fountain of youth. Malik Nabers emerges as a top-three wide receiver in the league. Andrew Thomas stays healthy at left tackle. The Giants’ pass rush fuels one of the league’s surprise top defenses. And the Giants pull a few upsets early to stay in contention all season. Wilson has a little nagging injury that leads to Winston starting two games somewhere along the way, but Dart rides the bench all season while the vets keep the team in the playoff hunt. Dart gets his chance to start in 2026.

Current starter: Justin Fields
Signed through: 2026

Fields got $30 million in guarantees in the contract he signed this offseason — $20 million this year and $10 million in 2026. Veteran Tyrod Taylor is the backup, and there’s no young high draft pick on the roster pushing to play anytime soon, so Fields likely gets the season to show what he can do.

Fields is still only 26 and on his third team, so there’s certainly a chance he blossoms as a passer while remaining one of the most productive runners in the NFL at the QB position (19 rushing TDs over 50 games). The coaching staff, including head coach Aaron Glenn and offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand, is new, and there could be growing pains all around, so it’s fair to imagine the Jets stay patient with Fields even if he struggles early. If the Jets decide to look elsewhere for a QB solution next offseason, the $10 million guaranteed in 2026 won’t prevent them from doing so.

Most likely outcome: As he has throughout his career, Fields has his ups and downs, flashing the talent that made him the 11th pick in the 2021 draft. But he continues to struggle with consistency, especially as a passer. The Jets win six or seven games and don’t really factor into the playoff race. They keep Fields for 2026 … but bring in someone who represents stronger competition than Taylor. Maybe this ends up being Kenny Pickett’s next stop. Those first-round picks tend to get a lot of rope in this league.

play

1:26

Why Justin Fields is hard to decipher for fantasy managers

Field Yates breaks down how Justin Fields is a midtier QB2 with the potential for a handful of big games.

Long shot outcome: Fields makes a major leap as a passer, and his legs help the Jets field one of the most effective overall run games in the NFL. The Jets win 10 or 11 games and claim an AFC wild-card spot, and they reward Fields with a contract extension next offseason.

Current starter: Aaron Rodgers
Signed through: 2025

Rodgers will turn 42 in December. He managed to play all 17 games for the Jets last season, but he was statistically among the worst starting quarterbacks in the league. He missed basically the entire 2023 season after tearing his left Achilles early in the first game, and frankly, he wasn’t very good in his final year with the Packers in 2022 (41.3 QBR, 26th in the NFL that year).

The Steelers keep managing to squeak into the playoffs but also keep losing in the first round. They’re hoping Rodgers can help them buck that trend, but again, he’s going to be 42 by the time the playoffs start — and there are 17 quarterbacks who have won NFL playoff games since Rodgers last won one.

Rodgers has come out and said this is likely to be his last season in the NFL. The question is whether he can make it all the way through it. The Steelers have a young offensive line that still has some questions to answer, a thin wide receiver group beyond DK Metcalf and a run game that could rely on rookie running back Kaleb Johnson. There really isn’t a quarterback on the roster who will push Rodgers for playing time even if he struggles, so there are legitimate questions about where coach Mike Tomlin would turn if Rodgers just doesn’t have it anymore or gets injured.

Most likely outcome: Rodgers has yet another poor-to-mediocre season, but the Steelers’ defense keeps them in games. They run it enough to steal a few low-scoring matchups, finish 9-8 and contend for the No. 7 seed in the AFC playoff field. Then Rodgers retires at the end of the season, and the Steelers look at next year’s draft class for the long-term QB they really need.

Long shot outcome: Rodgers has one more brilliant season left in him, and it’s this one. He and Metcalf form a potent connection. The line jells in front of him. Johnson, along with fellow running backs Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell, power the offense around Rodgers. And the defense is its usual stifling self. The Steelers win the AFC North and finally break their playoff drought, advancing to the Super Bowl, where Rodgers has a chance for a storybook ending to his career — and retires after the season.

play

1:54

Can Aaron Rodgers live up to his legacy in Pittsburgh?

Mike Tannenbaum debates whether Aaron Rodgers’ best days are already behind him as he looks to make the Steelers contenders again.

Current starter: Sam Darnold
Signed through: 2027

Darnold signed a three-year contract with the Seahawks this offseason after throwing 35 touchdown passes and leading Minnesota to a 14-3 record in 2024. But a closer look reveals that Seattle isn’t really committed to him beyond 2025.

He got $37.5 million in guaranteed money, and all of that comes this season. He’s scheduled to make $27.5 million in 2026. None of that 2026 money is guaranteed right now, but $17.5 million of it becomes guaranteed if he’s still on the roster five days after the Super Bowl. So Seattle will have to decide pretty early whether they want him back in 2026. If he’s still there in 2027, he’d be owed $35.5 million. But let’s be honest: If he’s still there in 2027, the Seahawks are probably extending him.

Darnold turned 28 in June, so the question is whether last season represented a turning point in his career or whether it was a product of the Vikings’ brilliant QB infrastructure. Seattle, which went into the offseason expecting to extend Geno Smith and had to pivot once it found out Smith preferred to be elsewhere, has built the contract in a way that allows flexibility if Darnold turns back into a pumpkin.

Most likely outcome: Seattle relies on its defense and run game to contend for the playoffs in Mike Macdonald’s second season as the coach. New offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak builds on the progress Darnold made with Kevin O’Connell last year, the offensive line situation is better and the Seahawks win more games than they lose. Darnold has a do-no-harm year that convinces Seattle to bring him back in 2026.

Long shot outcome: Darnold takes another leap, actually improving on his 2024 success and delivering on the promise that made him the No. 3 pick in 2018 with the Jets. As draft classmate Baker Mayfield has in Tampa Bay, Darnold finds his place in Seattle and leads the Seahawks to the playoffs. Next offseason, they tear up the contract and give him a new, much larger one.

Current starter: Baker Mayfield
Signed through: 2026

Mayfield signed with the Bucs ahead of the 2023 season on a low-cost, one-year prove-it deal after playing for three different teams over the previous two seasons. Taking the spot of the retired Tom Brady, Mayfield kept the train on the tracks and led the Buccaneers to a division title that season. He got a new contract and a new offensive coordinator in 2024, and then led the Bucs to a fourth straight division title. His 41 touchdown passes tied for the second most in the NFL behind Joe Burrow, and he was third in completion percentage at 71.4%.

Look ahead to the 2026 NFL draft

A few weeks ago, the Buccaneers adjusted Mayfield’s contract to guarantee him $30 million for the 2026 season, which indicates a strong commitment to him. A longer and more substantial extension for Mayfield is not out of the question and could come during this season or next offseason.

Honestly, I’m starting to wonder why I’m even mentioning Mayfield and the Buccaneers here …

Most likely outcome: The Buccaneers have one of the best teams in the NFC, make the playoffs again and make a run at the Super Bowl with the best roster they’ve had since Brady’s 2020 season. Mayfield gets a full-size extension next offseason and says he looks forward to finishing his career in Tampa Bay.

Long shot outcome: The Bucs miss the playoffs and are one of the most disappointing teams in the NFL. They end up with a high enough draft pick to make them rethink their commitment to Mayfield.

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August 20, 2025 0 comments

Esports

NBA 2K26 shows off new MyCAREER storyline: Out of Bounds

by admin August 20, 2025

Most people play NBA 2K26 for the MyCAREER mode. I don’t blame them, the MyPLAYER functionality is a ton of fun. 2K is bringing the heat with this one, featuring up to five movies worth of content in this new Out of Bounds narrative. Check out the trailer and details below!

Today, 2K dropped the official trailer for NBA 2K26 MyCAREER: Out of Bounds, a cinematic journey that showcases this year’s ambitious storyline. Narrated by the award-winning director Spike Lee, the new trailer teases an unexpected journey where ambition meets grit, reflecting the IRL grind of today’s basketball generation.

MyCAREER, the narrative-driven mode, features the equivalent of five motion pictures worth of storytelling and content, but the ending is up to each MyPLAYER. Players can choose their own path where every move they make, both on and off the court, will shape their rise to stardom.

Check out NBA 2K26 MyCAREER: Out of Bounds trailer, to see key moments such as:

The personal sacrifices behind the spotlight – deciding to move cities for better exposure and chase growth while navigating the pressures of being seen.
First in-depth looks at Tyrese Maxey, Cade Cunningham, and other NBA stars, fully rendered in-game.
A glimpse at the off-court drama, including the tense negotiations and personal choices that will shape MyPLAYERS’ legacies from Day 1.

Early access to NBA 2K26 will start on Friday, August 29, 2025 at 9:00 AM PDT for PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC players that pre-order the Superstar Edition or the limited time Leave No Doubt Edition. One week later on September 5, NBA 2K26 will be available on PlayStation®5 (PS5®), PlayStation®4 (PS4®), Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC via Steam, Nintendo Switch™, and Nintendo Switch 2.

Visit the NBA 2K26 official website for a full breakdown of the SKU details, availability, and more information. Stay tuned for additional announcements about the latest on NBA 2K26.

Developed by Visual Concepts, NBA 2K26 is rated E for Everyone from the ESRB.

Follow NBA 2K on TikTok, Instagram, X, YouTube, and Facebook for the latest NBA 2K26 news.

Stay tuned to GamingTrend for more NBA 2K26 news and info!

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August 20, 2025 0 comments