F1 races are exclusively coming to Apple TV next year as part of a five-year deal announced Friday between the tech giant and Formula 1.
Apple TV subscribers in the U.S. will have access to practice, qualifying, Sprint sessions and Grands Prix footage, as well as F1 TV Premium, Formula 1’s subscription service.
Some races and practice sessions may be free for viewing on the Apple TV app. The Apple Sports app will show live updates on each Grand Prix, including real-time leaderboards, Apple said.
“2026 marks a transformative new era for Formula 1, from new teams to new regulations and cars with the best drivers in the world, and we look forward to delivering premium and innovative fan-first coverage to our customers in a way that only Apple can,” Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of services, said in a statement.
Stefano Domenicali, Formula 1’s president and CEO, said the partnership will help maximize Formula 1’s growth potential in the U.S. His company worked with Apple on “F1 The Movie,” starring Brad Pitt, which was released last summer. It was Apple’s first box office hit.
“We have a shared vision to bring this amazing sport to our fans in the U.S. and entice new fans through live broadcasts, engaging content, and a year-round approach to keep them hooked,” Domenicali said in a statement.
Apple paid roughly $140 million a year for the rights to show the races, according to a person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to speak publicly. The races have been airing on ESPN since 2018 in a deal that will end this year. ESPN paid roughly $85 million per year on average, the source said. The financial terms were first reported by CNBC.
Apple and Formula 1 did not immediately return a request for comment and ESPN declined to comment on the financial terms of the deal.
“We’re incredibly proud of what we and Formula 1 accomplished together in the United States and look forward to a strong finish in this final season,” ESPN said in a statement. “We wish F1 well in the future.”
Streaming services have increasingly been airing sports on their platforms to attract more viewers who gather for major events. In addition to F1, Apple has deals to air games from Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer.
Apple also recently announced a deal to bundle Apple TV with NBCUniversal’s streaming service Peacock.
McLaren’s Lando Norris set the pace in practice at the United States Grand Prix, split from team-mate and title rival Oscar Piastri by Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg.
Norris, trailing the Australian by 22 points with six races to go, headed Piastri by 0.279 seconds at the start of a sprint weekend at the Circuit of the Americas.
Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso was fourth fastest, ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Williams’ Alex Albon.
This was the only session before sprint qualifying at 22:30 BST.
Mercedes’ George Russell was seventh fastest, the first driver to set his fastest time on the medium tyres, ahead of Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar and Haas’ Oliver Bearman.
When Luka Doncic plays in his first exhibition game of the season for the Lakers against the Phoenix Suns Tuesday night, Coach JJ Redick said the plan with his star is pretty simple.
“Give him the ball,” Redick said, laughing.
Redick paused for a second.
“You talking about minutes?” he asked.
Redick said they are “still working through what that looks like” with the Lakers’ staff and Doncic’s team.
“I think very likely it’ll be some form of a ramp-up from tomorrow to whenever the second game is that he plays in,” Redick said. “What that looks like in terms of the total minute, I don’t know.”
But one thing is for certain when Doncic steps on the court with his teammates.
“Yeah, he’ll touch the basketball,” Redick said.
The Lakers then play a back-to-back game Wednesday night in Las Vegas against the Dallas Mavericks, Doncic’s old team, but it’s highly unlikely he plays in that game.
The Lakers finish their preseason against the Sacramento Kings Friday night at Crypto.com Arena, which is when Doncic probably will play, especially since he said last week that he wanted to play in two preseason games.
The Lakers open the regular season Oct. 21 against the Golden State Warriors at home and that is the main thing Doncic is getting ready for.
He’s done more in practice, giving his teammates a view of what Doncic is like.
“Oh, he’s moving great,” Jarred Vanderbilt said. “Everything that I’ve seen from him, he’s being vocal. He’s leading the charge. He’s being everything we need him to be right now. So, we’re happy to have him out there right now during this week, him getting some good practices and running with us, and just starting to build that momentum towards the regular season.”
Etc.
Redick said Marcus Smart, who has been recovering from an Achilles tendinopathy injury, will play against the Suns. … Redick said Maxi Kleber (quad) participated in the Lakers’ stay-ready game Monday.
Colorado coach Deion Sanders returned to Buffaloes football practice Wednesday — just as Coach Prime said he would 24 hours earlier when he announced he would be undergoing a surgical procedure later that day related to blood clot issues.
A video posted by his eldest son, Deion Sanders, Jr., on his “Well Off Media” YouTube channel Wednesday starts with a clip of Sanders going into surgery. Then, after indicating a 16-hour time jump, the video shows Sanders walking briskly, if perhaps a little gingerly, through the Buffaloes’ indoor practice facility. He is offered a cart but apparently turns it down.
Much of the rest of the eight-minute video shows clips from the team’s practice. Sanders stays on the move, with his walking appearing a bit more labored as practice continues. Sanders is not seen at what appears to be the end of practice, as another coach addresses the players.
A spokesperson for Colorado football told The Times on Wednesday afternoon that the team expects Sanders to coach the Buffaloes on Saturday during their home game against No. 22 Iowa State.
No other information has been released on the surgery or Sanders’ condition.
During his weekly news conference Tuesday, Sanders revealed he’d be undergoing the surgical procedure — called an aspiration thrombectomy, which involves the left popliteal (located behind the knee) and tibial arteries — later that day. He said the surgery could take several hours.
“I’m going to be all right,” Sanders said. “Prayerfully, I’ll be right back tomorrow because I don’t miss practice. I don’t plan on doing such.”
On Saturday, Sanders could be seen either sitting down or limping around on the Buffaloes sideline during Colorado’s 35-21 loss to Texas Christian. He didn’t wear a shoe on his left foot during the second half and afterward told reporters he was “hurting like crazy.”
“I think I’ve got more blood clots,” said Sanders, who had two toes amputated on his left foot in 2021 because of blood clot issues and had a blood clot removed from his right leg in 2023. “I’m not getting blood to my leg. That’s why my leg is throbbing.”
The surgical procedure is said to be Sanders’ 16th in the last three years. He told reporters Tuesday that his struggles with blood clots are hereditary.
Janet Kukreja, Sanders’ doctor at the University of Colorado Cancer Center, told reporters at the same news conference that a section of Sanders’ intestine was reconstructed to function as a bladder and that the procedure was a success. She added that Sanders would not need radiation or chemotherapy treatments.
Sanders was a superstar cornerback in the NFL, playing for five teams over 14 years and winning two Super Bowls (with the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys). The 1994 defensive player of the year was an eight-time Pro Bowl selection and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.
As coach at Jackson State from 2020 to 2022, Sanders led the Tigers to two Southwestern Athletic Conference titles and was named the SWAC coach of the year twice. He is in his third season at Colorado, where he has coached such stars at 2024 Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter (now with the Jacksonville Jaguars) and son Shedeur Sanders (now with the Cleveland Browns).
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court justices on Tuesday heard a free-speech challenge to state laws against “conversion therapy” and sounded likely to rule the measures violate the 1st Amendment.
California and more than 20 other states have adopted laws to forbid licensed counselors from urging or encouraging gay or transgender teens to change their sexual orientation or gender identity.
They were adopted in reaction to a history of dangerous and discredited practices, including treatments that induced nausea and vomiting or administered electric shocks.
Lawmakers and medical experts said these efforts to “cure” LGBTQ+ teens were cruel and ineffective and caused lasting harm.
But these “talk therapy” laws have been challenged by a number of Christian counselors who believe they can help young people who want to talk about their feelings and their sexual identity.
The court on Tuesday heard an appeal from Kaley Chiles, a counselor from Colorado Springs, Colo. She says she is an evangelical Christian, but does not seek to “cure” young people of a same-sex attraction or change their gender identity.
But she sued, alleging the state law seeks to “censor” her conversations and threatens her with punishment.
She lost before a federal judge and a U.S. appeals court, both of whom said the state has the authority to regulate the practice of medicine and to prevent substandard healthcare.
But the justices, both conservative and liberal, said the Colorado law appeared to violate the 1st Amendment.
“What’s being regulated here is pure speech,” said Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr.
Moreover, he said, the state law enforces a double standard. It would punish a licensed counselor who agrees to talk to a teenage client who wants to “overcome same-sex attractions,” but not if she encourages the teen to accept or affirm those attractions.
Justice Elena Kagan said she too saw a potential 1st Amendment violation. And Justice Sonia Sotomayor said there was less evidence that talk therapy alone has caused real harm.
In defense of the law, Colorado state solicitor Shannon Stevenson said the law applies only to licensed counselors. It does not extend to others, including religious ministers.
The practice of medical care “is a heavily regulated area. A doctor doesn’t have a 1st Amendment right to give wrong advice to patients,” she said.
Justice Amy Coney Barrett and others suggested counselors could still face a medical malpractice lawsuit, even if the court rules the state law violates the 1st Amendment.
SAN FRANCISCO — The Lakers entered training camp with hopes of finally establishing chemistry between stars Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves. But the trio have yet to see the court together. On Sunday, they all stayed on the bench during the Lakers’ 111-103 loss to the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center.
With Doncic (rest) and James (glute) already out, Reaves was rested Sunday after an already full first week of training camp. The fifth-year guard had the highest workload on the team entering the first preseason game that took place after three days of practice. He scored 20 points against the Phoenix Suns as one of the few offensive bright spots in Friday’s blowout loss.
Without their top offensive playmakers, the Lakers got a lift from guard Gabe Vincent, who made his preseason debut after nursing a knee injury. He had 16 points and five assists while center Deandre Ayton, who scored just one point on two shots in Friday’s preseason game, scored seven points, all in the first quarter, with seven rebounds.
“We came with more intention,” Vincent said compared to the Lakers’ 103-81 loss to the Suns on Friday. “We were more focused. Obviously it’s different with those three not playing. They’re a huge part of our team and everything that we do. But next man up.”
After their first two preseason games, the Lakers have one week of practice until their first home preseason game against the Warriors on Oct. 12. Coach JJ Redick said that although Doncic was scheduled to rest for the first two preseason games after he played in EuroBasket with his national team, the Slovenian superstar is still expected to play before the team officially opens its season on Oct. 21. The Lakers have four preseason games remaining.
Whether James, who was held out of early training camp practices because of nerve irritation in his glute, will play in the preseason remains to be seen. Entering an unprecedented 23rd NBA season, James is on a slower ramp-up schedule than previous years, Redick said.
The Warriors took a similarly cautious approach with their aging superstars as Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler III and Al Horford were all limited to one half. The 37-year-old Curry still scored 14 points in 15 minutes, draining five of seven shots from the field and drawing loud cheers from a nearly full Chase Center crowd when he laid up an acrobatic shot through contact and pointed two finger guns into the ESPN baseline camera.
Redick called it a challenge to get a proper evaluation of his team in a 48-minute preseason game when his top three stars are out, but after Friday’s preseason opener, he was looking for better organization on offense early in the shot clock, playing with pace and more physicality.
“We’ve got to be more physical getting open,” Redick said before the game. “We’ve got to be more physical with our screening. That doesn’t change based on who’s in the lineup, so that habit, we can build that.”
“Championship habits” is one of three pillars Redick has preached relentlessly during training camp, along with championship communication and championship shape. He said he would judge the latter in part by whether players are sprinting back on defense.
The Lakers were outscored 23-5 in transition Sunday and 42-11 through two preseason games.
With the exception of a 10-0 Warriors run to end the second quarter and a nearly six-minute stretch to begin the third quarter during which Golden State pushed a seven-point halftime lead into a 23-point rout, Redick said the overall competitiveness was “much better” than against Phoenix. But the next challenge will be to put forth that effort consistently.
It follows a recent theme Redick introduced to the team: Kaizen, the Japanese word for improvement.
“It’s just getting 1% better each day,” said forward Jake LaRavia, who had 10 points and three assists. “And that goes along with just winning the day. We thought when we played Phoenix, we didn’t. Today, we thought we did a good amount better, obviously, still not the result that we wanted, but we’re working in the right direction.”
Team boss James Vowles later confirmed the brakes had reached temperatures of over 1000 degrees before Albon was forced to retire.
But Mercedes ace Russell then sparked more chaos in FP2 as his car went straight on into the barriers at Turn 16.
As he attempted the right hander he lost the rear before the snap correction sent him flying into the wall and prompting the first red flag of the session.
It was an incident labelled “weird” by the Briton over the team radio.
Liam Lawson followed suit not long after as he hit the wall in the run off of Turn 17.
That saw his front-left go flying down the track and the plank under his car grind along the floor as his Racing Bulls drive skidded to a halt at the pit lane entrance.
And following the restart, Charles Leclerc bizarrely smashed into McLaren‘s Lando Norris in the pit lane following an unsafe release from the Scuderia mechanics.
The Lakers kicked off their summer break by signing their star player to a contract extension in a flashy news conference featuring Balkan walk-up music and a photo gallery display of Luka Doncic’s best Lakers moments. The team returned Thursday by announcing their continued commitment to their coach.
Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka announced head coach JJ Redick had signed a contract extension at a news conference with the coach as the Lakers begin training camp next Tuesday.
Redick signed a four-year, $32-million contract last year as a first-time head coach and led the Lakers to a 50-32 regular-season record and the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference before losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of playoffs. The terms of the new deal were not announced.
“We think he’s a special coach with a special voice that’s really helping us define the culture of Lakers excellence,” Pelinka said. “We just wanted to make a clear statement that this is what we believe in, what we’re going to lean into and what our players are going to mold into as we continue to develop the identity. I think having long-term planning is helpful as we build this team and go forward.”
Redick’s extension was one of the finishing touches on what Pelinka called “an intentional and productive offseason.” The Lakers touted major additions of center Deandre Ayton and perimeter players Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia who were each hand-selected for their fits around Doncic and LeBron James.
James opted into the final year of his contract, and Doncic signed a three-year extension on the first day the Lakers could offer in August.
After a blockbuster midseason trade brought the former Dallas Maverick to L.A. in February, Doncic and James will enter their first full season together with questions about how the Lakers can best balance the 40-year-old James and his 26-year-old fellow star.
Redick, who said he had two productive in-person meetings with James this offseason, will oversee the league’s most-watched transfer of power.
Redick recognized that joining the Lakers brings consistent pressure. Then he was also transitioning from broadcasting to coaching while moving cities, settling his children into new schools and adjusting to a seismic midseason trade. Redick’s first year came with little time to reflect or process.
After the Lakers were eliminated from the first round of the playoffs, Redick paused to consider his new career. He ruminated for weeks on how to define his philosophy as a coach and his methodology. He searched for answers in meetings with Rams coach Sean McVay, former NFL quarterback Tom Brady and Brady’s former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick.
Through their conversations, he came away with a simple strategy to achieve success.
“We’re going to ask guys to be in championship shape, have championship communication and championship habits,” Redick said. “That’s a daily commitment to that.”
James, who will start an unprecedented 23rd NBA season next week, has always been committed to those pillars, Redick said. Doncic has followed suit.
The Slovenian superstar’s rebuilt and slimmed down body was the talk of the NBA summer after major magazine profiles in Men’s Health and the Wall Street Journal. The offseason work paid off in EuroBasket, where Doncic averaged 34.7 points, 8.6 rebounds and 7.1 assists in Slovenia’s run to the quarterfinals. He was named to the tournament’s five-man All-Star team.
But after traveling to Poland to not only watch Doncic play but to observe Slovenian team practices, Pelinka came away just as impressed by Doncic’s off-court habits as his on-court game.
“How he not only led by example, but he was very demonstrative in the practice in terms of his expectations of the team, how they played, their togetherness,” Pelinka said. “Just seeing that continued evolution and growth with him as not only a leader by example but a leader with his voice really stood out to me.”
Redick noted Doncic’s improved movement and defense during the European competition, and the coach expects to see the same version of the star guard stateside.
“I expect the best version of Luka,” Redick said, “and it’s my job as a coach to bring that out on a daily basis.”
The Sparks announced they are joining the WNBA’s facilities upgrade boom, building a $150-million, 55,000-square-foot training and practice facility in El Segundo that is set to open ahead of the 2027 season.
The venue will include two WNBA regulation basketball courts along with a locker room, weight room and athletic training space. The team states the facility will also feature an outdoor spa, indoor hydrotherapy suites, dedicated nap rooms, wellness spaces for yoga or mediation, and extensive use of natural light and retractable doors.
“We’re building a place where Sparks players can be at their best on and off the court,” said Eric Holoman, Sparks managing partner and governor. “From cutting-edge training and recovery spaces to family and community areas, every corner of this facility was designed with them at the center.”
The team did not disclose the venue’s address in El Segundo, which also is the location of Lakers, Kings and Chargers practice facilities.
The Sparks, who posted a 21-23 record and fell two wins short of clinching a playoff spot this season, are addressing one of the biggest complaints about the franchise’s commitment to player development. The team most recently trained at El Camino College, where they had no permanent locker room or weight room. The franchise has rented various training locations throughout its history, making the new building a dramatic upgrade for the team.
The team provided the following renderings of the facility.
A rendering shows the exterior of the Sparks’ future training and practice facility in El Segundo.
(Gensler)
A rendering shows the basketball courts in the Sparks’ future training and practice facility in El Segundo.
(Gensler)
A rendering shows an indoor hydrotherapy pool in the Sparks’ future training and practice facility in El Segundo.
(Gensler)
A rendering shows what the Sparks call a glamour area in their future training and practice facility in El Segundo.
(Gensler)
A rendering shows a locker room in the Sparks’ future training and practice facility in El Segundo.
(Gensler)
A rendering shows a weight and fitness room in the Sparks’ future training and practice facility in El Segundo.
La Cañada High football coach Dave Avramovich said he has never heard anyone greet, question or call out running back Dash Paper by his last name. It’s always, “Dash!”
It’s an appropriate nickname (his real first name is Dashiell) for how he’s been performing on the football team for the 5-0 Spartans. In his latest game on Thursday night, Paper rushed for 189 yards and one touchdown in a 42-13 win over Maranatha.
The senior has gained 689 yards and scored six touchdowns.
“He’s awesome,” Avramovich said. “He’s grown up a ton. Last year he was the backup running back. He had a bunch of touchdowns called back because of penalties. We could see the explosiveness in practices and games. He’s running tough.”
One of the top flag football teams is Camarillo, led by basketball point guard Mya Rei Smith, the quarterback. Athlete. This is what happens when you get your top girl athletes out for flag football. Camarillo is 16-1. pic.twitter.com/eEUoUe3i2R
La Cañada has wins over Crescenta Valley, La Salle and Maranatha, all neighboring schools. If they played and beat St. Francis, they could claim to be neighborhood champions.
“I don’t want to play St. Francis,” Avramovich said.
He’s become good friends with St. Francis coach Dean Herrington.
For now, it’s about watching Dash dash his way for touchdowns.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email [email protected].
A Sherman Oaks Notre Dame football player had heard the rumors of a new student joining the football team on Monday at practice.
Sure enough, 6-foot-8 Tyran Stokes, the No. 1 high school basketball player in the country from the class of 2026, showed up wearing practice jersey No. 67. He’ll need 10 days of practices before he can play in a football game, but coach Evan Yabu was excited to have him.
Tyran Stokes at his first football practice. 6-8, 245 pounds. USC basketball coach Eric Musselman was there after learning Stokes wasn’t at basketball practice. pic.twitter.com/2h9Z2FyVIN
He’s supposed to play receiver and Yabu observed, “We don’t have anyone 6-8, 245 pounds.”
Notre Dame’s Tyran Stokes celebrates after a slam dunk in the closing seconds of a 68-61 victory at Harvard-Westlake last season.
( Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
Stokes could use a break from basketball after a busy offseason of traveling and games. Notre Dame basketball coach Matt Sargeant is fine with Stokes trying football. He has three other players on the football team.
USC basketball coach Eric Musselman looked like a genius when he went out to the football field to watch Stokes. He had come to Notre Dame to watch basketball practice, then heard about Stokes missing basketball practice.
Basketball player Zach White said of Stokes trying football, “He’ll do great if he puts his mind to it.”
On the same day Corona Centennial was playing Mater Dei in football, the sounds of baseballs coming off aluminum bats could be heard from the Centennial batting cage. Only in sunny Southern California does baseball keep going month after month. On this occasion, the Huskies are trying to keep up in the talent-laden Big VIII League that includes powerhouses Corona and Norco.
Centennial, which finished in third place last season, has three sophomores who started and performed well as freshmen: Infielder Ethan Miller (.298 batting average), infelder Ethan Lebreton (.304) and outfielder Jesse Mendoza (.314).
It was an Ethan-to-Ethan double play combination at shortstop and second base for much of the year. All that experience hitting against the likes of Seth Hernandez and facing a Corona team that had three first-round draft picks should pay off in the spring.
One baseball player absent was the starting center fielder, Jaden Walk-Green, who was busy on the football field getting two interceptions and kicking two field goals in a 43-36 upset of Mater Dei.
“I’m everything. I’m the utility player,” Walk-Green said.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email [email protected].
McLaren have traced the engine failure in last weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix that dented Norris’ title hopes to a broken oil line – a McLaren issue rather than a problem with the Mercedes engine.
Leclerc’s fastest time was his third attempt to do a lap on the soft tyres after aborting his first two runs.
The second incident led to a scare because Leclerc passed a Sauber just after a red flag was thrown because of gravel on track, despite braking as hard as he could.
He was worried he would receive a penalty, but stewards immediately reviewed the incident and accepted there was nothing he could do.
Verstappen was 0.575secs off Hamilton, while the second Williams of Alex Albon was seventh.
A number of drivers ran wide during the session, and the red flag was as a result of Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar running off track at the Ascari chicane and spraying the circuit with gravel.
Gravel at the second Lesmo, deposited by Norris, also needed to be cleared.
Other drivers to run wide and kick up gravel included Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, who was ninth fastest behind George Russell’s Mercedes.
Russell ended the session parked on the grass beside the track before the Roggia chicane as a result of a power loss, which left him stuck in seventh gear with the rear wheels locked.
Mercedes’ George Russell was fourth fastest, ahead of Verstappen’s Red Bull and the Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton, who was 0.848secs off the pace.
The seven-time champion had two spins during the day, both times without hitting anything.
The first was in the first session, when he spun entering Hugenholtz, the second when he ran a little wide out of the tricky right-hander at Turn Nine and put his rear wheel on to the grass.
Nevertheless, Hamilton ended the day 0.096secs and two places ahead of team-mate Charles Leclerc, an encouraging start to the final part of the season after a difficult end to the first for the Briton.
Hamilton said: “Not been the worst of days. We were making progress. We were quite far off in P1, a lot further than normal. We progressed but still quite a chunk off so we have some work to do overnight.
“Pace-wise we are where we are. I don’t know how we’re going to find 0.8secs but we will try our best.”
He said of his spins: “First one was just pushing too much. Also ride quality is not where we’d want it, so the car is quite unpredictable. The second one I touched the grass and had a snap.”
Leclerc described it as “a very, very, very, very difficult Friday, probably the worst of the season” and said they were losing “90% of the time” in two corners. He did not name them, but it was the tricky two right-handers of Turns Eight and Nine.
Leclerc said it would take a “miracle” to turn the situation around.
Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda was seventh and Alex Albon was another to crash in the second session in the Williams, going straight on at the first corner, Tarzan, and breaking his front wing against the barriers.
Verstappen himself had an off after the end of the first session, misjudging his braking into the Tarzan hairpin that starts the lap after doing a practice start.
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli crashed in the first session, running off track at Turn Nine and ended the second session 12th.
Rising star USC wideout Ja’Kobi Lane suffered a broken foot in May, but was fully cleared this week and will be ready for the Trojans’ season opener against Missouri State, coach Lincoln Riley said Thursday.
The foot injury kept Lane limited through most of the summer. By the start of preseason camp, he was still being brought along slowly. During the portion of USC’s practices open to reporters, Lane wasn’t even running routes on air.
Lane wasn’t deemed fully healthy until the final week of USC’s preseason camp. Riley said that the junior wideout had actually “progressed a little bit ahead of schedule.”
His return is a welcomed one on a USC offense that will rely on him to stretch the field this season. Lane was second in the Big Ten in receiving touchdowns last season as a sophomore, with 12 scores on just 43 receptions. He finished the year with six touchdowns across his final two games, a dominant stretch that would put him in the conversation to be a first-round pick in next spring’s NFL draft.
But after sitting out for part of the offseason, it may take some time to see that final leap from Lane as a junior. Riley said that Lane is still getting back into shape after being limited by his foot injury, but is progressing nicely with just over a week remaining before USC kicks off at the Coliseum.
“You can see some of the rust starting to get knocked off now,” Riley said of his top wideout.
Matthew Stafford’s second day of practice lacked the anticipation and drama of the first.
But Tuesday’s performance was a milestone nonetheless for the star quarterback and a Rams team with designs on a Super Bowl title.
The biggest takeaway: Stafford’s injured back responded positively to Monday’s one-hour workout, enabling the 17th-year pro to play with even more confidence as the Rams prepare for their Sept. 7 opener against the Houston Texans.
“The reality is we’re trying to get our hands on this and get him to feel as good as possible,” coach Sean McVay said. “Backs can be a volatile thing. This is definitely positive progress. … It certainly is trending in a positive direction for us.”
Stafford, 37, had been sidelined since the start of training camp because of what McVay has described as an aggravated disc. McVay has said that Stafford received an epidural injection a few weeks ago, but on Tuesday he declined to specify if he had received another.
Stafford was not made available to reporters.
Rams players welcomed the return of a quarterback who ranks among the NFL’s otp 10 in several career passing categories.
“Any time that man walks into a huddle, he just brings presence,” veteran right tackle Rob Havenstein said Tuesday. “So it’s great to see him out there doing his thing.”
Stafford has plenty of experience. But “repetition is the mother of learning,” McVay said, so Stafford’s ability to read coverages, feel the pass rush and escape a collapsing pocket at full speed in practice helps him continue to develop.
“I don’t care whether you’re Matthew Stafford, whether you’re Steph Curry — whoever you are,” McVay said. “These guys get great at their sports by being able to play it.”
So McVay is eager for Stafford to take as many reps as possible before the opener.
“I’ll be just like, I think, a lot of fans and a lot of his teammates and coaches,” McVay said, “that you’re really hopeful that this is the direction … so we can build a good foundation and allow him to be the Matthew that we’re accustomed to seeing.”
Etc.
Left tackle Alaric Jackson, who is dealing with blood clot issues, continues to do individual work with trainers. “His focus and concentration is being ready to go for Week 1,” McVay said, “and that would be a great situation for us if that’s the case.” … Receiver Davante Adams had a veterans day off from practice.
Matthew Stafford was at the Rams’ facility on Monday, but not on the field for his first scheduled practice.
Instead, the 37-year-old quarterback with a back issue was in a shiny metal Airstream-like trailer that sat next to the field and was emblazoned with the Ammortal logo. The chamber offers “absolute state of the art in restoration and rejuvenation,” according to the company’s website.
“It wasn’t anything specifically related to his back that he was doing in there,” coach Sean McVay said.
Hmm…
Stafford’s back, specifically what McVay has described as an aggravated disc, has been the overarching story for a Rams team that will be regarded as a Super Bowl contender if the 17-year pro is physically sound enough to lead them.
A restorative and rejuvenation chamber parked at Rams practice in Woodland Hills. Matthew Stafford spent time in the chamber while his teammates practiced Monday.
(Gary Klein / Los Angeles Times)
From the day the Rams reported for training camp last month, McVay maintained that Stafford would be ready for the Sept. 7 opener against the Houston Texans. And given Stafford’s well-documented toughness and grit, it would not be a complete surprise if he is under center that day at SoFi Stadium.
McVay said from the start that he was not concerned about Stafford’s condition — the Rams, Stafford, team trainers and spine specialist Dr. Robert Watkins had a “week to week” plan in place to manage his workload in the run-up to the opener.
Asked Monday if he was now concerned, McVay moved a bit from his previous answers.
“The fair answer is I’m going to take it a day at a time as well,” McVay said, “because I can’t be 27 days from now [playing] Houston. We have to be able to have agility and flexibility, and that’s not exclusive to Matthew. … I do think it’s important to get some work in, but not at the expense of following the plan that we’ve talked about.”
Veteran Jimmy Garoppolo will continue to take first-team reps in team workouts and during Thursday’s joint practice with the New Orleans Saints in Carson.
Stafford would not have participated in the joint practice, but McVay had hoped he would have emerged from a throwing session on Saturday without any setbacks.
According to McVay, Stafford had looked good while throwing more than 60 passes at the Rams’ Woodland Hills facility hours before the preseason opener against the Dallas Cowboys.
“Had a great workout, felt good, but then came in [Monday] and it doesn’t feel great,” McVay said. “And so, didn’t feel like it was the right decision to be able to push him.”
The Rams will be “flexible and fluid” with Stafford’s situation, McVay said.
“We’re going to be smart,” he said.
Stafford was sidelined the final seven games of the Rams’ lost 2022 season because of a spinal bruise. But McVay has said his current condition was not related to that injury.
Stafford received an epidural injection a few weeks ago.
When asked if surgery had been discussed, McVay said “that hasn’t been a conversation that we’ve had.”
If the Rams were opening the season this week, would Stafford be able to play?
“I don’t know that,” McVay said. “I think he still probably would be able to play just based on how he feels.”
Will Stafford practice Tuesday if he is feeling better?
“I don’t know if we’ve gotten to that point yet,” McVay said. “Sometimes when you set expectations, they’re not met. What’s the first response? There’s frustration, and that’s OK to feel that way.
“But how can we move forward accordingly and most importantly, support a guy that when he gets out here we are going to be really excited about it.”
Etc.
Defensive linemen Kobie Turner and Poona Ford and safety Kam Curl returned to practice after sitting out a few days because of injuries. … Cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr. (hamstring) and rookie tight end Terrance Ferguson (hamstring) worked on the side with trainers. … Rams signed tight end McCallan Castles to a one-year deal and waived injured tight end Anthony Torres.
Try as one might to keep Nico Iamaleava under wraps, the media viewing sessions at UCLA’s football training camp shorter than the lifespan of a soap bubble, several trends have emerged.
The Tennessee transfer unquestionably has a strong arm. Every pass is thrown with purpose and usually on target.
The wiry 6-foot-6, 215-pound redshirt sophomore has a quick release. When he faced heavy pressure during the only team period open to reporters Saturday afternoon, Iamaleava smartly and swiftly completed a short pass when no better options were available.
The guy can improvise. Scanning the defense for a weakness, Iamaleava scurried up the middle for a touchdown, making the right decision on what appeared to be a run-pass option play.
All of this shows exactly why his arrival might have so drastically altered the team’s trajectory.
“He keeps living up to expectations every day,” wide receiver Mikey Matthews said. “He’s a really good leader, and he just pushes us every day as an offense.”
Coach DeShaun Foster said one of the things that has impressed him about his new quarterback is his determination to win, even during competitive periods involving one-on-one battles.
“You can kind of see his juice going,” Foster said, “and, you know, jawing a little bit with some of the guys on defense that he knows.”
If things had gone differently, Matthews might have teamed with Iamaleava at Tennessee. Unlike UCLA, which struggled to identify top high school talent under coach Chip Kelly, the Volunteers offered Matthews a scholarship out of Mission Viejo High. A tight connection between Iamaleava and Matthews had formed through seven-on-seven tournaments and high school games.
“We already had, like, built that connection just beforehand,” said Matthews, a transfer from California who posted career highs with 32 catches for 272 yards and one touchdown last season. “So when I knew he was coming here, it was just like a blessing, just happy to have him here and just knowing that he’s going to give me that rock whenever, and knowing that he’s going to throw that ball. So it was cool just to have him here.”
Matthews has an Xbox in his hotel room and a new roommate in defensive back Brett Barry — “That’s my dawg now,” Matthews said — to learn about. There are so many possibilities to keep the wide receiver busy late into the night.
His top priority is inactivity. All he wants to do when his final meeting of the day ends around 9:30 p.m. is see how quickly he can get into bed before waking up for the next meeting.
“Once I’m done with meetings,” Matthews said, “I’m brushing my teeth and going right to sleep. I’m tired.”
It would be easy for fatigue to set in as the Bruins approach the final week of training camp in Costa Mesa. A schedule rife with practices, meetings and recovery — not to mention bonding events such as a beach day and karaoke — has left players sinking deeply into their hotel beds.
But there’s an upside to so much football for players who embrace every X and O. Matthews said the wide receivers were staying after every practice to catch at least 100 passes from a ball-launching machine.
“We all love football,” Matthews said, “so it’s not like we’re complaining, and while we’re doing this, while we’re doing that, it’s everyone just locked in, heads down, and we’re all just grinding.”
As the Bruins approached the final week of training camp, Foster said he wanted to know who had fully grasped the nuances of the way the team wanted to run things.
“Who really knows the playbook in and out, you know?” Foster said. “Let’s get the coaches on the side and let’s start getting into more scrimmaging and stuff like that.”
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Linebacker Jalen Woods said a Saturday afternoon practice spanning nearly 2½ hours might have been the longest of camp, just part of Foster’s efforts to simulate a game-like environment with three weeks left before the season opener against Utah on Aug. 30 at the Rose Bowl.
“I feel like for us to be ready for a game,” Woods said, “like, we need these long practices.”
The bonding has also had its perks. Foster identified freshman defensive lineman Robert James III, who will be sidelined indefinitely by a lower-body injury, as the team’s best singer. Players have also performed other impromptu requests in an effort to bond.
“It’s beneficial that we do stuff like skits, and stuff like that, like doing funny stuff here and there to show everybody’s personality on the team,” Woods said. “Just a side that we don’t see, like on the football field. So, it’s basically like getting to know your teammates, and I feel like it’s going to pay dividends in the long run, trying to make a push for a championship.”
Etc.
Safety Key Lawrence suffered an apparent right leg injury early in the practice session and had to be helped off the field and into the trainers’ area. … Foster said offensive linemen Courtland Ford and Reuben Unije, who were limited in practices earlier in the week, were managing “a little bit of wear and tear.” Offensive lineman Yutaka Mahe, recovering from a lower-body injury, is on schedule to return soon, Foster said. … As of Friday, UCLA’s new practice fields on campus remained a big pile of dirt. Foster said the team had plenty of options, including Drake Stadium and the intramural fields, if the new practice fields were not completed by the time players returned to campus next weekend. … Wyatt Mosier, a redshirt sophomore linebacker, has been awarded Nick Pasquale’s No. 36 as a tribute to Mosier’s ability to embody the spirit of the late wide receiver. Foster said he wanted “somebody that was gonna come out here and leave everything on the field, and that’s the way that Wyatt practices.” … As a thank-you gesture from UCLA in response to recent wildfires, first responders can get $4.73 tickets for the season opener.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford watched his team’s 31-21 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday after completing his first extensive passing workout earlier at the Rams’ Woodland Hills training facility.
Stafford, who had not practiced because of a back issue, threw more than 60 passes during the workout, coach Sean McVay said.
“It was awesome,” McVay said. “He looked good. He threw the ball really well, there was no limitations in terms of the types of throws — deep, intermediate, short. … And he felt really good.
“And so looking forward to progressing him back into practice on Monday. But it was a good step in the right direction.”
Stafford, 37, is working through an aggravated disc issue. McVay said he did not know if Stafford felt discomfort during the workout, and that the 17th-year pro would participate only in individual drills on Monday.
Earlier in the week, McVay said Stafford was not scheduled to participate in a scheduled joint practice with the Chargers on Wednesday. That practice has been canceled, McVay said, because of Chargers injuries.
“I think they’re a little bit banged up,” McVay said, adding that he had spoken with Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh. “Bummer that we weren’t able to get that done, but I totally understand. And we’ll figure out a way to get great work against ourselves.”
Rashawn Slater, the Chargers’ star left tackle who became the highest-paid offensive lineman in NFL history last month, sustained a torn patellar tendon in practice and will undergo season-ending surgery, the team announced Thursday.
Slater went down in team drills after going up against edge rusher Tuli Tuipulotu. As Slater planted his left foot, he collapsed to the ground and immediately grabbed his leg.
A quiet hush fell over the Chargers’ facility while Slater stayed down for several minutes before trainers and teammates helped him onto a cart. Slater appeared visibly distraught — throwing his helmet, slamming his hand on the cart and burying his face in his hands. Several teammates walked over to console him before he left the field.
Two trainers supported him as he entered the team facility. He was unable to put any weight on his left leg.
“I didn’t really see anything — I kind of just turned around and boom,” Tuipulotu said of the play. “We’re praying for him.”
The injury is a significant setback for a Chargers team that was hoping to have Slater anchor an offensive line that was hampered by injuries and struggled, at times, to create opportunities for the running game last season. The injury comes as the Chargers are already dealing with depth concerns along the line, with Mekhi Becton being sidelined since July 28 because of an undisclosed injury.
Slater played a valuable role in helping the Chargers set a franchise record for the fewest offensive turnovers (eight) in a season. He also finished 2024 with the second-best overall grade and the third-best pass-blocking grade at offensive tackle, per Pro Football Focus.
Joe Alt slid over to left tackle for the remainder of practice Thursday. Trey Pipkins III subbed in at right tackle — where he started in 2022 and 2023 — before spending most of last season at right guard, starting 15 games. With Slater out, Alt likely will be Justin Herbert’s blindside protector this season.
Keenan Allen always envisioned a return to the Chargers. Once his brief stint with the Chicago Bears ended, he saw himself coming back to the franchise that drafted him.
“It was close to home and family,” Allen said. “This is what I’m used to. The organization, the people around the building — it just feels like home.”
Thursday marked Allen’s first day back in powder blue and gold — a welcome sight for fans who watched his climb over 11 seasons.
On his first snap of full-team drills, Allen hauled in a strike over the middle from Justin Herbert, reigniting a familiar connection that lasted four seasons.
The two began rebuilding their chemistry last Friday, when Herbert threw to Allen during a private workout. Allen said they stayed in touch throughout the process leading up to his return.
Allen said he missed being on the receiving end of Herbert’s throws and is “just happy to be back.”
“This is where I’m supposed to be,” Allen said.
He is the veteran leader of a receiving room that looks much different than the one he left, with Quentin Johnston and Derius Davis the only holdovers from two seasons ago.
“[It’s] much better than what I’m used to seeing in a training camp this early,” Allen said of his first impressions. “The technique, the way they’re getting downfield, the way they’re pressing coverages — I think it looks great.”
Allen shared how impressed he’s been with Ladd McConkey, who broke his franchise rookie receiving records, joking, “He had a few more games.”
“You’ve got two guys who love to play football and compete,” said Allen, on sharing the field with McConkey. “You can put us anywhere. … And obviously, he showed that last year.”
Throughout the offseason, Allen felt teams “downplayed” his value. Entering his 13th season, he’s out to prove he can still perform at a high level at 33.
“Still got a little hunger, little chip on my shoulder and still want to go out there and play ball,” Allen said.
