{"id":129286,"date":"2025-08-08T14:41:15","date_gmt":"2025-08-08T14:41:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/129286\/"},"modified":"2025-08-08T14:41:15","modified_gmt":"2025-08-08T14:41:15","slug":"another-twist-in-the-jordon-hudson-story-plus-some-nfl-injury-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/129286\/","title":{"rendered":"Another twist in the Jordon Hudson story, plus some NFL injury news"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><br \/>The Pulse Newsletter <\/strong>\ud83d\udce3 | This is The Athletic\u2019s daily sports newsletter. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/newsletters\/the-pulse\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Sign up here<\/a> to receive The Pulse directly in your inbox.<\/p>\n<p>Good morning! Take that phone call today.<\/p>\n<p><b>While You Were Sleeping: The knife\u2019s edge of preseason football<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Before we get to the gossip part of today\u2019s newsletter, NFL football happened last night. Three interesting things from inherently boring preseason games:\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>The Colts\u2019 quarterback battle got somehow more depressing<\/b> after Anthony Richardson <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6541429\/2025\/08\/07\/colts-anthony-richardson-injury\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">dislocated his pinky<\/a> early in Indianapolis\u2019 matchup with Baltimore. He left the game, and Colts coach Shane Steichen said he doesn\u2019t know how long Richardson will be out. Daniel Jones, step right up.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>On the other hand, Joe Burrow <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6541542\/2025\/08\/07\/joe-burrow-bengals-preseason-opener\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><b>looked excellent<\/b><\/a><b> on two consecutive touchdown drives<\/b> in the Bengals\u2019 game against the Eagles. Cincinnati is playing its starters in the preseason this year to avoid a September swoon. Looks good so far. Scoop City discussed. <a href=\"http:\/\/theathletic.lnk.to\/Sqbs1f4W\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Watch that here<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Two other injuries to monitor from yesterday: Texans safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6540655\/2025\/08\/07\/houston-texans-cj-gardner-johnson-injury\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">avoided an ACL tear<\/a> after injuring his knee at practice, while Chargers tackle Rashawn Slater <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6540761\/2025\/08\/07\/rashawn-slater-chargers-injury-nfl-training-camp\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">will miss the year<\/a> after tearing his patellar tendon. Tough.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>On to the main event:<\/p>\n<p><b>Sagas: When Jordon Hudson calls you<\/b><\/p>\n<p>There is no story that has baffled me more this year than that of Jordon Hudson, the 24-year-old girlfriend of Bill Belichick, the 73-year-old North Carolina head coach whom most consider the best football coach to ever live. And if you\u2019ve kept up with this story at all (we\u2019ll have a short recap below), you know their age gap is not the interesting part here.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>For all the headlines Hudson has created (mostly negative), she has yet to give an interview in her newfound notoriety. Then she cold-called Charlotte Wilder, co-host of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6527698\/2025\/08\/05\/sports-gossip-show-the-athletic-debut-madeline-hill-charlotte-wilder\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">The Athletic\u2019s newest podcast<\/a> \u201cThe Sports Gossip Show,\u201d and embarked on a \u2026 fraught negotiation about an exclusive interview.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Hudson\u2019s intro on the phone call: \u201cIt\u2019s Jordon Hudson, the president of your universe.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The episode published last night, and I got to chat with Charlotte and her co-host Madeline Hill about it yesterday:\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><b>I would start by thoroughly welcoming you both to <\/b><b>The Athletic<\/b><b>, but more important things are afoot. Charlotte, I simply need to know what your initial reaction was to getting a cold call from Jordon.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">We\u2019ve been covering the story about Jordon and Bill Belichick for a long time now \u2014 so when she called me unexpectedly on a Saturday night at 9:07 p.m., it was as if a poster on my wall climbed out of the frame and started talking to me. She\u2019s been so elusive to the press, and suddenly she was in my ear. It was very surreal.<\/p>\n<p><b>You both expound on this plenty in yesterday\u2019s episode, but I\u2019d love to hear your thoughts, Madeline, on what this entire saga has been like for your show.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Our audience has been invested in this saga since back in October when we first started covering it. Attending the Miss Maine USA pageant helped us better understand the power dynamics at play, but we were still missing Jordon\u2019s perspective. Speaking with her was a full-circle moment and allowed us to give our listeners a complete picture of a story that has captivated the sports world and beyond.<\/p>\n<p>I recommend listening to the full episode for some unique insights on Hudson. Some links:\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><b>I have to admit here that the Hudson story has given me the ick, all around, for a while now.<\/b> What started as an extremely personal story \u2014 a coach\u2019s romantic relationship \u2014 became this bizarre PR nightmare for one of football\u2019s most famous people.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Consider just this sampling:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Belichick asked that Hudson <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6279486\/2025\/04\/15\/bill-belichick-jordon-hudson-unc-football\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">be CC\u2019d on certain emails<\/a> to his North Carolina email address.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Hudson nixed a \u201cHard Knocks\u201d appearance for UNC <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6322316\/2025\/04\/30\/bill-belichick-girlfriend-unc-hard-knocks-deal-off\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">as quickly as it came together<\/a>.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">A blunder on CBS\u2019 \u201cSunday Morning,\u201d in which she interrupted an interview to bar a question about the pair\u2019s relationship. It pushed this saga <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/05\/20\/sports\/bill-belichick-age-girlfriend-jordon-hudson.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">past the sports world<\/a> and into the general interest category.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">And finally, Pablo Torre\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=As5P5TA-ERk\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">extensive investigation<\/a> into her role at UNC, which unearthed even weirder anecdotes about Hudson\u2019s role in Belichick\u2019s life and career. As fate would have it, Torre <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2025-08-05\/new-york-times-athletic-signs-new-licensing-deal-with-pablo-torre-podcast\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">is joining<\/a> The Athletic, too.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For all of the fuss around this couple, what I took from Charlotte and Madeline\u2019s interview is the human aspect \u2014 Hudson is clearly still very invested in clarifying her narrative but can\u2019t find the right avenue yet.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m excited to see some football played. Maybe UNC will be good. Let\u2019s move on:<\/p>\n<p>News to Know<img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-6541082 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-2228814487-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\"  \/><\/p>\n<p>      Sean M. Haffey \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n<p><b>Sex-toy incidents possibly linked to crypto scheme<br \/><\/b>Unfortunately, the week\u2019s WNBA news cycle has been dominated by sex toys being lobbed onto courts around the league, and yesterday brought news that the effort <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6541093\/2025\/08\/07\/wnba-sex-toy-incidents-cryptocurrency-group-scheme\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">is likely<\/a> part of a cryptocurrency memecoin campaign, which makes this entire thing lamer than it already was. Shannon Ryan\u2019s column from this week was spot-on: This entire thing is about more than sex toys, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6539646\/2025\/08\/07\/for-the-wnba-this-is-about-more-than-just-green-sex-toys\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">it\u2019s about painting the W as a joke<\/a>. Shame.<\/p>\n<p><b>Mboko finishes incredible run<br \/><\/b>Victoria Mboko, just 18, won the Canadian Open last night after beating Naomi Osaka in three sets, making an already-beautiful story somehow more storybook. It\u2019s Mboko\u2019s first-ever WTA win and came in front of her hometown crowd. The story looked finished after a bad first set against Osaka, too, before a thunderous comeback. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6541484\/2025\/08\/07\/naomi-osaka-victoria-mboko-canadian-open-final\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">What a tale<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>More news<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Archie Manning said his grandson, <b>Texas QB Arch Manning<\/b>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6540353\/2025\/08\/07\/arch-manning-archie-nfl-draft-texas\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">will stay at Texas<\/a> next season and not enter the NFL Draft. Curious.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Three members of the <b>Mountain West <\/b>departing for the <b>Pac-12<\/b> next year sued the MWC over withheld money and \u201cfraud.\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6541073\/2025\/08\/07\/mountain-west-lawsuits-grand-canyon\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Full story here<\/a>. <br \/><b\/><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Texas Tech<\/b> beat Georgia for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6541026\/2025\/08\/07\/texas-tech-recruiting-ladamion-guyton-2027\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">the No. 2 prospect<\/a> in the 2027 recruiting class. Georgia native, too.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\ud83d\udceb\u00a0<strong>Love The Pulse? <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/5803046\/2024\/09\/30\/the-athletic-newsletters-sign-up\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Check out our other newsletters<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What to Watch<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><b>\ud83d\udcfa NFL: Browns at Panthers<\/b><b><br \/><\/b><b>7 p.m. ET on NFL Network<br \/><\/b>Shedeur Sanders is starting this one and will probably play a significant chunk of the game. It\u2019s a golden opportunity for the most-discussed QB in the league to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6539320\/2025\/08\/07\/shedeur-sanders-browns-quarterback-starting-friday-panthers\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">change some minds<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><b>\ud83d\udcfa MLB: Phillies at Rangers<\/b><b><br \/><\/b><b>8:05 p.m. ET on MLB Network<\/b><br \/>The steady contender in Philly meets the lurking Rangers, who sit just 1 1\/2 games out of the wild card right now. Good interleague game.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Get tickets to games like these <a href=\"https:\/\/stubhub.prf.hn\/l\/jXBQP09\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Pulse Picks<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Are <b>golf <\/b>players angrier today? Or, as Brody Miller pondered, are our cameras always on? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6539108\/2025\/08\/07\/golf-clark-mcilroy-tiger-club-throw-smash\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Super interesting read<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Mike Silver warns that the <b>Cowboys\u2019<\/b> standoff with <b>Micah Parsons<\/b> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6539495\/2025\/08\/07\/micah-parsons-jerry-jones-hold-in-dont-lose-sleep\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">might not have the happy ending<\/a> we all assume is coming. Listen to Mike.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Speaking of the Cowboys: Ian O\u2019Connor got <b>Bill Parcells\u2019<\/b> perspective on <b>Jerry Jones<\/b> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6541444\/2025\/08\/08\/jerry-jones-cowboys-owner-americas-team\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">the reality show franchise he built<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Remember the whole <b>stretch-and-waive<\/b> move that Milwaukee and Phoenix pulled with Damian Lillard and Bradley Beal? Fred Katz says those moves will hamstring both teams <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6539226\/2025\/08\/07\/video-damian-lillard-bradley-beal-stretch-provision-nba\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">for the rest of the decade<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Dom Luszczyszyn ranked each <b>NHL<\/b> team by its contract efficiency, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6528507\/2025\/08\/06\/nhl-contract-efficiency-rankings-2025\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">how wisely it spends money<\/a>. I always love Dom\u2019s data-focused stuff.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><b>Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday<\/b>: Jen McCaffrey\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6539635\/2025\/08\/06\/red-sox-roman-anthony-contract\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">column<\/a> on the Roman Anthony contract.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><b>Most-read on the website yesterday<\/b>: What\u2019s it like to hold a world record for 30 years? Liam Tharne <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6536384\/2025\/08\/07\/triple-jump-world-record-jonathan-edwards-1995-world-championships\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">on long jumper Jonathan Edwards<\/a> was great.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\">(Top photo: Jim Dedmon \/ Imagn Images)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Pulse Newsletter \ud83d\udce3 | This is The Athletic\u2019s daily sports newsletter. Sign up here to receive The&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":129287,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[1428,1232,62,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-129286","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nfl","8":"tag-college-football","9":"tag-nfl","10":"tag-sports","11":"tag-united-states","12":"tag-unitedstates","13":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114993671880777128","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129286","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=129286"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129286\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/129287"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=129286"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=129286"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=129286"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}