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The Chicago Bears made a huge jump in Ben Johnson’s first season as head coach, going from a five-game winning team in 2024 to an 11-winning team in 2025. Still, it looks like there’s another level of development available to unlock in the Windy City.

While Bears general manager Ryan Poles has done a good job of upgrading the team in every way, as well as addressing key weaknesses, there is still one area of ​​concern. Is the offensive line ready to compete for another playoff spot?

However, Sports IllustratedEva Geitheim believes the Bears can still address their offensive line by turning to one of Coach Johnson’s old friends, Taylor Decker. The Detroit Lions’ longtime left tackle requested and received his release from Johnson’s former team earlier this offseason, and he is still unsigned in free agency.

Decker, who turns 33 in August, earned his only Pro Bowl nomination in 2024 after starting 14 games for the Lions. Still, after a 10-year career with the Lions, Decker was ready to move on, and Chicago has a soft landing spot available with a coach he’s already very familiar with.

Additionally, with Trapillo set to miss a significant amount of time, Decker can ensure that the left side of Chicago’s offensive line remains in good shape. Having started all 140 of his appearances since arriving as the 16th overall pick in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft, Decker still has a lot left in the tank.

RELATED: Chicago Bears coach addresses rumors of adding All-Pro talent

Dedicated NFL copywriter/editor. My work has been found on SportsNut, Sports Illustrated, Sporting News, MSN, Yahoo, and Minnesota Sports… More about Andrew Buller-Russ

armory Currently heading towards the Premier League title Christian Nørgaard has been playing a first-team role for Mikel Arteta’s side this season.

The 32-year-old has made 19 appearances in all competitions in the current campaign. However, he has only managed 56 minutes in the Premier League.

His last league minutes for Arsenal came in March, with the midfielder being on and off the bench since then.

in March, Nørgaard also played for the Danish national team as they tried to qualify for the World Cup through the play-offs. Denmark won easily against North Macedonia before facing the Czech Republic in the final.

Unfortunately for the Arsenal player and his teammates, it was the Czechs who came out on top in the penalty shootout.

The World Cup left a trail of heartbreak

After the match, Christian Nørgaard indicated he was considering his international future.

Danish bold The Arsenal player was quoted as saying:

Recently, the Los Angeles Lakers picked up their ninth consecutive win with a narrow road win over the Orlando Magic. Its hero was Luke Kennard, who inexplicably got wide open on the final play of the game and buried a three-pointer to give Los Angeles a one-point victory.

In this game, Lakers star LeBron James passed Boston Celtics legend Robert Parish for the record for most regular season games played in NBA history and now, Parish himself has taken to social media to congratulate James on the feat.

“Congratulations on passing the most games played 1611!! It’s a great moment for me as you continue to strive for greatness/excellence with grace and respect for the game!!” Parrish wrote on X, formerly on Twitter.

James has indeed accrued 23 years of NBA advantage on his body, but has still continued to produce at a high level, recently having a stretch of several games where he made 20 of his last 21 shots.

Meanwhile, the Lakers are playing their best basketball at the right time this season, separating themselves from the pack in the race for the third seed in the Western Conference, and are currently on a nine-game winning streak, with many of those wins coming against playoff competition.

During the hot stretch, James has been more willing to outplay both Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves in the Lakers’ offense, but more importantly, Los Angeles is playing much better defense with quicker rotations, better on-ball defense and communication than at any other point in the Doncic era.

Los Angeles will look to make it ten consecutive wins when it takes the field for a road game against the Detroit Pistons on Monday evening.

The Detroit Pistons have already shown they can win without Cade Cunningham, and that context now shapes this stage of the regular season after their latest injury update. The Pistons lead the Eastern Conference standings at 49-19, but are just 5-5 in their last 10 games. Earlier this year, Detroit went 5-2 without its star guard, averaging 111.7 points per game in that span. That pattern holds even more importance now as the team prepares to deal with another absence of its franchise leader.

Before this setback, Cunningham was having one of the best seasons of his career. He averaged 24.5 points and 9.9 assists while controlling the pace and providing consistent offense. Its effect is also visible in advanced numbers. The Pistons outscored opponents by 10.9 points per 100 possessions when he was on the floor. Without him, the figure drops to +2.7. The system still works, but it’s obviously changed.

The first 5-2 run revealed something important. Detroit can adapt. The ball moves fast. Scoring becomes more balanced. The speed remains stable. It’s not the same structure, but still effective enough to win games.

Pistons will face a big test after Cade Cunningham’s injury.

Now, the challenge is much more serious. Reports have confirmed that Cade Cunningham has suffered a damaged lung, an injury that will keep him sidelined for an extended period of time with no clear timeline for his return.

Time makes it even more difficult. The regular season is coming to a close. Detroit still leads the East, but recent inconsistency adds pressure. Every possession matters more. The margin for error decreases under the intensity of the playoffs.

Still, the Pistons have already built up confidence without their star. Role players have already moved on. The offense has proven it can maintain production. That belief matters now.

However, the roof is tied to Cunningham. His control, vision and late-game presence cannot be replaced. Detroit can remain competitive. True controversy is another level.

So now the question sharpens: If the Pistons have already proven they can win without Cade Cunningham this season, can they keep it up when it matters most?

Nikola Jokic continues to rewrite the NBA record books at a pace that truly feels illegal. During the Denver Nuggets’ stunning 128-125 win over the Utah Jazz on Monday night, the Serbian center officially tied the great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s mark, and he did it in almost halftime.

Entering the contest at the Delta Center, Jokic was just one game shy of breaking the record for most games with at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists in NBA history. After a hard-fought 36 minutes on the floor, he walked away with exactly 22 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists. This performance is the 322nd 20/10/5 game of his career, which brings him level with the captain.

The most astonishing part of this achievement is not just the output, but also the efficiency. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar needed 1,560 games to set that mark. Jokic has reached this peak in only 792 games. While Jamal Murray made headlines on the night with a big 45-point explosion, including eight triples and the go-ahead free throw, Jokic’s steady hand kept the Nuggets afloat as they held off a late Jazz rally.

Despite the depleted roster, Utah didn’t make it easy. Keyonte George exploded for 36 points and nearly forced overtime, but Jokic remained composed under pressure. Despite five fouls late in the fourth quarter, he managed to secure the board and hit two clutch free throws with six seconds remaining to seal the win.

Denver has relied heavily on its superstars this season and Jokic has not disappointed. He currently leads the league in rebounds and assists, looking like the favorite for another MVP trophy. Now with the record tied, all eyes are on Thursday’s matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers. If history is any indication, Jokic won’t be tied down for long.

The Milwaukee Bucks (26-31) are counting on Bobby Portis Jr. to bring energy every night, especially while the franchise’s key player Giannis Antetokounmpo is recovering from a calf injury. However, sometimes it is hard to turn off such intensity. The veteran forward remained locked-in during a historic and mysterious game of Rock, Paper, Scissors. Earlier he was surprised with a young fan for 14 rounds finally won the battle With a rock, via MisterBabbleX account.

Luckily, the Bucks didn’t leave without Portis amid their endless head-to-head showdowns at Fiserv Forum. They gave a young girl a story to share with all of her friends and classmates, and they even took out the W. Additionally, the 2021 NBA champion helped his team earn a 118-116 win against the Cleveland Cavaliers, continuing Milwaukee’s impressive February (8-3 this month). Overall, Portis had an incredible night.

Bobby Portis plays a young fan in the longest game of Rock Paper Scissors ever seen

Video via: https://t.co/g2brwaAZmL pic.twitter.com/srXzVwOGZr

– MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) 26 February 2026

When the 31-year-old breaks out the “crazy eyes” and takes the court, some might label him uneducated. Punching then-Chicago Bulls teammate Nikola Mirotic in the face in 2017 probably won’t help. However, the man clearly has a softer side. He was already a fan favorite, but after his hard-earned Rock, Paper, Scissors victory, Portis may have achieved legendary status in Cream City.

He aims to bring that same tenacity to Friday night’s contest against the inconsistent New York Knicks (37-22). Bobby Portis Jr. has been a key offensive spark plug for the team this season, averaging 13.2 points and 6.5 rebounds while shooting an impressive 45.1 percent from 3-point range. He’ll try to keep his hot streak going in Milwaukee. Perhaps another fan will challenge him before the game.

One of the NBA’s greatest point guards has decided to hang up his shoes for good. Chris Paul announced his retirement from the NBA earlier this week. Paul, who played for several teams in his career, finished as one of the greatest point guards of his generation.

Of all the teams that Paul has played for in his career, which team does he think is the best? For the player known as the “Point God,” the answer is obvious: the San Antonio Spurs. The retired NBA veteran recently talked about this in an appearance on a Twitch stream. He showed a plaque that Spurs had sent him containing photos of him at different teams and a list of the players he had assisted the most.

“Best organization I’ve played for.”

Chris Paul on Spurs 🗣

(via thetililshow/Twitch)pic.twitter.com/fNZUQLY5s0

– ClutchPoints (@clutchpoints) 18 February 2026

The Spurs were the second to last team that Paul played for before his retirement. The point guard played for San Antonio in 2024, briefly playing alongside French superstar Victor Wembanyama. While the Spurs did not have much team success that season, Paul was still an integral part of the team and led to Wembanyama’s growth into the monster that the NBA knows today.

Chris Paul started his NBA career in 2005 with the New Orleans Hornets. Selected fourth overall by the team, Paul played seven seasons with the team. He would then be traded to the Los Angeles Clippers, where he would become known as the conductor of the now-iconic “Lob City” teams. Those two teams are the teams where Paul stayed the longest.

After his tenure with the Clippers ended, Paul returned to a few teams. He would go on to be a part of the Houston Rockets teams that challenged the Golden State Warriors in the late 2010s. He then spent some time in Oklahoma City, where he teamed up with a young Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. His closest chance to make it to the NBA Championship came in Phoenix, where he made the NBA Finals in 2021.

Paul will play with the Warriors for one year in 2023 before his time with the Spurs. The NBA legend joined the Clippers this season, which was considered Paul’s retirement tour. However, his tenure with the Clippers ended in disaster after Paul was benched and sent home midway through the season. Paul was traded to the Raptors before the trade deadline, who promptly released him moments before his retirement.

Everton ditched their home kit for their FA Cup third round clash against Sunderland at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday.

Despite being the home side, the Toffees lined up in a new, dark blue strip as their cup run ended immediately with a penalty shoutout defeat to their Premier League rivals.

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After Enzo Le Fee’s first-half strike, David Moyes’ side forced extra time after James Garner forced extra-time with a late penalty.

With neither side able to find a winner, the game went to penalties, where the Black Cats won the shootout 3-0 after Garner, Thierno Barry and Beto all saw their spot kicks saved by Robin Roefs.

But it was Everton’s kit choice which caught the eye in the clash, as they opted against wearing their traditional blue colours.

Why did Everton wear their away kit against Sunderland?

Ahead of their FA Cup tie, the Toffees revealed kit manufacturers Castore had designed a special fourth kit for the clash.

The dark blue strip, which features the club’s crest and Stake sponsor in fluorescent pink, is a tribute to Everton’s new Hill Dickinson Stadium.

This season saw the club move into the 52,000-capacity ground at Bramley-Moore Dock – ending their 133-year stay at Goodison Park.

In a statement, the Merseyside outfit said the kit celebrates the stadium’s place in the ‘iconic’ city of Liverpool.

It forms part of an exclusive collection that also includes warm-up shirts and track jackets with an abstract design paying homage to landmark buildings in the city’s skyline – including the Hill Dickinson Stadium, the Three Graces and St Johns Beacon.