https://www.washingtonsun.com/sports Sports en-US Mon, 14 Sep 2026 09:20:00 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/sports/commanders-jayden-daniels-eagles-loss Dave Sheinin In Week 1, Washington’s young quarterback stuck to a new script until his team needed a hero. Mon, 14 Sep 2026 09:20:00 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/sports/commanders-jayden-daniels-eagles-loss PHILADELPHIA — Jayden Daniels walked through the bowels of Lincoln Financial Field and toward the Washington Commanders’ bus Sunday night with every limb fully intact and operable, if not downright pristine. For a quarterback who spent most of 2025 either unable to get on the field or unable to stay there, that represented progress.

“It’s been a long time [Dec. 7, 2025, to be exact] since I played football,” Daniels said after the Commanders’ season-opening 24-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. “A long time since I started and finished a game.”

In a perfect world, the Commanders wouldn’t have to choose between keeping their franchise quarterback healthy and winning games. In a perfect world — such as the one they inhabited in 2024, when Daniels was a spectacular rookie and the Commanders were a 12-5 juggernaut — they can accomplish both objectives.

But here, at the start of the 2026 season, it’s already feeling like something close to a binary choice. And for most of Sunday night’s entertaining game, it felt like the Commanders were unsure which side of that line they wanted to occupy.

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They absolutely, positively, 100% don’t want Daniels to feel like he has to go out there and win games for them with his unique blend of athleticism, artistry and aerial acumen. Until they absolutely, positively, 100% need him to do exactly that. And then, it seems, they are willing to hold their breath and turn him loose.

On Sunday night, that strategy almost won them a crucial game in a stadium that has long been a house of horrors for this franchise. But it fell two points short when the final play of the game — a two-point-conversion try featuring an ill-conceived shovel pass to tight end John Bates — was stopped shy of the goal line.

Almost everything the Commanders did in the offseason seemed designed with one purpose in mind: keeping Daniels upright for 17 games. Behind rookie coordinator David Blough, they installed an offense full of motion and deception, with Daniels largely coming out of the huddle and playing under center — as opposed to the old, up-tempo design with Daniels mostly in the shotgun formation. They surrounded Daniels with the best collection of offensive weapons and targets of his pro career. They emphasized quick, smart decisions that boiled down to one notion: You don’t have to be the hero.

For the first three quarters Sunday night, the Commanders mostly stuck to that script. And what did that get them? A 17-9 deficit. Nine completions in 24 attempts for Daniels, for a total of 65 passing yards. No sacks, but no touchdown passes. Their longest play from scrimmage at that point was for 15 yards. They were 2 for 11 on third-down conversions. Terry McLaurin, their two-time Pro Bowl wideout, had two targets and no catches.

Daniels, though, was doing a bang-up job of not being the hero.

Asked afterward if it was beginning to feel natural for him to play smarter and safer, Daniels said, “It’s natural. I mean, kind of. But yeah, it’s natural. [The goal is] protecting the team, and when a play is there to be made with me scrambling, using my legs to go out there and make a play. But when there’s nothing there, don’t try to force anything. ... Throw the ball away. I’m kind of proud of myself for that.”

But with the final play of the third quarter, everything suddenly changed. Now operating out of the shotgun, Daniels saw the pocket collapse, shifted to his right, then took off downfield. He spun around one would-be tackler, then another — as you could practically hear the Commanders’ coaches yelling, “No, no, no, no, YES!” — and wound up with a 13-yard gain and a first down.

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It was vintage Daniels, circa 2024, and it seemed to stir something in him. He suddenly got a little less risk-averse, taking his first sack of the day later in that drive. But he also stood in the pocket, against what is likely to be the best defense he will face all season, and unleashed a 33-yard laser to rookie Antonio Williams, then three plays later found veteran Stefon Diggs in the end zone for a touchdown.

“You see how we have success when we sustain drives,” McLaurin said. “Staying out of second and long, third and long, and converting in situations where we had to, and staying on the field.”

By the time Daniels, trailing now by eight late in the fourth quarter, moved the Commanders down the field for a late touchdown — finding Williams in the end zone from one yard out with just over a minute left — it seemed obvious what they would do with the two-point conversion try. Don’t overthink it. Let your best player — who happens to be the one through whom every play must run — make a play.

Instead, they ran the shovel pass to Bates, a run-blocking specialist of a tight end. Center Nick Allegretti missed his block, and Bates came up well short of the goal line.

“I knew the play. It was a good one,” coach Dan Quinn said of Blough’s play-call. (A Commanders spokesperson said Blough was unavailable to speak Sunday, but would address the media during his regularly scheduled appearance on Thursday.) “It just didn’t execute, which sucks.”

Things get no easier from here for the Commanders. They travel to Dallas next week, then make their home debut in Week 3 against the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks — part of a stretch in which they play against five 2025 playoff teams in their first eight games.

These next couple of months would have looked a lot less daunting with a win here against the Eagles. And a win here against the Eagles would have been a lot more feasible had Daniels turned himself loose a quarter or two sooner.

The heart wants Daniels to go out there, make plays and win games the way he did in 2024. The head wants him to be smart and stay on the field all season, the way he did not in 2025. Maybe it’s too much to ask that Daniels, in 2026, can do both.
]]> https://www.washingtonsun.com/sports/dc-maryland-virginia-high-school-football-players-week-3 Noah Ferguson This weekend’s standouts included a two-way playmaker from South Lakes and a hyper-efficient running back from B-CC. Mon, 14 Sep 2026 09:15:00 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/sports/dc-maryland-virginia-high-school-football-players-week-3 Week 3 of the high school football season featured a full slate and several high-profile matchups. Here are five players that turned in exceptional performances in their teams’ wins:

Joshua-Benjamin Dagbe, Junior, Defensive Back, South Lakes

Dagbe was one of the brightest stars in South Lakes’ momentous 34-12 win over Virginia Class 6 power Battlefield on Thursday. The defensive back, who also plays wide receiver for the Seahawks, nabbed an early interception and returned it 48 yards to the house to give Coach Jason Hescock’s team some early momentum. Dagbe then pulled down two touchdown catches on offense and racked up 160 scrimmage yards as South Lakes stunned the Bobcats. Through three games, Dagbe has seven total touchdowns and two interceptions.

Gabe Hudgens, Senior, Wide Receiver, Theodore Roosevelt

The senior wideout has already started building a strong resume for DCIAA Player of the Year. In a thrilling comeback victory over Digital Pioneers Academy on Friday, Hudgens tallied 172 receiving yards and two touchdowns as the Roughriders stormed back from an early 16-point deficit to earn a 29-28 victory. “I don’t see many teams that can stop him one-on-one,” Coach Chris Harden said of Hudgens. “I think teams are going to have to put two or three guys on Gabe, because Gabe is a monster out there on that field.”

Akeem Jervis, Senior, Quarterback, Largo

Jervis torched Glen Burnie in more ways than one in Largo’s 50-34 win last week. The senior rushed for 132 yards and a touchdown and threw for 123 yards and two more scores as the Lions poured it on against a Glen Burnie team that advanced to the Maryland 4A state quarterfinals last season. Coach Derron Thomas’ run-heavy offense finished with 336 rushing yards.

Aiah Mbayo, Senior, Running Back, Bethesda-Chevy Chase

Mbayo produced a handful of explosive plays to help key Bethesda Chevy-Chase’s 50-36 victory over Blair on Thursday. The senior made the most of his eight carries, running for 152 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. He added a third touchdown with a 98-yard kickoff return as the Barons brushed off last week’s gut-wrenching loss to rival Churchill with a huge offensive showing.

PJ Sutherland, Senior, Running Back, Westfield

Sutherland found the end zone three times in the Bulldogs’ 35-28 win over Langley on Friday. His first came in the first half, when he hauled in a deep pass over his shoulder for a 56-yard receiving touchdown to give Westfield a two-score lead. Sutherland’s second touchdown was equally impressive — with his team clinging to a one-score lead deep in the second half, he burst through a horde of Saxon tacklers for a 10-yard touchdown run. His final score, a 23-yard jaunt to the end zone with just minutes left in the fourth quarter, gave the undefeated Bulldogs a nice cushion.]]> https://www.washingtonsun.com/sports/week-1-nfl-takeaways-storylines Alex Schiffer The first Sunday of the season featured a comeback in Houston and an upset in Los Angeles. Mon, 14 Sep 2026 09:05:00 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/sports/week-1-nfl-takeaways-storylines After appetizers on Wednesday and Thursday, NFL fans got a full meal Sunday afternoon with the first real slate of games. And there was plenty to enjoy, from Josh Allen’s heroics to a throwback performance from Kirk Cousins. Here are five takeaways from Week 1:

The Bears’ offense might be a juggernaut

In his first year in Chicago, Ben Johnson led the Bears to an 11–6 record and their deepest playoff run since 2010. But he set the bar even higher ahead of this season. In addition to chasing a Super Bowl, Johnson has openly talked about having the “highest-scoring offense ever.”

“I want shutouts,” Johnson told The Athletic. “I want blowouts.”

Johnson got his blowout Sunday, as the Bears beat up on the Panthers, 59-37. Two years ago, Chicago didn’t score their 59th point until Week 4. But Caleb Williams was a rookie then, and in his first game of Year 3, he looked to be in full control of the offense. Williams went 21 for 29 for 269 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for two more. D’Andre Swift added 124 yards and three touchdowns on the ground as the Bears totaled 552 yards of offense.

Chicago’s 59 points set a franchise record for highest output in a season opener and tied for second-most points by any team in a Week 1 game.

The NFC favorites had a rough opening week.

Two Super Bowl hopefuls started their seasons off with key injuries. On Wednesday, the defending champion Seahawks lost quarterback Sam Darnold to a glute injury in the first quarter of their Super Bowl rematch against the Patriots. While the Seahawks still pulled out a 13-10 win behind backup Drew Lock, they could be without Darnold for a “couple of games,” according to NFL Network.

The Rams, who went all in on their Super Bowl hopes by trading for Myles Garrett this offseason, also took a hit this week. After falling flat against San Francisco in Thursday’s Australia game, the Rams announced that Garrett will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his knee and miss at least four games on injured reserve. Garrett, the reigning defensive player of the year, played a full game against the 49ers but didn’t register a tackle or sack.

“This was the worst version of myself that I’ve put out there, and I’ve got to be better,” Garrett said after the loss. “I’ve got to find a way to recover and get back to the player I know I can be and I’ve shown that I’ve been before.”

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A few new coaches earned impressive first wins. 

In his first game as coach of the Bills, Joe Brady was tasked with putting together a game-winning drive. Buffalo’s former offensive coordinator, who was elevated to head coach this offseason while maintaining play-calling duties, put his faith in quarterback Josh Allen with the Bills down 31-30 in the fourth quarter. Allen led the Bills on a seven-play, 96-yard scoring drive to take a late, 36-31 lead. Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud nearly mimicked that feat, leading the Texans down to the Bills’ 18-yard line with 25 seconds left. But a strip sack from Greg Rousseau ended the game and gave Brady’s Bills their first win.

Meanwhile, the Ravens traveled to Indianapolis and made a statement in their first game under coach Jesse Minter. Derrick Henry ran for 144 yards and three touchdowns in a 41-23 blowout. Mike McCarthy led the Steelers to a 20-13 win over the Falcons and Las Vegas’ Klint Kubiak earned a 27-13 win against the Dolphins.

Don’t forget about the old QBs. 

It’s been quite a two-year stretch for Cousins. In March 2024, he signed a four-year, $180 million contract with the Falcons, only to watch Atlanta draft a first-round quarterback a month later. That rookie, Michael Penix, eventually unseated Cousins as the starter in Atlanta. This offseason, Cousins signed with the Raiders knowing the team would draft Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza first overall in April’s draft.

Even if he has accepted the role of mentor, Cousins showed on Sunday that he can still produce as a starter. The 38-year-old completed 21 of 30 passes for 160 yards and three touchdowns in a 27–13 win over Miami. He became the first Raiders starter to throw three touchdowns in the season opener since Kerry Collins in 2005.

But Captain Kirk wasn’t the only starter who showed he still has some juice: 33-year-old Jacoby Brissett went 27 for 37 for 277 yards and a touchdown as the Cardinals opened the season with a surprising 26–14 win over the Chargers in Los Angeles.]]> https://www.washingtonsun.com/sports/commanders-eagles-week-1 Martenzie Johnson Eagles 24, Commanders 22 Mon, 14 Sep 2026 00:17:22 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/sports/commanders-eagles-week-1 PHILADELPHIA — The Commanders defense held its own in Philadelphia — for the most part.

The unit limited running back Saquon Barkley on the ground for the most part. They got in the face of quarterback Jalen Hurts for the most part. Everyone from the defensive line to the defensive backs played with physicality for the most part.

Washington’s defense looked far better than it did for most of 2025. But four big plays undid all of that progress.

The unit allowed a 64-yard bomb to Dontayvion Wicks in the first quarter, leading to the game’s first touchdown. It gave up a 42-yard run by Barkley, setting up Philadelphia’s second score. Then there was the 22-yard scramble by Hurts on a key 3rd and 18 late, leading to the biggest dagger of them all: a 43-yard touchdown pass to Dallas Goedert that proved to be the difference.

Behind those big plays, the Eagles took the season opener, 24-22, after the Commanders failed on a two-point conversion with just over a minute left in the fourth quarter.

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Aside from the 42-yarder, Barkley averaged just 2.6 yards per carry. Hurts was sacked three times and faced near constant pressure as the Commanders forced five three-and-outs on the day. But each of his three touchdown passes came from breakdowns on the defense. While Washington put the hurt (no pun intended) on the Eagles Sunday, including 10 tackles for loss, it was missed tackles that often did them in.

“It's always a couple plays that deter the game from what it really looks like to how it ended,” defensive tackle Tim Settle said. “[The mistakes] were self-inflicted. The more we can work on beating the team instead of beating ourselves, we'll be completely pumped.”

The Washington offense was mostly anemic early, failing to reach 40 yards of total offense in the first quarter. But the unit came alive when it mattered most. In the fourth quarter, Stefon Diggs scored on a 10-yard touchdown pass and rookie Antonio Williams made a fingertip grab in the end zone to bring the Commanders within two in the game’s final moments. But a failed shovel pass to tight end John Bates on the two-point conversion sealed the Commanders' fate.

“I would say we stopped shooting ourselves in the foot,” Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels said of the offense’s turnaround. “Especially against a really good defense like that … you don’t want to play at third-and-longs and let that crowd and that defense feast and rally to the ball. We shot ourselves in the foot too many times and it came back to haunt us at the end of the game.”

Game MVP: Antonio Williams

Not bad, rook. The first-year receiver from Clemson led Washington's pass-catchers with 64 yards and tied for the lead in receptions (four). His touchdown with 1:05 left in the fourth quarter gave the Commanders a chance to tie the game.

Earlier in the afternoon, he caught a slant route for 16 yards, putting Washington on the 1-yard line just before halftime. Bill Croskey-Merritt punched it in on the next play for the Commanders’ first touchdown of the season.

In the fourth quarter, he caught a 33-yard pass on 3rd and 14, keeping a drive alive and leading to Diggs’ touchdown three plays later.

“I just want to build that confidence,” Williams said. “And when it comes to me I'm going to make the most of it.”

Moment That Mattered

The moment that seemed to start the snowball effect of mental mistakes was the 64-yarder to Wicks. Mike Sainristil was in coverage on the deep throw, and it appeared he lost track of the ball as it soared over his head. Not only did the play lead to Philadelphia’s first touchdown, it seemed to throw Sainristil off for the rest of the half. Two possessions later, he lost track of Wicks again — this time in the end zone.


After the game, Sainristil said he let up on the deep pass because he incorrectly thought the ball had already been thrown in front of him. He turned to find the pass-catcher, not realizing it was Wicks.


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Postgame Scene

Even though it was a frustrating loss for Washington, the away locker room didn’t have the despondent vibe close losses tend to create. Sainristil talked shop with cornerbacks Rasul Douglas and Amik Robertson, discussing how to improve. Few, if any, players denied requests for interviews. Everyone on defense seemed to understand that, outside of a few isolated mistakes, they played a solid game. But, of course, there are no moral victories in football.

“We lost, so we’re all losers right now,” Douglas said. “We just gotta work, practice and put on tape next week.”
]]> https://www.washingtonsun.com/sports/nationals-game-recape-sept-13-2026 Associated Press Washington rallies late to complete a sweep of Los Angeles. Sun, 13 Sep 2026 21:22:08 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/sports/nationals-game-recape-sept-13-2026 Daylen Lile tripled to key a four-run rally in the eighth inning, Jacob Young and Dylan Crews added RBIs and the Washington Nationals beat the Los Angeles Angels 6-5 on Sunday to complete a three-game sweep.

Los Angeles dropped to 56-93 and must win at least seven of its last 13 games to avoid its first 100-loss season.

Washington improved to 3-61 when trailing after seven innings, sweeping the Angels for the first time.

Erik Tolman (1-1) threw a run-scoring wild pitch and Moisés Ballesteros hit a sacrifice fly that put Los Angeles ahead 4-2 in the eighth.

Yohandy Morales singled off Luke Murphy (0-3) starting the eighth and Lile triple and pinch-hitter Jorbit Vivas hit an RBI single that tied the score 4-4. Young hit a go-ahead double that chased Murphy and Crews hit a two-out RBI single.

Jack Sinclair got his first professional save, allowing Christian Moore's run-scoring groundout.

Moisés Ballesteros and Zach Neto hit solo homers for the Angels. Neto matched his career best of 26 homers.]]> https://www.washingtonsun.com/sports/univesirty-maryland-football-game-recap-sept-12-2026 Associated Press The Terps' Malik Washington and Harry Dalton III lead Maryland to a win. Sun, 13 Sep 2026 12:44:51 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/sports/univesirty-maryland-football-game-recap-sept-12-2026 EAST HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Maryland is benefiting from their up-tempo offense in 2026.

The Terps scored 62 points in their season opening win over Hampton and rolled to a 38-14 win over Connecticut on Saturday in front of 34,494 fans at Pratt and Whitney Stadium.

After the host Huskies took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter, the Terrapins (2-0) scored on six of their next eight drives with five touchdowns and a field goal.

Maryland sophomore QB Malik Washington completed 34-of-41 passes for 347 yards and two touchdowns while Harry Dalton III ran for 48 yards and two touchdowns for the Terps.

“I am proud of this team. I told them this would be an audit for us,” Maryland coach Michael Locksley said. “I thought we did a good job of taking care of business. Malik was really efficient today.”

Washington, who completed 18 passes in a row at one point, completed passes to eight different receivers. Chris Durr Jr. pulled in a career-high 10 receptions for 103 yards and a touchdown. Na’eem Abdul-Rahim Gladding caught eight passes for a game-high 130 yards and a touchdown.

“We’re always going to be a multi-tempo offense,” Lockley said. “With us and a guy like Malik getting him in the rhythm is really important. It is more flow than tempo.

“There will be times we want to play fast and keep people off the field in certain situations. But I think our goal is to get 80 plays and the only way you can get 80 plays in today’s game is you have to go with some tempo,” he said. “When you have as many playmakers as we have on offense and the diversity of how we spread the ball around, you won’t get enough plays if you play slow.”

The Terps ran 78 plays on Saturday.

UConn (1-1) was led by QB Kalieb Osborne, who completed 10 of 21 passes for 156 yards with two touchdowns. He was UConn’s leading rusher with 30 yards on 13 carries. Maryland limited the Huskies to 67 yards on 31 carries.

Washington completed 16 of his first 16 passes in the second half for 138 yards and a touchdown as he marched the Terps up and down the field.

Streaks

Maryland has won 20 straight non-conference games. It is the longest streak in the FBS.

The loss to Maryland snapped a nine-game winning streak at Pratt and Whitney Stadium for the Huskies, dating back to a loss to Wake Forest in October 2024.

Up next

Maryland: vs. Virginia Tech next Saturday]]> https://www.washingtonsun.com/sports/dc-united-game-recap-sept-12-2026 Associated Press Sean Johnson has two saves for a 0-0 tie with Atlanta. Sun, 13 Sep 2026 12:29:24 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/sports/dc-united-game-recap-sept-12-2026 WASHINGTON (AP) — Sean Johnson had two saves Saturday night for D.C. United in a 0-0 tie with Atlanta United.

The 37-year-old Johnson has six shutouts this season for D.C. United (6-7-11), which beat Columbus 2-1 on Wednesday night to snap a five-game winless streak.

Atlanta (6-14-5) is winless in four straight following a season-high three wins in a row.

Atlanta had 62% possession and outshot D.C. 18-4, 3-0 on target. D.C. had just one shot in the second half.

The teams also played to a scoreless tie March 21 in Atlanta.]]> https://www.washingtonsun.com/sports/nationals-game-recap-sept-12-2026 Associated Press Nats beat Angels despite another bullpen collapse. Sun, 13 Sep 2026 12:23:57 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/sports/nationals-game-recap-sept-12-2026 WASHINGTON (AP) — Andrew Alvarez pitched seven innings of one-hit ball and the Washington Nationals earned a 6-5, 10-inning victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday when CJ Abrams scored on an error despite another bullpen collapse.

Andrés Chaparro's single off Ben Joyce tied it in the ninth. Abrams scored against José Fermín (4-3) when shortstop Zach Neto could not handle Harry Ford's grounder with the infield in.

Before that, the Angels rallied to a 5-4 lead while handing Washington’s bullpen an MLB record-extending 39th blown save. Vaughn Grissom connected for a two-run homer during a three-run eighth against Brad Lord, and Wade Meckler, Denzer Guzman and Moisés Ballesteros also had RBIs.

Jack Sinclair (1-0) retired four batters for his first career win.

Washington's Abimelec Ortiz hit a two-run single during a three-run second. Jacob Young and Keibert Ruiz also drove in runs to help Washington to a 4-0 lead that Alvarez held as he departed.

Los Angeles sank to 4-14 in extra innings games this season.

Alvarez struck out a career-best eight batters — including three-time MVP Mike Trout twice — while working around four walks and Jose Siri’s sixth-inning double inside the left-field line.

The 27-year-old threw 61 of 97 pitches for strikes in his 20th and longest career start, retiring 13 of the last 14 batters he faced.

Previously, Alvarez carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning of his MLB debut on Sept. 1, 2025 against Miami.]]> https://www.washingtonsun.com/sports/nationals-4-angels-3-game-recap Associated Press The Nats ended a seven-game losing streak in their Sept. 11 game against Los Angeles. Sat, 12 Sep 2026 11:41:04 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/sports/nationals-4-angels-3-game-recap By Noah Trister

Jorbit Vivas hit a tiebreaking two-run double in the eighth inning to lift Washington to a 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels that snapped the Nationals' seven-game losing streak Friday night.

The Angels led 2-1 before pinch-hitter Andrew Pinckney tied it with a sacrifice fly off Samy Natera Jr. (1-2) in the eighth. Then Vivas hit a flyball that dropped into the corner in right field to make it 4-2.

Clayton Beeter (6-5) won in relief, and Erik Tolman worked the ninth for his second save. Tolman allowed an RBI double by Christian Moore that very nearly cleared the wall in right-center for a tying homer, but it stayed in the park and the left-hander retired pinch-hitter Kyren Paris on a flyball to end it.

Mike Trout homered for the first time in over a month for Los Angeles.

Trout hadn't gone deep since Aug. 10 against Texas, but after 27 consecutive homerless games, he connected off Cade Cavalli in the first inning to put the Angels up 1-0.

After a pair of walks in the fourth put men on first and second, James Wood delivered a two-out single that tied the game at 1.

It stayed that way until the seventh, when Cavalli walked the first two hitters and Moore followed with an RBI single to left, chasing the Washington starter. Cavalli allowed two runs, three hits and two walks in six-plus innings, striking out nine.

After Washington started its half of the eighth with a walk and a single, Crews ended up with a bunt single when Natera fielded the ball but turned toward third, where he had no play.

Yohandy Morales followed with a grounder to short, but rather than concede the tying run and try for a double play up the middle, Zach Neto threw home for the force. Pinckney, who was recalled from Triple-A Rochester when the Nationals put infielder Nasim Nuñez on the bereavement list, hit a flyball deep enough to score the tying run.]]> https://www.washingtonsun.com/sports/doj-nba-clippers-kawhi-leonard-salary-scandal Alex Schiffer The investigation stems from the NBA’s findings that the Clippers set up no-show endorsement deals for their star player to get around the league’s salary rules. Fri, 11 Sep 2026 16:02:45 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/sports/doj-nba-clippers-kawhi-leonard-salary-scandal The Clippers’ salary cap circumvention scandal has made its way to the Justice Department.

On Thursday, The New York Times reported that federal prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into the Clippers, related to the NBA’s findings that the team aimed to circumvent the league’s salary cap by setting up no-show endorsement deals for star Kawhi Leonard.

It isn’t known what crimes the Justice Department is investigating the Clippers for, according to the Times, or whether the investigation will result in charges.

The NBA released the findings of its investigation into the Clippers last week, while handing down one of the harshest penalties in league history. The investigation found that the team helped arrange four endorsement deals for Leonard with team sponsors that required little participation on his part, as a way to compensate him beyond his contract with the team and get around the league’s salary rules.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver stripped the Clippers of five first-round draft picks and suspended owner Steve Ballmer for a year, in addition to suspending two other team executives. Leonard must pay $700,000 in restitution, and Dennis Robertson, Leonard’s uncle and adviser, is banned from doing business in the NBA for five years.

Daktronics, which is one of the companies that made a deal with Leonard, is being probed by the Securities and Exchange Commission as a result of the NBA’s findings, the company’s CFO said on a recent earnings call.

According to the Times, the Justice Department’s investigation is being conducted by the U.S. attorney’s office in Brooklyn — which has a long history of investigating the NBA. In 2007, the office investigated former NBA referee Tim Donaghy, who bet on games he officiated and later served 15 months in prison, and in recent years the office has handled cases surrounding the federal gambling probe that led to the arrests of NBA players Terry Rozier and Malik Beasley as well as Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups.

After the NBA handed down its punishment, the Clippers issued a statement that said the team “vehemently reject the NBA’s findings, which are the result of a heavily biased investigation seeking to justify a predetermined narrative rather than facts and evidence.” Ballmer’s attorney David Kelley, a former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, released his own statement calling the investigation a “witch hunt,” but no mechanism exists within the NBA to challenge the league’s decision.]]>