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I keep making the mistake of thinking that things can’t get worse for the Browns and quarterback Deshaun Watson. So far, the relationship has been marred by the remarkable trifecta of poor play on the field, terrible off-field red flags and an anchor of a $230 million contract that will continue to limit the franchise’s ability to rebound, even after Watson is gone. Through all of that, to hear Watson speak to reporters after Saturday’s home preseason loss to the Bills, there is somehow a complete lack of awareness, of remorse, of any ownership for where he is and why Browns fans booed him in his return. “I think the whole world knows it has nothing to do about the performance,” Watson said. “It’s a little bit (more) personal than that. I think that’s a disrespectful thing.” So, I’ll say another thing he might consider disrespectful: The Browns need to move on and cut Watson. I say that not as an endorsement of second-year quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who would presumably step in as starter if Watson is out of the picture. Not because it’s a sound move to make from a financial and salary-cap standpoint. If you’re trying to move on as a franchise, you don’t let Watson be part of that rebuilding just because you agreed to pay him $46 million for this season in 2022. It’s the Marianas Trench of sunk costs. The worst thing about Watson’s $230 million contract with the Browns is that the team has barely accounted for half of it from a salary-cap standpoint. If Cleveland cuts him before the season, it would result in $127 million in dead money, which is money that counts against the salary cap from a player no longer under contract. It would cost the Browns $41 million this year and $86 million in 2027 to cut Watson before this season. Cleveland doesn’t even have $41 million in cap space right now, so it would take reworking other contracts, at the expense of future cap space, just to be done with Watson. Watson took issue with Browns fans on Saturday because some of them cheered when he tore his Achilles tendon in 2024. It’s a fair gripe to have, but beyond the idea that you should never cheer an injury, he had already used up whatever goodwill he had with fans in Cleveland. Consider what $230 million has gotten them, just from a football standpoint. Watson is 9-10 as a starter, with 19 touchdown passes in those 19 games, against 12 interceptions. Of the 50 quarterbacks who have thrown 500+ passes since the start of 2022, Watson ranks 42nd in QB Rating. That’s below established backups like Desmond Ridder, Gardner Minshew, Will Levis and Aidan O’Connell. Watson’s time with the Browns began with a list of accusers that grew and grew until he settled with them before going to trial, an 11-game suspension and a $5 million fine, an embarrassment that understandably hasn’t faded for many of their fans. Asked on Saturday if he regretted signing with the Browns, Watson said, “I don’t regret anything in my life,” a line that very few people can pull off with a straight face. Cleveland not only gave him $230 million but gave up three first-round picks and more to the Texans, who have made the playoffs three years in a row as a by-product of moving on from Watson, to acquire him. “I had different thoughts on how it was going to be,” Watson said of his time in Cleveland, a sentiment that could be echoed by nearly anyone who’s had interactions with him in the last four years. You feel for Todd Monken, who gets to become an NFL head coach at age 60, but only by accepting a team that’s 8-26 in the last two years and just traded away the NFL Defensive Player of the Year. You wonder if the Browns will have patience with him, knowing that any turnaround will not be immediate. You understand why Myles Garrett would relent and allow a trade to the Rams. The Browns are poised to take a quarterback at or near the top of the 2027 NFL Draft, and frankly, any success this year makes that less likely to work out. To that end, keeping Watson and accepting his poor play might help improve the quality of his successor. Sanders isn’t likely to get in the way of that either. He ranked 44th out of 45 quarterbacks with 100+ passes last season when it comes to passer rating; he ranked last in completion percentage and third-to-last in interception percentage. Anyone would be more well-liked by Browns fans, but at least you can cite the chance of improvement with Sanders, 24, compared to Watson at age 31. Watson said Saturday that he gets a warmer welcome at road games, saying of the upcoming season that “maybe it’s 17 away games” in terms of how the crowd makes him feel. “Sometimes, the tables turn,” he said of his future. If he’s already envisioning his revenge with another NFL team, good luck with that. And if he says he’s keeping his true feelings about his own fans to himself, why force those fans to be divided about their team by staying with him, by keeping him as your choice at the most important position on the field? Has Watson ever given them a real reason to cheer? He went 5-1 as a starter in 2023, but even then, three of those wins had the Browns defense hold opponents to 3, 3 and 0 points. He was more there for the win, much more than being responsible for it. When he said weeks ago that he would consider re-signing with the Browns, it was cringeworthy, like a marriage that neither side’s friends wants to see continue under any circumstances. So, rip the $230 million band-aid off. Get the pain over with and start the process of putting Watson in their past, right now. When another quarterback takes the field for Thursday’s preseason finale in Cleveland, the crowd will cheer. You might not know who the quarterback of your future is, yes, but there’s a value in knowing who you’ve chosen as the quarterback of your past.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Almost nothing is guaranteed in motorsports, but when you set out to host a one-of-a-kind INDYCAR street race in the heart of Washington, D.C., exceptional and wonderfully juxtaposed views are, in fact, a given. For Sunday’s Freedom 250, the 1.7-mile street course ran around and through the National Mall, flanked by the U.S. Capitol on one side and the Washington Monument on the other. The temporary track also snaked around National Archives, the National Gallery of Art and the Air and Space Museum, among many other museums and government buildings, providing both INDYCAR teams and fans with unparalleled optics. INDYCAR drivers — including Alex Palou, Pato O’Ward, Scott McLaughlin, Scott Dixon and Graham Rahal — soaked in all the history and what was for some their first trip to the U.S. capital, and the Freedom 250 itself delivered stunning race images against the backdrop of some of the nation’s most recognizable landmarks. Here’s a look at some of the best photos from Sunday’s Freedom 250.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

INDYCAR’s Freedom 250 is one of the biggest spectacles in sports, and the pre-race celebrations were capped in an eye-catching way. All seven branches of the United States military were represented in a flyover ahead of the green flag, which was waved by President Donald Trump. “It turned out to be much bigger than we ever even thought possible,” President Trump told our Jamie Little of how the race ended up coming together. Every flyover was orchestrated to go over Turn 7 toward Turn 1, going from south to north. It capped a festive set of pre-race ceremonies before Alex Palou led the field on the pole for the race on INDYCAR’s most memorable track ever. President Trump waved the green flag, getting the Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C., started on Sunday. Palou and Kyle Kirkwood were in Row 1 and led the field, with the Spanish star on the pole. “It turned out to be much bigger than we ever even thought possible,” President Trump said. “They actually closed the bridges. So many people want to come.” President Trump praised Roger Penske for his involvement in making this race happen, noting Penske has tried multiple times to make a race around D.C. happen before. “Roger’s been a friend of mine for a long time, and there’s nobody like him,” President Trump said. It was the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force and Air Force One that had their planes fly over the track. It was a memorable moment as INDYCAR staged one of the biggest celebrations of the United States possible in Washington, D.C.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Plenty of quarterbacks thrived on Saturday in Week 2 of the NFL preseason, some with jobs on the line. In Cleveland, it was Shedeur Sanders leading a touchdown drive as he competes for the starting job against Deshaun Watson. Out on the West Coast, Stetson Bennett IV took a strong step toward potentially being the backup for the Los Angeles Rams. A familiar face in Jameis Winston also played well, although the best QB performance may have come from an undrafted rookie out of a Division-II school. After Watson started the Browns’ preseason opener, it was Sanders’ turn on Sunday. The second-year quarterback was 8-of-11 for 74 yards with a touchdown and interception. On the Browns’ first drive, Sanders led an 11-play, 65-yard march to the end zone. He started with an eight-yard completion to wide receiver Isaiah Bond and later kept the Browns’ drive alive with a 16-yard connection to tight end Blake Whiteheart to convert a fourth-and-2. Sanders found running back Ahmani Marshall out of the backfield to get Cleveland into the red zone before he hit wide receiver Luke Floriea for an eight-yard touchdown. Sanders played three more series, finishing out the first half, but he couldn’t replicate the success he found on the Browns’ initial drive. On Cleveland’s second drive of the second quarter, Sanders targeted tight end Jermaine Terry II on a crossing route, but the Bills’ defense deflected the pass, and it fell into safety Damar Hamlin’s hands. Watson, meanwhile, did not have things go his way. The veteran started the second half and finished 5-of-12 passing for 36 yards and an interception, adding two rushes for 13 yards. There were plenty of boos for Watson in Cleveland, which he said he didn’t understand after the game. Sanders, to his credit, spoke out against the booing of Watson after the game, saying, “It’s a respect that I feel should be there.” It looks like Bennett, not Ty Simpson, may start the season as Matthew Stafford’s backup in Los Angeles. After Simpson shined in the Rams’ preseason opener, it was Bennett’s turn on Saturday against the New Orleans Saints. The former University of Georgia star was 19-of-31 for 181 passing yards with two carries for nine yards and a pair of rushing touchdowns. Bennett started the game and played into the second half. Simpson came in and was solid, going 8-of-12 for 73 yards. The Rams offense hummed with Bennett under center. Former Auburn standout and second-year running back Jarquez Hunter had 12 carries for 68 yards, while rookie wide receiver CJ Daniels (out of Miami) had eight receptions for 68 yards. The game was a blowout. Journeyman safety Alex Cook had the game’s most memorable play when he intercepted Saints QB Spencer Rattler and returned it 100 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter. If it were the regular season, Harrison Butker would have kicked the longest field goal in NFL history on Saturday night. In the Chiefs’ matchup against the Buccaneers, the veteran kicker was good from 69 yards – and the kick had more to it than just that distance. It was an impressive feat that would have broken the NFL record for the longest in a real game, which was set by Jaguars kicker Cam Little last season. As the Vikings quarterback competition continued to brew, quarterback J.J. McCarthy took the stage during Week 2 of preseason. However, after four series, McCarthy left the field “banged up,” according to head coach Kevin O’Connell. “It’s always a moving target; maybe one more drive would have been great to get him based upon where he was snapcount-wise, but he was a little hobbled there. I’ll have an update for you, but he seemed to be fine,” O’Connell said after the Vikings’ preseason loss to the Ravens. McCarthy and quarterback Kyler Murray have been competing for Minnesota’s starting quarterback role, but Murray could be making a jump to earning the role. McCarthy finished the day going 5-for-10 for 81 yards and zero touchdowns. Six weeks ago, Winston was moonlighting as a World Cup correspondent for FOX Sports. Now, he’s back to his day job, which is being one of the best backup quarterbacks in the NFL. The Giants’ QB2 put up impressive numbers against the Dolphins on Saturday, going 15-of-21 for 150 yards through the air with an 11-yard touchdown run, as well. Winston wasn’t the only veteran player who stood out on the Giants’ offense. Running back Devin Singletary had eight carries for 40 rushing yards and a touchdown, while wide receiver Darius Slayton led the team with 58 receiving yards on four catches. The most impressive performance of the day probably came from Falcons quarterback Jack Strand, who lit up the box score in a dominant 34-6 win over the Colts. Strand, an undrafted free agent out of Division-II school Minnesota State-Moorhead, was 12-of-17 for 212 yards for a whopping 12.5 yards per attempt with two touchdowns (one passing and one rushing). Strand is unlikely to make the Falcons’ roster with Michael Penix Jr., Tua Tagovailoa and veteran Cooper Rush ahead of him on the depth chart, but he’s making a case to be employed at least on some team’s practice squad this season. Neither Penix nor Tagovailoa played on Saturday, while Rush started and was a strong 10-of-11 for 86 yards. Atlanta out-gained the Colts 461-164. Obviously, it’s the preseason, so the result doesn’t matter, but Indianapolis surely won’t be happy with this performance.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

WASHINGTON — Alex Palou will start from the pole Sunday just as he has done 18 other times in his career. But the Freedom 250 Grand Prix will feature a unique start, with President Donald Trump most likely waving the green flag from inside a bulletproof suite on Pennsylvania Avenue just past Turn 1. So will Palou take a look at who waves the green flag as he leads the field to green? “It will be interesting,” he said in his news conference after winning the pole for the inaugural (and likely only) race on the streets of the National Mall. “It’s the first time that we’re going to start after Turn 1, right? “So it will be fun. I think we just have an incredible opportunity this weekend to show our product to people that’s never been around INDYCAR or have never seen it. Just seeing the stands, how packed they are already on Saturday — it’s incredible. I cannot wait.” After months of anticipation, INDYCAR drivers actually got to turn laps on iconic streets with the U.S. Capitol and the Washington Monument in the background. And they found out on Saturday what people here already knew: the roads have some bumps. But, man, it was — as INDYCAR series points leader Palou put it — “very, very cool.” “It was pretty awesome,” Team Penske driver Scott McLaughlin told me after the first practice session, where drivers got 52 minutes on the track. “It’s quite a technical track for how short it is. “I had a lot of fun.” INDYCAR drivers were set to get another practice early Saturday afternoon and then qualify in the early evening for the 147-lap, 250-mile race Sunday on the 1.7-mile street course that includes Pennsylvania, Constitution and Independence Avenues in the nation’s capital. “I didn’t know if it was going to be fun or not to drive,” Palou said in a post-practice virtual news conference. “It’s a blast, super fun. It’s very bumpy. Huge bumps heading into Turn 2 and Turn 6. “Massive bumps that are going to spice things up.” Bumps are nothing new for street courses in INDYCAR, with many drivers comparing the conditions to the course at Detroit. However, the bumps were a little more exaggerated than teams anticipated, and they will spend the next day trying to figure out the best way to approach it. “[We’re] going to try to see if we can get a better balance in the corners, not focus so much on the bumps,” Palou said. “They’re not going to disappear. “I think if you move a little bit on lanes, might be a little bit better, but it’s not going to completely go away from that.” Teams can adjust the shocks to help the car handle the bumps better. “The track is cool,” said British driver Louis Foster. “The scenery is awesome. It is very, very bumpy. I have a sore back right now from just the first session, but we get to tune into some things, raise the ride height [of the car].” Marcus Ericsson is the most recent INDYCAR winner after taking the checkered flag last week at the Toronto suburb of Markham. He knows something about racing on iconic streets. A former Formula 1 driver, Ericsson was able to cherish the new experience he had Saturday. “It was really fun,” Ericsson said. “It is a challenging track with all the bumps. It’s quite rough in places, as you would expect in a street course. … It is fun to be here.” The Andretti Global driver said the competitors will adapt to the course. “You’ve got to get used to them and understand them and use them in the best possible way,” Ericsson said. “You think about car placement, try and place the car maybe in places where they aren’t as severe. “It’s just one of those challenges with street-course racing, so I don’t mind it.” One other factor drivers will battle is the humidity. Early Saturday morning, rain forced the start of the first session to be run in damp conditions. The track dried quickly, but it remained humid. The race on Sunday is likely to last at least 140 minutes and that is if there are no cautions. “I’m ready for the street fight, man,” said Arrow McLaren driver Pato O’Ward during a virtual news conference after the first practice. “I train really hard when I’m home and I train really hard in the offseason. “I feel like these situations are what I try and prepare myself to be able to withstand.” For the most part, INDYCAR was relatively fortunate with the weather, as temperatures weren’t sweltering and the rain stayed away. Palou qualified on the pole and Kyle Kirkwood, the driver second in the standings, will start second. “Everywhere around the entire track was rows of people, which was incredible to see,” Kirkwood said about the atmosphere. “It’s big for INDYCAR, for the sport, for the U.S., for us drivers, teams, our sponsors. It’s all win-win.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Preseason stars continue to emerge, free agents continue to ink new deals and injuries still headline the news. But one free agent has a bigger question mark than others: Tyreek Hill. After Hill’s season-ending injury early last season – and being released by Miami in February – his priority still remains his health and recovery, rather than joining a new team. On the other hand, the Houston Texans acted fast after wide receiver Jayden Higgins suffered a season-ending injury, and signed two new wide receivers on Friday. In terms of preseason starts, Jets quarterback Geno Smith needed one drive to put points on the board for New York, and Carolina Panthers’ running back Jonathan Brooks found the end zone early. However, the defending-champion Seattle Seahawks await serious injury news regarding the status of wide receiver Jake Bobo. Catch up with all the updates across the NFL: Former Miami Dolphins star Tyreek Hill has been a big question mark this offseason; where will the free agent land next? Hill’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, joined the Pat McAfee show on Friday to discuss Hill’s timeline in terms of signing with a new team. “I don’t expect Tyreek to sign before the season starts,” Rosenhaus said on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Friday. “He sent me videos of him running hills yesterday, and he looked great. “I do think when he does sign, he will be the kind of guy that will impact the playoff race and will certainly be successful.” Hill spent the last four seasons with the Dolphins, and six seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs prior to signing with Miami. However, after Hill’s Week 4 season-ending knee injury last season, Rosenhaus emphasized that Hill’s priority is getting back to full health before he inks a new deal. “Tyreek Hill is gonna take his time and pick the right team,” Rosenhaus added. “He’s gonna come back fully healthy and he wants to help a team win a Super Bowl.” So Hill still expects to return at some point, but he’ll be calculated in determining his team and timeline. Geno Smith played one drive on Friday night, and he made it count. Starting the Jets’ preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Smith went 7-for-7 for 65 yards and a touchdown pass to tight end Jelani Woods. The drive featured a 21-yard completion to wide receiver Adonai Mitchell and 10-yard completions to tight end Mason Taylor and wide receiver Garrett Wilson. This was Smith’s first preseason action this year. Rookie Cade Klubnik relieved Smith after an impressive preseason debut last week against the Buccaneers that saw him go 5-of-7 for 56 yards. The Clemson product may see time later in the regular season, but Smith will likely be the guy in Week 1. Similar to Smith, Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love just needed one drive to put points on the board for Green Bay against Denver. Love finished the 12-play drive going 5-for-7, 56 yards and an 11-yard touchdown pass to running back MarShawn Lloyd. The drive saw a pass caught first by Christian Watson, but Denver’s Patrick Surtain II forced a fumble recovered by the Broncos, but was called back. Love then found Matthew Golden, who converted a crucial fourth-down to keep the drive alive. It’s unlikely that Love will play in the Packers’ preseason finale next week against the Arizona Cardinals, but Love will lead Green Bay starting Week 1 on the road at the Minnesota Vikings. In the second game of the night, running back Jonathon Brooks showed that he might finally be ready to make a difference for the Carolina Panthers. Bryce Young marched the Panthers’ offense down the field, going 5-of-6 for 49 yards in his two drives, including two completions for a total of 25 yards to wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan. Brooks completed the Panthers’ second drive with a one-yard touchdown run. He totaled five carries for 18 yards on Friday. Brooks was a second-round pick in 2024 out of Texas and was drafted after having sustained a torn ACL during his last season in college. He suffered the same injury in Week 14 of his rookie year, again in his right knee, just the third game of his rookie season after returning from the initial injury. Brooks then sat out all of 2025. Since the end of last season, running back Rico Dowdle signed with the Steelers, leaving Chuba Hubbard as the lead back for Carolina. That also gives Brooks a chance to compete for carries — if he can stay healthy. The Houston Texans wasted no time once wide receiver Jayden Higgins was placed on the season-ending injured reserve. Houston signed veteran receivers Sterling Shepard and Zay Jones on Friday, according to NFL Network. Shepard spent the last two seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jones was with the Arizona Cardinals for two seasons. With Higgins out, the additions of experienced receivers like Jones and Shepard can benefit quarterback C.J. Stroud and the offense. Jones and Shepard join a Houston receiving room that includes Nico Collins, Xavier Hutchinson, Jaylin Noel, and Tank Dell. After Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jake Bobo was carted off during Friday’s joint practice with the Tennessee Titans, he will undergo tests to determine the severity of his knee injury. Bobo’s shining moment from last season came in Seattle’s NFC Championship win over the Rams, when he hauled in a 17-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Sam Darnold in the third quarter. Seahawks head coach Mike Maconald called Bobo’s injury “serious” and that it could leave Bobo sidelined for most of the regular season. “Our heart goes out to Jake Bobo,” Macdonald said after practice. “It seems like it’s going to be a serious knee. We’re going to get an image, but early returns, you know, just looks like it is a long-term injury. So, that’s unfortunate.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — During a break in 11-on-11 drills at Friday’s joint practice between the Titans and Seahawks, the quarterbacks from both teams gathered in the middle field at the Vanderbilt Health Football Center. Before Sam Darnold could even complain about the heat — mid 80s, plus humidity — Tennessee’s QBs essentially thanked the Seahawks for the reprieve. “They’re like, ‘Oh, it’s a beautiful day! You brought the cool weather with you,’” Darnold said post-practice, laughing and shaking his head in disbelief. That pretty much summed up how the defending Super Bowl champions felt in the muggy heat, much different from the cool weather they’re used to in Seattle. Several Seahawks battled heat-related issues. On the practice field, the champs traded blows with a Titans team hoping for better days under new coach Robert Saleh. Despite their pedigree, the Seahawks have questions of their own. Perhaps the biggest one facing Seattle entering 2026: What will its offense look like? Darnold is a proven Pro Bowl quarterback. Superstar wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the reigning Offensive Player of the Year, is one of the NFL’s best players. The Seahawks had the league’s No. 3 scoring offense last season. But they have a first-time playcaller in Brian Fleury, who replaces Klint Kubiak, who was named the Las Vegas Raiders’ head coach in February. Fleury spent the past seven seasons as an assistant with the San Francisco 49ers. “I think for him, it’s just like learning the flow of [playcalling],” Darnold told me. “When to call a certain play. When to get the play in. How much time we’re going to have on the play clock. When we want to get into tempo. … It’s tough sometimes to be the offensive coordinator, but he’s really, really smart and we know he can handle it.” My takeaways from Friday’s joint practice: Titans quarterback Cam Ward gave the Seahawks’ elite defense fits in a Week 12 matchup last season, and he had more success against Seattle on Friday. In a red-zone period at the start of practice, last year’s No. 1 overall pick threw a short touchdown pass across his body to second-year receiver Elic Ayomanor. Ward also capped off a two-minute drive late with a touchdown pass to tight end Daniel Bellinger. Ward didn’t force shots deep, taking what Mike Macdonald’s defense gave him underneath for several short completions. It wasn’t all perfect — Ward threw a pick-six to Seahawks safety Ty Okada — but it was an encouraging day overall for the young quarterback, who hopes to make big strides in his second season with new offensive coordinator Brian Daboll. Playing well against a Super Bowl defense is a great sign. After an uninspiring preseason opener last week, Ward has strung together a handful of strong practices. “He can extend plays, I think that’s a big part of his game,” Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV said post-practice. “I think he was on time with his throws today, getting to his check downs. I think he’s growing and getting better.” And it wasn’t just Ward playing well for the offense. Ayomanor drew an interference penalty to set up Bellinger’s score in the two-minute drill. Running back Tony Pollard ripped off several great runs thanks to a great showing from Tennessee’s offensive line. Ward agreed with the sentiment that there were “A-plus” plays on the ground. “They made some holes for us, for sure. They were the first ones to the ball,” Ward said. “I’m happy to have those guys in front of me.” Not surprisingly, the All-Pro receiver was a standout on the day. With the Seahawks deep in negative territory during team drills, Smith-Njigba beat Titans cornerback Alontae Taylor with ease down the left sideline to catch a Darnold pass. Later in the same period, he wiggled his way through the middle of Tennessee’s defense to find open grass, making a grab around the one-yard line. A two-time Pro Bowler, Smith-Njigba is coming off a season in which he led the league in receiving yards (1,793). He’s just 24 years old and his numbers have improved across the board in each of his three seasons, so he should continue to ascend — a scary proposition for opposing defenses. Early in team drills, Jeffery Simmons stuffed first-round running back Jadarian Price up the middle. The All-Pro defensive tackle proceeded to chirp at the Seahawks’ offense. It set the tone for what turned out to be a strong showing for Tennessee’s defense against a talented Seattle offense. “You see the aggression, you see kind of the pressure they put on the quarterback,” Darnold said. “Their four-man rushes are really, really good, and then they bring five or six-man rushes. And even when they bring fire zones [blitzes], they’re really, really good. Their back end is really good at disguising right now. They’re showing a lot of different things defensively. … That defense is going to be really good this year.” Taylor had a pick-six off Darnold in the first play of a two-minute period. Linebacker Cody Barton broke up a pass in the red zone. The Titans’ defensive front held up well in the run game. Tennessee’s secondary came under fire for a poor showing in last week’s preseason opener against San Francisco’s backups, but the defensive backs — and the defense as a whole — bounced back against Seattle. Seattle’s backfield faces a bit of uncertainty entering 2026, with reigning Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III departing in free agency for the Kansas City Chiefs and Zach Charbonnet recovering from a torn ACL suffered in January. The Seahawks will need unproven players to step up at running back this season. At Friday’s practice, backup George Holani answered the bell. The third-year pro had a pair of touchdowns as a pass-catcher — one off a deep pass on third down, and another on a short catch and run. Price, who has missed time in training camp due to lower-body soreness, continued his ramp-up by participating in full contact work at joint practice. “They may be hungry, but we’re starving. Let’s continue to starve to get to where we want to get to.” — Titans DT Jeffery Simmons after practice with the Super Bowl champs​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

A slumping star player is the last thing a team wants with the MLB postseason just around the corner. And yet, everyone from the World Series favorites to the Wild Card hopefuls is dealing with it in some capacity. The question now is whether it’s too late for those players to turn things around or if there’s still time for them to build enough momentum for a postseason peak. FOX Sports MLB writers Rowan Kanver and Deesha Thosar dive into that and more in this week’s MLB Roundtable: What is the most important thing or player for L.A. to fix over the next few weeks, as rosters expand and the postseason looms? Kavner: Kyle Tucker. Edwin Díaz is a close second, but even if Díaz never threw another pitch this year, the Dodgers demonstrated last season when Tanner Scott struggled in the first year of his four-year, $72 million deal (and then didn’t appear in the postseason) that they can withstand the loss of a high-leverage reliever and make up for it in other ways. Some of their starting pitchers will likely again find their way in the bullpen once October arrives. There aren’t as many ways to mask Tucker’s struggles, which show up on both offense and defense. He has the lowest OPS at home of any qualified MLB player, and he has dropped catchable fly balls in each of the Dodgers’ last two series. His frustrations at home got to the point last Saturday that Dave Roberts gave him a mental day off. Last year, when Michael Conforto struggled in L.A. on his one-year, $17 million deal, the Dodgers gave Conforto all year to try to get right before ultimately holding him off the postseason roster. That’s a lot harder to do with a player making $60 million a year, so they need to try to find a way to get Tucker’s confidence back to a place where he can at least be an additive supporting piece. He doesn’t have to be an All-Star caliber player, like he was the last four years. He just can’t be this. Thosar: As much as I want to say fixing Kyle Tucker’s season-long slump is the biggest priority, I actually think Mookie Betts getting hot at the plate is exactly what the Dodgers need down the stretch run. He’s the stabilizing force in the lineup, and we’ve seen Betts carry the offense when he’s hitting well. Plus, the Dodgers seem to go as Betts goes. He’s batting .315 with an .888 OPS, three home runs and eight RBI over the past two weeks, and Los Angeles went 8-6 over that span. The Dodgers seem to find their footing and reclaim their momentum when Betts is right in the middle of their production. Is Pete Crow-Armstrong just this good of a player, where he’s a genuine MVP candidate who could lead a team to a World Series, or is there concern that another shoe will eventually fall? Kavner: Can I say both? Right now, this version of PCA looks like a player capable of carrying a team to a championship. He is providing value in every way imaginable, and this is no longer a small sample of elite production. At the same time, with any player who has a history of chasing and is prone to swing and miss, there’s always concern about a slump at some point. (It’s easy to forget now, considering how he has played since, that Crow-Armstrong had a .669 OPS at the end of April and a .713 mark at the end of May.) To his credit, PCA has followed his slow start to the year with three extraordinary months, during which he has registered an OPS over 1.000 in each of June (1.249), July (1.011) and August (1.002 entering Thursday). That’s a long stretch without any dramatic dips, and it’s not a coincidence that both his whiff and chase rates have been down considerably over that time. If he can keep those close to league average, he should remain a superstar and could be headed toward a 40-40 season. This looks like an MVP player right now. Thosar: The evidence from this season, in particular, points to he’s really just this good. Even if this exact level of production comes down a little, the underlying metrics and the player he is suggest this is all real. He’s only 24, and he’s already reached his second consecutive 30-30 season, doing it all while playing an elite center field. Beyond the stats on the back of his baseball card, the biggest reason to believe PCA is maturing as a hitter is the incredible jump in his walk rate. He went from a 4.5% walk rate last season to a 11.9% rate this season, which coincides with the huge uptick in his on-base percentage. Plate discipline paired with his ability to adapt to pitchers figuring him out has really increased his ceiling in ways that suggest he’ll be a star in the league throughout his prime. With Adley Rustchman now behind the plate and Roman Anthony due back relatively soon, does Boston have enough for a deep postseason run? Kavner: This is definitely a team capable of making a deep October run, but it will all come down to how their bats perform. Their pitching is without question good enough to make a deep October run, especially if Garrett Crochet and Garrett Whitlock are back contributing by then. The offense has come and gone, though, and even after their spectacular month of July and terrific start to the second half, the lineup has been exactly league-average overall this season. I trust the bats of Willson Contreras and Wilyer Abreu in the postseason, and with Caleb Durbin heating up, it’s worth pointing out he was the Brewers’ best hitter in the NLCS against the Dodgers last year. But getting Rutschman and Roman Anthony going could be the difference between a nice season and a championship one. Thosar: If Anthony returns looking remotely like the player he was last season, the lineup gets substantially deeper. Especially with Rutschman behind the plate, suddenly the Red Sox look like they can run out a playoff lineup with multiple high-end offensive threats rather than asking one or two guys to carry the entire offense. So, yes, the combination of those two bats makes them a legitimate October threat. But I’m not convinced that, even with Rutschman and Anthony slugging, the Sox are a World Series contender. They would have to be overwhelmingly dominant to get there. Thanks to their quality pitching, they can make opponents uncomfortable in a short series. It all goes back to how effective Anthony will be, and how soon he will get there. Expecting him to instantly become an MVP-caliber hitter after being out since May is a touch unrealistic. Paul Skenes has seen his ERA jump nearly two full runs, and Pittsburgh trails four teams for the last NL wild-card. Can the Pirates realistically make a run at the postseason with Skenes unable to get further than the fifth inning? Kavner: Maybe if they found a way to switch to the American League? No, realistically, I can’t see a world in which the Pirates reach the postseason if this is the version of Skenes they have for the rest of the year. The signs lately have not been promising. He hasn’t gone more than five innings in any of his last four starts, his fastball velocity is down and fluctuating, he has a 5.67 ERA since the start of July, and he still labored through 4.1 innings his last time out even after extra rest. The Pirates have to win the games he starts, and they have done that just once in his last five outings. Given the hole they’ve dug themselves to start the second half, it would be difficult at this point for the Pirates to reach the playoffs even if Skenes suddenly found a way to tap back into his Cy Young form. As of Thursday night, FanGraphs gives the Pirates a 4.9% chance to make the playoffs. Braxton Ashcraft and Bubba Chandler are doing everything they can to try to lift the rotation, and the return of Oneil Cruz provides some needed upside for an offense that has struggled to produce since the break. But they need their ace to get on track if they want any shot at ending their 10-year playoff drought. Thosar: Absolutely not. Skenes’ performance this season is the biggest reason Pittsburgh’s margin for error has completely disappeared. It would be one thing if he was showing signs of getting back on track around now, but things are still going downhill. He’s allowed 17 earned runs in his last 23 ⅔ innings pitched, good for a 6.46 ERA over five starts. The Bucs went 1-4 in those outings. Things have been so bad for so long that it’s fair to wonder whether he’s dealing with an underlying injury. And then there’s the issue with Pittsburgh’s offense, which is fifth-worst in the league since the All-Star break. When the lineup isn’t carrying the team, as it did in the first half of the season, and the pitching staff overall has taken a turn for the worse, it would be a mistake to think the Pirates could realistically make a run for the postseason.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

No player has arguably been better than their peers at their respective position than Fred Warner since the turn of the decade. But as the San Francisco 49ers’ star returns from a gruesome ankle injury that ended his 2025 season prematurely, is Warner still the NFL’s best linebacker ahead of the 2026 campaign? We ranked the 10 best linebackers in the league as we prepare for the new year. Warner, a four-time first-team All-Pro, was one of two players to receive first-place votes in our rankings, with the Detroit Lions’ Jack Campbell and the Baltimore Ravens’ Roquan Smith among those vying for the top spot. Here’s a full look at our top 10 linebackers entering the 2026 season. Greg Auman: Can takeaways be what takes Carolina’s defense from bad to good? In defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero’s first year in Charlotte in 2023, the Panthers had an NFL-low 11 takeaways, improving to 17 in 2024 and 21 last year. Lloyd signed a three-year, $42 million deal after a breakout Pro Bowl year with the Jacksonville Jaguars, in which he had five interceptions to help his former team record 31 takeaways, second-most in the NFL. It’s concerning that Jacksonville let Lloyd walk from the middle of its defense, but he and edge rusher Jaelan Phillips are two high-dollar additions to Carolina’s defense as they try to improve enough to repeat as NFC South champs. Lloyd is 27 and needs to show last year’s splash plays — notably absent his previous two years — can continue as a defensive spark. Ben Arthur: Bolton has been one of the NFL’s most steady off-ball linebackers since entering the league in 2021, helping the Chiefs win two Super Bowls. The former second-round pick is coming off his second straight season of 100-plus tackles, six pass breakups, an interception and a forced fumble. In 2025, he tied for third in run stops (86) and 10th in hustle stops (15) among linebackers, according to Next Gen Stats. With Kansas City’s secondary undergoing a makeover this offseason, Bolton will take on a more pronounced role in Steve Spagnuolo’s back-seven as the green dot. Pass coverage is an area for improvement, though. Opposing quarterbacks had a 93.8 passer rating when targeting him in coverage last season, the third time in five seasons he’s allowed a 90-plus passer rating, per NGS. Eric D. Williams: Only 26 years old, Jones has won two Super Bowl rings in six NFL seasons. Since Seattle made a midseason trade for the South Carolina product with the Tennessee Titans in 2024, Jones has been the green-dot playcaller and a leader for one of the best defensive teams in the NFL. Jones finished with a career-high five interceptions (a franchise record for a linebacker) and 126 combined tackles in 2025, earning second-team All-Pro honors for the first time in his NFL career. Jones has finished with at least 100 tackles for four straight seasons. Jones spent his first three seasons in the league with the Los Angeles Rams, setting a single-season franchise record with 145 tackles in 2023, including a career-high 4.5 sacks. Arthur: Once in the shadows of Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw in San Francisco, Al-Shaair has come into his own as a star linebacker the last couple of years. His aggressive play style sets the tone as the green dot of the Texans’ juggernaut defense. In 2025, the former undrafted free agent registered his third 100-tackle season and posted career-highs in interceptions (two) and pass breakups (nine) to make his first Pro Bowl. Overall, Al-Shaair is one of the league’s best coverage linebackers. Among qualified linebackers last season, he ranked ninth in both tight windows forced rate and coverage EPA and 20th in ballhawk rate, per NGS. Auman: Brooks, 28, is the rare Dolphins star the franchise chose to keep this year, locking him up with a three-year, $48 million deal. He earned first-team All-Pro honors last year, leading the NFL with 183 total tackles, but he’s been productive for a while. Over the last five years, he has the third-most tackles in the league, with more tackles for loss (45) than anyone else in the top five. He’s aggressive at the line of scrimmage, with 3.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss last year, and he’ll need to be as part of a rebuilding Dolphins roster under new head coach Jeff Hafley. Can the Dolphins win enough games to stay ahead of the Jets and avoid the AFC East cellar? Brooks is a core piece in Miami that’s part of their past and part of their future as well. Ralph Vacchiano: It is still absolutely remarkable that the Eagles viewed Baun as little more than a special teams player when they signed him away from New Orleans in 2024, and instead they got a two-time Pro Bowler and one of their best defensive starters. He was one of the best defenders in the league in 2024 and he had almost identical production last season when he had 123 tackles, 3.5 sacks and two interceptions. Baun’s the perfect versatile linebacker for Vic Fangio’s scheme. He’s got the speed to rush the passer and drop back in tight coverage, and he has better instincts than many linebackers in the league. Linebacker hasn’t always been a strength in Philadelphia. But thanks to the 29-year-old Baun, it is now. Bucky Brooks: The second-year pro quickly established himself as a tackling machine in the middle of the Browns’ defense. Schweisinger’s instincts, range, and awareness as a “see ball, get ball” defender shrink the field for the opponents, leading to fewer explosive plays against the ultra-aggressive unit. With the youngster also controlling the game as the green dot wearer, the Pro Bowler’s intelligence and communication skills set him apart from others at the position. Henry McKenna: Let’s just start with last season when he had 176 tackles, nine tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, five sacks and four pass breakups. Sort of like a quarterback whose rare arm talent allows him to use every blade of grass, Campbell has the athleticism, range and awareness to be a threat in just about every part of the field. There really isn’t a defensive phase where he doesn’t make an impact. I’m not sure Campbell gets the love he deserves, in part because he’s a defensive playmaker and in part because his position is no longer considered “premium.” But to that point, it takes a truly special linebacker to justify the draft position of 18th overall, where the Lions got Campbell in 2023. And he has absolutely made that pick worth it. Williams: One of the most explosive linebackers in the league, Smith can make plays from sideline to sideline and is one of the best tacklers in the NFL. A four-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro, Smith has eclipsed 100 tackles in all eight of his NFL seasons. But Smith will have to adjust to a new system with defensive-minded head coach Jesse Minter taking over as the team’s head coach. Smith is looking to take the ball away this season after finishing with zero forced fumbles, sacks and interceptions in 2025. Brooks: The NFL’s prototype at the position displays a rare combination of size, speed, intelligence, and violence. Warner is a menacing sideline-to-sideline defender who covers ground like a gazelle, but attacks runners and pass catchers like the Lion King tracking his prey. Given Warner’s penchant for producing big plays as a run defender and in coverage, the All-Pro is the “Mike” linebacker that every defensive coordinator would choose as a foundational piece.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

WASHINGTON — Roger Penske casually sat on the pit road wall Friday at a race course that he probably thought would only exist in his imagination. The chairman of Penske Entertainment Corp. soaked in the atmosphere as INDYCAR officials prepared to ring the bell for the New York Stock Exchange from pit road. One turn away, Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser was getting into a two-seater INDYCAR for a ride around the 1.7-mile course. INDYCAR is just two days away from what is expected to be an epic Freedom 250 race on the streets of Washington. The race is the result of a President Donald Trump executive order that allowed the fast-tracking of permitting and use of federal lands, a spend of millions and millions of INDYCAR dollars and plenty of hours of sweat and hustle from INDYCAR and its partners. “To think about just months ago that we came together with FOX and the president — obviously with his executive order — to be able to have an event in the nation’s capital is outstanding,” Penske told me Friday. “It’s iconic. “I think there would be something that can’t be demonstrated anywhere else in the world, and to have it here in the United States and to think INDYCAR is a premier event here. It’s terrific.” The 89-year-old Penske has chaired Super Bowl committees and owns the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (in addition to owning INDYCAR). But from when the executive order was issued in late January to today, he has seen a street race come to fruition much quicker than normal. Penske said the bipartisan support from the mayor’s office as well as from cabinet officials has been key. “I can tell you the complexity here has been amazing. We have to deal with so many different opportunities within the city that we need to cover, that we need to have them in alignment,” Penske said. “The Super Bowl, obviously, is really an event that’s worked on for three or four years. Here, we’ve had four or five months to get ready. “So I would say this is very, very difficult [to do].” With an estimated crowd of $140,000 each day and Trump expected to attend and wave the green flag, Penske hopes the celebration of the country’s 250th birthday and the buzz of the event will boost INDYCAR’s visibility. FOX coverage begins at 11:30 a.m. ET with the race green flag at 1:13 p.m. “It’s going to give us visibility that we’ve never had before, and you put this in the same class as the Indy 500 from the standpoint of national presence and worldwide TV audience,” Penske said. “It’s a super, super opportunity for us to showcase our sport.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports