Huge, game-changing sponsorship announcement could come as early as today

Over the weekend, we reported that the Smithfield Foods sponsorship deal has fallen apart over Richard Petty Motorsports insistence that Darrell "Bubba" Wallace Jr. drive the No. 43, which could force out Aric Almirola -- a driver Smithfield has a sponsored since 2012.

Now, the Sports Business Journal's Adam Stern is reporting that Smithfield could announce -- as soon as today -- that it's going to sponsor Almirola with another team.

Sounds like there could be some official announcement(s) coming out on @SmithfieldFoods' future with RPM/in #NASCAR as soon as tomorrow.

— Adam Stern (@A_S12) September 11, 2017

But the top part of that tweet is also fascinating -- could Smithfield take its sponsorship to the Stewart-Haas No. 10, which would effectively put an end to the very popular Danica Patrick's career?

This is how that could happen:

Smithfield moves to Stewart-Haas.

Smithfield, as part of its deal, wants Almirola.

Almirola takes the No. 10, which currently has no sponsor for next year -- a car that Patrick has already acknowledged she could lose.

Stay tuned.