Former NFL head coach Bruce Arians, who won Super Bowl LV with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, revealed this week that he will undergo open heart surgery on Friday.
Arians, 73, disclosed the news at the end of an appearance on the “Today” show with Rob Gronkowski to promote a Super Bowl ad for a prostate cancer screening test. The veteran NFL coach is a prostate cancer survivor.
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The news about Arians’ procedure came at the end of the segment (the 6:38 mark of the video below) when “Today” host Craig Melvin wished the coach good luck, saying he would be watching the Super Bowl from a hospital room. Arians then disclosed he would be having an open heart procedure in Philadelphia.
Arians was a head coach in the NFL for eight seasons, leading the Arizona Cardinals for five seasons (2013-17) before three with the Buccaneers (2019-21). Gronkowski played for him during his final two seasons in Tampa Bay.
When the Bucs won Super Bowl LV to finish the 2020-21 season, he was the oldest coach to win a championship at 68 years old.
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Additionally, Arians was the interim head coach for the Indianapolis Colts during the 2012 season while Chuck Pagano underwent treatment for leukemia. In between those head-coaching stints, he spent a year as a game analyst for Fox Sports.
Prior to becoming a head coach, Arians was a successful offensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers and Colts. He won two Super Bowl championships while on the Steelers’ staff under Bill Cowher (2005) and Mike Tomlin (2008).
The Cleveland Cavaliers have acquired guards Keon Ellis and Dennis Schröder from the Sacramento Kings in exchange for De’Andre Hunter, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports.
Hunter, 28, was dealt to the Cavaliers before last season’s NBA trade deadline from the Atlanta Hawks for a package that included Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, three second-round picks and two swaps. However, he fell out of head coach Kenny Atkinson’s rotation in recent weeks.
As Darius Garland is sidelined with a sprained right toe, Jaylon Tyson has emerged as an impact guard alongside Donovan Mitchell, averaging 13.9 points and shooting 46% on 3-pointers. Meanwhile, Hunter is struggling through one of the worst seasons of his career, shooting only 42% from the floor (30% on 3s) while averaging 14 points per game.
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Hunter is making $22.3 million this season and has a $24.9 million salary for next season. In light of his declining numbers, the Cavaliers wanted to move his contract off their salary cap. The Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers expressed interest in picking Hunter up, according to NBA reporter Jake Fischer.
The Kings became a possible trade partner with Cleveland’s reported interest in Ellis. A career 41% 3-point shooter averaging 6.3 points per game and known for his defensive talents, the 26-year-old is playing out a $2.3 million club option and can be a free agent after the season.
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To help facilitate the trade, the Kings also sent Dario Šarić to the Chicago Bulls and will receive second-round picks from Cleveland (in 2027) and Sacramento in (2029).
The Cavaliers likely wanted to move fast on getting Ellis, in addition to wanting to deal Hunter away, with several other teams showing interest. The Los Angeles Lakers, Indiana Pacers, San Antonio Spurs and Boston Celtics were among those looking to make a deal.
Meanwhile, the Kings were discussing deals involving Ellis that included Malik Monk and DeMar DeRozan. Sacramento reportedly wants to move at least one of their contracts off its salary cap.
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Dennis Schröder traded for eighth time in NBA career
Schröder was included in the deal to make the salaries match under the cap. He signed a three-year, $45 million free agent deal with Sacramento which pays him $14.1 million this season and $30.3 million over the following two years.
Getting traded is nothing new for Schröder. The veteran guard, 32, has now been dealt for the eighth time during his 13-year professional career, as NBA analyst Yossi Gozlan points out.
Last season, he was traded three times in 18 hours, going from the Golden State Warriors to the Miami Heat, then from the Utah Jazz to the Detroit Pistons. Officially, he played for the Nets, Warriors and Pistons. The Cavaliers will be the 11th team he’s played for in the league.
The billion-dollar agreement between the NFL and ESPN officially closed on Saturday after receiving approval from government regulators, according to The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand.
Originally announced in August, the deal will see the NFL acquire a 10% stake in the network from The Walt Disney Company. In exchange, ESPN will add NFL Network to its family of networks, as well as NFL RedZone and the league’s fantasy football platform.
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The deal is valued in the billions of dollars and will see the largest league in the world formally commingle with the largest sports network in the world, the culmination of a decades-long relationship. The affected NFL employees will reportedly become officially part of ESPN in April and NFL Network will be integrated into ESPN’s platforms at the start of the next regular season.
The two parties’ statement, via The Athletic:
“The NFL and ESPN are pleased to announce the official closing of the sale of NFL Network and other NFL Media assets to ESPN,” the NFL and ESPN said in a joint statement to The Athletic. “With the closing, we will begin integrating NFL employees into ESPN in the months ahead. As we look to the future, NFL fans can look forward to expanded NFL programming, greater access to NFL Network, innovative Fantasy experiences and unparalleled coverage of America’s most popular sport.”
The deal is large enough that the full ramifications will take a while to see. Per The Athletic, one intriguing possibility is ESPN using the RedZone channel name across different sports, though that idea would come with limitations due to television rights ownership.
This will also mean the end of “Monday Night Football” doubleheaders, as four of ESPN’s games will shift to NFL Network. Overall, ESPN will reportedly broadcast 28 games total, while NFL Network will have seven. There could be a sharing of personalities as well, such as ESPN’s Adam Schefter appearing on NFL Network, his former employer.
HOUSTON — A flummoxed Cooper Flagg was the first Maverick to emerge from the tunnel at halftime, using his right hand to slap against his thigh, visibly frustrated with how his team had turned a one-point game into an eight-point deficit in five minutes.
That the 19-year-old was leading the procession into the Dallas locker room was not lost on the occasion, nor was it out of the ordinary. Leadership and poise are two of the most common words associated with the No. 1 pick when his older, more experienced teammates are asked to describe Flagg. His broad shoulders and body language being the telltale signs of the Mavericks’ mood are no surprise halfway through his rookie season.
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But the sudden presence of everything else — the burning sense of urgency to win, the rapidly developing awareness of momentum, and more profoundly, what’s expected of him — is why Dallas’ newfound direction under Flagg instills hope.
“I feel confident,” Flagg said following his 34-point, 12-rebound, 5-assist performance in a 111-107 loss to Houston, which is fourth in the West. “Getting to my spots, making some shots. When I play with confidence and a downhill mentality, it’s really good for our team. The guys are pushing me to be aggressive, and I’m trying to do what’s best for the team.”
A year ago, the Mavericks traded Luka Dončić to the Lakers in the middle of the night, undoubtedly the most shocking transaction in NBA history. The foregoing of everything Dončić’ brought to the table — his gravity, otherworldly offensive arsenal and his ability to raise the ceiling of a franchise — ushered in a new era of uncertainty for a Dallas team that was on the cusp of a title less than eight months prior. Anthony Davis, the central returning piece, was immediately thrust into then-general manager Nico Harrison’s grand plans of contention.
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But an extended trip down revisionist lane serves no good purpose. The Mavericks were never able to manifest their plans of a championship triumvirate; Kyrie Irving, offseason addition Klay Thompson and Davis have yet to play a game together. The basketball gods smiled down on the Mavs, however. The ping-pong balls fell their way, and Flagg landed graciously in their lap. Harrison was later relieved of his duties.
Suddenly, Flagg became the symbol of desperation. Desperation of a Mavericks fanbase emotionally torn from the departure of one of their own and the arrival of something new. Desperation of a Dallas front office searching for a centripetal young force. Desperation of the NBA seeking a fresh, exciting storyline.
For a teenager, the weight of expectations and anticipation can be overwhelming. But Flagg, who’s scored 83 points over his last two games and is operating at a 22.2-point, 6.6-rebound, 4.7-assist clip since Dec. 1, it’s evident he’s no ordinary kid.
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“A lot of maturity and poise coming from him,” teammate Max Christie told Yahoo Sports. “He’s 19 years old, already becoming an avid leader on this team. It shows with his play but also with the way he acts in the locker room, practice and what not. He’s been able to endure a lot and he’s been great for us. Very cool to watch him develop and blossom into the player we all know he can be.”
The Mavericks, who are now 13-15 over the last two months, continue to slide further away from the final play-in spot, currently occupied by the Los Angeles Clippers. But Dallas’ goals — or Flagg’s goals, at least — outweigh the potential prospect of a postseason push.
Spend any amount of time around head coach Jason Kidd, and the level of passion, trust and care he’s put in Flagg is evident. During games, Kidd can be seen with both hands in his pockets near midcourt, calmly calling out occasional sets for Flagg to run using his fingers — knowing that ball retention is near the top of the rookie’s to-do list. According to Cleaning the Glass, the Mavericks commit nearly 3% less turnovers when Flagg is on the floor, an impact metric graded in the 95th percentile.
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Flagg is an extremely ball-savvy player who understands spacing, structure and his teammates. But as the weeks and months have progressed, Flagg has become more aware of himself, what he can and can’t do yet — and how best to leverage his unique skill set. His assist-to-turnover ratio is positive, he encourages ball movement and operates within the flow of the offense. He may not be a traditional point guard — Kidd vehemently pushed back on early criticism regarding Flagg’s position and stormed out of Saturday’s postgame news conference — but it’s clear the rookie needs the ball in his hands more often than he doesn’t.
Advanced metrics like DARKO and LEBRON already consider him closer to a top-100 player than not. Per Bball-Index, Flagg ranks in the 93rd percentile in rim shot creation, 89th in drives per 75 possessions, 97th in rim shot-making efficiency, 97th in finishing talent and among the top 10% in shot creation and transition ability. Flagg is level on drives per game with Amen Thompson and averages more downhill trips than names like Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball and De’Aaron Fox. The next evolution in Flagg’s game, aside from improving his outside touch and defensive efficiency, is how his presence — or lack thereof — is felt by his team. Dallas, statistically, is a hairline fraction better offensively with him on the floor and worse defensively. The numbers split isn’t catastrophic — we’re talking about a 19-year-old after all — but it’s enough to understand where the growth should continue.
“It’s been amazing,” Thompson told Yahoo Sports of Flagg’s progress. “Especially with his composure down the stretch. He’s going to be an amazing player that stays here for a long time, so Mavericks fans are very blessed to have him. It’s been awesome to see his growth from game to game. He’s gonna be super special.”
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The next few days in the NBA world will be dominated by trade talks, with Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo at the top of the list, his immediate future uncertain. One thousand miles away, the Mavericks will wait patiently for Flagg to emerge from his cocoon. Dončić’s triple-double on Friday was a harsh reminder of Dallas’ past. Flagg’s 49-point masterclass vs. Charlotte on Thursday, followed up with Saturday’s 34-point showing, is yet another reminder of their bright future.
Carlos Alcaraz beat Novak Djokovic in four sets, 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5, to win the 2026 Australian Open on Sunday, dashing Djokovic’s hopes of a 25th Grand Slam victory and cementing his status as the No. 1 player in the world.
The win gave Alcaraz his career Grand Slam and his seventh major win at just 22 years old. He joins the 38-year-old Djokovic, Andre Agassi, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, who did it at 24 years old, as the only men to complete the career Grand Slam in the Open era.
This final marked the first grand slam final since last year’s Australian Open that didn’t feature both Alcaraz and Sinner, the world No. 2, who fell to Djokovic in five sets in the semifinals. Djokovic, meanwhile, hadn’t appeared in a major final since 2024, when he fell to none other than Alcaraz at Wimbledon. Alcaraz, meanwhile, had never made it past the quarterfinals at the Australian Open until this year.
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On Sunday, Djokovic dominated early and ultimately took the first set, but Alcaraz gained momentum in the second set, breaking Djokovic in the third and seventh games, and never lost the advantage. In the third set, Alcaraz didn’t lead until the fifth game, and Djokovic kept it close until the decisive ninth game. Djokovic didn’t let Alcaraz off easy in the fourth set, trading points until the 11th and 12 games, where a string of unforced errors gave Alcaraz match point and the win.
Alcaraz converted five of his 16 break points, while Djokovic converted two of six. Djokovic also had 46 unforced errors to Alcaraz’s 27.
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Until now, Djokovic had never lost an Australian Open final, winning a whopping 10 since 2008.
After the match, Alcaraz called Djokovic “inspiring,” and the runner-up heaped praise on Alcaraz while joking about the future.
“What you’ve been doing … the best word to describe it is historic, legendary,” Djokovic said. “So congratulations. I wish you [the] best of luck for the rest of your career. You’re so young. You have a lot of time, like myself. I’m sure we’ll be seeing each other many times in the next 10 years.”
While he’s been reticent to talk about retirement, Djokovic did offer somewhat of a farewell, possibly in case this is his final Australian Open.
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“God knows what happens tomorrow, let alone in six months or 12 months, so it has been a great ride,” Djokovic said. “I love you guys.”
The Farmers Insurance Open began on Thursday and will run through Sunday, with all the action this year taking place at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego, CA. The 147-player field includes PGA mainstays like Xander Schauffele, Wyndham Clark, and Hideki Matsuyama, and the tournament marks the return of Brooks Koepka, who’s back on the PGA tour after four years with LIV Golf, the Saudi-backed golf circuit.
To watch all the action at this week’s Farmers Insurance Open, you can catch daily live streaming coverage on ESPN+, as well as daily coverage on the Golf Channel. On Sunday, broadcast coverage will also air on CBS and stream on Paramount+. It sounds complicated, but we’ve broken it all down for you below. Here’s what you need to know about the complete tournament schedule, streaming info, and Round 4 tee times.
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How to watch the 2026 Farmers Insurance Open:
Dates: January 29-February 1
TV channel: ESPN, CBS, Golf Channel
Streaming: ESPN+, Paramount+, DirecTV, Hulu + Live TV
When is the Farmers Insurance Open?
The 2026 Farmer’s Insurance Open runs from January 29 through February 1, 2026.
What channel is the Farmers Insurance Open on?
On Saturday and Sunday, you can tune in to the Farmer’s Insurance Open on Golf Channel and CBS.
How to stream the Farmers Insurance Open without cable:
For the most comprehensive live coverage of every round, you’ll need to tune into ESPN+. ESPN+ will be streaming daily coverage of the tournament, which is available as part of an ESON Select or ESPN Unlimited plan.
To watch the Golf Channel, CBS and ESPN, those channels are available with subscriptions to DirecTV and Hulu + Live TV, and CBS coverage will also stream on Paramount+.
Farmers Insurance Open Round 4 tee times:
All times ET.
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South Course – Tee No. 1
10:25 a. m. — John VanDerLaan, Cam Davis, Mackenzie Hughes 10:36 a.m. — Chad Ramey, Sam Stevens, Karl Vilips 10:47 a.m. — Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Cameron Young, Matti Schmid 10:58 a.m. — Jason Day, Tony Finau, Nicolai Hojgaard 11:09 a.m. — Sahith Theegala, Harris English, John Parry 11:20 a.m. — Andrew Novak, Justin Lower, Ryan Gerard 11:31 a.m. — Chris Gotterup, Michael Thorbjornsen, Dan Brown 11:42 a.m. — Matt McCarty, Eric Cole, Pierceson Coody 11:53 a.m. — Kris Ventura, Adam Schenk, Keith Mithcell 12:04 p.m. — Hideki Matsuyama, Jake Knapp, David Lipsky 12:15 p.m. — Maverick McNealy, Haotong Li, Seamus Power 12:26 p.m. – Si Woo Kim, Max McGreevy, Stephan Jaeger 12:37 p.m. — Justin Rose, Joeh Dahmen, Ryo Hisatsune
South Course – Tee No. 10
10:25 a.m. — Matthieu Pavon, Mac Meissner, Isaiah Salinda 10:36 a.m. — Denny McCarthy, Rasmus Hojgaard, Taylor Moore 10:47 a.m. — Wyndham Clark, Adam Scott, Johnny Keefer 10:58 a.m. — Keegan Bradley, S.H. Kim, Davis Thompson 11:09 a.m. — Doug Ghim, Austin Eckroat, Sam Ryder 11:20 a.m. — Danny Walker, Zecheng Dou, Sudarshan Yellamaraju 11:31 a.m. — Zach Bauchou, Patrick Rodgers, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen 11:42 a.m. — Ricky Castillo, A.J. Ewart, Kristoffer Reitan 11:53 a.m. — Emiliano Grillo, Rico Hoey, Mark Hubbard 12:04 p.m. — Brooks Koepka, Tom Hoge, Kensei Hirata 12:15 p.m. — Keita Nakajima, Marcelo Rozo, Emilio González 12:26 p.m. — Tom Kim, Jackson Suber
More ways to watch the 2026 Farmers Insurance Open:
Tennessee managed to take down Auburn 77-69 on Saturday, but things got a little too close for comfort for Volunteers coach Rick Barnes. Following the contest, Barnes attempted to make light of some of his team’s late-game mistakes … and immediately regretted it.
While giving credit to Auburn, Barnes took issue with some of Tennessee’s passes down the stretch. He added, “Sometimes, I wonder if my guys are betting on games,” and immediately realized that was not the best thing to say.
Barnes’ response read:
“At the end of the game, some of the passes that we throw, I don’t know what to say other than sometimes I wonder if my guys are betting on games. I shouldn’t say that. Erase that. I’m just wondering what’s happening. Because I know we’re too good of players to do that.”
At that point, Barnes may have looked over at Tennessee’s communications team before uttering, “Was that a bad … I apologize. I shouldn’t have said that. But that fact is, we’ve gotta get smarter.”
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Barnes was joking when he made the original statement about gambling, which drew laughs from those at the news conference. While he clearly didn’t mean any malice, he quickly realized the error of jokingly accusing his players of betting on games.
With the rise and normalization of legalized sports gambling, there have already been a handful of NCAA betting scandals involving current and former players. In September, players from Fresno State and San Jose State were banned for their alleged involvement in a gambling scandal. That same month, the NCAA said it was seeking additional sports-betting violations against 13 former players from six different schools.
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Given those scandals and the severity of the issue, Barnes knew he screwed up. He quickly backtracked, was apologetic and made it clear he was joking, but only after he had already delivered one heck of a quote.
De’Andre Hunter was sent from Cleveland to Sacramento, with Dennis Schröder and Keon Ellis moving to Cleveland. To help facilitate the deal, Dario Šarić was traded to the Bulls, alongside two second-round selections.
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Saturday night’s trade most certainly did not shake up the power dynamics of the league. Nevertheless, let’s get into some trade grades on the deal:
Cleveland Cavaliers: B-
Schröder is fine, albeit unspectacular. The real get here is Ellis, a defensive menace who should immediately help Cleveland’s secondary rotation.
The Cavaliers relinquished Hunter, a 6-foot-8 wing who can play both forward spots, which does cause some concern for a playoff run, as they’ll now lack considerable size and offensive talent on the wing.
With Lonzo Ball struggling mightily this season, this deal helps the Cavs solve their backcourt issues, at least to a certain extent. But with the uncertainties of Ellis’ contractual future, along with the loss of Hunter, I can’t muster more than a “meh” for this one, until Ellis is sure to be kept around long-term.
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Sacramento Kings: C
Hunter has, generally, been underrated throughout the course of his career, so while he should be an upgrade for the Kings, one has to wonder … what’s really the point here?
If the Kings felt as though they needed something for Ellis before he could leave them, then that makes some sense. But to commit future money to Hunter, when the team is open to starting over, seems odd and somewhat random.
This grade doesn’t reflect Hunter as a player, but the Kings’ plans.
Now, I will make the following caveat: If the Kings follow this move up by trading DeMar DeRozan before the Feb. 5 trade deadline, then that at least clears a spot for Hunter to play alongside Keegan Murray, which makes some sense, as an interchangeable combo-forward duo that is collectively cost-controlled.
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So it’s not — necessarily — all bad in Sacramento. But it’s high time for the Kings to show us all of their plans, because everything still looks like a complete mess.
Wait, what? The Bulls made a good trade? Hold up, I’m just checking to see if Greenland is suddenly spouting palm trees.
The organization took on the contract of Šarić, presumably using part of a Zach LaVine TPE (traded player exception) to take him on, and in return for facilitating this deal they acquired two second-round selections.
What will this cost the Bulls?
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Not a damn thing. Šarić is an expiring contract, and the Bulls only had to waive Jevon Carter, who also is on an expiring contract anyway.
Given that they had plenty of room under the luxury tax to get this done, they essentially paid $5.4 million (Šarić’s salary) for two seconds, which in today’s NBA economy is perfectly reasonable, and they did it without relinquishing cash. Impressive work by the Bulls, who usually don’t make this type of trade.
Bill Belichick did many great things for the New England Patriots. But when he and the Patriots parted ways, he left the roster in shambles.
Two years ago, the Patriots might have had the fewest blue-chip players in the NFL. That’s a big reason why they went 4-13 in 2023, Belichick’s last season in New England, and also in 2024 with Jerod Mayo as head coach.
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The one break the Patriots got in their rebuild was they nailed the third pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, taking quarterback Drake Maye. But the rest of that draft class washed out fast. When head coach Mike Vrabel got to New England he had a promising quarterback, a few difference-makers like cornerback Christian Gonzalez, and a lot of work to do to bring the roster up to a competent level, much less a championship level.
Then the Patriots showed everyone that you can turn a bad roster into an AFC champion with one aggressive offseason.
Patriots spend big in free agency
The Patriots went into free agency with more than $120 million in cap space, which was $30 million more than any other team. Teams in that position don’t always spend most of that cap space though. And spending big in free agency doesn’t always work out.
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But the Patriots had an owner in Robert Kraft who was willing to spend, and they knew their roster wasn’t good enough.
“We went 4-13. We have to have results,” Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf said at last year’s NFL scouting combine, via the Providence Journal. “We need to continue to improve the roster”
The Patriots had a plan, and it started with building both lines. The main addition was Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Milton Williams, a hero in last season’s Super Bowl, for $104 million over four years. They added Harold Landry (three years, $43.5 million), K’Lavon Chaisson (one year, $3 million) and Khyiris Tonga (one year, $2.1 million) to the defensive front too. Chaisson and Tonga were low-cost additions but both have played big roles.
The Patriots spent big last offseason in free agency, and it paid off. (Hayden Hodge/Yahoo Sports)
On the offensive line, tackle Morgan Moses (three years, $24 million) and center Garrett Bradbury (two years, $9.5 million) were added. Both started in the AFC championship game.
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The Patriots weren’t just focused on the lines. They also added receiver Stefon Diggs (three years, $63.5 million), cornerback Carlton Davis (three years, $54 million), linebacker Robert Spillane (three years, $33 million), receiver Mack Hollins (two years, $8.4 million) and safety Jaylinn Hawkins (one year, $1.8 million). All of them started in the AFC championship game.
In all, the Patriots spent $364.4 million on 19 free agents, with $174.9 million guaranteed at signing according to Spotrac. It was a major investment in the roster, and they wouldn’t be in Super Bowl LX without that free agency class. Remember that when you hear that you can’t build a great team through free agency.
The Patriots added enough talent to build a foundation for the roster around Maye, with the NFL Draft to go. The Patriots were in an advantageous situation, having the fourth overall pick without having to reach for need. That helped clarify their draft strategy, focusing on players who fit their new culture under Vrabel.
“We feel really excited about the some of the names that we’ve added. We still know there’s a lot of work to be done,” Wolf said, via MassLive.com.
The Patriots started by picking left tackle Will Campbell, which was a position of need and also the best player available. Campbell had ups and downs as a rookie at a demanding position, but he was a starter from Day 1 and was a big upgrade.
“Adding Will to our football team is about a foundational piece, a young 21-year-old that’s mature beyond his years,” Vrabel said, via the team’s transcript. “He’s a leader. He’s durable. He’s physical, dependable, accountable.
“This was a very, very easy pick for us.”
They got another starter on the offensive line, guard Jared Wilson, in the third round. Safety Craig Woodson, a fourth-round pick, started almost the entire season. Kicker Andres Borregales filled a big need out of the sixth round. He hit 84.4% of his field goals in the regular season. Second-round pick TreVeyon Henderson started only four games at running back, but had 1,132 yards from scrimmage and scored 10 touchdowns.
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The Patriots drafted 11 players. All 11 appeared in games during the regular season and remain on either the active roster or injured reserve. Three undrafted rookies appeared in regular season games and are on the active roster going into the Super Bowl. Sometimes a bad team can have a dozen or more rookies contribute. It’s very rare for a team that was good enough to go 14-3 in the regular season.
The Patriots spoke about not just adding talent, but also adding the type of players who would fit Vrabel’s mindset of a tough team that loves football.
“I think we’ve been trying to be very intentional about the people, about some of the people to build the foundation that Coach Vrabel and his vision has here for this football team,” Patriots vice president of player personnel Ryan Cowden said after the draft. “That started in free agency and that’s been a major emphasis for us as we’ve gotten into this draft process.”
It was easy to see after the draft the Patriots had completely reshaped their roster.
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“I think we’ll be much more competitive this year,” Wolf said after the draft, according to the team’s transcript. “I don’t like to put expectations on it, but I think we did a lot of things this offseason that were advantageous to us moving forward.”
That was an understatement. Of New England’s 22 starters in the AFC championship game, 13 were new to the roster this season (seven on offense, six on defense). Many others who played a role in that win over the Broncos or throughout this season were added to the roster in a hectic offseason.
Not every rebuilding team has a head start like the Patriots did with Maye. But they did show that it’s possible to flip a bad roster in one offseason and make a Super Bowl. It just took a lot of money, and plenty of prescient decisions.
Now that he has won the Australian Open, now that he is the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam, now that the major title count is at No. 7 with so much career runway to go, we no longer need to be afraid of saying what is obvious.
Novak Djokovic may currently stand as the greatest and most accomplished tennis player of all time, but Carlos Alcaraz is the most gifted person who has ever held a racket.
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We are watching Michael Jordan in 1992, Tiger Woods in 2000, Secretariat in 1973. The job is not done, the résumé is still evolving, and the records are not yet theirs.
But our eyes do not deceive us.
This smiling Spanish prodigy, this whirling dervish of speed and power and mental genius, has crossed the threshold between what we thought he could be and what he really is: An absolute monster whose entire package of skills is unequaled by anyone who has ever played tennis.
As someone who grew up on Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi, who cherished how Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal changed the sport and who has grown to appreciate the way Djokovic maintained his body and evolved his game to stay relevant into his late 30s, I don’t think that’s hyperbole.
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Alcaraz has everything. He is him. And he’s only going to get better.
Alcaraz’s 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5 victory in Sunday’s Australian Open final looked the way it probably should have looked between a 22-year-old and a 38-year-old who both played five-set marathons in the semifinals. Djokovic came out on fire, playing arguably one of the best sets of his career, and then began to fade as the younger man imposed his superior physicality. Alcaraz took the punch, started to work Djokovic into the corners and steadily asserted control over the proceedings. In the end, it wasn’t all that close.
Despite what was on the line in this match — the career Slam versus Djokovic becoming the oldest man in the Open Era to win a major — starting to think about Alcaraz’s place among the all-time greats is not based on this one match. Nor was this Australian final the passing-of-the-torch moment because that happened long before now.
This is about Alcaraz, now having conquered all four tournaments that define tennis greatness, thrusting himself into different conversations. Two years ago, he was picking off majors while working around his flaws. Now, he has none.
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It has been a bit cliché to say that Alcaraz combines the best attributes of the Big Three — Roger Federer’s creativity and flair, Nadal’s competitive spirit and Djokovic’s technical mastery. But there’s really no case against it. Alcaraz already had all the shots and world-class athleticism when he came on tour as a teenager. But as he’s grown up, Alcaraz has added so many layers to his tactical development and sharpened his in-match concentration that it brings to mind what Bobby Jones said in 1965 about Jack Nicklaus, who in turn used the same phrase about Tiger Woods: “He plays a game with which I am not familiar.”
Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz (R) speaks with Serbia’s Novak Djokovic after victory during their men’s singles final at the Australian Open. (Paul Crock / AFP via Getty Images)
(PAUL CROCK via Getty Images)
When Nicklaus said that, Woods was on his way to winning his fifth major at the 2000 PGA Championship. At that moment, it seemed a given he would surpass Nicklaus’ record of 18.
As we know now, that never happened. Injuries and self-inflicted adversity got in the way, leaving Woods with 15. But for those fortunate enough to remember Woods’ peak, the golf we watched him play was simply better than anything anyone had ever seen.
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That’s where we are with Alcaraz now. This level of tennis is something completely new and different, and it comes from a young man in a big hurry to rewrite the history of the sport.
Already, he is in a club with just nine names: Djokovic, Nadal, Federer, Agassi, Roy Emerson, Rod Laver, Don Budge and Fred Perry are the only men who won all four Slams.
What we don’t know yet is whether 24 majors — the most sacred of Djokovic’s many records — will eventually come into play. The gap is still huge, and so many things can happen, from injuries to major life changes to motivation to another all-time great coming along whose name we don’t yet know.
But at the rate he’s going, Alcaraz would need to average two majors per year until he’s 31 to break the record. It’s crazy to say, given how hard these tournaments are to win, but that feels firmly within the realm of possibility because there really are no more questions for Alcaraz to answer.
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Could he win on all surfaces? Yes. Could he eliminate the dips in focus that made things more complicated than they needed to be earlier in his career? It was only a matter of time. Could he turn his serve from a decent shot into a weapon? It happened in one offseason. Could he do it without Juan Carlos Ferrero in his coaching box? Well, he just did.
That last one may not resonate much with casual fans, but the story of tennis’ offseason was Alcaraz separating from the coach who essentially raised him. This was more than just a professional relationship. Ferrero was almost like a second father, and his presence in the biggest moments often seemed like the support blanket Alcaraz needed when he was forced to manage stressful situations.
The details of their break-up are still murky, but they don’t matter much. It was just another hurdle for Alcaraz to conquer, and he went to Australia and cleared it with ease. His semifinal win over Alexander Zverev, breaking serve in the fifth set to stay in the tournament, was maybe the most mentally tough victory of his young career.
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So what’s next? What’s remaining?
Just the history left to be made, and putting the numbers behind what our eyes tell us.
While Djokovic, for now, is still the greatest of all time, Alcaraz is the best thing tennis has ever seen.
