Who is Salil Ankola? From Tendulkarâs debut partner to actor, selector and now battling depression
Salil Ankola, former cricketer, battles depression while reflecting on his career.
Jayden Daniels, quarterback for the Washington Commanders, is ranked third among NFL quarterbacks on rookie contracts for 2026. Despite a challenging 2025 season marred by injuries, he previously led the team to an NFC Championship game and was named Offensive Rookie of the Year.
**The Athletic** (paywall)
View Link [W]hile every modern stadium deal is challenging, the Commandersâ saga is especially illustrative of how far owners â and municipalities â will go to land a new stadium. Washingtonâs pursuit spanned nearly a decade, and included not just three competing jurisdictions, but the oversight of the federal government, the input of multiple federal commissions, the D.C. City Council â and, hanging in the background, the prospect of President Donald Trump returning to office, potentially adding more volatility to an already unstable process. The unlikely climax arrived on that night in late 2024, when a handful of U.S. Senators remained in the chamber following the approval of a stopgap funding bill. Schumer made his way to the Senate floor to address presiding officer Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.). âMr. President,â he began, standing behind the lectern. âI ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 648 H.R. 4984.â H.R. 4984, the âRobert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act,â [transferred] administrative control of 180 acres along the banks of the Anacostia River to the District, clearing the way for the Commanders to return to the site of their former home, RFK Stadium. D.C. would control the federally owned land for 99 years and be allowed to construct housing, retail and more around the stadium, turning what had been a rusting blight into a year-round destination. That H.R. 4984 was read without objection when just one ânoâ couldâve blocked the bill, that it passed the Senate in the wee hours of a Saturday, that it happened so anticlimactically, so quietly after years of drama, felt almost fitting in a way. It was too improbable to seem real. The biggest barrier to Washingtonâs NFL team leaving Landover was always Daniel Snyder, its litigious and contentious former owner. His 24 years of ownership included more federal and NFL-led investigations of the teamâs workplace and its owner (seven) than playoff appearances (six). As Snyder made rumblings about a new stadium, local officials and politicians offered half-baked ideas, knowing full well the monumental hurdles they faced. At one point, Snyder even hired an architect whose preliminary sketches included the grand idea to build a moat around the stadium. âIt would never have gotten there under the previous ownership,â Ganis said. âEver.â The Commanders [new owners] started from scratch on Capitol Hill in 2023, lobbying ranking members of committees and subcommittees while using the leverage of hope that this was a team on the rise â a team that could soon fill stadium seats and again become a respectable franchise and valued brand. They started to fulfill such hope the next year, when rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels steered a 12-5 season that ended in the NFC Championship Game. Those vacant seats at Northwest Stadium were suddenly filled, and a team that was previously relevant only when embroiled in controversy was suddenly a league sensation.
Jayden Daniels is ranked third among NFL quarterbacks on rookie contracts for the 2026 season.
In the 2024 season, Jayden Daniels recorded over 3,500 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions, completing 69% of his passes.
In 2025, Jayden Daniels was limited to just four full games and seven appearances due to knee, hamstring, and elbow injuries, impacting the Commanders' season.
Jayden Daniels was named the Offensive Rookie of the Year and led the Commanders to an NFC Championship game appearance in his rookie season.
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See every story in Sports â including breaking news and analysis.
âWhatever DC feels like, it should be that vibe, that energy."
"Thatâs what Iâm watching when you turn on NFL Films."
âIt doesnât feel like youâre all cramped in there. It feels comfortable, kind of like a palace."pic.twitter.com/FmzyxG7ko9
â Ben Standig (@BenStandig) May 6, 2026
**NFL.com**
**Rank 3 â Jayden Daniels â Year 3 · Age 25**
The former LSU standout will be extension-eligible after the 2026 campaign. If Daniels gets back to anything like his rookie form, the Commanders would be wise to give him a long-term deal at the earliest possible opportunity. But given how quarterback contracts around the league are soaring as the salary cap rises, that wonât be cheap.
Spotrac released its first market projection for Jayden Daniels' extension, and it may be conservative. âŹïž pic.twitter.com/nvWQZU8hZM
â Riggo's Rag (@RiggosRag) May 7, 2026 According to *Spotrac*, the early market projections for Daniels reflect precisely that. As things stand, the 2024 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year is set to get a three-year, $160.11 million deal. This works out at $53.37 million a year, making him the fifth-highest paid quarterback in the league. And if Daniels takes a leap forward, this figure might be a conservative estimate come push time.
**Commanders Wire**
Recently, Bleacher Report examined 12 teams that could be contenders in 2026. They did not include teams at the bottom of the league, such as the Tennessee Titans and Las Vegas Raiders (among others), nor the 2025 playoff teams. Instead, they looked at teams that missed the postseason in 2025 and have aspirations of avoiding that in 2026. At the end of their assessment, they determined if a team was real (buying) or pretending (selling). Hereâs what they said about the Commanders:
While the New England Patriots were going from also-ran to the AFC title last year, the Washington Commanders were hurtling in the opposite direction.
After winning 12 games and making the NFC Championship Game in 2024, an injury-ravaged Commanders squad went 5-12 in 2025.
Much of the reason for that collapse was the NFLâs worst defense, and the team went hard at that situation in the offseason.
Rookie linebacker Sonny Styles takes over for Bobby Wagner inside after being drafted seventh overall, and Washington spent big in free agency on the pass rush with the addition of edge-rushers Odafe Oweh and KâLavon Chaisson. Safety Nick Cross and cornerback Amik Robertson were signed to bolster a bad pass defense.
Offensively, the team spent a Day 2 pick on wideout Antonio Williams, who the Commanders hope will step up as a complement to Terry McLaurin. But an average offensive line didnât get much better, and the skill-position talent around quarterback Jayden Daniels isnât especially imposing.
In an NFC East that is shaping up to be a much harder division in 2026, the Commanders have a better chance of finishing last than first.
**Verdict: Pretender (Sell)**
**Last Man Standig** (paywall)
Washingtonâs general manager might consider walking into the locker room with a simple question: *If you could only vote one Commanders teammate to the Pro Bowl, who gets your ballot?* Based on those findings, left tackle [Laremy Tunsil] might get all the money. In a season filled with uneven results and limited national recognition, players inside the building were far less conflicted. Tunsil received 11.5 votes in my end-of-season survey â nearly triple the next closest teammate The final tally:
**Commander Roundtable**
**Commanders.com**
While my site is still being fixed, I thought I'd have a little fun and do a full, athletic profile ONLY evaluation of team draft classes. I may do all of them, I may do only some, this is mostly for fun. It may line up with how they play, it may not, LMK!
1st up, #Commanderspic.twitter.com/aDnzwymq6o
â RAS.football (@MathBomb) May 3, 2026 Note: Some scores may differ slightly from what you've seen previously, we discovered a bug after the draft impacting height for some Combine participants. This had a minor effect on scores, but it's a noticeable difference for those who've followed along this season.
â RAS.football (@MathBomb) May 3, 2026 Sonny Styyles presents an easy athletic profile in that it has no holes. One of the biggest, fastest, and most explosive linebacker prospects in history, with very good agility to boot, this is the kind of thing you dream of. Luke Kuechly, Brian Urlacher level of athletic talent. pic.twitter.com/HU37OcIok3
â RAS.football (@MathBomb) May 3, 2026 Antonio Williams tested in below average size for a WR, but is not meaningfully 'small'. He put up very good speed and explosiveness scores with good agility. Athletically a bit like Doug Baldwin of the Seahawks, or pro bowl returner Andre Roberts. pic.twitter.com/YMUSSldm33
â RAS.football (@MathBomb) May 3, 2026 Joshua Josephs is light for an edge rusher, but has very good length. Good speed and explosiveness are proper starting traits, though we don't get agility testing. If agility is a concern, it was a concern for Brian Orakpo as well, but he was similarly fast and explosive. pic.twitter.com/2n49oL2nO2
â RAS.football (@MathBomb) May 3, 2026 We've got no testing for Kaytron Allen, so there's nothing to evaluate on that front. pic.twitter.com/Jl1WbJnS7a
â RAS.football (@MathBomb) May 3, 2026 Matt Gulbin was returning from a knee injury which likely impacted his testing. With that in mind, this obviously wouldn't be a good athletic profile to work with. Size is fine, length is a little concerning though less so at OC, explosion is okay, not great, agilities are awful. pic.twitter.com/jUuWn9nwuk
â RAS.football (@MathBomb) May 3, 2026 Athan Kaliakmanis' athletic profile doesn't look great at first glance, but it's actually not bad at all. Sure, he's got average size, smaller than ideal hands, and no speed to speak of, but his agility testing was very good and his cone drill was fantastic. Plenty to work with. pic.twitter.com/u9K2gvN0jj
â RAS.football (@MathBomb) May 3, 2026 And now on to some UDFA. I may not have all of them, please let me know if I'm missing anyone or if someone switched since I last updated the list.
â RAS.football (@MathBomb) May 3, 2026 Tanoa Togiai put up impressive numbers across the board with no area of athletic weakness. He put up great size, split, and broad testing, all big plusses, and while you'd prefer a better shuttle it's still a good amount above average along with a very good cone. Good signs. pic.twitter.com/KCuOs8U0NF
â RAS.football (@MathBomb) May 3, 2026 Quentin Moore doesn't give us a very good athletic profile for a dynamic receiving TE, with great top speed but very poor acceleration, likely related to poor explosion which shows in the testing. Agility is good, though, and he has good length. Something like a midfield guy. pic.twitter.com/jrslVsrNgL
â RAS.football (@MathBomb) May 3, 2026 Jeffrey M'ba has great size and length for an interior rusher, but poor agility and okay at best explosiveness. He's too light to be a pure nose out of the gate, but his frame would work if he can retain that level of explosiveness after putting on some weight. pic.twitter.com/GHiVXLPaTi
â RAS.football (@MathBomb) May 3, 2026 Fred Davis' testing shows good enough explosiveness and agility, but very poor speed. Either of those good sets of traits can offset another, so there's a decent shot he can overcome that lack of speed if it's a problem on tape. If he can't that's an uphill battle in any camp. pic.twitter.com/GJImdNAR50
â RAS.football (@MathBomb) May 3, 2026 Malik Spencer put up decnet size and good speed, so starts off strong. His explosiveness testing was okay, though you'd rather those two scores flipped. The poor agility testing is likely to be the most concerning trait here since that tends to show up for change of direction. pic.twitter.com/MUkYff7lUa
â RAS.football (@MathBomb) May 3, 2026 Chris Hilton has okay size for a WR and good speed. Explsoveness is neither a strength nor a weakness, but at his size those poor agility drills are likely to show up when facing NFL cornerbacks. Some things to work with, but some concerns. pic.twitter.com/GZ69HsueAG
â RAS.football (@MathBomb) May 3, 2026 Robert Henry is on the small and lean side, but has decent speed and agility paired with great explosiveness. If he were, a lot, bigger this would be a great power back profile. At size, could be a good inside zone type of profile if he can hold up. pic.twitter.com/3CQcVCJ3Q5
â RAS.football (@MathBomb) May 3, 2026 Jaden Bradley has a good size and speed combination paired with good explosiveness and decent agility. Overall, it's a good athletic profile for pretty much any role, though as that bigger outside receiver probably fits better than like a big slot where you'd want quickness. pic.twitter.com/3DZoQJmHFM
â RAS.football (@MathBomb) May 3, 2026 And I think that's it for now! Let me know if I missed anyone or if there's someone else you want me to review, I'll try to get to it.
â RAS.football (@MathBomb) May 3, 2026
On video talking about the potential impact of Sonny Styles, from green dot to coverage and pass rushing. A few minutes on The Commandersâ rookie minicamp. @espnrichmond
â John Keim (@john\_keim) May 7, 2026
Episode 1,320 â Guest: @VigManOnCampus of @SportsInfo\_SIS on the Washington Commanders per his methodology being 2nd in the NFL in most value lost to injury in 2025. Also, Jayden Daniels accounted for the 2nd-most value lost to injury among all NFL players.
â Al Galdi (@AlGaldi) May 7, 2026
**Bleeding Green Nation**
Mike Maccagnanâs name sticks out here since he served as the New York Jetsâ general manager from 2015-2019 before he was ultimately replaced by Joe Douglas, **who returned to Philly last year**. Funny that theyâre now both on the Eagles. Maccagnan is a Hightstown, New Jersey native (shout out Mercer County) whose front office career began as a scouting intern with the Washington football team back in 1990. The Jets were 24-40 during his four-year tenure as GM, though itâs not like theyâve gotten any better since his departure. Prior to joining the Jets, Maccagnan built a reputation as a respected executive for his contributions to the Houston Texans from 2000-2014. Howie Roseman is no stranger to adding former high-ranking front office members to his staff; he previously hired former Jacksonville Jaguars GM Dave Caldwell, for example, and the Eagles currently employ former Denver Broncos vice president of player personnel Matt Russell in addition to the aforementioned Douglas. With the Eagles losing multiple key front office members this offseason, adding Maccagnan to help offset those loses seems sensible. Speaking of Joe Douglas, his title change gives him the same title he had in Philly from 2016-2019 ⊠with âSeniorâ attached to the front of it.
**Blogging the Boys**
**Pro Football Talk**
Cowboys safety Caleb Downs has the top-selling jersey of all rookies. For those who were expecting a jersey displaying No. 18 to eventually show up, theyâll be in for a surprise. Downs has already shifted to No. 13, via Tommy Yarrish of the Cowboysâ official website. At rookie minicamp, Downs wore No. 18. Heâll wear the new number for OTAs. But buyers beware. Yarrish notes that the current number is âsubject to change and still could be different between now and the beginning of the regular season.â Downs wore No. 2 at Ohio State. That number currently has been issued to cornerback Cobie Durant, who signed a one-year contract with the team in March. Itâs possible Downs will work out a deal with Durant â or that the Cowboys will exercise their prerogative to reclaim the number. If Downs is going to change from No. 13 to No. 2, hereâs hoping it happens soon. If Durant doesnât return in 2027, Downs could make the change from No. 13 to No. 2, rendering obsolete any and all jerseys purchased in 2026.
Ahead of the draft, Indianapolis Colts receiver Josh Downs knew it was a possibility the Dallas Cowboys could draft his brother, Caleb, setting up a head-to-head matchup in 2026. Then it happened. âI remember before he got drafted â not to talk about the Cowboysâ scheme or nothing â but he told me if he goes to the Cowboys, heâs playing nickel,â Josh said on Wednesday. âSo, thatâs like head-to-head all game. I was like, thatâs interesting. So when he got drafted, I was like, âYou know we play yâall this year?â He got all hype.â The Downs brothers faced off once in high school, when Joshâs North Gwinnett (Georgia) High School blew out Calebâs Mill Creek, per the Indy Star. Josh beat his younger brother for a touchdown. Heâd like a repeat when the Colts host the Cowboys at some point in 2026. âItâs all fun and games, but you know Iâve got to still let him know heâs the little brother in this situation,â Josh said.
Colts WR Josh Downs on facing his brother, Cowboys rookie Caleb Downs, this season:
âHe told me if he goes to the Cowboys, heâs playing nickel. So thatâs like head-to-head all game⊠I gotta let him know heâs the little brother in this situation.â
(đ„ @Colts) pic.twitter.com/epAZJ5rCav
â Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) May 6, 2026
**Big Blue View**
**Front Office Sports**
The league is nearing a formal agreement with the NFL Referees Association, according to industry sources and multiple reports, that would avoid a work stoppage. The pact, if completed, would end months of rancor between the two sides. The union has a ratification vote scheduled for Thursday evening, more than three weeks before the May 31 expiration of the current pact. [T]he league has also been eager to achieveâŠgains, including elevating standards used to measure referee performance and increasing the length of the probationary period for new officials. If a new labor deal is ratified, it would negate a provisional rule approved at the NFLâs recent annual meeting in Arizona. There, team owners approved a measure in which the leagueâs officiating department in New York could consult in real time with replacement officials and use replay to correct clear and obvious calls missed by those alternates. That additional rule was designed to act as something of a safety net should replacement officials be needed.
"This is a really big deal for the NFL..
If the NFL Referees Association is scheduling a vote you gotta believe that their members are gonna ratify this deal" ~ @RapSheet#PMSLivepic.twitter.com/0KUyJM5VbE
â Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 6, 2026
**NFL.com**
**Pro Football Talk**
[Former Tampa Bay practice squad player] Shilo has a pending bankruptcy case, arising from $11 million in debt. The debt traces to an incident from 2015, when a then-15-year-old Shilo Sanders allegedly assaulted and severely injured a security guard at his school. The security guard sued Shilo and his parents. (His father is Colorado coach Deion sanders.) Shiloâs parents eventually were dropped from the lawsuit, but a default judgment of $11.89 million was entered against Shilo Sanders in 2022, after Shilo failed to show up for the trial of the case. Shilo Sanders filed for bankruptcy protection in an effort to have the debt discharged. A trial is set for later this year on the question of whether the debt can be discharged. If it was a âwillful and malicious injury,â it canât be discharged. Shilo Sanders has claimed he acted in self-defense.
**ESPN**
we're done gatekeeping pic.twitter.com/ALCsZn25sO
â Washington Commanders (@Commanders) May 7, 2026 **Check thatâŠ** The #ïžâŁs are in⊠pic.twitter.com/TYkK8Qwwh4
â Washington Commanders (@Commanders) May 7, 2026 As noted in this story, these jersey numbers are subject to change once roster cuts are made after training camp. So at least some of this could change in a few months. But for now, this is what we have
â Zach Selby (@ZachSelbyWC) May 7, 2026 Average NFL roster age entering the 2026 season (sorted from youngest to oldest) pic.twitter.com/h74Tm35Dnu
â Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) May 6, 2026 **Note:***Ahead of the 2025 season, the Washington Commanders had the oldest roster in the NFL with an average age of **28.1 years** (or 28 years, 7 months, 4 days). This was the first time since tracking began in 2012 that a teamâs average age exceeded 28, marking the oldest team in over a decade* Got a linebacker blitzing from the slot who's 1.) holding his water to time up that snap cadence and 2.) having the foot speed and closing ability to pressure/tackle the QB.
â Jamual (@LetMualTellit) May 7, 2026 "Commander on Commander Crime"
While discussing 6th-round RB Kaytron Allen, @MarkBullockNFL pulled PSU vs. OSU clips.
Allen showed short-yardage prowess vs. future teammate Sonny Styles & Cowboy Caleb Downs.
He thrives falling forward for tough yards. pic.twitter.com/LnvmjwIJk8
â George Carmi (@Gcarmi21) May 7, 2026 Scot McCloughan said Dan Snyder told him he couldn't draft WR Stefon Diggs and Jay Gruden wanted zero part of him. Diggs was the highest-rated player on McCloughan's board when he drafted Jamison Crowder in the 4th round.@kevinsheehanDC
â COMMANDERS FOOTBALL (@HogsHaven) May 15, 2025 The same fans that say a 30 year old Terry McLaurin is âold and decliningâ wanna sign a 32 year old Stefon Diggs.đđđ
â Disco (@discoque92) May 7, 2026 WR Stefon Diggs on Instagram:
âThis is not an opinion-based sport, so here are the numbers. I played 52% of the snaps and finished with 85 catches for 1,045 yards coming off an ACL.
Where we going? đ«ąđ«±đŸâ
IG: stefondiggs #RaiseHailpic.twitter.com/2b2GiakjpM
â On The Fence Podcast (@theotfpodcast) May 7, 2026 "Stefon Diggs and his lawyer maintained his innocence from the beginning..
They firmly believed that the truth would come out and he was found not guilty in court..
He's still very productive and he showed that last year with the Patriots" ~ @RapSheet#PMSLivepic.twitter.com/4W7A7bmqRo
â Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 6, 2026 Talking w @MikeGarafolo about Brandon Aiyuk's future: "Heâs certainly got the chance to be in Washington if he can get out of there in short order. I dont know what the 49ers are waiting for.â
â JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) May 6, 2026 Fair points to be sure. McCaffrey angst is strong and⊠a touch musguided. I hit on this "What about Luke" angle this week on the:
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and
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â Ben Standig (@BenStandig) May 6, 2026 Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini rented a boat together for an excursion on the water in Tennessee in June 2021, just two months before the NFL insider gave birth to her first child.@mikejbabcock explains⊠pic.twitter.com/tW2gfpjtBC
â TMZ Sports (@TMZ\_Sports) May 6, 2026