Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins  is optimistic about what the team’s retooled passing attack can accomplish this season. “I feel like we could be dangerous, man,” Collins told KPRC 2’s Aaron Wilson at a charity event. “I feel we all just go out there and be us. That’s the main important thing, is go out and be you. Don’t make the moment bigger than what it is and go out just have fun. Make plays for the team and that’s what we’re doing for sure.” Houston’s wide receiver room looks different heading into 2025. Stefon Diggs left in free agency for New England, John Metchie III was dealt to Philadelphia, and Tank Dell continues to rehab from a knee injury suffered late last season. The Texans added veteran slot option Christian Kirk, along with rookies Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel, while Xavier Hutchinson returns after an encouraging preseason. Nico Collins remains the centerpiece. Despite missing five games with a hamstring injury last year, the 26-year-old still led Houston with 68 receptions for 1,006 yards and seven touchdowns, finishing fourth in the NFL at 83.8 receiving yards per game. He opened the year on fire, averaging 113.4 yards per game through the first five weeks. At this stage, Collins believes his timing with quarterback C.J. Stroud is as sharp as ever

The Dallas Cowboys have secured one of their defensive stars for the long term, agreeing to a four-year, $92 million contract extension with cornerback DaRon Bland , including $50 million guaranteed. The deal, confirmed Sunday, makes Bland the NFL’s sixth-highest-paid cornerback at $23 million per year. Bland, 25, became a household name during his breakout 2023 season, when he recorded nine interceptions and set an NFL record with five pick-sixes. The one-time All-Pro and Pro Bowler now forms one of the league’s most dangerous cornerback tandems alongside Trevon Diggs. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer praised Bland’s rise: “Shot onto the scene a couple years ago and made an immediate impact as a rookie. … He’s such a humble young man, but so well-deserved. You love him as a teammate and as a competitor.” A 2022 fifth-round pick, DaRon Bland has totaled 14 interceptions, 164 tackles, 27 passes defensed and one forced fumble in his career. Though he missed the first 10 games of last season with injury and failed to record a pick after returning, his early production has far outpaced expectations. The extension comes just days before Dallas faces the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL Kickoff Game, fulfilling Bland’s stated wish to get a deal done before Week 1.

For Mitch Marner, the decision to leave Toronto was all about family. The 28-year-old forward approved a sign-and-trade from the Maple Leafs to the Vegas Golden Knights on July 1. “It’s going to be a new life. I’m really excited for it,” Marner said Thursday at Hockey Canada’s 2025 National Teams Orientation Camp. “Having the newborn now, my wife and I are very social, we like going out for dinners, we like being out with our friends, we like being around our teammates. It was tough to do that in Toronto. The move also allows Marner more privacy off the ice. Toronto, where he was selected fourth overall in the 2015 NHL Draft, often felt like a “fishbowl” in his words. Despite producing 741 points (221 goals, 520 assists) in 657 games over nine seasons, the Leafs’ playoff shortcomings remained a constant backdrop. As part of the deal, Marner signed an eight-year, $96 million contract ($12 million AAV) with Toronto before being traded for forward Nicolas Roy. He admitted the move was “bittersweet.” “We wanted to finish the job there, we really did, but at the same time, we wanted to do what’s best for our family and we thought it was changing our direction of life,” Marner said. “I was so grateful for everything in Toronto. I grew up in Toronto, I knew what Toronto was all about. All I did for 15 years was wake up, put TSN on and watch the Leafs … You know what you’re getting into and that’s the passion nonstop.”

Hockey Canada 2025 National Teams Orientation Camp doubled this week as a long-awaited reunion for the group that captured the 4 Nations Face-Off earlier this year. Twenty-three of the 24 players from that championship roster were in attendance, with goaltender Adin Hill the only absence. It marked the first time the team had gathered since Connor McDavid’s overtime winner secured a 3-2 victory over the United States in the Feb. 20 final at TD Garden. “It was a very exciting moment to see each other,” defenseman Drew Doughty told NHL.com on Thursday. “It was like a big bro hug. Like, man, what a time we had at 4 Nations. That’s definitely carrying over, no doubt about it.” That tournament, played under high-pressure conditions, forged instant chemistry between Canada’s stars and their coaches. At the camp, many said the familiarity they built will provide a crucial edge ahead of the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milano Cortina. “Getting into that environment where you have to come together quickly, put together a plan that you’ve got to execute, having that familiarity, it just helps,” forward Brayden Point said. “We have been together before. We’ve played games together, and in a pretty high-intense environment. That will be big.” With much of the Olympic roster likely to come from the 4 Nations squad, Canada’s early momentum could prove invaluable as they prepare to chase gold on the biggest stage.

Connor McDavid enters the final year of his contract with the Edmonton Oilers still undecided about his long-term future but insists his focus remains firmly on winning in Alberta. The Oilers captain, speaking Wednesday at Hockey Canada’s orientation camp for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milano Cortina, said he intends to be deliberate about any decision regarding an extension. “I said at the end of June I had every intention to take my time with it and I still feel the same way,” McDavid said. “I’ll take my time and go through everything. I have every intention to win in Edmonton. It’s my only focus, maybe next to winning a gold medal with Canada. I’ll take my time going through it with my family, my agent and everybody involved. We’re going through it slowly.” Connor McDavid, who signed an eight-year, $100 million deal with Edmonton on July 5, 2017, is eligible for unrestricted free agency at the end of the 2025–26 season. Eligible to negotiate an extension since July 1, he reiterated he has no set timeline, with training camp opening Sept. 17 and the Oilers set to face Calgary on Oct. 8 in their season opener. “All options are on the table, really,” Connor McDavid said. “We’re going through it. I don’t have a preference either way. I want the group to be as focused and dialed in and ready to roll from Day 1 as much as possible, and we don’t need any distractions. I’m going to take my time with it and that’s it.” Edmonton’s negotiations will be led by CEO Jeff Jackson, McDavid’s former agent, alongside general manager Stan Bowman. The 28-year-old is widely expected to command the largest average annual value in NHL history with his next deal.