Ex-Yankees star closer throws major shade at the team: 'I dealt with a lot of disrespect there'
The New York Yankees have spent the past few years trying to replace the firepower they once had at the back end of their bullpen. When Aroldis Chapman left, it seemed like the right time to move on — his command had faded, his confidence wavered, and his relationship with the organization had clearly soured. But in 2025, Chapman has turned back the clock in Boston, and now, he’s stirring the pot all over again.
The 37-year-old closer has revived his career with the Red Sox, posting a jaw-dropping 1.17 ERA across 61.1 innings this season. His velocity has crept back toward triple digits, his command looks sharper than ever, and Boston’s staff seems to have unlocked the mental edge he’d lost in New York.
For the Yankees, who landed Devin Williams last offseason and acquired David Bednar at the trade deadline in search of bullpen stability, Chapman’s resurgence is both stunning and painful to watch from afar.
Chapman makes his feelings clear about the Yankees
This week, Chapman appeared on the “Swing Completo” podcast and made headlines with some brutally honest remarks about his former team. When asked if he’d ever consider returning to the Yankees, his answer was as blunt as it gets.
“No way. Not even dead,” Chapman said in a clip shared through Instagram. “If I were told that I was being traded to New York, I’d pack my things and go home. I’ll retire right on the spot if that happens. I’m not crazy. Never again.”
Those words cut deep for a franchise that once built its bullpen around him. Chapman went on to explain that his fallout with the organization stemmed from how he was treated during his final season. “I dealt with a lot of disrespect there,” he said. “I put up with a lot of things. I knew that they just wanted to find a way to get rid of me, but they didn’t know how. And I just dealt with it quietly, kept playing, and doing what I always do.”
A relationship that was doomed to end badly
By the time Chapman’s Yankees tenure ended, the tension was impossible to ignore. In 2022, he skipped the team’s playoff run entirely after learning he wasn’t guaranteed a roster spot. His decision to stay home was viewed internally as abandonment, and the organization wasted no time parting ways. It was a bitter end for a player who had once been one of the most dominant relievers in baseball.
His final season in New York was uninspired, finishing with a 4.46 ERA over 36.1 innings. Chapman looked mentally checked out, his once-feared fastball missing life, and his body language telling the story of a player ready to move on. A fresh start was exactly what he needed, and in 2023, his ERA dropped to 3.09 as he began rebuilding his reputation.
Yankees’ loss becomes Boston’s gain
Now, two years later, Chapman’s resurgence has become a thorn in the Yankees’ side. Watching him dominate in a Red Sox uniform is a cruel twist for fans who once cheered his every ninth-inning appearance. While the Yankees have found capable replacements, there’s no denying how valuable Chapman’s current form would be in the Bronx bullpen.
Sometimes, a change of scenery makes all the difference. For Chapman, it meant finding peace, focus, and command again. For the Yankees, it’s a reminder that talent isn’t everything — trust and respect matter too, and once that was gone, there was never any chance of a reunion.
Ex-Lions coordinator gets long-awaited first win as a head coach
It took longer than New York Jets and Detroit Lions fans had anticipated, but Lions' former defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn has finally won his first game as a head coach in the NFL.
Emotions were already high going into Sunday's game after it was announced before kickoff that legendary Jets center Nick Mangold, 41, had passed away from complications of a chronic kidney disease first diagnosed in 2006. Mangold played ten seasons in the NFL from 2006 to 2016, all with the Jets, amassing seven Pro Bowl selections and two First-Team All-Pro nods. Mangold was enshrined in the Jets' Ring of Honor in 2022.
Glenn did not play with Mangold, but did spend eight seasons with the Jets as a cornerback from 1994 to 2001. He knew how much a win today would mean for New York, but wins have been tough to come by. Glenn's 0-7 start was reminiscent of the Lions' 0-10-1 start under Dan Campbell in 2021. Numerous close losses and questionable decisions led to concerns about whether he had what it took to turn around a struggling franchise. Just like Campbell leading the team he once played for, Glenn was able to get his first win in dramatic fashion.
For much of Sunday's game, 0-8 seemed inevitable. The Cincinnati Bengals held numerous double-digit leads and answered nearly every Jets score with a score of their own. With about nine and a half minutes left in the game, ESPN's win probability chart had the Jets at a 2.5% chance of winning, but it wasn't 0%.
Jets quarterback Justin Fields and running back Breece Hall led a five-play, 60-yard drive capped off by a 27-yard touchdown rush by Hall. Down 38-30, the Jets converted a two-point conversion attempt with a Fields pass to RB Isaiah Davis. With momentum on their side, the Jets' defense made a key three-and-out stop of Bengals' QB Joe Flacco, giving their offense a chance to take the lead.
The Jets' following drive got off to a fast start as Fields' pass to Davis quickly brought the Jets to the Bengals' 35-yard line, and a subsequent Hall rush brought them ten yards closer. The Jets were then faced with two different third-down situations, converting both of them. Sitting on first and goal, Glenn took a page from Campbell's book as Hall tossed a TD pass to tight end Mason Taylor. It was a very similar play to the one the Lions ran last year on National Tight Ends Day, where David Montgomery tossed a TD pass to Sam LaPorta.
Jets kicker Nick Folk kicked the extra point to give the Jets a 39-38 lead, after a 23-point fourth quarter. With little time remaining, the Bengals would make it to their own 45-yard line before the Jets' defense stopped them on down, securing the victory. For the first time, Jets fans were treated to the fiery locker room speech about grit that Lions fans have grown so accustomed to.
The other former Lions coordinator sees his win streak end
While the Glenn branch of the Campbell coaching tree just got its first win, another branch on that tree has seen some early successes. Entering Sunday, former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and his Chicago Bears were vying for their fifth consecutive win.
The Bears faced off against a struggling Baltimore Ravens team, who will have to wait another week for the return of their two-time MVP QB Lamar Jackson. After a few weeks of Cooper Rush behind center, the Ravens brought back former Pro Bowler Tyler Huntley, and the move paid off.
Huntley was efficient, completing 77.27% of passes for 186 yards and one passing TD. Huntley also added 53 rushing yards. RB Derrick Henry added 71 yards on 21 carries for two rushing TDs to lead the Ravens to a dominant 30-16 victory, dropping the Bears to 4-3.
For many Lions fans, both results were ideal. The former coordinator who went to a division rival lost, while the one who went to the AFC won. The season is still young, and the story of Glenn and Johnson's head coaching career is a long way from being done. For Glenn, that story now includes a win. Hopefully, the first of many wins in Glenn's career. So as long as none of those wins are against the Lions, most of Detroit will be rooting for him along the way.
