NFL Preseason Blitz: Jaguars rookie Travis Hunter plays both ways in preseason debut

Published

3 weeks ago

August 10, 2025

The Jacksonville Jaguars aren’t going to ease Travis Hunter into the NFL. Not even in the preseason.

In Jaguars camp, reports have said Hunter is practicing extensively on offense and defense. That shouldn’t be a surprise considering Hunter won a Heisman Trophy last season at Colorado playing receiver and cornerback, and the Jaguars made a huge trade up to draft him second overall with plans to play him both ways.

And the Jaguars made sure Hunter made his NFL preseason debut on offense and defense Saturday night.

The Jaguars used Hunter as a full-time starter on offense on their first drive. Then he wasn’t with the starting defense for its only series of the game. But the next time the Pittsburgh Steelers got the ball, Hunter was at cornerback.

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And so begins one of the NFL’s grand experiments.

Hunter started the game, which Pittsburgh won 31-25, along with the rest of the Jaguars’ regular starting offense including quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Hunter was in on 11 of 12 snaps on the first drive (including a play wiped out due to a penalty) and he ran seven routes.

Hunter was involved early too. He caught a pass on a short option route on third down, though he was a yard short of the sticks. The Jaguars went for it on fourth down and converted. Later in the drive, Hunter got a catch on a receiver screen, though the play was erased due to an offensive penalty. He caught another third-down pass later in the drive, though was short of the first down again and the Jaguars kicked a field goal. His night ended with a pair of catches for 9 yards.

The Jaguars used their starting defense but Hunter didn’t see any action on that side of the ball, though he did warm up on both sides before the game. The Steelers attempted seven passes on nine downs on their opening drive, but Hunter wasn’t at cornerback for any of them.

Jaguars fans didn’t have to wait long. Hunter was in with the second-team defense for Pittsburgh’s second drive. He did miss a tackle on a 7-yard run by fellow rookie Kaleb Johnson of the Steelers, but the rest of his snaps on defense over two drives (eight snaps on defense overall) were uneventful.

Hunter was one of the most intriguing prospects in the history of the NFL. Not many players come into the league with hopes to play on offense and defense on a nearly full-time basis. But Hunter excelled at it in college, and the Jaguars clearly think he can do it in the pros.

How Hunter is used when the regular season starts will be worth watching, but we got a taste of it in Jacksonville’s first preseason game.

Spotlight team: Tennessee Titans

Cam Ward, the first pick of the 2025 NFL Draft, had to wait a long time for his first NFL preseason completion. The Buccaneers wouldn’t let him have the ball.

The Buccaneers had two long drives to start the game, which they won 29-7, while Ward and the Titans went three-and-out on their first possession. That meant the Buccaneers had more than 14 minutes of possession early in the second quarter while the Titans were stuck on 58 seconds. But eventually, Ward gave Titans fans what they wanted.

Ward’s first completion, after two incompletions on the short first possession, was a dart downfield to Calvin Ridley for 27 yards.

Ward was looking Ridley’s way a lot early on, as Ridley caught passes of 10 and 13 yards after that first catch. Ward threw it with ease in his first NFL action. He also almost threw an interception on an ill-advised pass; Bucs cornerback Josh Hayes got his hands on it but couldn’t bring it in. The drive kept going, and Tony Pollard scored on a rushing touchdown. Ward is sure to make his share of rookie mistakes, but the Titans will also get plenty of exciting moments. Ward was done after that touchdown drive; he went 5 of 8 for 67 yards in a pretty strong debut.

Tennessee went 3-14 last season, but there are reasons for optimism this season and it starts with Ward. The Titans have plenty of holes on the roster, but should improve some with better quarterback play.

Standout player: Jets QB Justin Fields

Justin Fields will probably never be a great NFL thrower. But he can do enough as a dual threat to keep his offense moving.

Fields, whose stats in training camp haven’t been good and have drawn some attention, looked fine in game action against the Packers. On the first drive of the preseason, he completed 3-of-4 passes for 42 yards in what would be his only series of the game, including a 24-yard gain by fullback Andrew Beck, and he finished it with a 13-yard touchdown run. His running ability is his most dangerous trait.

Fields wasn’t bad as a runner or passer for the Steelers early last season when he was starting in place of injured Russell Wilson. The Jets needed a quarterback and signed Fields, and they didn’t draft or sign anyone who should compete with him this season. He should get all season to show what he can do. The first look at Fields in a Jets uniform was a good one.

Other games

New York Giants 34, Buffalo Bills 25: The story was Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart and his impressive preseason debut, but Bills backup Mitchell Trubisky played well too. He completed 9-of-13 passes for 138 yards and a touchdown in the first half. The Bills hope Trubisky doesn’t play any meaningful football, because they have the MVP in Josh Allen, but Trubisky’s showing should give them a comfort level if he does.

Minnesota Vikings 20, Houston Texans 10: J.J. McCarthy played just one series, and that might be his only action of the preseason, but Sam Howell played well in relief. He completed 11-of-13 passes for 105 yards.

Los Angeles Rams 31, Dallas Cowboys 21: Last year, the Rams drafted running back Blake Corum in the third round, then didn’t use him much as Kyren Williams took almost all of the work. Then the Rams drafted Jarquez Hunter in the fourth round this year. Corum made his statement for some more playing time, with two touchdowns in the first quarter of Saturday’s preseason game. Corum had nine carries for 32 yards in the first half while Hunter played behind him, and had 11 yards on four carries before halftime. The Rams, as usual, sat their starters.

Kansas City Chiefs at Arizona Cardinals: One of the benefits of Andy Reid being an old-school coach is that we get to see one of the all-time great quarterbacks play in August. Reid believes in playing his starters in the preseason and, as usual, Patrick Mahomes started the Chiefs’ preseason opener. After the Cardinals fumbled away the first kickoff of the game, the Chiefs had a short drive capped by a Mahomes 1-yard touchdown pass on a nice catch by Jason Brownlee. That was enough for Mahomes; his night was done after that one pass.

Denver Broncos at San Francisco 49ers: The Broncos might not be totally settled on a running back rotation, but based on playing time in the preseason opener it seems like RJ Harvey is clearly in the lead. The Broncos used their starters on offense, Harvey came in first and got the early-down snaps while recently added veteran JK Dobbins came in for third-down work. Harvey had seven carries for 25 yards in the three series the Broncos’ starting offense played, including a productive run when he bounced it outside and used his speed for an 11-yard gain. He handled every rushing attempt when the starting offense was on the field. Harvey added a catch for 4 yards. Dobbins also had one catch for 4 yards. Perhaps Broncos coach Sean Payton was just seeing what Harvey could do with extended snaps and he’s still evaluating how he’ll split the work in the regular season, but Harvey getting every carry with the starters seems notable.

Final thoughts

• Although Bills running back James Cook is holding in while he seeks a new contract, he was in uniform and warmed up with the team before their game against the Giants, according to the Bills’ broadcast. Bills coach Sean McDermott said he wanted Cook to play but he didn’t due to the contract situation. Many of the Bills starters did play, other than Josh Allen. Second-year back Ray Davis got most of the work early in the game with Cook not playing. Davis had just 7 yards on four carries, but did manage to kick a PAT.

• Mason Rudolph, not Aaron Rodgers, started at quarterback for the Steelers. That’s not a big surprise, Rodgers’ only preseason action since 2018 was a brief outing for the Jets two years ago. It’s possible Rodgers won’t play at all this preseason, even though he’s with a new team. Rudolph completed 9-of-10 passes for 84 yards and a touchdown.

• The Buccaneers didn’t use their starting offense, though first-round pick Emeka Egbuka did play at receiver with the starters, which included quarterback Kyle Trask. Egbuka, who has been getting a lot of praise in camp, made a nice jumping catch for 21 yards on his second snap, after second-year receiver Jalen McMillan made a brilliant catch for 25 yards on the first play of the game.

• Packers quarterback Jordan Love didn’t have a great night, completing only 1-of-5 passes for 7 yards. The good news, aside from the fact that it’s the preseason and Love should be fine when the regular season begins, is that the one completion was to first-round rookie Matthew Golden on a slant route.

• The Buccaneers, already dealing with a knee injury to standout left tackle Tristan Wirfs that could cause him to miss the start of the regular season, saw backup running back Rachaad White go down with a groin injury. The Bucs are set up to withstand that injury if White misses time, because they have Bucky Irving as their starter and Sean Tucker is a very good third-string back, but it’s still not what Tampa Bay wants to see in August.

• The Titans had a potentially disruptive injury, when running back Tyjae Spears suffered a lower leg injury while being tackled. Spears was carted off to the locker room. He is the primary backup to Tony Pollard and was expected to have a significant role, but that might depend on the severity of the injury.

• It’s a good thing for Kyler Murray that this interception came in the preseason and didn’t count. Because it was a bad one. Murray was rolling to his left and threw it right to Chiefs safety Jaden Hicks (who is a good breakout candidate as he likely replaces Justin Reid in the defensive lineup). The other good news for Murray is he played well other than that interception, completing 7-of-8 passes for 96 yards.

• It’s just preseason, but Cam Little had a heck of a highlight. The Jaguars kicker nailed a 70-yard field goal. The record for the regular season is 66 yards by Justin Tucker.

Coaches generally don’t like to attempt field goals close to that long in the regular season, for fear of them being blocked or giving away field position. But at least the Jaguars know Little is capable of it.

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Multiple casualties feared after 6.0-magnitude earthquake rocks eastern Afghanistan

Published

1 hour ago

August 31, 2025

Billy Stockwell

A 6.0-magnitude earthquake hit Afghanistan’s eastern region near the Pakistan border on Sunday, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

USGS reported that the quake occurred 27km (16.77 miles) north-east of Jalalabad, in Nangarhar Province, and at a depth of 8km (4.97 miles). It struck at 11:47 p.m. local time. USGS models estimate the shaking could result in hundreds of fatalities.

Nearly half a million people likely felt strong to very strong shaking, which can result in considerable damage to poorly built structures, according to the USGS.

At least nine people were killed and 25 others were injured in Nangarhar, Reuters reported, citing Ajmal Darwaish, spokesman for the province’s health department.

“Unfortunately, tonight’s earthquake has had human casualties and financial damages in some of our eastern provinces,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid posted on X.

“Right now, local officials and residents are making all the efforts to rescue affected ones. Support teams from the capital and nearby provinces are also on their way. All available resources will be used for the rescue and relief of the people,” he added.

Around 20 minutes after the quake struck, a 4.5-magnitude aftershock hit the same region, according to USGS, later followed by a 5.2-magnitude aftershock — both at a depth of 10km (6.21 miles).

An orange alert was issued by the USGS PAGER system, which predicts economic and human loss after earthquakes.

“Significant casualties are likely and the disaster is potentially widespread. Past events with this alert level have required a regional or national level response,” it said.

Ahmad Zameer, 41, a resident in Kabul, told CNN the earthquake was strong and jolted his neighborhood more than 100 miles from the epicenter. He added that everyone from the nearby apartment buildings rushed to the street in fear of being trapped inside.

In October 2023, more than 2,000 people died after a powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck western Afghanistan – one of the deadliest quakes to hit the country in recent years.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

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Phillies Sign Walker Buehler – MLB Trade Rumors

Published

3 hours ago

August 31, 2025

The Editors

The Phillies have signed right-hander Walker Buehler, The Athletic’s Matt Gelb reports. The deal will become official once Buehler (who is represented by Excel) passes a physical, and Buehler is eligible for inclusion on a playoff roster because he is joining the Phillies before September 1. Gelb reported Philadelphia’s interest in Buehler earlier today.

It was just two days ago that the Red Sox released Buehler, bringing an early end to their partnership after Buehler signed a one-year, $21.05MM free agent deal last winter. Roughly $3.4MM remains on that contract, but the Sox will remain responsible for most of that money, as the Phils will owe Buehler just the prorated portion of the MLB minimum salary.

The signing is a flier to see if Buehler can bounce back in Philadelphia after a rough year in Boston. Buehler has struggled to a 5.45 ERA, 16.5% strikeout rate, and 10.8% walk rate over 112 1/3 innings this season, and opposing batters have taken him yard 22 times. The numbers aren’t far removed from Buehler’s regular-season performance over 75 1/3 innings with the Dodgers in 2024, when Buehler was returning to action after missing the entire 2023 campaign due to Tommy John surgery.

That was the second TJ procedure of Buehler’s career, and given how shaky he has looked in the aftermath, it remains to be seen if the righty can ever return to his past All-Star form. However, Buehler showed some flashes of his old self during the Dodgers’ playoff run in 2024, throwing 10 shutout innings over his last three appearance to help Los Angeles capture the championship. Most notably, Buehler even picked up the save to close out the clinching Game Five.

As Gelb notes, the Phillies are probably viewing Buehler as a bullpen contributor again for the playoffs given how the team already has its postseason rotation set. While losing Zack Wheeler for the season blew a big hole into the Phils’ pitching plans, there’s still plenty of starting options available in Cristopher Sanchez, Ranger Suarez, Jesus Luzardo, Aaron Nola, and Taijuan Walker. The Phillies were considering a six-man rotation for September when Wheeler was still available, so Buehler could potentially make a start or two just to help ease the innings burden on the other starters, and then slide into a relief role in October.

With a healthy 6.5-game lead over the Mets in the NL East, the Phillies have some breathing room to use September as a bit of a laboratory to figure out their optimal playoff roster. If Buehler’s struggles continue, the Phils could just leave him off a postseason roster entirely, with no cost to the team apart from his minimal salary.

A bigger-picture look at Buehler’s free-agent future should wait until his 2025 season is actually over. Buehler is still just 31 and probably wants to keep trying to re-establish himself as a starter, so he’ll likely sign another one-year deal (worth far less than $21.05MM) with a team in need of rotation help. Should Buehler pitch well as a reliever in Philadelphia, however, it might add an interesting wrinkle to the situation, as exploring a full-time role change would add more interest to Buehler’s market.

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Rudy Giuliani hospitalized after car accident in New Hampshire | Rudy Giuliani

Published

3 hours ago

August 31, 2025

Maya Yang

New York City’s former mayor Rudy Giuliani has been hospitalized after getting injured in a car wreck in New Hampshire over the weekend.

On Sunday, Giuliani’s head of security, Michael Ragusa, released a statement, saying that the 81-year old was involved in a motor vehicle accident on Saturday evening. According to Ragusa, prior to the incident, Giuliani was flagged down by a woman who was the victim of a domestic violence incident.

“Mayor Giuliani immediately rendered assistance and contacted 911. He remained on scene until responding officers arrived to ensure her safety. Following this, while traveling on the highway, mayor Giuliani’s vehicle was struck from behind at high speed,” Ragusa said.

Giuliani was transported to a nearby trauma center where he was treated for a fractured thoracic vertebrae, multiple cuts and bruises, as well as injuries to his left arm and lower leg.

Giuliani’s business partner and medical provider were contacted and arrived at the hospital to oversee his care, Ragusa said, adding that Giuliani is in “good spirits and recovering tremendously”.

He went on to say that the incident “was not a targeted attack” and urged the public to “refrain from spreading unfounded conspiracy theories”.

In response to a comment from an X user who said: “Does anyone think the victim’s abuser waited for the car who helped her, to ram them? Maybe not even knowing it’s Giuliani,” Ragusa replied: “He was in a rent a car no one knew it was him.”

In 2024, Giuliani took a tumble at the Republican national convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, when he fell into some chairs. Following the incident which was shared widely across social media, Giuliani said: “I tripped as I was checking out the convention floor. The eyes of the world are on Fiserv Forum and the RNC, so my trip was seen by many. As a famous person once said: ‘Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.’”

Giuliani served as New York City’s mayor from 1994 to 2001. He later went on to serve as Donald Trump’s lawyer before being disbarred in Washington DC and New York over false statements he made about the 2020 presidential election.

In 2023, a jury ordered Giuliani to pay $148.1m to two former election workers from Georgia after he falsely accused them of attempting to steal the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.

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