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Four years after getting traded from the Reds to the Mariners, Eugenio Suarez is now going from Seattle back to Cincinnati. Suárez, who’s coming off an All-Star season in which he led all third basemen with 49 homers, was the top slugger remaining on the market, yet it only cost the light-hitting Reds $15 million for one season (plus a $16 million mutual option in 2027) to secure the 34-year-old’s services. The Reds needed the pop after finishing 21st in home runs last season while getting just 14 home runs combined from all of their third basemen. The only other time Suárez matched his 2025 home run total was six years ago in Cincinnati, where he first established himself as one of the best power threats at his position. The Reds are hoping to see more of the same with this year’s reunion. In 2025, Suárez mashed 36 home runs in 106 games for the Diamondbacks before getting traded to Seattle, where he had been a clubhouse and fan favorite in 2022-23. But the all-or-nothing slugger struggled to replicate the offense that made him the most highly-coveted bat at the deadline, hitting just .189 with a 35.9% strikeout rate after the trade. Still, he hit 13 home runs in 53 games to close out the regular season in Seattle, and the deadline additions of Suárez and Josh Naylor helped catapult the Mariners to their first division title since 2001. In Game 5 of the American League Championship Series, Suárez launched two home runs, including a game-breaking grand slam that moved the Mariners one win away from the World Series. They would not get there, however, dropping the final two games of the ALCS to the Blue Jays. This winter, teams were evidently scared off by Suárez’s age, declining defensive metrics, high strikeout rate and late-season drop-off. That allowed the Reds to swoop in with a low-risk, high-reward move as they try to take another step forward after snapping a four-year playoff drought last year. In Cincinnati, Suárez will be returning to one of MLB’s friendliest home-run environments at Great American Ball Park. What’s next for the Reds? Last season, Suárez had more than twice as many home runs as Elly De La Cruz, who led the Reds with 22 dingers. Now, he’ll be providing De La Cruz some needed protection. It just might not be at his usual spot. Ke’Bryan Hayes has been a well below league-average hitter but also one of the top defensive third basemen in the game, and the 29-year-old is under contract for the next four years. That likely means most of Suárez’s at-bats will come as the designated hitter. He could also see some time at first base, where 2022 first-round pick Sal Stewart figures to receive most of his reps. Wherever he plays defensively, the Reds needed to find a way to add an impact bat. This was their last chance on the free-agent market after whiffing on Kyle Schwarber. From November to January, they had done little to meaningfully improve an offense that ranked 19th in OPS and 21st in slugging last year. They traded for outfielder Dane Myers and signed outfielder JJ Bleday, but they also lost outfielder Austin Hays and designated hitter Gavin Lux. As the calendar flipped to February, so did the stability of their lineup with the addition of Suárez. What’s next for the Mariners? A younger path forward. The Mariners made two major moves at last season’s deadline in adding Naylor and Suárez. After a strong first half for Naylor, he was even better after the trade from Arizona, registering an .831 OPS with nine homers and 19 steals with superb defensive metrics at first base in 54 games in Seattle. The fit was perfect, which is why the Mariners made it a priority to keep him, giving him five years and $92.5 million one month less than after the season ended. It did not go as well last year in Seattle for Suárez, though there was some thought that the Mariners might decide to keep him anyway, given the dearth of power threats behind him and the departure of Jorge Polanco. Instead, the Mariners have opted to go with a younger, more contact-oriented approach. This week, they reportedly agreed to acquire versatile 29-year-old infielder Brendan Donovan, who’s under team control for two more years. Donovan’s .353 on-base percentage and miniscule 13% strikeout rate should help a Mariners lineup that has ranked in the top six in strikeouts each of the last three seasons, and the fit also makes sense defensively for a Seattle team that had vacancies to fill at both second and third. Donovan can play either spot and gives the Mariners more protection as they await the arrival of 20-year-old top prospect Colt Emerson, who could be ready sooner than later. What’s next on the free-agent market? Starting pitching. With Luis Arraez going to San Francisco and Suárez going to Cincinnati over the last few days, teams looking for impact bats might now turn their attention more fervently to the trade market. Veterans Rhys Hoskins (about to turn 33), Marcell Ozuna (35) and Paul Goldschmidt (38) are the best options available in free agency. There’s a lot more help out there for teams looking to fill their rotation. Framber Valdez, arguably the top starting pitcher on the market when free agency began, is still looking for a team. So are Zac Gallen, Zack Littell, Chris Bassitt, Lucas Giolito and Max Scherzer. Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on X at @RowanKavner.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Here’s what’s happening this week Inside The Garage: Mick Schumacher will get his first taste of only turning left — and not right — when he takes some laps this week at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The private test on the 1.5-mile track will be the first for the former Formula 1 driver to experience on an oval. Schumacher will get another shot at the full-field test Feb. 17-18 at the 1-mile Phoenix Raceway, where he will compete in his first oval event on March 7. “I’m just looking forward to getting a first taste of what an oval feels like,” Schumacher told me Wednesday during the INDYCAR production days. “Phoenix is going to be great because it’s going to be with everybody else. “So I’ll get a taste of also how it feels to drive in traffic. It will be a good two-step approach to ovals.” So far, Schumacher has spent about a day in a simulator working on Homestead. “Obviously, there’s only so much you can do on a simulator,” Schumacher said during his general media session. “It just keeps going left. There’s not much you can really learn from it, bumps and all that and the way the car behaves is quite difficult to replicate. “But I’ll have time to get through it and understand how it feels to drive an oval. I think that, in terms of preparation and also the way we approach the test, is going to be quite good and specific to how we want to run and how the car should behave throughout Homestead so that we’re best prepared for Phoenix.” The son of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, Mick Schumacher made the shift to INDYCAR this year after competing in F1 for Haas and then serving as a reserve driver for Mercedes for one year, while also competing two seasons in the World Endurance Championship for Alpine. “[It’s] good racing, good people,” Schumacher said. “The competition is quite fierce and strong. So I’m looking forward to competing with them and excited to go racing.” Schumacher also has something new to look forward to and that’s a new paint scheme for 2026. RLL has not unveiled his livery yet. However, the 26-year-old driver has seen some proposed liveries. “I’ve seen potentials of it,” he said. “I don’t really care about how the car looks as long as it’s fast.” Schumacher obviously isn’t one of those drivers who believes that a cool-looking paint scheme will help him go faster. For context, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has often said he felt he ran better if he liked what his car looked like. “If, you know, the car is quick,” Schumacher said, “you’ll look cool.” While NASCAR kicks off this season on Wednesday with the rescheduled exhibition Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, INDYCAR teams have another nearly four weeks until they are on track at St. Petersburg for their first event of the season. Some drivers will test Sebring in a week (Feb. 9-10) before going to Phoenix. Corey LaJoie’s Two Big Weeks Corey LaJoie is getting to race for two consecutive weeks in a ride he couldn’t predict he would have when the 2025 season ended. The former full-time Cup driver was the designated backup driver for Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing last year and was on standby in case Brad Keselowski had to leave for the birth of his child. LaJoie never got into an RFK car. But he’ll get to drive RFK cars for the first two events this year. He’ll compete in the Clash as the substitute for Keselowski, who broke his leg in December. He will then drive a fourth RFK car, the No. 99, in the Daytona 500, as long as he qualifies. RFK had explored fielding a fourth car for select races, especially at the superspeedways, where it helps to have teammates because of the need to work together in the draft. “It might be the last one [for me in the 500] and I’ve raced every one like it’s my last one for a couple years now.,” LaJoie said. “This came out of nowhere. [RFK President] Chip [Bowers] and Brad and their entire team called me up and offered me this opportunity, which I never saw coming. “So in my opinion, it’s house money. I’m going to have some fun with it.” But first is the Clash. LaJoie won an ARCA East race at Bowman Gray in 2012. “Just to get into the system and see those guys operate in the sim and in pre-race meetings and during the course of a race weekend is a credible experience for me to learn how champions operate,” LaJoie said. “I’ve won there in the past, beat some really good guys. So I think that we can go have a legitimately good run.” Heim Time? Corey Heim, the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion, still does not have a 2026 schedule announced. But 23XI Racing did finally confirm that he will compete in the Daytona 500. Heim is expected to do a dozen or so Cup races this year and select events in trucks. Whether he gets any starts in what is now the O’Reilly Series (formerly Xfinity) is still to be determined. Heim is also the reserve and simulator driver for 23XI Racing, so that will keep him busy, even though he won’t be racing for a title in any series this season. “It’s more just the way it is,” Heim said. “I’ve always been a person that takes each opportunity as how it’s presented, if you will. And I feel like I’ve got a good opportunity to go out and compete and run up front and run well and build on my career, whatever it may be. “And this year is no different than that. So at the end of the day, I feel like I’m pretty privileged to have these opportunities in my career, and I feel pretty blessed to be in the position I’m at. So I don’t feel like there’s any lack of opportunity on my end.” In The News — LaJoie and Heim are expected to be among eight open drivers vying for four spots in the Daytona 500. LaJoie, Heim and Front Row Motorsports driver Chandler Smith were recent adds to the list of those who have announced an attempt to make the race. They join Anthony Alfredo (Beard Motorsports), Justin Allgaier (JR Motorsports), B.J. McLeod (Live Fast Motorsports), Casey Mears (Garage 66) and JJ Yeley (NY Racing). Jimmie Johnson is also entered as an open car, but he will get the open exemption provisional, so he is guaranteed a spot in the field, which will be expanded to 41 cars. — Tony Stewart is competing in the truck race at Daytona as part of the Kaulig Racing free-agent truck that Ram has designated to have multiple drivers throughout the year. Stewart said since there is a prize for the driver with the most points scored in the truck, he wouldn’t rule out doing another truck race in the season. “I would love to sit here and go, ‘Man, this is just one and done,’” Stewart said in a teleconference with reporters. “I would say my answer is I don’t have an answer. … Let’s just say I’ll leave it open-ended at this point. “Thank God my wife’s not here. I’d have a book or shoe or something flying at me right now. But we’ll just leave it open-ended at this point for a while.” Social Spotlight Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow! They Said It “What are you going to do? We all just have to ride it out and see. That’s obviously the approach.”— Reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson on the Clash being postponed because of snow. Did You Know? No NASCAR national series race was postponed because of weather in 2025. So maybe the Clash being postponed three days because of snow is just making up for that. In Inside The Garage, Bob Pockrass takes us behind the scenes of the motorsports world the way only he can.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Arizona remained the unanimous No. 1 in the AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll Monday while Michigan jumped over UConn and into second place following wins over previously unbeaten Nebraska and rival Michigan State. The Wildcats, who are off to a school-record 22-0 start, earned all 59 votes from a national media panel to stay atop the poll for the eighth consecutive week. UConn and Michigan were followed by Duke and Illinois in rounding out the top five. “We value steadiness,” said Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd, whose team visits Oklahoma State on Saturday before a four-game grinder against Kansas, Texas Tech, BYU and Houston. “A lot of of people talk about momentum, momentum, momentum. I understand what momentum is, but I think there’s way more value in being steady and consistent.” If the Wildcats beat the Cowboys, they would set a school record with their 23rd consecutive win. This bunch is currently tied with Arizona teams from 1914-17 that won 22 in a row under its arena namesake, Pop McKale, over a three-year span. Gonzaga remained at No. 6 while Iowa State and Houston climbed one spot apiece. The Huskers fell four spots to No. 9 after losses to Michigan and the Illini, while the Spartans fell three spots to No. 10 after beating Rutgers and their own loss to the Wolverines. The losses by Nebraska left only Arizona and No. 23 Miami (Ohio) unbeaten in Division I men’s college basketball. “Obviously, back-to-back losses, we just have to look at the film and learn from it,” Huskers forward Pryce Sandfort said. “Keep our heads high and flush it as we get ready for Rutgers this week.” Kansas climbed three spots to No. 11 following its win over BYU on Saturday, while Purdue remained at No. 12 and Texas Tech — which played the Jayhawks on Monday night — was at No. 13. North Carolina and Vanderbilt rounded out the first 15. BYU, Florida, Virginia, Saint Louis and Clemson were next. The Billikens, who have won 15 consecutive games, have reached their best ranking since March 10, 2014, when they were at No. 18 the year they won the Atlantic 10 championship. Arkansas, St. John’s, Miami (Ohio), Louisville and Tennessee held down the final five spots in the Top 25. The RedHawks bumped up one from last week and are at their highest point since they were No. 22 on Nov. 30, 1998. “The further you go,” RedHawks coach Travis Steele said following a win over Northern Illinois on Saturday, “the harder it gets.” Here is the full top 25: 25. Tennessee, 15-6, SEC24. Louisville, 15-6, ACC23. Miami (OH), 22-0, MAC22. St. John’s, 16-5, Big East21. Arkansas, 16-6, SEC20. Clemson, 18-4, ACC19. Saint Louis, 21-1, A-1018. Virginia, 18-3, ACC17. Florida, 16-6, SEC16. BYU, 17-4, Big 1215. Vanderbilt, 19-3, SEC14. North Carolina, 17-4, ACC13. Texas Tech, 16-5, Big 1212. Purdue, 18-4, Big Ten11. Kansas, 16-5, Big 1210. Michigan State, 19-3, Big Ten9. Nebaska, 20-2, Big Ten8. Houston, 19-2, Big 127. Iowa State, 20-2, Big 126. Gonzaga, 22-1, WCC5. Illinois, 19-3, Big Ten4. Duke, 20-1, ACC3. UConn, 21-1, Big East2. Michigan, 20-1, Big Ten1. Arizona, 22-0, Big 12 Rising and falling Kansas, Vanderbilt and St. John’s made up the most ground this week, climbing three spots apiece, while the Volunteers — who were ranked as high as No. 13 this season — climbed back into the poll at No. 25 after two weeks out of it. Tennessee returned at the expense of Alabama. The Crimson Tide had the fifth-longest active poll streak snapped at 42. Update on the NET The latest NET rankings released Sunday, which the NCAA uses to help select its tournament field, installed Duke at No. 1 with the Wildcats second and Michigan third. The rest of the rankings largely mirrored the AP poll with one notable exception: The RedHawks were at No. 53 in the NET rankings by virtue of a soft schedule that has produced no Quad 1 win. Conference watch The Big 12 led with six teams in the Top 25, while the Big Ten and ACC had five apiece — though the Big Ten had four of its five in the top 10. The SEC had four ranked teams, the Big East had two and the West Coast, A-10 and MAC had one apiece. The Associated Press contributed to this report​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, Mass.) — Having just clinched a trip to the Super Bowl, Drake Maye waited for his turn to step up to the stage at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver. The New England Patriots quarterback finished off the Broncos in the AFC Championship Game in a white-out blizzard — and the snow kept coming. Waiting for his cue to speak to the crowd and the TV audience, Maye seemed restless and, frankly, unwilling to go up on stage. You can see as much in the team’s mic’d-up video. “Get the O-line up here, man,” Maye said. “I don’t want to be up here if nobody else is up here.” Ask Maye about his success throwing the deep ball and he’ll credit his offensive line for giving him the time to throw. Ask Maye about the way the Patriots won the game — just about any game — and he’ll bring up his offensive line. Ask Maye who his best friends are on the team and he’ll probably list a few offensive linemen. “When your peers notice the hard work that we put in every day — and obviously we don’t get acknowledged as much as most positions — it’s always a humbling experience,” tackle Morgan Moses told me in the Patriots’ locker room after practice last week. “It’s the type of guy our quarterback is. He’s never looking for the praise. He’s always looking to put it on somebody else. “And that’s a form of a great leader, knowing that he didn’t get here by himself.” Every quarterback is indebted to his offensive line. When the line plays well, the QB gets the credit. Maye is one of the top two candidates for the NFL MVP award this season, while there aren’t many people who know Moses’ name. But when the offensive line doesn’t play well, the linemen get endless criticism — as we saw last year in New England. So that moment before Maye went on stage — and looked to defer the credit — felt significant. “That’s who he is,” center Garrett Bradbury told me at practice. “I think the guys that know him know that no matter what his role is, no matter how popular he’s gonna get, the individual accolades he deserves — he doesn’t play for any of that stuff. He just wants to be one of the guys. He wants to win together as a team. … He doesn’t want the spotlight, which is cool, especially for that position.” Sometimes, a quarterback’s relationship with his offensive line can feel inauthentic. There’s the expectation, for example, that every starting QB will buy expensive Christmas presents for his linemen. In Maye’s case, he bought saunas for his line. “As offensive linemen, we live in that sauna,” Patriots guard Jared Wilson told me. But Maye has gone above and beyond what quarterbacks normally do for the line. Take, for example, last spring when the veteran Bradbury moved in with the second-year QB. Bradbury had just been released by the Minnesota Vikings after six seasons, and his family had relocated to Charlotte temporarily. His wife was due in June with their second daughter. And as Bradbury noted, “It’s not cheap to live up here.” So, rather than find a short-term lease or buy a home, the 30-year-old Bradbury crashed with the 23-year-old Maye. They were familiar with one another because Bradbury’s brother-in-law played baseball with Maye’s brother, Cole, at Florida. But they truly got to know each other in the spring, when they spent most of their time watching basketball. “It felt like going back to college — having a roommate,” Bradbury said. “He was a great roommate. He can sleep on command, which is pretty impressive. He’d come home from a long day [of OTAs or minicamp] and just pass out on the couch.” (For what it’s worth, Mike Vrabel opened his home to fellow teammates when he played for the Patriots and to fellow coaches more recently. It’s one of the many ways Vrabel and Maye are alike.) There are small gestures, too, which Maye probably doesn’t even realize he’s doing. But after the Patriots beat the Chargers in the wild-card round, Maye hung out at his locker chatting with teammates, reporters and, perhaps most importantly, Moses’ three sons. They told the QB that they have his rookie card, and it seemed pretty clear that it’s one of their prized possessions. If you want a sense of how important fatherhood is to Moses, just look at what he did immediately after winning the AFC Championship Game — he called his three boys. So it was special to see Maye spending some time with an offensive lineman’s kids in the locker room. “I talk about my boys all the time, so a lot of the guys in here know what my boys mean to me,” Moses told me in the locker room. “We spend a lot of time away from our families to be able to play this game. Guys noticed that, and when you have somebody like Drake and [lineman] Will [Campbell] that take the time out to make them feel welcome and feel like family, it’s a great outcome.” Maye’s bond with his offensive line is real. It’s a part of the team’s DNA. And it’s really not that big of a deal, in a way, because Maye makes an effort to be tight with everyone on the team, from his receivers to his O-line to his defense. But when it comes to the guys who have changed Maye’s career trajectory, his line ranks high on the list. “I definitely say culturally, for sure, there’s been some change,” veteran tackle Vederian Lowe said when asked about the difference this season in New England. “They brought in some great new guys. … I think that the combination of all those things — along with Coach Vrabel establishing an identity for us to abide by every single day. That really helped turn around our unit.” The line has had its ups and downs, including the biggest name, first-round left tackle Campbell, who during the playoffs allowed five pressures against the Chargers and four more against the Texans (including two sacks). But he followed that performance with a zero-sack, two-pressure outing on Maye’s 29 dropbacks in the AFC title game. For all the times Maye has gone out of his way to take care of his line, it was Campbell who went over to the QB before New England’s game-winning drive against the Broncos. “I hope you know how much I love you,” Campbell said to Maye on the field. That seems to be what matters most to Maye. Not the spotlight. Not the attention. Not the awards. It’s the relationships he’s built — and the desire to deliver a Super Bowl to his guys. And moments after Campbell spoke to Maye, the QB did just that. He ran for a first down to end the AFC Championship Game and give his guys a shot at the Lombardi Trophy. In Game Changers, we offer the playbook on the characters you need to know, on the field and off.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Drake Maye is fast becoming a superstar. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is arguably the NFL’s best receiver. Christian Gonzalez is on the shortlist of elite cornerbacks. Labeled a bust at the start of his career, Sam Darnold is firmly a top-10 quarterback these days. There’s star power on both sides of the Super Bowl LX matchup, but which team truly has the edge? Here’s a position-by-position comparison of the Seahawks and Patriots, who’ll square off Sunday for the Lombardi Trophy: Quarterback Seahawks: Sam Darnold Patriots: Drake Maye Darnold has had his issues in big games and had his share of turnovers this season, but he’s flipped the narrative of his career, especially by helping the Seahawks reach the Super Bowl. The two-time Pro Bowler was terrific in the NFC Championship Game, throwing for 346 yards and three touchdowns. In two playoff games, he has four total touchdowns with a 122.4 passer rating and zero turnovers. Maye, meanwhile, hasn’t been as sharp in the playoffs as he was in the regular season. Widely believed to be a top-two finalist for NFL MVP, the former North Carolina star has completed just 55.8% of his passes for 533 yards and four touchdowns with five turnovers (two interceptions, three lost fumbles) and an 84.0 passer rating in three postseason games. He’s done enough to help the Patriots reach this point — Maye had 10 carries for 65 yards in the AFC Championship Game, including the game-clinching third-down conversion just inside the two-minute warning — but New England’s defense has led the charge. Maye is also dealing with an injury to his throwing shoulder coming out of the AFC title game. Advantage: Seahawks Running back Seahawks: Kenneth Walker IIIPatriots: TreVeyon Henderson, Rhamondre Stevenson Entering the playoffs, both teams boasted strong running back tandems. But the Seahawks’ duo has been cut in half, as Zach Charbonnet — their leading touchdown scorer in 2025 with 12 — suffered a season-ending knee injury in the divisional round against the San Francisco 49ers. Walker has been left to take the bulk of the touches, but he’s responded in a big way. He had 19 carries for 116 yards and three touchdowns in the divisional round, then 23 touches for 111 scrimmage yards and a score in the NFC title game. For New England, rookie back Henderson was the leading rusher during the regular season, but it’s been Stevenson leading the way in the playoffs. The veteran tailback has 51 carries for 194 rushing yards compared to Henderson’s 24 carries for 57 yards. The Pats’ lone rushing touchdown this postseason, though, came courtesy of Maye in the AFC championship. Advantage: Seahawks Wide receiver Seahawks: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Cooper Kupp, Rashid ShaheedPatriots: Stefon Diggs, Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins, DeMario Douglas Smith-Njigba was arguably the best wide receiver in football this season, leading the league with 1,793 receiving yards. Then he had 115 yards and a touchdown in the first half of the NFC Championship Game, including a one-handed grab for a first down. The Patriots have a true No. 1 receiver of their own in Stefon Diggs, but he’s been quiet these playoffs. The four-time Pro Bowler has just 73 receiving yards and a touchdown in three postseason games. Seattle may have the superior top-end talent at wide receiver, but New England has more depth at the position. The Patriots had four wide receivers with at least 400 receiving yards in the regular season (Diggs, Hollins, Boutte, Douglas) compared to just two for the Seahawks (Smith-Njigba, Kupp). Advantage: Patriots Tight end Seahawks: A.J. BarnerPatriots: Hunter Henry, Austin Hooper Barner is one of the better young tight ends in the NFL, but the Patriots have more depth at the position with Henry and Hooper, who combined for 81 receptions for 1,031 yards and nine touchdowns in 2025. An every down tight end for Seattle, Barner has just two catches for 13 yards in two playoff games. Henry and Hooper have caught a combined seven passes for 95 yards this postseason, including a 64-yard performance by Henry in the divisional round. Advantage: Patriots Offensive line Seahawks: LT Charles Cross, LG Grey Zabel, C Jalen Sundell, RG Anthony Bradford, RT Abraham LucasPatriots: LT Will Campbell, LG Jared Wilson, C Garrett Bradbury, RG Mike Onwenu, RT Morgan Moses The Seahawks clear the Patriots when it comes to pass protection. Seattle ranked fifth in sacks and pressure rate allowed during the regular season, compared to 23rd and 26th for the Patriots in the same categories, respectively. While Darnold has been sacked just five times in two playoff games, Maye has been sacked five times in each of New England’s postseason games. The Patriots ranked higher than the Seahawks in rushing offense in 2025 (New England was sixth; Seattle tied for 10th), but the latter has had the more effective rushing attack in the playoffs. The Seahawks have four rushing touchdowns to the Patriots’ one. Advantage: Seahawks Defensive line/Outside linebacker Seahawks: DE DeMarcus Lawrence, DT Byron Murphy II, DT Leonard Williams, DE Derick Hall, OLB Uchenna NwosuPatriots: OLB Harold Landry, DE Christian Barmore, NT Khyiris Tonga, DE Milton Williams The Seahawks arguably had a top-three defensive line in football this season, boasting incredible depth up front. Six of Seattle’s D-linemen generated at least 30 pressures, according to Next Gen Stats. No other team had more than four linemen do that. The Patriots’ defensive line has been terrific in these playoffs, but the team may be shorthanded in the Super Bowl. Landry, who led New England with 8.5 sacks during the regular season, sat out the AFC Championship Game with a lingering knee issue. Advantage: Seahawks Inside Linebacker Seahawks: ILB Drake Thomas, ILB Ernest Jones IVPatriots: ILB Robert Spillane, ILB Christian Elliss The Seahawks have the best inside linebacker in this matchup in Jones, who had 126 tackles, seven pass breakups, and five interceptions (one pick-six) in the regular season. Spillane’s status for the Super Bowl is unclear. He injured his ankle in the first quarter of the AFC Championship Game and didn’t return. Advantage: Seahawks Cornerback/nickel Seahawks: Devon Witherspoon, Josh Jobe, Riq Woolen, Nick Emmanwori (nickel)Patriots: Christian Gonzalez, Carlton Davis III, Marcus Jones (nickel) Gonzalez, the Patriots’ No. 1 cornerback, has gotten more attention nationally in New England’s run to the Super Bowl. He has four pass breakups these playoffs, including a late interception that helped the Patriots secure the AFC championship. The Seahawks, however, have more depth at corner. Witherspoon has been named to the Pro Bowl in each of his three NFL seasons, while both Jobe and Woolen ranked in the top five in fewest yards allowed per target in man coverage in 2025, per NGS. Emmanwori, a rookie second-round pick, gave up just two catches on five targets for eight yards against the Rams’ explosive offense in the NFC title game. Advantage: Seahawks Safety Seahawks: Coby Bryant, Julian LovePatriots: Jaylinn Hawkins, Craig Woodson The Seahawks’ safety tandem appears to have a bit more playmaking upside. Bryant and Love combined for five interceptions and 13 pass breakups in 2025, compared to four picks and nine passes defensed for Hawkins and Woodson. The Patriots’ duo has stood out in the playoffs, though. Hawkins and Woodson have a combined 30 tackles, including 20 from Woodson, who also has a quarterback hit, an interception, four pass breakups and a fumble recovery in three postseason games. Advantage: Patriots Specialists Seahawks: Jason Myers (K), Michael Dickson (P), Rashid Shaheed (PR/KR), Chris Stoll (LS)Patriots: Andy Borregales (K), Bryce Baringer (P), Marcus Jones (PR), Kyle Williams (KR), Julian Ashby (LS) Acquired from the New Orleans Saints, Shaheed has become one of the great midseason additions in recent NFL history for the Seahawks. He was named to his second career Pro Bowl as a returner, and he’s continued his terrific play in the playoffs. In the divisional round, Shaheed returned the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown. He also caught a 51-yard pass in the NFC title game. If the Super Bowl comes down to the wire, will the Patriots be able to trust Borregales, a rookie kicker? The sixth-round pick missed two field goals in the AFC Championship Game, though that was in bad weather conditions in Denver. Advantage: Seahawks​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The last time the NFL welcomed in 10 new head coaches was 2022, and four short years later, eight of those 10 have already been fired. So at least this year’s group of 10 can’t possibly be worse, right? Time will tell, of course. But for now, here’s the FOX Sports ranking of the 10 new head coaches hired in the 2026 cycle, complete with a very early grade for each. 10. Mike LaFleur, Arizona Cardinals Did the Cardinals accidentally pick the wrong coordinator off of Sean McVay’s staff? The NFL world was buzzing at the start of this cycle about the potential for Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula to be the next great coach off the McVay tree. Instead, the 38-year-old LaFleur leapfrogged him. Maybe the Cardinals saw something others didn’t in his two unremarkable years as the Jets offensive coordinator directing eventual draft bust Zach Wilson? Or maybe they just loved the Rams’ offense so much they were willing to overlook the fact that McVay, not LaFleur, called the plays? None of that is to say LaFleur can’t be a good head coach. He spent seven years working for Kyle Shanahan in various stops and three years at the side of McVay, so some of their genius could have rubbed off. Still, it’s a curious choice, especially considering some of the candidates the Cardinals chose not to hire. Grade: D- 9. Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills Terry Pegula insisted he made the decision to fire Sean McDermott after seeing the scene in the postgame locker room in Denver. He felt he had a team capable of reaching a Super Bowl, and he needed a leader who could put them over the top. That made sense … until he put his supposed title-ready team in the hands of a 36-year-old, first-time head coach who was on the staff he felt just failed the franchise. I guess Brady, in his two-plus years as the Bills’ offensive coordinator, had nothing to do with their playoff failures? He was a favorite of quarterback Josh Allen, who clearly wanted the offensive system to remain the same. That’s why so many thought the Bills were going to hire ex-Giants coach Brian Daboll, who was the offensive coordinator in Buffalo that helped turn Allen into a star. Instead, the Bills conducted a sham of a search and anointed Brady who, to be fair, is well-respected around the league and has had a lot of head coaching interviews over the past three offseasons. It’s still a risk, though, for a franchise that could have benefited from bringing in an external candidate — which is what it sounded like Pegula initially intended to do. Grade: D 8. Jeff Hafley, Miami Dolphins The Dolphins tried the offensive whiz kid route with Mike McDaniel, and the results were just OK. But it too often appeared that leadership was lacking in that locker room. It’s why they needed to pivot to a “CEO” type of coach. And that fits Hafley, who has experience running a program from his four years as the head coach at Boston College. Unfortunately, he had a pretty mediocre run there, with an overall record of 22-26 and one trip to a minor bowl. College coaches also don’t often translate well to the pros, either, though Hafley has spent nine years as an NFL assistant. He did his best work the past two seasons as the defensive coordinator in Green Bay, where he helped turn the Packers’ defense into a championship-caliber unit. But it’s his leadership that will likely define his tenure in Miami, not his defensive scheme. Grade: C 7. Robert Saleh, Tennessee Titans The 46-year-old Saleh doesn’t deserve all the blame for what happened during his time as head coach of the New York Jets, but he can’t disavow all of that 20-36 record. It’s true he was saddled with a bad quarterback (Zach Wilson), but he made plenty of bad decisions that helped ruin his tenure, too. Maybe he’s learned from them. That’s what the Titans are counting on. And there are plenty of examples of coaches who thrived when they got a second chance. But sometimes a failure just proves that a coach can’t handle the big job. We’ll see if that’s true. If nothing else, Saleh is an impressive presence and everyone who has played for him lauds his leadership. He’ll bring a new attitude to the Titans, for sure. He’s also a brilliant defensive mind, so there likely won’t be many issues on that side of the ball. Oddly, he hired another failed New York coach to run his offense — ex-Giants coach Brian Daboll, who had a Saleh-like record of 20-40-1. He’s well-respected, too, and will be a big help for promising young quarterback Cam Ward. Perhaps this will be a great redemption story for both exiled New Yorkers, though the odds feel long. Grade: C+ 6. Todd Monken, Cleveland Browns It takes someone with a strong stomach to be the head coach of the Browns, but it also probably takes someone with more experience than Monken. At least Monken brings a strong track record for developing quarterbacks, though, which is what the Browns need right now more than anything. They have a tremendous defense. They’ve even got some promising talent at running back and receiver. But if they can’t develop a quarterback — whether it’s Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, or someone else — none of it matters. And Monken has had a string of success, running a top-10 offense in Tampa (2016-18) with Jameis Winston, helping turn Lamar Jackson back into an MVP in Baltimore (2023-25), and even developing a prolific offense behind Stetson Bennett at the University of Georgia. The downside is the Browns’ messy search might have cost them respected defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. And Monken, at age 59, hasn’t been a head coach in the NFL before. But if he can fix the quarterback mess, at least the Browns will take the most important first step. Grade: C+ 5. Klint Kubiak, Las Vegas Raiders He is the hot offensive assistant this year after his masterful work with the Super Bowl-bound Seattle Seahawks and quarterback Sam Darnold. But plucking the young, offensive star is often a boom-or-bust proposition, as not every great coordinator makes for a quality head coach. The Raiders can afford to take that chance, though, assuming they are patient with the 38-year-old. They are a few years away from contending and Kubiak’s primary job will likely be to develop quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the presumptive top pick of the 2026 NFL Draft. What Kubiak did in Seattle surely caught the Raiders’ attention, but don’t discount his coaching lineage. He’s worked under his father, Gary Kubiak, as well as Kevin Stefanski and Kyle Shanahan. A lot of offensive knowledge has been passed down to him. Whether he can handle the big job remains to be seen. But if he can develop the new quarterback, he’ll be off to a heck of a start. Grade: B- *The Raiders cannot officially announce the hire until after Super Bowl LX 4. Mike McCarthy, Pittsburgh Steelers It’s hard to argue against hiring a coach with a résumé like the one McCarthy has. He is, quite simply, one of the NFL’s biggest recent winners. He went 125-77-2 during his 13 years in Green Bay. He had three 12-win seasons in five years in Dallas. He’s been to the playoffs 12 times in 18 years overall and won a Super Bowl. Who wouldn’t want that? The only problem here is the fit. McCarthy is 62 years old and has 18 years of experience and doesn’t seem to be the kind of coach who would want a rebuilding project. And while the Steelers don’t think they’re rebuilding, perhaps they should be. They have hovered around mediocrity for more than a decade and been searching for their next franchise quarterback since at least 2018 when they drafted Mason Rudolph. Hiring McCarthy makes it feel like they’re ready to run it back, perhaps with deteriorating 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers at quarterback. Now, if they could somehow land a young franchise QB, McCarthy could be very good for him. Don’t discount his influence on Rodgers’ early career. But without that position resolved, this coaching hire could quickly prove to be too old and too stale. Grade: B 3. Jesse Minter, Baltimore Ravens At the beginning of this hiring cycle, no up-and-coming assistant was talked about as much as the 42-year-old Minter. He figured to be a top candidate for multiple teams, until the market suddenly became flooded with experienced coaches. Though it requires a bit of speculation, he deserves to be ranked near the top, especially since he probably inherits the best of the 10 openings. On a loaded roster with Lamar Jackson at quarterback, he’s got the best shot of winning right away. Can he? Well, his pedigree as an assistant is strong. He’s an apple off the Harbaugh tree, having worked with both John in Baltimore and Jim in Michigan and with the Los Angeles Chargers. He built college football’s best defense when Michigan won the national championship in 2023, and he turned a bad Chargers defense into a top-10 unit over the past two seasons. So he can coach. And many NFL executives think he’s ready for the big chair. Given the one he’s sitting in, it would be hard for him to screw this opportunity up, though the Ravens’ defense took a major step back in 2025. Grade: B+ 2. Kevin Stefanski, Atlanta Falcons The Falcons are a team loaded with offensive talent that seemed wasted and misused under Raheem Morris. It’s a big reason why, maybe more than any other club, they needed an offensive-minded head coach. And Stefanski is one of the best, despite what happened during his last two ugly seasons in Cleveland (8-26). He was undermined there by a series of disastrous quarterback decisions. Before that, he was a miracle worker. Consider that the Browns have been to the playoffs twice in the past 23 years — both times under Stefanski. He remarkably won 11 games twice in Cleveland — its only two 11-win seasons since Bill Belichick hit that mark there in 1994 — and was the NFL Coach of the Year both times. Stefanski helped develop Baker Mayfield into a viable NFL quarterback (they went to the playoffs in their first season together), and he had his other winning/playoff season in a year when he had to juggle five different starting quarterbacks. So don’t blame him for how the Browns fell apart. Look at what he did before the collapse. He’ll do the same in Atlanta with whomever his quarterback is. Grade: A 1. John Harbaugh, New York Giants He’s the home-run hire of the offseason and the Giants had to hit it given their miserable, embarrassing record over the past 14 years. They tried a line of promising, inexperienced coaches and it just didn’t work. They needed someone who had done it before, and would instantly restore credibility to their franchise. Harbaugh, of course, had a long and successful run in Baltimore, going 180-113 over 18 seasons, making the playoffs 12 times and winning a Super Bowl. But more than his coaching success, he boasts a presence and credibility the Giants have been missing since Tom Coughlin. He can stand in front of a team that is generally perceived as talented but underachieving, and the players know that what he says and does will work — because it has. He will immediately restore discipline and confidence, and he has a history of being great with young quarterbacks. He is the one coach who could make the Giants’ desired turnaround incredibly quick. Grade: A+​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

This is the most interesting men’s college basketball season I can remember in the past 15 years. This freshmen class is incredible. NIL means that talent is staying put and the quality of play I’m watching is fantastic. What’s more, the race for the top-4 seed lines of the NCAA tournament has never been more compelling. Here’s the latest edition of my men’s college basketball rankings, as of Feb. 1. *Note: Miami (Ohio) is 22-0, but its strength of schedule is 332nd in the country. The RedHawks are a great story, but I’m not sure that I’ll rank them at all this year. Being undefeated is cool and all, but you have to put it into context. Texas A&M head coach Bucky McMillian is pushing all the right buttons with this team. The Aggies sit atop the SEC with a 7-1 record and are averaging 91.0 points in their past three games. Still, there are big challenges ahead. Arkansas lost an emotional affair with Kentucky on Saturday. The Razorbacks have six losses, but none of them are bad losses. They can’t find a rhythm, though, as their longest win streak of the season is just four games. St. John’s has won seven games in a row and beat Butler by 22 points on Wednesday. Guard Ian Jackson had 18 points and is starting to figure out his scoring role. Kentucky is turning its season around. The Wildcats beat Arkansas, led by their former coach John Calipari, on Saturday in an emotional game. Guard Otega Oweh has scored 20 or more points in seven of his past nine games. Clemson boasts one of the 15 best defenses in the country, and the Tigers used it to suffocate Pitt on Saturday; the Panthers could only muster 52 points. Clemson is now 8-1 in the ACC with its only loss in overtime to NC State. Tennessee is on a three-game win streak, beating Alabama, Georgia and Auburn. The Vols have a top-15 defense (again). St. Louis is now 21-1 after crushing Dayton by 31 points on Saturday, with its only loss coming on a miracle shot against Stanford back in November. North Carolina picked up another road win at Georgia Tech on Saturday. I enjoy watching the frontcourt duo of forward Caleb Wilson and center Henri Veesaar. The pair combined for 42 points and 18 rebounds. Virginia has the 17th best offense in the land and got two road wins this week, despite going 14-for-52 from behind the arc combined. That’s a good sign that this team is legit and can find ways to win. Three losses in a row for Purdue seemed unfathomable when it started the preseason as the top-ranked team. This team can score against anyone, but the Boilermakers struggle to guard elite, athletic teams like Iowa State and Illinois. Understandably, BYU went 0-2 this week against Arizona and Kansas. Cougars star forward AJ Dybantsa was only outscored by one point (17 to 18) by Kansas freshman guard Darryn Peterson, but it felt like more than that. Guard Richie Saunders had 33 points and greatly improved his NBA Draft stock in front of the throng of scouts that were in attendance. I was a bit surprised that Texas Tech lost at UCF after shooting above 50% as a team, but the Red Raiders couldn’t get stops in an 88-80 shootout. Texas Tech star forward JT Toppin continued his stellar season with 27 points on Saturday. I still think the Red Raiders can beat any team — anywhere. Vanderbilt smashed a good Kentucky team earlier this week and is back to its winning ways — three straight wins, in fact. Sophomore guard Tyler Tanner is only 6-foot, but his game is massive. I was so jacked up for the matchup between Dybantsa and Peterson — until the ball was tipped, and Peterson completely took over with 18 points in 17 minutes in the first half. Of course, he only played three minutes in the second half (cramping?), but his Kansas teammates kept it going, shooting 57% overall. Kansas is hitting its stride. Florida made a statement with its thrashing of Alabama at home. Alex Condon had his best game of the season with 25 points and six assists at the center position. Florida ranks sixth in KenPom and is 7-2 in the SEC. [Men’s College Hoops Spotlight: Villanova Eyes NCAA Tournament Berth] Michigan State squeaked out an overtime win at Rutgers early in the week, and the Spartans couldn’t recover fast enough for their top-10 showdown against Michigan on FOX on Friday night, losing 83-71 (the game wasn’t as close as the final score). Spartans star Jeremy Fears Jr. did his part with 31 points, but nobody else really showed up. Graham Ike returned from injury this week, and he scored 30 points in Gonzaga’s win over Saint Mary’s on Saturday night. The Zags’ only loss of the season was a 40-point beatdown at the hands of Michigan in November. Count me as one of the people who was more impressed with Nebraska in defeat (at Michigan) than any other game I’ve seen the Huskers play. Their loss on Sunday to a surging Illinois team doesn’t change their potential, but it does bring them (and their fan base) back to Earth a bit. Illinois owns the No. 1 offense in the sport and used it to avenge its loss to Nebraska. Outside of Arizona, is anyone playing better in the sport right now? Illinois has won 11 consecutive games. Besides those back-to-back road losses a few weeks ago to Kansas and Cincinnati, Iowa State looks every bit like a No. 2 or No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament. [NCAA Bracket Projections: Michigan Reclaims No. 1 seed, ACC Rising] Houston freshman guard Kingston Flemings only had seven points on Saturday against Cincinnati, but fellow freshman forward Chris Cenac Jr. had 13 and senior guard Milos Uzan closed things out with 16. The Bearcats had no shot in that game. On Saturday, Duke star forward Cameron Boozer posted 24 points, eight rebounds and five assists in a road win at Virginia Tech. That is a career-best day for most players, but it’s just another day at the office for the best player in the sport. After narrowly escaping most of their Big East opponents, UConn demolished Creighton on the road by 27 points. The Huskies broke out of a slump by hitting 16 of their 31 3-pointers. Michigan followed up its come-from-behind win over Nebraska by controlling most of the game at Michigan State. Wolverines star forward Yaxel Lendeborg finally had a breakout game in conference play with 28 points and 12 rebounds. Arizona is the most physical team in the country and continued to impress, getting road wins at BYU and Arizona State. It seems likely the Wildcats will win the Big 12 by multiple games.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The NFL Honors might not take place until Thursday, but Tom Brady is ready to settle all the big award debates now. Brady announced the recipients of his LFG Awards for the 2025 NFL season on Sunday. The seven-time Super Bowl winner and three-time MVP dished out nine awards, making some traditional awards picks. But he also had a few non-traditional award selections, naming his Sixth Round Pick of the Year, Call of the Year and Best Value Player of the Year. “I know this goes up there with some of the greatest awards in award season,” Brady said of his LFG Awards. So, without further ado, here are Brady’s LFG Awards for the 2025 NFL season. LFG Player of the Year: Matthew Stafford, QB, Los Angeles Rams Brady didn’t name an MVP, but his LFG Player of the Year is the closest thing to it. And for that honor, he believes that Stafford was the Player of the Year. “I covered him a bunch this year. I was so impressed by what he did the entire season,” Brady said of Stafford. “I think his consistency was incredible. He showed up in the biggest moments for his teammates. He made throws so few guys in the NFL could make. They did it in tough conditions. Look, they play in a dome out there in SoFi, but he went on the road and they were great on the road. They were great in the wind. He had his main guys go down a few times. Puka [Nacua] was down. Davante [Adams]was down. And he always found ways to produce. He had an incredible touchdown-to-interception ratio. He was absurd.” Stafford ended the regular season as the favorite to win MVP, having the best season of his 17-year career. He led the league in passing yards (4,707) and passing touchdowns (46), leading the Rams to a 12-5 record and an NFC title game appearance. Brady also had a couple of honorable mentions for the award, naming Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Buffalo Bills running back James Cook in that group. Fortunately for Smith-Njigba, he’s taking home some other hardware instead … LFG Offensive Player of the Year: Puka Nacua, WR, Los Angeles Rams; Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks While Brady had a clear winner for most of his awards, there were a couple of awards for which he felt he couldn’t pick just one person. LFG Offensive Player of the Year was one of them. “I know, it’s too hard to pick between the two of them, but they’re both phenomenal. On a team, when you’re the quarterback, you love having two of these guys. Not just one. Puka, what can I say about him? Tremendous catches, his body control, yards after catch, those suction cup hands of his — he’s made some of the most ridiculous plays this season. “Then, JSN, had a 100-plus catches, one-handed catches in the [NFC] Championship Game, big catches and touchdown catches. He was [Sam] Darnold’s, I don’t even want to say safety blanket. He was an explosive player. He did everything for that team in the pass game.” Smith-Njigba and Nacua both finished the regular season as the favorites to win Offensive Player of the Year. They were also each named as unanimous selections to the AP All-Pro first team. Smith-Njigba and Nacua also showed out in last week’s NFC Championship Game. The Seahawks star had 10 catches for 153 yards and a touchdown in the win, while the Rams’ receiver logged nine grabs for 165 yards and a touchdown. LFG Defensive Player of the Year: Myles Garrett, edge rusher, Cleveland Browns Unlike with LFG Offensive Player of the Year, Brady’s pick for LFG Defensive Player of the Year was clear. “[Garrett] broke my buddy Michael Strahan’s record, which is absolutely insane,” Brady said. “The impact he has on every game is second-to-none. He’s just a hard-working guy, Myles is. For a guy that gets as much attention by every offensive coordinator — in terms of gameplanning, tackles, chip blocks — what are you going to do to this guy? He’s got a great motor, and he knocks people out.” Garrett was the catalyst of a Browns’ defense that was one of the best in football. As Brady mentioned, Garrett’s 23 sacks this season gave him the single-season sack record. He also had three games where he recorded at least three sacks, including a three-sack outing against the Patriots in Week 8. There was another player Brady wanted to give props to, though. “I want to give love to my guy Micah Parsons, too,” Brady said. “I know he played incredible throughout the entire season. At the point he got injured and tore his ACL, he led the league in pressures. So, that could’ve been something special down the stretch.” LFG Offensive Rookie of the Year: Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Carolina Panthers For Brady, McMillan was a clear choice to win the LFG Offensive Rookie of the Year. “I didn’t cover a lot of Carolina games, but what I saw from him was a dynamic ability to get open, catch the ball down the field, explosive plays and ball possession plays,” Brady said. “He really rose to the occasion. There were some questions coming out of the draft. But I think he showed to everyone what he’s all about with a monster year.” McMillan led all rookies in receiving yards (1,014) and receiving touchdowns (seven) as he ranked in the top-15 in the league in both categories. That helped the Panthers become one of the NFL’s surprise teams this season and win the NFC South But there is another offensive rookie Brady wanted to tip his cap to. “I covered a lot of Bears games and watched this offense perform, and Kyle Monangai as a seventh-round pick, I kept saying sixth-round pick on the air … he ran so hard, so forceful and determined,” Brady said. “He was like a dynamo back there. Every time Caleb [Williams] handed the ball off to him, he was running through people’s facemasks. I love that style of play. You had a tremendous year, Kyle.” Monangai ran for 783 yards on 4.6 yards per carry and five touchdowns, helping the Bears win the NFC North behind one of the league’s top rushing attacks. LFG Defensive Rookie of the Year: Nick Emmanwori, S, Seattle Seahawks Brady didn’t call any Seahawks games until the playoffs, but Emmanwori left such a strong impression on him that he felt he had no choice but to name the safety his LFG Defensive Player of the Year. “There’s some great competition out there, but the guy that I’ve covered the last two weeks on Seattle’s defense, who does it all. He’s kind of a joker out there. They play him as basically a nickel defender and they leave him out there: Nick Emmanwori, what an animal this guy is,” Brady said. “He’s big. He’s fast. He’s physical. He made some game-changing plays last Sunday in the championship game — covering people, knocking balls away, pass defense, tackles in the run game, aggressive in his run fits. This guy has a very bright future.” Emmanwori was 10th in tackles among rookies (81 combined tackles) to go with 2.5 sacks. While Emmanwori has had a strong postseason, his Week 14 performance against the Atlanta Falcons was one for the ages. He had two tackles for loss, a sack, a blocked field goal and an interception in that game, showing his all-around ability. LFG Coaches of the Year: Ben Johnson (Chicago Bears), Mike Vrabel (New England Patriots), Mike Macdonald (Seattle Seahawks), Liam Coen (Jacksonville Jaguars) Coach of the Year seems to be the most hotly contested of the major awards this season, and Brady views it the same way. He picked four coaches as his LFG Coach of the Year. “Ben Johnson in Chicago, [what] a ridiculous year. How he taught Caleb [Williams] the offense he wanted to run, play to the skill sets of the guys was insane,” Brady said of the Bears head coach’s first season in Chicago, leading his team to an 11-6 record and an NFC North title. Brady also shouted out Macdonald and Coen, who led their respective teams to division titles as well. “We also have Mike Macdonald in Seattle, who’s done the most unbelievable job with that defense, suffocating opponents week-in, week-out,” Brady said. “Seventeen points [allowed] per game, that’s absolutely absurd. And the respect your players have for you. “Liam Coen, one year as a coordinator in Tampa, moves onto to Jacksonville and has an incredible season with Trevor Lawrence in that offense. So many great, young coaches in this league.” The Seahawks didn’t have as dramatic a turnaround as the Jaguars this year, but as Brady said, they were one of the league’s most dominant teams in 2025. The Seahawks went 14-3 in the regular season, with Macdonald’s defensive mind helping their defense lead the league in scoring. Offensively, Macdonald’s decision to hire Klint Kubiak as offensive coordinator paid major dividends as Sam Darnold had another strong year to help the Seahawks reach the Super Bowl. Finally, Brady also recognized Vrabel as one of his four recipients for LFG Coach of the Year as he’s helped the Patriots go from back-to-back 4-13 seasons to playing in the Super Bowl. “Vrabes, you’re like my brother,” Brady said. “I love ya, I’m so proud of ya. Even though you went to Ohio State, your caliber of decision-making was questionable back then, you’ve become a great teammate of mine and a Super Bowl champion. Not to mention a great goal line, and I’m just going to mention a goal line, wide receiver. You didn’t do anything outside of the 1-yard line. So, you’re not that good as a wide receiver, but you’re a hell of a coach.” And Brady has a message for the coaches he didn’t honor for LFG Coach of the Year. “All you coaches, get your asses back to work,” Brady said. “The season’s over, and the 2026 sesaon’s underway.” LFG 6th Round Pick of the Year: Quentin Lake, S, Los Angeles Rams Brady had a couple of names in mind to receive his LFG Sixth Round Pick of the Year honor. “[Lake] had a great year in the secondary, played nickel, safety, covered guys, zone coverage, man coverage, blitzing and they really missed him when he was out, that Rams defense,” Brady said. “When he was out, their points per game went way up. When he’s in, he’s the X-factor in that secondary. “One other guy, just as an honorable mention, Josh Metellus in Brian Flores’ defense. Same type of thing, versatile, does a lot of things, pressures, covers, picks, sacks, tackles and they do it all. So, don’t sleep on these sixth-rounders. They’re diamonds in the rough.” Lake, a sixth-round pick in the 2022 draft, had 61 total tackles, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and an interception in 10 games. He was also Pro Football Focus’ 13th-highest graded safety in 2025. As for Metellus, he had 86 total tackles and two interceptions, following in Brady’s footsteps as a productive sixth-round pick from Michigan. Of all the awards, this might be Brady’s favorite. “This just speaks to my heart, just thinking about these guys that are drafted late and are passed over all these times by these genius scouts and personnel executives that think they have all the answers all the time,” Brady said. “Sometimes, they just slipped through the cracks into the sixth-round.” LFG Call of the Year: Kevin Burkhardt’s call of Caleb Williams’ game-winning touchdown pass to DJ Moore in Bears’ Week 16 win vs. Packers Brady was initially asked to give his LFG Game of the Year, but when he reminisced on which game to pick, he instantly changed the award to LFG Call of the Year. “I’m changing this, it ain’t going to be LFG Game of the Year. It’s going to be the LFG Call of the Year, and that goes to my boy Kevin Burkhardt with that game in Week 16, Packers at Bears,” Brady said. “Bears get an onside kick, they score late, game goes to overtime, Caleb Williams drops an absolute dime, probably 60, 65 yards in the air with frigid temperatures in huge winds drops a dime to DJ Moore. My boy, Kevin Burkhardt, was on the call, and you know what? I’m not even going to describe it. Play the tape!” You’ve got it, Tom. Here’s Burkhardt’s call of the Bears’ game-winning touchdown from their Week 16 win over the Packers: “My boy KB with the call of the year,” Brady said. “I get goosebumps just thinking about it.” LFG Best Value Player of the Year: Nahshon Wright, CB, Chicago Bears The teams in the league are also the ones that can find productive talent at a cheap cost. The Bears did that this offseason when they signed Wright to a one-year, $1.1 million contract. “He had a tremendous season. He was an absolute turnover machine,” Brady said of Wright. “The Bears, they didn’t do a great job between the 20s. The ball was moved a lot. But when it came to turning the ball over, they were better than every team in the league and he was a huge reason why. He was intercepting passes, strip sacks, fumbles, fumble recoveries … what I saw with my eyes is that best value player in the year. “Congratulations, you’ve earned yourself quite a contract in the future. And shoutout Nashon Wright’s agent, you’re going to do pretty well, too.” Wright had a league-leading eight takeaways in 2025, logging five interceptions. He was also named a Pro Bowler as a result of his play, helping him out before he becomes a free agent again.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The San Francisco 49ers are replacing one accomplished defensive coordinator with another coach who has had plenty of success as a defensive coordinator. Former Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris is expected to be hired as the 49ers’ next defensive coordinator, ESPN reported Sunday. Morris will replace Robert Saleh, who became the Tennessee Titans’ head coach in January after one season back with the 49ers as their defensive coordinator. Morris was fired by the Falcons after two seasons as head coach at the end of the 2025 regular season. But prior to becoming the Falcons’ head coach, Morris helped steer the Los Angeles Rams’ defense to success as their defensive coordinator. The Rams won the Super Bowl in Morris’ first year at the helm in 2021, helping him become a strong head coach candidate. The Falcons’ defense was also respectable under Morris this past season. They ranked 15th in total defense and 12th in defensive DVOA, with Atlanta’s defense notably having a standout performance when it intercepted Matthew Stafford three times in its Week 17 upset win over Los Angeles. Now, Morris will take over a 49ers defense that arguably overperformed in 2025, considering the injuries they had. Even though edge rusher Nick Bosa and linebacker Fred Warner missed the majority of the year, the 49ers ranked 13th in scoring defense and 20th in yards allowed. Morris had also received head coaching interest following the Falcons’ decision to fire him, interviewing with a handful of teams for the head coach vacancies in January.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — NASCAR will delay its lone preseason event by two additional days to Wednesday as North Carolina digs out one of its biggest snowstorms in years. The Clash, originally scheduled for Sunday at Bowman Gray Stadium, will now run Wednesday on the historic quarter-mile track that doubles as the home football stadium for Winston-Salem State University. Practice and qualifying is set for 1:30 p.m. ET on the Fox Sports App and FOX One. FOX coverage will start at 4:30 p.m. for the 75-lap last chance qualifying race, followed by the 200-lap main event at 6 p.m. ET. The Winston-Salem area got eight inches of snow Saturday, while the area between there and Charlotte — where most of the teams are based — got 10-15 inches of snow. The race originally was postponed Saturday to Monday and while roads started to improve Sunday, the ability of teams (the crew members are home and not in the vicinity of the track) and fans to get to the track safely led to the decision. The Charlotte area got 11 inches of snow, making it one of the top-five highest single-day snowfalls in the history of the city. It was the most snow Winston-Salem had gotten since 2018. Clash manager Justin Swilling said the decision was made in consultation with the city of Winston-Salem (which owns the facility that achieved national exposure with the “Madhouse” reality series) and state transportation officials. It has been a busy couple of weeks after a sleet storm a week prior to the Clash. “When we all woke up this morning, we were all on the same page,” Swilling said. “It’s going to take a day or two to get the industry out of the snow that they’re found in the greater Charlotte area and get them up here. It’s going to take us a few days to get the stadium cleaned off. The city felt that responsibility as well. “The state was supportive of saying it’s not good to have people on the roads right now, try to stay home if you can, but when things warm up, hopefully earlier in this coming week, we’ll get to a really good place. They’ve done a great job with primary and even some secondary roads in and around this area. It was actually a fairly aligned decision from the moment we started talking about Wednesday.” Swilling said NASCAR did consider conducting the event with fans. “Anytime anybody’s come to the Madhouse for an event, you know that it’s just as much the fans as it is the competitors that makes it a show,” Swilling said. “So we explored all scenarios, but at the end of the day, we wanted to give ourselves plenty of time. We wanted to give the community plenty of time, as well, to get over the most recent storms that we’ve had, and we felt that Wednesday was the safest time to have everybody ascend on Bowman Gray Stadium. And we feel good about that.” If this was a race during the season, NASCAR might have been more willing to do it without fans, as teams would need to get to the next weekend’s event. But with on-track activity for the Daytona 500 not beginning until the following Wednesday (Feb. 11), NASCAR was not facing a hard decision as far as next-event logistics.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports