Man who shot ex-Saints star receives 25-year prison sentence Smith was shot eight times during confrontation with Hayes The man who fatally shot retired NFL star Will Smith during a confrontation following a car crash in 2016 received a 25-year prison sentence on Thursday in a New Orleans courtroom. It was the second time Cardell Hayes, 36, had faced sentencing in Smith’s death. He was convicted of manslaughter in December 2016 and later sentenced to 25 years. But the jury vote had been 10-2 and the conviction was later tossed after the US supreme court outlawed such non-unanimous verdicts ..read more

The verdict in the manslaughter trial over the 2016 death of Saints star Will Smith brings to a close a turbulent eight years of legal wrangling Ever since the New Orleans tow-truck company owner Cardell Hayes shot the retired local pro-football champion Will Smith to death and wounded the former athlete’s wife on a city street late on the night of 9 April 2016, people on all sides of the case have made it as complicated as possible in their fight for what they consider to be justice. It is a case that has gripped south-eastern Louisiana – where football players are huge celebrities – and also ..read more

Former Saints star was killed during 2016 confrontation Cardell Hayes says he acted in self-defense during shooting A retrial was set to begin Monday for the man who fatally shot former New Orleans Saints star Will Smith almost eight years ago. Cardell Hayes, 36, has long insisted he shot Smith in self-defense during an April 2016 confrontation after a car crash. Smith died and his wife, Racquel Smith, was wounded by gunfire ..read more

Stafford passes for 328 yards and two TDs in 30-22 win Rams jump past Vikings for sixth in NFC playoff standings Sean McVay turned the Los Angeles Rams’ already jubilant locker room into a party Thursday night with an announcement: The players are off until Tuesday, allowing them to spend the entire Christmas holiday with their families. These surprising Rams earned their holiday with a surge of five wins in six games down the stretch, culminating in another impressive victory over a fellow NFC playoff contender ..read more

Cook leads rushing attack as Bills trample Cowboys 31-10 Bucs keep pace in NFC South with 34-20 win over Pack Carr throws three TD passes as Saints see off Giants 24-6 Running back Jerick McKinnon threw for one touchdown and ran for another, and Patrick Mahomes passed for 305 yards and two scores to help Kansas City beat the New England Patriots 27-17 on Sunday in front of Chiefs superfan Taylor Swift. With the pop star – and a whole bunch of Swifties – in the crowd, the defending Super Bowl champions snapped a two-game losing streak and maintained control of the AFC West race. Kansas City t ..read more

Lawrence delivers late and the Jaguars hold off Saints 31-24 Kirk’s late 44-yard touchdown helps Jacksonville secure win Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence was playing with a sprained left knee, and the visiting Jaguars hurt their own cause with turnovers and penalties. They were still good enough to overcome that and pull out a dramatic victory that extended their winning streak to four games ..read more

New England have scored three points in their last two games. It may be for the best if the man who made them a dynasty moves on There was a little under seven minutes left in the third quarter. It was another three-and-out for the New England Patriots in their humiliating 34-0 home loss to the New Orleans Saints. The third down had been an uninspired and poorly executed pass up the middle into traffic. It was deflected and nearly intercepted. The boos inside Gillette Stadium had been crescendoing all afternoon. They rose at the end of the first half when a respectable Patriots drive was halte ..read more

Running back injured same knee while in college Saints beat Panthers in Monday’s other game The Cleveland Browns’ star running back, Nick Chubb, was carted off the field with what appeared to be a severe knee injury during his team’s 26-22 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night. Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick came in low for a tackle at the end of a five-yard run early in the second quarter and delivered a hit to Chubb’s legs. Chubb remained on the ground for several minutes while teammates gathered in prayer nearby. He eventually left on a cart. ESPN chose not to show replays o ..read more

Graham reportedly found wandering in traffic in Los Angeles Five-time Pro Bowler was released from hospital on Saturday New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham was in the midst of a “medical episode” and was disoriented when he was taken into custody in the Los Angeles area and transported to a hospital, the team said Saturday. Graham was stopped by police on Friday night while reportedly wandering in traffic and booked on suspicion of being under the influence of a controlled substance ..read more

Saints star apologizes for part in Vegas fight last year Kamara will miss three game during upcoming season Saints star running back Alvin Kamara and Colts defensive back Chris Lammons each have been suspended for three regular-season games by the NFL because of their involvement in a February 2022 fight in Las Vegas. The NFL released its decision on Friday, two days after Kamara was excused from training camp to meet with commissioner Roger Goodell ..read more