That comes a couple of weeks after Adofo-Mensah discussed the team’s decision to let Darnold walk in free agency — only to later watch him lead the Seattle Seahawks to the Super Bowl — with reporters
“You’re trying to make sure you don’t lock yourselves into what you did and thinking that it’s always right, and so there are those nights you wake up and stare at the ceiling and ask yourself. I always go back to the process and what we thought at the time. It’s easier to and be revisionist and results-based, but going to think through what we had at the time, I still understand why we did what we did.
“The results maybe didn’t play out the way we wanted them to, but ultimately, I think at the end of the day we could have executed better in certain places. I don’t want to say it individually, in terms of a particular player, but just executing better — knowing what the room was, play style-wise, experience-wise, and just putting together a better combination of people, a collective in that group, that’s probably what I focused on the most.”
The results “maybe” not playing out as the Vikings hoped is an understatement. Last year, the Vikings went 14-3 with Darnold under center. Without him, they went 9-8 and missed the playoffs. Last year, the Seahawks went 10-7 and missed the playoffs. With Darnold, they went 14-3 and are about to play in the Super Bowl.
The causality is far more complicated than the above paragraph makes it sound, but that’s an undeniably rough shift for a franchise.
At the time of Darnold’s free agency, the Vikings had former 10th overall pick J.J. McCarthy in reserve. The 23-year-old was positioned as the team’s quarterback of the future despite missing his rookie year with a torn meniscus, while Darnold was initially intended to be a stopgap who then played his way into stardom. The team decided to keep McCarthy over the 28-year-old Darnold, who would have been due a $40.2 million salary had the team hit him with the franchise tag.
Of course, that decision didn’t work out for Adofo-Mensah or Minnesota. McCarthy struggled heavily this season and missed time with an ankle sprain, a concussion and a hand fracture. The team went 6-4 in his starts and 3-4 in games started by backups Max Brosmer and Carson Wentz. Only two teams, the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns, had a worse passer rating or fewer passing yards this season. No team threw more interceptions.
No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka is returning to the Australian Open final for her fourth consecutive year. This time around, she’ll face No. 5 Elena Rybakina. This pair has had quite the run to the finals of this tournament, with neither of them dropping a single set so far. The last time Sabalenka and Rybakina faced off was at the WTA Finals, where Rybakina was victorious.
The women’s final match will (unfortunately for U.S. viewers) begin at 3:30 a.m. ET. Sabalenka vs. Rybakina will be broadcast on ESPN and stream live on ESPN+ for ESPN Unlimited subscribers. Here’s what you need to know about watching the 2026 Australian Open women’s final.
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How to watch Aryna Sabalenka vs. Elena Rybakina at the Australian Open:
The final match between Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina at the Australian Open will be on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026 (or late Friday night, for U.S. viewers).
Aryna Sabalenka vs. Elena Rybakina match start time:
The match between Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina starts at 3:30 a.m. ET. The match will air on ESPN and stream live on ESPN+ for ESPN Unlimited subscribers.
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Australian Open channel:
In the U.S., the entire Australian Open tournament is streaming on ESPN+ for Unlimited subscribers. ESPN will broadcast the semifinals and final matches.
How to watch the 2026 Australian Open:
Where to watch the 2026 Australian Open without cable:
If you want to catch every match of the Australian Open and don’t currently subscribe to ESPN+, cable or a live TV streaming service, in Australia a majority of the action will be streaming free with ads on 9Now.
Don’t live in the land down under? Don’t worry, you can still stream like you do with the help of a VPN. A VPN (virtual private network) helps protect your data, can mask your IP address and is perhaps most popular for being especially useful in the age of streaming. Whether you’re looking to watch Friends on Netflix (which left the U.S. version of the streamer back in 2019) or tune in to tennis coverage without a cable package, a VPN can help you out. Looking to try a VPN for the first time? This guide breaks down the best VPN options for every kind of user.
9Now. Plus it’s Engadget’s pick for the best premium VPN. ExpressVPN offers three tiers of subscriptions: The Basic Plan (starting at $3.49/month), the Advanced Plan (starting at $4.49/month) and the Pro Plan (starting at $7.49/month).
ExpressVPN also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, in case you’re nervous about trying a VPN.
Australian Open 2026 schedule:
All times Eastern
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Friday, January 30
(Day 13) Men’s Semifinal: 3:30 a.m.
Saturday, January 31
(Day 14) Women’s Final: 3:30 a.m.
Sunday, February 1
(Day 15) Men’s Final: 3:30 a.m.
Australian Open prize money:
For 2026, the men’s and women’s singles winners of the Australian Open each get $4,150,000, with the runner-up receiving $2,150,000 and Semi-finalists $1,250,000.
The Minnesota Vikings fired general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah after four seasons, the team announced Friday.
Vikings owners Mark and Zygi Wilf put out a statement Friday saying that it was in “the best interest of the team” to move on from Adofo-Mensah and that executive vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski will lead the operations group through the 2026 NFL Draft.
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Following the conclusion of the draft, there will be a search for a new GM.
According to The Athletic’s Alec Lewis, this decision was not expected, and while there had been “tension” around the organization recently, firing the GM came out of nowhere.
“This is a critical offseason. Ultimately, we felt the change was necessary in football operations and did not feel comfortable going forward into this offseason with the current leadership,” Mark Wilf told reporters on Friday. “It’s not about any one decision or move. We looked at the situation cumulatively. We just didn’t feel confident going through the entirety of the offseason, an additional draft, with this structure. We have an urgency to create a winning football team and establish sustainable success for our fans. At the same time we balance that urgency with all decisions thoroughly and methodically.”
The news comes after the Vikings missed the playoffs this season with a 9-8 record and after Adofo-Mensah let Sam Darnold walk in free agency in order to have 2024 first-round draft pick J.J. McCarthy take over the starting quarterback job.
That decision did not work out as McCarthy struggled with injury and inconsistency in his first full NFL season. Darnold, meanwhile, recorded a second straight 4,000-yard passing season in 2025 with 25 touchdowns and has led the Seattle Seahawks to Super Bowl LX against the New England Patriots.
“You’re trying to make sure you don’t lock yourselves into what you did and thinking that it’s always right, and so there are those nights you wake up and stare at the ceiling and ask yourself,” he said. “I always go back to the process and what we thought at the time. It’s easier to and be revisionist and results-based, but going to think through what we had at the time, I still understand why we did what we did.
“The results maybe didn’t play out the way we wanted them to, but ultimately, I think at the end of the day we could have executed better in certain places. I don’t want to say it individually, in terms of a particular player, but just executing better — knowing what the room was, play style-wise, experience-wise, and just putting together a better combination of people, a collective in that group, that’s probably what I focused on the most.”
McCarthy did not play his rookie season in 2024 after tearing the meniscus in his right knee in the preseason. That opened the door for Darnold, who went on to throw for a career-high 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns as the Vikings finished 14-3 before losing in the wild-card round.
The deal includes a club option for the 2033 season.
Wilson, 23, is coming off his first full MLB season. He finished second in AL Rookie of the Year voting to teammate Nick Kurtz after batting .311 with 13 home runs and 63 RBI in 125 games. He was named the starting shortstop for the AL All-Star team.
“It’s definitely been the main focus for the last couple of offseasons now,” Wilson said. “Being able to grow into my body a little bit more and put on more muscle. I’ve been at the A’s facility for the entire offseason now, working with the strength staff to get stronger and prepare my body for the long season ahead.”
Wilson, Kurtz, Soderstrom, Brent Rooker, Lawrence Butler and Shea Langeliers represent a hitting core the Athletics hope can lead the team back to the postseason for the first time since 2020 and drum up excitement for their future move to Las Vegas.
This year’s award races, particularly All-NBA honors, will be incredibly difficult to suss through. There are always a ton of great individual performances across the league, so in a literal sense you can’t highlight everyone. Once you factor in the 65-games played minimum, the field simultaneously shrinks while making decisions even more difficult in some cases.
In light of today’s exercise, taking a snapshot of what these teams could look like a little past the halfway point of the season, I’ll be selecting from the pool of players who are currently on pace to be eligible by the end of the year. Playing 65-of-82 means logging a qualifying appearance in roughly 79% of your team’s games.
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To that end, here’s a list of notable names who are not on that pace right now, and thus won’t factor into my calculus — at least not yet. Chief among them:
Giannis Antetokounmpo (30/46, 65.2%)
Victor Wembanyama (33/47, 70.2%)
Stephen Curry (38/49, 77.6%)
Kawhi Leonard (33/46, 71.7%)
Lauri Markkanen (35/48, 72.9%)
Paolo Banchero (36/46, 78.3%)
(Bruno Rouby/Yahoo Sports Illustration)
And here are a few names that have already been eliminated from contention:
Brown has been the focal point of one of the best stories — and teams! — in the NBA this season. His blend of drives, pull-up jumpers and improved playmaking have helped spearhead the league’s second-best offense in Boston. The fact that he has the on-ball chops to take on tough defensive assignments when asked and locked in — remember, he opened the season with the Joel Embiid matchup, and notably took the Kawhi Leonard assignment in the same game Brown dropped 50 points — is a welcomed bonus, and a glimpse into the kind of two-way impact he can tap into.
Carrying high usage is a tough job. Doing so for a good team comes with added pressure and responsibility. Doing so while leading defensively slanted lineups, thus cramping the room you have to operate with, adds another layer of difficulty. That Cunningham has been this good, leading the league in assists while knocking down countless pull-ups (and sprinkling in post buckets) in the process, is a testament to his talent and basketball mind. There are many reasons why the Pistons have been the best team in the East and quietly 2.5 games back of the league’s best record. Cunningham’s at the top of that list.
A historically dominant offensive player already, Dončić has somehow managed to raise the bar for himself in the midst of injury and general lineup uncertainty. Converting 58% of his 2s while rarely being able to get to the rim, and with roughly 80% of those inside-the-arc shots being self-created, is patently absurd. There isn’t a pass he can’t make, and he’s pretty much impossible when he has his 3-ball going. The Lakers wouldn’t be in the top-six without his efforts.
The frontrunner for MVP, Gilgeous-Alexander has further cemented himself as the league’s preeminent off-the-dribble scorer. He drives more than virtually anyone, sprinkles in an ungodly amount of midrange jumpers (making them at a career-best 55% clip), and has shown greater comfort taking 3s off the dribble, too. Take your pick at beyond-the-box-score numbers — the Thunder blitzing teams by over 14 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor, leading on-pace-to-qualify players in Dunks And Threes’ Estimated Plus-Minus (EPM) metric — and he’ll grade out well. He’s the primary reason the Thunder sport the league’s best record.
Darius Garland has been in and out of the lineup. Evan Mobley has made more of a hop than a genuine leap this season and is currently out of the lineup. There was a time this season when you didn’t know how much of Jarrett Allen you’d see in the second halves of games, much less crunch time.
The lone constant of the Cavs, who’ve won five straight and now sit one (1) game outside of the two-seed, has been Mitchell. He’s shot the leather off the ball on ridiculous volume, unleashed a bevy of creative midrange buckets, and often finds himself threatening enemy lines at the rim, one windmill gather at a time. It’s easy to say the Cavs need him, but the numbers tell that story, too: per Cleaning The Glass, the Cavs have the point differential of a 57-win team with him on the floor, and a 32-win team with him on the bench.
Brunson doubles as an insanely talented scorer and an infuriating player to defend. The list of guards who possess Brunson’s bag of pivots is a short one; his footwork is rivaled by few, especially if you filter for guys his size. Throw in an increasingly willing trigger from deep (career best 7.6 attempts) and continued growth as an interior passer — there’s still more room to grow against aggressive coverages — and you have a problem on your hands.
Durant continues to climb up the record books, one silky-smooth jumper at a time. He’s been as advertised in his first season as a Rocket, his bucket-getting raising the floor and ceiling of an offense that desperately needed his skill set. He shape-shifts into whatever is needed — a spacer, iso threat, post hub, screener (he’s been hitting folks, lowkey) — and forces defenses to think hard about how they want to handle him and whatever action surrounds him.
Edwards has leveled up in multiple areas, leading to the best offensive season of his career. Nobody as athletic as Edwards should be this good of a pull-up shooter from deep. That he’s also refined his midrange and post game makes him more dangerous — and those skills in particular should bode well once the postseason rolls around. Similar to Brown, Edwards has also shown that, when he locks in, he can be a strong on-ball defender willing to take on tough assignments in key moments. Speaking of key moments, Edwards has been insanely efficient in clutch situations. Keep an eye on him in the Clutch Player of the Year race.
Maxey has taken another step, arguably cementing himself as the Sixers’ best — or at the very least, most important — player this season.
His speed alone causes trouble for defenses, both in transition and in half-court situations. The Sixers have smartly weaponized that, along with his shooting, with more off-ball involvement. He flies off of screens every which-way, and sets quite a few of them in his own right. Even without fluff, Maxey can (and will) win with straight-line drives. If your defense is bent at any time, he’ll make sure it’s broken.
The usual Murray script is being good-not-great at the beginning of a season, usually taking a little time to gain a rhythm as a shooter and driver before turning into a monster. This year, Murray’s been near or at the top of his game from the very beginning.
He’s enjoying the best shooting season of his career and continues to infuriate guards with his blend of pick-and-roll chops, off-ball utility, shifty drives and occasional post-ups. While the partnership between him and Jokić has once again been excellent, Murray has been a monster — 27.8 points on 54/41/87 splits, 4.2 rebounds, 8.3 assists — since Jokić has been out. First-time All-Star and All-NBA honors are well-deserved right now.
It’s kinda funny watching teams deal with Avdija. Nobody is driving more on a per-game basis than Avdija (19.9), edging out Jaylen Brown (18.5) and SGA (18.4) for those honors. Nobody drives going right more than Avdija (576); Mitchell is second on that list with 390. The scouting report is obvious. There are no surprises, and yet, Avdija gets to his spots — and to the free-throw line — almost at will.
He has carried this Blazers offense, particularly during their extended stretch without Jrue Holiday. To that point, the Blazers score at a top-10 level with Avdija on the floor and score at a much lower clip than the league’s worst offense when he sits. That, combined with the rarity of his basic box score — he’s one of six players averaging 25-5-5, and the list shrinks to three when bumping it to 25-7-6 — makes for a compelling All-NBA case.
While it’d be understandable because of the league’s depth, it’d be a shame if Barnes wasn’t rewarded for his all-around excellence this season. Not many players have to toggle as many hats as he does: primary playmaker, secondary playmaker, screener, post hub, mismatch hunter, wing defender, big defender, guard defender, backline clean-up guy, full-court pressure weapon.
The Raptors wouldn’t be a top-four team in the East, only a game out of the No. 2 seed, without Barnes filling as many roles and gaps as he does. He’s put together an All-Defense-caliber season — and his Defensive Player of the Year case at least deserves some examination.
There’s stiff competition for the We Didn’t Think You’d Win This Much award between the Celtics (no Jayson Tatum), Sixers (alllll of the health concerns), and Suns (no Durant, no Bradley Beal, new head coach).
The Suns may still have my vote. The defense has led the dance, but the offense has been spearheaded by the versatility of Booker. He’s a bucket in his own right, constantly receiving picks to zoom through before attacking bent defenses. Because of his gravity and willingness to operate off the ball, it’s made it easier for the players around him to break out. Dillon Brooks, Collin Gillespie, Grayson Allen and others aren’t able to thrive to this degree without Booker’s approach — and the fear that his presence alone unlocks.
(Also, while I wouldn’t make an All-Defense argument for Booker, I do think it’s worth noting his level of buy-in defensively.)
The list of players averaging at least 20-6-5 is only seven-deep — really five-deep considering Jokić and Giannis aren’t factoring in for me right now. Either way, Randle is on that list, and has been quite efficient (59.8 true shooting) while doing so. His blend of chest-caving drives and playmaking have been important to Minnesota’s offense. It’s been especially important when Edwards hasn’t been on the floor; the Wolves have not only won the Randle on, Edwards off minutes, their offense has largely tanked without Randle on the floor, period.
Holmgren’s case is pretty straightforward: he’s been an insanely efficient play-finisher, has grown as a self-creator — a career-high 37.7% of his 2s have been unassisted; the drives and turnaround jumpers in particular have been fun — and is a, if not the, frontrunner for Defensive Player of the Year. Opponents are converting roughly 47% of their shots at the rim against Holmgren, the second-stingiest mark in the league (Isaiah Stewart, 43.4%) among 56 players defending at least four rim attempts per game.
Duren has, figuratively and literally, been at the center of the Pistons’ success this year. Operating as the primary screening partner for Cunningham, Duren has consistently pried Cunningham open for fruitful pull-ups and drives while becoming more of a threat in his own right. He’s grown as a short-roll playmaker, feasted on midrange jumpers all year, and been a devastating driver when he has room to operate. Add in the defensive growth, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he winds up making quite a few ballots this year.
In a way, I feel for Harden. He was the metronome of productivity while the Clippers got off to one of the worst starts in franchise history. They’ve since turned it around, driven primarily by the currently ineligible Leonard, but it’s not like Harden hasn’t been hooping in his own right. His blend of drives, playmaking, step-back jumpers and foul-drawing still makes him one of the best offensive players in the league.
Johnson is the new face of the Hawks following their decision to trade Trae Young, though you could argue the tide was turning before the transaction actually happened. He’s taken on more ownership of the offense, oscillating between pick-and-roll reps, elbow initiation (often after receiving an off-ball screen to set it up) and his usual goodness in transition. His (late) jump-passes excite me; the defense leaves a bit to be desired at this stage, though it’s (sadly) expected in light of his rise in offensive responsibility.
Many expected Porter Jr.’s production to go up in Brooklyn by virtue of the roster context. I’m not sure many expected him to be this good, this efficient (61.8 true shooting) and be weaponized in so many ways. He’s an absolutely lethal shooter, but the chemistry he’s built with Nic Claxton — off-ball work, handoffs, pick-and-rolls — has been one of the underrated joys of the season.
Probably my toughest omission among eligible candidates, Şengün has largely been awesome this season. The Rockets get him the ball at different spots — on the low block, in the middle of the floor, at the elbow, above the break — and unleash him as a scorer and initiator. Defensively, he’s continued to grow (I think he’s firmly good now, hope that isn’t a hot take) and the Rockets smartly deploy him as part of their cross-matching and growing aggression against ball screens. The two nitpicks keeping him off the third team, at least for now:
He’s below league-average in efficiency right now (56 true shooting, league average is 57.9), but more importantly for this exercise, he’s behind all five Third Teamers (Barnes is the closest at 57.5).
He’s at a games and/or minutes deficit against all five Third Teamers as well; Randle and Barnes are probably the easiest direct comps to make to Şengün, and they’ve appeared in 10 and nine more games respectively.
The NFL is projecting the salary cap to dramatically increase in 2026. The salary cap will reportedly be in the $301.2 million to $305.7 million per club, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
This continues the trend of the salary cap going up over the last two seasons. Last season, the cap number was $279.2 million. In 2022, the cap number was $208.2 million, making this year’s cap number a nearly $100 million increase in just five seasons. Outside of the 2021 season, which was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the NFL’s salary cap has increased every season.
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The Tennessee Titans were projected to have the most cap space in 2026 before this salary increase, per Overthecap.com. The Las Vegas Raiders, who also hold the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, along with the Los Angeles Chargers, NFC champions Seattle Seahawks and New York Jets, round out the top five in terms of available cap space.
The Kansas City Chiefs were projected to be over the cap by more than $60 million next season, most in the NFL, per Overthecap. The Chiefs are followed by the Minnesota Vikings, who will be navigating having the second-largest cap deficit without former GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. The Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Browns round out the top five in having the least amount of cap space.
The Green Bay Packers officially confirmed what has been reported since their season ended in the NFL wild-card playoff round. Head coach Matt LeFleur and general manager Brian Gutekunst have signed multi-year contract extensions, the Packers announced on Friday.
Additionally, director of football operations (and executive VP) Russ Ball agreed to an extension, locking in the team’s braintrust for multiple seasons.
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LaFleur, 46, has compiled a 76-40-1 record in his seven seasons as Packers head coach. But his status was uncertain after the team ended the 2025-26 campaign on a five-game losing streak, including a playoff defeat to the rival Chicago Bears.
Despite those grumblings, the Packers intended to sign LaFleur to an extension. Prior to the season, team president Ed Policy told reporters that he preferred that a coach not be a “lame duck” with one year remaining on his contract and essentially coaching for his job.
“While we are all disappointed with the way this season ended, we remain aligned in purpose and have spent considerable time over the past weeks collaborating on a path forward,” Policy said in a statement released by the team. “I am exceedingly confident we have the right people to achieve our goal.”
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Gutekunst became Green Bay’s GM in 2018 after a 19-year ascent through the organization that began as a scout and progressed through player personnel. One year after taking the position, he hired LaFleur as head coach after stints as offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams and Tennessee Titans.
Ball became player personnel director when Gutekunst was promoted to GM. He has been with Green Bay since 2008, originally named VP of football administration/player finance. Ball began his NFL career as an assistant strength and conditioning coach with the Kansas City Chiefs before moving into administration. He also has stints with the Minnesota Vikings, Washington Commanders and New Orleans Saints.
Early in his career, Joe Flacco became a Super Bowl champion and a Super Bowl MVP. Later in his career, the Delaware product earned NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors.
And now, after playing for seven teams and 18 seasons, a 41-year-old Flacco is finally a Pro Bowler.
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Flacco, who finished the 2025 campaign with the Cincinnati Bengals, is an alternate for this year’s Pro Bowl Games, along with former Cleveland Browns teammate Shedeur Sanders. That means the Browns technically had two Pro Bowl quarterbacks on their roster this season.
The Pro Bowl competition will take place ahead of Super LX on Tuesday in Santa Clara, California.
The Pro Bowl itself isn’t what it once was, and the recognition that comes with being a Pro Bowler has been heavily scrutinized in recent years, and particularly this week. After throwing seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions across eight games this season, Sanders was picked to replace New England Patriots star Drake Maye in the Pro Bowl. Maye, of course, is preparing for the Super Bowl.
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When the Pro Bowl rosters dropped in late December, the AFC’s quarterbacks for the event were Maye, Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills and Justin Herbert of the Los Angeles Chargers.
That said, Flacco’s nod feels earned, considering his nearly two-decade résumé and his continued production well into the golden years of his NFL career.
Replacing a struggling Jake Browning and filling in for Burrow until he returned, Flacco posted a 13:4 touchdown-to-interception ratio with the Bengals. Most notably, he threw for at least 340 yards and three touchdowns twice, including during a “Thursday Night Football” win over the Pittsburgh Steelers less than two weeks after he was traded across the division.
Flacco will always be remembered for his 11-year run with the Baltimore Ravens. But his second act has been impressive, too, and now he has a Pro Bowl honor to show for it.
Spring training is right around the corner, and that means new storylines and things to watch all across baseball.
Here are the top storylines to watch for all 30 MLB teams this spring.
Jump to a team by clicking on the links below:
Toronto Blue Jays: The quest for another World Series appearance begins
The Blue Jays did everything right in 2025. They secured their young superstar on a long-term extension, delivered a strong regular season and enjoyed a magical run to the World Series. Unfortunately for Toronto, it ended in heartbreak in Game 7 against the Dodgers.
The Blue Jays go into 2026 as one of the best teams in baseball. And even though they again finished as runners-up for the top free agent of the winter, they’re well-positioned for success going forward. Plus, assuming they have a strong first half, they’ll have the resources to make a splash at the trade deadline.
New York Yankees: Similar team, similar results?
The Yankees had a clear vision for what they wanted their offseason to look like, and for the most part, general manager Brian Cashman followed through on those objectives. It was clear that re-signing free-agent outfielder Cody Bellinger was a top priority. And while it took longer than some expected, Bellinger signed a five-year, $162.5 million deal to stay with the Yanks for the foreseeable future.
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Now the Yankees go into spring training with what is very close to the same roster they had in 2025. Did they do enough to improve this winter? And will the 2026 version of the Yankees be better than the Toronto Blue Jays, who improved a roster that reached the World Series?
Any team that has a healthy Aaron Judge is going to have an opportunity to succeed. But for the Yankees to be the AL’s best, continuing to build around Judge and finding enough starting pitching until Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón get healthy will be key.
Boston Red Sox: Roster construction problems
The Red Sox are an enigma. It’s not like they don’t have talent, but their moves this offseason have left a lot to be desired. They brought in Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras from the St. Louis Cardinals, as well as signing Ranger Suárez to a long-term deal. But allowing Alex Bregman to walk and sign with the Cubs feels like a big miss. Not to mention, the logjam in Boston’s outfield still exists, as Roman Anthony, Ceddane Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, Masataka Yoshida and Jarren Duran are all still on the roster.
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There’s time left to sort these things out before the season starts, but it’s difficult to say the Red Sox’s offseason has gone as planned. After all, they still have a hole left by Bregman at third base that they have to fill.
Is this a bad baseball team? Certainly not. But roster construction, as we saw last season, is extremely important to a team’s success, and the Red Sox haven’t figured theirs out. If they truly want to compete in a strong AL East, they have to solve that puzzle.
Tampa Bay Rays: Getting Shane McClanahan back healthy
When Shane McClanahan is healthy, he’s one of the best starting pitchers in baseball. The Rays’ ace was an All-Star in two of his first three seasons, and he has the stuff every team wants at the top of the rotation. But the road to get back to being that player has been a challenge for Tampa’s southpaw. McClanahan underwent Tommy John surgery in August 2023 and hasn’t pitched since, as his recovery has been delayed by nerve issues in his arm, including surgery to address those issues in August.
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Just getting healthy is step one for McClanahan and the Rays. And the team will be extremely careful as he works his way back to pitching in the big leagues full-time. But the Rays are significantly better with McClanahan pitching and having him back in the fold will be a huge part of the 2026 plans in Tampa.
Baltimore Orioles: The time is now
The story for the Orioles for the past three seasons has been that their time is coming, and with a young nucleus of talent, their window is wide open. But Baltimore learned last season that just because you have a young core doesn’t mean development will follow a linear path. The Orioles were arguably the most disappointing team in baseball last season, losing 87 games and missing the postseason after back-to-back 100-win seasons.
This offseason, Orioles GM Mike Elias and ownership finally did what many had been begging them to do: Open the checkbook and add talent to a promising but flawed roster. Adding first baseman Pete Alonso on a five-year, $155 million deal was significant, giving Baltimore some much-need thump from the right side and a veteran presence for a young group. The O’s also added closer Ryan Helsely, starter Shane Baz and outfielder Taylor Ward, making a statement to the rest of the AL East that they’re ready to compete. The Orioles’ core of Gunnar Henderson, Samuel Basallo, Adley Rutchman and Jackson Holiday still have upside on their side, and now it’s time to start seeing that upside come to fruition in the toughest division in baseball.
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Cleveland Guardians: Travis Bazzana watch
Let’s be honest. Beyond José Ramirez and Steven Kwan, the Guardians’ lineup could really use some more juice. And who better to provide it than the Aussie sensation Travis Bazzana? The Guardians’ top prospect was drafted No. 1 overall in 2024 and viewed as a foundational piece of Cleveland’s future. And 2026 could be the year he makes his debut at Progressive Field.
Bazzana reached Triple-A last season and recorded an .858 OPS in 26 games. He’ll likely start the season there, but if he shows he can hold his own, it won’t be long before people are calling for the second baseman to make his long-awaited arrival in Cleveland.
Detroit Tigers: The Skubal saga
The $400 million question this season: Will 2026 be the last season Tarik Skubal wears a Tigers uniform? That question has swirled around Detroit for some time, and it won’t be going away anytime soon. The world’s best starting pitcher has gotten only better over the past three years, and his looming free-agent price has continued to rise.
Beyond the arbitration hearing, the Tigers are at a crossroads. After making back-to-back postseason appearances, they’ve made very few additions to their roster this winter. At some point, the Tigers’ front office is going to have to be honest with itself about Skubal’s future and whether the team’s direction includes him or not.
Kansas City Royals: A fresh start for Jac Caglianone
We sometimes get spoiled in baseball by young players who take off and become stars right away. One example of that is Royals superstar Bobby Witt Jr., who quickly became one of baseball’s best players. Witt’s young teammate Jac Caglianone did not have that immediate impact. Caglianone’s arrival came with plenty of hype and anticipation, as the Royals’ 2024 first-round draft pick tore up the minor leagues in his short time there. But in 62 games in the majors last year, he struggled mightily, with a .157/.237/.295 slash line and just seven homers.
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But here’s the good news for Royals fans: Plenty of All-Stars, MVPs and even Hall of Famers struggled in their first cup of coffee in the big leagues. Caglianone’s early struggles are not uncommon, and the Royals’ slugger has plenty of tools to be a cornerstone with Witt and Vinnie Pasquantino for years to come. Give him time.
Minnesota Twins: Star trade watch
The Twins have gone through quite the rebrand over the past year. Minnesota traded superstar Carlos Correa back to the Houston Astros, fired manager Rocco Baldelli and now looks like a team about to go through some type of rebuild. But even in what will likely be a down year, the Twins still have two talented players on the roster: starter Joe Ryan and center fielder Byron Buxton.
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Ryan’s name has come up in conversations since the trade deadline. But with two years until he hits free agency, the Twins are not going to give up their ace easily. Buxton is coming off the best season of his career and is the type of offensive player several teams would love to get their hands on. The center fielder has stated that he has no desire to leave Minnesota and would use his no-trade clause to veto a potential trade. But you wonder if a daunting start to what will likely be a down 2026 in the Twin Cities will change his mind.
Chicago White Sox: Fun times coming to the South Side
Believe it or not, the White Sox had one of the better offseasons in the entire sport. Their biggest move was signing Japanese star Munetaka Murakami on a two-year deal to play first base, but they didn’t stop there, adding veteran reliever Seranthony Domínguez to be the team’s closer and lefty starters Sean Newcomb and Anthony Kay. They also acquired young utility man Luisangel Acuña in their trade of Luis Robert Jr.
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The White Sox showed last season that while they’re still young and rebuilding, they have some young talent to be excited about. Colson Montgomery, Kyle Teel and Edgar Quero got valuable big-league experience last season, and there’s plenty more talent in the farm system getting closer to arriving in Chicago. They might not be a playoff team yet, but in 2026, the White Sox will be a fun watch for fans all summer.
Seattle Mariners: Can they build on 2025?
Almost everything went right for the Mariners last season. They won the AL West for the first time since 2001 and took the Toronto Blue Jays to Game 7 of the ALCS. And while they finished a game short of reaching the World Series for the first time in franchise history, they proved that they could compete with the very best in the American League.
The Mariners didn’t do much this offseason in terms of transactions, but their biggest move was keeping trade-deadline acquisition Josh Naylor in Seattle long-term. The team re-signed the first baseman on a five-year, $92.5 million deal. And while we can’t expect another 60-homer season out of superstar Cal Raleigh, the Mariners know they have an MVP-caliber catcher who can lead them. Plus, they have another star in Julio Rodríguez, who has also shown he can play at an MVP level.
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Sometimes special seasons have to be cherished, and they’re difficult to replicate. But the AL West is again as wide open as it’s ever been, so the Mariners should go into 2026 expecting to build on what they accomplished last year.
Alex Bregman’s impact on the Cubs, the Mets’ new linup featuring Bo Bichette and the Tigers’ arbitration saga with Tarik Skubal are among the top storylines to watch this spring.
(Bruno Rouby/Yahoo Sports)
Houston Astros: The health of Yordan Alvarez
The Astros didn’t have a splashy offseason, and much of their hope for 2026 will hinge on members of their current roster having better campaigns than they did in 2025. Most notably, that includes Yordan Alvarez, who missed the majority of last season while dealing with a nagging right-hand injury that limited him to 48 games.
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When Alvarez is healthy, he’s one of the most feared hitters in baseball. Getting him back in the every-day lineup is a must if Houston wants to again be in contention in the AL West. Before last season, the Astros hadn’t missed the postseason since 2016 before last season, and getting back to October will be the main priority in 2026. A healthy Alvarez will be key to achieving that goal.
Texas Rangers: Getting back to contention in the AL West
Last year was not the season the Rangers thought they would have. The team finished 81-81 as a combination of injuries and underperformance caused the Rangers to finish third in the AL West. This winter, there have been plenty of changes in the Lone Star State. Skip Schumaker is now at the helm as the manager, leading a new era after three seasons under Bruce Bochy. Marcus Semien departed, as his trade to the Mets brought the arrival of Brandon Nimmo, and most recently, MacKenzie Gore was added to the rotation via trade with the Nationals.
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Getting younger was a goal for the Rangers this offseason, and their moves followed through on that, with incumbent young players such as Wyatt Langford, Evan Carter and Josh Jung all expected to be key contributors. But with veterans such as Nimmo, Corey Seager, Jake Burger, Joc Pederson and Jacob deGrom still on the roster, it’s clear that Texas is still looking to win and get back in the conversation in the American League.
Athletics: What’s in store in Year 2 in Sacramento?
After a strong finish to the 2024 season, the 2025 A’s left a lot to be desired in the first year in their temporary home in West Sacramento. While a team’s home ballpark is usually where it has most of its success, the opposite was true for the A’s, who struggled mightily at Sutter Health Park last season. In particular, A’s pitchers struggled with the offensive environment, recording a 4.96 ERA that was the worst by any home team in the American League.
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With the A’s in West Sacramento for the foreseeable future, they’re going to have to find a way to remedy that and help their pitchers have more success in Year 2. Their lineup features a fun core of talented players such as Brent Rooker, Nick Kurtz, Lawrence Butler, Tyler Soderstrom, Shea Langaliers and Jacob Wilson. But needing to score seven runs on a nightly basis just to stay in games is a tall task for any offense.
Los Angeles Angels: What will they get from Mike Trout?
There is no question that Mike Trout is one of the best players in MLB history, yet it’s unfair to hold him to that standard. Father Time waits for no one, and unfortunately for the three-time MVP, injuries have become a permanent part of his story. While his 130 games last season were the most Trout had played since 2018, there was a big drop-off in his production. Trout hit just .232 with 26 homers and 64 RBI, and he had the lowest full-season OPS of his career (.797).
Going into his age-32 season, the days of Trout being the world’s best player are behind him. That doesn’t mean that he can’t still be productive for the Angels. Even with his struggles last season, he still got on base at a strong clip and hit for power, two things that can help any team. If his body holds up and keeps him on the field, history shows Trout will produce. But that’s still a big if.
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Philadelphia Phillies: Keeping up in an improving National League
The Phillies are clearly talented and have a roster of established stars who, when healthy, could make any team a contender. But with the National League improving and their NL East competitors getting stronger, it’s not unfair to ask if the Phillies still have a roster that can be one of the National League’s best or if their window has closed.
New York Mets: New-look roster makes its debut
The 2025 season was a huge disappointment for the Mets, who missed the playoffs after signing Juan Soto to the largest contract in the history of professional sports. So going into this offseason, something drastic needed to happen in Queens. For a while, things looked bleak, as it seemed the Mets would be left without major free-agent dance partners. But sometimes it takes just a few days to make a lot happen in the offseason, and president of baseball operations David Stearns made his presence felt this winter in a short amount of time.
The National League improved significantly this winter, and the Mets were a big part of that with their acquisitions. Now we’ll wait to see just how far those moves get them.
Miami Marlins: Taking another step
If you weren’t paying attention, you probably didn’t realize that the Marlins won 79 games last season — a 17-game improvement from 2024. Manager Clayton McCullough clearly made an impact in his first season, and even with a roster that doesn’t move the needle in terms of payroll, the Marlins have quietly built a young team with quality starting pitching and struck gold in outfielder Kyle Stowers.
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The NL East has continued to improve this offseason, and the Marlins are not close to being contenders, but their improvement last year shouldn’t be discounted. Their ability to consistently develop young starting pitching is an area of strength, one that helped them acquire top prospect Owen Caissie, who will likely be their starting right fielder on Opening Day.
Atlanta Braves: The core needs to bounce back
Just a few seasons ago, the Braves were the team many wanted to be. They had a young core secured long-term, a superstar in Ronald Acuña Jr. and a rotation led by Spencer Strider. But in baseball, that doesn’t always guarantee success, and the Braves’ 2025 season was characterized by serious underperformance from stars such as Austin Riley, Michael Harris II and Ozzie Albies.
This season, they get a fresh start with new manager Walt Weiss taking over for Brian Snitker. The Braves still have plenty of talent on their roster, including several All-Stars around the diamond. If those players stay healthy and play to their potential, Atlanta has an opportunity to turn the tide after a disappointing 2025. It certainly won’t hurt to have a healthy Acuña and Chris Sale to lean on, either. Both will be crucial to get the Braves where they want to go.
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Washington Nationals: CJ Abrams trade watch
The Nationals are once again in a full rebuild, and after new president of baseball operations Paul Toboni turned over the coaching staff, he’s starting to turn the roster over as well. Toboni crossed his first major order of business off the list by dealing left-hander MacKenzie Gore to the Rangers for a five-player prospect package. The next domino to fall will likely be shortstop CJ Abrams.
Abrams has plenty of tools and has shown All-Star ability, but it remains to be seen if the Nationals’ asking price will be met before the start of the season. Beginning the 2026 season with Abrams as the team’s starting shortstop isn’t the worst possible outcome, especially if he plays well leading up to the trade deadline.
Milwaukee Brewers: The post-Freddy era begins
The Brewers have made a habit of moving players in their final year before free agency, and this offseason was no different, with ace Freddy Peralta traded to the New York Mets. In past years when Milwaukee traded stars such as Corbin Burnes or Josh Hader, they were able to backfill the lost production at close to equivalent levels. Can they do that again?
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The Brewers were the youngest team in MLB last year and managed to go on an incredible run. They won 97 games en route to an NL Central championship and a run to the NLCS before they were swept by the Dodgers. The Cubs have improved their roster this offseason and look like the team to beat in the NL Central going into spring training. But the Brewers usually have some surprises up their sleeve. We’ll see if they can once again pull a rabbit out of their hat in 2026.
Chicago Cubs: The Alex Bregman effect
The Cubs made a big statement when they signed Alex Bregman to a five-year, $175 million deal, and the three-time All-Star’s arrival brings an excitement not seen on the North Side for quite some time. Bregman’s arrival also gives the Cubs something they haven’t had since their World Series-winning core, which is a clubhouse leader who has won at the highest level. The impact of Bregman’s leadership during his one season in Boston can’t be understated, and it’s something that should be extremely valuable in Chicago.
On the field, the addition of Bregman brings Chicago’s entire infield together, making it one of the strongest in baseball and maybe the best defensively with Dansby Swanson, Michael Busch and Nico Hoerner. Plus, the Cubs needed some right-handed firepower in the middle of their lineup, and now they have it.
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Fans in Chicago have been begging for a big move for a while, and after the departure of Kyle Tucker, not adding to the team wasn’t an option this winter. Having gotten a second chance with Bregman, Chicago could be on the precipice of a run of dominance in the NL Central.
Cincinnati Reds: Who is this team?
The Reds are in an interesting position. Last fall, they made it to the postseason for the first time since 2020 in their first season under manager Terry Francona. They’re young, and they have talented players such as shortstop Elly De La Cruz and Hunter Greene leading their offense and rotation. But a significant portion of the jump they need to make in 2026 will have to come from some young players taking another step.
Cincinnati is one of those teams that has to develop players to drive its success since they aren’t often in the market to make additions via free agency. De La Cruz, Matt McLain, Noelvi Marte and Spencer Steer have to be the driving force behind the Reds’ success. If that quartet can improve on their 2025 performance, Cincinnati could be in position to make some noise in the National League.
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St. Louis Cardinals: Brandon Donovan trade watch
In an offseason featuring plenty of changes, including trading the likes of Sonny Gray, Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras, the Cardinals still haven’t found a home for arguably their most talented player available, Brandon Donovan. Donovan, who has two more years of club control, is an intriguing talent not only because of his defensive ability as a Gold Glove winner but also because of his offensive talent. The Cardinals’ second baseman has elite bat-to-ball skills and was a first-time All-Star in 2025 while playing all across the diamond.
Donovan could be moved over the next few weeks ahead of spring training or even during camp. But clearly teams have not been able to meet St. Louis’ asking price for the second baseman. We’ll see if that changes or if the Cardinals wait to try again at the trade deadline.
Pittsburgh Pirates: Making the most of Paul Skenes
From now until the last day Paul Skenes is in Pittsburgh, every move the Pirates make has to be about maximizing his time with the organization. Skenes won the NL Cy Young Award in just his second major-league season, cementing his status as one of the two best pitchers in the world. With an ace who is more than ready to take the ball for Game 1 of a postseason series, getting him there should be the priority.
The Pirates were aggressive this offseason in an attempt to add, particularly on the offensive side of the ball, as they made a push for both Josh Naylor and Kyle Schwarber before signing first baseman Ryan O’Hearn. Looking forward, with most of this winter’s free-agent business concluded, allowing baseball’s top prospect, Konnor Griffin, to break camp as the Opening Day shortstop could help raise the talent level and boost the offense in Pittsburgh.
Los Angeles Dodgers: Embarrassment of riches on full display
Maybe this is the year Seattle’s 116-win record gets challenged; maybe it’s not. But this Dodgers team has more than enough talent to make a run at it. Of course, chasing regular-season greatness isn’t really this team’s style or priority. But trying to become the first team to three-peat since the 1998-2000 Yankees is definitely their speed.
San Diego Padres: Navigating new financial constraints
Since the death of longtime owner Peter Seidler, the Padres have been going through a very public battle for control of the franchise between Seidler’s widow and his brothers. And late in 2025, the Seidler family announced it was exploring a potential sale of the team. Typically, when a team announces the exploration of a sale, budgets get tightened. For Padres president of baseball operation A.J. Preller, that means trying to compete with a strict budget and a roster that already has lots of money allocated.
In recent years, San Diego has been one of the most aggressive teams when it comes to player acquisition, and the Padres still have plenty of top-end talent. But can they continue to be aggressive with so much uncertainty on the business side? It’s hard to imagine, and this winter has been relatively quiet in San Diego, but Preller is one of the best in baseball when it comes to making unexpected moves. Maybe this situation is one he can navigate.
San Francisco Giants: Avoiding mediocrity
For some time, the Giants have been trying to get out of a rut, and since they won 107 games in 2021, that has been a challenge. San Francisco finished with records of 81-81, 80-82, 79-83 and 81-81 the past four seasons. One of the major reasons behind the team’s decision to hire Buster Posey as president of baseball operations was to try to bring a winning culture back. But in his second offseason at the helm, Posey hasn’t exactly thrown his weight around.
It’s possible that a full season with Rafael Devers, Matt Chapman, Willy Adames and Jung Hoo Lee, along with a usually strong rotation, will see the Giants compete in the National League. But it still feels like this team needs more, and it’ll be on Posey and first-time MLB manager Tony Vitello to figure out what that is. The NL West isn’t getting weaker anytime soon, and the teams in that division have to go through L.A. But for the Giants, 2026 is going to need to be different. For their sake, let’s hope the arrival of Vitello is the spark they need to get away from .500.
Arizona Diamondbacks: Nolan in the desert
Nolan Arenado is back in the NL West, this time as a member of the Diamondbacks after being traded by the Cardinals earlier this month. Arenado, who had long been expected to be dealt, now gets a fresh start on a team that has enough talent to be competitive in a challenging division and improving National League.
It’s no secret that Arenado is on the back nine of his career, and the eight-time All-Star’s numbers have been decreasing since he finished third in NL MVP voting in 2022. That doesn’t mean he can’t still be productive. On a team with plenty of top-tier talent in Corbin Carroll and Ketel Marte, Arenado doesn’t have to be the star, but his leadership and defensive ability will still make him a valuable piece of Arizona’s roster in 2026 and beyond.
Colorado Rockies: The Paul DePodesta era begins
For the first in decades, change has come to Colorado, and the Rockies have new voices in the building. And for new president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta, this season marks the beginning of what might be one of the toughest challenges in baseball: transforming Colorado’s baseball team from a laughingstock into a winner.
DePodesta has lots of experience in baseball, so it’s not like the game is foreign to him. But it will be interesting to see how he runs the Rockies after having left the game in 2016 to become the Cleveland Browns’ chief strategy officer. There will be plenty of eyes on the Rockies’ new president as he navigates the first year of his rebuild.
The National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report into the plane crash that killed former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle, his family and three others determined that Biffle was not flying the plane owned by his GB Aviation Leasing LLC company when it crashed on Dec. 18.
Per the report released Friday, the plane was flown by Dennis Dutton, a pilot certified to operate numerous commercial aircraft, with his son Jack, in the right cockpit seat. Biffle, a licensed pilot with “civil flight experience that included over 3,500 hours of flight time,” was seated behind the two and is identified as the rear passenger in the report.
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However, neither Biffle nor Jack Dutton were licensed to fly the Cessna Citation. The report notes that Dennis Dutton was licensed to fly the Citation with a second-in-command on board, and even though Jack Dutton was a pilot himself he “was not qualified to perform second in command duties for the flight,” according to the NTSB, as he had just over 175 hours of single-engine aircraft experience.
Aero Consulting Experts CEO Ross Aimer told Yahoo Sports that Jack Dutton’s lack of qualification was “troublesome” and said the plane required two pilots.
“In this particular case, because it requires two pilots, and neither of those — Biffle or the young man — were qualified, they should have had a licensed pilot in that seat,” Aimer said.
Biffle, his wife Cristina, their son Ryder, Biffle’s daughter Emma, Dennis and Jack Dutton and Craig Wadsworth were aboard the plane as it attempted to land at Statesville (North Carolina) Regional Airport shortly after taking off from the same airport. They were flying to Sarasota, Florida.
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators view the wreckage of a Cessna 550 business jet after several people, including former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle, were killed in a crash. (REUTERS)
(via REUTERS / Reuters)
The Cessna Citation 550 is a dual-engine aircraft, and the report states that issues with the plane started before the flight began. Here are the key takeaways from the NTSB’s findings.
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The left engine initially did not start before both engines were powered on at approximately 9:53 a.m. ET. As the plane was taxiing for takeoff “the pilot and the two pilot-rated passengers discussed that a thrust reverser indicator light(s) for an unspecified engine was inoperative, but that the thrust reverser for the affected engine was working properly.”
The plane took off at approximately 10:06 a.m. “During takeoff roll, the rear passenger commented that the left engine was producing more power than the right and indicated there may have been a faulty gauge. The pilot continued the takeoff.” The report states that it was overcast at approximately 5,000 feet for the entirety of the flight, though visibility dropped from 10 miles to five miles from 9:54 to 10:15.
Early GPS data shows that the plane turned left as it climbed and that Dennis Dutton said he’d fly under visual flight rules before he was cleared to fly under instrument flight rules. After a 180-degree turn and reached 2,200 feet, it “continued to turn left and began to descend. The right-seat passenger attempted to contact” air traffic control “and activate the flight’s IFR flight plan between 10:08 and 10:10 but was unsuccessful due to the controller’s workload and associated radio communications.
At 10:09, Dennis Dutton and Biffle discussed climbing higher even though they were supposed to continue flying under visual flight rules. The report states that “the pilot initiated a climb, and shortly after, the rear passenger noted a difference between the left and right engine interstage turbine temperature indications.” There were no other discussions that covered the instruments throughout the remainder of the [cockpit voice recorder] recording” and the autopilot disengaged — either intentionally or independently — just after 10:10.
Seconds later, “the cockpit area microphone captured the pilot making remarks indicating his altitude indicator was not working properly and that additional left side flight instruments may not have been working properly.” The Garmin GPS on board had stopped recording airspeed data and heading data at around that time.
At 10:11 “airplane controls was transferred to the right seat passenger, at an altitude of about 4,500 ft msl.” At 10:13, the plane was at just under 1,900 feet and that all three said they could see the ground. “Although a positive transfer of airplane control was not recorded, subsequent communication between the pilot and right seat passenger was consistent with the pilot having resumed control of the airplane at that time.” At just after 10:13, the pilot turned the plane right towards the west and requested that the landing gear be extended. “Subsequent discussions were consistent with the landing gear being configured, however, the gear indicator lights were not illuminated.”
Jack Dutton noted just before 10:14 on the common traffic advisory frequency that they were “having some issues here.” Biffle references power to an alternator — the Cessna Citation 550 does not have an alternator. After a brief audio quality issue with the cockpit voice recorder, Dennis Dutton is heard saying there was a “problem” but did not specify what the problem was “or what actions were taken to correct it.”
The GPS data resumed recording just after 10:14 and Dennis Dutton “made comments which indicated he had acquired the runway visually” around 10:15. Data from the GPS “showed that the airplane’s airspeed and altitude continued to decrease from the time the airplane was aligned on final approach to the runway until 10:15:18” when the airplane’s altitude had dipped below 1,000 feet and under 99 KTS.
The plane hit a light station approximately 1,400 feet from the runway threshold and “a group of damaged trees located about 235 feet” from that light station “were sheared about 12 feet above ground level. “The first indication of fire was blackened branches and grass near the west side of the trees.”
“A ground impression was observed about 350 feet from the [light station], near the airport perimeter fence, and extended through the [runway lights]. The debris path continued along a westerly heading through the runway overrun to where the main wreckage came to rest on the runway blast area about 400 feet short of the runway 28 threshold.” “Heavy charring” was seen from a second set of lights “and continued along the remaining length of the debris field to the wreckage.”
The engines remained attached to the plane after it came to a stop and both thrust reversers were in the stowed position. Investigators found “no evidence of unconfined engine failure with either engine. Examination of the cockpit throttle quadrant found both thrust levers to be in the full forward position and both reverse throttle levers in the down position, consistent with being stowed.”
Biffle competed for 16 full or part-time seasons in NASCAR’s Cup Series from 2002 through 2022. He raced full-time in the Cup Series from 2003 through 2016 and scored 19 wins and 92 top-five finishes over 515 career starts.
His best season came in 2005, when he finished second to Tony Stewart in the points standings. Biffle’s six wins were the most of anyone in the Cup Series that season and his average finish of 11.9 was second only to Stewart.
Biffle is one of just two drivers to have won both a championship in the third-tier NASCAR Truck Series and the second-tier NASCAR Xfinity Series.
