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Andrew Siciliano deep dives on the 2026 NFL Draft with Nate Tice & ESPN’s Matt Miller. Andrew kicks things off with Nate Tice as they parse through Nate & Charles McDonald’s latest mock draft and cover a few of the more interesting selections, including EDGE Rueben Bain Jr. going second overall to the New York Jets, RB Jeremiyah Love in the top ten, EDGE David Bailey to the Washington Commanders and more. Next, Andrew & Nate set their sites on Indianapolis for the NFL Combine as Nate gives his top prospects he’s most excited to watch test next week.

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Later, Andrew is joined by ESPN’s Matt Miller to get his thoughts on the draft (including Ty Simpson, Caleb Downs and more) before talking through his latest NFL mock draft.

(6:55) – Nate Tice breaks down latest NFL mock draft

(21:55) – Nate’s top prospects to watch at the NFL Combine

(44:00) – Matt Miller talks latest NFL mock draft

Inside Coverage would be nothing without the impact of our beloved Terez Paylor, who was a pillar of Yahoo Sports’ NFL editorial and podcast coverage. We will continue to produce this NFL podcast in his honor, and hope that you can support Terez Paylor’s legacy in one of three ways:

• Buy an “All-Juice Team” hoodie or tee from BreakingT.com/Terez. All profits directly fund the Terez A. Paylor scholarship at Howard University.

• Donate directly to the PowerMizzou Journalism Alumni Scholarship in memory of Terez Paylor

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• Donate directly at giving.howard.edu/givenow. Under “Tribute,” please note that your gift is made in memory of Terez A. Paylor. Under “Designation,” click on “Other” and write in “Terez A. Paylor Scholarship.”

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Check out all episodes of Inside Coverage and the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

Today on the Kevin O’Connor show, KOC is joined by Tom Haberstroh to ask some big questions in the NBA world: Are the Houston Rockets done? What teams have the most to prove in the 2nd half of the season? Which young players might break out and which coaches are on the hot seat?

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Then, the pair look at two of the hottest names in college basketball: Darius Acuff and Darryn Peterson. How does Acuff’s 49-point explosion affect his draft stock? Is Peterson’s self-check-out gambit for Kansas threatening his no. 1 draft pick potential?

Later, KOC is joined by Daman Rangoola, Sam Esfandiari & Claire De Lune from All-Star Weekend to talk the latest with the Lakers and Warriors. That and more on today’s show!

(1:11) Contenders with the most to prove
(13:38) Young players to watch
(20:26) NBA coaches on the hot seat
(33:46) Kings decimated by injuries
(37:12) Darius Acuff drops 49 points vs. Alabama
(41:44) What’s going on with Darryn Peterson?
(56:32) Daman Rangoola & Sam Esfandiari join from All-Star
(1:43:10) Claire De Lune joins from All-Star

🖥️ Watch this full episode on the Yahoo Sports NBA YouTube channel

Check out all episodes of The Kevin O’Connor Show and the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at yahoosports.tv

Nate Tice & Charles McDonald join forces to answer the NFL offseason’s biggest looming questions submitted by the audience. The duo start off by diving into the New York Giants’ potential NFL Draft plans with the 5th overall pick, how the Chicago Bears can fix their defensive line and whether or not Brian Daboll is a good fit with QB Cam Ward as the new Tennessee Titans OC.

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Next, Nate & Charles discuss whether or not the Los Angeles Chargers can fix their offensive line in one offseason, if the Jacksonville Jaguars defense can take a leap next season, who the Denver Broncos should be targeting in free agency (Tyler Allgeier?) and what our expectations for the 2026 Washington Commanders should look like.

Later, the two hosts wrap up with thoughts on the New England Patriots’ upcoming offseason decisions, why Sean McVay changed to a duo run game style with the Los Angeles Rams, whether Sean McDermott was really the problem with the Buffalo Bills and more.

(2:40) – Biggest offseason questions: Giants draft plans, Bears DL, Daboll & Cam Ward

(24:30) – Biggest offseason questions: Chargers OL, Jaguars defense, Broncos, Commanders

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(44:15) – Biggest offseason questions: Patriots, Rams, Bills & more

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Check out all episodes of Football 301 with Nate Tice and the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at yahoosports.tv

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The Cooligans welcome former MLS head coach and analyst Giovanni Savarese for a deep dive into the 2026 MLS season. Gio shares his predictions, breakout teams to watch, and how the league continues to evolve ahead of a massive 2026 on home soil. The conversation also turns to the USMNT, as the guys assess expectations, pressure, and what success should realistically look like at the 2026 World Cup.

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Christian and Alexis then tackle the troubling racist incident involving Vinícius Júnior during Real Madrid’s clash with Benfica. They unpack how these situations are currently handled, question whether the responsibility to stop a match unfairly falls on the player experiencing abuse, and debate what meaningful structural changes could better protect players moving forward.

Finally, it’s a jam-packed Champions League recap. Folarin Balogun shines in a statement performance against Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus suffer a shocking defeat to Galatasaray, and Bodø/Glimt pull off a stunning win over Inter Milan. The boys react to all the drama, surprises, and what these results mean going forward.

Timestamps:

(6:30) – 2026 MLS preview and predictions

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(30:00) – Gio Savarese’s USMNT World Cup outlook

(39:00) – Vinicius Junior deals with racism again: time for a rule change?

(59:00) – Folarin Balogun shines in Champions League loss to PSG

(1:04:30) – Serie A teams suffer shocking Champions League losses

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Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at yahoosports.tv

The Indianapolis Colts have had discussions about a multiyear extension for quarterback Daniel Jones, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Jones signed a one-year, $14 million deal with Indy last season and is set to hit free agency unless the team can get a deal done or tag him.

The deadline to franchise tag a player is March 3. The franchise tag or transition tag is a one-year, guaranteed tender that prevents players from hitting free agency. For quarterbacks, the salary is set at $47,321,000 and the transition tag is $40,799,000, according to Overthecap. NFL free agency officially starts March 11.

Jones beat out Indianapolis’ 2023 first-round draft pick Anthony Richardson to be the team’s QB1. Jones threw for 3,101 yards, 19 touchdowns and 8 interceptions before tearing his Achilles tendon in Week 14.

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Jones was in his first year with the Colts and had spent his first six years with the Giants. Jones was cut by the Giants in 2024 before signing with the Vikings, but did not start a game for Minnesota.

[Get more Colts news: Indy team feed]

The Colts backslid after Jones went down. After going 8-2, the Colts finished the year with seven straight losses. Indianapolis went 8-9 and missed the playoffs for its fifth consecutive season. The Colts were only the third team in NFL history to start the year 8-2 and miss the postseason.

Last season was a preview of what the Colts could look like if they don’t re-sign Jones. With Jones and Richardson being injured, the Colts signed 44-year-old Philip Rivers out of retirement. Before Rivers’ second stint with the Colts, he last played during the 2020-2021 season. Rivers threw for 544 yards, 4 touchdowns and 3 interceptions in his three starts.

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With Rivers announcing after Week 18 that he will go back to coaching high school football, the Colts are down to Richardson and 2025 sixth-round draft pick Riley Leonard at quarterback.

Richardson has 15 starts in three seasons and did not start a game last year. Richardson is reportedly expected to request a trade. Leonard threw for 270 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception in his only start last season.

The Colts have had 14 different quarterbacks start at least a game since Andrew Luck retired before the 2019 season. The Colts have also had a new QB open the season each of the past seven years.

Veteran outfielder Michael Conforto will try to revive his career after reportedly signing a minor-league contract with the Chicago Cubs on Monday, MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian reports.

Conforto, who will turn 33 in March, played last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He appeared in 138 games, batting a career-worst .199/.305/.333 with 12 home runs, 20 doubles and 36 RBI in 486 plate appearances. But he wasn’t a factor in the Dodgers repeating as World Series champions, as the team left him off its postseason roster.

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Looking at the Cubs’ roster, it’s difficult to see where Conforto would fit in.

Taking over in right field for the departed Kyle Tucker might seem like a possibility, but the Cubs have Seiya Suzuki and his 32 home runs to play there. Ian Happ will likely play left field and hits right-handed pitching (.791 OPS, 18 homers in 2025 ), as well as Conforto (career .811 OPS). At designated hitter, Moisés Ballesteros (.309/.387/.491) is probably the preferred choice, though Conforto could provide more power.

Additionally, Conforto hasn’t regularly played center field since 2019 so he likely wouldn’t be a defensive replacement or substitute when Pete Crow-Armstrong needs a day off.

The hope is that Conforto could find something close to his 2019 form when he hit 33 homers and 29 doubles for the New York Mets. But the 10-year MLB veteran hasn’t approached those numbers since, failing to register an OPS above .759 in four of his five seasons since then. (He missed the entire 2022 campaign with a shoulder injury.)

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Otherwise, if the expectation is for a left-handed bat who can play both corner outfield positions (and maybe center field) and provide depth to the lineup, Conforto could be a nice addition. Cubs manager Craig Counsell said as much to reporters.

“At this point, we’re looking to bring in candidates to just strengthen the roster,” Counsell said, via the Chicago Sun-Times. “And it’s a sign of just continuing to do that. Michael had a down year last year, but has been a good player in this league for quite a while.”

But Conforto will also face competition from veterans Dylan Carlson and Chas McCormick. And top prospect Kevin Alcantara could be in the major-league lineup by the end of the season.

The franchise tag window is here, and there are several big names to keep an eye this offseason.

While there are plenty of players who could pick up the tag over the next week, it’s unclear how many actually will get the franchise tag. Last offseason, only two players — Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins and Kansas City Chiefs guard Trey Smith — were tagged. The Dallas Cowboys are reportedly already planning to use the tool, so we we’re halfway to reaching last year’s mark. Atlanta’s Kyle Pitts, assuming the Cowboys actually make the move, then got us there.

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Here’s everything you need to know, and who to watch out for, during the franchise tag window.

What dates is the franchise tag window open?

The franchise tag window opened Feb. 17 and runs until 4 p.m. ET on March 3.

What are the franchise tag rules?

During this two-week window, teams are allowed to tag one player who is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent. That would then keep that player with the team for the 2026 season. The sides can still negotiate a long-term deal up until July 15. If that deadline passes without a new deal, a tagged player will play on a one-year contract under the tag’s price determined by position.

Franchise tag salaries by position for 2026

The projected franchise tag costs for each position in 2026, per Spotrac.

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Offense
QB: $47.242 million
RB: $14.186 million
WR: $28.037 million
TE: $16.007 million
OL: $27.764 million

Defense
DE: $26.710 million
DT: $27.424 million
LB: $27.559 million
CB: $20.783 million
S: $20.758 million

Special Teams
K/P: $6.846 million

Which players have been franchise-tagged?

Kyle Pitts, TE, Atlanta Falcons

UPDATE: The Falcons will place the franchise tag on TE Kyle Pitts, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Monday.

Pitts looked significantly better last season, much more like the dominant tight end he was during his rookie campaign. He had 928 yards and a career-high five touchdowns on 88 catches, and was a very reliable piece for the Falcons’ offense that lost both quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and wide receiver Drake London due to injuries.

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But Pitts has been underwhelming for much of his career. Outside of his first and most recent season, Pitts has largely failed to live up to the expectations that came with being the No. 4 overall draft pick.

It’s unclear how the Falcons’ new leadership feels about Pitts, but tagging him for one final season appears to be their safe strategy. The Falcons can now revisit his long-term future with the organization this fall, depending on how his fifth campaign with them goes.

Top franchise tag candidates for 2026

George Pickens, WR, Dallas Cowboys

This is an easy one, and a move the Cowboys have been planning to do for quite some time.

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Pickens is coming off the best season of his career in 2025, his first with the Cowboys after being traded there from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Pickens had 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns on 93 catches last season alongside star CeeDee Lamb. The Cowboys will have the second-most expensive wide receiver duo in the league next season when the deal is done. The Cowboys have made it clear they want Pickens on a long-term contract, too.

While negotiations on that deal could take some time, the Cowboys aren’t going to risk losing Pickens to free agency this offseason.

Breece Hall, RB, New York Jets

The Jets may want to spend their money elsewhere this offseason amid yet another rebuild, but Hall would be a great franchise tag option for them. That is, if they want to keep him.

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Hall racked up a career-high 1,065 rushing yards with five total touchdowns last season, his fourth in the league. The former Iowa State star was easily the most consistent part of New York’s offense amid a 3-14 campaign, and he may be the top running back in the free agent market this offseason. There will undoubtedly be interest for him, and Hall would get paid if he left.

But Hall, remember, was a big name to watch at the trade deadline. So who knows if the team even wants to utilize this option.

Odafe Oweh, LB, Los Angeles Chargers

Oweh looked like a different player once he landed with the Chargers ahead of the trade deadline. Oweh had 7.5 sacks and 28 total tackles in just 12 games, and he had three total sacks and a pair of forced fumbles in L.A.’s playoff loss in New England. He seemed to be a very good fit for a Chargers defense that struggled frequently last fall.

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The Chargers have a lot of money to spend this offseason, too, so securing Oweh could be a very easy move if the two sides can’t agree to a long-term deal. But letting Oweh walk after his revival of sorts feels like something the Chargers need to avoid.

Daniel Jones, QB, Indianapolis Colts

This may not even be necessary, but it’s something to look out for. Both the Colts and Jones have made it clear that they want to reunite next season after Jones’ career-best start with the franchise last fall. He’s currently recovering from a torn Achilles he went down with in December, but said he expects to be ready for training camp.

If the Colts use the tag on Jones — they’ve used it only once in the past decade — expect it to be a short-term option before a real extension is reached.

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Kenneth Walker III, RB, Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks rarely use the franchise tag, and it doesn’t seem like that’s going to change, even if they don’t want to let Walker go this offseason. But last week, ESPN reported the Seahawks won’t use their franchise tag on Walker.

Walker racked up 1,027 yards and five touchdowns on 221 carries last season while leading the Seahawks to their Super Bowl title. He was the game’s MVP, with 135 rushing yards and 26 receiving yards in the Seahawks’ 29-13 win over the Patriots. That made him the first running back to win the award in decades.

Walker will be a free agent this offseason if the Seahawks don’t reach a long-term deal with him. And the team is very likely going to want him back this fall, especially since fellow running back Zach Charbonnet is recovering from an ACL injury. Yet, considering Walker’s injury history — he made it in only 11 games during the 2024 campaign, and last season was his first full season in the league — securing Walker on the tag would be an easy short-term solution for the Seahawks as they work to defend their title. Then a long-term deal, or the decision to move on, will be an issue for another day.

The NBA has always been a league of superstars — real superstars. The players good enough to go toe-to-toe with the best of the best and still come out on top.

Michael Jordan. Tim Duncan. LeBron James. Magic Johnson. Larry Bird. Bill Russell. Wilt Chamberlain. You all know the names, and the list most certainly doesn’t end there.

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In today’s league there is no shortage of stars, and even a handful of truly elite players.

Yet as NBA observers, we must always have an eye toward the future in an attempt to identify the next big thing.

Of course, that journey is not linear. Steve Nash didn’t become an MVP until he was 31, and we’ve seen others not hit the league as instant stars, but eventually get there. (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, anyone?)

So, are there players currently in the NBA who are productive but could have more in the tank than we might believe?

Needless to say, we don’t know the answer, but here are three players we at least should keep under a watchful eye.

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(For the sake of this exercise, Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel are not included, as both are already on star-like trajectories.)

Cedric Coward, Memphis Grizzlies

The rookie wing is older than most at 22, which usually isn’t a strong indicator of a ton of future growth. However, Coward’s game seems to have the potential to carry more.

The 6-foot-5 guard/wing is a solid scorer who has a strong, physical NBA body, and he knows how to use it. He understands the value of the 3-point line and has virtually flawless jumpshot mechanics.

On top of that, he’s an outright ridiculous rebounder at his size, grabbing 6.2 per game in just 26.3 minutes. He moves the ball well (2.9 assists), doesn’t turn it over frequently and even gets to the foul line a fair bit, considering his tendency to seek the 3-point line.

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As he stands to gain a bigger role with the trade of Jaren Jackson Jr., could we see a quick rise out of Coward in Year 2? Probably, but the role of genuine franchise leader and potential league-wide superstar is probably not in the cards.

Matas Buzelis, Chicago Bulls

The 6-9 combo forward is in his second year and is showing signs of becoming something most teams are looking for: a plug-and-play guy. Buzelis takes 5.6 triples per game and almost 35% of his overall shot attempts are right at the rim.

He can routinely create his own looks, particularly inside the 3-point line but is also very capable of playing off lead guards.

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There is a world where Buzelis, 21, becomes an All-Star, given his tools and two-way upside. But superstar status is a tall task — and perhaps unreasonable.

Like Coward, Buzelis is likely to become a critical part of a rebuilding franchise, and more of a complementary star down the line, who needs someone better next to him, if he wants to compete for championships.

Deni Avdija, Portland Trail Blazers

When a guy averages 24.4 points, 7 rebounds, 6.6 assists and makes the All-Star game, presumably he’s on his way to ultimate superstardom.

Except, Avdija still has a ways to go, and at 25, this does look like his major leap. He’ll refine on what he does now and improve within the margins of his current game, but is there another step up from here?

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As good as the 6-9 Israeli forward is — and he is very, very good — you have to wonder if he can be the best player and primary decision-maker on a team that could ever compete for a title.

If anything, Avdija seems to represent the absolute ceiling of Coward and Buzelis, which means he’s ahead of the curve in that he’s already there and is currently at the established star stage. To go from where he is now to something better seems almost unfathomable.

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is out for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and Golden State Warriors sharpshooter Stephen Curry considers himself “highly unlikely” to participate. But that’s not stopping Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant from trying to win another gold.

Durant, 37, says he would like to play for Team USA when it suits up for the 2028 Games, per ESPN.

“You guys, the media, have projected that,” Durant told ESPN recently. “That narrative, where did the last dance thing come from? I didn’t say I wasn’t playing. LeBron said he wasn’t. You didn’t hear that from me.”

Durant later made his intentions extremely clear, saying, “Hell yeah, I want to play.” But he added a few caveats to that statement. Durant doesn’t want to be put on the team due to his stature. He still wants to earn his spot.

“I’ve got to stay on top of my game. I’m not expecting, I want to produce on the floor and make Grant and whoever is making the decisions, want to put me on the team. I don’t want — not just for seniority. I want to still prove I can help the team win.”

If he makes the team at that point, Durant will be a few months away from turning 40. That would be record-setting territory. James currently holds the crown for the oldest NBA player to suit up for Team USA in the Olympics. He was 39 years, 6 months old back when he helped the U.S. win the gold in 2024. Durant would beat James by a few months if he took the court in July 2028.

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As for Durant’s chances … well, it’s tough to doubt a future Hall of Famer. Despite his already advanced age — for a basketball player, at least — Durant has not shown many signs of decline just yet. He’s averaging 26.1 points with the Rockets this season. While that is his lowest scoring average since the 2018-19 NBA season, that’s not really a sign of decline. It’s more an acknowledgment of both how good and how consistent Durant has played over the past eight seasons.

While it’s impossible to know how Durant will continue aging, James’ success at 40 and beyond provides hope that Durant can remain effective as he approaches that number. It also helps that Durant — like James — is considered one of the best players of his era.

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That should provide some hope that Durant still has a shot to make Team USA in 2028.

Team USA’s women’s hockey team was asked to attend President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address, but declined that invite Monday.

In a statement, a USA hockey spokesperson said the team was grateful for the invite, but had “previously scheduled academic and professional commitments,” per NBC News.

“We are sincerely grateful for the invitation extended to our gold medal–winning U.S. Women’s Hockey Team and deeply appreciate the recognition of their extraordinary achievement,” a USA Hockey spokesperson said. “Due to the timing and previously scheduled academic and professional commitments following the Games, the athletes are unable to participate.”

“They were honored to be included and are grateful for the acknowledgment,” the spokesperson added.

Trump drew some criticism Sunday after video emerged of him congratulating the men’s hockey team for also winning the gold medal at the 2026 Olympics. Toward the end of the call, Trump laughed as he told players, “We’re going to have to bring the women’s team, you do know that. I do believe I probably would be impeached.” That comment drew laughs from players in the locker room.

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FBI director Kash Patel also drew criticism for flying to Italy and celebrating with the men’s hockey team. He was the one who called Trump following Team USA’s win.

While Trump chuckled about the suggestion on the phone, the invite was ultimately extended to the women’s team. And the women’s team opted to decline.

The women took home the gold medal last Thursday, defeating Canada in overtime 2-1. The women’s team trailed late in the contest before Hilary Knight deflected the puck into the goal with roughly two minutes to play. Megan Keller then pulled off a tremendous move on a defender before scoring the game-winning goal in overtime to give Team USA the win. It wound up being the most-watched women’s hockey game of all time.

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Three days later, the men defeated Canada in overtime 2-1 in eerily similar fashion. With the contest tied 1-1, Jack Hughes scored in overtime to give the men the walk-off, gold-medal win. It marked the first time since the “Miracle on Ice” team that the U.S. men took home gold in hockey at the Olympics.