The Trey Lance discussion has been an impossible one to escape during the NFL's long offseason.
That is largely because the circumstances in which he takes his first steps as a starter are unprecedented.
Lance was selected by the 49ers with the third overall pick in last year's draft after they traded three first-round selections for the right to move into that slot.
After a rookie year largely spent watching on the sideline, he now steps in to start at the most important position for a team who were minutes away from reaching a second Super Bowl in three years last season, which ended in heart-breaking defeat to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game.
Young quarterbacks have taken over Super Bowl-calibre teams in years gone by. Aaron Rodgers took over from Brett Favre in 2008 after the Green Bay Packers had agonisingly lost the NFC Championship Game to the New York Giants in overtime.
But Rodgers had spent three years as Favre's backup in an era where spending an apprenticeship on the bench was de rigueur for highly drafted quarterbacks, and he had previously produced two seasons of stellar play for a Power 5 school during his college career with the Cal Bears.
Lance, by contrast, played just one full season of college ball at North Dakota State in the FCS – college football's second tier – back in 2019, losing the chance to add to his experience as the coronavirus pandemic wiped out his 2020 campaign with the Bison, save for one exhibition that essentially served as a pre-draft audition for the dual-threat signal-caller.
A quarterback of such little experience being given the keys to one of the best teams in the NFL is an objectively fascinating situation, one made even more intriguing by the Niners' decision to hang on to Jimmy Garoppolo, his predecessor, after failing to find a partner for a potential trade.
Rodgers did not have Favre looming as the backup in Green Bay. Favre retired, then came back, but was traded to the New York Jets, leaving Rodgers to plot his path to becoming one of the all-time greats.
Lance will be tasked with keeping a win-now team firmly in contention for a Super Bowl title while dealing with the possibility of the man who twice helped the 49ers to the cusp of the Lombardi Trophy stepping in should he struggle.
The flashes Lance produced in his two starts in relief of an injured Garoppolo last season were promising, but with the 49ers set to kick off their new era against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, can he immediately rise to the challenge of leading the NFL's most interesting team on a deep playoff run they hope will end with a sixth league championship?
An ideal offensive ecosystem
In order to answer that question, it is important to look at just how strong Lance's supporting cast is.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch have put together one of the most complete rosters in the NFL having taken over a team in need of a colossal rebuild in 2017.
Shanahan himself is a key reason for confidence the transition to Lance will work. No play-caller in the NFL does a better job of consistently putting his receivers in space and his quarterback in favourable situations, while his diverse running torments opposing defenses year in, year out.
The league's pre-eminent play-caller also has experience of building an offense around a dual-threat quarterback, having done so while working as offensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders under his father Mike as Robert Griffin III produced an Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign.
Shanahan's play-calling acumen is a critical factor in the 49ers' ceaseless efficiency on offense. The 49ers' offense finished last season ranked first in Stats Perform's Efficiency Versus Expected (EVE) metric. EVE looks at down, distance, yards from goal, quarter, time remaining and score difference. Using those six factors, Stats Perform trained a model to predict yardage output for any game situation. From there, the projected yards are compared to the actual yards gained or prevented in those situations.
But San Francisco's superiority in that metric would not be possible without a star-studded cast of offensive skill-position players, which Stats Perform AI ranks as the sixth-best in the NFL coming into the year.
Between Deebo Samuel, whose ability to excel as a dual wide receiver-running back inspired the Niners' turnaround from a 3-5 team to one who came within a whisker of an eighth Super Bowl appearance, fellow wideout Brandon Aiyuk and All-Pro tight end George Kittle, Lance is not short of targets who will make his life much easier.
A run game that ranked eighth in explosive runs of 10 yards or more in 2021 with 58 – a tally Lance's presence will surely embellish – will also provide him with plenty of assistance, as will a defense that has a compelling case for being considered the league's gold standard.
Stellar defensive support
The 49ers' Divisional Round win over the Green Bay Packers last season perhaps provided the clearest evidence yet as to the value of their outstanding defense.
San Francisco shackled back-to-back MVP Rodgers, limiting Green Bay to one touchdown and field goal in an improbable 13-10 road win against the number one seed in the snow at Lambeau Field.
Defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans called a masterful game as the 49ers' defensive front sacked Rodgers five times, and it is the seemingly endless supply of depth on the defensive line that makes Ryans' group arguably the league's most fearsome.
The 49ers led the league in pass rush win rate and did so while blitzing at the fifth-lowest rate in the NFL (20.4 per cent). That D-line now heads into 2022 arguably in an even stronger position. Nick Bosa, coming off a 15.5-sack season, leads an edge rusher rotation that is six players deep and includes a rookie, in second-round pick Drake Jackson, whose pressure rate of 24.2 per cent was fifth among draft prospects at his position last year.
On the interior, the 49ers are hoping former first-round pick Javon Kinlaw, with his hulking 6ft 5in, 319-pound frame, can put it all together in his third season following knee surgery and form an imposing tandem with Arik Armstead, whose 2021 stunt-adjusted pass rush win rate of 44.34 per cent was fifth among defensive tackles (min. 100 matchups).
Behind the D-line, the coverage versatility of a linebacker core headlined by the game's best in Fred Warner opens a wealth of options for Ryans, yet it may be the additions in the secondary that solidify his defense as the league's elite this season.
The 49ers are starting a fifth-round rookie at nickel corner. That is a frightening sentence on the surface, but Samuel Womack III allowed a burn rate – which measures how often a receiver wins his matchup with a defender on a play where he is targeted – of just 33.3 per cent in his final year with Toledo. That was tied for the best among draftable corners. He backed up those numbers with a preseason that saw him record two interceptions.
While the 49ers are hoping Womack's leap to the highest level is seamless, it is the performance of free-agent signing Charvarius 'Mooney' Ward that could determine the ceiling of this defense. Ward's burn rate of 39.8 per cent was the fourth-best among corners with at least 50 targets last year, with the former Kansas City Chief fifth in burn yards per target (7.96).
The acquisitions of Ward and Womack have significantly strengthened the cornerback room. Though there is justified concern about a lack of depth at safety, Ward's arrival may facilitate the 49ers leaning more on the man coverage in which he specialises, enabling San Francisco to blitz up front more often and perhaps even improve their pressure numbers from a year ago.
Regardless of whether the pressure statistics do get even better, it is clear Lance is entering an outstanding ecosystem for a young quarterback. The 49ers have the talent to survive the ups and downs he may experience. The unknown is whether Lance can take advantage of his environment to help this team realise their glaringly obvious potential by enhancing an already excellent offense.
Becoming the 'because of' QB
Lance is a substantial departure from what the 49ers are used to at quarterback, and there are upsides and downsides to that change in direction.
There is no question Lance will significantly increase the 49ers' threat on deep passes. Last season, Garoppolo completed just nine passes of 21 air yards or more across the entire 2021 season. Lance completed four in his 10 full quarters of play as a rookie.
On top of that, Lance's air yards per attempt average of 10.1 was the second-highest in the NFL among quarterbacks with at least 50 pass attempts.
While the downfield passing game figures to be more explosive, Lance will need to improve in one area where Garoppolo has traditionally excelled.
Garoppolo has consistently done an impressive job of leading his receivers to the ball on throws over the middle, setting up regular opportunities for yardage after the catch.
Over the last three seasons, Garoppolo has averaged 6.7 yards after the catch (YAC) on his completed passes, almost a full yard more than his nearest challenger Patrick Mahomes (6.0).
The same sort of accuracy on throws where the receivers can relieve the burden on the quarterback with YAC was lacking from Lance during the preseason, and curbing a tendency to put those passes behind his intended target will be critical for him to realise his potential in Shanahan's vaunted offensive scheme.
But Shanahan is making a calculated trade-off in switching to Lance. The 'gimme' plays Garoppolo can hit with ease may not come as easy with Lance, but the 49ers will benefit from the 'second reaction' plays the new quarterback can make when the pocket breaks down.
Though Garoppolo can make throws on the move, the improvisation factor is significantly higher with Lance, who last season averaged a gaudy 13.06 air yards throwing on the run.
On top of his threat as a downfield passer in such situations, Lance also put 8.45 yards per carry on scrambles in 2021. Only Jameis Winston (8.67) had more among quarterbacks with at least 10 scrambles.
Lance adds new dimensions to the 49er offense, but he also has shown substantial promise in a staple feature of the Shanahan attack.
Though it was on a small sample size, Lance displayed encouraging accuracy in the play-action game as a rookie. Ten of his 12 play-action throws were well-thrown, with Lance averaging 14.67 air yards on those attempts.
It is far too early to definitively say Lance will continue to be as accurate on play-action over the course of a full season. However, given the effectiveness of the 49er run game, the play-action should still continue to be extremely effective, with Lance's prowess on the ground giving defenders more to think about when he fakes the hand-off.
Former Los Angeles Rams, Buffalo Bills and Seattle Seahawks head coach Chuck Knox once said: "There are two kinds of quarterbacks. There is what I call the 'because of' quarterback and the 'with' quarterback. You win 'because of' Joe Montana or John Elway. You win 'with' Phil Simms or Doug Williams."
Garoppolo has produced game-winning performances for San Francisco, but while he has operated the offense extremely efficiently, he is firmly in the 'win with' category. In the biggest games where the team has asked him to put them over the top, he has not delivered.
The 49ers moved up for Lance due to their belief he can be a 'because of' quarterback. He may not perform with the same efficiency as Garoppolo, but he has already delivered showings to suggest he can be the decisive factor for a team who have come agonisingly close to glory. Lance's ability to reproduce those flashes over the course of an entire season will determine whether the 49ers were right in their assessment.
Soren Kjeldsen carded a superb eight-under 64 on a belated second day of the BMW PGA Championship, tying for the lead with Viktor Hovland.
Having seen play postponed on Friday following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, matters resumed at Wentworth with Kjeldsen posting one of the scores of the day.
The Dane moved to 12 under for the tournament, but that was only enough for a share of the lead after Hovland built on his own 64 with a four-under 68.
Hovland had jointly held the lead with Tommy Fleetwood and Andy Sullivan at close of play on Thursday.
Fleetwood fell away in the second round, though, with a round of one over par – including a double-bogey at the four-par sixth – leaving him five back.
Rory McIlroy, pipped to the PGA Tour Player of the Year award by Scottie Scheffler on Saturday, continued his strong form with a seven-under 65.
That effort, which included an eagle at the par-five fourth, moved McIlroy to 11 under, one shot off the lead alongside Thomas Detry and Rafa Cabrera Bello.
Meanwhile, the round of the day – and indeed the tournament so far – belonged to Australia's Min Woo Lee, who bounced back spectacularly from Thursday's 76 with a sensational 10-under 62, guided by two eagles and seven birdies.
Remco Evenepoel said it felt "amazing" to effectively clinch Vuelta a Espana general classification glory and answer his critics in style.
The 22-year-old will be garlanded on Sunday as Belgium's first Grand Tour winner since Johan De Muynck took the 1978 Giro d'Italia title.
The Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl rider safely navigated Saturday's 181-kilometre stage from Moralzarzal to Puerto de Navacerrada, considered the last serious test for the riders.
On Sunday, it will be an essentially processional 96.7km ride from Las Rozas to the finish in Madrid, with a sprint in store once the riders reach the capital.
Richard Carapaz won Saturday's stage, his third victory of the 2022 edition of La Vuelta, attacking decisively as the summit of the Puerto de Cotos closing ascent approached. He has taken King of the Mountains honours too, in a highly successful Vuelta performance.
Evenepoel crossed the line in sixth place, with his overall lead of two minutes and five seconds over Enric Mas meaning he can prepare to stand on top of the podium at the Plaza de Cibeles on Sunday.
"I don't know what going through my head and my body right now, but it's amazing," Evenepoel said, after crying tears of happiness.
Evenepoel faced criticism during and after the World Championships last year, when he questioned Belgium's race tactics and suggested he might have won a gold medal if the team had chosen him as a leader.
Wout van Aert and Jasper Stuyven were the leaders instead and Belgium finished empty-handed, but on Sunday the country will have a confirmed Grand Tour champion.
"All the bad comments I got from last year, I think I answered everybody with my pedals," Evenepoel said on Eurosport. "I've been working so hard to come here in the best shape possible, and to now win this Vuelta is amazing."
He said the victory was "for Belgium, for my team-mates, for my parents, for my fiancee", adding: "I was really stressed this morning. I didn't sleep too much last night because you just know what's coming to you, and it was a super tough stage, but I'm just super happy that I won La Vuelta.
"I didn't even think about winning a stage. I just wanted to win the general classification. It's an amazing year. It's the best year I can imagine and wish for."
Carapaz at the summit
INEOS Grenadiers' Carapaz has enjoyed a superb Vuelta. He is one of only two riders, along with Mads Pedersen, to win three stages at this year's race, doubling his career total of Grand Tour stage wins, while the Ecuadorian is the first South American to win the mountains classification at La Vuelta since 2004.
STAGE RESULT
1. Richard Carapaz (INEOS Grenadiers) 04:41:34
2. Thymen Arensman (Team DSM) +0:08
3. Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) +0:13
4. Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe) same time
5. Enric Mas (Movistar) same time
CLASSIFICATION STANDINGS
General Classification
1. Remco Evenepoel (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) 78:00:12
2. Enric Mas (Movistar) +2:05
3. Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) +5:08
Points Classification
1. Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) 379
2. Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious) 174
3. Remco Evenepoel (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) 133
King of the Mountains
1. Richard Carapaz (INEOS Grenadiers) 73
2. Robert Stannard (Alpecin-Deceuninck) 36
3. Enric Mas (Movistar) 28
The Las Vegas Raiders and tight end Darren Waller have agreed to a three-year, $51million contract extension, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Saturday.
Waller, who turns 30 next week, was already under contract for the next two seasons, so his new deal keeps him tied to the Raiders through 2026.
The 2020 Pro Bowl selection had no guaranteed money left on his previous deal, with this extension giving Waller some insurance on the eve of the Raiders’ 2022 campaign.
Drafted in the sixth round by the Baltimore Ravens in 2015, Waller was a practice squad player to begin his career and had just 18 career catches through the 2018 season.
Since 2019, Waller has made 252 catches for 3,006 yards – both second in the NFL by tight ends over that span – and caught 14 touchdowns.
Waller broke the Raiders single-season franchise record by making 107 receptions in 2020, eclipsing Tim Brown's mark of 104 catches that stood for 23 years.
The Raiders’ passing offense is poised to be productive and stable for years to come, with Waller, quarterback Derek Carr and receivers Davante Adams and Hunter Renfrow all under contract through at least the 2025 season.
Conor McGregor is confident he will get his trilogy fight against Nate Diaz as he congratulated his old rival on reaching the end of his UFC contract.
Diaz is set to enter free agency after Saturday's UFC 279, where he is now to face Tony Ferguson following a late change.
The American has been fighting exclusively in the UFC since 2007, with the highlight of his career a pair of bouts against McGregor, which the pair split.
Diaz dealt McGregor his first UFC defeat in March 2016, before the Irishman gained revenge via a majority decision in August of the same year.
There has long been talk of the possibility of a third fight between the pair, and Diaz this week told Inside Fighting it is "for sure going to happen at some point".
McGregor appears to be of the same belief, posting on Twitter: "Congrats Nate Diaz on making it to the end of his contractual obligations with the UFC, and as a bona fide superstar goer.
"An incredible feat. Fair play. Our trilogy will happen."
Diaz is facing Ferguson this weekend after original opponent Khamzat Chimaev's failure to make weight prompted a late shake-up at UFC 279.
Chimaev will instead face Kevin Holland, leaving Li Jingliang – Ferguson's planned opponent at 170lbs – the task of taking on Daniel Rodriguez, who is Holland's opponent at 180lbs.
McGregor also weighed in on this drama, writing: "My opinion is they should have pulled Khamzat from the card entirely.
"Reconfiguring bouts, and with a more favourable bout for the failed cutter, will only make many others in the game follow suit. The smirks on the scale were enough for me. Pull from the card and starve."
Ferrari chairman John Elkann knows the team have committed "far too many mistakes" in Formula One this year, stating they "must improve".
The Scuderia have become the main rivals to fellow constructor Red Bull after Mercedes' struggles this season.
Charles Leclerc looked set to push Max Verstappen hard, but a series of major errors and poor judgement calls from the team cost Ferrari a realistic shot at the reigning world champion.
Ahead of Sunday's Italian Grand Prix at home circuit Monza, where Leclerc is on pole, Elkann explained his faith in team principal Mattia Binotto and his crew, but suggested there is only so far his patience will stretch.
"We have great faith in Mattia Binotto, and we fully appreciate everything he and all our engineers have done," he told Gazzetta dello Sport.
"But there's no doubt that the work at Maranello, in the box on the wall, and behind the wheel must improve. We must continue to progress
"That applies to the mechanics, the engineers, the drivers, the entire management team, including the team boss. We have seen far too many mistakes, from reliability issues to driving errors and strategic blunders.
"We have trusted in Binotto and his team. That was the right decision. It has paid off and we can thank them that Ferrari is competitive and winning again. But I'm not satisfied. I think we can always improve."
Scottie Scheffler received an overwhelming majority of the votes as he was named PGA Tour Player of the Year for 2022.
Scheffler, the world number one, has enjoyed a brilliant year, winning his first major title at The Masters in April.
The 26-year-old won in four of his first six starts this year, becoming the first player since Jason Day in the 2014-15 season to do so, and finished T2 at the US Open alongside Will Zalatoris, one shot back from champion Matt Fitzpatrick.
Other than his triumph at Augusta, Scheffler won the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play, the Phoenix Open and the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Only the great Tiger Woods (eight victories) has previously won four tournaments, including a major and a WGC competition, in the same season.
Scheffler was presented with the Jack Nicklaus Award live on ESPN's College GameDay ahead of the college football meeting between the Texas Longhorns and the Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday.
A Dallas native, Scheffler received 89 per cent of the votes to clinch the award ahead of Rory McIlroy and Cameron Smith. He is the first player to win the Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year, PGA Tour Rookie of the Year and PGA Tour Player of the Year.
"On behalf of the PGA Tour, congratulations to Scottie on his remarkable season and his unprecedented achievements," said PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan in a statement.
"Undoubtedly, one of the highest compliments a player can receive is the endorsement from his peers, and the fact that Scottie's season was both dominant and consistent spoke volumes to the membership.
"As gratifying as it has been to see his development on the course over the last several years, we are equally thankful that Scottie has embraced the role as an ambassador of the PGA Tour and the game of golf. With young stars like Scottie leading the way, the PGA Tour is in great hands for many years to come."
Scheffler finished the 2021-22 season with 11 top-10 finishes in 25 starts, though he was just pipped to the FedEx Cup title by McIlroy.
The Northern Irishman won three tournaments over the course of the season, and became a de facto spokesperson for the PGA Tour amid the LIV Golf Invitational Series breakaway.
Smith - who like McIlroy recorded three victories, though unlike the world number three clinched a major title at The Open Championship - is one of the biggest names LIV Golf have lured away from the PGA Tour.
Charles Leclerc clinched pole position for Ferrari's home Grand Prix at Monza, topping the timesheet for the eighth time this season ahead of rival Max Verstappen.
Ferrari head into the Italian Grand Prix under immense pressure following a number of disappointments this season, derailing their hopes of a title, but Leclerc was able to perform in front of the Tifosi.
Leclerc was favourite to start at the front of the grid due to a wealth of penalties being issued for Sunday's race but did not require such an elevation, securing pole position on his own merit ahead of Max Verstappen.
The championship leader is among nine drivers taking penalties at Monza, along with team-mate Sergio Perez, Carlos Sainz, Lewis Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas, Yuki Tsunoda and Mick Schumacher, four of whom progressed to Q3.
That meant the qualifying standings would be significantly different to the starting grid on Sunday, bringing back memories of the Belgian Grand Prix two weeks ago.
Leclerc took victory at Monza in 2019 and is hopeful of emulating that display in 2022, which would bring an end to Verstappen's run of four back-to-back victories.
"It is amazing. It wasn't an easy qualifying session but I knew we had the potential in the car," Verstappen said.
"In this last lap in Q3 I had to put everything together and I managed to do it. Very happy with the lap and very happy with the performance. I hope we can do just like 2019 tomorrow."
Verstappen explained why he may have seemed slower than some anticipated for the qualifying session, with changes to the car aimed to boost a potential rise through the pack on Sunday.
"It was close but of course we chose to go for a little bit more downforce around here and on one lap it is maybe not the best," said Verstappen.
"I think for tomorrow it can be quite strong and also knowing we have to start a bit back. All in all, it was a good lap and I enjoyed it. I think it will be an interesting day tomorrow."
Sainz, who put in the third-fastest lap in qualifying but faces a stern test from further back on the grid, admitted that it "hurts" to have to tumble down the starting order for Ferrari's home race.
"It hurts to be starting from the back with how competitive we feel in the car this weekend. I wish I could be at the front with Charles to try and do a 1-2 for the team tomorrow," he said.
QUALIFYING TIMES
1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 1:20:161
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.145
3. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) +0.268
4. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) +1.045
5. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) +1.363
6. George Russell (Mercedes) +1.381
7. Lando Norris (McLaren) +1.423
8. Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren) +1.764
9. Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri) +2.487
10. Fernando Alonso (Alpine) No Time
Casper Ruud is looking to follow in the footsteps of compatriot Erling Haaland by putting Norway "on the map" ahead of his US Open final appearance.
Ruud is the first Norwegian male player to appear in the championship match at Flushing Meadows, where he will play Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday, with the winner also set to become the new world number one.
Runner-up to Rafael Nadal at the French Open in June, the fifth seed would become only the fourth player from Scandinavia to top the ATP rankings should he prevail at Arthur Ashe Stadium - after Bjorn Borg, Mats Wilander and Stefan Edberg.
Ruud is not the only Norwegian sportsman to be enjoying an impressive spell of form. Indeed, compatriot Haaland has made a blistering start to life at Manchester City.
The former Borussia Dortmund striker has already scored 12 goals in his first eight appearances across all competitions - including successive hat-tricks - since swapping Bundesliga for the Premier League.
Ruud hailed Haaland's red-hot streak at City, and said he takes immense pride in representing the Norwegian flag every time he steps out onto the court.
The nine-time ATP title winner said: "Erling Haaland has had an unbelievable season so far. And we all hope he keeps going. It's a joy to watch him score goal after goal.
"So, he's obviously the biggest star we have in Norway at the moment, and he'll probably continue to be so for many more years.
"I'm just focused on my career and hope I can, of course, win more tournaments in my career.
"Everywhere I go, I represent Norway - whenever I play on the ATP Tour or in a grand slam, because the Norwegian flag is always behind or in front of my name.
"So, I want to represent Norway in a good way, and put Norwegian tennis a little bit more on the map than what it's been in previous years.
"I hope I can represent Norway and the Norwegian people in a good way when I'm travelling around and playing, and hopefully winning more matches."
Mercedes reserve driver Nyck de Vries is set to make his Formula One debut in Monza, filling in for Williams' Alex Albon after he was ruled out of contention.
Albon travelled to a local hospital for treatment for appendicitis on Saturday and it was announced he would not race in the Italian Grand Prix.
Instead, De Vries will drive for Williams in his place in an opportunity for him to impress ahead of a potential spot on the grid in 2023.
"Williams Racing can confirm that, after feeling unwell this morning and seeking medical advice from the FIA and local hospital, Alex Albon is now undergoing treatment for appendicitis," the team's statement said.
"Following on from this, we can confirm that the team's reserve driver Nyck de Vries will drive in place of Alex for the remainder of the Italian Grand Prix weekend.
"Alex is in good spirits and the team wishes him a speedy recovery."
De Vries had already been involved in the week's events at Monza, driving for Aston Martin in the first free practice session, and has said he feels he deserves an opportunity to drive next season.
"Obviously, it's a dream and I think I would deserve a chance, but ultimately it's not up to me to decide a driver line-up," he told reporters.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has also previously backed De Vries for a seat in 2023, though conceded he is unable to help and the team may have to let him go with George Russell and Lewis Hamilton on their books.
"If we are not able to provide him [De Vries] with an interesting Formula One project, in a way we need to let him go," he told Sky Sports during the French Grand Prix weekend.
"He's looking at various options - sportscars and maybe Formula E, but you must never give up on the opportunity that one day a Formula One door can open. He has been very good and I can't really help him."
Alpine, Williams, Haas, Alfa Romeo and AlphaTauri are all yet to confirm their full driver line-up for 2023, leaving five spots on the grid.
Carlos Alcaraz will "give everything" to win the US Open and become world number one as he prepares to face Casper Ruud in Sunday's final.
Alcaraz overcame home favourite Frances Tiafoe in a thrilling five-set semi-final at Flushing Meadows on Friday, winning 6-7 (6-8) 6-3 6-1 6-7 (5-7) 6-3.
The 19-year-old will take on Ruud for the title after the Norwegian beat Karen Khachanov in four sets earlier in the day.
The honour of becoming world number one will also be on the line for both, after current holder Daniil Medvedev was eliminated in the round of 16 by Nick Kyrgios.
Speaking on-court after his victory against a spirited Tiafoe, Alcaraz said: "To be honest in the semi-final of a grand slam you have to give everything.
"We have to fight until the last ball. It doesn't matter if we are fighting for five hours, six hours. It doesn't matter. You have to give everything on court. Frances gave everything on court. This is amazing."
The winner of Sunday's final will seal his first career grand slam, while Alcaraz will create history if he wins as it will make him the youngest world number one since the ATP rankings began in 1973.
It will be the Spaniard's first grand slam final, while his opponent appeared in a losing effort to Rafael Nadal in June's French Open final.
Alcaraz will need to recover from his third consecutive five-set match at the US Open, but insisted he will "give everything" to win.
"It's amazing to be able to fight for big things. First time in the final of a grand slam. I can see the number one in the world, but at the same time it's so far away," Alcaraz added.
"I have one more to go against a player who is unbelievable. He deserves to play a final. He played the final of a grand slam in Roland Garros. This is my first time.
"I'm going to give everything that I have. I will have to handle the nerves of being in a final of a grand slam, but obviously I'm really, really happy and as I said before every match, I'm going to enjoy the moment."
Frances Tiafoe insisted he will return and win the US Open "one day" after coming up short in an enthralling five-set semi-final against Carlos Alcaraz.
The home favourite won the first and fourth sets on tie breaks, only to lose the decider as his 19-year-old opponent sealed a 6-7 (6-8) 6-3 6-1 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 victory on Friday.
Tiafoe was emotional after his loss as an appreciative crowd at Flushing Meadows acknowledged his efforts.
"I gave everything I had," he said during his on-court interview. "Too good from Carlos tonight.
"I gave everything I had for the last two weeks. I came here wanting to win the US Open and I feel I let you guys down."
The 24-year-old had an impressive run in the tournament, beating higher seeds Diego Schwartzman, Rafael Nadal and Andrey Rublev to reach the final four.
"This one hurts. This one really, really hurts," he added. "Too good from Carlos, you're gonna win a lot of grand slams, you're a hell of a player, hell of a person.
"I'm happy I got to share the court and such a big stage with you.
"I'm going to come back and I will win this thing one day. I'm sorry guys."
Alcaraz will face Casper Ruud in Sunday's final after the Norwegian beat Karen Khachanov in four sets in Friday's other semi-final.
The NBA is expected to raise the salary cap by over $10million for the 2023-24 season, while also increasing the tax level.
The salary cap for the upcoming 2022-23 season has been set at $123.65m, with a tax level of $150.26m.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the league told teams on Friday that the cap is projected to rise to $134m, and the tax level to $162m, a significant rise.
It is also around $1m higher than previous projections made by the NBA in June.
The new NBA season gets underway on October 18 when the Boston Celtics host the Philadelphia 76ers.
One of the most chaotic lead-ups to a UFC pay-per-view card culminated with the three top-billed fights all swapping opponents, with Nate Diaz now facing Tony Ferguson in the main event of UFC 279 on Saturday night.
UFC president Dana White already had called it an unprecedented situation when he was forced to cancel the traditional fighters' press conference on Thursday due to an uncontrollable brawl backstage between multiple fighters and their entourages, before further shenanigans took place at the weigh-ins.
Needing to weigh within one pound of the 170lbs welterweight limit, Khamzat Chimaev – in his first main event – came in at a staggering 178.5lbs, missing weight by seven-and-a-half pounds.
While fighters are given an extra hour to try and shed the extra weight – usually one or two pounds at the most – Chimaev was so far away that there was no point, all but cancelling his fight against Diaz as he refused to concede the massive advantage to his already favoured opponent.
While a few pounds may not seem like it would decide an outcome, competitors who have missed weight have been known to thrive on fight night due to the fact they did not have to drain themselves all the way down to the required number.
It raises questions about the validity of cutting weight at all, with other promotions such as top Asian brand ONE Championship outright banning the practice by forcing fighters to pass hydration tests in the lead up to the fight to ensure they are not dangerously dehydrated in the effort to shed the last few pounds.
With the main event off, the call was made to Ferguson to step in on short notice, having been booked in the co-main event against Li Jingliang.
With Ferguson making the weight at 170lbs and accepting the bump up to the main event – and almost certainly a significant pay increase to save the card – it left Li without a fight.
So, with Chimaev still willing to fight at a higher weight, he will now face Kevin Holland, with those two said to be at the centre of the backstage scuffle that ended the press conference. Holland had been preparing for a catchweight bout at 180lbs against Daniel Rodriguez, so he will not be outweighed by Chimaev when they contest the new co-main event.
That left Li and Rodriguez as the two remaining fighters to match up, but the problem is that Li had weighed in at 170, and Rodriguez came in at 180. In an Instagram post, Li said it is "no problem", and accepted the extremely tough upgraded opponent.
The Tampa Bay Rays welcomed back star shortstop Wander Franco to the lineup after a two-month injury absence, and he returned in style with three hits in a 4-2 road win against the New York Yankees on Friday.
Franco, 21, was rewarded for his stellar rookie season with an 11-year, $182million contract extension, but his second year has been derailed by a fracture in his wrist before finally getting the all-clear Friday morning.
Batting second in the Rays' lineup, Franco hit a double in his first at-bat, and after a pop-out in the second inning, he stepped back to the plate in the fourth frame and doubled again. A single in the sixth inning would complete a three-for-five day at the plate, with two runs scored and two RBIs.
Also going three-for-five at the plate with two doubles and two RBIs was Franco's teammate Randy Arozarena, with the duo combining to drive in all of the Rays' runs.
They had some breathing room early thanks to an excellent start on the mound by Drew Rasmussen, who held the Yankees scoreless through the first six innings, finishing with 10 strikeouts while only allowing six hits and no walks.
An Aaron Judge single in the seventh frame, after Rasmussen had been pulled, gave the Yankees their first run of the contest, with a Kyle Higashioka home run in the ninth proving to be a consolation.
For Judge, the AL MVP favourite, the RBI was his 119th of the season, which is 10 more than any other player. He also has 19 more home runs than any other player (55) and 36 more total bases than any other player (339).
With the win, the Rays have cut the Yankees' lead in the AL East to three-and-a-half games, and they will play twice more over the weekend.
Bo Bichette's bat stays hot
Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette is in the midst of one his best ever hot streaks with the bat, hitting his fifth home run from his past four games in his side's 4-3 win against the Texas Rangers.
Bichette, 24, had three home runs on Monday against the Baltimore Orioles, and followed it up with a home run the very next day in a game where he went four-for-five at the plate.
Against the Rangers, Bichette opened the scoring with an RBI ground ball in the first inning, and in his next at-bat, he took advantage of star teammate Vladimir Guerrero Jr getting on base and knocked a ball 385 feet over the right-field wall.
Bichette now has five home runs from his past 18 at-bats, after totaling 18 homers from his first 536 at-bats his season.
Cron launches the season's longest home run
C.J. Cron hit a ball he will never forget as his Colorado Rockies defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 13-10 in a high-scoring shootout.
In a game with eight home runs – with six of them traveling at least 418 feet in the altitude-assisted Coors Field – one stood above the rest as Cron connected on a 504-foot nuke to left-field.
It is the longest home run this season, and ties him for the 10th-longest home run ever recorded.
UFC 279's scheduled main event between Nate Diaz and Khamzat Chimaev is in doubt after the latter missed weight by 7.5 pounds on the eve of the fight.
Chimaev and Diaz are scheduled to go toe-to-toe on Saturday in Las Vegas but that bout is in jeopardy after the Swedish fighter hit the scales at 178.5 pounds, above the non-title welterweight limit of 171 pounds – which Diaz weighed at.
Further complicating the matter is the fact 37-year-old Diaz will become a free agent following the weekend, with Saturday's fight scheduled as his last with UFC, and it is unknown what would happen with his contract if the fight was cancelled.
It continues a week that has been far from what UFC planned, with Thursday's press conference having been cancelled after Chimaev got into a skirmish with Kevin Holland, who is due to face Daniel Rodriguez on the card.
Co-main event fighters Tony Ferguson and Li Jingliang both made weight for their bout, with Holland and Rodriguez also meeting weight.
With the main card featuring four fights outside of Chimaev v Diaz, the show could go ahead without the main event, though Ferguson has been touted to fight Diaz instead.
A further eight bouts are scheduled on the early preliminary card and the preliminary card.
Casper Ruud called facing off against Carlos Alcaraz in the US Open final with the world number one ranking also on the line "the ideal situation" after successfully navigating the challenge of Karen Khachanov in Friday's semi-final.
Ruud needed just over three hours to defeat the Russian 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 5-7 6-2, becoming the first Norwegian man to ever reach the US Open final.
With Alcaraz outlasting Frances Tiafoe in a five-set battle of attrition, the 23-year-old Ruud and 19-year-old Alcaraz will both be seeking their first ever grand slam title in Sunday's decider.
Speaking to the media before Alcaraz's match, Ruud said he hoped it would be the Spaniard who made it through so they could play off for the number one ranking.
"I think what's most fair is if we both reach the final and whoever wins the final reaches the world number one," he said. "That would be, I think, the ideal situation."
He then dove into some strategy about what it takes to beat the teenage sensation, saying "I will seek my revenge" for the two losses he has suffered at the hands of Alcaraz in Miami and Marbella this season, both in straight sets.
"I think if I want to beat Carlos, I'll need to play very precise with all the shots that I hit," he said. "Especially trying to keep him a little bit further back in the court, to play with good depth and length on all my shots.
"If he steps in, he can do anything with the ball. He can rip a winner. He also has great touch with the dropshot. I think he has one of the best dropshots on tour. He can do both shots back and forth, it will sort of get you off guard sometimes with the dropshot.
"If you play with good depth and good length, it's tougher to hit dropshots. That will be something that I will try to focus on.
"We're playing for the tournament and also to be world number one – of course, there will be nerves and we will both feel it.
"I hope it will be a good match. He has beaten me a couple times and I will seek my revenge."
One advantage Ruud will have over Alcaraz is the fact that this is not his first rodeo, having made the French Open final this year where he lost to Rafael Nadal, but he feels that experience can only help him.
"I mean, Roland Garros, the final, [Nadal] obviously gave me a good beating," he said.
"After the final I said, If I ever reach one again, I hope it is not Rafa on the other side of the court in Roland Garros because it's sort of an impossible task I think for any player. I'm happy that it's not Rafa on clay.
"I hope it can have prepared me a little bit. At least I know a little bit of what I'm facing when I'm stepping on the court, seeing the trophy on the back of the court, seeing tons of celebrities.
"Even in Roland Garros, there was royal families there watching. That was a little bit of a new experience for me – I hope I can be more ready for that on Sunday."
Carlos Alcaraz is having a remarkable breakthrough season, and he has a chance to put an exclamation point on it after defeating Frances Tiafoe 6-7 (6-8) 6-3 6-1 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 in Friday's US Open semi-final.
It will be 19-year-old Alcaraz's first appearance in a grand slam final, and with a win against Casper Ruud he will also become the youngest world number one in men's tennis history, beating out Lleyton Hewitt (20 years and nine months old) by over a year.
In a tight first set where both players failed to capitalise on their break point opportunities, Tiafoe saved an Alcaraz set point to force the tiebreaker, where he would finally secure the opening frame with the fourth set point of his own.
With such fine margins deciding the outcomes, some sloppy serving would flip the script in the second set. After Tiafoe had no double faults in the first and Alcaraz had three, it was Alcaraz cleaning things up to post zero for the rest of the match.
Meanwhile, Tiafoe had a pair of costly double faults in the second, which ultimately led to the only break in the set, as Alcaraz converted one of his four opportunities, while saving the three break points he faced.
Tiafoe's vaunted serve continued to meltdown in the third frame, dropping his first-serve accuracy from 67 per cent to 30 per cent, which led to him winning just 35 per cent (seven-of-20) of his service points as Alcaraz lifted.
Alcaraz needed only 34 minutes to wrap up the third set, thanks in large part to Tiafoe committing 12 unforced errors with only six winners, as the Spaniard finished the set with just one ace and four winners.
As the double faults and unforced errors faded away, Tiafoe rediscovered the kind of form and fight that saw him stylishly handle the challenge of Rafael Nadal earlier this week. Tiafoe and Alcaraz traded breaks in four consecutive games in the fourth set, with the American having to save a match point to force another tiebreaker where he would prevail.
But Alcaraz would not be denied, grabbing a crucial break in the opening game of the fifth set, and when Tiafoe snatched it back, his joy was short-lived as Alcaraz re-broke in the very next game to-love, and once more to finish the match.
Data Slam: Alcaraz way ahead of schedule
If he defeats Ruud in the final, Alcaraz will become the second-youngest men's US Open champion ever at 19 years and four months old, trailing only Pete Sampras (19 years, 28 days).
Both the third and fourth-youngest champions – Oliver Campbell (19 years, six months) and Richard Sears (19 years, 10 months) – won their titles in the late-1800s.
ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS
Alcaraz - 6/3
Tiafoe - 15/6
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Alcaraz - 59/37
Tiafoe - 51/52
BREAK POINTS WON
Alcaraz - 9/20
Tiafoe - 3/7
The Tampa Bay Rays activated star shortstop Wander Franco from the injured list on Friday as they begin their biggest series of the season against the New York Yankees.
Franco, 21, last played July 9 and went on the injured list the next day with a right hamate bone injury that required surgery.
He was batting second in Friday night’s series opener at New York with Tampa Bay trying to cut into a four-and-a-half game deficit in the American League East.
"We're excited to get him back here. He's such a big part of our club,'' Rays manager Kevin Cash said. ''He makes us better in the lineup. He makes us better defensively, and we'll just see how it goes.''
Franco has battled two separate injuries this season, also missing nearly all of June with a strained right quadriceps. He is batting .260 with five home runs and 23 RBIs in 58 games this season.
"I'd be shocked if he doesn't feel it. He's going to feel it,'' Cash said. ''I don't think that'll go away until maybe next spring training rolls around. It's a surgery that removed a bone so it makes sense that he's feeling it. Now it's just how he can manage it and how we can help him manage it.''
Franco is amongst the game’s brightest young stars and agreed to an $182million, 11-year contract in November after he finished third in AL Rookie of the Year voting.
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