Month: February 2026

St. Petersburg, Fla. — Mick Schumacher has the experience and the last name that has created a buzz going into the 2026 season. Just look at some of the odds. Bookmakers have Schumacher, who has never made an INDYCAR start and has no experience of any kind on an oval, as having a better chance at winning the 2026 INDYCAR title than his teammate Graham Rahal, who has 309 career starts. The son of seven-time Formula 1 champion Michael Schumacher, Mick takes two full seasons of Formula 1 experience and additional seasons of sports-car experience to INDYCAR. Why make the move? “Good racing, good people,” Schumacher told me earlier this year. “The competition is quite fierce and strong. So looking forward to competing with them and excited to go racing.” So the big question leading into the INDYCAR season opener Sunday at St. Petersburg (noon ET, FOX) is how will Schumacher do? The Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing team has had mercurial performance and has won one race in the last five years. Schumacher, driving for Haas F1, managed a career-best finish of sixth in his two full seasons on the world’s biggest racing stage. The 26-year-old Schumacher won the European Formula 3 title in 2018 and the FIA Formula 2 title in 2020. “What would be a success?,” Schumacher said in his introductory news conference last November. “I think honestly, ultimately, just the feeling that we’ve been able to put everything in place and that we [find] ourselves a target. What that target exactly will be, I think that’s something we’ll have to figure out as we go and kind of match our expectations to what we can achieve. “But I am very positive. I think there’s lots of good things out there and lots of good things happening at the moment, so I don’t want to say, ‘OK this is a target right now,’ but definitely our aim is to do our best.” Rahal, the son of INDYCAR great Bobby Rahal, said the key for Schumacher is to be himself. “I grew up with a family name not nearly as big as Schumacher,” Rahal said. “I know the pressures. I can’t imagine the pressure that he lives under each and every day. Be yourself. Build your own legacy. Do what you do. Don’t try to live up to Dad. Don’t try to do all that stuff. “Be Mick Schumacher. Develop your own name. And over here, he’s got the great opportunity to do that. I’m excited to be a part of that. I’m excited to help him every step of the way.” Two drivers in the INDYCAR Series have substantial Formula 1 experience, and they know about the transition. Marcus Ericsson competed in Formula 1 for five years from 2014-18. I think it’s always hard to go from European racing over to INDYCAR,” Ericsson told me. “I made that step, and it’s definitely a big challenge. It’s very different. “But obviously, Mick has shown over in Europe that he’s an extremely good driver, so it’s going to be fun to follow him and see how he does. And obviously it’s great for the series as well, to get a name like the Schumacher name to come over and race in INDYCAR. I think that’s huge for us.” Neither Ericsson nor Romain Grosjean, who spent a decade in Formula 1, competed against Mick Schumacher. I don’t know him as a driver,” Grosjean told me. “I’m looking forward to race against him and spend weekends with him. I think having the Schumacher name in indica is awesome. It’s one of the biggest names in motorsport.” That’s for sure. And Schumacher will carry the No. 47, the number he has used at various times in his career. The number is significant in part because the 7 signifies the number of championships won by his father, who retired after the 2012 season and suffered a traumatic brain injury in a skiing accident in 2013. “I guess I chose a number pretty early on when having to choose what racing number I would have for Formula 1,” Schumacher told me. “And then there were so many coincidences with that specific number that I just chose to stick with it. “And it was available in INDYCAR, which automatically kind of meant to me that I would have to try and get it. And luckily enough, I got it.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

INDIANAPOLIS — The 2026 NFL Draft has several strengths, with first-round depth at offensive tackle and edge rusher. There’s a premier quarterback at the top — Fernando Mendoza — getting plenty of love. There are some shallow positions, however. It’s not a great year to need a cornerback, for example. But there should be some bona fide stars. There’s a potential Micah Parsons 2.0 among the edge rushers and a potential Derwin James 2.0 at safety. If you squint just enough, there’s a potential Jimmy Graham at tight end, too. The first day of drills at the NFL Scouting Combine has arrived, which means that mock draft season is upon us. So, before players seek to boost their draft stock this weekend, let’s project what will go down in the first round, which seems far from settled after the No. 1 pick. 1. Las Vegas Raiders (3-14): Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana The Raiders love the idea of Mendoza, a guy whose intelligence and diligence are pro-ready. 2. New York Jets (3-14): Rueben Bain Jr., edge rusher, Miami Coach Aaron Glenn is going to love how Bain will wreck games for opposing offenses — and the Jets badly need a defensive stud after shipping off cornerback Sauce Gardner and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams at the trade deadline. 3. Arizona Cardinals (3-14): Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami Whether the Cardinals work with Jacoby Brissett or a new quarterback, they desperately need help on the offensive line. And it really doesn’t matter that Mauigoa is probably a right tackle. He’s the best offensive lineman in this draft. 4. Tennessee Titans (3-14): David Bailey, edge rusher, Texas Tech Let’s build a force on the defensive line with Bailey and defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons. That’s a foundation that defensive-minded head coach Robert Saleh can work with. 5. New York Giants (4-13): Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State This is an all-important developmental year for QB Jaxson Dart, and receiver might be a need, with wideouts Malik Nabers hurt (ACL) and Wan’Dale Robinson slated to hit free agency. 6. Cleveland Browns (5-12): Spencer Fano, OT, Utah Shedeur Sanders might actually get a real chance to show what he can do if the Browns snag a left tackle like Fano. 7. Washington Commanders (5-12): Arvell Reese, (O)LB, Ohio State Dan Quinn was in Dallas when the Cowboys had the inspired idea to convert Micah Parsons into a pass-rusher. Can Quinn do it again with Reese? 8. New Orleans Saints (6-11): Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State Defensive coordinator Brandon Staley paired with Downs? Yes, please. It’ll be Chargers All-Pro safety Derwin James Jr. all over again. 9. Kansas City Chiefs (6-11): Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State The Chiefs invest yet again in their passing game to support quarterback Patrick Mahomes. 10. Cincinnati Bengals (6-11): Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU The Bengals get a consistent, high-end playmaker on a defense largely devoid of just that. 11. Miami Dolphins (7-10): Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee McCoy was probably the best corner in college football prior to tearing his ACL in January 2025. But after missing the entire season, he should be good to go in 2026. 12. Dallas Cowboys (7-9-1): Sonny Styles, OLB, Ohio State Here’s the Parsons replacement that the Cowboys have been waiting for. 13. Los Angeles Rams (via Atlanta Falcons, 8-9): Olaivavega Ioane, IOL, Penn State The Rams’ right guard and right tackle are both slated for free agency. They can shore up their unit with an elite guard prospect. 14. Baltimore Ravens (8-9): Makai Lemon, WR, USC The Seahawks showed us this season that it’s OK to have too many slot receivers. New offensive coordinator Declan Doyle is from the Ben Johnson coaching tree. And Johnson might still be searching for his new version of wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown — but Doyle could get his in Lemon. 15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9): Keldric Faulk, edge rusher, Mississippi State The Bucs have a pair of pending free agents on the edge, so Faulk should solve that potential issue. And even if they can keep both linebacker Haason Reddick and defensive end Logan Hall, it might be a good thing to put Faulk in a rotation while he smooths out the blemishes in his game. 16. New York Jets (via Indianapolis Colts, 8-9): Omar Cooper Jr., WR, Indiana Whoever plays quarterback for the Jets is going to like throwing to wide receivers Garrett Wilson, Cooper and Adonai Mitchell. 17. Detroit Lions (9-8): Peter Woods, DL, Clemson What happened to the version of the Lions that bit off kneecaps? Woods — a guy who plays like a bar fighter in the interior — should bring toughness to the middle of Detroit’s defense. 18. Minnesota Vikings (9-8): CJ Allen, LB, Georgia The 6-foot-1, 235-pound Allen isn’t the biggest linebacker, but he plays bigger than he’s listed. He’ll be an immediate game-changer and leader in the middle of Minnesota’s defense. 19. Carolina Panthers (8-9): Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame Panthers head coach Dave Canales told me this week that the best way to help quarterback Bryce Young succeed is by building a strong running game. Well, by drafting Love — one of the best three prospects in this class — the Panthers can immediately do that. 20. Dallas Cowboys (via Green Bay Packers, 9-7-1): Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, safety, Toledo The 6-foot-2, 202-pound McNeil-Warren is a tall and fiercely physical safety who helps as much in run defense as he does in coverage. 21. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7): Denzel Boston, WR, Washington I think Pittsburgh will have either Aaron Rodgers or Malik Willis at quarterback next season. Rodgers isn’t as accurate as he thinks he is and Willis has a uniquely powerful arm to stretch the field. Either way, Boston — a lengthy athlete in the vein of Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins — can help either QB. 22. Los Angeles Chargers (11-6): Kadyn Proctor, OL, Alabama The Chargers could put Proctor at guard and watch with joy while the 6-foot-7, 366-pounder mauls the AFC West. 23. Philadelphia Eagles (11-6): Akheem Mesidor, edge rusher, Miami Here’s a no-nonsense pick from Howie Roseman. The Eagles get a productive, high-motor player at a premium position — and late in the first round. 24. Cleveland Browns (via Jacksonville Jaguars, 13-4): Lee Hunter, DT, Texas Tech It’s a meat-and-potatoes draft for the Browns, who get more impressive in the trenches. 25. Chicago Bears (11-6): Cashius Howell, edge rusher, Texas A&M Who’s the best defensive player still available? Howell? Howell it is, then. He’s an explosive, albeit undersized (6-foot-2, 248), pass-rusher whose production alleviates any worries. 26. Buffalo Bills (12-5): Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon You’d think Bills GM Brandon Beane would want to give new head coach Joe Brady a weapon on offense, but Beane is disciplined and won’t reach. Thieneman should be the playmaker the Bills have needed since the departures and declines of safeties Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde. 27. San Francisco 49ers (12-5): Blake Miller, OT, Clemson With Trent Williams fighting with the 49ers in another contract dispute, San Francisco might need help at left tackle. 28. Houston Texans (12-5): Caleb Banks, DT, Florida Banks showed what he can be in 2024. It was just that a foot injury in 2025 got in the way of the prospect peaking at the right time. But perhaps that’s to Houston’s benefit, as the Texans could land a blue-chip interior pass-rusher. 29. Los Angeles Rams (12-5): Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama From a timing standpoint, this is a great year for the Rams to take a quarterback. They have two first-round picks, and they have another year with quarterback Matthew Stafford, who was the NFL MVP at age 37. Simpson seems like just the project for offensive guru Sean McVay. 30. Denver Broncos (14-3): Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon Sadiq may be just 6-foot-3, but he can be a special pass-catcher, particularly after the catch. You’d have to really squint to see five-time Pro Bowl tight end Jimmy Graham, but Sadiq could be a nice match for quarterback Bo Nix and this offense. 31. New England Patriots (14-3): Max Iheanachor, OT, Arizona State The Patriots are going to need help at tackle when Morgan Moses retires. Iheanachor will need time to develop, but he could someday be an elite tackle — whether he lands at right or left tackle will depend upon how Will Campbell plays in 2026. 32. Seattle Seahawks (14-3): Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson The Seahawks appear to be on the verge of losing their cornerbacks in free agency, so GM John Schneider works to get younger at the position.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports