Category: Sport

In terms of how many teams can feasibly win the Super Bowl, this could be the deepest NFL playoff field we’ve ever seen.

Part of that is the lack of a truly transcendent team. But it’s unique to see a 14-team field in which a reasonable case can be made for 12 of the teams making or even winning the Super Bowl (yeah, there are two teams in which it would take a miracle). The Los Angeles Chargers are probably the strongest No. 7 seed we have ever seen in the current 14-team format, unless it’s the Green Bay Packers over in the NFC.

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You can pick just about any combination of teams from each side of the bracket to face off in Super Bowl LX and it wouldn’t sound wild. Here are the power rankings as we start the playoffs, from least likely to most likely to win the Super Bowl:

14. Carolina Panthers

If the Panthers make the Super Bowl, they’d be the weakest team ever to get in. By a mile. Congratulations to the Panthers for making it in the field, but they’re an 8-9 team that would be big underdogs in any remaining game they’d play. They have a -69 point differential, the fourth-worst for a playoff team in NFL history, according to NFL researcher Tony Holzman-Escareno. They do have wins over the Packers and Rams, so maybe there’s a tiny bit of hope for an upset win, but it’s obvious which team ranks last on this list.

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13. Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers have a better shot than the Panthers to make a Super Bowl, but that doesn’t mean it’s a good shot. Their offense is limited and the defense has taken a step back from previous years. The Steelers won 10 games, somehow, but with an offense that finished 25th in yards gained and a defense that finished 26th in yards allowed. It’s a cool story for Aaron Rodgers to make it back to the playoffs, and would be amazing if he reached the Super Bowl, but we can safely cross the Steelers off the list.

12. San Francisco 49ers

Heading into Week 18, the 49ers needed one win to get the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Would it be that unbelievable for the offense to heat up again, after a bad finale against the Seahawks, and make a deep playoff run? Any offense that averaged 42.3 points in December is capable. The reason the 49ers rank this low is because their defense, which already was without Fred Warner and Nick Bosa and just lost Warner’s replacement Tatum Bethune, probably isn’t good enough to win three straight road games. They finished 27th in defensive DVOA. But it says something about the depth of the field that the 49ers rank 12th and still have a feasible chance to win it all.

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11. Green Bay Packers

The Packers’ story is similar to the 49ers’ story. If they were healthy, they might be No. 1 on this list. But they’re not. They’re without linemen Micah Parsons and Devonte Wyatt on defense and tight end Tucker Kraft on offense, among others. That’s a reason they lost four in a row to finish the season. There’s some nuance to that losing streak — a Week 16 loss to the Bears was very fluky and Green Bay rested starters in Week 18 — but this team’s ceiling has gotten much lower, especially after the Parsons injury. But for a No. 7 seed they have a decent argument to make a run and win the NFC, a much better case than practically any No. 7 seed before them (other than perhaps the Green Bay team in 2023 that throttled Dallas in the wild-card round).

10. Los Angeles Chargers

Usually the No. 7 seeds have been happy to be in the playoffs, and then are predictably blown out in their postseason opener. The Chargers are not that team. Los Angeles was 11-5 before resting starters in Week 18, and still almost beat a Broncos team chasing the No. 1 seed in the AFC. A great head coach/QB combo can go a long way, and the Chargers have that with Jim Harbaugh and Justin Herbert. L.A.’s defense, led by coordinator and top head-coaching candidate Jesse Minter, was top five in yards allowed and has given up more than 20 points in a game just once since Oct. 19. The flaw is the offensive line, which lost both standout tackles to season-ending injuries. If the Chargers were healthy this might be the unquestioned top team in the NFL because everything else is impressive.

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9. Chicago Bears

The Bears have had a bit of a weird season. Until a Black Friday game, they were living off close wins against bad teams. They blew out the Eagles the day after Thanksgiving and played better for a few weeks. Then down the stretch they had a miracle win against the Packers, lost to the 49ers and then lost at home to the Lions after Detroit had been eliminated from the playoffs. They have had a fine season, getting the No. 2 seed. Their inconsistency is a reason they’re not higher on the list. They’re probably one good offseason away from being a more reliable pick.

8. Philadelphia Eagles

It’s hard to shake the idea of the Eagles making a run. The talent is still impressive. We remember how good they were last season and particularly in the Super Bowl win over the Chiefs. Yet the offense has been maddening most of the season. The last time we saw the starting offense, it had 16 yards and no completions as it barely held on to a win over the Bills in Week 17. It is hard to buy the Eagles’ offense playing well enough for four weeks in a row to repeat as Super Bowl champions. The Eagles were 23rd in passing yards and 18th in rushing yards; last season’s team did everything at an efficient level on offense and this season’s unit does nothing well. Still, look at the roster. You can’t count the Eagles out, especially with their stellar defense.

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7. Buffalo Bills

The quarterback-centric crowd will all pick the Bills to win the AFC. That’s fine. Josh Allen is fantastic. But the Bills also have blowout losses to the Falcons and Dolphins on their résumé. The run defense is bad, allowing 5.1 yards per carry this season. There’s no alpha playmaker in the passing game. Their leading receiver was Khalil Shakir, with 719 yards. There are some things to like, such as a solid pass defense and NFL rushing champion James Cook, but picking the Bills to win it all is a pick on Allen putting the team on his back for a month. Which can happen.

6. Houston Texans

The people picking the Bills to make the Super Bowl might have missed the Thursday night game in Week 12. The Texans destroyed the Bills’ offense in a 23-19 win. Houston sacked Josh Allen eight times. Seattle and Denver could argue, but this is the best defense in the NFL. The offense isn’t great, but with some help from key rookies in the second half, it did improve. And C.J. Stroud is a good quarterback, albeit one without much help. Also, Houston has a much easier matchup than the Bills or any other AFC team playing on wild-card weekend, as it faces a mediocre Pittsburgh team. In a wide-open AFC, the team with a great defense and an NFL-best nine-game winning streak is as good of a pick as any.

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5. Jacksonville Jaguars

Maybe the Jaguars should be higher. Trevor Lawrence had his best season, accounting for 38 touchdowns. The Jagurars’ defense ranked 11th in yards allowed and eighth in points allowed. Jacksonville was sixth in defensive DVOA, thanks in large part to 31 takeaways, which was second-best in the NFL. The Jaguars were fifth in EPA (expected points added) per play allowed as well. Jacksonville has won eight in a row, and somehow is still an underdog in its playoff opener against Buffalo. Make no mistake: The Jaguars can win it all.

4. New England Patriots

If you’ve paid even the slightest bit of attention to the MVP debate, you know the Patriots had a very easy schedule. They beat one team that finished above .500, knocking off the Bills in Week 5. It ranked as the third-easiest schedule since 1978, according to DVOA. Here’s the thing: The two teams that faced an easier schedule, the 1991 Bills and 1999 Rams, both made the Super Bowl. This isn’t college football in which every conference has a gimme or two; going 14-3 against NFL competition is hard. It’s OK to question the Patriots, but they have an MVP candidate quarterback in Drake Maye and a Coach of the Year candidate in Mike Vrabel. There isn’t a team in the field they can’t beat, even if they didn’t stack many quality wins during the regular season.

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3. Los Angeles Rams

Many will be picking the Rams to win the Super Bowl. Getting the No. 5 seed and a matchup against the Panthers, the weakest team by far in the playoff field, certainly helps. The Rams are a very good team that didn’t play its best late, but Sean McVay should be able to fix whatever issues there were over the past three weeks when Los Angeles lost twice. Matthew Stafford is the probable NFL MVP, though Drake Maye could win it instead in a close vote. There’s no reason to believe the Rams can’t win the Super Bowl, though the likely path of three road wins in a row won’t be easy to navigate. That’s why they didn’t crack the top two.

2. Denver Broncos

Maybe you don’t like the Broncos this season. Understandable. They had a ridiculous 11 wins by eight or fewer points. The offense has some remarkably bad performances. But this is a 14-3 team that is two home wins from a Super Bowl. The advantage of having a bye can’t be overstated. Since the NFL changed the playoff format to give only one team in each conference a bye, five of 10 No. 1 seeds have made a Super Bowl. Over the past three seasons it’s four of six. There’s a massive edge having to win only two playoff games instead of three, as everyone else in the AFC has to do. Even if you believe the Broncos aren’t the best team in the AFC, it’s impossible to deny they have the easiest path to the Super Bowl.

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1. Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks were the NFL’s best team in the regular season and it’s hard to debate otherwise. Now a defense that was arguably the best in the NFL this season and had an unbelievable performance in Week 18 against the 49ers needs just two home wins to reach the Super Bowl. The stumbling block will be Sam Darnold, who needs to prove he can play well on a big stage. But Darnold’s teams are 28-6 over the past two seasons and he’s a big part of that success. He has been good for Seattle most of this season. And the Seahawks don’t need him to carry the load, they just need him to get the ball to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, avoid mistakes and let a fantastic defense do the rest. There are plenty of good options for your Super Bowl pick this season, but Seattle is your most likely champion.

In Week 18 of the 2025 NFL season, Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett made history. After being stymied by the Cincinnati Bengals all game, Garrett blew past the team’s offensive line with roughly five minutes to play, finally taking down Joe Burrow in the backfield. In doing so, Garrett picked up his 23rd sack of the season and becoming the sole owner of the single-season sack record … at least, according to the NFL.

But one NFL Hall of Famer doesn’t see it that way. Former Minnesota Vikings star Jared Allen believes his name should sit beside Garrett’s in the record books. In the months leading up to Allen’s induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2025, the four-time All-Pro was adamant that the NFL took away his 23rd sack during the 2011 season.

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Allen made that argument in a video posted by the Vikings ahead of his Hall of Fame induction in August. At the end of the video, which focused on Allen’s 2011 season, Allen claimed he was the true single-season sack leader — at the time, Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt were credited with a tie for the record at 22.5 sacks — and even got a key individual to back him up.

As Allen explained:

“The reality is, I hold the 23-sack record. It’s 23. Not T.J. Watt at 22.5 in 17 games and not Michael Strahan. Facts are facts. It’s on film. I sacked Aaron Rodgers, they took it from me on Wednesday and called it a team sack.

“But if you go back to that ‘Monday Night Football’ game, Aaron Rodgers got the ball, went to step up in the pocket, drops the ball, picks it back up, he can still throw the ball. I chase him down, tackle him. Sack. [They] give it to me. That’s two sacks for the game.

“Wednesday, they take it back, called it a muff and gave it a team sack. Well, I’m part of the team. I’m the one who physically tackled him so I should at least get half of that, right? But, yeah, if you go back and look, I physically sacked Aaron Rodgers for what would have been my 23rd sack. I had 23 quarterbacks on the ground that year and they took it from me.”

After Allen told his story, the video cut to Rodgers, who said he agreed with Allen’s assessment.

“You are the all-time single-season sack leader, I don’t care what the numbers say,” Rodgers said. “Because that phantom, bulls*** sack they took away from you would give you the record. So, in my book, and probably in most Vikings fan’s books, you’re the all-time single-season sack leader, my friend.”

Video of the non-sack — which occurred in Week 10 of the regular season — does add some validity to Allen’s argument.

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With 9:55 on the clock in the first quarter, Rodgers take a snap in the shotgun, takes a few steps, gets himself set and then tries to scramble outside the pocket thanks to Allen’s pressure. As Rodgers makes a move to get outside, he drops the ball.

Rodgers fell to the ground to recover the ball, where Allen then landed on him for the sack.

While Allen was initially credited for the sack, the box score no longer credits any player for the sack on Rodgers after the NFL classified the play as a team sack.

Because of that, Allen finished the year with 22 sacks, which ranks tied for fourth all-time in the NFL record books. Garrett, Watt and Strahan all sit ahead of Allen on the single-season sack list.

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Allen, however, isn’t the only one who believes he missed out on a record due to the NFL. Watt defenders think the Pittsburgh Steelers’ star deserved to finish the 2021 NFL season with a record 23.5 sacks.

Their argument stems from an eerily similar play, in which Baltimore Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley couldn’t handle a poor snap from center Bradley Bozeman. The ball hit the ground before reaching Huntley, who then picked the ball up and attempted to scramble forward to avoid a loss. But as Huntley got up and started moving, he was tackled by Watt in the backfield. Huntley fumbled the ball, leading to a turnover. Thanks to Bozeman’s poor snap, however, the play was not ruled a fumble. In the box score, it’s classified as an “aborted snap” by Bozeman and a fumble by Huntley.

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That play occurred in Week 18, leading some Steelers fans to claim the play was a conspiracy to prevent Watt from setting the record. That wasn’t the case with Allen’s play, which came in the middle of the season, before breaking the sack record seemed realistic.

Though slightly different, even Strahan’s record is subject to controversy, as some believe Packers quarterback Brett Favre intentionally gave himself up to give Strahan the then-record.

How does the NFL define a sack?

In the league’s 2025 Guide for Statisticians, the NFL outlines its exact criteria for awarding sacks. In the appropriately titled “Sacks (Defensive)” section, the league covers the exact scenario that took place during Allen’s 2011 non-sack of Rodgers.

When the player making an apparent attempt to pass is tackled or downed at or behind the statistical line of scrimmage, credit a sack to the defensive player who tackled or downed the potential passer. If a defender pushes an offensive player into the potential passer, knocking him down, with no subsequent attempt to continue the play, or the contact results in a fumble, credit a sack to the appropriate defensive player.

EXCEPTION: If the potential passer fumbles on his own prior to any such contact, no sack is credited to any individual defensive player, unless he recovers his own fumble and attempts to advance or pass the ball. However, credit the defensive team with a sack. The number of defensive sacks should be equal to the number of offensive sacks.

Since Rodgers was unable to “advance or pass the ball” after he fumbled it, the play was correctly called a team sack. Whether it should be ruled that way is up for debate.

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In the Watt example, that rule doesn’t apply due to the poor snap. Because of that, the play is considered either an “aborted play” or a rushing play. In Watt’s instance, Huntley was treated as a rusher after trying to advance the bad snap.

Myles Garrett stands alone as NFL sack leader

By the rules, Garrett stands alone as the league’s single-season sack leader. While that title comes with some controversy due to protests by both Allen and Watt’s defenders and the fact that it took Garrett 17 games to reach 23 sacks, the record book is ultimately what matters.

Both the Allen and Watt plays make compelling arguments suggesting the NFL should reconsider the way it rules sacks on certain plays, but unless the league revisits those rules and retroactively puts them in place, both Allen and Watt will have to settle for sitting lower on the all-time list.

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That will almost certainly come as a disappointment to Allen, but at least he has an entertaining story to tell.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said on Wednesday what the outside world has known for some time: The Cowboys need to do better at placing people in positions like defensive coordinator, after they fired Matt Eberflus earlier this week.

“We got to do a better job of picking who’s going in there,” Jones told reporters. “We will do a very intense, complete, focused job of replacing Flus and any holes left because of Flus’ job.”

Jones expressed this sentiment alongside head coach Brian Schottenheimer while speaking to the media on Wednesday. In Schottenheimer’s first year as head coach, Dallas finished 7-9-1, missing the playoffs for the second consecutive year. This was the first time the Cowboys finished with back-to-back losing records since the early 2000s.

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[More on the Cowboys: Dallas team feed]

The Cowboys parted ways with Eberflus after one season, in which the defense was the worst in the NFL, giving up 511 points (30.1 ppg). Dallas finished the year either at the bottom or very close in many defensive statistical categories. So, Jones’ unhappiness with the defensive product on the field is not surprising.

This time, Schottenheimer will have a “major role” in the selection process for a new defensive coordinator, according to Jones. Schottenheimer more than earned that privilege after leading the Cowboys’ high-powered offense. They finished the year second in total yards (391.9) and seventh in points per game (27.7).

Names like current Minnesota Vikings DC Brian Flores and former Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon are a couple to watch for Dallas’s opening. Eberflus was hired last offseason following a disappointing run as head coach of the Chicago Bears. In three seasons leading the Bears, Eberflus was 14-32 with one of the worst defenses in the NFL each year.

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Along with picking a better defensive coordinator this time around, Jones also expressed that his goal is to retire as the NFL owner with the most Super Bowl victories. While his three Super Bowls are more than most, Jones acknowledged that he’s got work to do in catching New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s six Lombardi trophies.

As the Feb. 5 NBA Trade Deadline nears, the buzz around Trae Young’s potential departure from Atlanta continues to heat up. But this isn’t your typical superstar-on-the-move story driven by contract disputes or locker room unrest. This time, the Hawks have a legitimate basketball reason to consider moving their franchise cornerstone: they’ve been better without him.

Jalen Johnson’s leap as a primary playmaker and the rise of Nickeil Alexander-Walker as one of the offseason’s best acquisitions have given Atlanta something it lacked: a blueprint for the future that doesn’t require Trae. And with Young’s massive salary, defensive flaws and looming cap implications (Hawks are at the first apron), Atlanta has all the ammo it needs to explore a deal. A trade was the inevitable outcome once the Hawks decided not to give Young a contract extension this season.

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So, where could he land — and more importantly, what does it mean for fantasy basketball?

Washington Wizards

A Trae-to-D.C. scenario appears to be Young’s preference and likely involves veterans and picks, but the takeaway is simple: Young would walk into a situation with zero friction as the primary engine of the offense. Washington is a team starved for creation and shot-making, and inserting Young into the mix would help a young roster get a table-setter to create better offensive looks.

With a fun crop of developing talents like Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George and Bilal Coulibaly, they can cover Trae’s defensive shortcomings while benefiting from his facilitation. Trae landing here would also likely stifle a bit of George’s ball-handling and usage, but like Cooper Flagg, it still looks like that will be a long-term focus area for the Wizards.

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Fantasy outlook: If Young lands here, expect elite usage, top-tier assist numbers and the greenest of lights like Jordan Poole last year. Joining a rebuilding franchise wouldn’t hamper Young’s volume or opportunities in both points and category leagues.

Milwaukee Bucks

In Milwaukee, the calculus changes. The Bucks are desperate to maximize Giannis Antetokounmpo’s prime and keep him in Cream City for the long haul. The Damian Lillard experiment failed, leaving Giannis without an All-Star co-pilot. The Bucks need to correct that ASAP, and the idea of pairing Antetokounmpo with another dynamic shot creator in Young might work. The Bucks could throw in some veterans like Kyle Kuzma and Bobby Portis with a future pick(s), but their depth would undoubtedly take a hit.

Fantasy outlook: I don’t love the fit. Young’s gravity as a scorer and playmaker could actually open up the floor for Antetokounmpo, as Lillard did. However, given Giannis’ ball-dominant style, it’ll take too long to acclimate, and Trae’s surely not helping the Bucks improve their defensive rating, which currently sits at 18th in the league. He’d be fine for fantasy, but I prefer alternative destinations.

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Portland Trail Blazers

Portland is intriguing because it has a void at point guard. Lillard is out for the season, Jrue Holiday is dealing with a calf injury with no timetable for his return and Scoot Henderson hasn’t played since injuring his hamstring shortly before preseason. Deni Avdija has been holding it down as their primary ball-handler. Still, through Tuesday, the Blazers rank 27th in 3-point percentage (34.1%), 26th in assists per game (24.8) and are bottom-10 in offensive rating and assist points created — all areas Young can help elevate. A trade would likely involve an underwhelming Henderson and some combination of Jerami Grant, Robert Williams and picks. Given Lillard and Holiday’s age and health, Young is a logical solution here.

Fantasy outlook: The prospect of joining a team with a young, ascending core of Avdija, Shaedon Sharpe and Toumani Camara with a towering frontcourt is a recipe for success. The Blazers are currently in Play-In Tournament territory. They need a floor general who can make things easier and Young can be that guy. That’ll give Holiday plenty of time to recover. Avdija’s assists might dip a bit, but he’ll still provide ample counting stats. When factoring in need and fit, Portland stands out as one of the best landing spots for real life and fantasy.

Minnesota Timberwolves

The Wolves feel like a dark horse because while the need is evident, it’ll cost too much to get the deal over the finish line. Minnesota is at the first apron, so the salary match requirement for Young makes this move increasingly difficult. After making appearances in the Western Conference Finals in consecutive seasons, adding Young doesn’t tip the scale enough for the Wolves to sacrifice their roster depth.

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Fantasy outlook: I don’t see this trade going down. If it did, a trade to Minnesota wouldn’t impact Young’s overall production too much. Playing with an alpha like Anthony Edwards may affect his usage from game-to-game, but again, he’d still be a high-valued asset for points and assists.

Brooklyn Nets

Why not throw in another rebuilding situation? Brooklyn has plenty of greenbacks to pay him a lucrative extension or absorb what’s left of his deal. BK is the land of the chuckers, so let’s pair him with Michael Porter Jr. and see how it goes. With only a few high-usage players on their extremely young roster, Young would have full command of the offense. Cam Thomas will probably be traded. Even in a scenario that prioritizes player development, getting an All-Star like Young in the building puts fans in the seats while landing a top-tier shot creator for others.

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Fantasy outlook: Young would return early-round value if he joined Brooklyn because his usage rate would be massive, easily 30%+. Turnovers would still be sky high, but the offensive output would be worth it. Having a rim runner like Nic Claxton there could give vibes of early Trae in Atlanta. I wouldn’t mind this at all.

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On this episode of The Big Number, Tom Haberstroh and Dan Devine discuss if what happens in Vegas, truly does stay in Vegas. The numbers show that the NBA Cup champions face a very interesting decline in the Cup’s immediate aftermath, and the New York Knicks are the most recent victims of the NBA Las Vegas hangover, losing 4 straight.

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They also look into other teams suffering post-NBA Cup, including the once-seemingly invincible Oklahoma City Thunder and the preseason Eastern darling Orlando Magic. What’s causing this sudden slip for these contenders? Tom and Dan investigate.

Plus, the pair look into Trae Young’s fit as a Washington Wizard and predict next season’s success with the star guard at the helm.

(0:57) The Big Number: NBA Cup hangover

(16:10) Jalen Williams shooting woes

(24:37) Knicks defensive drama

(33:17) Magic struggling without Suggs

(43:17) Does trading Trae to the Wizards make sense?

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

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

In two weeks, the National Baseball Hall of Fame will announce its Class of 2026. We already know one member of the class, and we have a pretty good idea about two others. After that, it’s hazy at best.

The past couple of years have had some fairly obvious first-ballot inductees in Ichiro Suzuki (2025) and Adrian Beltré (2024). There are no such players this year. Instead, any inductees will be benefiting from the slow drift of BBWAA votes, through which a player such as Billy Wagner can go from 10.5% voting in his first ballot in 2016 to a triumphant 82.5% in his final year of eligibility last year.

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That’s where the Hall of Fame Ballot Tracker comes in. The helpful spreadsheet is run by the team of Ryan Thibodaux, Anthony Calamis and Adam Dore, who track every publicly available BBWAA ballot (and some privately indulged ones). As of Wednesday, 140 ballots had been tracked out of an estimated total of 424, enough that we can get a pretty solid idea of which way the wind is blowing.

As a reminder, players need to receive at least 75% of the BBWAA vote to be inducted into the Hall. They get 10 years on the ballot to get there but automatically fall off if they ever receive less than 5% of the vote. After that, they can still get in through the Hall’s Era Committees if they don’t make it via BBWAA.

Here’s how all 27 players on the ballot are doing so far, with numbers as of Wednesday.

Already in

Jeff Kent

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Kent was the lone player to emerge from the Contemporary Era Committee’s vote in December, on a ballot that also included Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Carlos Delgado. Kent fell off the BBWAA ballot in 2023, receiving 46.5% of the vote in his final year, but he immediately got in through the committee.

On track for this year

Carlos Beltrán (88.4% of vote, 4th year of eligibility)
Andruw Jones (83.0%, 9th)

Both Beltrán and Jones are accomplished outfielders who are ahead of the pace needed to reach induction, but that doesn’t mean this is over. BBWAA voters who never reveal their ballots tend to be harsher judges than the public ones, which is how Beltrán went from 73.6% of known ballots to 70.3% in the final vote last year.

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Both men also have off-field issues that could come up in voting, notably Jones’ domestic violence arrest in 2012 and Beltrán’s central role in the Astros cheating scandal. Those are obviously very different situations, but both are relevant in a world in which the character clause has become a major deciding factor in these votes.

On track for sometime in the future

Chase Utley (66.7%, 3rd)
Félix Hernández (58.5%, 2nd)
Cole Hamels (32.0%, 1st)

These guys would all need miracles ranging from minor to major to reach Cooperstown this year, but they should still probably expect plaques at some point in their futures. Very few players who get a majority of votes in their first three years on the ballot end up not making it eventually.

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Utley and Hernández both had Hall of Fame primes, then fell off a bit due to age and injury, but the voters don’t seem too worried about what those two did in their 30s. And for Hamels, 32% is a fine starting number in his first year on the ballot.

Could go either way

Andy Pettitte (55.8%, 8th)
Dustin Pedroia (25.2%, 2nd)
David Wright (19.7%, 3rd)

Only Hernández has gained more returning votes than Pettitte so far this cycle, and the southpaw is also doing well with first-time voters, at 70%. Those are encouraging signs. But you have to wonder how much resistance against Pettitte has calcified due to his alleged steroid use. With only two years remaining on the ballot, he needs a lot of people to come around quickly.

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Pedroia and Wright are both one-team infielders who didn’t quite have Hall of Fame longevity but could ultimately get in if future voters look kindly upon them.

Staying alive

Bobby Abreu (38.8%, 7th)
Jimmy Rollins (25.9%, 5th)
Mark Buehrle (22.4%, 6th)
Omar Vizquel (12.9%, 9th)
Francisco Rodriguez (12.9%, 4th)
Torii Hunter (4.8%, 6th)

It’s hard to imagine any of these guys getting the boost they need at this stage of their candidacy, but they will probably make it to the next ballot. Hunter went from 4.8% of public votes last year to 5.1% in the final count, so a similar bump would keep him in the safe zone this time around.

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Vizquel remains a notable case given that he appeared to be a lock for induction at one point, after he reached 52.6% in his third year of eligibility in 2020, but domestic abuse and sexual harassment allegations have since made him a non-candidate.

Alex Rodriguez

Alex Rodriguez (47.6%, 5th)

With Bonds and Clemens both out of Hall of Fame consideration until 2031, the most controversial candidate is now Rodriguez, whose multiple steroid scandals didn’t prevent him from getting a job at Fox Sports but do appear to be a significant barrier for the Hall of Fame.

His 47.6% number is at least a significant jump from where Rodríguez has been hovering in his first four years of eligibility — from 34.3% in 2022 to 27.1% in 2025 — but his lack of progress with first-time voters (46.7% this year) means the tides are not yet turning the way he needs them to.

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It’s over

Manny Ramirez (43.5%, 10th)

With no more ballots after this one, the Boston Red Sox great can start crossing his fingers that the Contemporary Era Committee doesn’t mind his PED use as much as the BBWAA clearly does.

Hello, goodbye

Ryan Braun (2.7%, 1st)
Edwin Encarnacion (1.4%, 1st)
Shin-Soo Choo (0.7%, 1st)
Hunter Pence (0.7%, 1st)
Gio Gonzalez (0%, 1st)
Alex Gordon (0%, 1st)
Matt Kemp (0%, 1st)
Howie Kendrick (0%, 1st)
Nick Markakis (0%, 1st)
Daniel Murphy (0%, 1st)
Rick Porcello (0%, 1st)

It is extremely difficult to make the Hall of Fame. The above players have a combined 1 MVP award, 1 Cy Young Award, 27 All-Star selections, 13 Gold Gloves, 10 Silver Sluggers and 5 World Series rings, but it looks like none of them will get a second look from voters. Braun’s admitted PED use obviously looms largest here.

Football is a team game, yes, but let’s be honest — some team players are more important than others. This week’s Peach Bowl presents a matchup of two of the most significant quarterbacks in the college game — Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and Oregon’s Dante Moore — and if history is any indication, their stories will be intertwined for years to come.

Marcus Mariota/Jameis Winston, Jared Goff/Carson Wentz and Bryce Young/CJ Stroud comprise just a few of the quarterback duos taken 1-2 in the NFL Draft, duos judged by the success (or lack thereof) of the other for several years after their selections. The Mendoza/Moore duo could well follow in that line, particularly if the Peach Bowl ends up a showcase for both players. Mendoza has the gaudier awards, but Moore has bounced back from a midseason lull to lead the Ducks to two big playoff wins.

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Mendoza finished the year with 3,172 yards passing, and led the FBS in touchdowns (36), yards per attempt (9.6) and passer rating (184.7) … and, of course, he won the Heisman Trophy. Moore, after some significant early-season hype, finished with a more-than-respectable 3,280 yards, 28 touchdowns and 9 interceptions, although he didn’t finish in the top 10 in Heisman voting.

Both players’ head coaches spent time earlier this week touting their quarterbacks’ play — which, granted, is not the most difficult task.

“When you look at a quarterback, obviously he’s gotta have throwing ability and be able to process, but the ability to extend plays, whether it’s with his legs or once he’s out of the pocket with his arm, his eyes downfield, I mean, that’s the key,” Indiana’s Curt Cignetti said of Mendoza. “A guy that cannot extend plays, you really become vulnerable.”

“[The Hoosiers] do a great job of protecting against shots, but I think Dante’s been a really good decision-maker throughout the year,” Oregon head coach Dan Lanning said, “and that’ll be something that’s really important in this game.”

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The two teams met back in October, a grinding 30-20 Indiana victory that was tied with less than seven minutes remaining. Mendoza and Moore ended up with similar stats from that game — Mendoza threw for 215 yards and a touchdown; Moore had 186 and a touchdown. The difference came on the ground and on the margins. Moore threw two interceptions to Mendoza’s one, and Mendoza had 31 yards on the ground to Moore’s minus-27, thanks to the six sacks he suffered.

“Fernando’s ability to make plays with his legs, boy,” Cignetti said. “I can’t even count the number of times in big games this year where his legs have come through and extended drives.” Mendoza would finish the year with 256 yards and six touchdowns on the ground.

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Lanning, unsurprisingly, is applying a little retroactive analysis to that game to help clean up Moore’s numbers.

“You gotta remember when we played earlier in the season, Dante hadn’t played a ton of games,” he said. “As you play an entire season, you get exposed to a lot of different looks, and you learn from those moments, and Dante has certainly learned from a lot of those moments … He’s not the same player as he was earlier this year.”

The closest historical comparison to this year’s scenario might be 2015, when Jameis Winston and Florida State took on a Marcus Mariota-led Oregon in the first-ever College Football Playoff semifinal. The Ducks had no trouble running the Noles right out of the Rose Bowl, 59-20. Mariota (26/36, 338 yards, 2 TDs, 1 interception) and Winston (29/45, 348 yards, 1 TD, 1 interception) had roughly the same numbers, but the game might best be remembered for Winston’s cartoonish fumble in the midst of an Oregon onslaught.

Even so, Winston ended up drafted No. 1 overall a few months later, with Mariota just one slot behind him. Both won Heismans, and both are still in the NFL as spot starters — Winston with the Giants, Mariota with the Commanders.

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In all likelihood, Mendoza will get the draft nod over Moore, but regardless of how this game ends, the Mendoza/Moore dance will continue right on into late April. Yahoo’s draft analysts have been impressed with both players. Nate Tice terms Mendoza “an accurate thrower to all three levels who constantly goes to the right place with the ball.” Charles McDonald, meanwhile, praises Moore as a player with “all the tools to be a high-upside passer as he develops his game.”

“Mendoza’s been my QB1 throughout this entire process,” Tice says. “He’s a high-floor guy, smart, a clean operator, accurate. His game translates every well to the NFL.” Tice pegs Matt Ryan as Mendoza’s high-upside comparison, and believes he’ll be QB1, likely to the Raiders.

“I’ve graded Moore throughout the process as a late first-rounder, early second-rounder that gets bumped up because of QB inflation,” Tice says. “He’s QB2 almost by default.”

Moore actually hasn’t declared yet, which could shift the entire post-Mendoza draft depending on his decision. “In a perfect world, he’d go back to school,” Tice says of Moore. “But he’s looking at $54 million guaranteed from the Jets. You can’t always guarantee that will be there if you wait a year, especially with Arch Manning, (Brendan) Sorsby and other guys.”

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Tice pegs the break-point for a player of Moore’s caliber at around the 22-to-24 spot, meaning it would make more sense to stay if he was drafted that low, but it’s unlikely he would fall that far if he’s available. Then again, so much depends on this Peach Bowl.

“It will have more of an impact on Moore than Mendoza, prospect-wise,” Tice says. “If he goes out against Indiana and has an amazing game, that could affect some teams’ thinking. They’re watching how players perform in these big games at the end of the season.”

Looking ahead, the first three teams picking in this year’s draft — the Raiders, Jets and Cardinals — have definite or likely quarterback needs, depending on what Arizona does with Kyler Murray. The Titans and Giants seem set, but Cleveland at No. 6 is likely as far as Moore or Mendoza could possibly fall.

The Peach Bowl will be a showcase of two of the game’s great quarterbacks. More than that, it could be another early chapter in a long-running narrative between Fernando Mendoza and Dante Moore. Either way, it ought to be a fascinating battle.

The John Harbaugh sweepstakes is underway after the Baltimore Ravens fired their longtime head coach after 18 seasons on Tuesday. There have been many inquiries about his services from teams looking to fill their openings — even reportedly one team that doesn’t currently need a head coach.

Given the amount of interest, it seems very likely Harbaugh will be coaching an NFL team in 2026. That is something his brother Jim, currently preparing his Los Angeles Chargers for Sunday night’s playoff game against the New England Patriots, believes will happen as long as it’s in the other conference.

“He’ll be a head coach next year,” Jim Harbaugh said Wednesday. “We’ll be playing against him in some form or fashion … And as I told him, whatever team he goes to is going to be formidable and I just hope it’s in the NFC.”

John Harbaugh led the Ravens to the playoffs in 12 of his 18 seasons and finished with a losing record just three times. He also was at the helm when the franchise won its second title in Super Bowl XLVII against Jim’s San Francisco 49ers.

“John Harbaugh is the best coach I know, best coach I’ve ever seen. You may say, well I’m his brother so I might be biased,” said Jim, who is 0-3 against his brother in their NFL coaching careers.

The New York Giants emerged as one of the favored landing spots for Harbaugh with the Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Las Vegas Raiders and Tennessee Titans desperate for a new head coach who will inspire changes.

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Harbaugh’s résumé has made him a desirable candidate this coaching cycle and likely put him in a position where no head coaching decisions will be made by teams until he finds his next team.

Wherever John Harbaugh does land, his brother says that organization will be lucky to have him.

“I could tell he will be attacking with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind, [that] next opportunity,” Jim Harbaugh said. “There will be a team that will be a gift, to have the one of the best coaches ever, best coach I know.”

Despite winning three straight division titles prior to the 2025 NFL season, Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles found himself on the hot seat once the year ended. Following an excellent start, in which the Bucs went 6-2 to open the season, Tampa Bay collapsed down the stretch, winning just two of its last nine games and missing out on the playoffs.

While Bowles’ status was initially unclear, the head coach confirmed Wednesday he will be back coaching the Buccaneers in 2026, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

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Bowles, 62, said he met with the Buccaneers’ owners — the Glazer family — Tuesday and was planning to hold interviews with coaches Wednesday. Bowles also told the Tampa Bay Times that while he’ll return in 2026, there will be changes to his coaching staff. Bowles did not elaborate on those changes.

Despite Bowles’ success from 2022-24, the coach was a surprising addition to the list of coaches who could lose their jobs this offseason following the Buccaneers’ collapse. Though the team lost control of the NFC South by the end of the season, it still had a shot to make the playoffs in Week 18.

With a win over the Carolina Panthers, there was a scenario in which the Buccaneers would earn a playoff berth. The Buccaneers got the job done, winning 16-14 over the Panthers. Unfortunately for Tampa Bay, the Atlanta Falcons defeated the Los Angeles Rams in Week 17 and the New Orleans Saints in Week 18, setting up a tie at the top of the division.

With the Bucs, Panthers and Falcons all sitting at 8-9, the Panthers were crowned the NFC South championships after sweeping the Falcons in the regular season.

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Though the Buccaneers have won three NFC South titles under Bowles, the team hasn’t secured those titles in dominant fashion. In Bowles’ four seasons on the job, the Bucs have a 35-33 record.

While things ended terribly for the Bucs this season, there’s reason to believe the team will be better in 2026. Injuries wrecked the team’s offensive line, and some of the team’s biggest playmakers — Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Bucky Irving — all missed multiple games due to injuries.

Given the rumors and uncertainty surrounding Bowles this time around, the coach will need a more successful year in 2026 if he wants to keep his job. His stint with the Bucs has mostly been successful, but it’s clear ownership has higher expectations.

Pete Golding has guided Ole Miss through the latest of Lane Kiffin’s messy head-coaching departures and piloted a galvanized Rebels program to its first two College Football Playoff victories.

He went from defensive coordinator to head coach on Nov. 30 after Kiffin abruptly ended his six-season run in Oxford to head to Baton Rouge and take the reins at LSU.

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That left a then-11-win Ole Miss team enjoying the best season in school history in the spotlight of one of college football’s most controversial stories, with NIL money, a poorly timed transfer portal window and, of course, poached coaches at the center of the madness.

Golding has been asked about the chaos repeatedly.

He emphasized Wednesday ahead of his sixth-seeded Rebels’ Fiesta Bowl CFP semifinal showdown versus 10th-seeded Miami that he believes every year is pretty chaotic, and that if Kiffin’s departure was going to happen, there actually couldn’t have been a better time.

He challenged the narrative that’s obsessed over Ole Miss’ postseason circumstances, especially when he was asked at his joint news conference with Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal if he has a message for Kiffin and Rebels doubters who didn’t think they could make a run at a national title without Kiffin.

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“Yeah, I don’t have a message for anybody else,” Golding said.

“I think our team had a message. They had a message about how they prepared and how they play and that they weren’t tired of playing.”

Golding, who had served as Ole Miss’ defensive coordinator since 2023 leading up to his promotion, said that if he had a message it’d be about the importance of team over everything else.

“I’m replaceable, you’re replaceable, our players are replaceable,” he said. “I think you want to build a program to where it’s heading in the right direction and one person, one player or anything like that’s not going to derail that.

“There’s been too much invested in that, and it’s been aligned correctly that one person is not going to impact something so drastically. If it is, it’s probably not built right. If one coach in any sport can determine the outcome of it, he probably doesn’t have a very good staff. I mean, if one player can determine the outcome of it, we probably didn’t recruit and create the right depth.”

An impassioned Golding continued: “It’s a team game. I mean, there’s so many people that go into it. So the timing of when it happened, in my opinion, it couldn’t happen at a better time for the players because everything was already in place. Everything was on the track. It’s headed the right direction. We got really good players. There was already a culture created. They knew the expectation. The only thing that was different is who’s running them out the tunnel. And to be honest with you, I don’t think the players give a damn who runs them out the tunnel.”

Golding drove home the point that, more than anything, players care about their plan, about being held accountable and about people who care about them.

“I think that’s been the message our players have created,” Golding said. “I don’t have s*** to say to anybody else.”

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Golding has appeared unfazed by his shapeshifting coaching staff, which has featured assistants who are following Kiffin to LSU.

[Get more Rebels football news: Ole Miss team feed]

The 41-year-old Golding started his coaching career at Division II Delta State in Cleveland, Mississippi. Eventually he moved up to the FCS, where he coached at Southeastern Louisiana.

Long before he was coordinating Nick Saban’s defense at Alabama, he was dealing with far fewer resources on much smaller staffs.

“We got six coaches in Division II,” Golding said Wednesday. “You’re the strength and conditioning coach, you’re the academic coordinator, you got to coach.

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“I walk in the offensive room this morning, and there’s nine guys that have been here all year in there, and there’s four more added to it. There’s 13 guys in an offensive staff room. … I think we have enough guys to be able to coach and know the system and do it the right way.”

Golding confirmed that two of four assistants who coached Ole Miss in a Sugar Bowl CFP quarterfinal win over Georgia and are part of Kiffin’s new staff at LSU won’t be with the Rebels in Thursday’s game against Miami. Tight ends coach/co-offensive coordinator Joe Cox and wide receivers coach/passing game coordinator George McDonald will not coach for Ole Miss, whereas offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. and running backs coach Kevin Smith are still on board.

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Golding explained that there’s been “constant communication,” and that he’s understanding of Cox and McDonald’s competing interests.

“They have another job that is paying them, and they have a responsibility,” Golding said. “And at this time, the way the calendar is now, and I wasn’t going to get into this, but they’re trying to — they have 35 guys that are in the portal, and they have to build a team [at LSU].

“So, obviously, do they want to be here? You’re damn right they do. But again, I mean the situation that it is, right, they’ve got a job to do, and they’ve got to build a team where they’re at. And where the window is right now, we’ve made it when it’s in the semifinals of the national championship.”

Golding later noted: “To answer your question, yes, we’ve got plenty of people.”