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🐐 Five things to know Monday

  1. Aaron Donald unretired as NFL teams cut their rosters to 53 players. The GOAT is back! It's been trending this way for a while, but Donald is officially returning to the Rams in search of a second Super Bowl and a potentially legendary comeback season. Donald is on the Rams and Odell Beckham Jr. made the Giants' roster? What year is it -- 2016 or 2026? While those two legends carved out roster spots, hundreds of other NFL players weren't so fortunate. Teams whittled their squads down to 53 men on Sunday, and there were a lot of familiar names who did not make the cut. Among the most surprising are Will Levis, Jaydon Blue and even Broncos fifth-round pick Justin Joly. These players now hit the waiver wire in hopes that someone claims them today. There were also a number of trades over the weekend, most notably with the Dolphins shipping Quinn Ewers out of town and promptly making a move for Kyle McCord. The Steelers also swapped out Kaleb Johnson and traded Broderick Jones, which just goes to show how poorly they've drafted of late.
  2. The college football season is underway! Week 0 as we know it -- where it lands in late August -- could change as soon as next year. The 2026 installment might have featured the most loaded schedule to date. The campaign kicked off in Ireland, where Bill Belichick secured his best win at North Carolina in a defensive battle against TCU. He is easily one of the week's biggest winners now that he has a signature victory under his belt. Memphis also enjoyed Week 0 with its statement win over UNLV, which launched the Tigers into the early College Football Playoff picture. One concerning sight, on the other hand, was the lack of fan support behind USC during its season-opening rout of San Jose State.
  3. Scottie Scheffler is the FedEx Cup champion once again. Two titles in three years puts Scheffler in elite company. Only Rory McIlroy (three) owns more. The World No. 1 jumped into sole possession of the lead with two holes left in the final round of the Tour Championship and closed it out for his second win of the FedEx Cup Playoffs and his third win of the year. Scheffler secured a whopping $10 million for his victory, which pushed him past Tiger Woods for the most PGA Tour career earnings.
  4. Three players landed on the commissioner's exempt list. The designation effectively suspends Terrion Arnold, Josh Jacobs and Jonathon Cooper from all NFL activities. Arnold just signed with the Seahawks despite his ongoing felony case, and Jacobs was charged last week with two misdemeanors. Cooper is scheduled for arraignment today on domestic violence charges. While each player will still receive paychecks from their respective teams, they are prohibited from practicing or participating in games. Also, new Colts wide receiver Keenan Allen was arrested Sunday on DWI charges. He does not yet face any discipline from the NFL.
  5. There is separation in the NL MVP race and an opening in the Rookie of the Year battle. Pete Crow-Armstrong is on a tear. As if his August was not already absurd, the Cubs star tacked on a three-homer outburst against the Reds for what might have been the best offensive game by a Chicago player at Wrigley Field in more than 50 years. The timing could not have been better for his MVP chances, as Shohei Ohtani's return to the Dodgers' rotation hit a snag when he experienced discomfort in his knee during a bullpen session. Speaking of injuries for award contenders, the Cardinals placed JJ Wetherholt on the IL with right wrist tendinitis. There are at least three players who could take advantage of his absence and surge in the Rookie of the Year race.

🏈 Do not miss this: NFL preseason wrap-up

Arizona Cardinals v Las Vegas Raiders
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By the time Week 3 of the NFL preseason rolls around, coaches and front offices know just about everything they need to know about their teams. You see some silly things in the final exhibition games of the year, like Jordan Love taking over as the Packers' play caller for a couple of drives. But you also see big decisions. One of those came in Las Vegas, where the Raiders are expected to name Kirk Cousins their starting quarterback over Fernando Mendoza.

The final week of the preseason might not be important for everyone, but it sure is for rookies and players on the roster bubble. Look at Ravens quarterback Joe Fagnano, who went undrafted this spring but made Baltimore's roster after a tremendous training camp. Our Tyler Sullivan handed out an "A" grade to the UConn product for his final preseason appearance. Not every rookie quarterback graded out so well, though. Here are a few assessments:

  • Cole Payton, Eagles: F
  • Jack Strand, Falcons: D+
  • Drew Allar, Steelers: C-

The moral of the story is to only put so much stock into what you saw in these last few games. Some performances absolutely mattered, but others should be taken with a boulder of salt. For instance, don't try to convince yourself that Mendoza is a bust just because he ran into some classic rookie struggles.

⚾ MLB Power Rankings entering regular season's final month

Los Angeles Dodgers v. Detroit Tigers
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Some Tigers fans booed Tarik Skubal in his return to Comerica Park. Don't blame the pitcher for leaving for the Dodgers; blame the team that is 5.5 games back of the wild card race in a pitiful American League. Angels pitchers are at the center of jeers, too, after they tied the MLB record for blown ninth-inning leads with their 11th late-game collapse. Both teams are trending downward in our MLB Power Rankings:

23. Tigers (↓1)
30. Angels (↓3)

Optimism is much easier to find in Boston, though. Well, maybe not quite as much after an embarrassing 16-1 drubbing by the Yankees to close out their rivalry series. But still. Roman Anthony and Trevor Story were both back in the lineup, so even though the series finale was a complete egg-laying, getting two key figures healthy bodes well for the Red Sox.

Our Matt Snyder has the Red Sox staying steady at No. 8 this week.

  • Snyder: "It's amazing how hot-and-cold they've become. After that 32-5 stretch, they lost five in a row. On Aug. 17, they started a stretch in which they'd win seven of eight. They are now 1-4 since."

👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest

NHL: APR 21 Playoffs First Round Kings at Avalanche
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📺 What we're watching Monday

🎾 US Open: First round, 11:30 a.m. on ESPN, 7 p.m. on ESPN and ESPN2
⚽ Roma at Lecce, 12:30 p.m. on Paramount+
⚽ Rayo Vallecano at Barcelona, 3:30 p.m. on ESPN+
⚾ Marlins at Nationals, 6:45 p.m. on FS1
⚽ Angel City at Legacy, 8 p.m. on CBS Sports Network
🤼 WWE Raw, 8 p.m. on Netflix
⚾ Yankees at Angels, 9:38 p.m. on Peacock
⚾ Phillies at Diamondbacks, 9:40 p.m. on ESPN Unlimited

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