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The inevitable is now a reality. The New York Jets are now Sam Darnold's team. According to NFL Networks' Ian Rapport, Darnold has been named the Week 1 starter for the Jets when New York heads to Detroit to face the Lions, September 10. Darnold will become the youngest quarterback to start an opener since the 1970 league merger, and the second youngest quarterback to start a game, regardless of the week since Tommy Maddox started a game for the Denver Broncos in 1992 at 21 years old. At the same time, the Jets agreed to trade Teddy Bridgewater to the New Orleans Saints for a third round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Enjoy the PODCAST OF THIS BIG ANNOUNCEMENT HERE! READ THE REST OF MY ARTICLE on 24/7 Sports .

Don't look now, but the Yankees are closing in on the Red Sox. After Tuesdays thrilling 5-4 win over the Chicago White Sox that was punctuated by Neil Walker's walk-off homer, the Yankees find  themselves at 84-48, and 6.5 games out of first place. Taking advantage of an easy August schedule has really helped the Yankees forget their sweep at the hands of the Red Sox earlier in the month. In their last 11 games, the Yankees are 9-2, even as the team struggles to keep guys healthy. The Yankees recent surge has been buoyed by the fact the Red Sox are not playing well right now. The Red Sox had to erase a 6-4 deficit and 7-all tie against the Marlins just to win 8-7 in the bottom of the ninth on Tuesday. Before that Boston was swept by Tampa Bay over the weekend. Boston is 3-6 in its last night and 5-7 over its previous 12 games. They have not enjoyed a long winning streak since August 10 to 14, when they swept the Orioles and beat the Phillies. On August 14, the Sox were ...

While the Mets can’t figure out how to score any runs for ace Jacob deGrom in Chicago on Tuesday night, a guy that could have solved that problem will not play in the majors at all this season. Peter Alonso is enjoying an incredible season down on the farm.    Between Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Las Vegas, Alonso is killing the baseball, batting .277 with 33 homers, 111 RBI and an on base percentage of .393.He even stole the show at the Futures Game during All Star week last month. Hell, the guy has even homered in three of his last six games for the 51s. Yet, the Mets have no intention of calling up Alonso when rosters expand to 40 on Saturday. The reason? Playing time according to Acting General Manager John Ricco. “We didn’t contemplate enough playing time to warrant the call-up at this time,” Ricco said. “We are going to have Dom Smith, Jay Bruce, and we’ll have Wilmer Flores all playing some first base and to have Pete come up and just sit when ...

Odell Beckham Jr. cashed in big time Monday when he finalized a five-year $95 million contract with the New York Giants that will pay him roughly $65 million guaranteed and $19 million per year. The contract makes Beckham by far and away the highest paid receiver in the NFL. Last year Beckham's contract status was a big question mark. As one of the games most polarizing and popular stars, there was a fair question whether the Giants should invest the kind of money that Beckham was looking for. However things changed once Beckham went down for the season with a fractured ankle, as the Giants watched the offense sputter out of control without their star receiver in the lineup. To his credit, Beckham has kept a low profile about his contract status in training camp. He reported without any indication that he would hold out, and participated fulling in practice. While he didn't play in any games, coaches decision, he never made the lack of preseason playing time about his con...

If the Jets can take anything positive from their 22-16 preseason loss to the Giants, it is that quarterback Sam Darnold made his best, and likely, final case for the starting quarterback job when the season begins in 17 days. The numbers showed that Darnold was 8-of-16 for 82 yards and a touchdown, but he never turned the ball over, was a difference maker on the field, and carried his team when it needed him.   Traits a coaching staff looks for in its starter. Jets offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates has been harping on how quickly Darnold has progressed this summer, and one thing is for sure, the moment doesn’t look too big for him.   Behind a leaky offensive line, Darnold engineered an impressive 11-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to open the game. His first pass of the evening was low, but a 12-yard completion nonetheless to Quincy Enunwa, who was making his return to the field after missing all of last year from neck surgery. Three plays later, Darnold conve...

Count the New York Jets as one of many teams that are interested in Raiders All Pro Khalil Mack, should he become available of course.  The news comes from Daily News reporter Manish Mehta that Gang Green has reached out to the Raiders about Mack's availability. Mehta says the Jets have not made an offer as of yet.  Mack and the Raiders are stuck in an intense contract battle. Making $13.5 million this year, the final year of his rookie contract, Mack wants to be the highest paid defensive player in the league. The Raiders aren't bitting on his demands, leading to a bitter hold out that has lasted all of training camp.  The Raiders are shopping him, one of the other interested teams in his services is the Green Bay Packers.  Of course should Mack get dealt, whichever team acquires him would want to work out a sign and trade. With a Mack set to hit free agency next March, nobody wants to give up a ton of draft picks to the Raiders without knowing they'l...

On this edition of the Open Mike Program, I dive right into the top headlines coming out of the NFC East this summer. The Eagles are coming off a Super Bowl victory, and hope to repeat this year. Meanwhile the Redskins, Cowboys and Giants are all trying to bounce back from mediocre campaigns last fall. Click here for the preview!

Yeah, yeah we still have more than a month left in 2018 season, and in the case of the Yankees they hope to be playing deep into October. But, Major League baseball released the 2019 schedule today. If you are a Mets fan that is about the only left to get excited for. So let's throw a bone to the Mets fan. The Metroplitans will open up the 2019 season on the road in Washington D.C., March 28, and will continue the road trip down to Miami. This will mark the second straight year that Major League Baseball will begin the season in March, an edict by Commissioner Rob Manfred to create more days off for players. The Mets home opener is not until April 4 against the Nationals. In interleague action, the Mets will face the AL Central, with battles at Citi Field against the Twins, Indians and Tigers slatted for next season. The Mets will visit the Twins, Royals and White Sox next year. The Mets and Yankees will play two sets of two-game series next season. One pair will take place...

REDSKINS 15 - JETS 13 Sam Darnold did not have a great night in the Jets 15-13 loss to the Washington Redskins, Thursday night.   But it was not like he did any severe damage to his chances to assume the starting job. If the Jets quarterback competition is still a competition by its definition, New York did not get a lot of clarity in that regard as to whom will start Week 1.   Teddy Bridgewater, who played the entire second half, was solid as he led the Jets on two long scoring drives, but one couldn’t help but get the feeling that Bridgewater’s effort was more of an advertisement to a potential trade. Or is it?   Meanwhile, Josh McCown didn’t play, as Todd Bowles pulled out a familiar script from last preseason by sitting the 39-year old for the entire contest. Last year Bowles sat McCown in all but one preseason game because he settled on him as the starter. Did Bowles send that same message Thursday? Or has Darnold’s closed the gap enough that the c...

JETS 17 – FALCONS 0 For the first time in a very long time, the Jets can’t complain about their quarterback situation. While the assumption is that veteran incumbent Josh McCown will be Todd Bowles’ ultimate choice to start the season opener on September 10 in Detroit, both Teddy Bridgewater and Sam Darnold closed the gap on Friday night in the Jets 17-0 win over the Falcons. After McCown’s lone series went three-and-out on the Jets opening possession, Bridgewater came in and efficiently moved the offense on a long 10-play 47-yard drive that resulted in a 16-yard touchdown pass from Bridgewater to Isiah Crowell. On the next Jets possession, Bridgewater continued to dazzle. He hit his old Vikings teammate Charles Johnson on a nice 23-yard go route to move the ball to the Jets 35. Two plays later, Bridgewater connected with Neal Sterling on a 21-yard pass completion to move into Falcons territory. From there Bridgewater navigated the Jets to the Falcons 27, before Ne...