Quarterback Aaron Rodgers is back with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and all is well in Terrible Towel Land, at least for the next year.
It’d be pretty wild to not start Rodgers this season, and he’s obviously expected to be the starter for the full season. This isn’t a Russell Wilson and the Giants kind of situation, where he’ll get benched after a few games. But, backup quarterback Will Howard is really showing his stuff, and he could be making a case to be the next franchise quarterback for the Steelers. Stranger things have happened.
Steelers’ quarterback situation makes for a wild story
“The most fun piece of this offseason is the competition for the quarterback spots,” he states in the piece. “With rookie Drew Allar around, the obvious odd-man out is veteran Mason Rudolph.”
He adds: “But call it a hunch, but I believe Allar finds his way to the practice squad or the injured list or something like that by the time the regular season kicks off.”
He also says that in his 53-man roster projections, Howard wins the QB2 job.
He’s not the only one. During an interview on 93.7 The Fan on Thursday, Ray Fittipaldo, who covers Pittsburgh for the Post-Gazette, says that Howard has been the “No. 2 guy in OTAs and minicamp, and he’s going to continue to be that in minicamp.”
The Steelers can rest easy that if Rodgers, God forbid, gets injured, they have a solid backup in Howard. If he does well this season, he could even be considered for the starting role in 2027, but there’s a lot of football to play before then.
In a 20-plus-minute video released Thursday night, Texas Tech officials defended their integrity and reiterated their support for Brendan Sorsby amid widespread criticism from the rest of the Big 12 Conference and other corners of college sports to the likelihood of the quarterback playing for the Red Raiders this fall.
Athletic director Kirby Hocutt — appearing in the video alongside football coach Joey McGuire, university president Lawrence Schovanec and Grant Stovall, Texas Tech’s senior associate athletic director for student-athlete health and wellness — said he understood why his AD colleagues had spoken out against the school allowing Sorsby to play this fall.
On Monday, Sorsby was granted a temporary injunction by a Texas judge that cleared the way for him to play in 2026 despite being ruled ineligible by the NCAA for widespread sports wagering, including 40 bets involving Indiana football while he was a freshman with the Hoosiers in 2022. The NCAA has appealed the injunction. Sorsby does have to sit out the Red Raiders’ first two games, against Abilene Christian and Oregon State.
Several Big 12 ADs have voiced their opposition to playing Texas Tech this season, and the league’s presidents met Thursday and will again meet next week to discuss potentially sanctioning the school for allowing Sorsby to play even with the judge’s ruling.
“There’s no reason whatsoever to question the integrity of our athletics department, or the competitive product that we put on the fields or on the courts each and every time that we go out,” Hocutt said. “Integrity of the game is sacred, and that’s why we’ve gone to such great lengths to ensure the monitoring and the compliance measures are in place for Brendan’s return.”
In the video, the Texas Tech officials detailed Sorsby’s addiction, his long journey to recovery and why they believe the team environment is the best place for him. Hocutt said he has met with Sorsby several times since the quarterback returned to Lubbock from a 35-day in-patient rehab program after being diagnosed with gambling and anxiety disorders.
“He’s made mistakes and he looked me in my eye this morning, again, and reassured me that he has done nothing to jeopardize the integrity of a game that he’s competed in,” Hocutt said. “He has not given information about a game that he’s competed in, he has not jeopardized the competition or affected the outcome of any game he’s competed in.”
Stovall outlined the conditions for Sorsby’s return to campus and the team, including software being installed on his cellphone and other devices that monitors activity and prevents him from accessing online wagering platforms. Sorsby also is participating in outpatient clinical care and individual and group therapy at Texas Tech.
Hocutt said Sorsby came to the athletic facility immediately after the injunction was granted to meet with Texas Tech’s information technology and compliance staff and have the monitoring software installed on his phone.
“It’s day by day,” McGuire said. “We have a long time before we have to think about when he’s going to play football again. We have a long time to continue to work with him to help him with this addiction. … I’m glad he’s back.”
Hocutt noted that Texas Tech was not involved in Sorsby’s legal process to seek the injunction but deemed it “legitimate” despite strong criticism of the decision.
“It was a judge that is not from Lubbock, Texas. It was a judge that actually lives 300 miles from Texas Tech University,” Hocutt said. “The judge heard the arguments and ultimately made the ruling. A lot of people don’t agree with that ruling, and that’s their right, but it was a legitimate legal process that he received an injunction.”
McGuire said the injunction being granted removed “a huge weight” from Sorsby’s shoulders, while adding that the quarterback’s parents contacted him amid social media backlash.
“It was like, ‘We didn’t expect all of this. Are y’all OK? We don’t want this on your university,’” McGuire said. “… I told them, ‘Let’s take a deep breath. Let’s all work through this together. We have your son’s best interest at heart.’”
Schovanec acknowledged that Sorsby “made a mistake” but Texas Tech is unwavering in its support of him.
“Mistakes have consequences,” Schovanec said. “At the same time, here’s a young man with a dream and a vision to pursue a career. We felt not to have the opportunity to pursue that career, given the circumstances and the evolving changes in this world that these athletes face, was unfair and unjust.”
Carolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour’s decision to pull Frederik Andersen in favor of Brandon Bussi in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final was initially seen as a move to rest Andersen after he allowed four unanswered goals in the second period against the Vegas Golden Knights.
But, it was just the latest example of why it’s becoming more difficult for NHL teams to get through an entire postseason with just one goaltender.
Traditionally, teams had a clear-cut starter and a backup. The starters often played 60 to 70 games in the regular season, while playing every minute in the playoffs barring a lopsided score line, with the backups taking on the rest.
Fewer clear-cut starters now exist. The Utah Mammoth’s Karel Vejmelka was the only one who reached the 60-start threshold this season, while 18 other goaltenders played 50 or more. The backups used to play 10 to 20 games, but are now typically playing more than 30.
Carolina initially went into the season with Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov as its tandem before Kochetkov underwent lower-body surgery in December that ended his regular season, and led to Bussi being promoted from the AHL. Bussi played a team-high 39 games, while Andersen played 35.
Andersen never started more than two consecutive games in the regular season, but made 15 straight starts in the playoffs before Brind’Amour turned to Bussi for Game 4. Brind’Amour made Kochetkov the backup, with the intent of giving Andersen a night off. Bussi made 18 saves in Game 4 to help the Hurricanes even the series at 2-2, and another 23 in Game 5 to give the Canes a 3-2 edge.
Inconsistent performances and injuries led to Vegas needing four goaltenders to get through the regular season. Akira Schmid led the team in starts (34) and wins (16), yet he’s been a healthy scratch this postseason. Adin Hill, who helped them win a Stanley Cup in 2023, has been on the bench backing up Carter Hart.
The 27-year-old Hart began playing in December once he was reinstated by the NHL after he was one of the five 2018 Canadian world junior hockey players who were acquitted of sexual assault in July 2025. Hart started 18 times in the regular season, but has now started 22 consecutive games through Game 5.
After Bussi replaced Andersen, nine of 16 teams used multiple goalies this postseason, including six that advanced to the second round.
Those six teams used their goalies differently. The Buffalo Sabres had both of their goalies playing heavy minutes at various points. The Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild made changes to find a spark. Meanwhile, the Anaheim Ducks and Montreal Canadiens turned to their backups so their starters could reset after a difficult game.
“I think when you get to the playoffs and you add up the number of games that you are going to play over the course of the year, the number grows,” Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon said. “I think that’s what you’re seeing a little bit around the league right now is some teams are used to it all year, so, you don’t see a reason not to continue.”
DALLAS STARS COACH Glen Gulutzan told ESPN in April that his time as an Edmonton Oilers assistant allowed him to learn quite a bit on how to manage a tandem.
That knowledge base increased with the relationship he developed with goaltender Mike Smith, who was part of three playoff runs in Edmonton.
“There are times when an extra practice day or one reset with the goalie coach and a good work day on some video can do wonders for a goalie,” Gulutzan said. “So if you’re going through a series and you think your goalie needs a little bit of a reset, it’s a privilege to have another goalie that can win you a hockey game.”
During Gulutzan’s last two seasons with the Oilers, he worked under Kris Knoblauch and attained a greater appreciation for all the moving parts that came with managing two goalies on a Stanley Cup Final run.
During the Oilers’ first Stanley Cup Final run in 2024, they largely relied on Stuart Skinner but were forced to make a change by Game 4 of the second round, going to Calvin Pickard for two games before Skinner returned to win the final two of the series. Skinner played in 23 games that postseason, while Pickard played in three.
In the 2025 playoffs, Knoblauch used more of a true two-goalie approach. Skinner lost the first two games in the first round, then Pickard won the next four straight. Pickard played the first two games of the second round, but his injury in Game 2 brought Skinner brought in as a replacement. Skinner started 11 straight games, until he was replaced by Pickard in Game 4 of the Cup Final. Pickard had two more starts, before the Oilers returned to Skinner for Game 6.
Gulutzan learned from Knoblauch how important it was to remain in communication with their goalies. Those conversations were even more vital when it came to letting Skinner know that there was a way back for him, despite the fact that Pickard was starting.
“It’s such a long run that sometimes, it’s hard to ride one [goaltender] the whole time,” Gulutzan said. “What I learned through that whole process is that if you are going to go on a two-and-a-half-month run, you might have to use somebody else just from fatigue and a little momentum and maybe even if there are injuries.”
Under Jared Bednar, the Avalanche have alternated between the more traditional approach and tandems. During the 2024-25 season, they traded for Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood to create arguably the NHL’s premier tandem. In 2025-26, the “Lumber Yard” helped the Avs finish with the best regular-season record in the league.
Bednar said there has been more adoption of tandems, due in part to the fact there are not many goalies like Tampa Bay Lightning star Andrei Vasilevskiy who are capable of handling more than 60 starts per season.
Vasilevskiy, who won the Vezina Trophy this year as the NHL’s best goalie, has made more than 50 starts in nine of the past 10 seasons. His lone non-50 start season was in 2020-21, when the NHL played a truncated 56-game schedule; he started 42 of them for Tampa Bay. Only three-time Vezina winner Connor Hellebuyck has started more games since the 2017-18 season than Vasilevskiy.
“It’s the comfort of sort of repeating what you’ve done in the regular season,” Bednar said. “If you’ve got into the playoffs, you’ve been a good team. If you’ve advanced in the playoffs, you’ve been a good team. And if you have used both guys the whole way in order to get you there, then, I think to a certain extent, you might need both guys to keep advancing.”
Wedgewood started 43 games this season, while Blackwood made 36 starts. Bednar used Wedgewood to start the playoffs, backstopping a first-round sweep against the Los Angeles Kings, but was pulled in Game 3 of their second-round series, and Blackwood started Game 4. Blackwood won that game, but was pulled after the first period of Game 5 with the Avalanche coming back to win the game and take the series with Wedgewood back in net.
Bednar stuck with Wedgewood in the conference finals against the Golden Knights only to turn to Blackwood when they faced an 0-3 series hole. Blackwood stopped 24 of the 26 shots he faced, but the Avs were swept.
“The playoffs is a different animal,” Bednar said before the start of the conference finals. “It’s the mental fatigue and the stress of playing, the travel, back and forth on a regular basis. You’re not getting a weeklong, a 10-day-long homestand or things like that either. Fatigue is a factor — both mental and physical — and it’s hard to play your best if you’re fatigued in either one of those.
“I think that’s why you’re seeing more teams use two guys even if it’s for a game or two.”
Tortorella said that coaches are honest about the trust they have in using a two-goalie system.
“We have a guy, Carter, who’s playing well,” Tortorella said ahead of the conference finals. “But Hilly, he’s a Stanley Cup winner, right? We have trust in him. We haven’t gone there. We felt Carter has played that well and we’ve stayed with him. It’s not like you’re trying to fix something that isn’t broken. But you also have the opportunity to go there. I don’t think coaches and teams are afraid to because they just have that type of trust.”
GULUTZAN WAS HIRED by the Stars for several reasons. Among them was how he was part of an Oilers staff that coached the team to consecutive Stanley Cup Finals, with both of them coming at the expense of the Stars in the conference finals.
Those experiences with Smith — along with how he watched Knoblauch navigate the Skinner-Pickard tandem — gave him a foundation.
“I think with any relationship — anyone, goalies, players, whoever it is — you gotta talk,” Gulutzan explained. “You gotta tell them, ‘This is what I am thinking. I just want to be truthful. Here’s what I am thinking.’ Then the player feels comfortable enough to tell you what they are thinking.”
Gulutzan said that the relationship among head coach, goalie coach and the goalies themselves is foundational. That way, there’s already an established dynamic in place in the event there needs to be a difficult conversation.
Such as if Gulutzan needed to pull one goalie in favor of the other if it meant winning a playoff game.
His arrival came months after the Stars fired Peter DeBoer, who guided them to three straight Western Conference finals. DeBoer’s firing came in the aftermath of the Stars being eliminated by the Oilers in Game 5, in which goaltender Jake Oettinger was pulled after allowing two goals on the first two shots.
Following the loss, DeBoer’s relationship with Oettinger was under the microscope. The coach had a year left on his contract at the time of his firing, while Oettinger was about to enter the first year of an eight-year contract worth $8.25 million annually.
Oettinger, who has made more than 54 starts for four straight regular seasons, told ESPN in April that being a goaltender in today’s NHL means learning how to be comfortable with not being perfect.
“I think after my first year, I think got pulled in the playoffs and I didn’t really realize how every game is kind of its own entity,” Oettinger said. “It’s not like I could let in 10 goals in Game 1 and it’s all about Game 2. What I really like about the playoffs is that it’s good and bad because you can play your ass off and 10 minutes into the next game, you get the hook. That’s the blessing and the curse with the position.”
Wedgewood said the need for multiple goalies has increased because the game has become more east-to-west. There are sequences when an opponent will have quite a bit of time in the offensive zone, which makes it more challenging to defend. He cited that there are different body movements that can add up, along with how the NHL schedule has changed with international tournaments returning to the calendar.
“I think just the torque on the body and the way the game is played now, it’s not just four guys because now it’s a 20-man roster,” Wedgewood said. “Even if you give me those games where you get less than 25 shots, you’re still up and down, probably close to 100 times shuffling constantly.”
So often, the world at large believes a goalie’s workload can be measured in shots and shots alone. It’s not. There are other items that serve as a barometer, with their movements being among them.
Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right. The first few steps of the famed Konami Code is also a likely movement pattern that a goalie could follow even if they don’t face a shot. Wedgewood said that a goalie could have 60 up-and-down movements along with turns and reads that begin to add up.
“The mechanical side is also in play,” Wedgewood said. “I think that obviously contributes to the fact that micro movements that are actually exertion would also be a big separator nowadays.”
New York Knicks (53-29, third in the Eastern Conference) vs. San Antonio Spurs (62-20, second in the Western Conference)
San Antonio; Saturday, 8:30 p.m. EDT
LINE: Spurs -5.5; over/under is 216.5
NBA FINALS: Knicks lead series 3-1
BOTTOM LINE: The New York Knicks look to clinch the series over the San Antonio Spurs in game five of the NBA Finals. The Knicks defeated the Spurs 107-106 in the last matchup on Thursday. Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 36 points, and Victor Wembanyama led the Spurs with 24.
The Spurs have gone 32-8 in home games. San Antonio ranks ninth in the league with 28.1 assists per game. Stephon Castle leads the Spurs averaging 7.4.
The Knicks are 23-19 on the road. New York is eighth in the Eastern Conference with 27.4 assists per game led by Brunson averaging 6.8.
The Spurs make 48.3% of their shots from the field this season, which is 2.3 percentage points higher than the Knicks have allowed to their opponents (46.0%). The Knicks average 5.0 more points per game (116.5) than the Spurs give up (111.5).
TOP PERFORMERS: Wembanyama is shooting 51.2% and averaging 25.0 points for the Spurs. Devin Vassell is averaging 3.0 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
Brunson is scoring 26.0 points per game with 3.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists for the Knicks. OG Anunoby is averaging 16.0 points and 3.9 rebounds while shooting 53.3% over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Spurs: 4-6, averaging 108.7 points, 44.2 rebounds, 23.9 assists, 8.2 steals and 5.6 blocks per game while shooting 43.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 107.6 points per game.
Knicks: 9-1, averaging 115.5 points, 45.8 rebounds, 26.0 assists, 8.2 steals and 4.1 blocks per game while shooting 48.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 102.6 points.
INJURIES: Spurs: David Jones Garcia: out for season (ankle).
SEATTLE — The Seahawks received their Super Bowl LX rings during a private ceremony for players, coaches and football staff Thursday night.
Created by Jason of Beverly Hills, the rings contain diamonds, sapphires, team mantras and three special features.
The centerpiece includes a pair of Lombardi Trophy replicas in honor of the franchise’s two Super Bowl wins. They sit behind a Seahawks logo, which has 50 round white diamonds in a nod to 2025 being the team’s 50th season. The trophies and logo are surrounded by blue sapphires.
On one side of each player’s ring is his name and number above the letters M.O.B., a mantra the team adopted last season that stands for “Mission Over Bulls—.” On the other side is another saying — “12 AS ONE” — above the Seattle skyline and the Super Bowl LX logo.
“17 WINS” is engraved inside the ring, noting the team’s combined regular-season and playoff victories.
The Seahawks’ Super Bowl LX rings are heavy on details and features, including a fully removable top that converts into a pendant that can be worn on a chain.
One of the special features is a 12 Flag button that, when pressed, releases and expands the Lumen Field arches that sit on either side of the centerpiece to reveal the words “WORLD CHAMPIONS.”
The top of the ring can be fully removed from the base, converting it into a pendant that can be worn on a chain. Underneath the top of the ring is an authentic piece of a football used during the season set behind the No. 50.
According to a Seahawks news release, the 12 Flag button entails “a complex internal mechanism utilizing multiple levers and spring systems. The ring engineering process required months of development to ensure the mechanism operated seamlessly while maintaining integrity, durability, and luxury craftsmanship. From initial concept to final completion, each ring underwent an extensive three-month production process involving concept development, CAD engineering, stone sourcing, casting, hand setting, polishing, and multiple rounds of quality control.”
Jason of Beverly Hills also created the Super Bowl rings for three of the previous five champions — the Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tiffany & Co. created the Seahawks’ Super Bowl XLVIII rings.
For England, the time for talk is almost over. Soon, all that will matter is the task at hand: Winning the 2026 World Cup. The Football Association (FA) and manager Thomas Tuchel have spoken forthrightly about that being their only objective in North America, and as the days tick down to the Three Lions getting their campaign underway, there is no reason to believe that they can’t achieve their ultimate goal.
The tournament has officially begun, with Mexico and South Africa kicking things off on Thursday. Now, the anticipation is building to England’s first taste of action as they gear up to take on familiar foes Croatia on Wednesday.
For the Three Lions, the quest to end the years of hurt continues, 60 long years on from the country’s one and only triumph on the biggest stage. At GOAL, we’re ready to jump on the hype train, as we look at the reasons why England will win the 2026 World Cup and put six decades of pain behind them…
Ballon d’Or contender
England’s hopes may well rest on captain and star striker Harry Kane, so it’s just as well he’s in the form of his life. The Bayern Munich hitman is in contention to become the first Englishman to win a Ballon d’Or since Michael Owen a quarter of a century ago, and that may not even be contingent on the Three Lions lifting the trophy in North America.
At the ripe old age of 32, Kane delivered what was comfortably the best goal-scoring campaign of his prolific career to date at club level, incredibly passing the 60-goal mark courtesy of hat-tricks on the final day of another title-winning Bundesliga season and in the DFB-Pokal showpiece. He bagged 36 of his strikes in the league, adding another 14 in the Champions League.
The striker would claim the Golden Shoe as the continent’s top scorer by some distance, finishing nine and 11 goals ahead of closest challengers Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe, respectively – two of the world’s best strikers. His return of 61 efforts places him in the all-time top five for most goals in a European season in all competitions, and he could hardly be heading to the World Cup in better form.
Midfield dynamos
Kane will form part of a crucial spine for England, and the trio of midfielders behind him may well be equally important to their chances of success. Thankfully, the Three Lions boast what will be one of the most solid and dynamic trios at the tournament.
It looks highly likely that Elliot Anderson will be asked to sit at the base as a deep-lying playmaker who is also capable of biting into tackles where required, while Declan Rice should be given the freedom to shuttle back and forth as a box-to-box presence, although he also has the engine to ensure his defensive duties are fulfilled, of course.
Ahead of them, it seems as though Jude Bellingham and Morgan Rogers could role-share in the No.10 position, unless the latter is deployed out wide, where he has demonstrated he is more than capable of being a threat for Aston Villa. Both are attacking midfielders who combine vision, creativity and an eye for goal with an effective physicality that could be crucial in giving Tuchel’s side an edge.
Other than Portugal and Spain, few countries can claim to have such a fine balance in the middle of the park, and they would still have Kobbie Mainoo to come off the bench. England must just hope that they click on the biggest stage.
Cup specialist
Sir Gareth Southgate never truly overcame questions over his lack of top-level managerial experience and know-how in high-pressure situations like a World Cup semi-final or European Championship final, but the FA now have the kind of elite coach in charge who they believe can finally haul a talented generation of English players over the line.
Aside from being revered as one of the finest tacticians in the modern game, Tuchel is also something of a cup specialist – a trait that should lend itself very well to international tournament football.
At Borussia Dortmund, he led his side to the final of the DFB-Pokal in each of his two seasons at the helm, ending a five-year wait for major silverware at the second time of asking in 2017 as BVB downed Eintracht Frankfurt in Berlin. He would then lift the Coupe de France in his second season with Paris Saint-Germain and took the club to its first-ever Champions League final in 2020, where they would suffer a narrow defeat to Bayern Munich.
During his time at Chelsea, Tuchel once again demonstrated his aptitude for the cup competitions, guiding the Blues to four finals out of the five that were played during his tenure. The pinnacle was of course leading an unfancied side to a second Champions League crown in 2021, masterminding a victory over Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in the final. That came a fortnight after Chelsea were beaten by Leicester City in the FA Cup showpiece, and they would agonisingly lose both the 2022 FA and Carabao Cup finals to Liverpool on penalties.
There are plenty of heartbreaks mixed in there, but Tuchel has demonstrated the ability to take all sorts of teams to within touching distance of silverware at the very least, and you wouldn’t bet against him repeating that on the World Cup stage.
Mentality monster
After taking the job in 2024, Tuchel made it clear from the outset that he wasn’t afraid to make some unpopular decisions, and he kept his promise by not selecting what would have been his best squad on paper. Staying true to his ‘team over talent’ mantra, he left out a raft of big names, including Cole Palmer, Phil Foden and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
While the manager has come in for widespread criticism for some of those calls, including from the overlooked Harry Maguire and his family, it would be remiss to believe there wasn’t some method to the madness. There will certainly be fewer distractions, with an obvious best starting XI – bar some rotation in one or two positions – and a fairly clear hierarchy to the squad. Tuchel seems determined to build a togetherness to form the backbone of the tilt at the World Cup.
“From day one we were clear we were trying to build the best possible team, which is not necessarily the 26 most talented players,” the German told a press conference after his squad was officially revealed. “Teams win championships – and what we’re trying to achieve can only be achieved as a team. We have players ready and committed to the idea of team spirit and being unselfish.”
He added: “We need a bit of luck. We need our selection right. Stay healthy. Catch momentum. Build a brotherhood. Play with courage, hunger. And take advantage of special moments.”
A behind-the-scenes video of one of Tuchel’s team meetings at England’s U.S. camp also showed him insisting he wants his side to become a team “no one wants to play against” during the tournament.
Faltering rivals
England’s chances of ending their 60-year wait for a major trophy are enhanced by the lack of an obvious pre-tournament favourite, with a number of international football’s big hitters going through transitional phases.
European champions Spain look like the biggest threat once again on paper, but key men Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams are injury doubts, while there will also be question marks over their defence. France, winners in 2018 and runners-up in 2022, are top heavy and lack a bit of quality in midfield, while Portugal’s backline and reliance on 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo could also be exploited.
Meanwhile, Germany and Brazil don’t feel like the formidable powers they once were as they search for an identity under respective relatively new head coaches in Julian Nagelsmann and Carlo Ancelotti, and the Netherlands seem more like dark horses than real contenders.
The theory might be a little reductive, but there is the sense that the lack of a dominant force plays into England’s hands, as long as they can become a cohesive unit themselves in North America.
Favourable route?
If all goes to plan, England’s route through the tournament should be a pretty straightforward one – although there is, of course, no avoiding the big dogs once you get to the business end of proceedings.
We already know that the Three Lions have been drawn in a fairly favourable group alongside Croatia, Ghana and Panama, with the expanded 48-team tournament resulting in the top seeds being more spread out. They will be expected to top that, to set up a last-32 tie against a third-placed side – most likely Ivory Coast, Ecuador, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Norway, Senegal, Austria, Algeria, Colombia, Uzbekistan or DR Congo.
While there are a few nations there they would want to avoid, England would still be firm favourites and would expect to progress to the last 16, where the challenge of facing Mexico at the iconic Estadio Azteca could await, although South Korea, Scotland, Japan or Sweden are also possible opponents. Facing the co-hosts on home soil would be a daunting prospect, but you would still expect Tuchel’s charges to get the job done on the pitch.
Things inevitably get more complicated thereafter, but England would be favourites to beat Ancelotti’s Brazil, who are a work in progress, in the most likely quarter-final scenario. Holders Argentina or Portugal would then lie in wait in the semis, before a probable showdown against Spain in a repeat of the Euro 2024 final, if La Roja can beat France in their theoretical semi-final.
There are plenty of variables, but you have to feel that the Three Lions’ path to the semi-finals, at least, is mapped out. From there, they have every chance of beating Argentina or Portugal, albeit narrowly, and the margins will be fine once again in the showpiece against Luis de la Fuente’s Spain or Didier Deschamps’ France.
Tournament know-how
Tuchel’s squad selection might have raised plenty of eyebrows, but there are still several players with plenty of tournament know-how who have been there before with England and will be determined to finally get over the line in North America.
Jordan Pickford, John Stones, Jordan Henderson, Marcus Rashford and Kane are all veterans of the surprise run to the semi-finals in 2018, Reece James, Rice, Bellingham and Bukayo Saka joined them in the squad that went so agonisingly close at Euro 2020, and all of them bar James also travelled to the 2022 World Cup.
Then, two years ago, Marc Guehi, Ezri Konsa, Mainoo, Eberechi Eze, Anthony Gordon, Ivan Toney and Ollie Watkins all picked up invaluable tournament experience in the run to the final of Euro 2024, where England fell just short once again.
The squad’s combination of youth, experience and, indeed, heartbreak on some of the biggest stages should serve them well as they look to seize a golden opportunity to end the years of hurt this summer.
Written in the stars?
And wouldn’t there just be some lovely symmetry if England were able to end the long, long wait for a major trophy this summer, 60 years on from the famous victory over West Germany at Wembley? The 2026 final in New Jersey will fall just 11 days before the anniversary of the Three Lions’ one and only triumph at a major tournament, and perhaps it is written in the stars that they will repeat the feat six decades on.
They have arguably never been better placed to do so, with Southgate laying the foundations despite the heartbreaks of 2018, 2021, 2022 and 2024. Having been within touching distance plenty of times in the modern era, the Three Lions can lean on that experience to go one step further; they have to believe that they finally now have the tools required – both mentally and in terms of personnel – to get over the line.
With an elite manager at the helm and a raft of top-level, youthful but experienced players across the pitch, England have every chance of emulating the heroes of 1966 in North America this summer.
Mickelson’s advances were rejected by a female employee who reported the incident to the club.
Phil Mickelson’s longtime membership with The Farms Golf Club in Rancho Santa Fe, California, has ended amid an alleged incident with a female employee, according to Golf Digest. Mickelson reportedly made “non-consensual and inappropriate physical contact” with a clubhouse staff member who rejected his advances and reported the matter to her supervisors.
Mickelson, who had gone out to play his round, was confronted about the incident on the golf course and told to leave the premises.
Tom Clare, Mickelson’s attorney, tells Golf Digest there is “objective video evidence” refuting the allegations; however, he did not provide the video when requested. The club later confirmed there is no video of the incident.
The Farms confirmed in a statement that an incident had occurred at the club, but it did not provide the names of the specific parties involved.
Phil Mickelson’s longtime membership with The Farms Golf Club in Rancho Santa Fe, California, has ended amid an alleged incident with a female employee, according to Golf Digest. Mickelson reportedly made “non-consensual and inappropriate physical contact” with a clubhouse staff member who rejected his advances and reported the matter to her supervisors.
Mickelson, who had gone out to play his round, was confronted about the incident on the golf course and told to leave the premises.
Tom Clare, Mickelson’s attorney, tells Golf Digest there is “objective video evidence” refuting the allegations; however, he did not provide the video when requested. The club later confirmed there is no video of the incident.
The Farms confirmed in a statement that an incident had occurred at the club, but it did not provide the names of the specific parties involved.
Mickelson has spent much of 2026 away from the golf course, citing an ongoing family health matter for his extended absence, which began in February.
“Any misunderstanding has been cleared up,” Mickelson’s attorneys said in a statement shared with Golf Digest. “Phil continues to attend to a family health matter and is uncertain when he will be able to return to professional golf.”
The six-time major champion skipped the Masters and PGA Championship, and he did not try to qualify for next week’s U.S. Open. Mickelson is still in the field for the 2026 Open Championship as a past champion, but his status for Royal Birkdale in July remains uncertain.
Mickelson has only appeared in one LIV Golf event this season, finishing T48 at LIV Golf South Africa in mid-March.
Two of the top stars in the Canadian Open positioned themselves near the top of the leaderboard after 18 holes
The final event before the U.S. Open got underway on Thursday as 146 players teed it up north of the border at TPC Toronto for the first round of the 2026 RBC Canadian Open. As was the case a year ago when TPC Toronto hosted, scoring conditions were ideal, with the majority of the field breaking par in their opening rounds, and some of the biggest names in the field took advantage of the scoring opportunities to position themselves well after the first round.
Brooks Koepka is among those, as he began his week with a 6-under 64 to join the six-way tie for the lead. Koepka is still searching for his breakthrough win in 2026 to fully assert himself as a real threat in his return to the PGA Tour. He’s played solid with a number of top 20s, but his best finish of the season is still a T9 at the Cognizant back in February, and while he’s shown flashes of brilliance, he’s yet to put together a full tournament of elite play.
While time will tell if this is that week, the nine-time PGA Tour winner is off to a fantastic start after a blistering back nine that featured six birdies, including on the 17th and 18th holes, to climb into a share of the lead. Koepka was strong with his iron play once again, as that’s been his calling card all year, but this time his putter showed up as he made a rare appearance in the top 5 in strokes gained putting on Thursday at TPC Toronto.
That combination of darts with the irons and a putter cooperating in the form of more than 107 feet of made putts on Thursday is the formula for a 6-under round. For as solid as Koepka’s been this season, he is desperate to spend a weekend at the top of a leaderboard. A win is the obvious goal, but he’s yet to play his way into a signature event this season. With just one remaining at the Travelers Championship the week after the U.S. Open, he needs a big week to rack up the needed FedEx Cup points to make his way to Connecticut and secure a strong position ahead of the playoffs.
Also part of the group tied atop the leaderboard is Sam Burns, who has been playing extremely well over the past two months but is also looking for his first Tour win since 2023. Fresh off a T4 finish at the Memorial, Burns has carried that form to Toronto, where he matched Koepka with a 64. Where Koepka’s strong effort on the greens raised eyebrows, Burns looking great with the putter on Thursday comes as no surprise given that’s long been the strength of his game.
What’s been most encouraging for Burns lately is the way he’s performed as a ball striker, as he’s been gaining strokes off the tee and on approach for a couple of months now. That’s a significant improvement for a player who lagged behind last year with his iron play, and being able to pair quality approach play with his putting prowess has made him a threat once again.
Both Burns and Koepka will be buoyed by their play on Thursday, but with the majority of the field under par after the first round and little separation between the lead and the cut line, they will have to maintain their early pace to hold their positions entering the weekend.
Leaders
1. Brooks Koepka, Sam Burns, Sahith Theegala, Eric Cole, Emiliano Grillo, Matthew Anderson (-6): Koepka and Burns headline the five tied at the top, but they’ve got strong company. Theegala was the first to post 64 and showed the form that made him one of the hottest players on the Tour early in the year before cooling off considerably of late. Cole has been a fixture at the top of leaderboards for the past three weeks and seems poised for another weekend in contention as his excellent stretch of play continues. Grillo, meanwhile, is one of those in the field who qualified for the U.S. Open on Monday, and he rode that wave of confidence from a great day at sectionals into TPC Toronto for Thursday’s first round.
Contenders
T7. Shane Lowry, Tony Finau, Adam Svensson and 9 others (-5) T19. Ryan Fox, Harry Hall, Aldrich Potgieter, Taylor Pendrith and 9 others (-4) T32. Tommy Fleetwood, Matt Fitzpatrick, Nick Taylor and 20 others (-3) T55. Viktor Hovland, Wyndham Clark, Max Homa, Alex Fitzpatrick and 14 others (-2) T73. Aaron Rai, Mackenzie Hughes, Adam Hadwin and 22 others (-1) T98. Collin Morikawa, Justin Rose and 20 others (E)
Friday is going to be a wild battle as the vast majority of the field could be sweating the cut line or battling for a top 10 position. Adam Svensson, Taylor Pendrith and 2023 champ Nick Taylor are in pursuit of Anderson early for the honor of low Canadian as they look to capture their national open. Finau has been desperate to find some good form and seemed comfortable letting it rip and bombing it around TPC Toronto, producing one of his best rounds recently.
Defending champion Ryan Fox is off to a strong start at 4 under, while some of the pre-tournament favorites in Tommy Fleetwood and Matt Fitzpatrick aren’t far behind after opening 67s. Wyndham Clark is playing the best golf we’ve seen from him in years over the past few weeks, and while he has some work to do to catch the leaders, his recent form suggests he’ll keep climbing the leaderboard as the week goes on.
Outside the current cut line are Collin Morikawa and Justin Rose after treading water to even-par 70s to start. Both were hoping to find something heading into the U.S. Open, but are still left searching after 18 holes of play.
Updated RBC Canadian Open odds, picks
Odds via FanDuel
Sam Burns (11/2)
Brooks Koepka (19/2)
Sahith Theegala (15-1)
Eric Cole (15-1)
Tommy Fleetwood (16-1)
Matt Fitzpatrick (16-1)
Shane Lowry (18-1)
This tournament is still wide open, as evidenced by the odds board. Burns was a popular pick coming in off his showing at the Memorial and proved why on Thursday to shorten his odds and become the favorite entering the second round. Cole is getting some respect from the oddsmakers, and for good reason: Expect him to remain in the conversation through Sunday with the way he’s been playing of late. Grillo at 40-1 is live as a longer shot among the current leaders with the sudden surge of confidence he’s feeling after his performance at U.S. Open qualifying.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — In the hours before Friday’s U.S. World Cup opener, at the team hotel, on the police-escorted bus and inside SoFi Stadium’s locker room, Mauricio Pochettino will dispense final instructions to a team he has molded for 19 months.
As the minutes count down to kickoff against Paraguay, Pochettino will step into a moment worthy of a Hollywood film and have an opportunity to rally his players with a speech that invokes courage and patriotism while also touching their hearts.
He could mirror the inspirational speech punctuating one of his favorite movies, “Miracle,” in which Kurt Russell, portraying coach Herb Brooks, rallied the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team.
In those final moments, though, Pochettino says he will not say much.
“I already talk — too much, too much,” he said Thursday. “I said, ‘Don’t expect my unbelievable speech Friday.’ No, I am the opposite. I think now is the moment they need to prepare in an emotional and mental way. Now they don’t need external motivation or inspirational speech.”
After numerous training camps and friendlies, tournaments and tuneups, Pochettino believes he and his staff have done everything to get his players in the proper mindframe.
“If you are not ready, sorry guys, it’s impossible to perform,” he added Thursday at his pre-match news conference.
Pochettino believes he has them ready, for not just Paraguay, but for perhaps the deepest U.S. run since 2002 and for the brightest spotlight since the quadrennial jamboree took place in these parts 32 years ago.
He said his team has made progress in the way they play and how they’ve seized a winning mentality — even if the results didn’t always pan out in the series of friendlies since last fall.
“The mindset starts to change, and I’ve seen we embrace the culture of the country that is being number one and competitive,” he said. “We need to win games but play with passion and to make the fans [feel] proud about what they are seeing on the field. It’s to create that emotional relationship … but we need to win. The most important thing is to win.”
At the 11th hour, that’s probably as close to a tear-jerking sermon as his players are going to get. They understand the weight of the World Cup and what performing well would mean in a country where soccer remains behind football, basketball and others.
“This is, for me, the biggest opportunity to really grow the game, to inspire people to show that American players are at the level of the rest of the world,” midfielder Tyler Adams said. “Let’s show everyone what we’re capable of doing.”
Now’s the time. While the pro leagues have helped build soccer’s foundation, the national team’s lack of success has stunted its growth. Since ending a 40-year absence from the tournament in 1990, the Americans have won just six World Cup matches and advanced past the round of 16 once.
In that span, they’ve won two of 22 tournament games against European and South American opponents. In Group D this year, they’ll play one of each (Turkey and Paraguay), plus Australia. At least two will qualify for the round of 32.
Midfielder Cristian Roldan says the team understands the importance of finally making a breakthrough at home.
“There’s a huge responsibility on our part to show up and create those long, lasting memories for the next generation,” he said. “We’re all excited obviously having the World Cup here in the United States, and in great spots to be able to achieve something bigger than ourselves.”
While Pochettino wants the players to understand their potential impact, he also wants them to enter the tournament like “they are a child with no pressure.”
They are not children, though. Thirteen of the 26 U.S. players were in Qatar four years ago. At that tournament, only one U.S. player had any World Cup experience and the team was among the two youngest in the field. It showed in the round of 16, where the much more mature Netherlands bounced them out of the competition.
“Last World Cup, maybe we’re all just a little bit young,” midfielder Gio Reyna said. Consequently, “it’s normal to struggle in certain big moments, like we did last tournament. The biggest strength now is everyone is just four years older and has matured as players and as people.”
Since training camp opened last month in the Atlanta area, they also seem more relaxed.
“You don’t want to feel like you’re gripping the steering wheel with white knuckles,” captain Tim Ream said at the time.
Adams said Thursday that he was “a good nervous. I never get nervous for games, but it feels real in the moment. I’m excited to get out there with this group of guys, because I’m confident in what we can do.”
No one will bear more responsibility than Christian Pulisic, the AC Milan forward who, through his talent and commercial endorsements, has become the face of the World Cup squad.
“It’s a big moment,” he said. “I’ve been looking forward to it for a long time.”
The Hershey, Pennsylvania, native added, “I genuinely don’t feel like I have to do anything on my own. They expect a lot out of me, but with the guys I have around me, honestly, it makes it a lot easier.”
His colleagues include a dozen others employed in Europe’s five best leagues, including top defender Chris Richards, who will probably start after recovering from an ankle injury suffered May 17.
While the focus is on a stubborn Paraguay team that conceded just 10 goals in 18 World Cup qualifiers — “a great team and a really good test,” Pulisic said — the U.S. also sees Friday’s match as the first step in launching not just this campaign but the sport at large.
“We want the game to grow,” Pulisic said. “It’s going to keep growing, no matter what happens, but of course we want to put on the best performance we can. We want to get Americans excited to watch this game, to watch our team. That’s obviously a big goal of ours. And yeah, of course, being successful would give that the best boost.”
Mandatory NFL minicamps are the last event of the offseason program before the league can officially enter its summer vacation until training camps kick off at the end of July.
Half of the league wrapped up their mandatory minicamps this week while the New York Jets, Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Chargers, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Commanders, Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers will conclude their respective minicamps on June 18 next week. Per the NFL’s collective bargaining rules, live contact isn’t allowed for players just yet — that has to wait for training camp — but there are still things that can be learned from the league’s final practices of the spring. Trade rumors, injury updates, reports on who is breaking out for more play time or a bigger role, vibe checks and more can all be gleaned from minicamps around the NFL.
Let’s take a look at some of the top takeaways from 16 of the NFL’s 32 teams that used this week to finish their offseason program before going into a summer hibernation.
Arizona Cardinals
Mandatory minicamp dates: June 8-10
Josh Sweat trade rumors aren’t going away
Pro Bowl edge rusher Josh Sweat is fresh off a career year in 2025 with a career-high 12.0 sacks, a figure which ranked tied for the eighth-most in the NFL last season. However following the firing of head coach Jonathan Gannon, there have been rumors the 29-year-old would like a trade elsewhere. Sweat, who played under Gannon when the latter was the defensive coordinator with the Philadelphia Eagles, signed a four-year, $76.4 million contract with $41 million guaranteed to follow his old DC out west to Arizona.
In Gannon’s absence, Sweat showed up to mandatory minicamp for new head coach Mike LaFleur, but Sweat didn’t participate, which sparked trade rumors. LaFleur said on Tuesday that Sweat’s lack of participation in on-field activity had nothing to do with an injury as well, but he claims there’s no “situation” with Sweat.
This will be a storyline to monitor all offseason.
Baltimore Ravens
Mandatory minicamp dates: June 9-11
All-Pro linebacker Roquan Smith, Ravens defense eyeing bounce back under new head coach Jesse Minter
In 2023, the Baltimore Ravens were the NFL’s No. 1 scoring defense, allowing just 16.5 points per game, with inside linebacker Roquan Smith earning first-team All-Pro honors. In 2024, the Ravens remained a top 10 scoring defense allowing the ninth-fewest points per game (21.2), and Smith once again took home first-team All-Pro honors.
Both the Ravens and Smith regressed in 2025 with Baltimore surrendering 23.4 points per game, 18th in the league, and Pro Football Focus graded Smith as the NFL’s 20th-best linebacker with a 74.5 defensive grade. His 130 tackles were his fewest since 2019 when he had 101, his career low, in his second NFL season. Smith spent two games on the sideline with a hamstring injury, and he’s ready to show what he and the Ravens defense can do under new management in 2026.
“It wasn’t the season I wanted to have, regardless of the circumstances,” Smith said, via The Athletic. “No excuses at all, but it wasn’t a season of my standard. I feel like you have to start with yourself before going anywhere else.”
Minter spent the prior two seasons as the Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator, and he comes to Baltimore after leading two top 10 defenses the last two seasons. His Chargers were the league’s No. 1 scoring defense in 2024, allowing just 17.7 points per game, and the NFL’s ninth-best scoring defense (20.0 points per game allowed) in 2025. Minter’s Chargers also profiled as one of the NFL’s best pass defenses in 2025, leading the league in both interception to touchdown ratio allowed (16-19) and passer rating allowed (75.0).
Buffalo Bills
Mandatory minicamp dates: June 9-11
New Bills WR DJ Moore making a nice early impression
The Buffalo Bills gave up a high-level draft pick, a 2026 second-round pick, to acquire wide receiver DJ Moore and a 2026 fifth-round pick from the Chicago Bears this offseason in order to provide 2024 NFL MVP quarterback Josh Allen a true, go-to wide receiver. Arguably the best two-season stretch of Moore’s career was when he was playing in new Bills head coach Joe Brady’s offense with the Carolina Panthers during the 2020 and 2021 seasons. That’s when Moore racked up 159 catches and 2,350 yards receiving in a two-season span. Moore’s 2,350 yards receiving across 2020 and 2021 with Brady as his Panthers offensive coordinator ranked as the seventh-most in the league at the time. The present day Moore at the age of 29 has Brady fired up in his first Buffalo minicamp.
“I was so excited when we traded for him, and I’m more excited after getting to work with him for an offseason,” Brady told reporters. “His demeanor, his approach, his leadership… He’s out there and available. I think there’s so much to that, and he’s leading in the room. … It’s really cool to see. I’m really excited to see where he’s at right now.”
Carolina Panthers
Mandatory minicamp dates: June 9-11
Panthers finding out what they have at wide receiver outside of 2025 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Tetairoa McMillan
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan’s absence provides an opening for the rest of quarterback Bryce Young’s receiving core to assert themselves.
“Obviously, it’s never as fun not having him in there,” Young said, via the team’s official website. “But actually, I was talking to Brad (Idzik, the offensive coordinator) about this on the walk over, I think it can be good for us at this time, at this period where it’s about developing. For me, you have a guy like that that’s your safety blanket that you know all right, one on one, this is where I want to go, it gives you that opportunity. Let’s work out some progressions. Let’s see everyone run all these routes. Our guys have done a great job of responding. There’s no hiccup. We’re fortunate to have a lot of guys who can shoulder a lot of roles, and they’ve been doing a great job stepping up.”
Chicago Bears
Mandatory minicamp dates: June 9-11
The 2026 season may be an ideal time to select TE Colston Loveland in Fantasy football
Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland, the 10th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, started off his NFL career slowly, but he erupted down the stretch. Loveland produced consecutive 90-yard receiving games in Weeks 17 and 18 before torching the Green Bay Packers for a career-high 137 yards receiving on eight catches in Chicago’s 31-27 comeback, wild card-round win. Entering Year 2, the drumbeat could not be louder for Loveland. He finished the 2025 regular season with 58 catches for 713 yards receiving and six touchdowns with his 58 catches setting a new Bears rookie tight end record.
Bears head coach Ben Johnson can sometimes come off as gruff in his public remarks, but he went out of his way to shower Loveland with praise on Tuesday at minicamp. It’s safe to say Loveland will be a featured pass catcher in Johnson’s Bears offense in 2026.
“I love what he brings to the table. He’s one of the most consistent players I’ve ever been around, and that’s saying a lot for a young guy because I think it takes a while before guys truly understand what it means to be a professional,” Johnson told reporters on Tuesday. He’s early. He’s always in his playbook. … I think he really thrives with being available in the pressure moments. That’s the type of guy that he wants to be. A lot of trust with the coaching staff, quarterbacks. I’m really happy with where he is at right now. We are able to take the route tree to the next level, and it’s something we’re going to continue to develop in training camp as well.”
Cleveland Browns
Mandatory minicamp dates: June 9-11
Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson remain in close QB competition, split first-team reps on final day of minicamp
The Cleveland Browns’ 2026 quarterback competition between two of the NFL’s most polarizing quarterbacks, Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson, remains neck and neck ahead of the NFL summer break.
Sanders, polarizing because of a rabid fan base and up-and-down play, registered a 57% completion percentage with seven passing touchdowns, 10 interceptions and a 68.1 passer rating in 2025. The Browns won three of his seven starts while Sanders adjusted to the speed of the NFL game: he faced pressure on an NFL-high 51% of his dropbacks since his NFL debut in Week 11 despite being blitzed at the seventh-lowest rate in the NFL (24%) in this span. Sanders’ weakness, holding on to the football too long when dropping back to pass, remains his weak spot as it was in college at Colorado: his average time to throw of 3.40 seconds ranked as the longest in the NFL among the 36 quarterbacks with at least 200 pass attempts in 2025.
Watson’s Browns tenure has been nothing short of a nightmare. Cleveland traded three first-round picks (2022, 2023 and 2024), a 2022 fourth-round pick, a 2023 third-round pick and a 2024 fourth-round pick for Watson and a 2024 sixth-round pick in March 2022. Cleveland then inked Watson to a five-year, fully guaranteed deal worth $230 million. Between being sued by 25-plus women for varying degrees of sexual assault, which resulted in an 11-game suspension in 2022, and suffering season-ending injuries in 2023 (shoulder), 2024 (Achilles) and 2025 (Achilles), it’s fair to say the trade and extension of Watson has been the worst transaction in sports history. He now enters the final year of his contract in 2026, and the former three-time Pro Bowl quarterback is neck and neck with Sanders to start for new head coach Todd Monken in the upcoming season.
“It’s been great to watch them progress,” Monken said Wednesday, via the team’s official website. “It’s been fun to watch those guys compete, the whole room. They’re really smart guys. Highly competitive and they’ve come a long way. I’m excited about the room.”
Green Bay Packers
Mandatory minicamp dates: June 9-11
Expectations are rising for former first-round pick edge rusher Lukas Van Ness
Green Bay Packers edge rusher Lukas Van Ness, the 13th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, is starting to show some flashes. Whether it’s tackles for loss or pressures/sacks on quarterback Jordan Love, he’s made his presence felt throughout the week of mandatory minicamp. That’s something he and others in Green Bay are taking note of. With just 8.5 sacks in three seasons, including a career-low 1.5 in just nine games played in 2025, 2026 marks a make-or-break campaign for Van Ness.
“My goal for this year is getting back to really having fun with football and just enjoying it. I think I’m doing that,” Van Ness said Tuesday, via Sports Illustrated.
With All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons sidelined for at least the first month of the upcoming season while completing his recovery from a torn ACL, he believes Van Ness will be the Packers’ top pass rusher in his absence.
“I think Luke is someone that people sleep on the most, and I don’t know why. I think by the end of this season, if Luke stays healthy, I think he’ll probably be the favorite. That’s how much confidence I have in him,” Parsons said, via WISCTV News 3 Now.
Houston Texans
Mandatory minicamp dates: June 9-11
Competition wide open to be Texans’ No. 3 edge rusher
The Houston Texans have the best pass-rush duo in the NFL: 2025 first-team All-Pro edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. and 2025 second-team All-Pro edge rusher Danielle Hunter have combined for 50.0 sacks since 2024 — the most by a teammate duo in that span. Who will get the rotational reps outside of Hunter and Anderson Jr.?
“We’re excited about the D-line that we have,” Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said on Tuesday, via Yahoo Sports. “We’ll continue to roll our guys as much as possible. That’s how we operate. We really want eight, nine guys who can go out there and play in a rotation. We’re still figuring out who those eight or nine guys will be. It’ll be really tough competition in training camp that I’m excited to see, excited to really see our young guys in the interior to see how they perform in camp.”
Comments like that make it seem like the door is open for 2023 fourth-round pick Dylan Horton to seize snaps, but the same could be said for veterans like Dominique Robinson, Ali Gaye and others.
ndianapolis Colts
Mandatory minicamp dates: June 9-11
Colts may not see top wide receiver Alec Pierce on the field for a few months
The Indianapolis Colts retained the services of wide receiver Alec Pierce this offseason by making him the highest-paid free agent wide receiver in NFL history with an average per year salary of $29 million on his four-year, $116 million contract. Pierce earned that honor by leading the NFL in yards per reception in both 2024 (22.3) and 2025 (21.3), which made him the first player to average 20-plus yards per reception in consecutive seasons since Flipper Anderson in 1989 and 1990.
However, Pierce won’t be on the field for the next four to six months after undergoing left ankle surgery in March. The 26-year-old labeled the injury as something that’s been bothering him since 2024.
“It definitely got a little bit worse as the season went and probably the last month, I’d say I was kind of struggling … Taking some days off [from practice] and stuff. I’m glad they kind of figured out what the issue was,” Pierce said Wednesday, via ESPN. … “I think obviously we want the [return] to be as early as possible,” he said. “But you’ve kind of got to let your body guide yourself and see how you feel. Because what I’m learning with the rehab is the more you overdo it, the more sore you get. It kind of can sometimes be counterproductive.”
Jacksonville Jaguars
Mandatory minicamp dates: June 9-11
Wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. is getting his swagger back
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., the 23rd overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, exploded onto the scene his rookie year to earn an early Pro Bowl selection. He racked up 87 catches for 1,282 yards receiving and 10 receiving touchdowns, which made him only the fourth player in the Super Bowl era (since 1966) with at least 1,200 yards receiving and 10-plus receiving touchdowns as a rookie. The other three are Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss (1998), three-time Pro Bowler Odell Beckham Jr. (2014) and All-Pro wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase (2021).
However, Thomas Jr. regressed in Year 2 under new Jaguars head coach Liam Coen, totaling 48 catches for 707 yards receiving and two receiving touchdowns in 2025. That regression prompted Jacksonville to trade a 2026 fourth-round pick and a 2026 sixth-round pick to the Las Vegas Raiders last November to acquire wide receiver Jakobi Meyers via trade. Thomas Jr. ended up catching a 3-yard passing touchdown in the team’s 27-24 wild card round home loss against the Buffalo Bills, but he finished with just 21 yards receiving and two catches that day. It appears as though Lawrence and Thomas Jr.’s connection is beginning to reignite in minicamp entering the second season with Coen calling the offensive plays in Jacksonville.
“Having a great attitude. After every play, communication with myself or Trevor… or whatever it is, and then making the plays,” head coach Liam Coen said Wednesday. “That is something that you can not simulate in routes on air. You can not simulate that type of confidence until you do it in practice. … The confidence of the connection and chemistry that they’re [Lawrence and Thomas Jr.] building, that’s real.”
Kansas City Chiefs
Mandatory minicamp dates: June 9-11
Patrick Mahomes isn’t going anywhere anytime soon
Being fresh off tearing his ACL and LCL in 2025 didn’t stop the Kansas City Chiefs from continuing to show their faith in three-time Super Bowl MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes. They extended Mahomes’ contract by two seasons, which increases the total value of the contract up to $504.75 million, per CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones. Mahomes now owns the distinction of being the first player in NFL history with a total contract value of over half a billion dollars, and his new $64 million average per year salary is once again the highest in the entire league. The new money in his contract will go into effect in 2027, and Mahomes is now locked in with Kansas City through 2033.
Highest-paid players in the NFL, based on average per-year salaries
APY
Patrick Mahomes (KC)
$64M
Dak Prescott (DAL)
$60M
Josh Allen (BUF)
$55M
Joe Burrow (CIN)
$55M
Trevor Lawrence (JAX)
$55M
Jordan Love (GB)
$55M
Matthew Stafford (LAR)
$55M
Brock Purdy (SF)
$53M
Justin Herbert (LAC)
$52.5M
Lamar Jackson (BAL)
$52M
Las Vegas Raiders
Mandatory minicamp dates: June 9-11
Kirk Cousins remains the favorite to start in Week 1 entering training camp
Cousins, who signed a one-year, fully guaranteed $11.3 million contract with the Las Vegas Raiders, is being treated like the team’s starting quarterback over 2026 NFL Draft first overall pick Fernando Mendoza early on this offseason. Raiders.com reported Cousins took some limited reps at the start of practice, which included a 40-yard touchdown pass to top returning wide receiver Tre Tucker, before Mendoza and Aidan O’Connell split time in both 11-on-11 and 7-on-7 drills. The 37-year-old, four-time Pro Bowler doesn’t sound concerned about the youthful competition in Las Vegas’ quarterback room.
“They’re fun to work with,” Cousins said Tuesday, via Raiders.com. “We have fun in the meetings, have good dialog. They’re great football minds, great studiers, so they can push me. I think to say I’m mentoring them is a bit of a reach … I’m learning a lot from them too and asking questions of them. And so, it’s always been a working force together in the quarterback room, and that’s what it is.”
New York Giants
Mandatory minicamp dates: June 8-10
Giants maintaining belief that Pro Bowl wide receiver Malik Nabers will be good to go for Week 1
Nabers’ torn ACL he suffered in 2025, which included a full meniscus repair and an extra surgical procedure to remove inflamed scar tissue, requires a complicated recovery. That’s why he told new Giants head coach John Harbaugh that he’ll spend much of his time off during the summer break rehabbing at the team facility.
“He said his plan is to be here most of the time; almost all the time, he’ll be here, I believe. I don’t think he will be here all the time. He’s going to be here a lot, working really hard,” Harbaugh said Wednesday, via Sports Illustrated. “He’s making really good progress right now. I’m very hopeful that he’ll be back soon.”
Harbaugh estimated that Nabers is somewhere between 70 and 80 percent healthy, a figure that opens the door to the possibility of New York’s top target being on the field in Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys on “Sunday Night Football.”
San Francisco 49ers
Mandatory minicamp dates: June 9-10
Mike Evans emerging as an early top target
Six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Mike Evans produced 1,000-plus receiving yards in each of his first 11 NFL seasons from 2014 to 2024 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, tying San Francisco 49ers legend Jerry Rice for the longest streak of consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons in league history. Now, Evans is looking to continue to make a similar impact in Rice’s old stomping grounds as a 49er after signing with San Francisco on what essentially amounts as a one-year, fully guaranteed contract for $14.3 million this offseason at the age of 33.
Evans’ transition to head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense has been smooth so far. All-Pro tight end George Kittle said, via 49ers.com, that Evans reeled in “three to five touchdowns” in one of San Francisco’s first practices of the offseason program and that he adds a “new dimension” to the 49ers’ offense.
Philadelphia Eagles
Mandatory minicamp dates: June 9-10
Tariq Woolen flashing at the conclusion of minicamp
Woolen, standing at 6-foot-4-inches tall and weighing 210 pounds, is one of the most physically gifted cornerbacks in football. That physicality helped him burst onto the scene as a rookie with the Seattle Seahawks in 2022 when he co-led the NFL with six interceptions in then-head coach Pete Carroll’s Cover 3 scheme. After winning the Super Bowl with the Seahawks to conclude the 2025 season, he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles on a one-year, fully guaranteed $12 million contract.
He’s impressed with the Eagles thus far with the highlight being an interception of Super Bowl LIX MVP quarterback Jalen Hurts on Wednesday, per NBC Sports Philadelphia. Woolen jumped a throw intended for tight end Dallas Goedert to haul in a smooth interception.
Notably grumpy defensive coordinator Vic Fangio likes what he sees from Woolen thus far, sharing a big smile with one of his newest pupils at practice on Wednesday.
Seattle Seahawks
Mandatory minicamp dates: June 9-11
Versatile safety Nick Emmanwori could be even scarier in 2026
Emmanwori, a 2025 second-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks, played a key role as a jack of trades defender in Mike Macdonald’s “Dark Side” defense that powered Seattle to a Super Bowl title in the 2025 season. He ranked top three on the Seahawks in tackles (81, third), passes defended (11, third) and tackles for loss (9, tied for third with 2025 second-team All-Pro defensive lineman Leonard Williams). Emmanwori thrived as a blitzing pass rusher as well, leading all NFL defensive backs with 18 quarterback pressures in 2025. The way Macdonald opted to use him mirrored his deployment of All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton in the former’s final season as the Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator in 2023 before he took the Seahawks head coaching job in 2024. Emmanwori saw 49% of his snaps at the slot cornerback position and 48% of his snaps at linebacker in 2025 while working as Macdonald’s jack-of-all-trades defensive back.
Kyle Hamilton vs. Nick Emmanwori, Season with Mike Macdonald in NFL’s No. 1 Scoring Defense
BAL Kyle Hamilton (2023)
SEA Nick Emmanwori (2025)
Tackles
81
81
Tackles for loss
10
9
QB hits
4
4
Passes defended
13
11
All that aforementioned production resulted in an NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year second-place finish in 2025, but Emmanwori could be even more dynamic blitzing off the edge in 2026 thanks to some pointers from five-time Pro Bowl edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence.
“Just how to win. Easy. Not make it too complicated. A guy like him, he’s done it so long, anything he says is, like, green. Good to go,” Emmanwori said Tuesday, via The News Tribune. “I’m just soaking up as much game as I can from him, and learning from him. He’s just giving me what he’s got.”