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Travis Kelce calls for Shedeur Sanders to start for Browns amid controversy: ‘Give the people what they want’

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Travis Kelce calls for Shedeur Sanders to start for Browns amid controversy: ‘Give the people what they want’


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Travis Kelce has spoken out about the ongoing controversy over Shedeur Sanders‘ role with the Cleveland Browns.

During his “New Heights” podcast this week, the Kansas City Chiefs star said he believes the Browns should start Sanders, who is third on the team’s depth chart behind veteran Joe Flacco and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel. 

Travis Kelce spoke about Shedeur Sanders’ role with the Browns on the latest episode of the “New Heights” podcast, which aired before the official start of the NFL season. (Imagn)

“Give the people what they want, in terms of the Browns fans. Start Shedeur. … Put him in coach,” Kelce said. “Give the people what they want. The world wants to see him go out there, and not only play, but have success. At this point, guys are rooting for him. This isn’t anything against Dillon. This isn’t anything against Joe. I’m just saying the excitement is there for [Sanders] to go out there. He’s going to put eyes on the screen. He’s going to bring people to the game. 

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“I would love to f—ing see it, man.” 

On the contrary, Kelce’s brother and co-host, Jason Kelce, defended the team naming Joe Flacco as the starter. 

“[Browns head coach Kevin] Stefanski and the Browns are trying to do the thing that they feel gives them the best chance to win football games,” Jason said. “If the Browns and Kevin Stefanski felt their best option and the most confident option they had to win games was Shedeur Sanders, they would be playing him.” 

Still, Jason conceded that he “wants” to see Sanders play. 

“What do I want? I want to see Shedeur Sanders,” Jason said. 

Jason also rejected the “conspiracies” surrounding the situation as to why Sanders is as low on the depth chart as he is. 

Criticism and conspiracy theories directed at the Browns reemerged after the team’s preseason finale on Saturday. 

Sanders entered the game in the third quarter and completed three of six passes for 14 yards, while taking five sacks for a combined loss of 41 yards against the Los Angeles Rams. He netted minus-27 yards for Cleveland before being pulled from the game on the final drive and replaced by veteran Tyler Huntley. 

Huntley led the Browns’ offense on a game-winning field goal drive, and the Browns won 19-17.

It was a far cry from Sanders’ first preseason game against the Carolina Panthers Aug. 8, when he threw for two touchdowns and was praised by fans and sports stars, including LeBron James and Dawn Staley. 

However, many fans and pundits were quick to defend Sanders for his rough outing on Saturday and blamed the Browns’ coaching for putting Sanders in a position where he had to rely on backup teammates while also calling questionable plays. 

EX-NBA PLAYER MAKES SHEDEUR SANDERS-LEBRON JAMES COMPARISON AFTER QB’S PRESEASON DEBUT

Jason Kelce broadcasting NFL game

Jason Kelce on the ESPN postseason countdown set during the 2025 Pro Bowl Games at Camping World Stadium Feb. 2, 2025.  (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)

Former NFL quarterback Derek Carr questioned why Sanders wasn’t left in the game to finish the final drive. 

“I need to understand why we don’t get to see Shedeur Sanders run this 2-minute drill? Wouldn’t you want to see your young QB operate in this situation? Get him more reps for the future? I didn’t see the whole game so maybe he already showed enough? Help me understand this…” Carr wrote on X. 

Sports talk show host Skip Bayless posted a 16-minute rant in defense of Sanders on X, while condemning the Browns for their handling of the quarterback. 

“They sabotaged it. They rigged it against him today, putting him in with third- and fourth-stringers, fifth-stringers. You got no shot at quarterback,” Bayless said. 

Other users on social media leveled similar criticisms at the Browns, with some speculating that the obstacles being put in front of the quarterback are intentional. 

Prior to that game, NFL Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson stoked conspiracy theories related to Sanders in a recent interview, claiming that NFL teams were “told not to” draft Sanders to “make an example” of the quarterback when he fell to the fifth round of the NFL Draft in April. 

“I tell you this much, what I heard from someone that’s in the NFL [is] that the NFL told [teams], ‘Don’t draft him, do not draft him,'” Dickerson said in a recent interview on the “Roggin and Rodney” show on AM 570 LA Sports. 

“‘We’re going to make an example out of him.’ And this came from a very good source, a very good source. They were going to have him not get drafted to basically show you, ‘This is what happens when you do this.’ I mean, look, the NFL’s got all kinds of power. They do all kinds of stuff.” 

Sanders’ slide out of the first round shocked many, including President Donald Trump, who condemned the league’s owners for passing on the quarterback in a Truth Social post.

ESPN host Stephen A. Smith revealed a text message from an associate who compared the situation to Colin Kaepernick being out of the NFL since 2016, suggesting “collusion.” 

“‘This is a bad look for the NFL. This feels like Kaepernick-level collusion,'” Smith said of the content of the text, adding the situation goes beyond “talent evaluation.” 

“All the hard work the NFL League Office puts in to eradicate these kinds of perceptions, only to turn around and watch as the OWNERS look like they’re colluding, messing up everything. What has been done to Shedeur will outshine everything else in this draft. We’ll never believe this is about just talent evaluation again.” 

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Shedeur Sanders on the sideline vs Eagles

Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders against the Philadelphia Eagles during a game at Lincoln Financial Field. (Kyle Ross/Imagn Images)

Sanders was eventually taken by the Browns on the third and final day of the draft with the 144th pick. The quarterback was initially considered a possible contender for the first overall pick early in the draft process after finishing his final season at Colorado. 

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Secretary Doug Burgum expects Teddy Roosevelt’s induction into Pro Football Hall of Fame: report

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Secretary Doug Burgum expects Teddy Roosevelt’s induction into Pro Football Hall of Fame: report


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Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum reportedly said at a Bank of America reception Thursday that he thinks President Teddy Roosevelt will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame next year, according to the New York Post.

“Roger Goodell was in the White House in the Oval Office. I had a chance to be with him there, because we, the National Park Service, control the National Mall,” Burgum said, according to the outlet. 

“The draft for the NFL is being held on the Mall a year from now, (and) the Capitol will be in the background.

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“Keep it a secret. Keep your fingers crossed, but I think we’re going to see Theodore Roosevelt inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. … It’s going to be announced on the Mall when Roger Goodell is conducting the draft.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to the secretary, the White House and the NFL for comment.

U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt at his Washington, D.C., office Feb. 10, 1903. (History Archive/Universal Images Group)

Teddy Roosevelt is credited with saving football in 1905–1906 by forcing college leaders to reform the game’s rules after frequent injury-related deaths of players. 

The reforms led to the creation of the forward pass and the banning of dangerous formations.

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Fans watching after the game between Los Angeles Chargers and Detroit Lions at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium

Fans after a game between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Detroit Lions at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. (Scott Galvin/Imagn Images)

The 2027 Pro Football Hall of Fame class is headlined by first-year eligible legends Rob Gronkowski, Adrian Peterson and Ben Roethlisberger. Bill Belichick and Eli Manning are also candidates to get in after missing out on first-ballot entry.

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NJ Transit CEO explains World Cup fare hike as NJ Gov again implores FIFA to pay for $150 train tickets

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NJ Transit CEO explains World Cup fare hike as NJ Gov again implores FIFA to pay for 0 train tickets


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An already-expensive trip to the World Cup just got even more costly, as NJ Transit and the FIFA New York New Jersey Host Committee announced fare hikes to attend eight matches at MetLife Stadium this year.

The East Rutherford, New Jersey, stadium will host those matches, beginning June 13 and ending with the final on July 19, but a roundtrip train ticket to and from New York Penn Station and MetLife Stadium will be $150, up from the usual $12.90. Shuttles are also available for $80.

NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri defended the fare hikes on Friday, saying that the ultimate cost to the public transportation company should not be the burden of New Jersey commuters.

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NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri and Alex Lasry, CEO of the 2026 FIFA World Cup New York New Jersey Host Committee, speak during a press briefing on the regional mobility plan for the World Cup in Newark, New Jersey, on April 17, 2026. (Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images)

“It is an exciting moment for New Jersey to showcase New Jersey’s diversity as well as its economic standing in the country and in the world. Equally important, she has said that New Jersey commuters cannot and will not subsidize the movement of fans going to the game, because that would not be fair,” Kolluri said, reiterating that the tournament will cost NJ Transit $48 million.

“In order to move 40,000 people and to pay for the cost of $6 million (per game), we have to charge $150.”

The CEO said that if the regular $12.90 fare were put in place, commuters would subsidize the $48 million bill by 92%.

“No one that I have spoken to thinks that’s fair or reasonable. Commuters in New Jersey should not carry the cost years into the future for a wonderful event, no doubt. But the fans going to the games should burden the cost, that’s all we’re trying to say,” Kolluri added.

Days after New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill said that FIFA should pay for commuters’ costs, she did so again shortly after the fare hikes were announced.

“New Jersey is ready and excited to host eight FIFA World Cup matches this summer – including the World Cup Final,” Sherrill began in a social media post Friday.

A general view of MetLife Stadium and Meadowlands Train Station

A general view of MetLife Stadium and the Meadowlands Train Station is seen from a NJ Transit train before the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 semi-final match between Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on July 9, 2025. (Luke Hales/Getty Images)

FIFA SAYS NJ TRANSIT FARE HIKES FOR WORLD CUP WILL HAVE ‘CHILLING EFFECT,’ AGAIN RIPS NJ GOV SHERRILL

“Since I took office, my Administration has been working to prepare for the biggest sporting event our state has ever seen – and today, NJ TRANSIT released their Mobility Plan to move 40,000 fans to and from each match safely and efficiently. In the FIFA World Cup agreement that my Administration inherited, FIFA put zero dollars towards transporting World Cup fans. It also eliminated parking at MetLife Stadium, putting the burden of transporting four times more matchday riders than typical for an event at the stadium on NJ TRANSIT. This agreement will cost NJ TRANSIT at least $48 million, while FIFA is positioned to make $11 billion during the World Cup.

“As I have said repeatedly, FIFA should cover the cost of transporting its fans. If it won’t, we will not be subsidizing World Cup ticket holders on the backs of New Jerseyans who rely on NJ TRANSIT every day.”

The fare hikes, however, did not please FIFA. In a scathing statement to Fox News Digital, World Cup COO Heimo Schirgi said the “current pricing model will have a chilling effect,” including congestion, late arrivals, and “broader ripple effects that ultimately diminish the economic benefit and lasting legacy the entire region stands to gain from hosting the World Cup.”

Schirgi also ripped Sherrill for her “unprecedented” ask to make FIFA pay for the commuting costs.

“No other global event, concert or major sporting promoter has faced such a demand. While FIFA is projected to generate approximately $11 billion in revenue, not profit, as the Governor incorrectly claims, FIFA has always been a not-for-profit organization as per our statutes. Revenues from the FIFA World Cup are reinvested into developing the game of football, particularly for youth and women, worldwide,” Schirgi said.

Commuters walking through NJ Transit section of Penn Station in New York City

Commuters move through the NJ Transit section of Penn Station in New York City on May 20, 2025, after NJ Transit resumed operations following a tentative deal to end a three-day strike by train engineers. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

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Parking has been barred from MetLife Stadium, and rideshare will be extremely limited, both of which will result in increased NJ Transit commutes.

New York Penn Station will also only be open to matchgoers beginning four hours prior to the start of games, and fans were urged to avoid nonessential NJ Transit travel on game days.

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Lahore Qalandars knock Rawalpindiz out of PSL 11 with dominant win

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Lahore Qalandars knock Rawalpindiz out of PSL 11 with dominant win


Lahore Qalandars players celebrate after dismissing Pindiz batter during their Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 match at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi on April 18, 2026. — X/@thePSLt20
  •  Lahore Qalandars defeat Rawalpindiz by 32 runs.
  • Chasing 211, Rawalpindiz were restricted to 178-9.
  • Fakhar Zaman gets Player of the Match award.

Defending champions Lahore Qalandars secured their third victory of Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 on Saturday, defeating Rawalpindiz by 32 runs at the National Bank Stadium Karachi to eliminate them from the tournament.

Chasing 211, Rawalpindiz were restricted to 178-9 in their 20 overs, courtesy of an excellent bowling performance by the Qalandars’ attack.

Pindiz made a poor start as opener Shahzaib Khan became the first batter dismissed in the third over, falling to skipper Shaheen Afridi.

Afridi struck again in the same over, removing captain Mohammad Rizwan for a run-a-ball nine, which included two boundaries, leaving the side struggling at 17-2 in 2.3 overs.

Daryl Mitchell and Yasir Khan then steadied the innings with a crucial partnership, taking the score past the 50-run mark. The duo added a 50-run stand as Yasir played positively, bringing up his fourth PSL half-century.

However, their 71-run partnership was broken when Haris Rauf dismissed Mitchell for 11 off 15 balls, including one four, leaving Pindiz at 88-3 in 9.2 overs.

Rauf struck again in the same over, removing Yasir after a brilliant 58 off 29 deliveries, which included six fours and three sixes.

Sam Billings and Dian Forrester attempted to rebuild the innings and took the score past 100. However, Sikandar Raza broke the stand by dismissing Billings via stumping for just seven runs.

RawalPindiz continued to lose wickets as Usama Mir joined the attack, removing Dian Forrester for eight off 10 balls, leaving the side at 110-6 in 12.5 overs.

Usama struck again, dismissing Colin McConchie for three off five deliveries. Daniel Sams then removed Razaullah cheaply for five off 10 balls, adding further pressure on the batting side.

Saad Masood fought hard with a spirited knock, pushing the total past 150 and bringing up his maiden PSL half-century.

In the final over, Haris Rauf picked up his third wicket by ending Saad’s impressive innings of 54 off 26 balls, which included nine fours and one six, while Asif Afridi hit a four off the last delivery.

Batting first, Lahore Qalandars finished their innings at 210-4 in their allotted 20 overs, courtesy of outstanding performances by their opening batters Mohammad Farooq and Fakhar Zaman.

The pair began scoring at regular intervals, with Farooq leading from the front as runs flowed quickly through boundaries, putting early pressure on the Pindiz bowling attack as the score crossed the 50-run mark inside the powerplay.

Farooq was in top-notch form with the bat, while Fakhar contributed steadily from the other end, which also helped the young batter raise his bat for his maiden PSL fifty.

The duo troubled the opposition and showed no signs of slowing down as they brought up their 100-run stand, showcasing their brilliance while aiming to post a mammoth total to defend.

However, the 121-run partnership was broken when Mohammad Amir struck on the fifth delivery of the 11th over, dismissing the prized wicket of Farooq, who played an exceptional knock of 63 off 41 deliveries, including five fours and the same number of sixes.

Fakhar remained composed at the crease and kept the scoreboard moving for his side, which not only helped the team’s total surge past the 150-run mark but also saw the left-handed batter raise his bat for his 25th PSL half-century.

Abdullah Shafique came to the crease and started piling on runs, notching up a 50-run stand alongside Fakhar as the duo remained dominant with their batting approach.

However, Razaullah struck to break the 70-run partnership, dismissing Abdullah Shafique, who played a vital knock of 26 off 18 deliveries, including one four and two sixes.

Raza then dealt RawalPindiz another blow as he picked up his second wicket of the match, removing Sikandar Raza for a first-ball duck, leaving the team at 191-3 after 18 overs.

Qalandars lost their fourth wicket in the 19th over as Mohammad Amir struck to end Fakhar Zaman’s brilliant innings. He played an exceptional knock of 84 off 54 deliveries, featuring 11 fours and one six.

Charith Asalanka and Asif Ali came to the crease in the final over to finish the Qalandars’ innings.

Asif struck back-to-back sixes to push the team’s total past the 200-run mark and remained unbeaten on 14 off six deliveries, while Asalanka added one run.

Razaullah and Mohammad Amir led the bowling attack, picking up two wickets each during their spells.





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