Sports
Why the AFC North Makes Sense for Tyreek Hill’s Next Team
Tyreek Hill has AFC North written all over him.
Even at 32, Hill is going to make some team very happy next season. Of course, he sustained a gruesome injury resulting in a torn ACL and dislocated knee.
A return to the Kansas City Chiefs also makes sense. Even with Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid, Kansas City’s offense just didn’t look right last year. Superstar tight end Travis Kelce is still mulling retirement and Rashee Rice is constantly in trouble.
The Chiefs restructured Mahomes’ deal and opened up plenty of cap space. But say they don’t want to call their old friend for a return? The AFC North makes perfect sense for Hill.
Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens should be ashamed of themselves for not making the NFL Playoffs last season, leading to the firing of John Harbaugh. But Baltimore dealt with their fair share of injuries on both sides of the football.
Offensively, Mark Andrews is another year older and the Ravens will likely lose Isaiah Likely to free agency. That leaves Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman as the lone receiving options for Lamar Jackson under first-year head coach Jesse Minter and 29-year-old offensive coordinator Declan Doyle.
The Ravens will always be a threat with Jackson and Derrick Henry, but adding Hill to the mix keeps him away from other AFC contenders while giving the team a proven, reliable threat.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Will the Steelers bring back Aaron Rodgers for another season? If they do, adding Hill should be a no brainer.
The Steelers are too prideful to embrace a full rebuild so they can find their quarterback of the future. So for now, they might as well surround Rodgers with as many veterans as possible, something that the Green Bay Packers never did for him.
Rodgers was far from the reason why the Steelers underwhelmed all season. Pittsburgh’s only receiver with a pulse was DK Metcalf, and his absence was felt during the suspension when he punched a fan.
Even though Hill is likely out of his prime, he’d be one of the best receivers that Rodgers has ever played with. If this pairing would’ve happened one decade ago, it probably would’ve broken records. In 2026, it could still be serviceable.
Cleveland Browns
There’s really no reason for Hill to go to Cleveland, but the Browns should be very interested.
Owner Jimmy Haslam has proved that he’s willing to overpay if it means landing talented players in Cleveland. The Browns have one of the worst – if not the worst – wide receiver position groups in football. This is a destination where Hill would be the No. 1 receiver for Shedeur Sanders, Deshaun Watson, or whoever the team decides to play at quarterback.
With new head coach Todd Monken valuing players over plays, this is a signing that could work better for the Browns than their other high-profile receiver experiments including Odell Beckham Jr. and Jerry Jeudy.
Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals probably don’t need Hill because of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
But could you imagine how lethal of a trio that would be?
This offseason, Cincinnati’s focus should be on building up a defense so they can contend with Burrow, Chase and Higgins in the primes of their career. But Burrow was floating that he was somewhat unhappy last season – could a blazing fast receiver like Hill help cheer him up?
Sports
Cubs win 10th straight at home with shutout of Diamondbacks
May 2, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga (18) delivers during the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images Ian Happ hit a 399-foot homer into the wind, Shota Imanaga pitched seven scoreless innings, and the Chicago Cubs beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 2-0 for their 10th straight home victory.
Happ hit his eighth homer leading off the second inning off Ryne Nelson (1-3), a line drive into the right field seats that pierced an 8-mph wind on a 50-degree day with wind gusts that reached 12 mph.
Imanaga (3-2) gave up four hits — three singles — and struck out five with one walk. All five of his strikeouts came on split-finger fastballs, according to MLB StatCast.
Imanaga is now 2-0 with an 0.86 ERA in three career starts against the Diamondbacks, giving up two runs and nine hits with 19 strikeouts in 21 innings.
The Cubs completed the scoring when Happ tripled off Juan Morillo with one out in the eighth and scored on Seiya Suzuki’s sacrifice fly
Happ also doubled and had three of the Cubs’ five hits.
The Cubs have won four in a row and 14 of 17. They have their first 10-game winning streak at Wrigley Field since 2008.
Ben Brown retired all six he faced for a two-inning save, his first save of the season. He is the seventh Cub to record a save this season.
Arizona’s Ildemaro Vargas went 0-for-4 in his first career start hitting cleanup, breaking his 27-game hitting streak dating to last September, the longest in the majors. He hit safely in the D-Backs’ first 24 games, the longest season-opening streak since Ron LeFlore’s 30-game streak for the Detroit Tigers in 1976, according to Elias.
The Diamondbacks did not get a runner past first base until Lourdes Gurriel Jr. doubled with one out in the seventh. Imanaga walked Jose Fernandez with two outs before getting James McCann, the last batter he faced, to ground out.
Gurriel’s double was the D-Backs’ only extra-base hit. They have lost eight of 11.
Nelson gave up one run and four hits in 5 2/3 innings, leaving when Kevin Ginkel entered to face Pete Crow-Armstrong with two outs and Happ on second in the sixth. Ginkel walked Crow-Armstrong before getting Dansby Swanson to ground out.
Nelson struck out four and walked two. He was the first Arizona starter to pitch into the sixth inning since April 18, a span of 11 starts.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Wild open up second round against high-scoring Avalanche
Apr 30, 2026; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov (97) and forward Vladimir Tarasenko (91) celebrate a series win against the Dallas Stars after game six in the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Grand Casino Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Wosika-Imagn Images The celebration Thursday was a decade in the making for the Minnesota Wild, but now the road gets tougher. Minnesota eliminated the Dallas Stars in six games to advance for the first time since 2015, and the reward is taking on the Colorado Avalanche, the Presidents’ Trophy winners, in the second round.
Game 1 is Sunday night in Denver.
The series will mark the fourth time the organizations will clash in the postseason, and each time the lower seed has prevailed. The Wild won two Game 7s in Denver (2003, 2014) and Colorado beat Minnesota in six games in 2008. They split their four games during the regular season.
The Wild were bounced in the first round in their previous eight playoff appearances but got by Dallas in a matchup of two of the best teams in the NHL. They go against a fresh Avalanche team that completed a sweep of the first-round series with Los Angeles a week ago.
While Colorado rested, Minnesota earned some valuable experience.
“I think you learn so much throughout those other playoff series. Not that I’m old, but I feel like I was young during those and didn’t know what to expect or what the expectation was and stuff,” Wild forward Matt Boldy said. “I think it was just a group of guys that were ready to take that step.”
Minnesota has the talent to compete with the Avalanche, who finished the regular season with a franchise-record 121 points. The Wild, led by Kirill Kaprizov’s 89 points in the regular season (45 goals, 44 assists), have depth in their top lines and a superstar defenseman in Quinn Hughes.
Colorado is arguably the deepest team in the league when healthy. Nathan MacKinnon led the NHL in goals with 53 and was third in points (127), and Martin Necas recorded the first 100-point season of his career (38 goals, 62 assists).
The Avalanche’s projected third line could be a first line on other teams. Nazem Kadri, Gabriel Landeskog and Nicolas Roy were impactful in the sweep of the Kings and can jump up when coach Jared Bednar sees a need for more offense.
Landeskog tied with MacKinnon for the scoring lead against Los Angeles with four points (two goals, two assists) and Roy contributed two goals — including one in overtime in Game 2.
“(Roy and Kadri) find areas to get the puck to the net, which is great, and they read off each other really well,” defenseman Cale Makar said.
Both teams are dealing with injuries. Minnesota defenseman Jonas Brodin, who missed Game 6 against Dallas, did not travel to Denver and will miss Game 1. Center Joel Eriksson Ek is questionable for Sunday. Brodin blocked a shot in Game 5, and Eriksson Ek lost an edge and slammed hard into the side boards right-leg first in the third period of Game 6.
Colorado defenseman Josh Manson (upper body) went through a full practice on Saturday and is likely to play.
The biggest key is in net, and both goaltenders are playing well. Scott Wedgewood allowed just five goals in the first round against the Kings, and Wild rookie Jesper Wallstedt had a 2.05 goals-against average in the first round series.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Celtics star Jayson Tatum (knee) out for Game 7 vs. Sixers
Apr 30, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) reacts to his score against the Philadelphia 76ers during the second quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images The Boston Celtics will have to face the Philadelphia 76ers in a do-or-die Game 7 without star Jayson Tatum, who will be sidelined for Saturday night’s game with left knee stiffness.
Tatum did not play in the last 15 minutes of Thursday’s Game 6 — a 106-93 loss to the Sixers in Eastern Conference first-round play — and was riding an exercise bike in the hall during the fourth quarter.
Tatum appeared to downplay the issue after the game, telling reporters, “You guys probably saw when I went to the back, saw me on the bike. My leg just was a little stiff when I came out in the third quarter. But just kind of assessing the moment, the game was a little out of reach.”
The sore knee is not related to last May’s devastating ruptured right Achilles tendon, Tatum said. That injury knocked him out in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks and kept him off the court until March 6 of this season.
“It was my other leg, not the one I injured last year,” Tatum said Thursday. “I mean, I wasn’t like overly concerned. … I came out at four minutes, like I was supposed to. Just kind of assessed the game. (Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla) took the starters out fairly early in the fourth quarter.”
Mazzulla told reporters on a conference call Friday afternoon that Tatum would be available for Game 7, and Tatum said at Thursday’s postgame press conference, “I expect to play.”
Tatum has averaged 23.3 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game in the series against the Sixers.
In Game 3, Tatum became the fourth player in Celtics history to top 3,000 career postseason points. Tatum (3,076) trails three legends — Kevin McHale (3,182), John Havlicek (3,776) and leader Larry Bird (3,897).
Tatum, 28, is a six-time All-Star, four-time All-NBA first-team selection and a two-time Olympic gold-medal winner for Team USA. Through 601 career NBA games, Tatum is averaging 23.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists.
For the Sixers, Paul George was listed as probable with an illness for the game on his 36th birthday. Joel Embiid (post appendectomy) also is listed as probable, while Tyrese Maxey (finger) is available.
–Field Level Media
