Friendship bracelets have become a concert tradition for Taylor Swift fans. During concerts, Swifties arrive with stacks of beaded bracelets decorating their wrists to trade with other fans in attendance. The bracelets themselves feature colorful beads, different song titles, and other personal touches.
It’s a movement that has been going on since March 2023 when the Eras Tour began. And now, Caitlin Clark is bringing that tradition to the basketball court with her new Swift-inspired “Friendship Bracelet” colorway.
Clark debuted the sneakers during Indiana Fever practice, giving fans a closer look at the newest colorway for her Nike Caitlin 1 signature shoe.
The sneaker features colorful beads worked into the fuzzy rope laces that spell out “CC 22,” a beads graphic is printed in the insole, and there’s an off-white upper with pastel color undertones completing the look.
Earlier this month, the three-time WNBA All-Star already teased that she had a “couple of versions” that Swift may like. It should come as no surprise that Clark would pay homage to the music star, being the ultimate Swiftie herself and becoming close friends with the pop star. She’s even been spotted hanging out with the Berks Co. native, who married Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce earlier this summer, at Kelce’s games.
Clark debuted her signature sneaker this season and has already revealed over 10 different colorways, including the “Racer Blue,” “Yellow Zest,” and “University of Iowa.”
The Eagles will take the field for their final preseason game Friday night, but the broadcast will look and feel different for Birds fans.
For starters, the game isn’t airing on NBC10, which has broadcast Eagles preseason games since 2015. Instead, the game will air nationally on CBS, with veteran play-by-player Andrew Catalon calling the action.
In theory, that means Birds fans won’t get a hometown TV broadcast and will also hear about backup Cincinnati Bengals players all night. But Catalon, who also calls Buffalo Bills preseason games, will be joined in the booth by regular Eagles preseason announcer Ross Tucker, so expect a fair amount of focus on the Birds’ backups.
“Doing Bills preseason games for as long as I have, I don’t really focus on the other teams,” Catalon said. “But that’s why I think having Ross is a huge plus for us … You’ll have someone who’s been at Eagles practice every day.”
Andrew Catalon (left) called NFL games last season on CBS alongside Jason McCourty and Charles Davis.CBS
That’s not to say Catalon hasn’t done his research. The New Jersey native can normally fit the names and information on all the players on a manilla folder, front and back. For Friday’s game, which could see more than 160 players take the field, Catalon will be walking into the booth with a giant poster board with information.
Like everyone else, Catalon is most interested to see rookie defenders Uar Bernard and Joshua Weru, dubbed by defensive coordinator Vic Fangio as the Birds’ “foreign exchange students,” because of how new they are to football.
“They’re both tremendous stories,” Catalon said. “I’m fascinated after the game how Howie Roseman’s going to deal with them. Do you expose them to waivers or not?”
Catalon isn’t stressed about the game or working with Tucker for the first time — Catalon has had five different broadcast partners the last six seasons, so he’s used to a shuffling crew. What he’s most worried about is getting from Buffalo to Philadelphia on Friday without major delays.
“I don’t typically travel the day of the game,” Catalon said, “but [sideline reporter] AJ Ross and I will be doing that because we got the Bills-Steelers game Thursday night.”
While Catalon has only ever called a handful of Eagles games, he’s been around Philly a lot the past few months to call the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club and some men’s NCAA championship games at Xfinity Mobile Arena alongside Steve Lappas. He’s also not trekking too far away following the game.
“My parents live down in Point Pleasant,” Catalon said. “So I’ll be at the Shore not too long after that final horn sounds.”
Eagles-Bengals preseason TV and radio details
When: Friday, Aug. 28
Where: Lincoln Financial Field
Time: 8 p.m.
TV: CBS (Andrew Catalon, Ross Tucker, AJ Ross)
Radio: 94.1 WIP (Merrill Reese, Mike Quick)
Where can I stream the Eagles-Bengals preseason game?
Friday’s game will be free to stream on the Eagles app and PhiladelphiaEagles.com if you live in the Philadelphia or Cincinnati TV market.
The game will also stream on any so-called skinny bundle that carries CBS, including YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV. Most offer a free trial. You can also stream it on Paramount+, the network’s subscription streaming service.
CBS3 is also available for free in and around Philadelphia using a digital antenna.
Fans can also stream the game on NFL+, the league streaming service. It’ll set you back $6.99 a month, though there is a free seven-day trial.
Live Eagles coverage from The Inquirer
Staff writers Jeff McLane, Olivia Reiner, Ryan Novozinsky, and Jeff Neiburg will be covering the action live on GameDay Central. Notes and observations about the game will be at Inquirer.com/Eagles. Don’t forget to subscribe to our free Sports Daily newsletter.
Eagles GM Howie Roseman signs autographs before the team’s first preseason game.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
NFL teams have been able to keep their rosters at 90 players throughout the preseason. But that will end Sunday, with the Eagles and every other team must cut their rosters down to 53-players.
In addition to the 53-man active roster, the Eagles will be able to carry up to 16 players on their practice squad.
Luke Butler’s introduction to the idiosyncrasies of Phillies fans came on Aug. 10, 1999. He was 11 years old, sitting in the upper bowl of Veterans Stadium with his mother, Martha, and one of her friends.
The two women were there to see Mark McGwire, but Butler was locked in on another St. Louis Cardinal. Or rather, what spectators were throwing at him.
It was J.D. Drew’s first game in Philadelphia since he’d rejected the Phillies’ attempts to sign him in 1997, choosing instead to reenter the MLB draft the following year.
While roaming center field in the eighth inning, an irate Philadelphian flung a roll of toilet paper in Drew’s direction. Then, another irate Philadelphian hurled two D-cell batteries.
The middle schooler was understandably unsettled. Nevertheless, the moment stuck.
“The spunky surreality of being a Phillies fan … I feel like the seeds were really planted on that night,” he said.
Butler’s awareness of his comrades’ quirks only increased from there. As he grew up around the Vet, and eventually, Citizens Bank Park, he continued to witness fan groups like the Wolf Pack and Padilla Flotilla.
Once, in 2004, Butler and his friends wore matching yellow T-shirts that said “Keith Jones, Corn Boy” on the front, as a nod to the WIP Morning Show host who had a farm in South Jersey.
This group was a little too obscure to become popular. But 22 years later, during the team’s most recent homestand, Butler’s maize-fueled fandom finally caught on.
More ears of the corn, in the stands, at a Phillies game last week.Photo courtesy of Luke Butler
The stalks seemed to have a sagelike effect; after back-to-back losing series, the Phillies were suddenly playing as well as ever.
Once the team won their next two games in Minnesota, superstitious fans joked about bringing corn to the ballpark. Butler was one of the few who actually did.
“You could say my relationship with corn and the Phillies is actually like 20 years old,” he said. “We didn’t bring corn [in 2004]. But this was an extension of that, you could say.”
Butler, who works for the city’s health department, stopped at Reading Terminal Market before last Monday’s game against the Marlins. He bought an 80-cent ear from Iovine Brothers, tucked it into his bag, next to his score book, and drove to South Philly.
The security guards at the gate on Darien Street played along.
“The guy searching my bag was like, ‘Oh man, I got to take your ear of corn,’” Butler recalled. “And I was just like, ‘All right, well, the bit is up.’ And then he just looks at me, and he’s like, ‘I’m just messing with you. You’re good.’”
Less-online fans were predictably confused by Butler’s husked talisman. But the Phillies edged the Marlins, 6-5, despite a late rally from Miami, so the fan decided to bring it back on Tuesday.
This tradition continued for the entire six-game homestand. Butler was at the ballpark every day, corn in hand, often bringing extra ears for friends and family. He said he would wave the corn during pivotal moments, “like a smudge stick or a sage,” and just “rattle it around.”
Butler, his friends, and his mother were standing in front of Ashburn Alley, pointing the maize toward home plate. They watched as Bryce Harper doubled, J.T. Realmuto singled, Justin Crawford walked, and Edmundo Sosa drove them all home with a two-out double.
Then, Schwarber provided a finale too good to be scripted. As he stepped up to the plate, Butler lifted his ear to the sky, and yelled, “Kyle, hit it to the corn!”
The Phillies slugger obliged, crushing a 459-foot walk-off home run that cleared the batter’s eye, to cap a 6-4 win against St. Louis.
“It looked like a howitzer,” Butler said. “We were all fist-pumping the corn and jumping. It was a little — obviously can’t say it full-on — but it was a little like ‘Bedlam at the Bank.’ Pandemonium.”
As the crowd dispersed, Butler walked to the railing overlooking the bushes and trees. He bent over, peered between the bars, and tossed the ear into the batter’s eye.
“It was weary,” Butler said. “It was asking to go. But it also felt like, this wild, amazing energy of this streak connected to the Field of Dreams; now that ear of corn is always in the trees.
“We’ll have more [corn]. We’ll have fun with it. We’ll let it grow and evolve as it wants. But the original one is [there].”
After Kyle Schwarber hit his walk-off home run on Sunday, Luke Butler and his mother, Martha, paid a visit to Harry Kalas, ears in hand.Photo courtesy of Luke Butler)
He left his two other ears at the grave site of longtime broadcaster Harry Kalas in Laurel Hill Cemetery, to commemorate a “magical homestand that he would have loved.”
The lifelong Phillies fan was hoping his team would continue its winning streak out west, and offered to bring a “U-Haul full to the brim with corn” if they did.
But regardless of what happens throughout the rest of this Phillies road trip, Butler will be back at Citizens Bank Park next homestand, armed with his favorite vegetable.
And who knows? Perhaps that original ear will live on; a symbolic slice of heaven, far from Iowa.
“The dream would be that the seeds are fertilized,” Butler said. “And that next summer, people are like, ‘How in the hell is there corn growing in center field?’”
The Ennoble Care Philly Open at Penn gave Radnor High School tennis players a chance to experience professional tennis up close. For some, it was their first time.
Jannie Lau and her husband, Todd Longsworth, sponsored a day at the tournament. Lau went to law school with Ashley Lunkenheimer, one of the co-founders of the Philadelphia Sisters, the group that has advocated for bringing a WNBA team to Philadelphia and expanding professional women’s sports in the city.
Lau wanted to support that mission. Rather than use the sponsorship tickets, signage, and other branding opportunities for themselves, Lau and Longsworth donated them to Radnor’s tennis program so players and their families could attend the tournament.
Lau’s daughter, Ridley Longsworth, plays for Radnor, and both of her children have been involved with the tennis program. She saw the tournament as an opportunity for the players to watch some of the best women’s tennis players in the world while also seeing the broader impact of women excelling in professional sports.
“Obviously, these are the most talented female professional players in the world, but just the trickle-down effect of seeing women like that succeed at that level in pro sports and all the research that shows that girls who participate in organized sports, especially team sports, even if it’s just at the high school level, teaches them all these soft skills that are so important for them no matter what career or industry they eventually go into,” Lau said.
For Lau, the lessons high school athletes learn from tennis go beyond the court. She said the discipline, leadership, and teamwork girls can develop through organized sports, and seeing successful female athletes, can help young players envision themselves in similar positions.
Radnor High School tennis players watch a match during the Philly Open on Wednesday.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
“I think all of that is the benefit of immersing our young women in this world where they feel comfortable, where they see themselves being represented,” she said. “I feel like that’s going to pay dividends for them, whether they play tennis in college or ever again.”
Kim Kent, who’s in her third year coaching Radnor’s tennis program, often tells her players, “Who you are on the court is who you are in life.”
“When you’re on the court, have really good sportsmanship, make the right calls,” she said. “The type of person you bring to your competition is who you are and what your reputation is.”
Radnor’s tennis program watched the single and doubles matches on Wednesday morning.
Luci L’Oiseau, a rising senior who started playing tennis right after the COVID-19 pandemic, enjoyed the crowd’s energy and seeing how players hold the racket during the serve.
“It’s one thing when you’re like behind a screen watching it on TV or your phone, but when you’re actually there it’s like you can feel every shot and every movement and it’s so interactive even as an audience member,” she said.
Julia Grabher, a professional player from Austria who is ranked No. 114 in singles, spoke with the Radnor team on Wednesday about her prematch routine, mentality on the court during a match and her experience as a professional player.
“It was definitely cool being able to talk face-to-face with her and get an inside view on what it’s like to be a pro player,” rising sophomore Emily Takefman said. “It seems like a really hard life but I think it’s cool to see she clearly loves what she’s doing.”
Naphtali Slaim (right), asks Julia Grabher a question during a Q&A session Wednesday.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Grabher defeated Ashlyn Krueger, who advanced to the Round of 16 at Wimbledon last month, to advance to the quarterfinals on Tuesday.
The tournament also gave Radnor’s doubles partners and rising juniors Siena Gurk and Emma Jean an opportunity to watch and learn the strategies used at the professional level.
“I especially liked watching the doubles and seeing how the partners after every point, win or lose, they would shake hands and tell each other ‘we got this.’ Just like keeping that motivation up and being there for each other,” Jean said. “It’s really easy to get frustrated when you’re losing and at such a high level it would be really easy for them to take it out on each other, but like they stick together.”
Kent emphasizes to her players that tennis really is a mental sport, so Gurk focused on watching how players handled their emotions during matches.
“For me the biggest takeaway was really their mentalities,” Gurk said. “There would be games that we would watch, especially the first singles match where a player would be down like a couple games and a couple points, and after every point they really just reset and got back on the court and come back with the same amount of energy every single time. That was really inspiring because — especially when we’re really younger and haven’t had as much professional coaching — obviously it can be difficult when you’re down to figure out what to do in that situation and to keep yourself positive.”
This is the first time professional women’s tennis has returned to the Philadelphia area in more than two decades. For L’Oiseau, it was important to see Philadelphia welcome women’s sports.
“In any sort of activity, whether it’s sports or other extracurriculars, it’s super important to have representation,” she said. “I can speak to that definitely as a woman and especially as a woman of color. You don’t always see people that look like you when you’re playing, but I think it’s really nice to know that other women are paving the path for me to be able to follow in their footsteps one day. So that definitely brings me comfort and confidence and it’s always good for girls to support girls.”
“He’s impressive,” interim manager Don Mattingly said Wednesday — before Harper slugged a two-run homer and leaped to make a catch at the right field wall in the first inning of a sweep-averting 6-0 victory over the Mariners. “This section of time has been as good as we’ve seen all year.”
Nine years, actually. Harper hasn’t reached base in 50% of his plate appearances in a month since April 2017 with the Nationals. His best month with the Phillies came in September 2021, when he reached at a .452 clip and sealed his second National League MVP award.
And, now, he’s doing it while readjusting to right field.
But that’s all for another day. The Phillies’ objective in a midweek matinee here was to pocket a victory and move on to Anaheim. Considering they arrived on the rocket fuel of a nine-game winning streak — punctuated by a six-run ninth-inning comeback at home Sunday — and fell pancake-flat in the first two games, it was almost an imperative.
Consider, then, the magnitude of Harper’s first inning.
Bryce Harper is hitting .338 in August.Lindsey Wasson
Not only did he take a vintage swing at a 98-mph heater from Mariners starter Bryan Woo and drive it the other way to left-center field for a two-run homer, but his catch at the wall took extra bases from Julio Rodríguez.
Talk about a tone-setter.
“Haven’t done that in a while,” said Harper, who moved back to right field three weeks ago after not playing the position since 2022. “It’s pretty cool to get back there and do that again. Felt pretty smooth, pretty relaxed on it. So, hopefully I can keep that going and feeling good out there.”
Jesús Luzardo didn’t need much more than a 2-0 lead and Harper’s helping hand. The lefty had no-hit stuff — and didn’t allow one until Jhonny Pereda’s two-out single in the fifth inning. It was the only hit against Luzardo in seven innings.
Don’t look now, but Luzardo has been the Phillies’ best starter since mid-May. In his last 19 starts, he has a 2.11 ERA. And with his fourth-inning strikeout of Cal Raleigh, he reached 200 strikeouts for the second season in a row.
“I like strikeouts, for sure,” Luzardo said. “It’s a nice accomplishment. But at the end of the day, I think the win is nicer.”
The Phillies usually win behind Luzardo. They’re 19-8 overall in his starts, including 5-0 this month and 15-2 in his last 17. And he dominated the Mariners. Riding his fastball and signature sweeping slider, he got 18 swings and misses and racked up nine strikeouts.
Most significantly, he halted the team’s two-game skid and kept the Phillies in possession of the second NL wild card, two games clear of the Padres, and three games clear of the Diamondbacks.
Phillies lefty Jesús Luzardo has a 2.11 ERA in his last 19 starts.Lindsey Wasson
“I think that was kind of the goal today,” Luzardo said. “The offense came out hungry, and my job was to go out and put a stop to the losing. I think that everyone that goes out there has the same mentality, especially after a loss. Everyone wants to be the guy that stops it and puts us back on track.”
But it’s Harper, the Face of the Franchise, who has put the Phillies on his shoulders this month with a laser-focused plate approach. While most of his teammates struggled, especially against tough Mariners starters Logan Gilbert and George Kirby, Harper went 6-for-11 in the series. He has reached base in 29 consecutive games, a career-long streak.
Harper didn’t feel much like talking about it after the game — “I don’t want to get into depth,” he said — in part because he can’t totally explain it.
But Schwarber found a way to put it into stark perspective.
“Every time that he steps up to the plate, we don’t ever feel like there’s going to be a negative result,” he said. “And I feel like that’s a really high compliment. Because whenever that pitcher sees him step in, he knows that, if he makes a mistake, he’s able to do something with that mistake and also just stay locked into what he wants to do.”
No less than Mattingly, himself with a .307 lifetime batting average and “The Hitman” moniker, is slack-jawed by Harper’s month.
“With the on-base, with the swings, and just staying with it — no matter the score, no matter the game, the at-bats are good — it’s been really good,” Mattingly said. “I don’t know how much you guys appreciate what he really does and how long he’s been doing it, but it’s impressive.”
SEATTLE — Kyle Schwarber is the charter member of the 40-Homer Club this season.
What, you expected someone else?
Schwarber, only the most prolific slugger in the National League since 2022, became the majors’ first player to get to 40 home runs with a three-run 425-footer to right-center field in the second inning of the Phillies’ 6-0 victory over the Mariners here Wednesday.
It’s the second season in a row that Schwarber reached the 40-homer mark. He led the NL last season with a career-high 56 homers. He hit 46 and 47, respectively, in his first two seasons with the Phillies.
“Obviously it’s a good thing because that means you’re hopefully producing runs for your team,” said Schwarber, tied with the Yankees’ Aaron Judge for the most homers (227) since the beginning of the 2022 season. “But it’s not about going out there and trying to achieve and or attain a certain number. I think it’s just more trying to stack as many at-bats as you can to keep trying to help the team win.”
Kyle Schwarber (12) was the first player to reach 30 and 40 home runs this season.Lindsey Wasson
Schwarber, who has 380 career homers, was also the first player to 30 homers this season. But his pace cooled considerably through the summer as he dealt with a sore lower back.
After snapping a drought of 78 plate appearances without a homer on Aug. 9, Schwarber has seven homers in 75 plate appearances over his last 16 games.
The Flyers’ offseason was highlighted by the massive acquisition they almost made rather than any of the moves team completed.
After catching lightning in a bottle last spring and riding that wave all the way to the second round of the playoffs, the Flyers went for broke this offseason — almost literally — by tendering a $90 million offer sheet to budding star Leo Carlsson. While the bold act firmly announced the Flyers’ ambitions and eagerness to become a contender again, it ultimately fell flat as the Anaheim Ducks matched the offer and retained their prized youngster.
Not landing Carlsson means the Flyers’ offseason, at least to this point, has amounted to upgrading the backup goalie spot with Joseph Woll, adding a bottom-pair bruiser in Simon Benoit, and bolstering the fourth line with 34-year-old Noel Acciari. Nice depth adds, sure, but hardly the needle-movers you’d expect for an up-and-coming team looking to build on the momentum from its first non-COVID playoff run in eight years.
Instead, general manager Danny Brière and the Flyers are banking on internal improvements from young players being enough for the Flyers to repeat — or better — last year’s success in what should be an improved Metropolitan Division that already includes the Stanley Cup-winning Carolina Hurricanes. Will that gamble pay off? Here are five players the Flyers will need more from if they are to avoid taking a step back.
1. Matvei Michkov, RW
No surprise here. Michkov will be looking to rebound from a sophomore season that saw him start slow, face public criticism for his conditioning, and clash with coach Rick Tocchet. Michkov’s play was markedly better post-Olympic break — 22 points in 26 games — but he struggled mightily in the playoffs, culminating with him being benched for the Flyers’ playoff finale.
Michkov expressed in May that he wasn’t happy with his season overall and acknowledged that he needed to work harder this summer. To his credit, it appears he’s followed through. He was spotted on the ice in Voorhees the day after exit interviews and participated in a renowned summer training group in Russia with NHL players like Artemi Panarin. He looks considerably leaner based on pictures that have surfaced on social media in recent months.
Panarin, Sergachev, Michkov, Lyubushkin, Kuzmenko, Podkolzin, Khusnutdinov. NHL players are training together under the guidance of Dmitry Yashankin pic.twitter.com/BctASqMF2L
When you consider the 21-year-old finished with 20 goals and 51 points in a down year, with a better offseason of training and added motivation, the sky really seems to be the limit for the Russian winger. Brière, Tocchet, and Co. are expecting a “vengeance tour” from Michkov in 2026-27 as they seek a second consecutive playoff berth.
2. Jamie Drysdale, RHD
After a couple of underwhelming years split between Anaheim and Philadelphia, Drysdale took a major step forward last season and flashed glimpses of the skill set that made him the No. 6 overall pick in the 2020 draft. But is there even more meat on the bone?
Drysdale’s biggest progression last season came defensively, as he cleaned up some of his poor habits and became a more reliable defender. He improved his plus-minus from minus-32 to minus-3 and set career highs in average ice time (21:33) and goals (eight), while also equaling his career best of 32 points.
With a sturdier defensive foundation and a new four-year, $26 million contract to boot, the Flyers will hope a more confident Drysdale can take another step offensively and channel his effortless skating and puck-moving ability into increased production. While many expected the Flyers to add a proven power-play quarterback this summer to address the last-ranked unit, the team did not, meaning Drysdale likely will get the first crack at the point. The Flyers will need to click at a much higher rate than 15.7% with the man-advantage if they are to remain a playoff contender, and Drysdale grabbing the PP1 job with both hands would go a long way toward that aim.
3. Porter Martone, RW
After a banner collegiate season at Michigan State, the 2025 first-round pick didn’t miss a beat once he signed with the Flyers on March 29. Martone racked up six goals and 15 points in 19 games (including playoffs) down the stretch and, at 19 years old, was consistently among the Flyers’ most noticeable skaters during the postseason.
While the burgeoning power forward is still just scratching the surface of his immense potential, he showcased the skill set and moxie of a player who looks destined for stardom. The question now will be how quickly Martone can make that leap to become a top-of-the-lineup player and whether that can be as soon as this season.
Rookie Porter Martone, 19, has bona fide star potential and doesn’t seem like someone who gets daunted by the moment.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
The Flyers will be wary of heaping too much pressure too soon on the teenager, but Martone looks to have the broad shoulders and mental makeup to handle it. Given Martone’s pedigree as one of the top prospects in all of hockey — The Athletic ranked him No. 3 — the Flyers see having him for a full 84 games as one of their most obvious avenues toward improvement.
4. Tyson Foerster, LW
Amid Dan Vladař’s breakout season, Trevor Zegras’ resurgence, all the drama surrounding Michkov, and the late-season Martone hype train, it was easy to forget that the Flyers played most of last season without one of their top players in Foerster. To make matters worse, the 24-year-old’s arm injury came right as he looked to be breaking out.
Flyers winger Tyson Foerster missed 39 games last year after injuring his arm on a one-timer in early November.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
With 11 goals in 21 games before his injury, on the heels of nine in nine to conclude 2024-25, Foerster was quietly playing at a 40-goal pace for the first quarter of the 2025-26 season. The Flyers rewarded him handsomely this summer with an eight-year, $56.8 million extension that will keep him in Philly until 2035. Now Foerster, who is also one of the top defensive wingers in the league, will need to prove he can live up to his contract and stay healthy, the latter being something he has struggled with to this point of his career.
Foerster has the shooting release to become a consistent 30-goal scorer in this league and should provide a major boost for an offense that ranked 21st in goals last season. If all breaks right, could he even become the Flyers’ first 40-goal scorer since Jeff Carter in 2009?
5. David Jiříček, RHD
The Flyers are going to need a young blueliner to take a major step forward in 2026-27, and the likeliest candidates are Jiříček and Oliver Bonk. Jiříček, who turns 23 in November, will probably get the first chance, given he is almost two years older and, more importantly, no longer waiver-exempt.
Acquired from Minnesota at last year’s trade deadline for Bobby Brink, the 2022 sixth-overall pick is on his third team and is looking to revive his once-promising career. Blessed with great size at 6-foot-4, puck-handling ability, and a booming shot, Jiříček is a worthy gamble for a Flyers team that lacks a true high-end offensive defenseman in its pipeline. The team can also point to its strong recent track record with reclamation projects like Zegras, Drysdale, and Vladař as a reason for optimism.
The Flyers were patient with Jiříček last season as they sent him to the minors to have him rebuild his defensive game and learn the team’s style of play. Now, he will get a chance in training camp to show he’s made the necessary improvements and is finally ready for a full-time NHL role. Jiříček projected as a power-play quarterback when he entered the league, and given the Flyers’ persistent struggles in that area, he should be another option there given his big shot from the point.
“The potential is high … 21-, 22-year-old, 6-foot-4 defensemen of his caliber are tough to find,” Brière said after acquiring Jiříček in March. “We know we have to work with him. … But that’s why I go back to the Jamie Drysdale learning curve. That gives us hope that he can get on the same track and eventually become a difference-maker for us.”
Long fans of David Jiříček going back to his draft year, the Flyers believe they can get the best out of the toolsy defenseman.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
Optimism is generally high this time of year, especially for an Eagles offense that struggled throughout the 2025 season with consistency and continuity. New offensive coordinator Sean Mannion’s offense has shown flashes of encouraging play along with concerning stretches during training camp, but most fans are excited to watch the offense in full when the season kicks off in a few weeks.
For second-round rookie tight end Eli Stowers, the confidence in his potential role this season seems to be far less positive. He hasn’t been a standout player much this preseason, which has caused some angst among fans.
As history has shown with mid-round tight end prospects, the range of outcomes is wide, and most have the same thing in common: They required patience and time to adjust to the NFL game. Very rarely over the last five drafts has a tight end taken after the first round made an immediate impact. Those who have, like the Lions’ Sam LaPorta, Cardinals’ Trey McBride, and Packers’ Tucker Kraft, quickly ascended to become major receiving weapons with in-line blocking ability.
To provide some perspective on what Stowers can ultimately become, here are three buckets the Eagles tight end could fall under at a position that typically requires patience to see the player’s finished product.
Improved in a key area
Dawson Knox, Buffalo Bills
Though Knox and Stowers are different styles of players — Knox was a more rugged run blocker and not quite as explosive of an athlete — they share a similar background. Both were high school quarterbacks who had to learn a new position in college.
Knox walked on at Ole Miss after missing most of his senior high school season, and didn’t get true tight end reps until his junior season. Stowers switched to tight end just three years ago and is still relatively new to the position.
What helped Knox see the field early on in Buffalo was the blocking ability he displayed in college, but his key area of improvement has been his reliability in a passing game where he’s averaged 50 targets across his seven-year career.
Knox’s two highest receiving success rates have come in the last two years, even though his numbers aren’t eye-popping. In Knox, Stowers can see a player that has adapted to the NFL game, and by the Buffalo tight end’s third year — his best statistical season — he became a much more prevalent receiving threat.
Dawson Knox made an impressive catch vs Lions on a ‘gotta have it’ concept from the past. Rather than running the play in short yardage or a ‘gotta have it’ down and distance, Brady busted it out on 2nd down late in the game. The Dart variation & salesmanship were $$ pic.twitter.com/d9xpUnu7ty
We added LaPorta here because since his rookie season, when he exploded for 889 yards on 86 catches and 10 touchdowns, he has continued to add more to his game — including becoming a more reliable in-line blocker, which was a weakness in college. It even showed up early on in his NFL career, especially with one-on-one blocks against defensive ends.
LaPorta was limited to nine games last season because of injury — he missed the last eight games with a herniated disk in his back — but showed some progression as a blocker for the Lions.
Though Brock Wright handled more of the blocking duties, LaPorta, when healthy, has been a dynamic field stretcher and creator after the catch. What Stowers can learn from LaPorta — who also entered the league at sub-250 pounds — is that blocking can be improved, even in the NFL. Stowers likely will not reach the same level of involvement in the Eagles offense as LaPorta had in Detroit as a rookie, though.
Struggled to block, contributed as part of a rotation
Mike Gesicki, Cincinnati Bengals
Among current players, there may not be a closer comparable to Stowers than Gesicki. Both were dynamic receiving tight ends who did their damage in college when split out wide, in the slot, or as off-the-ball tight ends.
They share another commonality too: struggling to block in one-on-one scenarios against defensive linemen and generating displacement at the line of scrimmage. Gesicki’s best years of production — from 2019-21 — are likely behind him. Since leaving the Miami Dolphins in 2022, Gesicki has averaged about 45% of snaps across his time with the New England Patriots and Cincinnati Bengals.
The former 2018 second-rounder has been relatively healthy throughout his career, but never improved even marginally as a blocker, which limits how much he can be on the field in the modern NFL.
Jonnu Smith
The Philadelphia native, currently a free agent, was best known for his ability to create explosive plays with the ball in his hands, though he has surpassed 600 receiving yards in a season just once. His usage in Arthur Smith’s offenses, first in Tennessee and then in Atlanta, made him a threat to turn a routine play into a big gain after the catch.
NE debuted a fun wrinkle vs NYJ with a "full house" backfield using Hunter Henry + Jonnu Smith as split fullbacks.
5/6 of these snaps featured inside zone with two lead blockers or Henry sift-blocking and Jonnu releasing to the flat to remove a defender from the box pic.twitter.com/QcGtXV8odX
But across his five NFL stops, the one inconsistency of his game has been his blocking. He showed much more promise than Gesicki as a blocker, but Smith has never consistently been able to block as an in-line player, and it’s a big reason he likely has not drawn a ton of interest entering Year 10.
His last stop, in Pittsburgh last season, produced career-worst numbers in a loaded tight end room: 38 catches, 222 yards for a 5.8 yards per catch average.
The Bills dominated the trenches on both sides of the ball
Smith, a former third-round pick, never assumed the top tight end role at any of his stops but has played nearly a decade in the league. He has carved out a niche role as an undersized tight end that is a run-after-catch threat , but he isn’t a fit for every offense as he ages.
Receiving skills kept them on the field regardless of blocking struggles
Jared Cook
When you look up Stowers on Mockdraftable, which draws comparisons to previous players at a position, Cook’s name is his third-highest match at 73.9%, and for good reason. Cook was a nonfactor as a blocker and just not valuable when asked to handle defensive ends and linebackers in those blocking situations.
Rarely see Jared Cook in for run plays and usually Richard Rodgers in during early downs. Hard to find EX of Cook blocking. Effort = 👎🏼 pic.twitter.com/p2Bl2pULrJ
When you look back at the receiving numbers, though, he was a matchup problem for linebackers, safeties, and even some cornerbacks. But his success took a while as he struggled early with the Tennessee Titans, but by his third year, he was consistently contributing as a receiver. In the last 10 years of his 13-season NFL career, Cook averaged just over 600 receiving yards and four touchdowns, including a career-best 896 receiving yards in Year 10 with Oakland.
The Chargers were 20th in RZ efficiency The Saints were 5th in RZ efficiency
I don't know about what happens from touchback to 20, but within that final 20 you find your reason to sign Jared Cook. pic.twitter.com/HhzLIHDQmH
If Stowers never truly develops as a reliable blocker, a career similar to Cook’s, who was a second-round pick in 2009, would be an ideal outcome.
Isaiah Likely, New York Giants
Like Stowers, former fourth-rounder Likely walked into a veteran-laden tight end room as a rookie, and though there was excitement around the Baltimore Ravens tight end early on, his development took time, as did the production. Likely didn’t truly get going until the back half of his rookie season, with 26 of his 36 total catches and 279 of his 373 total receiving yards coming from Week 8 through the rest of the season.
Monken loves crack toss in the redzone – did it a lot at Georgia too.
Here you get great inside work by Zay Flowers to disrupt and Morgan Moses to finish on the pull.
but Isaiah Likely deserves flowers – hell of a kickout block.
Blocking in space was a strength for Likely at Coastal Carolina, but translating it to the NFL game as a full-time in-line player has never materialized. It didn’t in Baltimore, with Mark Andrews and later Charlie Kolar taking more of those responsibilities.
Likely, who signed with the New York Giants in the offseason (three years, $40 million), is best known for his receiving ability, specifically stretching the field vertically. Despite a down season last year, Likely’s greatest abilities are finding soft spots in zone coverage and winning his one-on-one matchups downfield.
If Stowers can be serviceable as a blocker, similar to how Likely was in Baltimore, that can help the Eagles rookie earn more snaps early in his career.
Patience, patience, patience
It’s too early to write off Stowers, even if he isn’t productive in Year 1 in Philly. As we wrote on the night the Vanderbilt tight end was drafted, his true impact could come three or four years down the line. And leaning on previous examples, those breakouts for non-first-round tight ends often happened in Year 3 or 4.
With Dallas Goedert and Johnny Mundt likely filling the top two roles for the Eagles tight end room, there should be no rush to force Stowers onto the field. The season is long, and should he make an impact in 2026, it’ll likely come deep into the season.
Coming from the roof of Temple linebacker Jordan Montgomery’s North Philadelphia home, sounds of music and general jeering fill the streets. The Owls linebacker room has gotten together for another function.
It’s become somewhat of a tradition. Every few weeks, the Owls linebackers, headed by captain Eric Stuart, come together to eat, laugh and strengthen the bonds that have extended beyond the football field. And it’s a tradition that reflects the broader culture shift in the program, brought on by coach K.C. Keeler, and one the Owls hope sparks a resurgence on the field.
“I think the first time we did it was last year for the Super Bowl, at my old crib,” said Stuart, a fifth-year senior. “We just cooked some food and had everybody come over and come eat and just hang out together. That’s how it all started.”
Said senior Curly Ordonez: “For us, it is just like showing up for your brother, right? You don’t have to come for the whole time. I was one of those, especially last year. I was laid back, pretty quiet, and kept to myself. And it was about bringing people out of their shells. We have a lot of guys that are far away from home, and we can get them some home-cooked meals, which is something we like to do.”
Continuity is key for the Owls linebackers with 10 returners from last season. Stuart, one of Temple’s most experienced defensive players, anchors a group that also returns 2025’s leading tackler, Ordonez, Tyree Alualu, Jayvant Brown, Wesley Brown, Montgomery, and others. They are joined by newcomers such as Jaylon Joseph and JaMair Diaz.
“I think it’s just really important for us to be able to coach each other up,” Stuart said. “On the football field, stuff happens; emotions are high. … Every message might not come off in a regular tone, especially to the newer guys. But I feel like especially the guys in our room, we all understand that nobody is coming at you as a person.
“We’re trying to be better out here, so knowing each other just helps with communication. You don’t get that bickering and fighting, and that is probably the biggest thing we’ve gotten from being so close.”
Junior Tyree Alualu is one of Temple’s returning linebackers.Isaiah Vazquez / For The Inquirer
And the cohesion among the Owls linebackers has been noticed from across the field.
“I’ve never seen a room so close like the linebackers,” said quarterback Ajani Sheppard. “They are always hanging out with each other, always talking to each other. I think it’s such a great thing.”
The relationships among the linebackers started just over a year ago with the hiring of Keeler and a new staff. Keeler inherited a program coming off four consecutive 3-9 seasons under Stan Drayton and Rod Carey but quickly made a culture shift a priority. Keeler said he met with every player on the roster individually following his hiring. Many players were encouraged to stay, and the coaching staff emphasized that continuity.
“I would say, just having new coaches,” Ordonez said of the difference. “We had a lot of guys who were new to the team, and last year was one of those years that took us where it went, and I feel like this year, we understood the type of team we had and the guys we have coming and who we are. We obviously got better, and we’ve seen that throughout the spring. So understanding that by getting together we could really be something as a defense. But to be one of the best groups you got to get to know each other, got to hang out, you’ve got to do stuff outside of the city, gain that trust and gain that love.”
Stuart said, unlike previous years, he wants to be in the facility every day.
“I would say it’s more of a whole team energy that kick-started it for [the linebackers],” said Stuart. “Me personally, in 2024, [I] just honestly hated being in the facility every day. I didn’t want to be here. I didn’t want to hang out after or spend time with anybody. Then Coach Keeler and the new staff got here, and the energy changed. Like, I feel like everyone wants to be here, everyone comes in, and nobody is getting their stuff just to run out of the locker room and go home. We sit, and we hang out in the locker room. There’s no one in a rush to get out of here. I would say I thought that’s probably the biggest change.”
The real test of their chemistry awaits on Sept. 5 with their season opener against Rhode Island.
It’s been a decade, but this weekend the Philly Cycling Classic returns, thanks to the efforts of an Old City salon owner, a former mayor, and an entrepreneur who used to live in Manayunk, which is home to the race’s most famous (infamous?) stretch — and the most recognizable climb in American cycling — The Wall.
The race’s revival was years in the making, and riders will be coming from all over the globe to compete. But one competitor merely needs to walk a few blocks from his parents’ house, just off Levering St., to join the peloton: Robin Carpenter, who first summited The Wall as an 11-year-old, and attended the race each year as a kid. He even sold lemonade to spectators, who often suggested he could make more money if he added liquor, as that steep stretch also served as the race’s unofficial party headquarters.
On Sunday, however, Carpenter will be without the man responsible for his racing career, former Masterman teacher Kevin Saint Clair. He encouraged Carpenter to give the sport a try, and offered the then-teenager a spot on his cycling team, but Saint Clair died in 2023 when he was hit by a car while riding his bike.
Carpenter won’t be alone, however, as his parents, John and Julia, will be out along the rail, rooting for their son and ringing some cowbells from their massive collection to help spur him on. If you’re also planning on attending the race, which is free, and cheering on the only Philly native in the men’s field, then we’ve got you covered with a spectators’ guide to the race, featuring everything from the best vantage points to etiquette tips for first timers.
Phillies starter Zack Wheeler has not looked like his usual self over the last month.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
Zack Wheeler’s recent struggles on the mound — he allowed a season-high eight runs Monday night and his ERA is 8.51 over his last six starts — might feel like a big thing for a Phillies team that is currently in a playoff race and has designs on returning to the World Series for the first time since 2022. But the fix, according to pitching coach Caleb Cotham, involves correcting the “small things.”
That includes Wheeler’s arm slot, which they noticed after comparing recent video to footage of the starter over the last five seasons. Cotham said Wheeler, whose next scheduled start is Sunday, is just “a click off.”
Next: Following an off day on Thursday, the Phillies head to Arizona for a three-game series against the Diamondbacks. First up is Andrew Painter (3-8, 6.04 ERA) vs. lefty Reid Detmers (4-8, 3.62) on Friday night (9:38 p.m., NBCSP).
Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion is in his first year. He is Jalen Hurts’ fifth OC in the last five years.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Believe it or not, Wednesday was technically the Eagles’ final training camp session of 2026. They’ll have a walkthrough on Thursday before playing their final preseason game against the Bengals on Friday night at the Linc (8 p.m., CBS3). Oh, and the deadline for trimming the roster to 53 players is Sunday evening.
So where is Jalen Hurts, who has not played this preseason, with his command of the new-look offense under first-year coordinator Sean Mannion? In a “good spot,” the quarterback said, a month after saying things the offense was still “calibrating.” Hurts wouldn’t label the offense, but believes that will come from Mannion as they continue to prepare for the Sept. 13 opener against the Commanders.
“As you see who you have on your team and you begin to progress forward, you hone things down and you say, ‘This is who we are. This is how I want to lead it,’” Hurts said. “So I think that’s where Sean is. And a lot of that is, it’s up for him to mold and put together so in the end, we can go out there and be in the best position to win.”
The Flyers need more from winger Matvei Michkov, who struggled to regain his rookie form last season.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
While the Sixers rightfully stole most of the offseason headlines with the splashy additions of LeBron James and Jaylen Brown, the Flyers almost made a cannonball-sized of their own. OK, maybe not LeBron-level, but after a surprise playoff run last season, the team tendered a $90 million offer sheet to Ducks star Leo Carlsson. Unfortunately for Flyers fans, Anaheim matched the offer and kept Carlsson on the West Coast, leaving Danny Brière’s offseason haul looking much more mediocre.
The Flyers, who still landed 19 national TV games this season, added some depth, sure. But the Carlsson offer showed that the organization believes it’s ready to contend again. And their additions don’t necessarily match those ambitions. Instead, Brière and Co. are banking on internal improvements from their own young players (and they have plenty). Here are five they definitely need to take a step forward this season if they hope to recapture the magic from the spring.
La Salle College High School football coach Brett Gordon (left) chats with his son, Luke, the team’s starting quarterback.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Head football coach Brett Gordon is following in his father’s footsteps with the La Salle Explorers, where he took over after the 2023 death of famed coach Drew Gordon. As a teen, Brett played for Drew, then was the offensive coordinator at La Salle.
Now, a third Gordon is lining up under center for the Explorers: Luke, a junior, and yes, he’s Brett’s son. And the expectations are high — not just because of his last name. The team is coming off a state championship last season, but the majority of their starters graduated, and a tough schedule lies ahead. But the bond between father and son endures.
Luke’s hope is “to be maybe as good as [his dad] one day. I would love to have an opportunity to go play at some of the schools I could play at,” he said. “His legacy to me is something that I really cherish, and I want to keep carrying the name.”
Howie Roseman (left) and Jeffrey Lurie have spent a lot of money on backup quarterbacks in the past, but not this season.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
There’s a battle raging for the No. 2 quarterback position on the Eagles, but Andy Dalton vs. Tanner McKee isn’t inspiring much confidence for columnist Marcus Hayes, who is a bit concerned about the state of the Eagles QB factory.
“The Eagles used to value the backup quarterback position, perhaps more than any other team in the NFL. Looking at their roster in 2025 and 2026, it’s hard to believe they still do,” Hayes wrote in his latest column.
“This might not matter at all, except Eagles starter Jalen Hurts gets hurt a lot, and quarterbacks are the most important players in all of team sports.”
Bobby Abreu hit an walk-off, inside-the-park home run 26 years ago today.Jerry Lodriguss / Staff file
Bobby Abreu won a Home Run Derby in his career and hit 288 homers in his career, but on Aug. 27, 2000, the former Phillies outfielder did something quite rare: He hit a walk-off, inside-the-park home run, lifting Philly to a 2-1 win over the San Francisco Giants in 10 innings at Veterans Stadium. It was the first of its kind in Major League Baseball since Derek Jeter in 1996. Making the feat even more impressive was that Abreu also scored the Phillies’ only other run — on a solo home run in the sixth inning.
What you’re saying about your favorite jerseys
We asked: What’s your favorite jersey that you’ve ever owned?
“[My] favorite is a green St. Patrick’s Day version of Steve Carlton’s jersey.” — Uri M.
“The only jersey I have ever owned is a vintage orange Flyers jersey from 1973. My mom surprised me with the jersey, absent the logo. We later found one and my grandmother stitched it on, initially upside down.” — Bob C.
“My favorite jersey is my kelly green No. 17 Harold Carmichael retro jersey.” — Don R.
“Brian Dawkins without a doubt, but I have plenty of stuff related to Kelce.” — Bill M.
We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Matt Breen, Jasen Lo, Gabriela Carroll, Ariane Datil, Scott Lauber, Jonathan Tannenwald, Devin Jackson, Jeff Neiburg, Mike Livingston, Olivia Reiner, Jeff McLane, Gustav Elvin, Isabella DiAmore, and Marcus Hayes.
By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.
Thanks for reading. Kerith will be back for Friday’s newsletter. — Matt
