With nearly half of the fantasy basketball season complete, it’s time to update the 2025-26 rookie ladder. Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg maintains the top spot, but several rookies have made significant moves over the past month. Let’s check in on the steady mix of contributors, with new entrants making noise in fantasy lineups.
đȘNBA Fantasy Rookie Ladder (as of Wednesday, Jan. 14)
Rank
Player Name
Team
Position
High Score Rank
9-cat Rank
1
Cooper Flagg
DAL
SF/PF
48
42
2
VJ Edgecombe
PHI
PG/SG
68
45
3
Kon Knueppel
CHA
SG/SF
87
69
4
Derik Queen
NOP
PF/C
97
136
5
Cedric Coward
MEM
SG/SF
123
144
6
Ryan Kalkbrenner
CHA
C
174
95
7
Collin Murray-Boyles
TOR
PF/C
218
219
8
Egor DemĂŻn
BKN
PG
166
201
9
Tre Johnson
WAS
SG/SF
191
193
10
Maxime Raynaud
SAC
C
198
214
1. Cooper Flagg â SF/PF, Dallas Mavericks
High Score Rank: 48 | 9-cat Rank: 42
Flagg bounced back over the past week, averaging 21.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists on 50% shooting in his last three games. That’s a nice rebound after a mid-month slump where his efficiency dipped to 44.4% over a six-game stretch. That said, Flagg is the highest-ranked rookie in High Score, 9-cat and points leagues through Tuesday.
Advertisement
He’s put up two 60+ point fantasy efforts in High Score in the past month and ranks 24th in High Score over that span. Flagg’s stepped up defensively, too, getting over 2.0 stocks per contest in the last 30 days. With Anthony Davis facing a six-week absence, the Mavericks will continue to lean on the rookie as the focal point of their offense.
2. VJ Edgecombe â PG/SG, Philadelphia 76ers
High Score Rank: 68 | 9-cat Rank: 45
Since December’s check-in, Edgecombe has been a beast in 9-cat formats. He’s been providing second-round value over the past month, thanks to leveling up to nearly 18 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and close to 3 stocks per game.
Advertisement
The efficiency is inconsistent, but hitting a hair under three 3s while going 82% from the line increased his value. He’s also moved up over 20 spots in High Score in the past month after averaging 41 fantasy points per game. The 76ers need his scoring, energy and playmaking with their injury-prone vets, so fantasy managers should feel great about VJ’s role and performance the rest of the way.
3. Kon Knueppel â SG/SF, Charlotte Hornets
High Score Rank: 87 | 9-cat Rank: 69
Kon moved into the three spot this month, after maintaining the status quo from the prior month. His High Score improved by one place (88 to 87), and his 9-cat rank dropped by two slots from 67 to 69. Again, not a significant drop-off in production by any means. Knueppel is fourth in the NBA in total 3s made. And, he benefits whenever LaMelo Ball gets hurt.
Advertisement
Knueppel is still among the top of his class, posting 19.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 0.8 stocks in a shade under 30 minutes per night over the last month. Kon is outperforming expectations, and his unique combination of efficiency with such high 3-point volume makes him a worthy fantasy asset across all formats.
Queen’s moving up the rookie hierarchy, entering the top 80 in High Score. He posted his second triple-double a couple of games ago, amassing 60 fantasy points â his second-highest mark of the season. Since December, he’s been averaging nearly 5.0 more fantasy points per game (34.9 to 39.8) and it’s not just the points, rebounds and assists â now he’s getting stocks as well.
Advertisement
Queen has surprisingly totaled the most stocks over the last month of any rookie, proving that he continues to mature and elevate his well-rounded fantasy profile. The Pelicans are clearly running more offense through him as a facilitator, which is great for High Score. Should any veteran trades go down, the Queen is marked safe in fantasy.
5. Cedric Coward â SG/SF, Memphis Grizzlies
High Score Rank: 123 | 9-cat Rank: 144
Coward is in a promising situation with Memphis actively taking calls on Ja Morant and potentially Jaren Jackson Jr. The Grizzlies look like they are heading toward a rebuild, which would be great for Coward’s rest-of-season outlook. He could be heating up again, averaging 17.0 points and 8.5 rebounds over his last two games.
Advertisement
Coward has improved his standing in both 9-cat and High Score since December; however, the lack of stocks is disappointing as a rangy perimeter defender. Hold him in 12-team leagues â if Memphis moves veterans, Cowardâs 28 minutes could easily jump to 32+.
6. Ryan Kalkbrenner â C, Charlotte Hornets
High Score Rank: 174 | 9-cat Rank: 95
Kalkbrenner has barely played over the past month â just four games in 30 days. That’s the primary reason he’s falling in the rankings. When he’s on the court, his efficiency is among the best in the NBA. The problem is, he’s now in a deep timeshare with Moussa Diabate. It caps his upside and as a result, he’s currently not a must-roster player.
Advertisement
Can he help fantasy managers with FG%, blocks and rebounds? Yes. So for 9-cat, I view him as a fringe 12-team asset, whereas in High Score, he is â and should be â left on waivers.
7. Collin Murray-Boyles â PF/C, Toronto Raptors
High Score Rank: 218 | 9-cat Rank: 219
All signs are pointing to CMB being the next rookie to blow up (in a good way). Murray-Boyles has forced his way onto the ladder after stepping into the starting lineup with Jakob Poeltl sidelined indefinitely with a back injury. Over his last three games, CMB’s averaged 12.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists on 57.1% shooting. That’s a sizable jump from his 5.1 rebounds per game over the past month.
Advertisement
The defensive activity has been elite â 2.7 steals and 1.0 blocks per game over the past week. CMB ranks 64th in 9-cat over the past month (top-10 in Week 12) and 118th in High Score with 28.7 fantasy points per game. With no timeline for Poeltl’s return, Murray-Boyles is seizing the opportunity and is a must-add across formats with his expanded role.
8. Egor DemĂŻn â PG, Brooklyn Nets
High Score Rank: 166 | 9-cat Rank: 201
Another new player in the rookie ladder, DemĂŻn’s been a trending waiver wire pickup recently. Over the past two weeks, he’s ranked 85th in 9-cat because of his 3s, steals, scoring and low turnover rate. Even in High Score, he’s pacing to be a 30-fantasy-point-per-game player recently.
Advertisement
When evaluating opportunity, he’s been the best rookie on the Nets and depending on what the team decides to do with Cam Thomas, DemĂŻn could be featured more as the season progresses. Not a must-add, but he’s at least an intriguing option to monitor when Brooklyn has a favorable schedule or his minutes trend consistently into the 30s.
9. Tre Johnson â SG, Washington Wizards
High Score Rank: 191 | 9-cat Rank: 193
The Wizards are in trade mode after dealing for Trae Young last week. That move sent CJ McCollum to Atlanta, opening the door wider for Trigga Tre to get active. He’s increased his scoring to 14.1 points per game over the past month while shooting 48% from the field.
Advertisement
With Washington playing for 2026, itâs going to keep playing its young guys, and Johnson is already giving fantasy managers more than expected in scoring and 3s. He’s a player I’ve added in a couple of 12-team spots, and with his minutes trending up, he has the talent to creep into the top five of this rookie class by season’s end.
10. Maxime Raynaud â C, Sacramento Kings
High Score Rank: 198 | 9-cat Rank 214
Raynaud’s minutes are coming at the expense of not having Domantas Sabonis available. However, Raynaudâs been a serviceable low-end double-double type of player â on a good day. The good days haven’t been as prevalent lately, though. Over the past two weeks, he’s been closer to a top-200 player than 100, averaging 10.3 points with 6.7 rebounds and 0.7 blocks per game.
Advertisement
He’s becoming unplayable in High Score and points formats because, offensively, he doesn’t see nearly enough touches to be effective. And I get it, finding your place alongside three ball-dominant players in Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Russell Westbrook is challenging. Raynaud is droppable unless the Kings can move Sabonis by the February deadline.
The Carolina Panthers weren’t able to pull off an upset over the Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card round over the weekend. And while it was another inconsistent showing from QB Bryce Young, Carolina’s top wide receivers, Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker, showed up. While McMillan was a first-rounder out of Arizona, Coker comes from humble beginnings at Holy Cross as an undrafted free-agent find.
Matt Harmon and Scott Pianowski discuss Coker’s prospects for 2026 after his coming-out party on January 10 versus the Rams.
Advertisement
In the loss, Coker posted a 9-134-1 line on 12 targets to lead the Panthers in all of those categories. Harmon states how he’s always been a fan of Coker and that the 24-year-old isn’t just some UDFA â he’s got legitimate talent. So Harmon is very excited about Coker in 2026 and beyond.
Pianowski points out how we all watch these playoff games together on social media and whatnot. So when managers and draftees get into rooms this offseason, they will all remember this game when Coker’s name pops up on their screens. Pianowski would have liked Coker to perform like this when no one is watching, but is also excited about the wideout moving forward.
Coker missed the first six games of the regular season due to a quad injury. He took a few weeks to get back up to speed and saw his snap count slowly rise over Weeks 8 and 9. Coker would score his first TD of the season, against these same Rams, during the upset win in Week 13. He also scored in Week 15 coming off the Panthers’ bye and finished the season with 33 catches for 394 yards and three TDs, playing a little over half a season.
The No. 1 Hoosiers have moved from 7.5 to 8.5-point favorites over Miami since winning the Peach Bowl over Oregon. And that move is largely because of bettors flocking to Indiana.
Advertisement
Nearly 85% of bets and 87% of the total money bet on the spread is on Indiana to cover the number. The Hoosiers have outscored Alabama and Oregon by a combined score of 94-25 over their first two games of the College Football Playoff. Indiana beat Alabama 38-3 in the Rose Bowl and Oregon 56-22 on Friday night.
Indiana won just three of its 15 games by one score all season and is 10-5 against the spread. Just eight teams have a better record against the spread than the Hoosiers do.
Miami, meanwhile, is also 10-5 against the spread. The Hurricanes have covered in each of their last four games, including as 3-point favorites against Ole Miss in the Fiesta Bowl and as 7.5-point underdogs to Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl. That game was one of the biggest upsets of the College Football Playoff era.
Given the spread ahead of Monday nightâs game, Miami could author two of the biggest CFP upsets if it knocks off the Hoosiers.
Advertisement
Indiana opened at -300 to win the game straight up and is now -350. Bettors are not dissuaded by the low odds, either. Even though 44% of bets are on Indiana to win straight up, they make up 74% of the money bet on the moneyline.
The total hasnât budged as the money is spread fairly evenly. The over/under opened at 47.5 and has stayed there even though 86% of bets are on the over. Those bets make up just 51% of the money on the total.
Speaking on Wednesday following their wild-card round defeat to the Buffalo Bills, Jaguars general manager James Gladstone said Hunterâs rehab process is going âas expectedâ and the 2025 No. 2 overall draft pick is âhitting it hardâ as he prepares to return to the field next season.
The injury to the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner raised questions about the Jaguarsâ usage of Hunter going forward. Would he remain an option on both sides of the ball for head coach Liam Coen?
“[W]e still expect him to play on both sides of the ball,â Gladstone said. âObviously, you can take a peek at expiring contracts on our roster and which side of the ball has more. ⊠By default you can expect there to be a higher emphasis on his placement.”
Hunter played 162 of his 486 total snaps at cornerback with 15 tackles and three pass deflections. At wide receiver, he recorded 28 receptions on 45 targets for 298 yards and a touchdown.
Advertisement
The Jaguars will be plenty busy this offseason as they look to build off a 13-4, AFC South division-winning season and a second playoff berth in four years.
Coen’s first season was a success, and it’ll be on the front office to continue building the roster into a Super Bowl contender. Getting a healthy, impactful Hunter back will go a long way to balancing their roster on both sides of the ball.
As the NFL season winds down and teams get eliminated, the league also starts to cut down on which officiating crews get assigned to each game. With the games mattering more, the NFL typically makes sure its best officials are assigned to the biggest games of the year.
The league unveiled those referee assignments Monday, and some familiar names will once again get the call in the divisional round. With games just around the corner, here’s how the NFL decided to assign its officiating crews for each contest.
Advertisement
Bills at Broncos: 4:30 p.m. ET Saturday
Referee: Carl Cheffers
Cheffers is the most senior referee assigned to a divisional-round game. He’s been an NFL official for 26 seasons, including 18 as a referee. This contest will mark the 21st postseason assignment of his career, per Football Zebras. Cheffers has served as a referee during all rounds of the playoffs before, including three Super Bowls.
Cheffers’ crew is known for calling more penalties compared to the average NFL crew. It averaged nearly two penalties per game more compared to other officiating crews this season, per Pro Football Reference. The home team won slightly more when Cheffers’ crew was assigned to a game in 2025, which could bode well for the Denver Broncos, the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
Advertisement
49ers at Seahawks: 8 p.m. ET Saturday
Referee: John Hussey
Hussey, like Cheffers, has a ton of experience as an official. He’s held that role for 24 seasons, including 11 as a referee. He’s had 19 postseason assignments over his career, per Football Zebras, and has officiated in every round of the playoffs, including Super Bowl XLV.
Hussey’s crew tends to call fewer penalties than other officiating crews, though is far more willing to penalize a home team. Hussey’s crew called 53 percent of its penalties against home teams in 2025. The average sits at 49 percent, per Pro Football Reference. Despite that, home teams won roughly 63 percent of the games officiated by Hussey’s crew this season.
Shawn Smith will oversee his 10th NFL postseason assignment Sunday. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
(Wesley Hitt via Getty Images)
Texans at Patriots: 3 p.m. ET, Sunday
Referee: Shawn Smith
Advertisement
Smith has been an NFL official for 11 seasons and has been a referee for eight years. This will mark his 10th postseason assignment. Smith has officiated games in the wild-card round, divisional round and conference championships, but has never been the referee for a Super Bowl.
Smith’s crew called fewer penalties on the home team this season, which resulted in an 80 percent winning percentage for home teams in games in which Smith was the referee in 2025. His crew calls penalties at almost exactly the league average, so Texans-Patriots shouldn’t be a contest that features excessive flags.
Rams at Bears: 6:30 p.m. ET Sunday
Referee: Shawn Hochuli
Advertisement
Hochuli has similar experience to Smith. Hochuli, the son of former NFL official Ed Hochuli, has been an official for 12 seasons and a referee for eight. This assignment will mark Shawn Hochuli’s 10th in the postseason. He’s been a referee in every round of the playoffs except the Super Bowl, per Football Zebras.
Hochuli’s crew tends to call more penalties than normal, coming in around roughly two additional penalties per game in 2025. They are typically costly penalties, as Hochuli’s crew averaged 124.56 yards per game in penalties this season. The average crew called 101.77 yards in penalties per game in 2025.
The interest level in Mike Tomlinâs services is high among NFL teams looking for a new head coach, but the former Pittsburgh Steelers coach reportedly doesnât plan to be on a sideline next season.
According to NFL Networkâs Ian Rapoport, teams that have inquired about speaking with Tomlin about their openings have been told that he does not plan to coach next season.
Want a chance to earn a time slot for the ability to purchase tickets to events during the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles? As of Wednesday, you’re in luck.
The process for buying tickets to the 2028 Summer Games began Wednesday morning. Fans who are hoping to purchase tickets to Olympic events can officially start their ticket journey, though it’s a multi-step process, and not all fans are guaranteed a shot at tickets.
Advertisement
If that sounds confusing and convoluted, that’s fair. But for fans still determined to secure tickets, here’s how the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics ticketing process will work.
How to register for LA Olympics 2028 tickets
The first step in the ticket-buying process involves registering on the LA28 website. Fans who register will then be placed into a ticket draw. If you are selected as part of that ticket draw, you earn a time slot in which you are able to purchase tickets for events at the 2028 Summer Olympics.
Registration for the Olympic ticket draw opened Wednesday and will remain open through March 18.
Advertisement
Fans who are lucky enough to earn a time slot to purchase tickets will be notified up to 48 hours before their time slot opens.
Registering for the Olympic ticket draw does not cost any money, and fans who register are under no obligation to buy tickets if they win a time slot.
How much do LA Olympics 2028 tickets cost?
Tickets for individual events at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics will cost $28, per Olympics.com. The website promises “every discipline and session will be on sale.” Individual accounts who win time slots can purchase up to 12 tickets.
LA Olympics 2028 schedule
Though the 2028 Olympics are still years away, a full schedule of events has already been released. Fans hoping to buy tickets can plan out when and where they want to be when all the action takes place.
Advertisement
The 2028 Los Angeles Olympics will take place between July 14, 2028, and July 30, 2028. The Paralympic Games will occur between Aug. 15, 2028, and Aug. 27, 2028.
Events will take place across 40+ venues, including the LA Memorial Coliseum, the Intuit Dome and Rose Bowl Stadium, among many others.
Amongst all the Ja Morant trade rumor buzz, the Memphis Grizzlies are dealing with several injuries that have contributed to the teamâs tough season.
Aside from Morant being sidelined, Grizzlies second-year center Zach Edey has been out with a left ankle injury that will be reevaluated in six weeks. Edey is dealing with a stress reaction in his ankle that was diagnosed on Dec. 11. Edey hasnât played since Dec. 7 in a win over the Portland Trail Blazers where he scored 12 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
Along with Edeyâs injury, the Grizzlies also released updates on power forward Brandon Clarke and point guard Scotty Pippen Jr., who are also out due to injury. Clarke has been out with a Grade 2 calf strain he suffered on Dec. 20, and is expected to return to the court in 4-6 weeks. Pippen is recovering from a sesamoidectomy procedure he underwent to relieve discomfort in his left great toe (big toe) on Oct. 21. He is expected to make his season debut in 4-6 weeks.
The Grizzlies are 17-22 through 39 games and are currently sitting in 10th place in a stacked Western Conference. If the playoffs were to begin today, Memphis would barely edge out the LA Clippers by one game for the final play-in tournament slot.
Advertisement
Memphis plays the Orlando Magic on Thursday in Berlin, Germany, at 2:00 p.m. ET at Uber Arena.
With more than a quarter of the leagueâs head coaching jobs opening, the NFLâs winter chaos is extending far beyond the wild-card playoff round kicking off this weekend. Already, nine clubs are searching for their next head coach. Candidates will in turn want to ask franchises: What plan is in place for stability at the all-important position of quarterback?
Advertisement
Itâs early to predict resolutions to all quarterback questions without knowing who will coach these teams and, in some cases, which general manager will oversee personnel decisions. But whatâs not too soon to say: The right coach-quarterback pairing can catapult a franchise to the postseason in its coachâs first year.
The Chicago Bearsâ Ben Johnson and Jacksonville Jaguarsâ Liam Coen reached the playoffs this season as first-time head coaches. Mike Vrabel has similarly elevated the New England Patriots from a four-win team to the AFCâs No. 2 seed in his first year at the Patriots’ helm (Vrabel previously led Tennessee Titans teams to the playoffs).
The rapid success of each hinged heavily on top quarterbacks already in place. The Bears, Jaguars and Patriots had each already invested in a quarterback with a top-three overall draft pick.
So what will 2026âs first-year head coaches encounter at the most impactful position in sports? Letâs break down each franchiseâs biggest questions, from the ones that warrant the smallest to the biggest question marks:
Advertisement
9. Baltimore Ravensâ top question: A system fit?
As the most attractive opening of the bunch, the Ravens offer the chance to work with a two-time MVP in Lamar Jackson. General manager Eric DeCosta has some work to do on Jacksonâs contract, which includes only one more year of guarantees and two more years of control. A $74.5 million salary cap hit looms each of those seasons, per Spotrac, which should further incentivize the Ravens to pursue an extension. But from an on-field perspective, Jackson is by far the most talented, proven and settled quarterback across the eight openings. His dual-threat abilities routinely thwart defenses. Even in a season-ending loss, he threw multiple touchdowns of 50+ yards in the fourth quarter, including one that required escaping two defenders who had wrapped up Jackson for a seeming sack.
League coaches and executives donât question Jacksonâs rung in this group. Health is somewhat of a question (Jackson missed four games this year with hamstring and back injuries) but not enough to mute excitement around his ability. One caveat league sources point to as worth following though: the value of pairing Jackson with an offensive play-caller who will maximize his skill set. While the timing-predicated Shanahan/McVay system has delivered success to many coaches and teams across the league, one high-ranking NFC executive said it would not maximize Jacksonâs dual-threat ability.
Advertisement
âThatâs real,â an assistant from another NFC team told Yahoo Sports. âIt would be silly to put him in that system. Just like it would be silly to put [Joe] Burrow in a QB-run system. Each are great players that could probably operate within the offense â but they are losing their superpowers.â
8. New York Giantsâ top question: Can Jaxson Dart be saved from himself?
Before the Ravens and John Harbaugh dissolved their 18-year marriage, the Giants had a case for best opening. The club has promise coming off the rookie season of 25th overall pick Jaxson Dart, who accounted for 24 touchdowns to seven turnovers and averaged 230 offensive yards per start â even as star receiver Malik Nabers suffered a torn ACL in Dartâs first start.
Nabers joins a talented core that includes left tackle Andrew Thomas, defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II and edge rusher Brian Burns as pieces to build around. But the No. 1 responsibility for the Giantsâ next head coach must be to rein in Dartâs recklessness. His dual-threat abilities and toughness energize the team and fuel production. But routine concussion checks, and two games missed due to concussion, is unsustainable. Dart needs an adult in the room who can shape his appetite for danger and remind him when the risk is worth the reward (think: game-winning drives, touchdowns, occasional third downs). Reduce the risk a bit, and the Giantsâ quarterback can be a bright spot on their roster after exceeding expectations as a rookie.
Advertisement
âIf you’re looking at the course of the entire season, he was dynamic,â one talent evaluator whose team faced Dart told Yahoo Sports. âHe was a guy that after our game [we said,] âHoly smokes, this Dart kid’s for real.â He created issues for our defense.â
7. Tennessee Titans: Develop the reigning top draft pick?
Titans general manager Mike Borgonzi spoke this week about eliminating Chiefs âbiasâ from his head-coaching search. But Borgonzi, whose 16 years in Kansas City included the first eight of Patrick Mahomesâ career, will also benefit from the front-row seat he had to the development of a first-round quarterback flashing tantalizing out-of-structure plays and creative arm angles. Ward entered the NFL with that playmaking ability. Over the course of his rookie year, even after the Titans fired head coach and offensive mind Brian Callahan six games in, Ward demonstrated acclimation to the NFL. Across his first 12 games, Ward completed 59.7% of pass attempts, throwing for seven touchdowns to six interceptions while averaging 196 passing yards per game. In his next four games (an AC joint sprain sidelined him most of the finale), Wardâs yardage and completion percentage remained similar (192 yards, 59.2%) but he improved to eight passing touchdowns to just one interception. Wardâs passer rating jumped from 75.2 to 95.0 between those stretches. That growth should intrigue coaching candidates, though anyone taking this job should feel sold on Ward as their future given heâs one year into the Titansâ investment of the first overall pick.
One talent evaluator whose team faced Ward noted his decision-making speeding up.
Advertisement
âHe’s been good extending plays outside of structure all year,â the evaluator told Yahoo Sports. âIn December, he’s really just settled in [and] starting to click within the designed plays. He’s taken a positive step playing with more anticipation, patience and decisiveness from the pocket. He’s doing a better job of taking easy completions and yards. His surrounding cast is below average, so all of that is impressive.â
6. Las Vegas Raiders: Do you believe in Fernando Mendoza?
The Raiders will have a tough time selling candidates on coaching stability after theyâve cycled through five coaches (full-time and interim) the last five seasons. Talent gaps loom, too. And yet the Raiders can offer coaching candidates the top overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft. League sources thus see Raiders upside with an expectation that the club will soon welcome Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
Mendoza impresses scouts with his ideal size and frame, athleticism and good arm strength, talent evaluators across the NFC and AFC told Yahoo Sports.
Advertisement
âMy comp was Jared Goff and I feel really good about that,â one NFC talent evaluator said. âMechanics look similar, athleticism and pocket manipulate do too. See him as a winning, good-not-great starting QB at his ceiling. Comfortable floor.â
An AFC offensive assistant believed Raidersâ decision makers would gravitate toward Mendoza. The franchise announced that general manager John Spytek and minority owner Tom Brady would lead their head-coaching search. The Raidersâ clearest admission yet that Brady is intimately involved in key decision-making is unlikely to be checked at the door when picking a player at the position he played and knows arguably better than anyone in the organization. Raiders brass will need to decide what to do about Geno Smith, who has one year and a $26.5 million cap hit left on his deal (which would reduce if heâs cut). Smithâs top advocate is gone after the Raiders fired head coach Pete Carroll. Mendoza increasingly seems to be the answer.
âMendoza just seems like a real cerebral guy,â the AFC assistant told Yahoo Sports, âand that is what the Patriots guys love and what Brady was.â
5. Atlanta Falcons: Will in-house guys cut it?
The Falconsâ answer at quarterback next season has plenty of question marks with turnover at head coach and general manager, as well as the expectation that 14-year Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan will be heavily involved in football operations. But with two possible quarterbacks under contract, the Falcons arenât starting from scratch as some of their counterparts appear poised to be.
Advertisement
Michael Penix Jr. still has potential to become a strong NFL quarterback two years after the Falcons selected him eighth overall. But as four of the six 2024 first-round quarterbacks have already clinched a playoff berth, Penix has averaged 227 passing yards per start, throwing for 12 touchdowns and six interceptions. Credit Penix for playing well against tougher opponents this season, including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots. But heâs yet to establish consistency. And most concerningly, Penix suffered his third ACL tear in November. He tore his right ACL twice in college and now will add his left ACL to the surgically repaired list. An AFC talent evaluator said repetitive injury to a similar part of the body raises more of a red flag in evaluation than scattered injuries.
“We say two ACLs is a scary thing,” the evaluator told Yahoo Sports. “You’ve got three? That scares the hell out of me.”
If the Falcons have questions about Penixâs readiness for Week 1 in 2026, they may be wise to keep veteran Kirk Cousins in the house â especially after he quarterbacked five wins, including the final four games of the season, following Penixâs injury. Cousinsâ performance this season suggested that his 2024 campaign may have been more about his proximity to a 2023 Achilles tear than irreversible aging. That also gives Cousins trade value. The Falconsâ next head coach and general manager will have full plates.
4. Cleveland Browns: Is Shedeur Sanders the guy?
The Browns drafted two quarterbacks last spring. Do they feel confident enough in either to not spend a pair of first-round picks, including the sixth overall selection, on a thrower? Given Cleveland general manager Andrew Berryâs philosophy on drafting quarterbacks nearly every year â and more often than one thinks because of its importance and the need to retool quickly if missing on a dart throw â itâs fair to guess the Browns draft a quarterback. Clevelandâs evaluation of the 2026 class, in concert with its next head coach, will determine how serious a consideration Sanders gets up against the newest addition. The level of patience from Browns team owner Jimmy Haslam could also influence whether the Browns chase a free-agency Band-Aid or try to run it back one last time with Deshaun Watson.
Advertisement
NFL history indicates coaches prefer quarterbacks they selected themselves. The Browns won three of Sandersâ seven starts, but his 193 passing yards per game and 59.2% completion rate in those starts werenât significantly stronger than fellow draft classmate Dillon Gabrielâs 153 and 58.9% mark in six starts. Sanders threw seven touchdowns to nine interceptions in his starts: Gabriel, six to two. Sanders is considered to have a higher ceiling of the two, but his lower floor was also on display at times.
Some league voices question whether Sandersâ personality and skill set will be enough to entice a new coach to bet on him. Others think a coach giving Sanders more opportunity than Cleveland did this past season could turn things around.
âThereâs so many levers,â one AFC talent evaluator told Yahoo Sports. âWill a more adaptive coach help him? Does he just need the full offseason? Is just entirely not it? ⊠Heâs clearly more talented than [Gabriel].â
3. Arizona Cardinals: Whatâs going on with Kyler Murray?
Arizona has one of the three big pillars intact, as general manager Monti Ossenfort outlasts head coach Jonathan Gannon. Thatâs notable given Ossenfort was involved in the decision to place Kyler Murray on injured reserve in November for a foot injury, a designation the Cardinals chose not to remove. Perhaps Murrayâs foot was simply not ready, but this would not be the first time a club sidelined its quarterback beyond the necessary health period in order to avoid triggering injury clauses in a contract. Murrayâs five games this season, in which he posted two wins and a 6:3 touchdown-to-interception ratio, do not inspire confidence for his 2026 job security. Fill-in Jacoby Brissett posted a better passer rating than Murray even as the Cardinals lost 11 of 12 games with Brissett.
Advertisement
Ossenfort endorsed neither of them Monday, which was telling particularly with his high-priced former first overall draft pick in Murray.
âWhen you come off a season like we have,â Ossefnort said, âIâd say all options are on the table, whether itâs quarterback or any other position.â
League voices believe the Cardinals will use the capital of the third overall pick either directly or indirectly to find a quarterback, giving a new coach a chance to reset at the position. If the Cardinals feel strongly enough about a rookie, a market-efficient contract could offset the dead money likely to carry over from Murrayâs contract. As of now, Murray is due $36.8 million in guarantees next season. More guarantees, including his $19.5 million 2027 salary, are due the fifth day of the league year in March, per Spotrac.
âCanât imagine someone trades for him, although maybe [given] there are QB needy teams,â one NFC executive told Yahoo Sports.
Advertisement
Added another: âIf youâre him, why not just get cut and get to hit the market?â
Aaron Rodgers’ lone season in Pittsburgh ended in a wild-card defeat against the Texans. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
(Cooper Neill via Getty Images)
2. Pittsburgh Steelers: Whatâs the Aaron Rodgers succession plan?
When the Steelers beat the Ravens to win the AFC North title the final week of the regular season, star edge rusher T.J. Watt said: âThis is why heâs here.â But after a 24-point home loss in the wild-card round, and the resignation of head coach Mike Tomlin, But after a 24-point home loss in the wildcard round, and the resignation of head coach Mike Tomlin, the Steelers know heâs unlikely to return.
âAaron came here to play for Mike,â team president Art Rooney II said. âSo I think it will most likely affect his decision.â As Rodgers hit 42 years old, retirement was the most likely chapter after this season; a reality Tomlinâs resignation seems more likely to cement. In house, the Steelers have under contract veteran backup Mason Rudolph, who has a career 9-9-1 record in six years, and 2025 sixth-round pick Will Howard. Hosting the NFL Draft may seem like it would tempt a splash move, but the Steelersâ late spot in the draft order and a shallow quarterback class suggest that route is unlikely to produce better results than when the Steelers selected Kenny Pickett 20th overall in the 2022 draft.
Advertisement
Perhaps the Steelersâ next head coach will suggest a bridge quarterback to general manager Omar Khan, or perhaps Pittsburgh will feel Howard is readier than his draft pick and rookie injury history would suggest. The Steelers have no clear answer at quarterback, just as they havenât since Ben Roethlisberger retired in 2022. On the bright side for its next head coach, Pittsburgh has a rare history of patience at the position.
âThe longer runway is obviously huge,â an AFC assistant said of the roster retool ahead, âbut you are going to need it.â
1. Miami Dolphins: Is anything sure?
The Dolphins win the award for biggest question mark at quarterback given they currently have no head coach, a brand-new general manager in Jon-Eric Sullivan and a costly quarterback whose play lost the teamâs confidence. Quinn Ewers, a seventh-round rookie thrown into a tough situation, unsurprisingly did not secure his future during three end-of-year starts.
Advertisement
Tua Tagovailoa is just two years into a five-year extension, so $99.2 million in dead cap looms on a contract that was not structured to offer its first âreasonableâ out in 2027. Perhaps the Dolphinsâ next coach will feel they can salvage Tagovailoa like Mike McDaniel did when he replaced Brian Flores. But Tagovailoaâs 20-touchdown, 15-interception performance this season will hurt his case and his history with concussions will give future leaders pause.
And while Sullivanâs 23 years with the Green Bay Packers showed him the value in drafting and developing quarterbacks, thatâs unlikely to prove an immediate salve: The Dolphins donât pick until 11th.
McDaniel will not make this decision after Miami dismissed him Thursday. But his postseason comments on Tagovailoa likely hint at the sentiments of some team brass who will continue on in decision-making roles.
Advertisement
âFor the first time, I assessed, as my job, whether or not [Tagovailoa] should be the starting quarterback on the team,â McDaniel said Monday. âThat was a result of an inability to get some things done. Does that mean thatâs a forever thing for him in terms of being able to execute stuff that heâs executed in the past? No, it doesnât.
â[But] heâll have to work to get himself back to where weâre all used to seeing.â
Sebastian Ofner needed to heed the wise words of Yogi Berra and Lenny Kravitz during his Australian Open qualifying match on Wednesday:
âIt ain’t over till it’s over.”
The 29-year-old Austrian faced Nishesh Basavareddy in the second round of qualifying in hopes of making it to the tournamentâs main draw.
Advertisement
After splitting the opening two sets in the best-of-three match, Ofner took a commanding 6-1 lead in the third-set tiebreak. Thinking it was like an ATP Tour tiebreak, he won a seventh point and celebrated as if the match were over. Except that it wasn’t, and the umpire had to remind Ofner that Grand Slam qualifiers are played to 10 points.
The match would then proceed to fall apart for Ofner, who would lose 12 of the next 16 points and ultimately the match to the 20-year-old American, who gave the Tyrese Haliburton/Reggie Miller âchokeâ gesture after the final point.
