The Pulse Newsletter 📣 | This is The Athletic’s daily sports newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Pulse directly in your inbox.

Good morning! Alex here, filling in again as Chris takes a break. Inside:

Geography: Just how back is the NBA’s East?

Not even two months ago, it was a common opinion that the “real” NBA Finals were the Western Conference finals between the Thunder and Spurs. They had been the league’s two best teams all season. The West seemed primed to claim a ninth title in the 13 years since the LeBron James-era Heat won their second in 2013. The balance of NBA power was in the West, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Victor Wembanyama set to keep it there for a while.

Now? Not so fast, my friends. The Knicks becoming the center of the hoops universe was one thing, but Fred Katz made a compelling case after James agreed to a deal with the 76ers last week: The Eastern Conference is back, for the first time in a long time. Once upon a time, it was James’ birthright, renewed each year, to take either the Cavaliers or Heat to the finals. The conference lacked juice outside of his teams. Things feel different now:

• The Knicks are champions of the world and have most of their key contributors back.
• Yeah, the Sixers will be really good, with LeBron, Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown and VJ Edgecombe. They are a clear title contender.
• The Celtics are still the Celtics, with a healthy Jayson Tatum, a likely better-shooting version of Derrick White and Mitchell Robinson coming over from the Knicks.
• The Pistons are one likely Jalen Duren re-signing away from having the key supporting cast around Cade Cunningham back in the fold. They just won 60 games.

You may or may not like any of those teams in a vacuum against the Spurs or Thunder, as you scribble it out on paper in July. But the East has both quality and quantity up top this year.

Are we getting carried away, though? Just how back is the conference? Let’s tag in Zach Harper, author of the excellent Bounce newsletter.

Zach, hello! When was the last time the East controlled the balance of power?

💬 “Probably the last years of Michael Jordan in Chicago. The late ’90s had a lot of good teams in the West, but it felt like Jordan and the Bulls (or whoever beat them) would win it all.”

Do you think that’s happening again now, finally?

💬 “Perspective matters. If Denver or Minnesota or the Lakers or even the Rockets were in the East, would we think they could win the conference? Yes. I think the East is no longer incompetent in the back half of the standings. There is depth for solid teams. But maybe only three East squads should be considered actual contenders.”

At the least, this upswing seems like it should be good for business. Is it? 

💬 “It should be great for business! We need more intrigue from the East than feeling like a team got to the NBA Finals by default. We need a tough path to winning the conference. We should have that this season.”

Like always, it’s great to have Zach. You can sign up here to read him all the time.

News to Know

UNC GM Lombardi on leave
North Carolina placed football general manager Michael Lombardi on paid leave, the school said yesterday. The move came after a human resources complaint, three people told our reporters. Carolina has billed Lombardi as a key partner to coach Bill Belichick in building up the Tar Heels’ roster.

Shortly after taking his job prior to last season, Lombardi said the Tar Heels considered themselves the 33rd NFL team because of the pro backgrounds of so many people in their building. (UNC then went 4-8.) The team also fielded a recent approach from the College Sports Commission, the enforcement body that tries to police NIL agreements.

Wife of Chiefs coordinator shot; son arrested
Mia Bieniemy, the wife of Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, was shot at their home in Virginia on Sunday night, an NFL source confirmed with our reporter. Afterward, police in Loudoun County, Va., arrested the couple’s son, Elijah, and said they did so in connection with a shooting in which an adult female suffered “multiple gunshot wounds.” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Mia was in stable condition and that she was “a saint, one of God’s good blessings.”

More news

• The Commanders fired tight ends coach Ben Steele after he was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.
• Quarterback Daniel Jones will be a “full go” at Colts training camp after rehabbing from a right Achilles rupture, he said. Wideout Alec Pierce will start on the PUP list.
• ICE said it deported former Colts linebacker Daniel Adongo, who allegedly overstayed a visa. A former rugby player from Kenya, he played for the Colts in 2013 and 2015.
• Stanford football players moved to organize a bargaining unit. It was not clear how many players had signed onto the union effort, who their counterparty would be or what various courts, boards and governments might do to stop them.
• Outgoing Michigan AD Warde Manuel will get $7.1 million and assorted perks from the university after he steps down at the end of the year. Full backstory here.
• The ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee wants to talk with FIFA president Gianni Infantino about his relationship with the Trump administration.
• The Trail Blazers and Portland continued to clash over the team’s arena, leaving the franchise’s future in Oregon uncertain.

Watch Guide

📺 MLB: Cubs at Cardinals
7:45 p.m. ET on TBS
Big October ramifications, as the Cubs try to solidify a postseason spot and the Cardinals look to hang in there amid a glut of teams for the third NL wild-card position.

📺 WNBA: Fever at Storm
9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN
Seattle took a league-worst 6-23 record into the All-Star break. For Indiana, a healthy-looking Caitlin Clark is back in the mix with Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston.

Pulse Picks

A terrific story by Mike DeFabo on the Steelers’ new coach: “Mike McCarthy came home to Pittsburgh, his family and the grief he can’t escape.”

Tim Britton’s effort to turn MLB trade deadline returns into an actual science. What would the Tigers get for Tarik Skubal? We may know soon, but Tim offers a good idea.

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert may be unpopular with the league’s players, Candace Buckner writes, but she’s not paid to be their friend.

Where could the U.S. find more rugby players? Well, in basketball, reports Daniel Gallan.

The going rates for a men’s college basketball roster, explained by Brendan Marks and CJ Moore. Your price of admission to be competitive this year? $10 million.

Most-clicked in yesterday’s newsletter: Once again, Kerry Wood’s behind-the-back pitch for the Savannah Bananas.

Most-read on the website yesterday: The news report about Mia Bieniemy.

📫 That’s all for now! Say hello at thepulse@theathletic.com, and check out our other newsletters.

MIAMI — As Zack Wheeler flung a 91 mph sinker, pitching coaches Caleb Cotham and Mark Lowy sat on a bench that offered them a straight-line view of their 36-year-old ace and a scoreboard that displayed the troubling velocity readings. Paul Buchheit, the Philadelphia Phillies’ head athletic trainer, leaned in to confer with the pair after the pitch reached J.T. Realmuto for a strike.

The Phillies had already huddled in the previous inning to determine whether Wheeler should keep pitching. His stuff was diminished. He lacked command. The Miami Marlins, who entered Monday on a 12-game losing streak, hit him hard.

They would not have kept pitching Wheeler if he appeared to be hurt. So, he trudged through three stress-inducing innings. He was nowhere near his best, and that’s the problem with these Phillies, who have hit a wall. Monday’s surprising 8-7 loss to the Marlins was the latest nine-inning evidence they are constructed in a manner that affords their star players no leeway. They cannot have bad nights because the surrounding roster is not strong enough to overcome that.

“Being able to pick Zack up like that after all the time that he’s picked us up in the last seven years,” Realmuto said, “that would have been nice to do.”

They almost did. Then closer Jhoan Duran blew a save when he surrendered three runs, the first runs he’s allowed in more than six weeks. He has to be perfect because the Phillies play so many close games; without Duran, they would not still occupy a playoff position.

The Phillies have lost seven of 10 games since the All-Star break.

Zack Wheeler was nowhere near his best Monday night in Miami. (Lynne Sladky / Associated Press)

The wins and losses are secondary to Wheeler’s health. After his shortest outing in more than four seasons that featured the second-lowest average velocity on his four-seam fastball, the clubhouse projected calmness.

“Just one of those games,” said Wheeler, who allowed five runs in those three innings Monday. “One of these days. It just wasn’t coming out. I don’t know. No excuse, just a bad game.”

“He said he felt physically fine,” Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly said. “Just the ball wasn’t coming out.”

Mattingly said Wheeler, who flew ahead of the team Sunday because the Phillies did not arrive at their hotel until after 3 a.m. Monday, reported some nausea after his outing.

“I mean, that didn’t really affect me out there,” Wheeler said. “The ball just wasn’t coming out like I wanted to. My body wasn’t moving like I wanted it to. I was trying to get through it. Some games I can. Just today, I couldn’t.”

Wheeler, who is less than a year removed from a dangerous blood clot that revealed thoracic outlet syndrome, has defied expectations after such a major injury. The Phillies have protected him at every step; letting him pitch through something Monday night would have run counter to that. But there will be skepticism about this being a radar blip until Wheeler appears in a game again — Sunday at Camden Yards in Baltimore.

“One of those days,” Wheeler said. “You have a bad day every once in a while, I’m sure, right?”

Who doesn’t? The problem is Wheeler is the highest-paid pitcher in the sport this season, and he’s only around every fifth day. His bad days are magnified; that’s just how it is. Especially when the Phillies have a formula that requires them to win almost every time he, Cristopher Sánchez or Jesús Luzardo pitches.

Wheeler needed 34 pitches to survive the second inning. He hit 95 mph once all night. That’s what he has averaged on his fastball all season. He said he felt great Sunday when he played catch; it was his fifth (regular) day. “I wish I could have pitched yesterday,” Wheeler said. “That’s what I told some guys. Today it was the complete opposite.” Wheeler likes pitching on regular rest. But when possible, the Phillies have continued to seek the extra day for all of their pitchers because they are too important to this thing.

Philadelphia will do it again this week by deploying another bullpen game Friday that features some bulk innings from Brian Keller, a 32-year-old rookie.

The arms who followed Wheeler posted zeroes until Duran. But everyone’s velocity was down Monday night. The Phillies have leaned a considerable amount on their relievers. The bullpen games every fifth day have an increasing toll. The low-scoring offense has often put Mattingly in a position where he has to burn his better relievers to keep a game close. On Monday, he used all of his best guys and had nothing to show for it.

It was a particular sting.

The Phillies are not going to sell the farm in the next week, but they will trade some prospects. They are too invested in this. They have to feed this beast because it is all they have. There is no turning back, no matter how many red flags caution them otherwise.

Closer Jhoan Duran surrendered three runs Monday. (Lynne Sladky / Associated Press)

Trea Turner made another error, his seventh in 10 games. He took one of the more uncompetitive at-bats of the season in the fifth inning by flailing at pitches far out of the zone. Brandon Marsh went hitless in five at-bats. Gabriel Rincones Jr. continues to look overmatched in the majors.

But Bryson Stott and Alec Bohm had big hits. So did Realmuto. Justin Crawford put them ahead with a two-out, two-strike single. The tired relievers did their jobs without their best velocities.

And Bryce Harper, who homered in the first inning, reached base three times in a game for the first time in three weeks.

“When Harp hits the homer to start the game, you’re like, ‘OK,’” Mattingly said. “And you got Wheels. You’re feeling pretty good. Obviously, that changed pretty quickly.”

Harper has been in a prolonged slump. Kyle Schwarber has three homers and 36 strikeouts in his last 23 games. Marsh is down to a .787 OPS. For so long, they powered the Phillies, along with the three-headed rotation.

They are showing some cracks. In baseball, it’s impossible for a select few to carry an entire roster over six months. The top-heavy Phillies have tested that theory and, in late July, they have discovered its limits. They need help. A trade, sure. But, more than anything, the stars require support.

“It was a weird game,” Realmuto said, “in that they got the two of our very best pitchers.”

The bulk of NFL veterans will report to training camp Tuesday. By Wednesday, the league will be in full swing with practices. The beginning of the regular season is in sight, with the opener kicking off Sept. 9.

It is a time for teams to sharpen their rosters on the field. It is also a time when we see movement with contract extensions for some of the league’s top players. Deadlines force deals. The start of training camp — and the start of the regular season in the near future — can be the impetus that moves negotiations closer to the finish line. Players in negotiations can exercise their leverage by sitting out practices or holding in.

Several high-profile players are eligible for extensions. With 26 of the 32 teams welcoming veterans for training camp Tuesday, let’s take a look at some of these interesting contract situations.

Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud

Stroud won Offensive Rookie of the Year and made the Pro Bowl after being the No. 2 pick in 2023. That season, Stroud ranked sixth in expected points added per dropback, according to TruMedia. The Texans made the playoffs for the first time since 2019. In the two seasons since, Stroud has not been as productive while playing behind some shaky offensive lines. Since the start of 2024, Stroud ranks 24th among 33 qualified quarterbacks in EPA per dropback, according to TruMedia.

Stroud has been eligible for an extension since the end of the 2025 season. Players must play three seasons before they can sign an extension. The Texans picked up Stroud’s fifth-year option in April, meaning he is under contract through 2027. He is due to make $25.9 million on that fifth-year option in 2027, according to Over the Cap. A player drafted in the first round signs a four-year contract with a fifth-year team option.

The quarterback market is fascinating because there is a very small middle class. There are 12 quarterbacks making at least $51 million in average annual value, according to Over the Cap. Only four quarterbacks are making between $30 million and $50 million: the Cleveland Browns’ Deshaun Watson ($46 million); the Indianapolis Colts’ Daniel Jones ($44 million); the Seattle Seahawks’ Sam Darnold ($33.5 million) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Baker Mayfield ($33.3 million).

At other positions, we see a more gradual scale from the top players to the more mid-tier players. Quarterback is a unique position and a unique market. Based on performance, Stroud is worthy of a contract in this middle class. But his leverage is that the Texans would have to find a replacement at the game’s most important position by the time his contract is up after 2027. And, despite the regression of the last two seasons, Houston has made the playoffs and won a wild-card game in all three of Stroud’s seasons. The Texans do have time, and they can see more of Stroud before making a decision.

The Texans rebuilt their offensive line this offseason. They signed Wyatt Teller and Braden Smith in free agency, and they drafted Keylan Rutledge in the first round. In theory, Stroud should be playing in a more stable ecosystem, which should lead to a purer evaluation.

Carolina Panthers QB Bryce Young

Young was taken one pick before Stroud in the 2023 draft. He is on a similar timeline to the Texans quarterback. The Panthers also picked up Young’s fifth-year option in April, and he is under contract through 2027. Young is also due to make $25.9 million that season, according to Over the Cap.

Young set career highs in passing yards (3,011) and passing touchdowns (23) in 2025, as the Panthers made the playoffs in their second season under coach Dave Canales. It was Carolina’s first postseason berth since 2017. At the same time, Young ranked 28th in EPA per dropback among 33 qualified quarterbacks, according to TruMedia. He has limitations to his game, namely his size and arm strength.

The Panthers will be asking nearly identical questions to the ones the Texans will be asking. Is Young a good enough quarterback to extend him in the top class at $50 million per year or more? Can they find common ground in that middle class? Because Young is under contract through 2027, will the two sides wait for more evaluation time? Are the Panthers willing to enter the uncertainty of a quarterback search?

Seattle Seahawks CB Devon Witherspoon

Witherspoon earned a second-team All-Pro nod in 2025 as a key piece in the Seahawks’ Super Bowl defense. He was the No. 5 pick in 2023, and the Seahawks picked up Witherspoon’s fifth-year option in April. He is under contract through 2027. He is due to make $21.16 million in that fifth-year option in 2027.

Trent McDuffie reset the cornerback market in March after the Kansas City Chiefs traded him to the Los Angeles Rams. That deal pays McDuffie $31 million in average annual value, according to Over the Cap. Witherspoon should be looking to top that mark. He is versatile and one of the best cornerbacks in football.

New England Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez

The Patriots drafted Gonzalez in the first round in 2023. They picked up his fifth-year option in April, and Gonzalez is now under contract through 2027. Gonzalez is due $18.12 million on that fifth-year option in 2027, according to Over The Cap.

Over the weekend, Patriots owner Robert Kraft said the team has already offered Gonzalez a contract that would make him the “highest-paid player ever to play that position in the NFL,” according to The Athletic’s Chad Graff. That would imply a deal exceeding McDuffie’s $31 million in average annual value. Gonzalez and cornerback Carlton Davis form a formidable duo on the outside for the Patriots defense. Both corners are adept at playing physical press coverage at the line of scrimmage. Gonzalez, in particular, thrives in man coverage, which is a very valuable skill.

There are sometimes instances when two elite players at one position are engaged in negotiations simultaneously. At quarterback, for instance, the Cincinnati Bengals’ Joe Burrow and Los Angeles Chargers’ Justin Herbert were both extension eligible in the 2023 offseason. One domino had to fall first. Herbert signed an extension in July of that year at $52.5 million in average annual value. Burrow then signed in September for $55 million in average annual value. Witherspoon and Gonzalez seem to be in similar positions at cornerback.

Detroit Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs

Gibbs has been wildly productive since the Lions drafted him No. 12 in the first round in 2023. Since he joined the league, Gibbs has 49 scrimmage touchdowns, the most in the league, according to TruMedia. Only five players have 40 or more scrimmage touchdowns in that span.

The Lions picked up Gibbs’ fifth-year option in April. He is due to make $14.29 million on that option, which keeps him under contract through 2027. Only six running backs are making more than $14 million in average annual value, according to Over the Cap. That group includes the Kansas City Chiefs’ Kenneth Walker III ($14.35 million AAV) and the New York Jets’ Breece Hall ($14.5 million), who both signed new contracts this offseason. Walker joined the Chiefs as a free agent. Hall signed an extension with the Jets.

The Philadelphia Eagles’ Saquon Barkley is the highest-paid running back in the league at $20.6 million in AAV. Gibbs has certainly been productive enough to reset that market. He is also potentially set up for an even bigger role this season with the Lions trading David Montgomery to the Texans in March.

The Lions’ Jahmyr Gibbs could be in line to surpass the Eagles’ Saquon Barkley as the league’s highest-paid running back. (Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)

Los Angeles Rams WR Puka Nacua

Nacua was a fifth-round pick in 2023, so he does not have a fifth-year option on his rookie deal. He is entering the final year of his contract in 2026.

Nacua has 4,191 receiving yards in his three NFL seasons. Only the Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase has more receiving yards over the past three seasons. The Seahawks’ Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the highest-paid receiver in the league at $42.15 million in AAV. Nacua, given his production, should end up in that ballpark.

Nacua is being sued in California civil court over allegations that he made an antisemitic comment and bit two women on New Year’s Eve. Nacua checked himself into a care facility in April to, according to his attorney, “focus on his health, personal growth and overall development.” He reported to Rams training camp Saturday, according to The Athletic’s Nate Atkins.

Atlanta Falcons RB Bijan Robinson

Robinson was taken four picks ahead of Gibbs in the 2023 draft. The Falcons picked up his fifth-year option in April. He is due to make $11.3 million on that option in 2027, according to Over the Cap.

Robinson has more scrimmage yards (5,648) than any player in the NFL since the start of 2023, according to TruMedia. We could see two players jump ahead of Barkley in the running back market by the time these two deals are done.

Los Angeles Chargers edge rusher Tuli Tuipulotu

Tuipulotu was a second-round pick in 2023. As such, he does not have a fifth-year option in his rookie deal and is entering the final year of his contract.

Tuipulotu had a breakout season in 2025. He finished sixth in sacks (13) and pressure rate (17.9 percent), according to TruMedia. He is worth a contract exceeding $30 million in AAV. How much higher than that will Tuipulotu end up? There are only six edge rushers league-wide making more than $35.5 million in AAV, according to Over the Cap.

Philadelphia Eagles DL Jalen Carter

The Eagles picked up Carter’s fifth-year option in April. He is due to make $27.13 million in 2027, according to Over the Cap. Only three interior defensive linemen are making more than $26 million AAV. The Tennessee Titans’ Jeffery Simmons reset the market in June on a three-year deal averaging $35.28 million in AAV. Jordan Davis, who plays alongside Carter on the interior of the Eagles’ defensive line, signed for $26 million in AAV in March.

Carter has 143 pressures over his three NFL seasons. Only seven interior defensive linemen have more in that span, according to TruMedia. Pass rushers get paid in the NFL.

Chicago Bears RT Darnell Wright

Wright has emerged as an elite run blocker at right tackle over his three NFL seasons. The Bears picked up his fifth-year option in April. He is due to make $19.07 million on that option in 2027.

The Lions’ Penei Sewell is at the top of that market at $28 million in AAV. More recently, at right tackle, Zach Tom signed at $22 million in AAV with the Green Bay Packers in July 2025.