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The New York Mets remain stuck in a tense holding pattern as MLB Free Agency rolls on, and the next trade debate has already taken shape. Willson Contreras and Christian Walker sit at the center of it. With the Mets reeling from Winter Meetings losses, including Edwin Diaz joining the Los Angeles Dodgers and Pete Alonso signing with the Baltimore Orioles, the front office faces pressure to strike cleanly and decisively. Mets writer Michael Baron didn’t hedge his stance. “I think I’d rather the Mets trade for Willson Contreras. That’s not to say Walker won’t bounce back in 2026, but by all indications, Contreras hasn’t declined the way Walker has at the plate, yet.” Under the stadium lights, that argument hits home. The Mets’ needs feel urgent. Diaz is gone. Robert Suarez landed with NL East rival Atlanta Braves. Alonso’s future slipped away during the meetings. The roster now lacks both middle-order stability and emotional gravity. Fans feel it. So does the room. In that vacuum, Baron’s logic centers on trajectory, not reputation. Contreras still looks steady. Walker, while respected, carries louder questions. Why Contreras fits the Mets’ moment Willson Contreras brings credentials that matter now. He’s a three-time All-Star. A World Series champion with the Cubs in 2016. Since joining the Cardinals in 2023 on a five-year, $87.5 million deal, he has remained productive and durable. Last season, Contreras posted a .257/.344/.447 slash line with 20 home runs and 80 RBI. The bat plays. The approach holds. The edge still shows. Christian Walker offers a different profile for the Mets. He’s a three-time Gold Glove winner and a respected defender. On December 23, 2024, he signed a three-year, $60 million deal with the Astros. His 2025 line read .238/.297/.421 with 27 homers and 88 RBI. Solid power. Less on-base certainty. For a Mets team stripped of anchors and staring at a fragile NL East, this choice feels philosophical. Do they bet on defense and hope? Or chase consistency and heartbeat? With Citi Field waiting for clarity as MLB Free Agency unfolds, which path will finally steady the Mets’ next move? The post Mets rumors: Writer would rather see New York trade for Willson Contreras over Christian Walker appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The Cincinnati Bengals had another disastrous season in 2025. Cincinnati is 4-9 heading into Week 15 after Joe Burrow missed most of the season with a turf toe injury. Now one NFL pundit is suggesting that Cincinnati should trade Burrow to a new team. Nick Wright proposed a ridiculous trade involving Joe Burrow on the latest episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast. Wright suggested that the Bengals should trade Burrow to the Eagles in exchange for Jalen Hurts and a first-round draft pick. “I would want more if I’m Cincinnati. Considering people are wearing Tanner McKee jerseys in Philadelphia right now,” Simmons said. “That’s fair,” Wright replied. “But at least we’re having the conversation right? At least Jalen is available.” Hurts is not very popular with Eagles fans right now, which explains why Wright has him as part of this trade package. But Simmons set him straight, explaining that a trade like this is practically impossible in the NFL. “You can’t even make football trades like that, which is by the way, what the NBA has turned into with theses stupid aprons have ruined all the fun trades we can make,” Simmons concluded. “If Joe Burrow went to the Eagles, God help us.” Bengals QB Joe Burrow’s recent press conference fueling trade speculation Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Burrow’s recent cryptic comments appear to be fueling this trade speculation. Burrow seemed dejected when he spoke with reporters on Wednesday. His comments even sound like he’s considering his future playing football. “If I want to keep doing this, I have to have fun doing it. I have been through a lot. And if it’s not fun, then what am I doing it for?” Burrow said, per The 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov. Burrow explained that the physical and emotional toll of playing football can add up over time. “I’m not sure there was a singular [turning point]. It’s just a reflection on a lot of things that I’ve done and been through in my career. I think I’ve been through more than most. And it’s certainly not easy on the brain or the body,” Burrow said. “There’s just a lot of things going on right now.” The Bengals will not trade Burrow, but fans are right to be worried after the star quarterback’s recent comments. Perhaps a win against the Ravens in Week 15 could raise Burrow’s spirits. The post Nick Wright floats Joe Burrow blockbuster Bengals trade to former champions appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The calendar says the NFL is in the home stretch of the regular season but the matchup between the Denver Broncos and the Green Bay Packers in the Mile High City is shouting Super Bowl preview. The Broncos (11-2) are fighting for the top spot in the AFC playoff structure against the New England Patriots. Denver has reeled off 10 straight victories and head coach Sean Payton has a team that has played effectively on offense and dominated on defense. Bo Nix leads an attack that ranks 10th in total offense, as the Broncos are averaging 342.0 yards per game. The defense has been able to choke off opponents as that unit ranks 3rd in yards allowed (282.0) and is 4th in points given up per game (18.1). The Packers (9-3-1) appear to be built in a similar matter with quarterback Jordan Love and edge rusher Micah Parsons leading the way. The Green Bay offense ranks 14th in total yards with 340.3 per game and slightly better in points with an average of 24.8 points. The defense regularly chokes off opponents as the Packers are 5th in yards allowed (287.2) and 6th in points per game (19.0). This game could come down to special teams performance late in the 4th quarter. That would seem to be an edge for the Broncos, because Wil Lutz has made 20 of 23 field goal attempts, including 3 of 5 from beyond the 50. Brandon McManus has battled injuries and has made 15 of 21 three-point attempts. Look for Nix to throw for 225-plus yards and 2 touchdowns Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images The key in this game may be the matchup between Payton and Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley. Payton needs to put Bo Nix in an advantageous position so he can find his receivers and also pick up key yards on the ground when he senses an opening. That means he has to avoid Micah Parsons throughout the game. It is unlikely either coach will win by a knockout, but expect Payton to do just a bit more than Hafley in this matchup. Nix is a confident leader who has a full understanding of the Broncos offense. He will occasionally show some scatter-arm tendencies, but he is usually at his best at the most critical moments. Nix has completed 297 of 470 throws for 2,954 yards with 19 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. He has a big-play receiver in Courtland Sutton who has caught 56 passes for 773 yards and 5 touchdowns. Sutton is likely to see a lot of double coverage, but he can use his speed and athleticism to high point the ball when the Broncos need it most. Fellow wideout Troy Franklin is a solid No. 2 pass catcher who has been a key contributor with 51-541-5. The Broncos running game has had a positive impact all season with J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey making impact plays on a regular basis. Dobbins has rushed for 772 yards and 4 touchdowns, Harvey has 354 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns, and the success of the ground attack could tone down Parsons’ pass rush. The dynamic former Cowboys should have 1 sack, but the Broncos offensive line will keep him from dominating. Broncos defense must limit Love to 200 yards and 1 TD pass Jordan Love can be one of the most dangerous quarterbacks in the league when he is on a hot streak, but the Denver defense should be able to keep him in check. Linebacker Alex Singleton is a brilliant defender who leads the Broncos with 103 tackles and 1 forced fumble, and while veteran defensive back Talanoa Hufanga is a game change who has 94 stops, 5 tackles for loss and 10 passes defensed. The Denver defense will do just enough to keep Love from having a brilliant game. The Packers quarterback has completed 259 of 386 passes for 3,028 yards with 22 TD passes and just 4 interceptions. Romeo Doubs is Green Bay’s leading receiver with 45 catches for 542 yards and 5 TDs, but the most dangerous pass catcher is explosive Christian Watson. He has the dynamic speed needed to make big plays and he has caught 25-452-5. Watson is averaging a team-high 18.08 yards per catch. Running back Josh Jacobs is a solid and dependable ground gainer who has…

It was another blowout loss for the St. Louis Blues, this time, falling 7-2 to the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena. Following the Blues’ loss, Brayden Schenn ripped his team’s performance, according to Blues’ beat writer Lou Korac. “Soft … soft in front of our own net, soft in front of their net. Give good players time and space to score goals ot second chances, leaving Binner hanging out to try on some, that’s how we keep giving up as many goals as we are right now,” Schenn told Korac. Things started out slow for both teams until 8:22 into the first period when Steven Stamkos got the first goal for the Preds. It would be the beginning of a miserable night for Jordan Binnington, as he allowed Stamkos to score another just three minutes later. Ultimately, the Blues cut the deficit in half early in the second on a goal by Hugh McGing. But that would be as close as they got. Ryan O’Reilly tallied a goal to make it 3-1. Then Filip Forsberg made it 4-1 before Stamkos added yet another just 23 seconds later to make it 5-1 while also completing a hat trick. Robert Thomas offered a glimmer of hope with a goal just under two minutes later. However, the deficit would be too much to overcome as Stamkos made sure of that with yet another goal. The Blues won 52 percent of their faceoffs but could not do much with the puck. Additionally, they went 0 for 3 on the power play and were not able to convert most of their opportunities. It was their third game without Jordan Kyrou, who sustained a lower-body injury against the Ottawa Senators and is week-to-week. The Blues will have a quick turnaround after this blowout loss, returning home to face Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday. After Binnington started on Thursday, the Blues may turn to Joel Hofer, who entered the game in the third period after Binnington was pulled. The post Blues’ Brayden Schenn rips ‘soft’ performance in 7-2 loss to Predators appeared first on ClutchPoints.

NFL and Houston Texas wide receiver Braxton Berrios has finally addressed his absence from former partner Alix Earle’s Dancing With the Stars performances. In the wake of their recent breakup, Braxton has explained his absence from the TikToker’s performance during the show’s 34th season. Marking his return to Instagram on Dec. 11, 2025, Berrios uploaded a carousel of photos with the caption, “What did I miss?” The post resulted in an overwhelming response from fans, asking him about missing Earle’s performances. However, Berrios did not stay shut about the comments and responded to them with a very clear statement. “I would’ve been at every one if I could’ve. Sadly I can’t travel like that in-season,” Berrios wrote in the comments. The Instagram post had multiple other comments where he justified his absence and claimed that he could not travel due to it being NFL season. Also, in other comments, Berrios explained that the post was not a shade toward his former girlfriend, Alix Earle. View this post on Instagram While Berrios never appeared live on Dancing With the Stars to support Earle, he had sent in a pre-recorded video with words of encouragement. “I’ve watched you pour everything into this since the moment it has started, and I think it shows,” Braxton said in the clip. “Good luck. Have fun, babe.” According to People’s magazine, one of the most talked-about couples in the sports/entertainment industry, Berrios and Earle, separated recently. Despite Berrios’ absence, his ex-girlfriend Alix Earle put on impressive performances on Dancing with the Stars with her partner Val Chmerkovskiy. Each week, she leveled up the quality of her game and successfully finished the show as the runner-up while Robert Irwin and Witney Carson won the competition. Both stars have yet to address their breakup publicly. The post Braxton Berrios breaks silence on Alix Earle breakup with 4-word response appeared first on ClutchPoints.