Syracuse coach Adrian Autry said it was his call to bench Kiyan Anthony, who isn’t injured and was available to play, for his team’s entire 72-59 loss at No. 18 Virginia on Saturday.
It was the first time the freshman didn’t play in a game for the Orange this season.
“No injury concerns. It was just my decision,” Autry said after the game. “This is a physical team, experienced team. It was just my decision. Nothing else.”
The move to bench the freshman came days after Kiyan’s father, Syracuse legend Carmelo Anthony, posted “SMFH” on the team’s official Instagram page underneath highlights of its loss to North Carolina on Monday. Kiyan scored 10 points in that game.
Anthony, who led the team to the 2003 national title, is one of program’s greatest players and also a booster who spent millions to help build the school’s men’s and women’s basketball practice facility, the Carmelo K. Anthony Basketball Center.
Kiyan, who is averaging 8.9 points per game, has had a turbulent season full of highs and lows. He committed to the team in 2024, more than two decades after his father led the team to a win over a favored Kansas squad in the national title game during his freshman season.
Syracuse has lost six of its past seven games as Autry, one of the greatest guards in Syracuse basketball history, has faced hot seat talk during his team’s slide.
As for Kiyan, Autry said the freshman’s benching wasn’t tied to anything beyond what he thought was best for the team against a Top-25 Virginia squad.
“It’s no narratives about any of this stuff,” he said. “I just made the decision. That was just my decision that I made today.”
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — The vibes never get old for Mikaela Shiffrin. Even now, four Olympics in.
There they were on Saturday, right where they’ve always been, as the most decorated skier of all time made the familiar trip into the upscale northern Italy resort town that’s long brought a sense of comfort.
Reminders of what’s at stake for Shiffrin over the next two weeks are everywhere. It’s hard to turn around without seeing Olympic branding splashed across something. Even, perhaps inadvertently, the moments you’d think she’d like to forget.
As the 30-year-old spoke about still being “wide-eyed” about returning to the kind of spotlight only the world’s biggest sporting event provides, the ghost of Shiffrin’s nightmarish trip to Beijing four years ago loomed quite literally a few feet away.
The promotional picture is of Shiffrin in full flight, body leaning into the next gate, eyes focused on the course ahead. Yet look a little closer, and the “Beijing” bib is hard to miss. Shiffrin left China without a medal, crashing out in three races and failing to reach the podium in three others.
Sure, she’ll carry the weight of that experience into the starting gate in Cortina. Just don’t think it’s any heavier than the slalom gold she won as a teenager in Sochi.
As if to offer proof, Shiffrin glanced over her shoulder at the image captured during one of the most competitively (if not physically) difficult stretches of her career and almost reflexively came up with a joke.
“It’s pretty cool,” she said, laughing. “(At least) it’s a picture where I was on my feet, you know?”
Yes, what happened in Beijing is part of her story. It’s hardly all of it. Even if she’s well aware that there will be a segment of the audience tuning in over the next 10 days that hasn’t watched her snap into a pair of skis since those draining days at Yanqing National Alpine Ski Centre in early 2022.
All she’s done in the interim is push her World Cup victory total to a record 108 and counting, sustain a freakish puncture wound to her abdomen during a giant slalom in Vermont in late 2024, and battle a combination of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and self-doubt to reach the podium in the GS last month for the first time in nearly two years.
Asked if it’s fair that what happens under the Olympic rings can have an outsized impact on the outward perception of her — when her resume suggests she’s the Greatest of All-Time (a moniker she shies away from) — and Shiffrin shrugs.
She described having the chance to ski on the world stage as a “beautiful gift.” If the price is the pressure of knowing that “judgments can be made on the sole moment when there’s so much else that has gone on,” it’s one she will pay again and again, no questions asked.
“Like Billie Jean King said, ‘Pressure is a privilege,’” Shiffrin said in a nod to the iconic quote by the tennis pioneer. “And that doesn’t always feel that way. But right now it really does feel like a privilege. I’m grateful for that.”
It’s hardly the only thing she’s grateful for. Shiffrin and her team have pared her competition schedule, sticking to her signature events — slalom, GS and the team combined — this time around. The narrower focus is working. She’s already clinched a record ninth World Cup slalom title and is regaining a racer’s mentality in giant slalom, a process that’s nudged her to the fringe of her comfort zone little by little while expanding that zone at the same time.
“I’m at a point now where I’m excited to ski a fast GS,” she said.
Only maybe up to a point. There are still a handful of turns during a race where a part of her brain sets off an alarm that rings “that’s enough.”
“That might not be anything but mental,” she said. “That might just be that I don’t particularly like to go that fast. I feel more like my aunt than my mom, who really likes to ski fast. But that’s another story for another time.”
The story for this time will be written in the coming days. She has no interest in defining what will pass for a “success.” That will come much later. If she’s learned anything since her Olympic debut as an 18-year-old, it’s not get over her skis when it comes to expectations. The most she can hope for is getting on “outside her ski,” something that only happens when you’re at your most confident.
“Outside ski is the boss,” she said. “If you’re on your outside ski, you’re in the driver’s seat.”
The wheel can remain slippery at times. Looking back, she understands her inability to get on that outside ski played a factor in the crash in Killington that sent a gate pole smashing into her abdomen before she went sprawling into the catch fence.
The physical wound has long since healed. The mental one? Well, that takes time. Shiffrin is getting there. Being at a place she loves — she thinks even with the Olympic branding everywhere, Cortina still feels like Cortina — helps.
The Olympics are a challenge. From the logistics of simply getting around to the outsized attention she commands at every turn, whether she wants it or not. She is trying to embrace it all.
Shiffrin was answering a question about the challenge of consistently competing at a high level in slalom when she stumbled upon a metaphor that describes what she’ll face in Italy, from external expectations to the inevitable comparisons of teammate Lindsey Vonn to the never-ending wrangling with her own self-confidence.
“It feels like ‘Whac-a-Mole,’ except for you’re the mole,” she said. “And you don’t want to be a mole. You want to be whacking, you know what I mean?”
England launched their bid for Six Nations glory with an emphatic and chastening 48-7 mauling of a sorry Wales at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham.
After France dismantled Ireland in Thursday’s tournament opener, England were tasked with underscoring their status as chief rivals to the reigning champions – a challenge they rose to in ruthless fashion.
Wales were architects of their own downfall, buckling time and again under England’s brutal dominance, which saw Henry Arundell run in a first‑half hat‑trick, Ben Earl cross over, and the visitors reduced to 13 as Nicky Smith and Dewi Lake were sin‑binned.
Wales travelled to Twickenham with expectations at an unprecedented low, but this drubbing – made heavier by second‑half scores from Tom Roebuck and Tommy Freeman and a penalty try – offered another sobering reality check for Steve Tandy’s squad, with the magnitude of the task of reviving Welsh rugby laid bare.
For Steve Borthwick and England, a comprehensive bonus‑point win – their 12th successive Test victory – offered the latest measure of their continued progress ahead of next week’s Calcutta Cup trip to a wounded Scotland.
England 48-7 Wales – Score summary
England – Tries: Arundell (7, 18, 35), Roebuck (44), penalty try (67), Freeman (79); Conversions: Ford (8, 24, 36, 45); Penalties: Ford (2).
Wales – Tries: Adams (51); Conversions: D Edwards (52).
England put sorry Wales to the sword
England ticked along at a point a minute from the outset. George Ford followed his early penalty with a miss‑pass that released Arundell in the corner for his first, establishing a 10-0 lead inside eight minutes.
Prop Smith paid the price for persistent Welsh infringements when he was sent to the bin on 17 minutes, and his captain Lake followed him 30 seconds later for cynically bringing down a maul, leaving the visitors down to 13.
Image: Henry Arundell scores England’s first try against Wales
It took England seconds to exploit the numerical advantage, Ford and Arundell combining again as the winger gathered the fly‑half’s cross‑field kick to touch down unopposed for his second.
Wales ultimately conceded 12 points with Smith and Lake off the field, Earl marauding down the touchline and over in the corner for England’s third midway through the first half.
Even when restored to their full complement, there was no respite for Wales. Fraser Dingwall pounced on a handling error in the Welsh backline, shifting the ball immediately to Arundell, who streaked clear of Aaron Wainwright to complete his hat‑trick.
Image: Ben Earl scores England’s third try in the first half against Wales
England picked up where they left off early in the second half, with Tom Roebuck carving through Wales to add a fifth try for the hosts.
Twickenham roared to salute England captain Maro Itoje as he came off the bench for his first appearance since the passing of his mother.
But he was on the field only seconds before being sent to the bin for repeated infringements caused by mounting Welsh pressure, which finally yielded a score when Josh Adams gathered a cross‑field kick to touch down and spare the visitors’ blushes.
Henry Pollock saw a try ruled out for a foot in touch, only for England to be awarded a penalty after Taine Plumtree’s tackle on the forward was deemed high.
After seeing a score chalked off for a Luke Cowan‑Dickie neck roll at the breakdown, Tommy Freeman had the final word when he went over in the corner to add a final coat of gloss to an England victory that was sealed with ease.
Ford: We left a bit out there
Player of the match – England fly-half George Ford – told ITV: “We’re obviously delighted with the result, and by and large I thought the performance was good.
“There’s a tad bit of frustration in that as well. We wanted a good start, a decent performance, and we got that.
“The start of a Test match is always massive. First 10, 15, 20 minutes tactically to get a foothold in the game and put your stamp on it.
“We’re trying to put bits of our game together, we want a really good defence, kicking game, set-piece, all to give us attacking opportunities. The more we create, the more we’ll take.
“We probably left a bit out there today. It’s always tough at Murrayfield, but we’ll look forward to it. We always love going up there. We’ll give it our best shot.”
England’s Six Nations fixtures and results
England 48-7 Wales (Saturday February 7) – Allianz Stadium, Twickenham
vs Scotland (Saturday February 14) – Murrayfield (4.40pm)
vs Ireland (Saturday February 21) – Allianz Stadium, Twickenham (2.10pm)
vs Italy (Saturday March 7) – Stadio Olimpico, Rome (4.40pm)
vs France (Saturday March 14) – Stade de France, Paris (8.10pm)
England travel to Murrayfield to face Scotland for the Calcutta Cup on February 14 at 4.40pm, while Wales host defending champions France in Cardiff on February 15 at 3.10pm.
Wales’ Six Nations fixtures and results
England 48-7 Wales (Saturday February 7) – Allianz Stadium, Twickenham
vs France (Sunday February 15) – Principality Stadium, Cardiff (3.10pm)
vs Scotland (Saturday February 21) – Principality Stadium, Cardiff (4.40pm)
vs Ireland (Friday March 6) – Aviva Stadium, Dublin (8.10pm)
vs Italy (Saturday March 14) – Principality Stadium, Cardiff (4.40pm)
While some fans come for the gridiron action, others tune in to the NFL’s marquee game of the season for the ads. There’s often a hefty price attached to Super Bowl commercials, and this year is no different. According to CNBC, 30-second slots averaged $8 million and some sold for more than $10 million. However, the right ad can be priceless.
Athletes will be scattered throughout the commercials during Super Bowl LX. Peyton Manning returns for Bud Light, a plethora of the NFL’s greatest tight ends team up and Derrick Henry shows off his arm talent.
Here’s a look at the top commercials during Super Bowl LX that feature athletes.
Star-studded cast models glasses of the future
Athletes are no strangers to Oakley sunglasses — Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes even has his own collection. Therefore, it’s only right that Oakley tapped multiple athletes to highlight its new “Oakley Meta Performance AI glasses.”
Former Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch gets it started by skydiving before skater Sky Brown, cyclist Kate Courtney and golfer Akshay Bhatia join in, participating in their respective sports. Internet personality iShowSpeed and filmmaker Spike Lee are also part of the ad, which showcases the various functions of Oakley’s glasses.
A lesson on the links
In the spirit of the Winter Olympics, Michelob Ultra decided to bring out the skis with instructions from actor Kurt Russell. The commercial begins with actor Lewis Pullman losing in a race, meaning he’ll have to buy a round of Michelob Ultra.
Russell notices Pullman’s defeat and decides to train him. Pullman wins the next race, pulling off a backflip on skis, receiving approval from Olympic snowboarding gold medalist Chloe Kim and Stanley Cup winner T.J. Oshie.
Peyton returns for Bud Light
The two-time Super Bowl champion had a prime spot with Bud Light for a 2025 commercial with comedian Shane Gillis and musician Post Malone. Manning, Gillis and Malone are back this year in an ad simply titled: “Keg.”
While at a wedding, Manning holds a glass of Bud Light he describes as “first beer of the wedding.” Malone asks: “Is there enough for everyone?” before Manning points to a keg being rolled into the ceremony. However, the keg falls down a hill, sparking members of the wedding — bride and groom included — rolling down to grab it.
Tight ends unite for an important cause
Medicine company Novartis tapped a group of current and former NFL tight ends to spread awareness about prostate cancer screening. From Jake Olson and Tony Gonzalez to George Kittle and Rob Gronkowski, the men are shown in relaxing states while calming music plays in the background.
Halfway through the commercial, Super Bowl-winning head coach Bruce Arians shares why the tight ends are so relaxed — they’ve learned that a simple blood test can detect prostate cancer, easing challenges of detecting it. Arians asks Gronkowski to show what the coach taught him. And Gronk, as you probably guessed, relaxes his tight end to get the point across.
Henry shows off arm during trolley tour
Trolley tours are a key part of the San Francisco experience. Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry and actress Kathryn Hahn hopped on a trolley themselves, but when it struggled to get up a hill, Hahn hopped out to push it back up.
She handed her Oikos to Henry, then proceeded to get the trolley rolling back up and away from her. However, her Oikos remained with Henry, who delivered it to her with a throw reminiscent of those of his quarterback, Lamar Jackson.
Serena shares fitness journey
Tennis icon Serena Williams is back with a Super Bowl ad that highlights her health changes — including losing 34 pounds — while on Ro’s GLP-1.
ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the Washington Wizards from 2014 to 2016 and the Washington Nationals from 2016 to 2018 for The Washington Post before covering the Los Angeles Dodgers and MLB for the Los Angeles Times from 2018 to 2024.
Multiple Authors
First baseman Paul Goldschmidt and the New York Yankees are finalizing a one-year contract, sources told ESPN’s Jeff Passan on Friday, reuniting the two sides after one season together.
Goldschmidt, 38, is expected to back up Ben Rice at first base and primarily start games against left-handed pitchers. The seven-time All-Star finished .274/.328/.403 in 146 games last season with drastic splits, posting a .981 OPS in 168 plate appearances against lefties and a .619 OPS in 366 plate appearances against righties.
Goldschmidt would be the sixth player the Yankees have re-signed from last season’s team, joining Cody Bellinger, Trent Grisham, Amed Rosario, Ryan Yarbrough and Paul Blackburn. New York has yet to sign a free agent from another club to a major league contract. Other moves include acquiring left-hander Ryan Weathers and selecting right-hander Cade Winquest in the Rule 5 draft.
Goldschmidt began 2025 as the Yankees’ everyday first baseman after signing a one-year, $12 million deal to be part of the recovery plan after the team lost Juan Soto to the Mets.
By midseason, however, he was in a platoon role in the second half, with Rice establishing himself in his second season and getting the starts against right-handed pitchers.
Goldschmidt finished the season with a 169 Weighted Runs Created Plus (wRC+) against lefties, good for fourth in the majors. But his 74 wRC+ against righties was tied for 148th among 155 players. Seven of his 10 homers came against lefties.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone and players constantly praised Goldschmidt for his professionalism, leadership and clubhouse presence. Goldschmidt, a six-time top-10 MVP finisher with the St. Louis Cardinals and Arizona Diamondbacks, worked with Rice at first base, offering the younger teammate tips to improve at a position he had barely played before his rookie season in 2024.
The Yankees entered the postseason with the timeshare at first base, but Goldschmidt was moved to a reserve role after Game 1 of the wild-card series against the Boston Red Sox. He came off the bench in four of the next five games and didn’t start again until Game 4 of the ALDS, when the Yankees were eliminated in a loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.
Goldschmidt, the 2022 National League MVP, arrived in New York after recording career lows in batting average (.245), on-base percentage (.302), slugging percentage (.414) and OPS (.716) with the Cardinals in 2024.
His first year in the Bronx was good enough for the Yankees to bring him back in a reduced role for his 16th major league season.
As it stands, the Yankees have five choices for four bench spots with spring training less than a week away: Goldschmidt, catcher J.C. Escarra, outfielder Jasson Dominguez, and utilitymen Rosario and Oswaldo Cabrera.
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — Lindsey Vonn wrapped up her second successful training run in a row Saturday and appears ready to go for gold in the Milan Cortina Olympics downhill at the age of 41, little more than a week after rupturing the ACL of her left knee.
The American crossed in third position, 0.37 seconds behind leader and teammate Breezy Johnson, and pumped her fist after seeing the result.
“All good,” Vonn told The Associated Press.
Vonn is preparing to race the downhill on Sunday with a large brace covering her injured knee. She had a partial titanium replacement inserted in her right knee in 2024 and then returned to ski racing last season after nearly six years of retirement. She crashed during the final World Cup downhill before the Olympics, raising the possibility that she would end not just her season but her career.
Instead, she has been steadfast in saying she would ski at the Olympics if at all possible and, after a training run was canceled Thursday, hit the Olympia delle Tofana downhill course on Friday and Saturday with the other racers. She placed 11th in Thursday’s training, though the times mean nothing since the athletes do not always go all in.
Vonn holds the record of 12 World Cup wins in Cortina.
Former NFL linebacker Darron Lee has been charged with murdering his girlfriend.
Lee – a first-round draft pick for the New York Jets in 2016 who last played in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills in 2020 – was taken into custody on Thursday.
He was subsequently charged with first-degree murder and tampering with evidence, and is now due in court on February 11.
Responders attempted to save a woman’s life at the scene but she was pronounced dead.
Lee, 31, played three seasons for the Jets, starting 36 games, before being released in 2019 and joining the Kansas City Chiefs for a year.
He made two appearances for the Bills but has not played since, seeing no action during a spell with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021.
Lee was arrested for assault and domestic violence in 2023.
Sarah Barshop covers the Los Angeles Rams for ESPN. She joined ESPN in 2016 to cover the Green Bay Packers for ESPN Milwaukee. She then moved to Houston to cover the Texans. She came to ESPN after working as a writer and editor for Sports Illustrated.
Multiple Authors
LOS ANGELES — Former Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury is joining the Los Angeles Rams‘ coaching staff, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Peter Schrager on Friday.
Kingsbury spent the past two seasons with the Commanders before the sides agreed to part in January, according to Schefter. The coordinator had one year left on his contract.
The Rams had the top-ranked scoring offense this season but will make changes to their staff after offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur was hired as the Arizona Cardinals‘ head coach. Rams coach Sean McVay said earlier in the week that Los Angeles would conduct an “extensive search” to find LaFleur’s replacement and that the team had “great in-house candidates” who could be hired into the role.
Los Angeles, coming off a loss to Seattle in the NFC Championship Game, will have a significant portion of the offense return next season. Quarterback Matthew Stafford, who was named NFL MVP on Thursday night, announced that he would return for his 18th season.
In 2025, the Commanders dealt with significant injuries, including to quarterback Jayden Daniels and wide receiver Terry McLaurin. A season after Daniels was named Offensive Rookie of the Year, Washington finished 22nd in scoring and 22nd in yards. Team sources told ESPN’s John Keim there was a divide in Washington over what style of offense to run moving forward.
Kingsbury previously served as the Cardinals’ head coach for four years before he was fired after the 2022 season.
OOLTEWAH, Tenn. — A former New York Jets first-round draft pick was arrested in Tennessee and charged with first-degree murder in the death of his girlfriend.
Darron Lee was identified Thursday as the suspect and taken into custody at the scene, according to the Hamilton County sheriff’s office.
The victim’s identity was not released.
The 31-year-old Lee played 58 games with the Jets, Kansas City and Buffalo from 2016 through the 2020 seasons. The former Ohio State linebacker was the 20th overall pick in 2016 by the Jets. He was the defensive MVP of the 2015 Sugar Bowl.
Lee was charged with first-degree murder and tampering with evidence. Additional charges could be pending following the outcome of the investigation, the sheriff’s office said.
Upon arrival, first responders located a female victim and attempted life-saving measures.
“Due to the condition of the victim and the residence, HCSO Criminal Investigative Services Detectives responded. Preliminary findings indicate the victim’s death was the result of a homicide,” the Hamilton County sheriff’s office said in a statement.
HENDERSON, Nev. — Raiders star pass rusher Maxx Crosby said Friday that any talk of wanting out of Las Vegas did not come from him.
Fox Sports reported this week that it expects Crosby to be traded because the seven-year veteran didn’t want to go through another rebuild. The Athletic said Crosby was especially interested in playing for New England coach Mike Vrabel.
Speaking from the team facility, Crosby said Friday on “The Herd with Colin Cowherd” that he intentionally hasn’t spoken publicly this offseason because he learned he “can’t control everything.”
“Now that I’m quiet, I’ve got random people making big statements for me,” said Crosby, wearing a Raiders sweatshirt and skullcap. “They’re like, ‘Maxx must’ve told them this.’ For me, I just sit back and laugh because I know my truth and when I go to bed at night, I have a smile on my face because I don’t have to explain nothing to nobody.
“I’m getting healthy. I’m in the building every single day. I’m in this building from 6 a.m. when it’s dark out, and I’m here until almost 2. … That’s all I care about, so all the noise, that’s news to me sometimes.”
Speculation about Crosby’s future with the Raiders ramped up late this season when the club placed him on injured reserve with two games left because of a knee injury. Crosby was not pleased about the decision and left the building.
The five-time Pro Bowler could attract a strong trade offer if the Raiders go that route. They are about to enter their third season in a row with a different head coach, with Seattle offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak expected to take the job after Sunday’s Super Bowl.
Las Vegas comes off a 3-14 record but will have the first pick in the draft and more than $91 million in salary cap space, according to OverTheCap.com.
Crosby has had double-digit sacks three of the past four years, and this season had a career-high 28 tackles for loss.
He said his focus is on rehabilitating from left knee surgery that took place about a month ago.
“I’m ahead of schedule, and it’s business as usual,” Crosby said. “It’s my eighth surgery in seven years. It’s something that I’ve gotten used to. It’s all about perspective, about how you approach what you want to accomplish. I’m willing to run that marathon.”
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Daniel Oyefusi covers the Cleveland Browns for ESPN. Prior to ESPN, he covered the Miami Dolphins for the Miami Herald, as well as the Baltimore Ravens for The Baltimore Sun.
Stafford received 24 of 50 first-place votes and finished with 366 points. Maye got 23 first-place votes and finished with 361 points. It was the closest race since Peyton Manning and Steve McNair were co-winners in 2003.
In his 17th NFL season, Stafford, 37, became the oldest player in NFL history at the time of his first MVP. He also became the third-oldest player to win the award, behind Tom Brady (2017) and Aaron Rodgers (2021).
Stafford brought his four daughters — all dressed in identical black-and-white dresses — to the stage to accept the award at the NFL Honors show.
He thanked his team and saved his wife and daughters for last: “You’re unbelievable cheerleaders for me. I appreciate it. I am so happy to have you at the games on the sideline with me, and I can’t wait for you to cheer me on next year when we’re out there kicking ass.”
It was Stafford’s way of announcing that he will be back next season after contemplating retirement.
Over the last two months of the regular season, Stafford and Maye flip-flopped multiple times in the odds to win MVP, with Stafford emerging as the favorite after Week 18. He also was named an AP first team All-Pro for the first time in his career.
Stafford, who won Super Bowl LVI with Los Angeles in the 2021 season, became the fourth Rams player to be named MVP (Roman Gabriel in 1969, Kurt Warner in 1999 and 2001, and Marshall Faulk in 2000). Stafford led the NFL with 4,707 passing yards, as well as a career-high 46 passing touchdowns and just eight interceptions.
Stafford became the first player to win MVP for a team outside the top two seeds since Adrian Peterson in 2012. Since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger, only eight players have won MVP for nondivision winners, including just two quarterbacks (McNair in ’03, Manning in 2008). The Rams secured the fifth seed in the NFC after finishing second in the NFC West with a 12-5 record.
Los Angeles fell short of the Super Bowl after losing to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game. After that defeat, the focus turned to Stafford’s future in the NFL, but the veteran QB assured fans Thursday night that he’ll be back for an 18th season.
“I’ll see you guys next year,” said Stafford, whose 64,516 regular-season passing yards rank sixth in NFL history — 1,758 behind Rodgers. “Hopefully, I’m not at this event and we’re getting ready for another game at SoFi.”
The Rams’ home stadium will host the Super Bowl in 2027.
Maye led the Patriots to a 14-3 record, the AFC East title and the second seed in the AFC in his second season. They’ll play the Seahawks in the Super Bowl on Sunday.
Maye, 23, had a breakout sophomore season, leading the NFL in passer rating (113.5), completion percentage (72.0%) and yards per attempt (8.9), and throwing for 4,394 yards, along with 31 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
He became the youngest player since the merger to lead the NFL in completion percentage, surpassing the previous mark set by 24-year-old Joe Montana in 1980.
A nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league completed voting before the playoffs began.
Voters selected a top five for the eight AP NFL awards. First-place votes were worth 10 points. Second- through fifth-place votes were worth 5, 3, 2 and 1 points.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
The top stories and transfer rumours from Saturday’s newspapers…
PREMIER LEAGUE
The Saudi Pro League is ready to offload Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo for £43m, but Manchester United are not interested in bringing the 41-year-old to the club for a third time as it stands – The i Paper
Luis Enrique will snub a move to Manchester United to sign a new deal with Paris Saint-Germain – Daily Mirror
Manchester City are lining up Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson, Brentford’s Michael Kayode and Feyenoord right-back Givairo Read, 19, amid confidence that manager Pep Guardiola will stay at the club for another year – The i Paper
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A top five of the longest throw-ins that led to goals in the Premier League so far this season
The son of the former Chelsea defender, Thiago Silva, could make his debut for England this week after being called up to the Three Lions’ Under-15 squad – Daily Mirror
Former Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher says the death of Diogo Jota means performances and results at his old club are not quite as important this season – The Independent
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has moved to quell speculation he could walk away at the end of the season following a dispiriting run of results – The Independent
SCOTTISH FOOTBALL
On-loan Bournemouth defender Julian Araujo has refused to rule out a permanent move to Celtic – Daily Record
BOXING
Deontay Wilder has refused to acknowledge Jake Paul as a “real fighter” – The Sun
New England is looking to make history by becoming the first NFL team with seven Super Bowl wins. The last time the Seahawks played in the big game was against the Patriots in 2015 for Super Bowl XLIX, where Seattle lost a 28-24 heartbreaker. New England entered the playoffs as the AFC’s No. 2 seed, while Seattle entered as the NFC’s No. 1 seed.
We have you covered with everything you need to know, including team previews, a breakdown of Super Bowl MVP candidates and game picks. We also provide advice from our sports betting experts and in-depth statistics from ESPN Research. We look at the two quarterbacks, coaches, officiating, positional advantages and X factors. And scroll all the way down to check out our preview of Bad Bunny’s halftime show.
Let’s dive into this one-stop cheat sheet, starting with a preview of the matchup.
Call it the Explosive Play Bowl. The big play has always mattered, but in the past few years, NFL games have become battles between teams trying to create and prevent explosive plays.
Defenses have raised their rates of two-high safety looks, funneling teams toward the run and short passes. Offenses have accordingly taken what the defense has given. With a leaguewide increase in willingness to go for it on fourth down, third-and-short has become an opportunity to hit those explosive plays. And the dynamic kickoff and placing touchbacks at the 35-yard line have made it more difficult to play the field position game as a defense.
All this has created a league where explosive plays are the great differentiator. Manufacture one explosive play on offense after a kickoff and you’re probably already in field goal range. Successful defenses either force a ton of takeaways or stall the opposing offense from hitting a big play, trusting that they’ll come up with a sack, force a penalty or produce a negative play to throw the offense off schedule. Great offenses either force teams out of the two-high world by running the football too effectively or reliably hit throws into narrow windows downfield.
In terms of explosive-play differential — the gap between the rate at which teams generated explosive plays and prevented their opposition from doing the same — each of the four teams in the conference championship games ranked in the top five during the regular season. The Patriots were fourth at 2.8 percentage points, buoyed by a league-best explosive creation rate of 13.6% on offense. And the Seahawks’ explosive-play differential of 4.7 percentage points was the best mark in the NFL and the ninth-best figure posted by any team of the past 25 years. They were truly elite on defense, meaning we’ll get the league’s best offense at creating explosive plays versus the league’s best defense at stopping them Sunday.
Of course, one-game variance can swamp regular-season stats. The six best teams by explosive-play differential over the past 25 years made it to the Super Bowl; they all lost. A Patriots defense that was ordinary during the regular season by advanced metrics has allowed just six explosives through three postseason games while playing a series of compromised, injury-impacted offenses. The Seahawks gave up 12 explosives to the Rams in the NFC Championship Game. They won that matchup because quarterback Sam Darnold responded to two months of middling football by playing one of the best games of his life. His opponent, Drake Maye, has followed an MVP-caliber regular season with a wildly inconsistent postseason, mixing turnovers with spectacular plays.
In this postseason, we’ve seen individual games decided by unexpected injuries, fumble luck, missed kicks and ill-timed weather systems. One of those unpredictable factors might decide Sunday’s game too. All things being equal, though, this should be a fun Super Bowl matchup of two of the league’s explosive-play kings in 2025. Whoever manages to win that battle should be the favorite to take home the Lombardi Trophy. — Bill Barnwell, NFL analyst
2025 record: 14-3 ESPN’s Football Power Index: No. 1
Coach: Mike MacDonald
Macdonald didn’t play football past high school due to injuries. But he’s built like an NFL fullback, and as the son of a West Point graduate, he has a sternness to go along with his analytical brain. When the Seahawks hired Macdonald to replace Pete Carroll in 2024, they knew they were getting a defensive mastermind. But he has also grown as a leader, with players saying his willingness to admit mistakes helps them take his direct coaching style. At 38, he would become the third-youngest coach to win a Super Bowl.
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Schlereth: Seahawks the better all-around team in Super Bowl
Mark Schlereth explains why the Seahawks have the edge over the Patriots in Super Bowl LX.
How did they get here?
It started when team owner Jody Allen moved on from Carroll after the 2023 season, which was a difficult decision because Carroll had delivered the franchise its only Lombardi Trophy (XLVIII). General manager John Schneider tabbed Macdonald as Carroll’s replacement, and since then, the GM has continued his personnel tear.
The most notable of his several home run moves last offseason was trading quarterback Geno Smith and signingSam Darnold to replace him. Darnold and new coordinator Klint Kubiak transformed Seattle’s offense, while Macdonald’s defense took a significant step forward in Year 2 by allowing the fewest points per game (17.2) in the NFL. The Seahawks, with six Pro Bowl selections, have plenty of talent. But Macdonald has fostered a connectedness that has helped his team play even better. — Brady Henderson, Seahawks reporter
2025 record: 14-3 ESPN’s Football Power Index: No. 10
Coach: Mike Vrabel
A three-time Super Bowl champion as a linebacker with the Patriots in the 2000s, Vrabel still looks as if he might have a snap or two left in him. He puts on a chest pad at practice and lets players fire away at him. He’ll chug a beer in the locker room after a playoff win. He has a mastery of the rulebook and an empathetic approach — in part because he says a coach is only as good as his players.
How did they get here?
Faster than some of the players thought they would. They credit Vrabel and the culture he built, which included sharing their “4 Hs” — history, heartbreak, hope and hero — when they first met as a team in the spring. What resulted was a strong connection that players say made them want to play more for their teammates because they understood them better. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to have an MVP candidate in second-year QB Drake Maye, who blossomed under the direction of offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. — Mike Reiss, Patriots reporter
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Kyle Juszczyk: I like the Patriots’ chances to win the Super Bowl
San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk joins “The Rich Eisen Show” to explain why the Patriots have the edge over the Seahawks in Super Bowl LX.
Darnold’s regular season was truly the story of two halves. In the first 10 weeks, he was legitimately lights-out, with a league-leading 77.9 QBR and 9.3 yards per dropback. But from Week 11 on, his efficiency plummeted, with a 35.3 QBR (27th best) and 6.3 yards per dropback (15th). In the playoffs, he has looked more like the first-half version. But which Darnold will show up in the Super Bowl?
Strength: At his best, Darnold pushes the ball downfield accurately. In the first 10 weeks, he averaged 9.4 air yards per attempt (highest among QBR qualifiers) and had a league-best plus-10% completion percentage over expected, per NFL Next Gen Stats. And he did all of that while avoiding sacks (4.2% sack rate in that span).
Weakness: Turnovers were a problem during the regular season. Darnold’s 3.5% turnover rate was the worst among all QBR-qualifying quarterbacks. The good news for Seattle is that in its two playoff games, he has yet to turn the ball over. But given his track record, the issue is always a concern. — Seth Walder, analytics writer
Although he finished runner-up for MVP, Maye was the best quarterback in the NFL this season. Despite a middling offensive line and a lackluster receiving group, he led the league in QBR (77.1) in the regular season by a solid margin — even though it’s a metric that controls the quality of opponent. And the Patriots leaned heavily on him. They had a plus-4% pass rate over expected, the second highest, per Next Gen Stats.
Strength: Accuracy. Maye’s plus-9% completion percentage over expected was not only the highest among quarterbacks this season, but the highest among QB seasons since the metric began in 2016. Other numbers convey the same idea. Maye’s 12% off-target rate was the seventh best, and he achieved that while averaging 8.7 air yards per attempt, third most in the NFL.
Weakness: While the offensive line, receivers and scheme undoubtedly play a role, the biggest factor affecting sack rate is the quarterback. Maye was brought down 47 times during the regular season, fourth most in the NFL, and his 8.8% sack rate ranked fifth worst. He also had a 1.8% fumble rate that ranked third worst. — Walder
How can Seattle get wide receiver Rashid Shaheed more involved in the pass game?
The Seahawks don’t necessarily have to get him more involved, but it certainly won’t hurt if he can do what he did early in the NFC Championship Game, when he got open behind the Rams’ defense for a 51-yard gain. Shaheed had been using his game-breaking speed to make an impact in other ways, most notably on special teams. He has three return touchdowns since his arrival in a midseason trade from the Saints.
But before the title game, his impact on the offense was mostly on short and intermediate throws. He also took some end arounds and pitches out of the backfield. There are only so many targets to go around in a run-heavy offense that features All-Pro receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba as the primary option in the passing game. But Shaheed has the speed to make a big play. — Henderson
Will the Patriots’ offensive line be able to keep Maye clean against Seattle’s pass rush?
Vrabel said the Seahawks are probably the NFL’s best team at executing stunts to create pressure. That has given the Patriots’ offensive line trouble at times this season. New England is the first team to start multiple rookies on the offensive line in a Super Bowl, per ESPN Research, and the Patriots will need first-round pick Will Campbell (left tackle) and third-round pick Jared Wilson (left guard) to play well beyond their years. It’s an immense challenge against a defense that has shown a knack for creating pressure with the standard four rushers. — Reiss
While Smith-Njigba was primarily a slot receiver when he first joined the Seahawks, he is no longer limited. Across the regular season and playoffs, 24% of his routes and 20% of his targets have come from slot alignments. If the Patriots want to get Gonzalez matched up on Smith-Njigba, they won’t need to constantly travel him inside. Whether Gonzalez will travel with him at all is an interesting question, though.
In his first two seasons with the Patriots — when the defense played more man coverage — Gonzalez regularly followed the opponent’s best WR on the outside. This season, as the Patriots have run more zone and enjoyed a strong CB2 in Carlton Davis III, Gonzalez has primarily stayed to one side of the field, lining up as the right cornerback on 72% of snaps. I imagine we’ll see him travel with Smith-Njigba some, but it doesn’t need to be the linchpin of the Patriots’ game plan.
Expect to see Smith-Njigba sent in motion often — doubly so on the first few series. If Gonzalez is shadowing him, the Seahawks will motion Smith-Njigba into the slot to force nickel corner Marcus Jones to endure the one-on-one matchup. Jones is a great slot corner, but the Pats will need to dial up double-teams to handle Smith-Njigba if he suddenly becomes a true slot receiver in this game.
The lean in this matchup goes to Smith-Njigba. There’s a bright spot for New England, though: Gonzalez can’t single-handedly erase Smith-Njigba, but if he can hold his own at the line of scrimmage, he can force Darnold to take longer dropbacks and target other receivers. That would be a win for the Patriots’ defense. — Ben Solak, NFL analyst
Jerry Rice explains to Rich Eisen why he’s siding with the Seahawks over the Patriots in the Super Bowl.
Keys to a Seahawks win
Positional advantage: Secondary
This unit is built on speed and physicality. It played a league-high 815 snaps of nickel and allowed only 5.5 yards per attempt. The Seahawks can major in on Cover 2 to limit the vertical opportunities for Maye, while also mixing in man schemes to challenge the timing of New England’s passing game.
With cornerbacks Devon Witherspoon and Josh Jobe on the perimeter, plus rookie Nick Emmanwori playing as a low zone disruptor in the slot, the Seahawks can close throwing windows and create edges in the run game. And over the top, safeties Julian Love and Coby Bryant have the instincts to make plays downfield. — Matt Bowen, NFL analyst
Shaheed is the Seattle player most likely to produce a big play, either in the passing game or on special teams. He was always a good return player for the Saints, but he has kicked it into another gear after combining with Seattle’s strong blocking units. In 11 games with the Seahawks, including the postseason, Shaheed has returned one punt and two kickoffs for touchdowns.
Shaheed has not played as big of a role in the Seattle passing game as expected. He caught only 15 passes for 188 yards during the regular season with no touchdowns. But he’ll likely be covered by cornerback Carlton Davis III, who led New England with six defensive pass interference penalties in 2025. — Aaron Schatz, NFL analyst
Emmanwori has quickly turned into one of the team’s best defensive players. He is a hybrid defender who primarily occupies the nickel position in Macdonald’s defense, but he’s capable of playing multiple roles. He has an intense wrap-up and brings a lot of energy to the unit. Emmanwori was a limited participant in practice Wednesday and did not practice Thursday after an ankle injury, which could cause issues for Seattle if he’s not at 100%. — Jordan Reid, NFL draft analyst
Keys to a Patriots win
Positional advantage: Running backs
With two dual-threat backs in Rhamondre Stevenson and rookie TreVeyon Henderson, the Patriots must create an offensive tempo by running the ball, while also getting them to contribute in the pass game. Stevenson led the NFL with 2.8 yards after contact per rush, showing off his short-area speed and power. Henderson gives the Patriots more juice on the perimeter and big-play ability, as he had 18 rushes of 10 or more yards this season. With the zone coverage tendencies of the Seattle defense, Stevenson and Henderson can produce as underneath outlets for Maye. — Bowen
You will mostly see Jones as the Patriots’ nickelback. That means he’ll spend a lot of time covering receiver Cooper Kupp. But he might have to cover Smith-Njigba, considering how the Seahawks will sometimes move JSN into the slot or the backfield to get him open. Jones had good coverage this season, although his coverage DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average) is closer to average after adjusting for the quality of the receivers.
When Jones gets active, however, he makes plenty of big plays. Jones led the Patriots with 23 defeats, a metric that combines turnovers, tackles for loss and plays to prevent a conversion on third or fourth down. He was one of five defensive backs to lead their teams in this metric. Jones had three fumble recoveries, one forced fumble and two interceptions (plus a third pick returned for a touchdown in the divisional round against Houston). He also had two sacks and four pressures as part of New England’s blitz packages.
Jones is also an X factor because of his impact on the kicking game. He was the second-team All-Pro punt returner this season with an average of 17.3 yards and two touchdowns. — Schatz
The rookie will have his hands full against a Seattle defense that brings pressure from many different areas instead of a straight four-man rush. Campbell, who was attributed seven sacks in the regular season, will be tasked with not just stopping a right-side defensive end, but also with keeping delayed pressures and blitzes off Maye. Campbell’s poise as a pass protector is what made him the top tackle drafted in 2025, but this will be the biggest test of his career. Campbell’s performance will be crucial to keep Maye and the offense moving. — Matt Miller, NFL draft analyst
ESPN’s FPI has the Seahawks winning 59.6% of the simulations — and they are favored to win by an average of 3.6 points.
This matchup is a showdown between two top-10 teams in FPI: the No. 1 Seahawks (7.0) and the No. 10 Patriots (2.6). The Patriots are ninth on offense and the Seahawks rank 11th. On defense, Seattle ranks first and New England is 11th.
In the preseason, the Seahawks had the 21st-best chance to make the Super Bowl (2.6%) and the Patriots had the 25th-best odds (2%). Seattle was given a 1.1% chance to win it, while New England was at 0.9%.
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What Marcus Spears loves about Super Bowl LX matchup
Marcus Spears joins Rich Eisen and details what he finds cool about the Super Bowl matchup between the Patriots and Seahawks.
Who wins the game?
Of the 58 experts who weighed in, the Seahawks were favored by 48 of them (82.8%), while the Patriots claimed 10 votes (17.2%). The most common score prediction was 27-17 in favor of Seattle (picked by four of our experts).
Of the 58 experts who weighed in, 23 (39.7%) picked Darnold to win Super Bowl MVP. Darnold (+115), Maye (+240) and Smith-Njigba (+550) are the favorites, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. We asked a few experts to explain their MVP prediction.
Jason Reid, Andscape senior writer:Darnold. He is on quite the run. He was efficient in the Seahawks’ 41-6 rout of the 49ers in the divisional round, and he played the best game of his career in a 31-27 victory over the Rams in the NFC Championship Game. Darnold has never been more settled in the pocket. On Sunday, that will be clear again.
Liz Loza, fantasy and betting analyst: Darnold.Since I’m taking Seattle to win outright, it makes sense to fold in Darnold as the MVP. The Super Bowl winner’s QB has been named MVP in 34 of 59 Super Bowls, including seven of the past nine.
Todd Archer, Cowboys reporter: Maye. Maybe there’s something wrong with his right shoulder, but the Patriots will not have to worry about the elements like they did against Houston and Denver. Maye will come up with the big plays late in the game and bring home a seventh Lombardi Trophy.
Eric Moody, fantasy and betting analyst: Smith-Njigba. He was the engine of the Seahawks’ offense all season, finishing with 119 catches for 1,793 yards and earning first-team All-Pro honors. He further proved himself against Los Angeles with 10 catches, 153 yards and a touchdown. If JSN sees similar target volume on football’s biggest stage, he’ll be well-positioned to emerge as the MVP.
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Mark Schlereth’s Super Bowl MVP prediction
Mark Schlereth joins Rich Eisen to give his predictions for the Super Bowl LX winner, score and MVP.
Matt Miller, NFL draft analyst: Smith-Njigba. He has been a matchup nightmare for every team throughout the 2025 season and the playoffs. As great as the Patriots’ defense has been, his ability to uncover himself as a route runner and Darnold’s short-area accuracy/timing should add up to a big night for the All-Pro wide receiver.
Ben Solak, NFL analyst: Shaheed. I expect a low scoring game overall, which means that one game-changing touchdown might warrant the MVP award. Shaheed has the ability to score in all three phases: receiving, returning and even on a handoff. He’s the fun long shot bet that might actually pay out.
Seattle has won nine straight games, including the playoffs, which is the longest active streak in the NFL and the second longest in franchise history (11 in 2005).
Darnold is 0-4 in his career versus the Patriots, the second-most losses without a win by a quarterback in their career against an opponent entering a Super Bowl matchup.
Including the playoffs, Smith-Njigba is seeking his 11th game with at least 100 receiving yards. If he reaches the mark, he will tie for the third most in a season in NFL history.
Defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence recorded a sack and forced fumble in both Seahawks wins this postseason. If he does so again in the Super Bowl, he will be first player this century to do so.
The Seahawks are the first team to lead the NFL in scoring defense in the regular season and make it to the Super Bowl since the 2016 Patriots. Teams that led the NFL in scoring defense in the regular season are 14-4 in the Super Bowl.
Patriots
New England has averaged 18.0 points this postseason, fourth fewest by any team entering the Super Bowl all time and the fewest since the 1979 Rams (15.0, lost 31-19 in XIV).
The Patriots are the first team since the 1970 merger to defeat three of the top five teams in total defenses (yards per game) en route to their Super Bowl appearance (Chargers were fifth, Texans were first and Broncos were second).
Including the playoffs, New England has led at halftime in 17 of 20 games this season, tied with the 1984 49ers for the most such leads in a season in the Super Bowl era (since 1966).
Maye has had 129 rushing yards on scrambles during the playoffs, which is the fourth most by any QB in a single postseason in the past 20 years.
Including the playoffs, the Patriots have a 12-0 record (14.5 PPG allowed) in games that Christian Gonzalez and Milton Williams play this season.
Shaheed finishes with 100-plus all-purpose yards and scores a touchdown. He delivered a punt return touchdown in Week 16, a kickoff return TD in the divisional round and a 51-yard catch in the NFC Championship Game, showcasing his game-breaking upside. With Smith-Njigba drawing constant double teams, this could be a great opportunity to unleash Shaheed on offense. — Eric Moody, fantasy and betting analyst
Smith-Njigba goes well over 100 yards. I’m predicting he’ll catch 14 passes for 186 yards and three touchdowns to run away with the Super Bowl MVP award. He’ll get to leave Santa Clara as the unquestioned best WR in football. — Mike Tannenbaum, NFL analyst
Kenneth Walker III posts 150-plus yards from scrimmage. Walker has averaged over 120 yards from scrimmage in his past five games (including the playoffs), and he was in a committee the bulk of that time. Zach Charbonnet‘s torn ACL means Walker projects to be the go-to RB on Sunday. Walker will have two things working in his favor: an elite WR in JSN, who demands high levels of defensive attention, and a QB in Darnold, who opens things up by being one of the best in play-action. — Stephania Bell, fantasy and injury analyst
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Stephen A.: The Seahawks are a great story
Stephen A. Smith explains why the Seahawks are on a more impressive Super Bowl run than the Patriots.
Maye throws for 300 yards and multiple touchdowns. He had a remarkable regular season, but he has had moderate production this postseason against three top-five defenses from the regular season — with yet another enormous challenge in the Seahawks. A stat-stuffing game doesn’t seem likely on paper, but the second-youngest quarterback to start a Super Bowl has uncommon poise and the talent to step up in a major way. — Field Yates, NFL analyst
There’s no question about Darnold’s availability for the Super Bowl. But the left oblique injury he has played through in both of Seattle’s playoff games has remained something he has had to manage. The Seahawks have listed the quarterback as a limited participant on all seven of the injury reports they’ve released since Darnold was hurt on Jan. 15. But then again, he didn’t look bothered by it while throwing three touchdown passes in the NFC Championship Game. “It feels great,” Darnold said of his oblique Monday.
Other injury situations of note are with fullbacks Brady Russell (hand) and Robbie Ouzts (neck), who were limited last week and given an initial designation of questionable for the Super Bowl. Russell is Seattle’s de facto special teams captain. And Emmanwori hurt an ankle while defending a pass late in practice Wednesday afternoon, and he did not practice Thursday. — Henderson
Maye’s right shoulder limited him on Jan. 29 at the team’s first practice leading into the Super Bowl, and then an illness kept him off the practice field the following day. So while Maye has said he’s playing in the game, it is unclear how much he will be affected by the shoulder and having his regular routine altered.
Starting linebacker/defensive signal-caller Robert Spillane (ankle) and veteran edge rusher Harold Landry III (knee) are the others whose status was uncertain when the team arrived in the Bay Area. — Reiss
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Stephen A. calls out Woody’s take on Pats’ path to Super Bowl
Stephen A. Smith gets fired up after hearing Damien Woody’s take that the Patriots had a harder path to Super Bowl LX than the Seahawks did.
What to know about the officiating
In naming Shawn Smith its Super Bowl referee, the NFL broke its recent pattern of using a small group of rotating officials to caretake its most important game. Carl Cheffers, Bill Vinovich and Ronald Torbert each refereed two of the past six Super Bowls.
Smith has been a strong performer for a while, based on merit-based playoff assignments in each of the past five seasons. But his relatively quick rise — the NFL hired him as an umpire in 2015 and promoted him to referee in 2018 — makes him one of the least experienced Super Bowl referees in recent memory. Smith will have a strong support group, most notably umpire Roy Ellison and side judge Eugene Hall, each of whom have worked three Super Bowls. — Kevin Seifert, Vikings reporter and officiating analyst
What happened the last time these two teams met in the Super Bowl?
It’s a game forever etched in the memories — or nightmares — of Patriots and Seahawks fans. Seattle was 26 seconds and one touchdown away from hoisting back-to-back Lombardi trophies until quarterback Russell Wilson took the snap at the 1-yard line and threw to Ricardo Lockette on his right, only to watch rookie cornerback Malcolm Butler intercept the pass at the goal line.
More stunning than Butler’s interception was Seahawks coach Pete Carroll’s decision for Wilson to not hand the ball off to running back Marshawn Lynch, who powered the offense that season behind 1,306 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns. The Patriots entered the fourth quarter trailing by 10 points before quarterback Tom Brady led consecutive touchdown drives to take the lead and earn his fourth title. —Lindsey Thiry, national NFL reporter
This is one of the most improbable Super Bowls — the first since at least 1977 when both teams entered the season at 60-1 to win. But one team has a clear advantage in the eyes of the sportsbooks.
The Seahawks opened as 3.5-point favorites and quickly moved to 4.5-point favorites. Seattle is the biggest Super Bowl favorite since the 2021 Rams (-4.5), but big favorites have not been immune to getting upset. The past seven teams favored by at least 4 points in the Super Bowl all failed to cover the spread, with five of the seven losing outright.
The underdog has won each of the past three Super Bowls and has covered in each of the past five. This is all welcomed news for the Patriots, who are embracing the “road warrior” mentality in Santa Clara. AFC teams are also 8-3 ATS in the past 11 Super Bowls.
Best bet: Patriots +4.5
Darnold’s splits are stark. When kept clean, he’s efficient and dangerous. But when under pressure, his completion rate drops to 50% and his yards per attempt falls to 6.4. New England blitzes often and limits explosive passes, which forces Darnold into the exact environment where his efficiency collapses. Combine that with the Patriots’ willingness to absorb sacks, lean on Stevenson and bleed the clock, and you get a game that stays tight by design. Seattle can win, but New England and the points make sense. — Pamela Maldonado, betting analyst
Bad Bunny will perform at the halftime show. He is a six-time Grammy award-winning artist and a 17-time Latin Grammy Awards winner. At the 68th Grammy Awards, he won Album of the Year for “Debí Tirar Más Fotos.”
Some of Bad Bunny’s most popular songs include “Dákiti,” “Titi Me Preguntó” and “Me Porto Bonito.” He also has song collaborations with Cardi B and J. Balvin (“I Like It”) and Drake (“Mia”).
Sonny Jurgensen, the Hall of Fame quarterback whose strong arm, keen wit and affable personality made him one of the most beloved figures in Washington football history, has died. He was 91.
A Washington Commanders spokesperson confirmed Friday the team learned of Jurgensen’s death that morning from his family, who said he died of natural causes in Naples, Florida, after a brief stay in hospice care.
“We are enormously proud of his amazing life and accomplishments on the field, marked not only by a golden arm but also a fearless spirit and intellect that earned him a place among the legends in Canton,” his family said in a statement. “He lived with deep appreciation for the teammates, colleagues and friends he met along the way. While he has taken his final snap, his legacy will remain an indelible part of the city he loved and the family he built.”
Jurgensen arrived in Washington in 1964 in a surprise quarterback swap that sent Norm Snead to the Philadelphia Eagles. Over the next 11 seasons, Jurgensen rewrote the team’s record books.
He topped 3,000 yards in a season five times, including twice with Philadelphia, in an era before rules changes opened up NFL offenses. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983 and remains the only Washington player to wear the No. 9 jersey in a game.
“Sonny Jurgensen is, and always will be, one of the defining legends of Washington football,” said controlling owner Josh Harris, who grew up a fan. “For me, Sonny was the embodiment of what it means to don the burgundy and gold: tough, smart and endlessly devoted to this franchise and its fans.”
Jurgensen’s four-plus decades of association with the franchise in Washington as a quarterback and then as a broadcaster made him a one-name celebrity in the nation’s capital. He was the one and only Sonny, contrary but loyal: the everyman red-headed football player with the out-of-shape belly who kept a connection with fans but could also pull out a cigar and hobnob with the team owner.
Notorious for breaking curfew, Jurgensen was also known for ignoring coaches and joking about his less-than-ideal physique. He more than compensated with his pinpoint passing from the pocket, helping make the then-Redskins exciting and competitive again, leading the team to more victories in his first three seasons than the club had won in its previous six.
“All I ask of my blockers is 4 seconds,” he once said. “I try to stay on my feet and not be forced out of the pocket. I beat people by throwing, not running.”
That’s exactly what he did on Nov. 28, 1965, when he dismissed the crowd’s boos and rallied Washington from a 21-0 deficit to a 34-31 win over the Dallas Cowboys by throwing for 411 yards and three touchdowns. The game was the highlight of coach Bill McPeak’s five losing seasons with the club.
“I’m glad the crowd let me stay in,” Jurgensen said sarcastically after the game. “It was decent of them, and maybe Bill McPeak appreciates it, too.”
Jurgensen played through numerous injuries and even won over the notoriously tough Vince Lombardi, who coached Washington to its first winning season in more than a decade in 1969. Lombardi said of Jurgensen, “He is the best I have seen.”
But Lombardi died the following year, and Jurgensen never really hit it off with defense-minded successor George Allen. Washington acquired Billy Kilmer, generating the great “Sonny vs. Billy” debates that lasted until Jurgensen retired after the 1974 season.
“Few players could rival Sonny Jurgensen’s genuine love of the game that continued long after his playing days,” Hall of Fame president Jim Porter said. “Watching Sonny throw a football was like watching a master craftsman create a work of art.”
Jurgensen finished his career with 2,433 completions for 32,224 yards and a 57.1 completion percentage. He threw 255 touchdown passes, 189 interceptions and had a career rating of 82.6. He made the Pro Bowl five times, led the NFL in passing yards five times, and will always be in the record books for an untoppable 99-yard touchdown pass to Gerry Allen in 1968.
Washingtonians too young to remember Jurgensen as a player came to adore him for his astute observations as part of the radio broadcast trio of “Sonny, Sam and Frank.” Jurgensen, Hall of Fame linebacker Sam Huff and play-by-play man Frank Herzog would fuss and laugh while both rooting for and criticizing the burgundy and gold.
Jurgensen also became an unofficial confidant-at-large around the organization. He took Gus Frerotte under his wing when the young quarterback was battling Heath Shuler for the starting job in the mid-1990s. He became a member of Daniel Snyder’s inner circle after Snyder bought the team in 1999, arriving in the owner’s helicopter and getting a special sideline seat to watch practices.
Still, Jurgensen wouldn’t hesitate to question decisions and performances he didn’t like, especially when it came to quarterbacks. He often pined for the days when QBs were allowed to call their own plays.
Born Christian Adolph Jurgensen III in Wilmington, North Carolina on Aug, 23, 1934, Jurgensen was a two-way star at Duke and was drafted in the fourth round by the Eagles in 1957. He sat behind Norm Van Brocklin until 1961, when he took over the starting job and threw for 3,723 yards, 32 touchdown and 24 interceptions — all league highs.
Three years later he found himself on the way to Washington on April 1, 1964.
“Someone came in and said, ‘You were traded to the Redskins,’ ” Jurgensen said in a 2007 interview. “I said ‘No, it’s April Fool’s Day, you’re kidding.’ He said, ‘No, I’m not kidding. I just heard it on the radio.’
“So I was shocked.”
___
Barry Wilner is a retired Pro Football Writer for The Associated Press. Wilner covered the NFL for the AP for more than 30 years.
Jordan Reid is an NFL draft analyst for ESPN, providing in-depth scouting on the nation’s top pro prospects. Jordan joined ESPN in 2021 and also contributes to SportsCenter and ESPN Radio. He played quarterback at North Carolina Central University and then went on to coach there from 2014-18.
Multiple Authors
The 2026 NFL draft is fast approaching, as the first round begins on April 23 in Pittsburgh. Now that the 2025 college football season has concluded and prospects have participated in the Senior Bowl and the Shrine Bowl, it’s time to update my list of the top 50 prospects.
Even though the declaration deadline has come and gone, this list is not final. The combine will start later this month in Indianapolis, with pro days following in March and April. So this is an indication of where things stand with the Class of 2026 right now, based on my own scouting (both in person and on film) and conversations I’ve had with NFL scouts and evaluators.
I have included scouting reports for each prospect and my rankings by position are at the bottom. Let’s get to it, starting with arguably the most explosive offensive player in the nation.
Love is an explosive-play generator whose versatility and explosiveness provide an immediate boost to any offense. He rushed for 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2025 and is a slippery runner who can twist and turn his frame to squeeze through tight creases. Love gets up to speed quickly, and his 39 runs of 10-plus yards last season were fourth most among FBS running backs. His smooth, effortless style is reminiscent of James Cook III, and Love can become a similar mismatch option for a creative playcaller.
Height: 6-0 | Weight: 205
Downs was a highly accomplished player for both Alabama and Ohio State. He has found the perfect role for his instincts and awareness in 2025, as first-year Buckeyes defensive coordinator Matt Patricia used him as a “middle hole” player. Downs is a consistent tackler with great ball skills, and he is capable of mirroring and matching tight ends and receivers in the middle of the field. He reminds me a lot of Brian Branch coming out of Alabama and could have a similar NFL impact.
Height: 6-4 | Weight: 243
Reese is one of the biggest risers in this class regardless of position and was the best player on a loaded Buckeyes defense. He’s a hybrid defender who is used both as an off-ball linebacker and off the edge. Because of his explosiveness, I like Reese more as an edge rusher in the NFL, where his combination of bend, power and play violence can be best utilized, though he can also be used sporadically on the second level. I believe Reese, who had 6.5 sacks last season, has Pro Bowl potential early in his NFL career.
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 275
After an injury-riddled 2024 campaign, Bain recaptured his 2023 form as a disruptive defensive line presence. He can play any position ranging from 0- to 9-technique. Bain has heavy, quick, powerful hands that allow him to overwhelm blockers with strength and help him win with his arsenal of pass-rush moves. According to my NFL sources, Bain is a polarizing prospect because of his tweener build, and questions about his true position at the next level will come up. But he did an excellent job of refuting critics during the Hurricanes’ outstanding run to the national title game, with five sacks in four playoff games. Bain consistently flashed his power and game-wrecking ability off of the edge and when lined up along the interior.
Height: 6-6 | Weight: 315
Mauigoa is a steady presence at right tackle and was the anchor of the Hurricanes’ offensive line. He’s a physical run blocker who uses his excellent body strength to plow open run lanes. Mauigoa is also good in pass protection, as his 1.1% pressure rate allowed is third lowest among FBS offensive tackles last season. He is capable of being a plug-and-play starter on the interior or at right tackle. While I believe he might project better as a guard in the NFL because of his natural strength, short-area quickness and barrel-like frame, I would try him at right tackle first before moving him inside.
Height: 6-5 | Weight: 225
Before the season, scouts pegged Mendoza as a quarterback who could significantly rise up the board, and the Cal transfer did not disappoint. He fully blossomed in Curt Cignetti’s offense, with 3,535 passing yards, 41 touchdowns and six interceptions in 2025 while completing 72% of his passes (fourth best in the FBS). Mendoza is a steady passer and has a good frame with sufficient arm strength. He’ll need upper-tier surrounding players in the NFL, but there’s a clear path for him to become a productive pro starter. Mendoza reminds me of another No. 1 pick in Sam Bradford. Both have tall, angular builds with good arms, but it was their smarts, toughness and pinpoint accuracy that helped catapult them to winning the Heisman Trophy.
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 250
Bailey, who transferred to Texas Tech from Stanford, has a Rolodex of pass-rush moves to go along with an incredible burst out of the starting blocks. Bailey has consistently shown an ability to bend and trace the rim of the pocket to win, with his 14.5 sacks and 21.3% edge pressure rate both leading the FBS last season. With tenacious effort and a never-ending appetite for sacks, Bailey is a dynamic edge rusher who projects best as a 3-4 outside linebacker.
Height: 6-4 | Weight: 243
Styles started his college career as a safety but converted to linebacker without missing a beat. He only missed two tackles last season when defending the run, as his attacking style helps him effectively get ball carriers on the ground. Styles has excellent range and awareness, and he is timely in his decisions to charge downhill. Despite his DB background, Styles needs to continue to improve his feel in zone coverage.
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Sonny Styles’ pressure forces a sack
Sonny Styles gets pressure on Carson Beck and Ohio State brings Beck down for a sack.
Height: 6-0 | Weight: 190
One could make a strong argument that Delane was the country’s most impactful defensive addition from the transfer portal. He was exceptional after coming over from Virginia Tech, intercepting two passes. Delane is a technically sound and savvy press-man corner with excellent quickness and backpedal speed. He has the hips and speed to turn and run with any receiver and is timely in getting his eyes back on the ball when out of phase.
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 195
Tate is next up in Ohio State’s seemingly never-ending receiver pipeline, as he seamlessly took over Emeka Egbuka‘s role as the Buckeyes’ No. 2 receiver in 2025. Tate is a polished route runner who’s capable of executing any branch on the route tree. He has a gliding run style which mixes overexaggerated moves and head fakes, and he is a natural hands catcher with fantastic body control. With 51 catches on 69 targets last season — and only one drop — Tate’s skill set should make him an immediate impact player in the NFL.
Height: 6-0 | Weight: 193
McCoy didn’t play this season after suffering a torn ACL in January. Before the injury, McCoy wasn’t only the CB1 of the class; he was one of its top overall players. He had four interceptions in 2024, showing his ability to create turnovers and his easy change-of-direction skills. There’s no denying what he displayed as a sophomore — it was that good — but the knee injury has muddied his evaluation. Opinions on McCoy are mixed, and it will be interesting to see where he ultimately ranks and how high he’ll be picked in a class that lacks marquee talent at the top.
Height: 5-11 | Weight: 195
Lemon’s physical traits and speed aren’t eye popping, but he knows how to win against all types of coverage. He averaged the third-most receiving yards per game in the FBS last season (96.3) and excels in finding holes in zones. Lemon’s lack of size doesn’t inhibit him in traffic, as his 11 contested catches tied for 48th in the FBS and featured many highlight-reel-worthy grabs. He also returns punts and is adept at running after the catch, with his 21 forced missed tackles ranking 14th among FBS receivers last season.
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 315
Woods entered the 2025 season as my top-ranked player, and even though Clemson didn’t have the year it envisioned, he still showed flashes. Woods is an explosive penetrator who causes frequent disruption at the first level in defending the run and rushing the passer. The flashes are enticing, but long stretches of inconsistency were a big reason why he finished with only two sacks last season after notching three as a sophomore in 2024. That caused his stock to drop a bit, but I still view Woods as a top-20 prospect in this class.
Height: 6-4 | Weight: 330
Ioane was a model of consistency, allowing only two pressures and zero sacks last season. He’s a well-put-together, broad-chested guard prospect with excellent power that helps him absorb and withstand contact from defenders. He jolts pass rushers back with his hands and has great initial power. Ioane needs to work on hand placement and being able to readjust if his initial hand position doesn’t win. He fits best in a gap scheme where he can utilize his power profile and strong lower half.
Height: 6-2 | Weight: 200
Tyson broke out in 2024 after transferring from Colorado and didn’t slow down in 2025. He finished with 61 catches for 711 yards and eight touchdowns last season after catching 75 passes for 1,101 yards and 10 TDs the year before. Even though he doesn’t have marquee top-end speed, Tyson is capable of winning despite that. He’s a creative route runner who can make catches outside his frame seem routine. Durability is a potential issue, as Tyson missed three games this season because of injury and has had nagging injuries throughout his career.
Height: 6-6 | Weight: 302
Fano is extremely light on his feet, as he has the lower-body quickness to mirror pass rushers. His physical hands help him play with urgency and aggression. Fano excels in space and on the move, too. His body control and poise are seen in both run and pass blocking. His lack of lower-body mass shows up when trying to anchor, though. Scouts want to see him continue to add weight, but right now his strength limitations remind me a lot of Troy Fautanu.
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 245
Sadiq immediately emerged as one of Dante Moore’s top options in his only season as a starter, catching 51 passes for 590 yards and eight touchdowns, which led FBS tight ends. Sadiq is a true F-type tight end who can put his hand in the dirt and flex out wide. He is a fluid athlete who can stretch defenses vertically in the seams. He is also a willing inline blocker who’s capable of straining and sustaining against defensive ends (he’s also solid as an open-field blocker). Sadiq does have concentration drops (six last season) and needs to be more consistent with securing the catch.
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 280
Mesidor broke out in his second season with the Hurricanes, as the sixth-year senior thrived opposite Bain. Mesidor wins with maximum effort, as evidenced by his 12.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss last season. He’s an aggressive and heavy-handed edge prospect that was a tough ask for any offensive lineman to block. He’s on the older side (turns 25 in April), but all the sources I talked to said Mesidor’s age won’t be a major factor in his evaluation.
Height: 6-2 | Weight: 202
Admittedly, this is one of my favorite overall prospects of the entire class, as McNeil-Warren is set to join recent draftees Quinyon Mitchell and Darius Alexander in the Toledo pipeline. McNeil-Warren is a rangy safety who emerged as the top Group of 5 prospect after an injury-shortened 2024. His 20% defensive completion percentage allowed was the best among all FBS defensive backs last season. He primarily played free safety for Toledo and allowed only three catches in his coverage last season. His tackling needs improvement, as he comes in too hot and must be more consistent in finishing, but scouts rave about McNeil-Warren as a Round 1 prospect.
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Emmanuel McNeil-Warren picks off Central Michigan Chippewas
Picked! Emmanuel McNeil-Warren hauls in the interception
Height: 6-6 | Weight: 304
Lomu experienced a major leap in his second season as a starter. He has good initial quickness and flashes poise before striking and latching onto defenders in pass sets. His strength has improved, which must continue to sustain and finish his blocks more consistently. But his frame, youth (he just finished his redshirt sophomore season) and overall potential at left tackle are the most exciting parts of his prospect profile.
Height: 6-6 | Weight: 285
Faulk is already an NFL-ready run defender and is also a long, strong edge rusher. His stack-and-shed ability on the first level stands out, as he uses his length well in disengaging from the first point of attack. His ability to play any alignment up front makes him a fit in multiple defensive schemes, with his 13.4% pressure rate off the edge ranking 43rd among FBS defenders. He’s a direct replica of Mykel Williams with the frame and length that NFL teams covet but still has major room for pass rush development, finishing with only two sacks last season after notching seven in 2024.
Height: 6-0 | Weight: 188
Hood is a true press-man corner who excels when he’s able to get his hands inside the frame of receivers, which he uses to guide them through the early stages of route stems. Hood also has smooth hips, which help him transition and keep up in coverage. He was an all-state center fielder in high school, which shows in his ball-tracking skills — his 10 pass breakups were tied for 26th most in the FBS last season. My top-ranked player at the Senior Bowl, Hood flashed his poised and smooth transition skills in coverage during the first two days of practices before sitting out the third with a toe injury.
Height: 6-4 | Weight: 320
I enjoyed watching Hunter’s tape more than any other defensive prospect in the class (look at the first play versus Oregon!). The unsung hero of Texas Tech’s defense, which was arguably the nation’s best, he was the engine that helped everything operate. He is a malleable run defender who is hard to move off his spot, and his 7.7% run stop percentage was second best of all FBS defensive linemen last season. He also does a great job of pushing the pocket as a pass rusher, utilizing his quick hands. Because of his ability to transform the middle, I give Hunter a Round 1 grade.
Height: 6-7 | Weight: 315
Freeling is a prospect whose stock has steadily risen. After being forced into action in 2024 because of injuries, he built on that experience during his first season as a starter in 2025. NFL teams have already raved about Freeling’s size in addition to being an agile and quick-footed blocker. He needs to be more consistent with his range and base as a pass protector as well as his pad level as a run blocker. But because he’s a true left tackle prospect with a robust set of tools, Freeling is a player to watch as a major riser the next two-plus months.
Height: 5-11 | Weight: 180
The younger brother of Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell Jr., Avieon Terrell is a feisty playmaker. His nine pass breakups last season were tied for 45th most among FBS defensive backs, and his eight career forced fumbles are the most in Clemson history for a DB. Despite his size, Terrell has inside and outside flexibility. He is also an intense tackler in run support, and his size and traits are similar to Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. Speaking to scouts the past few months, Terrell is a somewhat divisive prospect, as there are teams that view him as only a nickel because of his lack of bulk.
Height: 5-11 | Weight: 190
Concepcion became the go-to target for the Aggies after arriving from NC State; his nine receiving touchdowns were tied for 17th in the FBS. He also added two scores as a punt returner. He is a gearshift runner who can accelerate and decelerate instantly. He routinely separates against man coverage and generates explosive plays in bunches. Concepcion must become more consistent with his hands, as he had seven drops this season.
Height: 6-2 | Weight: 248
After waiting his turn behind Shemar Stewart and Nic Scourton, Howell flourished in his first season starting at Texas A&M, with his 11.5 sacks ranking seventh among FBS defensive linemen. He’s an energetically charged menace off the edge who has a good combination of bend and power. His arms were measured under 31 inches this spring, and there will be teams who aren’t comfortable drafting him high because of that. Scouts also brought up his struggles against NFL-caliber tackles when playing Texas and Miami. Questions will continue to linger on arm length, but Howell’s production and play intensity can’t be ignored.
Height: 6-4 | Weight: 209
Boston is a big, physical outside receiver who is outstanding at aggressively attacking and snagging passes out of the air, catching 62 passes for 881 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. He possesses excellent body control that belies his size, allowing him to come down with tough catches. Boston’s 13 contested catches were tied for 26th in the FBS, which highlights his strong hands and ability to play with control in chaos. He’ll have to answer questions about his true speed, but Boston projects best as a boundary X receiver who can consistently win outside.
Height: 6-6 | Weight: 330
After a breakout 2024, Banks entered last season regarded as one of the country’s top interior defenders, but foot surgery in September limited him to only two games. Despite the injury, Banks is a potential-laden defensive tackle who contains quick hands and disruptive ability. He reminded many evaluators why he was once viewed as one of the top interior prospects in this year’s class at the Senior Bowl. Consistently showing his violent hands and ability to win quickly against interior blockers, Banks was motivated and extremely vocal throughout the week. Scouts I’ve talked to still view him as a late first-round pick despite the missed time.
Height: 6-0 | Weight: 205
After transferring from Purdue, Thieneman quickly turned into a leader for the Ducks defense. He’s a true three-level threat in the secondary who is capable of playing single-high on the roof of the defense while also possessing the range to roam as a center fielder. Thieneman’s instincts are his superpower, as he’s able to diagnose and attack as a run defender and in pass coverage. His biggest improvement in 2025 came as a tackler, as he was more consistent wrapping up and finishing.
Height: 6-7 | Weight: 366
Arguably the most polarizing prospect of the 2026 class, Proctor is a supersized offensive tackle with overwhelming strength that helps him pave run lanes. Pass protection is a different story, as he has stretches of promising play mixed with moments of sluggish footwork and passive technique. He had a rough opener against Florida State (seven allowed pressures and a sack), but didn’t allow in the following nine games while yielding only eight pressures.
Those inconsistencies crept back up during the final weeks of the season, which has created varying opinions on his outlook on the next level. Weight is an issue (sources close to the program say Proctor played last season at 355 pounds). He’s frequently compared to Mekhi Becton by scouts, and some will give him a chance at tackle before deciding to transition Proctor to guard.
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 326
The Buckeyes’ defense was loaded, and McDonald didn’t get enough credit for its success. He’s a heavy presence up the middle, with high levels of lower-body strength. That allows him to easily anchor in interior gaps and eat up blockers. McDonald’s 7.8% run stop rate topped all FBS defensive linemen, but he doesn’t just clog gaps. He’s capable of creating negative plays in the backfield with quick wins, as evidenced by his 9.5 tackles for loss last season.
Height: 6-0 | Weight: 190
Cisse was the most consistent South Carolina defender last season as a versatile cover man who can operate in the slot or on the perimeter. He’s a good-sized and long-limbed corner with the movement skills and hips to remain and recover in coverage. Cisse’s 39.4% completion percentage allowed on throws into his coverage ranked inside the top 50 in the FBS. He is also an enthusiastic tackler that isn’t shy with coming up and making plays on ball carriers. A true man-to-man corner, Cisse excels when he can challenge wideouts at the line of scrimmage.
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 238
Hill was a versatile chess piece for Texas. He primarily played Mike linebacker last season and is a fast-moving player who can find creases to squeeze through in run defense. He’s also a forceful pass rusher off the edge who forced three fumbles in 2025. Hill needs to develop more patience. Not only does he read and react too quickly at times, but his eyes get fixated on pullers, which results in him charging downhill and makes him susceptible to play-action and misdirection. Hill is still quite raw as a prospect, but with his frame, versatility as a rusher and continued improvement in run defense, he’s a prospect I’m willing to bet on.
Allen continued to ascend in his second season as a starter in the middle of Kirby Smart’s defense. He’s a quick-reacting second-level defender with excellent range and closing speed. He can decipher run plays, fight through blocks and attack downhill. Allen runs through ball carriers on contact and is a wrap-up-and-finish tackler. He has improved his feel in zone coverage, especially when scanning routes, but needs to be more consistent there.
Height: 6-6 | Weight: 325
Iheanachor didn’t start playing football until 2021 but has developed rapidly. His success against Texas Tech’s edge-rushing duo of David Bailey and Romello Height was a big reason why the Sun Devils upset the Big 12 champions last season. Iheanachor has a canvas full of tools, which he showed during Senior Bowl practices. He has a quiet lower half and has improved his strike timing. There are consistency questions, but Iheanachor put it all together in Mobile and was the most impressive offensive prospect I saw at the Senior Bowl. So I added him to my top 50 and wouldn’t be surprised if he continues to climb.
Height: 6-4 | Weight: 263
Thought of as one of the class’ premier edge rushers entering last season, Parker didn’t live up to expectations. He had only had five sacks — three coming in the season finale versus South Carolina — after racking up 11 as a sophomore in 2024. He flashes power and pop in his hands, but Parker has average bend at the top of his pass-rush attempts and is inconsistent in his ability to get clean wins around the edge. He’s capable of setting a violent edge in run defense and has the strength to extend and shed in-line blockers. Parker helped himself at the Senior Bowl, where he answered questions about his disappointing season while flashing a promising rush plan during the week of practices. That helped move him back toward fringe Round 1 status.
Height: 6-4 | Weight: 305
A stout but inexperienced defender, Miller occupied all the interior spots in Georgia’s multiple-front defense last season. He is strong against the run and can maintain leverage or stack and disengage against interior offensive linemen. Miller needs to make strides as a pass rusher, as his technique and hands tend to be too fast and out of control at times, leading to his pad level being too high on contact. But he has the potential to be a starter at either interior D-line spot in the NFL with more reps.
Height: 6-6 | Weight: 315
Miller started 54 games for Clemson and broke the program record for career snaps (3,778). He’s steady, experienced at both tackle spots and has strong hands to latch and control defenders at the point of attack. Miller is rarely out of position against twists and stunts from defensive fronts and able to sort and execute against those looks. He’s a dependable blocker with a ready-made skill set and should contribute early in his career.
Height: 6-5 | Weight: 262
Young is a long-limbed edge rusher who has developed into a dependable defender. He’s effective with a strong bull rush and quick double hand swipes, but he needs to add more moves to his repertoire. He needs to get better at run defense, as he tends to get pinned inside by in-line tight ends. However, Young’s length and potential are qualities that NFL coaches want to work with. Young is a prospect with strong Day 2 grades because of his promising set of tools and above average explosiveness. He still needs plenty of coaching and game reps to advance, but he’s the type of prospect who could prove to be one of this class’ better edge rushers three years from now.
Height: 6-4 | Weight: 218
Fields had 36 receptions for 630 yards and five touchdowns in his only season at Notre Dame after consecutive 800-yard seasons at Virginia. He plays to his impressive size and build, understanding how to properly use his frame. Fields is excellent using his hands when challenged at the line and knows how to maneuver through tight coverage. He’s a true boundary “X” receiver who can make tough catches underneath while being capable of stretching the field (he averaged 17.5 yards per catch last season).
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Notre Dame’s Malachi Fields makes an amazing one-handed grab
Malachi Fields goes up to make a spectacular one-handed grab for a Notre Dame first down.
Height: 6-4 | Weight: 240
Golday spent only two seasons at the FBS level, as he started his career at FCS Central Arkansas, but that didn’t stop him from emerging as the key to Cincinnati’s defense. He rotates through all three linebacker spots and is a fast-pace mover with excellent lateral pursuit. He uses his length to take on and shed blockers in run defense while adding value as a pass rusher off the edge. While Golday’s pass coverage continues to improve, he must be better at keeping his head on a swivel in zone coverage.
Height: 6-2 | Weight: 249
Thomas explodes off the line of scrimmage and tests the foot speed and agility of pass protectors. His 13.4% pressure percentage off the edge ranked 44th in the FBS and shows how much of a headache he can be. Thomas has a full arsenal of moves and utilizes them all, allowing him to frequently switch up his rush plans. His excellent pursuit speed and determination project him as a stand-up 3-4 outside linebacker in the NFL.
Height: 6-2 | Weight: 208
It feels like Simpson had multiple seasons in one in 2025. After a poor Week 1 against Florida State, Simpson was scorching hot in September and October before cooling off down the stretch, culminating in a 38-3 Rose Bowl loss to Indiana in the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff. The stats (3,567 passing yards, 28 touchdowns, five interceptions, 64.5% completion percentage) looked good, as Simpson has good arm strength and accuracy. But he doesn’t have great size and needs to improve his ball security in the pocket (six lost fumbles last season). His limited starting experience (15 starts, all in 2025) isn’t ideal, either.
I see Simpson as a Day 2 prospect. He doesn’t have the traits or ceiling to uplift a team and shouldn’t be placed in a situation where he’s expected to be a Day 1 savior.
Height: 6-5 | Weight: 315
A polished and poised interior blocker, Bisontis has been the anchor of the Aggies’ offensive line the past three seasons, only allowing one sack over the last two. He’s a good athlete who is comfortable playing in space when asked to pull and get outside of his normal gaps. His hands and feet are well-synchronized, which makes him a fit in multiple offensive schemes. Bisontis needs to be more consistent against counter moves to prevent aggressive pass rushers from getting inside his frame, but he can be physical on gap-scheme runs and serve as a multiple-level blocker in zone schemes.
Height: 6-3 | Weight: 260
An NFL-ready defender, Jacas is an edge prospect with jarring power who pursues endlessly. With 11 sacks last season, he is capable of rushing from a two-point stance but is equally as comfortable with his hand in the ground. His knockback strength is seen when defending the run, as he has the length and power to remain firm. Jacas’ bend is average, but his ability to consistently threaten the rim of the pocket helps him as a rusher.
Height: 6-5 | Weight: 318
Pregnon blossomed after transferring to Oregon from USC before last season. He’s a rock-solid, physical interior blocker who can win in a phone booth by creating victories in tight quarters with his strength. Along with that power, Pregnon shows comfort playing with high levels of play violence. His limitations are seen when asked to move outside his normal domains, which exposes his body stiffness. He’s an ideal fit for teams that specialize in gap-scheme principles.
Height: 6-0 | Weight: 201
Cooper finished with 69 receptions for 937 yards and 13 touchdowns last season, including an epic game winner at Penn State. A smooth route runner, Cooper stays on track and rarely allows defenders to knock him off his patterns. He’s most impressive winning in traffic, with an excellent ability to win in contested-catch situations and grab anything in his vicinity. He also can track and haul in passes outside his frame. There are questions about Cooper’s true top-end speed and his route tree, as Indiana’s offense contained a lot of RPOs and “see it and rip it” concepts.
Height: 6-2 | Weight: 237
The son of 11-year NFL veteran Jeremiah Trotter, Josiah Trotter was one of the best second-level defenders in the SEC last season. He is an excellent run defender who can close spaces in a hurry while showing a knowledge of when to be patient and the ability to time his run fits downhill. He arrives at the ball with violent intentions and knows how to properly diagnose run schemes. Trotter turns 21 a week before the draft, and that youth comes out with lapses in pass coverage, as he must improve his spatial awareness.
Height: 5-9 | Weight: 170
A pillar of Indiana’s national championship winning defense, Ponds embodied the heart and soul of the program’s historic turnaround. He seamlessly transitioned from James Madison to Indiana, intercepting five passes the past two seasons with the Hoosiers. Despite his slight frame, Ponds is a playmaker who punches well above his weight class. He competes through route stems and frequently gets his hands on passes. He’ll likely have to be a nickel in the NFL, but Ponds has a lot of similarities to Mike Sainristil, a top-50 pick by the Commanders in 2024.
Tucked within the appropriations bill signed by President Donald Trump this week was a provision that withholds the United States’ annual dues to the World Anti-Doping Agency until the organization takes steps to address U.S. accusations that WADA is beholden to Chinese influence.
The new law, signed by Trump on Tuesday to end a partial government shutdown, states that any U.S. plan to fund WADA must include the results of an audit “to be conducted by external anti-doping experts and experienced independent auditors” that shows the agency and its executives are “operating consistent with their duties.”
For months, the U.S. government has threatened to withhold its annual $3.6 million in WADA dues. The conflict stems from the revelation that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive for a banned substance in 2021 but had not been punished after WADA accepted Chinese officials’ explanation that the swimmers had eaten tainted food. WADA, the world’s top anti-doping authority, did not report the incident publicly or to its own executive board.
U.S. government officials have warned that they might eventually lead an exodus of countries away from WADA’s authority, a drastic step that would upend nearly 27 years of a system that has governed almost all international sport, including the Olympics and World Cup. U.S. and WADA officials have said they don’t see that happening anytime soon, but they also say they don’t know how the conflict will be resolved.
The push for greater WADA transparency and accountability started during the Biden administration, has bipartisan support and has no evident opposition in Congress. The White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) withheld its 2024 dues during President Joe Biden’s last year in office, and President Trump’s ONDCP withheld dues in 2025. The law Trump signed this week means the U.S. is bound to maintain that policy.
“Governments or individuals who seek to manipulate or evade the rules must be held accountable,” ONDCP director Sara Carter said in a statement. “ONDCP will continue to demand that WADA submit to an independent compliance audit to advance sports integrity and fairness of competition. The United States will not be bullied or manipulated into paying dues to WADA until such is achieved.”
WADA officials said the organization won’t be forced into changing its rules of governance, even though the loss of that $3.6 million — and the same amount in matching funds — has “naturally led to a recalculation of some of our programs,” a WADA spokesperson said in a statement. “Additional contributions from other public authorities around the world have substantially mitigated the negative impact. WADA remains in a strong financial position.”
The U.S. had been the largest contributor to WADA’s annual budget of approximately $56 million. The language in the appropriations bill gives the United States wide discretion in what it considers to be WADA compliance.
“Annual contributions to WADA are not conditional — that was a principle established and agreed by all governments when WADA was founded 26 years ago. If every government attached conditions to its WADA dues, it would lead to chaos,” the WADA statement read. “However, the fact is that WADA is already independently audited on a regular basis.”
WADA has dismissed U.S. concerns as being misplaced and part of longstanding hostility between the organization and the head of its U.S. affiliate, U.S. Anti-Doping Agency CEO Travis Tygart.
The International Olympic Committee, which provides 50% of WADA’s funding, has not yet addressed the conflict between the U.S. and the agency. New IOC president Kirsty Coventry, who represented Zimbabwe in the Olympics as a swimmer and attended Auburn University, did not mention the standoff with WADA this week as she met the press during her first Olympic Games as president.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., who co-sponsored a bill seeking the same conditions for the U.S. to resume paying its dues, applauded the new law.
“We are pleased the appropriations package included provisions to hold WADA accountable, and we remain committed to making these protections for athletes permanent,” she said in a statement.
USADA’s Tygart, who has been WADA’s most prominent critic for more than a decade, also welcomed the news.
“It’s time to get WADA’s house in order, and thankfully, the United States, as the host of the next Olympics, is unified that fair sport and clean athlete’s rights must prevail,” he said in a statement.
In his statement, the WADA spokesperson said the organization recently reached out to Carter, who was confirmed as ONDCP director a month ago, congratulating her on her appointment, and plans to find a resolution with her.
“The truth is WADA stands ready to work with all parties in the U.S.,” the WADA statement read. “The government has said it can work with us, so have the organizers of the LA Games, and so have the anti-doping laboratories in the U.S. Within USADA, WADA has good working relationships at the expert and operational levels.
“We will continue to build strong relationships within the U.S., just as we do all over the world.”
MILAN — MILAN (AP) — Madison Chock and Evan Bates rock-and-rolled their way to a world-best 91.06 points in the rhythm dance Friday to open the team competition at the Milan Cortina Olympics, where the American figure skaters are the reigning champions.
Cheered on by a crowd that included Vice President J.D. Vance, his family and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Chock and Bates were able to secure their team the maximum 10 points for their Lenny Kravitz-inspired dance while making a big early statement.
The three-time world champions, Chock and Bates are the favorites to win individual Olympic gold later in the Winter Games. But they’ll be pushed by the new French team of Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron, who had made their own statement minutes before Chock and Bates took the ice when they set their own world-best score of 89.98 points.
“We’re not focused on that,” Chock said. “We’re just doing what we do.”
They couldn’t have done it a whole lot better.
The team event is expected to come down to the U.S. and Japan for the gold medal. The win by Chock and Bates in the rhythm dance, coupled with an eighth-place result for Utana Yoshia and Masaya Morita, means the U.S. has a big early lead.
The short program for women and pairs were later Friday, just hours before the opening ceremony. Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea were on the ice in pairs for the U.S. with world champion Alysa Liu performing her short program.
“We definitely skated great and we’re very happy, as you saw when we finished. I think we both felt the excitement of just getting these Olympics underway,” said Bates, who along with Chock are the only holdovers from the gold medalists at the Beijing Games.
“That’s great start,” Bates added. “It’s always a great feeling to do it for U.S.”
Ahead of the Super Sunday clash against Manchester City, Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk sat down with Gary Neville for a wide-ranging interview.
The reigning Premier League champions have had a difficult campaign and are two points outside the top four heading into this weekend’s round of fixtures.
They are a further eight points behind Manchester City – who are second – and 14 points behind league leaders Arsenal.
Van Dijk discussed the Reds’ form this season and what has changed, the importance of Champions League football and much more with Sky Sports pundit Neville…
Van Dijk’s reasons behind Liverpool’s form this season…
“You can’t put it on one particular point.
“It’s the transition, the intensity, the decision-making, it’s sometimes luck, because that’s part of the game. It can either go your way or the other way. The first five games of the season, we have to be on the right side, and there have been games after that where we’ve not been on the right side.
“It’s a process that we have to get through, personally as players, but as a team as well.
“It [the intensity] is playing every three or four days, Champions League football, travelling, physical demands, but also the mental side of it.
“It’s a game of 11 players on the pitch, but in total, it’s 14 or 15 that have to try and win the game and everyone is dealing with certain things in a certain way. I’m trying to help each and every one of them, because I want the best for the club, I want the best for the players.
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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Liverpool’s match against Newcastle in the Premier League
“It’s a process that we have to get through, and with how inconsistent it has been, it’s tough to take.
“For me personally, it hurts being on the losing side, which I’ve not been on many times in my Liverpool career. It’s been a consistent side over all those years, and now being in a position where we are having good games, and then dropping down, that’s something we have to take on board and improve, and do that together.
“Some of the games, the demands and the way that teams are playing against us makes us adapt a little bit in certain things, but most of the time we’re trying to do the same or better in possession, how an opponent is pressing.
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“But at times, we have not been able to do that for 90-plus minutes, and that’s been a very big issue, especially in the first part of the season.”
Asked if he was referring to players that have come into the club and the demands of playing for Liverpool, Van Dijk said: “That’s definitely a part, but also for the players that have been here, being the [Premier League] champions is something that you have to deal with.
“The pressure that comes with it and it’s not as easy as everyone would think it is. It’s very difficult to retain a title, regardless. We couldn’t do it the last time we became champions, and unfortunately we can’t do it this year.”
‘We 100 per cent need Champions League football’
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Following Arne Slot’s comments that playing good football is more important than trophies, Jamie O’Hara argued that Liverpool are achieving neither, and said if they don’t make Champions League this season, the manager has to go
Van Dijk was asked if Liverpool need to be playing in the Champions League next season.“100 per cent,” he said, “because I want to play Champions League football and everyone else wants to as well.
“But going into my last season [of his current contract], I need to play Champions League football, so we’re working very hard to make sure that we do that.
“I still feel this season could still be special, even after all the difficulties we had over the summer, during the first part of the season and with injuries. We’re in the Champions League, we’re in the FA Cup still, so we’ll see what happens.
“But we need consistency, we need to work, we need to enjoy it as well, because we are very privileged to be able to go out there every time, represent the club and play good football.”
‘Pundits have duty of responsibility to new generation of players’
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Van Dijk speaks to Gary Neville on the role of media in football and how it impacts players
Earlier this season, Van Dijk was involved in a back-and-forth with former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney over his critiques of the defender.
The two appeared together on Amazon Prime where the Reds skipper confronted Rooney over his comments after Liverpool had beaten Real Madrid in the Champions League.
Van Dijk believes ex-players turned pundits must be careful with their criticism, given the current climate of social media and sensationalist headlines.
“For me personally, I can deal with it, but I’m a bit worried for the next generation. I feel like the ex-top players have a responsibility to the new generation.
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Sky Sports’ Vicky Gomersall speaks to Arne Slot, Richard Hughes and Billy Hogan in the latest Reds Roundtable. You can watch the full 35-minute discussion on the Liverpool FC YouTube Channel
“Criticism is absolutely normal and part of the game, and I think it should stay that way. But sometimes criticism also goes into being clickbait, saying things to provoke things, and without thinking about the repercussions for a mental side of players, and especially the younger generation, who are constantly on social media.
“You can say, ‘yeah, you shouldn’t be on social media’ – that’s what I’ve mentioned [to them] loads of times.
“There is always this thing of when you play a good game, younger players check all the positive praises, but when you have a worse game, and you’re getting bullied all over social media or you’re getting bad criticism, it can really affect you. I’ve seen that in certain players in the past, and currently as well, because it’s just not easy.
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Sky Sports News’ Vinny O’Connor assesses the business Liverpool have done in the January transfer window
“It’s going to get worse and worse because the platforms nowadays, with the clickbait and the headlines, everyone is on it constantly.
“I feel like especially the ex-pros, top players who have been through everything as well, they have this responsibility of protecting a little bit of that side as well. That’s something maybe to look at.”
What does retirement hold?
Van Dijk turns 35 in July and has 18 months left on his current Liverpool deal, with retirement plans now surely in his thoughts.
On if he would go into punditry himself, Van Dijk said: “I’d never say never, because I feel like I have that platform of saying or doing the right thing, but I don’t see myself being a pundit.
“I don’t think I see myself being a coach. I feel like you’re stepping from one world in terms of being under pressure constantly – not that I don’t like it because it’s part of what I wanted to be – to then quitting for a little bit and then go back in it, and then also have no control really of what’s going to happen on the pitch.
Image: Van Dijk turns 35 in July, and still plays at the top level for both club and country
“I really like inspiring the next generation. I’m at the academy quite a lot because I feel like those are the guys that are eventually going to keep Liverpool up there.
“I have my own youth tournament and I want to make sure it’s the biggest U13s tournament in the world, so something with that. I know what it brings to those youngsters, and I really like that. But let’s see, there’s plenty of time.”
Slot on succession planning for Van Dijk exit
Liverpool boss Arne Slot on planning for life without Van Dijk in his pre-Man City press conference:
“Of course, we’re aware of the fact that Virgil will not play for this club for 10 more years but he has one-and-a-half-year contract left so he will be with us for that period of time – maybe even longer.
“If he keeps staying as fit as he is now – what a compliment to him at his age to play every three days, not only for his club but also his country, for seven or eight months already, hopefully he can stay as fit as he is for multiple years…
“But this club, we’re not stupid, we know somewhere in the upcoming years there is life for this club without Virgil.
“I can say this for every position, this club is not only thinking about short-term future but also mid-to-long term future and the decisions we make.”
‘Haaland is the modern-day striker’
On facing Manchester City striker Erling Haaland, Van Dijk said :”He is an amazing striker, and I’ve played against Erling for so many years now. He’s a modern-day striker – strong, fast, a born goal-scorer, and it will be tough.
“The game over there was very tough and it could be a totally different game if we take it back, but in the end, the second half, we had a well-deserved loss there.
“But Sunday is another opportunity, a game that’s always been difficult, it’s been a very good atmosphere, and it’s something to look forward to. It’ll be good to be there again with each other.”
