Tag: Fox Sport News

Tommy Rees is sticking with Kevin Stefanski.

Stefanski has hired Rees as the Atlanta Falcons’ next offensive coordinator, the team announced on Thursday. That will reunite the two coaches after their run with the Cleveland Browns last season.

Rees spent the last two seasons on staff in Cleveland and was promoted to offensive coordinator last season. That came after a long run as an assistant and offensive coordinator at both Notre Dame and Alabama.

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But the Browns fired Stefanski as their head coach earlier this month after six seasons leading the franchise. That left Rees out of a job, too.

[Get more Falcons news: Atlanta team feed]

The Falcons hired Stefanski as their next head coach last week. He’ll now replace Raheem Morris, who was fired after three seasons in Atlanta. General manager Terry Fontenot was fired, too. Once that was locked down, Rees was long considered the favorite to take over as the Falcons’ next offensive coordinator.

Though the Browns largely struggled under Stefanski’s leadership, he did win a pair of Coach of the Year awards. The team won a combined eight games over the past two seasons, and have failed to find a permanent quarterback ever since Baker Mayfield left — something that was brought back up by the now Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback on social media this week. Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders all spent time at the position last season, leading to quite a bit of inconsistency on offense.

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But now in Atlanta, both Stefanski and Rees appear to be in a much more stable position under fresh leadership. The team still needs to figure things out at quarterback — as Michael Penix Jr. is recovering from an ACL injury, and who knows what Kirk Cousins’ future holds — but the Falcons finished in a three-way tie at the top of the NFC South last season at 8-9.

Regardless of how Stefanski and Rees solve that problem, the pair seems like a perfect fit to try and rebuild the Falcons together.

NFL Free agency and the 2026 NFL Draft will completely shake up the fantasy football landscape in the coming months.

Before the roster movement begins, Justin Boone is identifying one fantasy-relevant player from every team who’s most likely to break out during the 2026 season.

Early Breakout Candidates

Early AFC West Breakout Candidates

Denver Broncos – RJ Harvey, RB

The Broncos backfield was one of the easiest to project prior to the 2025 season. J.K. Dobbins began the year as the starter, but like every other year of his career, he ultimately suffered an injury that caused him to miss significant time.

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Prior to getting hurt, Dobbins was the RB22 in fantasy points per game (11) with Harvey playing a part-time role that let him be the RB33 (8.7 FPPG) and a boom-or-bust flex option during that stretch.

However, once Dobbins was sidelined, it was Harvey’s time to shine. From Week 11 on, the rookie was the RB9 on a per game basis (15.3 FPPG) with four top-12 weekly finishes over his last six outings.

Even if you count his stats before Dobbins went down, Harvey was the RB22 on the season, which is a very strong debut campaign that he will only build on moving forward.

Harvey showed us more than enough in terms of on-field talent and quality production to draft him as a fantasy RB2 with RB1 upside in 2026.

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Fantasy breakout potential: ★★★★★

Kansas City Chiefs – Noah Gray, TE

The Chiefs offense has a lot of question marks heading into next season, including Patrick Mahomes’ health coming off a torn ACL in December, Rashee Rice’s off-field issues and Travis Kelce’s potential retirement.

Though the 36-year-old Kelce is on the downside of his career, he didn’t miss a game this season and continued to produce en route to a TE8 fantasy finish.

It’s unclear if Kelce will return for another campaign, but if he does he’ll turn 37 during the season.

The Chiefs signed Gray to a three-year contract extension in 2024, which positions him as the next man up when Kelce departs.

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While Gray had a very quiet year stats-wise, he’s previously displayed an ability to get involved in the passing game, including a 40-catch, 437-yard, five-touchdown stat line a year ago.

If Kelce is out of the picture, Gray will have a chance to emerge as the new starter in Kansas City, making him a deeper breakout target.

Fantasy breakout potential: ★★☆☆☆

Las Vegas Raiders – Jack Bech, WR

The history of receivers with limited production during their rookie season who go on to become quality fantasy options is far from extensive.

Bech managed only 20 receptions for 224 scoreless yards in his first season with Raiders, despite being part of a fairly wide-open depth chart in Vegas.

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However, the second-round pick did pop up in the box scores with stat lines of 6-50-0 and 2-43-0 over his final four outings, giving Raiders fans and fantasy managers some small glimmer of hope for his future outlook.

The team will also likely have a new quarterback under center in 2026, which should provide an upgrade after veteran Geno Smith struggled to get comfortable in his first year with the club.

Bech remains a long shot to emerge as a meaningful fantasy contributor, but the 23-year-old still offers good contested catch ability and strong hands. If the Raiders can improve the overall environment on offense, we should see Bech develop into more of a playmaker than we saw this season.

Fantasy breakout potential: ★★★☆☆

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Los Angeles Chargers – Omarion Hampton, RB

Hampton’s rookie season was marred by injuries both to himself and his offensive line.

Even so, the 22-year-old still finished as the RB16 with 13.3 FPPG, while missing nearly half the season.

It was also promising to see Hampton post double-digit fantasy points in six of his last seven outings, despite some of the struggles the Chargers’ offense dealt with down the stretch.

Better injury luck should go a long way toward improving the overall success of this attack in 2026, but the expected arrival of Mike McDaniel as the new offensive coordinator should have fantasy managers excited.

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In the last three years alone, McDaniel was responsible for four fantasy RB1 finishes with De’Von Achane accomplishing the feat three times and Raheem Mostert getting there once.

Coming from the Kyle Shanahan coaching tree, McDaniel can scheme up a rushing game with the best of them and he has all the pieces in place to get a monster year out of Hampton.

Consider Hampton a top-10 back heading into next season. He’ll be one of my favorite picks in Round 2 if his ADP stays there.

Fantasy breakout potential: ★★★★★

Early Breakout Candidates

No Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson or Joe Burrow in the NFL playoffs? No problem. Despite some of the biggest names in the sport not taking part in the postseason, the NFL continues to set new viewership records this season.

The league’s latest accomplishment came Sunday, as the Houston Texans vs. the New England Patriots became the most-watched event in ESPN history. A whopping 38 million viewers tuned into the contest, which saw the Patriots force four interceptions against Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud during a 28-16 win.

The game also was Disney’s most-watched sporting event outside the Super Bowl. That wasn’t the only record set by the league that day, though. The late-night contest between the Chicago Bears and the Los Angeles Rams became the most-watched divisional-round game ever, bringing in an average of 45.4 million viewers.

This continues a phenomenal run for the league, which also saw record numbers on Thanksgiving … and at many other points throughout the season. All told, the league turned in its best viewership numbers since 1989.

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The record-setting playoff numbers are even more impressive considering the elite players not taking part in the divisional round. If fans are already coming out in record numbers to watch Drake Maye, Caleb Williams and all the other young quarterbacks who played over the weekend, the league should be poised to set even more records as those players continue to improve over the course of their careers.

Team USA revealed its ski and snowboard roster for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympic Winter Games on Thursday.

Leading figures include Olympic veterans Lindsey Vonn, Mikaela Shiffrin and Chloe Kim. Vonn, who won gold in the downhill at the 2010 Winter Olympics, returned to the sport in 2024 after retirement and a partial knee replacement. Three-time Olympian and two-time gold medalist in snowboard slopestyle Jamie Anderson was not on the 97-person list.

Shiffrin, the most decorated Alpine skier, will compete in her fourth Olympics. Kim, a three-time Olympian, aims to be the first snowboarder to win a third straight gold in halfpipe.

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“In many ways, making this team is even harder than the Olympics themselves,” snowboard program director Rick Bower explained in a statement. “The depth of our field is incredible, and selection truly came down to the wire.”

On the men’s side, the U.S. team will be led by three-time Olympian and 2018 slopestyle gold medalist Red Gerard, snowboard cross racer Nick Baumgartner, and 17-year-old Alessandro Barbieri, who’s seen as a medal contender in halfpipe.

Four-time Olympian Nick Goepper will head the freeski halfpipe squad, which also includes two-time Olympic medalist Alex Ferreira, Birk Irving and first-time Olympian Hunter Hess. Irving’s sister, Svea Irving, qualified for the women’s freeski halfpipe. Defending Olympic freeski slopestyle champ Alex Hall is also set to compete in his third Olympics.

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Olympic champion and three-time cross-country skiing medalist Jesse Diggins will participate in her fourth and final Olympics. Chris Lillis is returning for the aerials team. He took gold at the 2022 Games.

At the 2022 Beijing Games, skiers and snowboarders earned 15 of the 25 medals for Team USA. For the 2026 Winter Olympics, they’ll make up nearly half of all the athletes representing the U.S.

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When the New York Mets signed Bo Bichette and traded for Luis Robert Jr., many wondered if President of Baseball Ops David Stearns was finished making major moves this offseason. On Wednesday night though, Stearns had one more big surprise up his sleeve when he acquired someone from his past days in Milwaukee.

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On this episode of Baseball Bar-B-Cast, Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman discuss the big trade that saw the Mets deal for Milwaukee Brewers ace Freddy Peralta and Tobias Myers in exchange for a package of top prospects Brandon Sproat and Jett Williams. With Peralta now headlining the Mets’ starting rotation, does this addition make them a World Series contender again? Also, how will the new additions to the Brew Crew’s prospect pipeline help them in the immediate future?

Later, Jordan and Jake talk about the New York Yankees and Cody Bellinger reuniting after his impressive 2025 season in pinstripes on a five-year, $162.5 million contract. The move further solidifies the Yankees’ belief in their offense, essentially running it back from last season—but could Brian Cashman and company have one more front-page deal before Spring Training kicks off? The guys then close the show by making their picks for this week’s edition of The Good, The Bad & The Uggla.

2:03 – The Opener: Freddy Peralta to the Mets

29:43 – Jordan’s Prospect Hut: The Brewers’ return

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38:28 – Yankees re-sign Cody Bellinger

52:00 – Scott Boras Scoreboard update

54:37 – The Good

1:01:13 – The Bad

1:06:44 – The Uggla

🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube

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

Sherrone Moore appeared in an Ann Arbor, Michigan, court on Thursday to attend a hearing related to the three charges he’s facing following his December arrest.

The former Michigan head coach was detained Dec. 10 by police shortly after he was fired by the school after being found to be in a relationship with a team staffer. Moore allegedly drove to a staffer’s house and threatened to take his own life. The staffer called police, and Moore was charged days later with felony home invasion along with two misdemeanors.

“Sherrone Moore is innocent of these charges. Today, on behalf of Mr. Moore, we filed a motion to quash the arrest warrant and dismiss the complaint,” said Ellen K. Michaels, Moore’s attorney, via Tony Garcia of the Detroit Free Press.

“This warrant was issued based on false and misleading statements presented as facts. We’re confident the truth will come out in court, under oath, where it belongs. Mr. Moore and his family respectfully ask for your privacy.”

The 39-year-old Moore, who has pleaded not guilty, is currently out of jail on a $25,000 bond and must wear a tracking device.

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Michaels is also seeking phone records and Title IX records from the University of Michigan because she believes statements made by the complaining witness “will be important to the investigation because credibility will always be an issue.”

The motion to quash the arrest warrant will be heard Feb. 17.

“A motion to quash is a motion saying that this warrant, in this case, an arrest warrant, is not supported by law,” Michaels said Thursday. “In this case, that the arrest should be quashed, meaning the arrest is not valid, and any evidence taken or received as a result of that arrest should be quashed and suppressed.

“Also, we are asking that the complaint be dismissed. It’s our belief, and you can read it in the motion, that without these misleading statements and omissions, there would be no probable cause for these charges.”

Moore’s next court appearance is scheduled for March 19. The felony charge is punishable by up to five years in prison and a $2,000 fine. He could also face up to 90 days in jail regarding the misdemeanor charges.

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce didn’t commit to playing in 2026 following the final game of the regular season. And while Kelce still hasn’t said anything definitive about his future, he strongly implied Wednesday he was suiting back up for another season with the Chiefs.

During his “New Heights” podcast Wednesday, Kelce said he was excited to see offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy “back in the building.”

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Kelce’s full response read:

“I can’t wait to see him back in the building, man. He’s one of my favorite coaches of all time, one of my favorite people of all time. I’ve had so many unbelievable growing moments under him as a player, as a person. I just love the guy. It’s gonna be awesome to see him back in the building and see him back wearing the Chiefs’ logo, baby.”

After spending a few seasons coaching elsewhere, Bieniemy returned to the Chiefs in January, replacing Matt Nagy as the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator. Bieniemy also held that role between 2018 and 2022.

Ahead of the 2023 NFL season, Bieniemy joined the Washington Commanders as the team’s offensive coordinator under Ron Rivera. But Bieniemy was not retained after Rivera was fired at the end of the season. Bieniemy spent 2024 as UCLA’s offensive coordinator before serving as the Chicago Bears’ running backs coach in 2025.

Kelce, meanwhile, turned in yet another solid season in 2025. The 36-year-old hauled in 76 passes for 851 yards and five touchdowns, making yet another Pro Bowl. Given Kelce’s age, and the fact that Patrick Mahomes could miss the beginning of the 2026 season after tearing his ACL in December, there was some concern Kelce could walk away from football.

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That could still technically be the case following Kelce’s comments. The tight end doesn’t need to be a player to see Bieniemy in the Chiefs’ building. And if Kelce does retire, there’s nothing stopping him from visiting the team or taking on some other role with the franchise. So, there is some wiggle room in Kelce’s statement.

But … his comments Wednesday certainly make it sound like he is playing at least one more season. The Chiefs will need a veteran to step up on offense if Mahomes misses time, and there’s no better candidate than Kelce, who could add to his legacy by keeping the team afloat if Mahomes is out.

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Kevin O’Connor and Tom Haberstroh discuss the implications of Jimmy Butler’s season-ending ACL injury and what’s next for the Warriors. Does Golden State need to make a trade to save their season?

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Next, the duo breaks down Wemby’s jump shot development, reacts to the details of the Lakers’ drama with Jeanie Buss and LeBron James, and discusses the Knicks’ bounce back performance over the Nets.

Later, they share the five NBA teams that must make a trade before the deadline. How can the Orlando Magic improve their shooting and what will it take to make the San Antonio Spurs legitimate contenders? Plus, Tyler Rucker joins for this week’s NBA Draft Class and Lottery Lessons.

(0:38) Jimmy Butler out for season with ACL injury

(19:55) Is Wemby’s jumpshot his greatest weakness?

(28:54) Los Angeles Lakers off-court drama

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(38:32) New York Knicks obliterate Brooklyn Nets

(44:09) 5 NBA teams that need to make a trade

(1:13:48) Draft Class with Tyler Rucker

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

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

Missouri defensive end Damon Wilson is heading to Miami.

The Tigers’ sack leader in 2025 is signing with the Hurricanes for the 2026 season, according to On3. Wilson had nine sacks a season ago, along with an additional half-tackle for loss and an interception over 13 games.

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Wilson came to Missouri after he spent two seasons at Georgia. He transferred after signing an NIL deal with Georgia’s athletic association after the 2024 season and the association has taken legal action against Wilson. Georgia says that Wilson owes the $380,000 he was set to receive over the balance of that NIL deal.

The edge rusher has filed a countersuit, accusing Georgia of attempting to prevent him from transferring by telling other schools that he would owe over $1 million if he transferred. Wilson had three sacks in a part-time role in his second season with the Bulldogs.

After entering the transfer portal following the 2025 season, Wilson took visits to Texas Tech and LSU before visiting Miami. He committed to the Hurricanes after a two-day visit with the school.

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Wilson is a huge boost to Miami’s pass rush for the 2026 season. The Hurricanes’ defensive front was one of the best in college football in 2025 but loses potential top-10 pick Rueben Bain along with Akeem Mesidor. Mesidor led the team with 12.5 sacks, and Bain had 9.5 sacks as Miami racked up 50 over the season on the way to the national title game.

The Tennessee Titans were hoping for rookie-year Jayden Daniels when they selected Cam Ward with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Instead, they got rookie-year Caleb Williams.

Ward looked raw and underdeveloped, and head coach Brian Callahan paid the price for it as he was fired after six games this season. With the Titans’ future contingent on Ward playing like a future superstar, the team entered the offseason determined to find a head coach who could bring the best out of last year’s top draft pick.

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The team zeroed in on that coach Monday night. On Thursday, the news became official: The Titans inked San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh to a deal, reportedly a five-year contract.

[Get more Titans news: Tennessee team feed]

Saleh returned to Kyle Shanahan’s staff this season after a four-year stint as the New York Jets’ head coach, compiling a 20-36 record before being fired five games into the 2024 campaign. He worked the remainder of that season as a consultant for the Green Bay Packers.

This season, the 49ers’ defense lost Nick Bosa and Fred Warner to season-ending injuries and ranked 20th in the NFL (11th in rushing). His first stint as San Francisco’s defensive coordinator lasted four seasons, which included a run to Super Bowl LIV with the league’s No. 2 defense.

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While the entire Titans roster is in need of an overhaul, Ward’s development remains the top priority. The 23-year-old mostly struggled as a rookie, completing 59.8 percent of his passes and throwing 15 touchdowns against seven interceptions in 17 games. He also took a league-leading 55 sacks, both an indictment of his awareness and the team’s porous offensive line.

But Ward also had moments where his potential burned bright. Some of his best moments came on plays where he used his legs to evade the rush and then showed off his immense arm strength to make an absurd throw downfield.

Those bright spots didn’t happen enough, as Ward finished 29th in passing yards per game, 34th in completion percentage, 35th in passer rating and 35th in QBR. He ranked 39th out of 43 quarterbacks per PFF’s grades. Ward shouldn’t be written off after just one season, but it wasn’t an encouraging start for the No. 1 overall draft pick.

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But the Williams example proves how much things can change for a quarterback in a single season. After a rocky rookie year, Williams made significant improvements in his second season after the Chicago Bears hired offensive guru Ben Johnson. After finishing last in the NFC North in 2024, the Bears won the division in 2025.

That’s not the only example of a new head coach turning around a previously helpless rookie. The Los Angeles Rams’ Sean McVay helped turn Jared Goff into a Pro Bowl passer after a miserable rookie season.

With the hire, the Titans are hoping Ward and Saleh can join those examples and engineer a drastic turnaround in Year 2. The difference, of course, is that Johnson and McVay were both offensive-minded coaches. Saleh’s background is on the other side of the ball, making his choice of offensive coordinator a major storyline for Ward and the franchise.

Even if Ward takes a massive step forward, the Titans might be hard-pressed to win the AFC South next season. In addition to the division being tough, the Titans have far more issues beyond Ward. Tony Pollard was the only member of the offense to surpass 1,000 yards. The team’s leading receiver, tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo, finished with just 560 receiving yards. Fourth-round rookie Elic Ayomanor had moments, but struggled with consistency. The offensive line combined to lead the league in sacks allowed. The Titans’ offense averaged just 16.7 points per game, good for 30th in the NFL.

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Things weren’t much better on defense. While Jeffery Simmons remained a tremendous player, he didn’t have a lot of help in 2025. T’Vondre Sweat and Cedric Grey — two of the team’s 2024 draft picks — played well, but essentially every other defensive started rated out as below average, per PFF. Even with three impact players, the team’s defense ranked 28th in points allowed.

Getting the entire team turned around will be a massive challenge. After three straight seasons finishing at the bottom of the AFC South, the Titans still have one of the worst rosters in the NFL.

But the team also has one of the biggest assets in the NFL: A No. 1 overall pick at quarterback. The Titans will enter 2026 with a number of issues, but Ward’s development trumps all of them. They will also have the fourth overall pick of this coming NFL Draft.

Having a true franchise quarterback can paper over a lot of other roster problems, and that’s what the Titans are hoping Ward can become with Saleh.