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Wait a minute, INDYCAR is racing where? Yes, the streets of Washington, D.C. But not near the Capitol, right? Well, across the street. And by the Washington Monument and Smithsonian? Yup. That’s sick. In what is guaranteed to be a spectacle, INDYCAR drivers will navigate a 1.7-mile, seven-turn course on streets well known to the world, including Pennsylvania Avenue (the course does not reach The White House) and through the National Mall on Sunday afternoon. The FOX prerace show will begin at 11:30 a.m. ET on Sunday with the green flag scheduled for 1:13 p.m. ET. Here’s what to know about the Freedom 250 this weekend. Where Is The Course? The start-finish line is across from The Capitol on 3rd Street. It then takes a left on Pennsylvania Avenue — a street wide enough to include a pit road. There then will be a left on 9th, a left on Constitution Avenue and then a right on 7th where the Washington Monument will be in the backdrop. The cars then take a left on Independence Avenue by the Smithsonian to get back to 3rd Street. How Long Is The Race? Loooooong. The race, at 250 miles, is the longest street race since some of the early Cleveland airport races in the mid-1980s. The race will likely be close to three hours instead of the usual two hours. “It very well will be a three-hour race,” ECR driver Alexander Rossi told me and other reporters last week. “It’s awesome. We have a four-[pit] stop street race. That’s just really cool. “It opens up the strategy and what you can do and the variables that go along into that.” For comparison, here is the length (in miles) of the other five street courses on the INDYCAR circuit. Arlington: 191Markham: 189St. Petersburg: 180Long Beach: 177Detroit: 164 “It’s going to be tough. It’s going to be super long, especially on a street course where the races already feel long and there’s so much going on,” series points leader and three-time series defending champion Alex Palou told me and other reporters last week. “It will be like an endurance race, a survival race, where we just need to be able to stay alive, keep our nose clean and get to the end. It will be fun. It’ll be super challenging for everyone, and hopefully we’re good there.” So Will That Be A Problem? Maybe. “I kind of look forward to it because I love those sort of challenges,” Andretti Global Will Power told me and other reporters last week. “That last 50 [laps] will be pretty tough. I think once you see the end coming, things just get easier because you know you’re going to get there. “You’re probably going to be at the halfway point going, at [lap] 70 or 75, ‘We’ve got another 75 to go? Oh my God.’” Will The Heat Be A Concern? For sure. Well, the humidity. The mugginess of Washington, D.C., will make this a miserable race for the drivers. They train for it and they have cool shirts — shirts where cold water is bumped through to keep them cool — but the current INDYCAR is incredibly hot because it wasn’t built with the current aeroscreen in mind. “The humidity makes it much tougher because the cooling is just nowhere near as efficient — you go from St. Pete to Long Beach, it’s about the same temperature, but the difference of physicality is massive just because of the humidity,” Power said. Drivers do train during the offseason and then throughout the year to be able to handle the high temperatures. “I’m sure there’s going to be drivers out there that fall out of the seat, there’s no doubt,” Penske driver Scott McLaughlin told me and other reporters last week. “But at the same time, you feel like you train for this and get ready for it.” As of Tuesday, the forecast is for a heat index in the upper-80s. Not great but certainly not as hot as it was in Washington in the last month. “It’s going to test us for sure,” Pato O’Ward told me last week. “When you build in the humidity and the heat, that’s what makes it tougher. We don’t get a lot of fresh air into these races. “Some guys are going to feel it. I think we’re all going to feel it. There’s some that are going to feel it much more than others. Will It Be Physical? Oh, yes. These cars do not have power steering. It will test their arm strength. What About Pit Crews? The pit crews will be tested, too. Typically, the debate on the street courses is whether there will be two or three stops. This race likely will have four pit stops. Did They Adjust The Schedule? A little bit. Typically, on street and road courses, INDYCAR has one practice Friday, another practice and qualifying Saturday and race on Sunday. But to limit disruptions in the city, they are only on track Saturday and Sunday. That will put both practice and qualifying on Saturday. Ironically, because the track last weekend in Markham wasn’t finished on Friday, the schedule ended up being the same as it will be this weekend in Washington. The schedule means limited time in evaluating data and deciding on the changes to improve the car to get ready to race. “Markham being a two-day event was hard for everyone but at least we got a taste of it,” Andretti Global driver Kyle Kirkwood told me Monday. “We kind of understand what the cadence needs to be on a street course to be ready for qualifying at the end of the day on Saturday. “It’s going to be hard. It’s not going to be easy for anybody, but we got a taste of it last weekend, so it might actually help.” Will The D.C. Course Be Ready? All indications are that Penske Entertainment, which is handling this race (and also operates INDYCAR, promotes street races at Detroit and Long Beach and owns Indianapolis Motor Speedway), is on good pace. There are streets that they don’t get access to until this week, which isn’t rare for a street event. For instance, when NASCAR raced in Chicago, it didn’t get full access to Michigan Avenue until the day before the race. Will President Trump Be There? Yes. What Other Parts Of The Spectacle Will Be Cool? Don’t want to give everything away. But among the pagentary, this race will have an epic flyover. Will It Be A Good Race? Don’t know. This is part race and part spectacle. And it depends on who you talk to on whether that matters. “It’s the fact that this a race that is a showcase for our series and the nation,” Rossi said. “That’s really cool.” Of course, a good race makes it even a little more of a showcase. “Ultimately, we’re in the entertainment business, and if we’re not entertaining, then our jobs are going to be no longer,” Kirkwood said. “This is obviously going to be an event that a lot of people around the world, particularly in America, are going to be watching. … We want it to be a good competition, something that gets people jazzed up for INDYCAR.” But It’s Important To Win, Right? Yes, for two reasons. Drivers always want to win. But this also most likely will be the only time they race on this circuit. “I’m a competitor — I want to win the race,” two-time INDYCAR champion Josef Newgarden told me Monday. “I want my team to be successful, but I want the series to be successful, and I want to get as many eyeballs on the sport as possible. “I’m hoping that this D.C. event will draw more attention to our sport, which will draw more interest. As a driver, I’m going to be focused on the competition side more than anything. Everything else around it will sort of take care of itself.” Will There Be A Freedom 251? While the Washington, D.C., area potentially could have another race, it most likely wouldn’t be on this circuit. “It’s an event that as soon as it was announced, you were counting the days until you get to do it,” Rossi said. “As we all know, it’s probably going to be a one-and-done thing. “So I’m just super looking forward to getting there and experiencing it and doing something that very few people will get to do.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The home of the last three college football national champions vs. the conference where, “it just means more.” The Big Ten and SEC are constantly bickering over which one is the top league in college football. They each care about earning that recognition from the outside. They each have their own opinion on what should determine that hierarchy. FOX Sports college football writer RJ Young would like a word in shaping that discussion. His ranking of all 138 FBS teams ahead of the 2026 season illuminates the status of each team in those conferences as the 2026 college football season approaches. Michigan State, lord have mercy. Please get out of your own way. Listen to coach Tom Izzo. Remember who you stand for, what you stand for and hope like hell that foundation transfers to the football field.  — RJ Young Boilermakers coach Barry Odom needs to show results in the toughest league in the country. The good news is Purdue returns Ryan Browne, who threw for 300 yards or more twice last year, including 30-of-50 for 302 yards against top 25-ranked Illinois.  — RJ Young But I’m sure Scarlet Knight fans are tired of national analysts like me reveling in their past. Let’s hope Greg Schiano’s 2026 team gives us both hope for the future.  — RJ Young The Terps are 4-38 against top-25 teams in the CFP era. That’s the bad news. The good news is Malik Washington might just be another Taulia Tagovailoa for Terps coach Mike Locksley.  — RJ Young PJ Fleck knows how to build a team that competes. The Golden Gophers have finished with a winning record in six out of nine seasons despite eight different coordinators across both sides of the ball.  — RJ Young Last year was Wisconsin’s worst in 35 years. Luke Fickell has to wear that. And after getting the dreaded “vote of confidence” from the administration, he’s got to put Wisconsin back in the race to become one of the four best teams in the Big Ten.  — RJ Young David Braun has gone 19-19 as head coach at Northwestern. A .500 record will do just fine in 2026 there too. Whether Chip Kelly has some magic left in him after a disastrous stint with the Las Vegas Raiders is another question.  — RJ Young Has coach Matt Rhule reached the ceiling for what he can do at Nebraska? Despite achieving AP top-25 rankings in each of the last two seasons and winning at least seven games in 2024 and 2025, Rhule’s Nebraska has been unable to defeat class opponents.  — RJ Young Can Bob Chesney perform at a Big Ten program like he did at James Madison? Indiana coach Curt Cignetti did. Cignetti came from JMU to a bad Big Ten team and immediately turned that program into a College Football Playoff contender. With Chesney having just led JMU to the CFP, it’s not unthinkable for him to lead the Bruins to their first CFP appearance.  — RJ Young At East Carolina last season, Katin Houser threw for 3,300 yards with 19 touchdowns and six interceptions. But can he do that against a schedule that features games at Ohio State, Oregon and at Iowa? I won’t hold my breath.  — RJ Young Iowa was essentially four plays from a 12-0 season, and the CFP selection committee tried to will that record into existence with its ranking of the Hawkeyes last year. Now, I’m asking Ferentz to not make the CFP put its thumb on the scale. Running back Kamari Moulton will help with that.  — RJ Young Matt Campbell brought the best of Iowa State with him to Happy Valley, building his reputation on doing more with less while turning the Cyclones into a Big 12 contender. At Penn State, he’ll get his first opportunity to do more with more.  — RJ Young Kyle Whittingham has everything he needs to reach the CFP for the first time in his career at a program that has made it three times in the last five years and won a national title just two years ago.  — RJ Young Yes, head coach Lincoln Riley is great. Yes, QB Jayden Maiava is good. But Gary Patterson is one of the best defensive playcallers the sport has ever seen, and he’s running the defense at USC in 2026. That alone is enough for me to believe the Trojans can make a real run at a CFP appearance.  — RJ Young Provided Oregon runs the ball and plays defense the way it did a year ago — and it should — there’s no reason the Ducks can’t win the first national championship in program history.  — RJ Young Ohio State hasn’t completed the triple crown since 2014, but the pieces are in place to make it happen. That doesn’t mean the road will be easy. The Buckeyes must replace 11 NFL Draft picks, including three first-round selections, while also breaking in a new offensive coordinator.  — RJ Young Lost in the shuffle of quarterbacks — a third new starter in as many years — and the rather exhausting list of talent and veteran leadership that departed Bloomington are a few important facts: 1. Curt Cignetti is still the head coach. 2. The best record in the sport over the last two seasons (27-2) belongs to Indiana. 3. The Hoosiers are the reigning national champions and the first team since 1894 to finish 16-0.  — RJ Young Since 2019, the Razorbacks have won nine games in a season just once and were capped at two-win seasons three times. That’s just one more reason former Razorbacks coach Sam Pittman had to go, and former Memphis coach Ryan Silverfield was brought in.  — RJ Young Former Kentucky high school football star Will Stein finally took a chance on himself. In becoming UK head coach, he’s also attempting to do in Lexington what Curt Cignetti did in Bloomington: Turn a basketball school into a football school overnight.  — RJ Young When you start the season 4-0, like the Bulldogs did last year, a 1-8 record over the next nine games can feel like a swift kick to the groin. Start fast again, and this time finish, MSU.  — RJ Young Before Clark Lea arrived in Nashville, the Commodores couldn’t threaten the SEC any more than an ant threatens a boot heel. Since Clark? By God, they’re winning 10 games a season. They fielded a Heisman finalist. They’re flipping five-star QB recruits from Georgia. This is me giving Vandy its flowers — a gift also appropriate for funerals, apologies and 20th century first dates. Now, with true freshman quarterback Jared Curtis likely to take the conductor’s seat on the train — but three of the four best receivers from 2025 gone — let’s find out just how much more coal Lea can shove in the furnace.  — RJ Young Tell a South Carolina fan that Shane Beamer’s Gamecocks ain’t beat nobody with a ranking on the scorebug since Nov. 30, 2024. Tell them that they ain’t beat nobody at all since Sept. 27, 2025. Then watch them drop back in a prevent defense called “LaNorris Sellers Is Coming.”  — RJ Young Can Alex Golesh turn an Auburn program into a version of who Ole Miss was in the Lane Kiffin era? We’ll have an answer to both questions soon enough, and I hope Tiger fans like them.  — RJ Young Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel has built a program capable of staying competitive and successful in the tumultuous NIL era. But this season, he has a career backup in George MacIntyre competing with five-star phenom Brandon Faizon for the starting quarterback job.  — RJ Young Jon Sumrall has reached a conference championship game in every season of his head-coaching career. I’m betting on Sumrall’s record as a head coach and Jadan Baugh’s ability to carry the offense here.  — RJ Young Austin Simmons could emerge as one of the nation’s top signal-callers in 2026. Add in Ahmad Hardy’s 1,649 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns from last season, and the Tigers have the makings of one of the SEC’s most dangerous offenses.  — RJ Young It’s easy to forget that Alabama was the home team in the SEC championship game against Georgia, and that the Tide became the first program to win a CFP game on the road. Kalen DeBoer’s job in 2026 is to create a memorable season rather than just a few memorable moments.  — RJ Young Following Lane Kiffin’s departure, Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding answered questions about just how good he can be for the Rebels with the two biggest wins in school history — beating Tulane and Georgia to make the CFP semifinals — all while Kiffin raided the Ole Miss roster and staff. Star QB Trinidad Chambliss will return for a sixth season after putting together a Heisman-caliber year in 2025.  — RJ Young The Sooners barely had a run game last season but still managed to win 10 games and earn a home CFP game. If quarterback John Mateer improves his accuracy, offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle becomes less predictable in his playcalling and head coach Brent Venables again fields one of the stingiest defenses in the sport, Oklahoma has a real path to the CFP.  — RJ Young Offensive coordinator Holmon Wiggins and quarterback Marcel Reed must take a major leap if A&M is going to chase its first conference title of any kind since 1998.  — RJ Young LSU made Lane Kiffin one of the highest-paid coaches in the sport and the highest-paid ever without a championship on his résumé. They also gave him the resources to bring in former Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt, Colorado offensive tackle Jordan Seaton and Ole Miss defensive end Princewill Umanmielen. For a program that hasn’t won a national title since 2009, LSU fully looks built to change that.  — RJ Young [Related: Good And Bad, Lane Kiffin Is The Answer — And LSU Is Betting Big On It] Former Arizona State RB Raleek Brown and former NC State RB Hollywood Smothers enter the fold, as well as former Auburn WR Cam Coleman. They should help the most bankable player in the sport, Arch Manning, propel the Longhorns to what they hope will be their first national title appearance since 2009.  — RJ Young The SEC still belongs to Georgia. The Bulldogs have lost just once at home since 2019, but they still haven’t won a CFP game after earning a first-round bye in the 12-team era. That’s why so much of this season centers on returning quarterback Gunner Stockton. — RJ Young​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Sorry to spoil the list for you, but following a year in which a player broke the NFL’s single-season record for sacks, you can’t name any other player as the league’s top pass rusher. So, who is the NFL’s best pass rusher after Myles Garrett? There are a lot of names worth considering for the No. 2 spot. Micah Parsons has been one of the league’s most consistent pass rushers since he entered the league in 2021. However, he’s coming off an ACL tear. Ascending players like Will Anderson Jr. and Aidan Hutchinson should also be considered, along with veterans like T.J. Watt. As we continue to rank the top 10 players at key positions ahead of the 2026 season, here are our top 10 pass rushers entering the year. Eric D. Williams: The Defensive Rookie of the Year two seasons ago and a Pro Bowler in his first two seasons in the league, Verse is adapting to new surroundings in Cleveland after being included as part of the blockbuster trade this offseason. Verse’s former team, the Los Angeles Rams, traded him for reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett, making him the centerpiece of the package. While Verse has been among the league leaders in pressure rate since entering the league in 2024, he still only has 12 sacks in two seasons. Verse must become a more consistent closer to be considered among the elite pass rushers in the league. For now, though, he’s in the top 10 as the Browns hope he can be a cornerstone moving forward. Ralph Vacchiano: The 31-year-old Steelers star is coming off one of his least-productive NFL seasons, and one in which Watt missed three late-season games due to a partially collapsed lung. And it’s possible, after nine NFL seasons, that a decline has begun. But given Watt’s Hall of Fame-worthy track record, it’s hard to bet on that. His seven sacks in 14 games last season were definitely a downturn, and so was his pass-rush win rate of 11.7%. But he’s still had double-digit sacks in six of his nine seasons and can still be dangerous when he’s fully healthy. Watt could also be in line for a boost in the new, aggressive scheme of new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, who plans to move Watt around more than he’s been moved in recent seasons. That could be enough to give Watt the jolt he needs to stay in the top 10 for another season or two before he heads to Canton. Greg Auman: The Broncos had 68 sacks last season — 11 more than any other NFL team — and Bonitto led the way with 14 sacks, six more than his closest teammate. The 26-year-old had 13.5 the year before and made the Pro Bowl in each of the last two seasons. Denver rewarded him before last season with a four-year, $106 million contract, and he helped the Broncos earn the AFC’s top seed with a 14-3 record. A 10-7 AFC Championship Game loss to the New England Patriots stung – it matched the fewest points allowed in a playoff loss in 28 years – and Denver will lean on Bonitto and the defense just as much in 2026 as they seek a trip to the Super Bowl. Vacchiano: In the midst of a miserable season for the Giants, the seven-year veteran re-established himself as a star with a career-high 16.5 sacks and a pass rush win-rate of 16% that ranked him just outside the top 10. Considering it was a down year for Burns’ defensive line mates — defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence had just a half sack and edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux played in only 10 games — his explosion was even more surprising. This year, Burns might have to share the wealth, with Thibodeaux plus young stars Abdul Carter and Arvell Reese (whom the Giants took in the last two first rounds) all figuring to be a part of New York’s pass rush. But that’s the only thing standing in his way. He showed he’s still got the speed and explosiveness that made him so dangerous during his years in Carolina. He hasn’t slowed down at all at age 28 and should be a centerpiece of new defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson’s scheme. Arthur: The 31-year-old Hunter may be the most underappreciated, dominant pass rusher of this era. He’s recorded double-digit sacks in seven of his 10 NFL seasons, but has never been a first-team All-Pro selection. The former third-round pick is playing some of his best ball late in his career, too. He’s had at least 10.5 sacks in four consecutive years, including 15 last season (third in the NFL), which earned him a second-team All-Pro nod and a one-year, $40 million extension this spring. He also forms one half of the league’s best edge rushing tandem with Will Anderson Jr. Henry McKenna: Last season, Hutchinson recorded career highs in sacks (14.5), QB hits (35) and pressures (90). That pressure total is the highest in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus, and is often the most coveted statistic when you speak to pass rushers. Hutchinson has long been an ascending pass rusher since arriving in the NFL as the 2nd overall pick in the 2022 draft. But he has officially arrived as one of the NFL’s elite pass-rushers and defensive playmakers. He’s a defensive coordinator’s dream and an offensive coordinator’s nightmare. Williams: After the Baltimore Ravens rescinded a massive trade for his services due to a failed physical. Crosby returned to the Las Vegas Raiders recommitted to ushering in sustainable winning for this once-proud franchise. Even though he turns 29 years old later in August, Crosby remains one of the most feared and productive pass rushers in the league. A five-time Pro Bowler, Crosby has posted double-digit sacks in three of the last four seasons, totaling 44.5 sacks since 2022. McKenna: The Packers will do everything they can to get Parsons to the top of this list in 2026. The franchise traded a massive haul before last season to acquire Parsons from the Dallas Cowboys before Green Bay awarded Parsons with a massive deal. He then posted 12.5 sacks before suffering his season-ending knee injury. At some point in the first half of the season, Parsons will return. And even if he’s off to a slow start, he should be among the league’s most dangerous playmakers by the time the postseason rolls around. Arthur: Anderson will be a staple in the conversation for best edge rusher over the next several years. The 2023 No. 2 overall pick is already a complete player — he had 48 pressures on just third downs alone in 2025, the most by any player in a single season in at least eight years (!). His 20 tackles for loss tied for fourth among edge defenders, which shows that he wreaks at an elite level against both the pass and the run. Anderson’s sack, TFL, forced fumble and pass breakup numbers have improved in each of his three seasons as well. He finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting last year. Just 24 years old, Anderson is a young superstar who is still getting better at an exponential rate. Bucky Brooks: The two-time Defensive Player of the Year is a destructive force off the edge, exhibiting an array of power and finesse maneuvers that keep blockers guessing in their stances. Garrett’s dominance and consistency as a sack artist, despite previously playing for a team that is routinely in “catch-up” mode, speak to his efficiency and effectiveness in hounding quarterbacks in less-than-ideal circumstances. With the single-season sack record in hand (23) and at least 10 sacks in eight of his nine seasons, the future Hall of Fame inductee is a lock to take down Bruce Smith’s career mark (200) before he hangs up the cleats.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Denny Hamlin is back on top after he finished fourth at Richmond. It was his fourth consecutive top five and his fifth in the last six races. Christopher Bell finished seventh to end his string of second-place finishes and as a result, he dropped a couple of spots. Here are my power rankings entering this weekend’s race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Dropped out: Bubba Wallace (Last Week: 6), Chris Buescher (Last Week: 10) On the verge: Chris Buescher, Ross Chastain, Chase Elliott, Ryan Preece, Shane van Gisbergen, Bubba Wallace Berry is 30th in the standings but his eighth-place finish at Richmond was his third consecutive top 10 as he is finding his groove. Now he needs to find a ride for 2027. Over the last five races, Larson has finished 33rd or worse in four of those competitions. He rebounded with a sixth-place finish at Richmond. And then he flew to Iowa to win the Knoxville Nationals later in the night. Reddick placed 11th at Richmond. It certainly was not a great performance, but for a team that just needs some decent finishes, he got exactly that on Saturday night. Byron was ninth at Richmond as Hendrick placed three drivers in the top 10. Are they turning things around? We should still consider this a wait-and-see situation. Blaney won the pole and led 88 laps but ended up 13th at Richmond. It was a rare day for Blaney where he had speed but not the results. A week after his win at Iowa, Gibbs wasn’t able to rebound from another speeding penalty. He finished 15th at Richmond. A second win in his last four races has vaulted Logano to ninth in the overall standings and into a potential championship contender. Bell had four second-place finishes in the previous five races but placed seventh at Richmond. He’s still poised to earn his first win of the year. Briscoe finished second at Richmond for his fifth top-five in the last seven races. Hamlin finished fourth at Richmond — good enough to regain the top spot. And he made some good social media content there, too.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

As NFL teams transition to Week 2 of preseason, training camp activities continue to roll on — and that means we’ve got plenty of injury updates. New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers advanced to live drills in his recovery from a knee injury, while Los Angeles Rams defensive end Myles Garrett remained off the practice field. Meanwhile, the New Orleans Saints are expected to be without rookie wide receiver Jordyn Tyson to start the season. The Cowboys might not be done adding to the defense after the addition of Von Miller. They’re reportedly exploring the cornerback market and could be looking to reunite a familiar face with defensive coordinator Christian Parker. Here’s what you should know about what happened in the NFL on Monday. Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay provided injury updates on defensive end Myles Garrett and wide receiver Puka Nacua, stating both players could remain sidelined from practice for the remainder of the week. Nacua is dealing with soreness in his psoas muscle after exiting joint practice against the Dallas Cowboys last week. Garrett sat out practice due to knee swelling and worked out on a side field with training staff. With Los Angeles only scheduled to practice on Tuesday and Thursday for the rest of the week, McVay indicated both players likely will not return to practice until next week. McVay noted that while the issues are minor, the Rams are managing both veterans carefully. “Anytime you’re talking about a soft tissue, especially with a skill player or a knee with a guy that does some of the things that Myles is doing, we’re going to err on the side of caution, while not minimizing how important it is to get those guys out there,” McVay told reporters. McVay emphasized that the team is prioritizing complete health over a quick return to practice. “We want to make sure that it’s a return to performance, not just return to play,” McVay said. Jordyn Tyson’s highly anticipated NFL debut will be put on hold to start the regular season. The New Orleans Saints’ 2026 first-round pick is expected to miss roughly two months after injuring his hamstring in practice last week, NFL Network reported on Monday afternoon. Tyson was selected No. 8 overall by the Saints in the 2026 NFL Draft and was expected to play a major role alongside Chris Olave in the passing attack. However, a history of recurring hamstring issues from college has followed him into the pros, sidelining him once again. Saints head coach Kellen Moore clarified that this new hamstring injury is separate from the issue Tyson dealt with in the spring. After he missed 17 games in college between a knee reconstruction, a collarbone fracture and hamstring strains, his durability remains a major question mark. With Tyson now sidelined for the start of the season, the Saints must decide whether to place him on short-term injured reserve. If designated for return, he would be eligible to come off injured reserve after missing the team’s first four games. Tyson reportedly looked great throughout the spring in training camp and was going to see high volume in Moore’s offense. With him now sidelined, the team will head into the season with Olave, Devaughn Vele and rookies Bryce Lance and Barion Brown. Fresh off agreeing to terms with veteran pass rusher Von Miller, the Dallas Cowboys may not be done making moves. The Cowboys are exploring cornerback options and could target free agent Adoree’ Jackson, according to ESPN. Jackson spent last season with the Philadelphia Eagles and could reunite with newly hired Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker. The two overlapped in Philadelphia, where Parker served as the defensive backs coach under defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. The Cowboys’ defense is undergoing a complete revamp under Parker, but the secondary remains one of the team’s biggest concerns. The cornerback room is led by DaRon Bland and Cobie Durant, with the team also leaning on second-year corner Shavon Revel Jr. to step up. Set to turn 31 this season, Jackson is coming off a solid year with the Eagles. He recorded 55 tackles, 40 of them being solo, plus an interception and 11 pass deflections, proving he can still thrive both inside and outside in a variety of defensive schemes. In addition to showing interest in Jackson, details on Miller’s contract have emerged. Miller signed a one-year deal worth $5.5 million that can reach up to $7.5 million with incentives, according to The Athletic. Miller is heading into his age-37 season and has remained productive late into his career. He played last season in the NFC East at a high level with the Washington Commanders, posting 26 total tackles, 16 solo tackles, and nine sacks in 17 games. The Cowboys likely added Miller as a rotational depth piece, as their defensive line is surrounded by talented pass rushers. Miller will be playing alongside Rashan Gary, Donovan Ezeiruaku, James Houston and 2026 first-round pick out of UCF in Malachi Lawrence. The injury update surrounding Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receivers Emeka Egbuka and Jalen McMillan isn’t as promising as fans had hoped. Egbuka’s status for Week 1 is up in the air after missing nearly a full week of practice with a toe sprain. Head coach Todd Bowles offered little clarity, vaguely labeling Egbuka as “day to day, week to week,” according to our Greg Auman. When asked about Egbuka’s status for Week 1, Bowles admitted he wasn’t sure “at this time.” McMillan has missed two weeks of practice while nursing a knee injury, and there’s no timetable for his return to the field. Bowles described the issue to reporters as a “banged-up knee,” adding that the receiver remains “day-to-day, week-to-week” as well. If Egbuka and McMillan aren’t on the field for the season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals, the team will be relying heavily on veteran Chris Godwin. The offense will also look to incorporate young pass-catchers in second-year receiver Tez Johnson and rookie Ted Hurst. Reinforcements are on the way for the Philadelphia Eagles’ offense as wide receiver DeVonta Smith is finally back on the practice field, per NBC Sports Philadelphia. He returned in a limited capacity for Monday’s practice after missing roughly two weeks with a hamstring injury. With A.J. Brown out of the picture, the spotlight fully belongs to Smith. Entering the year as the unquestioned top target, he now leads a revamped receiving group featuring new additions that include Dontayvion Wicks, Marquise Brown, and 2026 first-round selection Makai Lemon. Smith is coming off a productive 2025 season with the Eagles, hauling in 77 receptions for 1,008 yards and four touchdowns while averaging 13.1 yards per reception. A potential uptick in target volume positions Smith nicely for a career year ahead. New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers took a step forward in his rehabilitation, participating in full-speed 11-on-11 drills for the first time since tearing his knee. Nabers wore a red non-contact jersey typically reserved for quarterbacks during 11-on-11 work and caught three passes during 7-on-7 drills. Speaking to reporters after practice, Nabers emphasized a measured approach to his return. “I mean the most important thing right now is my health,” Nabers said. “So you know, I’m taking each step accordingly, or just you know making sure my body feels good with you know taking the next step week by week or day by day or whatever they want to do. So just letting them know how my body feels, just so I can take it more.” The Chicago Bears are reportedly adding depth to their defensive line by signing edge rusher Marcus Davenport, according to CBS Sports. Davenport visited with the club on Sunday before finalizing the deal. The move keeps the 29-year-old in the NFC North after he spent the previous two seasons with the Detroit Lions and played for the Minnesota Vikings in 2023. Davenport appeared in eight games with seven starts in 2025, recording one sack and three quarterback hits while dealing with a chest injury. He missed the majority of the 2024 season after suffering a triceps injury. Selected 14th overall by the New Orleans Saints in the 2018 draft, Davenport spent his first five seasons in New Orleans and has recorded 25.0 career sacks, 28 tackles for loss, and 71 quarterback hits.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

With Sunday’s Freedom 250 Grand Prix roaring through Washington, D.C., all eyes are on the victory circle. Winning in the nation’s capital is a monumental moment for any driver, but doing so during the United States’ 250th anniversary elevates the stakes. It has sparked endless creativity around what prize the winning driver will take home. IndyCar drivers Josef Newgarden and Kyle Kirkwood appeared on First Things First on Monday afternoon with Danny Parkins and Greg Jennings to discuss Sunday’s race. However, the conversation took a turn when the group tried to figure out what the prize should be. Parkins made his pitch to the IndyCar drivers, jokingly suggesting that the winner should receive a bald eagle. “It should be something very American,” Newgarden said in response. “Maybe there’s a bald eagle statue or something that you receive. I don’t know…I was thinking like you should get a horse or something just like a famous American horse like ‘great job, you won the race.’” Sunday’s race carries far more weight than a typical IndyCar weekend. For American drivers like Newgarden and Kirkwood, there’s extra motivation in racing past historic landmarks like the U.S. Capitol and the Washington Monument. Newgarden is focused on honoring his country, well aware that a race of this magnitude is a once-in-a-lifetime moment. “Oh, totally,” Newgarden responded when asked if there’s extra motivation. “I don’t think this will happen again. When are we going to be allowed to drive Indy cars in our nation’s capital again? It’s going to be an unbelievable opportunity.” Kirkwood felt much the same way about what was driving him this weekend. For him, it isn’t just about winning a race, but it’s more about making sure an American driver comes out on top on such a historic stage for the country’s 250th anniversary. “As a fellow American, I think for America’s 250, we want to see one of us win,” Kirkwood said. “There’s a few other Americans in the series, but we’re a diverse group right? We want to see an American win on the 250, so that’s a big deal for us too.” While the winner might not walk away with a bald eagle, the stakes are plenty high when Sunday’s race kicks off. All eyes will be on Newgarden and Kirkwood to see if either can come away with a win.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

BEREA, Ohio — There were 10 NFL head coaching jobs available this past offseason and most of those teams either had a franchise quarterback, or a clear plan to acquire one. Nothing is more important to a new coach than having that quarterback. It rarely works when they take a job without one. “Yeah,” new Cleveland Browns coach Todd Monken told me. “When you have a choice.” The 60-year-old Monken didn’t have one when he was hired by the Browns in January. It was the first NFL head coaching job he had been offered in his 37-year coaching career, and he wasn’t about to turn it down. But the fact that he inherited a volatile quarterback situation hasn’t dampened his enthusiasm. No, he doesn’t know whether he’ll roll with veteran Deshaun Watson, who hasn’t played since 2024 and hasn’t played well since he last appeared for the Texans in 2020, or second-year pro Shedeur Sanders, who had better publicity than performance as a rookie. It’s possible — maybe even likely — that neither of them will help the Browns win either now or in the future. But before heading out to practice on Monday, Monken told me he was fine with not diving into the draft or free agency this past spring to find a better answer. He and the Browns thought it would be better to use this year to find out what they’ve got. “We made a decision as an organization, ‘Hey, let’s build the roster. Let’s see where we’re at and then pivot then,’” Monken told me. “That’s why we stuck with the guys that we had. We might as well exhaust every opportunity to see what we have, because it would’ve been a damn shame to not, and (then) someone goes on to play really well (somewhere else). ‘The guy was in our building for God’s sake!’ “So let’s at least exhaust that and see where we’re at.” It certainly could be exhausting because there really has been no indication that either Watson or Sanders can be their long-term answer. At 30 years old, it’s hard to imagine Watson recapturing his Pro Bowl form after playing just 19 games over the past five seasons. And despite the volumes of hype around Sanders last season, he was generally inaccurate (a 56.6 completion percentage) and threw more interceptions than touchdowns (10 to 7). He was only a rookie, but he didn’t exactly look like a budding star. Which means it’s likely that Cleveland’s future quarterback will end up coming from the 2027 NFL Draft. And that’s a shame, because there is a lot to like on the rest of this roster. On defense, for example, the Browns may have traded away Myles Garrett, the best defender in the NFL. But they replaced him with defensive end Jared Verse, the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2024. And he’s backed by last year’s Defensive Rookie of the Year, linebacker Carson Schwesinger, and Pro Bowl corner Denzel Ward. On offense, the club has promising skill players such as running back Quinshon Judkins and tight end Harold Fannin and rookie receivers K.C. Concepcion and Denzel Boston, whom they took in the first two rounds of this year’s draft. That’s a lot of talent for the future. But this is a franchise that has had just five winning seasons over the past three decades. Nobody wants to wait for next year again. “I think the future is very important, but I’m mostly focused on the present before anything else,” Verse said. “I think we’ve got a lot of talent. I think we’ve got a lot of people that can do amazing things. But we need those amazing things today.” Unfortunately, it would have to be really “amazing” for those players to do enough today to drag this team toward even respectability without the quarterback mess sorted out. And it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen any time soon. So yes, once again, the present is probably bleak. But that hasn’t dampened Monken’s outlook about what comes next. “Because I see it,” the first-time NFL head coach told me. “I see the young talent. I see the draft capital we have in the future. I see we’re going to have money. If you didn’t have the young talent, I’d see that. But I see the future. I see how (GM Andrew Berry) does the draft. We have an ownership that is committed to winning, committed to whatever we need to win. “Now we’ve just got to do our part, which is develop a young roster and find a quarterback.” That last part, of course, is the hardest of all. I get that he wasn’t traded straight up for Myles Garrett. The Browns got first-, second- and third-round draft picks, too. But he’s the piece that is expected to fill Garrett’s shoes — an impossible task given Garrett’s NFL-record 23 sacks last season and the 125.5 sacks he tallied in his nine-year tenure. The 25-year-old Verse is pretty good, but not in the Garrett stratosphere. He had 7.5 sacks for the Rams last year, his second in the NFL. The Browns had a top-10 defense last year, so they can probably excel even without Garrett’s historic production. But they are almost certainly hoping Verse will deliver double-digit sacks, at least. After all, defense is probably all that could save this team. It’s why the Browns were competitive at all in a 5-12 mess of a season in 2025. They still don’t have a quarterback, so they need to disrupt as many opposing QBs as possible to stay in games. Verse offers their best chance to do that. “In California, it doesn’t really rain that much. I was outside yesterday just enjoying the rain, sitting on my back porch. … I like it here. I wasn’t really distraught at all after the initial shock wore off. I love the organization.” — DE Jared Verse on being traded from the Rams to the Browns No Quarterback = No Hope I want to believe. I really do. But I just can’t see any way in which this Browns team wins more than a handful of games. I might’ve felt differently about them if they appeared to have the defense they had the past couple of years. But the Myles Garrett trade took care of that. While I think they have some really intriguing young players on offense, it’s meaningless to me until they find a quarterback. And right now, there’s no way to convince me that whatever’s left of Deshaun Watson can be anywhere near the quarterback he was in Houston, before sexual misconduct allegations and injuries derailed his career. And while I’m not completely dismissing Sheduer Sanders after half of one rookie season, I need to see much more from him before I join the many cheerleaders on his overcrowded bandwagon. If either of those guys turns into a viable quarterback this year, then sure, maybe the Browns have the pieces to surprise me and become a really competitive team. If that happens, though, I won’t be the only one proven wrong. It’s a special treat for me, because the Bills will be holding another practice at their brand new Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y. I’m going to like it because, let’s face it, their old stadium was a dump. And I assume the press box seats aren’t one of the many restricted view seats that have surprised and upset so many Bills season ticket holders. It’ll take a three-hour drive along the beautiful shores of Lake Erie to get there, though I doubt I can see much from the New York State Thruway. Fun fact: If you continue about a half hour past the stadium, up I-190, you’ll get to Niagara Falls, my old home. My first job was covering the Bills for the Niagara Gazette … a long, long time ago. I’m still big there, I’m told. Not as big as the expectations on new Bills coach Joe Brady. He replaces Sean McDermott, who did everything in Buffalo except get the Bills to the Super Bowl. So, yeah, the first-year expectations on the 36-year-old, first-time head coach are very real.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Finally, after six months of no football, nearly all 32 teams got their first taste of game action this weekend, and while several stars and starters didn’t play, many rookies made their unofficial NFL debuts. Fernando Mendoza and Ty Simpson, who were the only quarterbacks taken in the first round of this year’s draft, showed glimpses of promise over the weekend. So did Drew Allar, who quarterbacked the Pittsburgh Steelers to a victory over the Green Bay Packers. Those three quarterbacks were just a few of the rookies who made some headlines in Week 1 of the preseason. Now, with the first week of the preseason behind us, here are our takeaways. 1. Ty Simpson Offers Solid, Promising Performance Eric D. Williams: Simpson got the call for the Los Angeles Rams after Stetson Bennett started the first quarter in Saturday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs and didn’t disappoint in three quarters of action, playing the rest of the game against back end of the roster players. Simpson continued to show command and comfort with Sean McVay’s offensive system. I watched him earlier in the week against the Dallas Cowboys in a joint practice, and Simpson showed well in the limited reps he got. He built on that performance against the Chiefs. Simpson finished 21 of 25 for 190 yards with two touchdown passes to running back Dean Conners and no interceptions. He also wasn’t sacked, posting a 125.0 passer rating. Offensive coordinator Nate Scheelhaase, calling the plays instead of McVay, did a nice job of tailoring them to accentuate Simpson’s movement skills and ability to throw on the run. Simpson completed a handful of throws on play-action passes and had a clean pocket most of the game. It’s a good start for Simpson, and we’ll see how he performs if he gets an opportunity to face ramped-up pressure against NFL starters as he competes with Bennett for the backup job behind Matthew Stafford. 2. Drew Allar Gives Steelers Hope For A Post-Rodgers Future Ralph Vacchiano: Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike McCarthy is absolutely convinced they stole a first-round talent when they drafted Penn State quarterback Drew Allar in the third round in April. And Allar backed up his coach’s big words last week with a stellar performance, completing 10 of 13 passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns to go with a rushing score in a win over the Green Bay Packers. But Allar has done more than that to give Pittsburgh hope for its future, whenever the 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers really calls it quits. He has had an excellent camp, showing off a strong arm and excellent decision-making skills. And McCarthy told me that three weeks into camp, Allar basically has been given the entire playbook. There’s nothing he couldn’t be asked to do. Now, no one in the Steelers’ organization is willing to guarantee that the 22-year-old is their quarterback of the future. He’s not even likely to be Rodgers’ backup, an honor that probably will go to veteran Mason Rudolph. And technically, he still has to beat out Will Howard, a sixth-round pick in 2025, for a spot in the quarterback room. But Allar almost certainly will be a part of the team’s quarterback conversation moving forward, and he will spend the next year (at least) learning at the feet of Rodgers. Whether the Steelers roll with Allar in 2027 or dive into the star-studded quarterback class in the upcoming draft probably depends on how this season goes, and where they fall in the draft order. However, Allar’s quick growth and early returns may give them a future option they didn’t clearly have before. 3. How Much Playing Time Is Too Much? Cardinals Find Out With Jeremiyah Love Greg Auman: No two NFL head coaches will answer the question the same way, but each team must decide how much — if at all — to play their best players in the preseason. Too little, you risk rust and ineffective play in the first weeks of the regular season, but too much, you take on a greater risk of injury. The Arizona Cardinals’ offense, under new coach Mike LaFleur, had as good a first half as you could ask for against the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday, with three drives all resulting in touchdowns. Rookie running back Jeremiah Love, the third overall pick in the draft, was a big part of that, finishing the half with 11 carries for 58 yards and three catches for 14 yards. The 14 touches were more than most people expected him to get, including Love himself. But LaFleur liked the chance to get him comfortable and confident in adjusting to the speed of the NFL. “I like where he was at with the touches,” LaFleur said after the game. However, the excitement was tempered by news that Love would miss a week with a “sore” ankle sustained as he was brought down on his last touch. Things have escalated, and Love has been diagnosed with a high ankle sprain that will sideline him from the remaining two preseason games. It puts his status for their season opener Sept. 13 at the Chargers in question as well. Why the heavy usage a week after holding Love out of the Hall of Fame Game entirely? Another new back, Tyler Allgeier, played only six snaps compared to Love’s 24, and if any team should be wary of keeping their backs healthy, it’s Arizona. Last year, the Cardinals lost their top two backs — James Conner and Trey Benson — to season-ending injuries by Week 4, so their leading rusher (Michael Carter) had just 333 rushing yards, the lowest for any team’s leading rusher in six years. Love might be healthy for the opener and could still have a monster rookie season. He never had so much as 200 carries in a season at Notre Dame, so he could easily exceed that in a healthy rookie season. 4. Did Ravens Finally Hit On A Mid-Round WR? If They Did, It Could Change AFC Outlook Henry McKenna: It’s not like Lamar Jackson has been entirely unsupported. The Baltimore Ravens offense boasts Derrick Henry, Zay Flowers, Mark Andrews and, before he defected in free agency, Isaiah Likely. But there have been times when — in the passing game — that has not quite seemed like enough. The more I’ve watched this Baltimore offense over the years, the more I wondered what the Ravens could be with legit playmakers at WR2 and WR3. Maybe — just maybe — that’s what the Ravens found in the 2026 NFL Draft. Baltimore selected USC receiver Ja’Kobi Lane and Indiana wideout Elijah Sarratt, and both players have put together impressive camps, according to reports on the scene. So my eyes were fixed on that Ravens offense in preseason, even if Jackson wasn’t on the field. Because the rookies were. And they were terrific. In this weekend’s game, Sarratt led Baltimore in catches (six) and receiving yards (66). Lane finished with three catches for 38 yards and a touchdown. That preseason production might not mean a whole lot if the receivers weren’t already showing promising signs in training camp. But their body of work has been really solid. That’s all the Ravens need from the rookies: reliability. If they can take some of the pressure off Jackson (and Andrews and Flowers), the entire Ravens offense should be better off. Certainly, with coach Jesse Minter running the defense, the defense should be just fine. There is no clearer candidate for a bounceback season than the Ravens. They missed the playoffs last year. If these young receivers are for real, though, I can’t imagine Baltimore missing two years in a row. 5. De’Zhaun Stribling Makes Loss Of Ricky Pearsall A Little Less Painful For 49ers Ben Arthur: Losing Ricky Pearsall before the season started marked a major blow for the 49ers, but they may be just fine production-wise out of the wide receiver thanks to rookie De’Zhaun Stribling. Stribling, who was taken by the 49ers with the first pick of the second round, shined in San Francisco’s preseason opener Thursday night against the Tennessee Titans with seven receptions on eight targets for a game-high 63 yards. The former Ole Miss standout gave the Titans’ starting secondary all kinds of fits, catching passes against each of Tennessee’s top three cornerbacks (Cor’Dale Flott, Alontae Taylor, Marcus Harris). Stribling’s most impressive play: a 32-yard, back-shoulder catch down the right sideline with Flott in tight coverage, setting up the Niners’ lone touchdown. With Pearsall (PCL) out for the year and Brandon Aiyuk (reserve/left squad) not part of the team’s plans, San Francisco will depend heavily on old receivers in 2026. Of the 12 receivers on its 90-man roster, seven are at least 29 years old, including Mike Evans (32), Deebo Samuel Sr. (30) and Christian Kirk (29). Stribling is much-needed young blood. And if the preseason opener is any indication, he’ll be a major contributor as a rookie. 6. Odell Beckham’s Performance Not Big Enough To Match Cheers Vacchiano: The biggest cheer of the New York Giants’ preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings was the moment in the second quarter when Odell Beckham entered the game with the second team. It was a reminder of how popular he remains with the New York fans. Too bad those were really the only big cheers he got. The 33-year-old Beckham had a quiet two catches for six yards in his first game action of any kind since December 2024. It’s not that more was expected — this game was mostly about Beckham seeing action and getting some of his timing back. It’s that more was needed if Beckham has any hope of making the team out of camp. Beckham is in a difficult spot. He isn’t trying to just make the Giants as one of their six likely receivers. Since he doesn’t play special teams, he really needs to be in the top four to crack the roster. Assuming Malik Nabers is healthy, the top three spots are likely going to him, Darnell Mooney and rookie Malachi Fields. And Darius Slayton and Calvin Austin seem likely to be two more. That doesn’t give Beckham an obvious avenue. And he’s not going to force Giants coach John Harbaugh’s hand two preseason catches at a time. Beckham did get open one other time in the game on a deep seam route, but the Vikings blitzed and quarterback Jameis Winston dumped the ball off underneath. It was a moment that would have electrified Giants fans in the stadium. Who knows if it would’ve done anything to increase Beckham’s chances of making the team. But he’ll need moments like that, and bigger performances than he had, to have any shot of sticking on the roster. And he’s running out of time to do it. 7. Cowboys Undrafted WR Camden Brown Makes Highlight Reel Plays Williams: The top of the Cowboys’ receiver room is set, with CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens arguably forming the top wide receiver duo in the NFL. Ryan Flournoy is also listed as a projected starter, and talented return man KaVontae Turpin will take another spot. But Brown, an undrafted rookie out of Georgia Southern, could be making a claim for one of those spots on the back end of the roster. Brown finished with three catches for 62 yards and two touchdowns against the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday. Both scores were diving, acrobatic catches in the end zone, including a one-handed catch on a fade route. Brown made similar plays during the two training camp practices I watched the Cowboys in Oxnard and has been one of the most talked-about players in the team’s camp. If he can figure out a way to contribute on special teams, Brown could have a chance to find his way on the back of the roster, or at least land on the practice squad.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

I hope you had some fun this weekend watching NFL preseason games. There were guys out there grinding for jobs, players who might someday emerge as key contributors for the teams where they earn a roster spot. That said, I wasn’t focused on the bubble guys. I was interested in the stars. And some key things were happening this week in the preseason games — and the greater NFL news cycle. This is Sound Smart, where I try to spin forward, dive deeper, think outside the box and read between the lines. The Los Angeles Rams protected Ty Simpson and played it nice and safe. Almost boring, in fact. The first-round quarterback had 84% of his passes travel 15 yards or fewer and 72% for 10 yards or fewer. In the first three quarters, there were a lot of rollouts and passes behind the line of scrimmage so that Simpson barely needed to think — operating the basics and letting everyone else do the work for him. I suspect that’s why coach Sean McVay said the following about the team’s preseason playcaller, Nate Scheelhaase: “I thought the coaches did a really good job putting guys in good spots. I thought [Scheelhaase] called a really good game.” The beauty of a preseason game is that defenses are as simple as can be. That makes life easier for the playcaller and the QB. In the final 10 minutes, Simpson and his coaches started to ramp up the difficulty and use more of the field — with a little more intermediate throwing and some targets toward the middle of the field. Ultimately, he saw pressure on only three of his 25 dropbacks. He had a tight-window throw on 8% of his passes. It looked easy for Simpson because it was very easy for Simpson — a stone’s throw away from 7-on-7 drills. It seems like the reaction has been unanimously positive about Simpson, perhaps because of his statistics. And while I’m excited about his long-term prospects on the whole, I’m not sure I saw anything particularly outstanding. But here’s the thing: At least Simpson played in control. At least he made the easy stuff look easy. Because I can think of somebody who didn’t. I was startled by Ward’s film. I hate to get worked up about preseason film, but I can’t really stop myself here. There was an astonishing lack of accuracy. There was an astonishing lack of … everything. If there’s one thing we know about the preseason, it’s that it’s deeply deceitful. I’ll never forget in 2015 when Sam Bradford absolutely tore apart preseason defenses with former Philadelphia Eagles coach Chip Kelly calling the plays. And I thought it meant something. It didn’t. Bradford was a mess and Kelly got fired after going 6-9. With Ward and the Titans, the same (but opposite) can be true here, where the second-year QB’s preseason calamity won’t translate to the regular season. But let’s just look at the numbers, because it’ll help contextualize my alarm. On 12 dropbacks, Ward attempted a tight-window throw on 8% of his passes. (Just like Simpson.) That should speak to an easy day for Ward: no risky or high-difficulty throws. So you’d think he would’ve been completing his passes, right? Wrong! He completed 41.7% of his passes (5-for-12). Even worse, he had a completion percentage over expected of -26.3%, second worst among all 91 passers who took 12 or more dropbacks this first week of preseason. His success percentage (23.1%) was second worst among those same 91 QBs. His expected points per dropback was tied for eighth-worst — alongside Colts QB Anthony Richardson, whose play is currently bad enough that Indianapolis can’t seem to find a trade partner. You’re probably also thinking that maybe Ward didn’t have receivers Carnell Tate, the fourth overall pick this year, or Wan’Dale Robinson, the team’s $70-million free agent acquisition. You’d — again — think wrong. And Tate, whose training-camp highlights have often appeared on the Titans’ X account this summer, saw three targets for zero receptions. This was a tremendously bad outing for Ward. It was also a small sample size — in preseason. But it looked too much like the lowest lows from Ward’s rookie season. I had hoped he was getting past all that. For now, let’s try to chalk it up to preseason. Let’s hope it’s just a whole bunch of nothing. Because, man, what the heck happened out there? LAKE FOREST, Ill. — The Chicago Bears might have the most compelling and polarizing passing attack in the NFL (and I’ll have more to say about them in a story later this week). But while Chicago’s rushing attack may get neglected by the media, it has the head coach’s attention. Ben Johnson gets excited anytime he has the opportunity to coach or discuss the ground game. And so it was interesting to hear first-year offensive coordinator Press Taylor relay Johnson’s philosophy on the run game. “I don’t think Ben’s ever mentioned the word efficiency,” Taylor said last week. “We talk about explosives. We are trying to attack a defense. I think there’s a perception — a lot of people are going to run the ball. ‘We’re going to stay efficient. We’re going to control the clock. We are looking to attack a defense.’ “We’re looking to attack fronts to expose space, to create run lanes, to create explosives. We don’t look at the run game as a way to stay on track. We look at the run game as a way to attack defenses and really be explosive and continue to just put our foot on the gas.” All eyes are on quarterback Caleb Williams, whose flair for late-game heroics was incredible last season. He’s a former No. 1 overall pick, and his arm talent is otherworldly. He has the rare ability to generate explosive plays at any moment. And while we don’t often think about D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai in the same way, it seems like Taylor and Johnson would like us to. The 2026 season will be about further establishing that identity. FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Despite not having the new contract that he wants, Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez had been a willing participant in training camp. In fact, his presence had been infuriating newcomer A.J. Brown — to the point where the star receiver admitted he was looking forward to joint practices because the competition was getting too fierce between teammates. The underlying takeaway is that Gonzalez is among the best cornerbacks in the league. (And from my vantage point, he’s the best.) He should get paid as such. But when those joint practices started last week, Gonzalez was not on the field. It sure seemed like that was the cornerback’s first flex of leverage in his contract negotiations with the team. And he didn’t stop there. He wasn’t on the field for the team’s first preseason matchup against the Colts at Gillette Stadium. Patriots coach Mike Vrabel addressed Gonzalez’s absence. “Christian was unavailable — physically unavailable for the practice. That’s the clarification,” Vrabel told reporters after the team’s preseason game. “Just like other players that I told to have treatment, and everybody has a plan here, there were other guys that were in that same category.” The “clarification” is still quite vague. And that’s often how it goes when a player is holding in. If there was anything that would further entrench Gonzalez, it was the news that Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon, represented by the same agent, Reggie Johnson, signed a $132-million, four-year deal. New England’s defense can’t afford to start the season without Gonzalez. The Patriots will need their best defensive player on the field when they kick off the NFL season in a rematch against Seattle on Sept. 9. They need to get a deal done. And it’ll probably have to be a deal that’s more lucrative than what Witherspoon got. EAGAN, Minn. — This was one heck of a statement from Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy about six-time Pro Bowl safety Harrison Smith, who retired after last season. “I would say obviously having Harry [Harrison Smith] back there, a guy who’s gonna probably tell you every single play that’s coming — it’s been different [not having him],” Murphy said at the Vikings’ practice facility in Eagan last week. “But obviously, we got guys stepping in. We got communicators like 44 [Josh Metellus], even the young guys are stepping in. So we got guys that still are communicators.” Minnesota’s defense is still incredible, starting at the top with DC Brian Flores, who seems destined to — sooner or later — find his way back into a head coaching position. Flores has been no less ruthless this camp, doing what he can to terrorize the two quarterbacks — and amping up the degree of difficulty, with help from stars like edge rusher Dallas Turner, as each QB tries to prove himself. Two weeks ago, I saw firsthand how quickly Flores’ defense can shut down the Vikings’ offense, with both Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy failing to complete a single pass in the 2-minute drill. Murray’s offense went three-and-out and McCarthy threw an interception. Even so, Smith won’t be an easy guy to replace. And you get the sense that maybe they won’t have to. There have been rumors about a possible Smith return, but Minnesota isn’t counting on it. Instead, they’re counting on Metellus, who’s beginning his seventh year with Minnesota. “It’s crazy, man, to be following after a guy for so many years,” Metellus told me. “And then you get to a position where you follow him so much that you just like step into his road, almost naturally.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The Baltimore Orioles sold at the deadline, are under .500 … and would be in the playoffs if the season ended today. That’s the current state of affairs in the underwhelming American League, where five teams are fewer than two games behind the Orioles for the final playoff spot. Every AL team other than the Royals, A’s and Angels still feels like it’s in contention. That’s not the case in the National League, where three teams with winning records (Arizona, Miami, St. Louis) are chasing the final wild-card spot, which currently belongs to San Diego. All of those playoff hopefuls will need a late-season spark plug in order to make an October run. In this week’s Power Rankings, we identify one player from every team worth watching down the stretch. The Angels decided to keep Zach Neto at the deadline, but he has a .489 OPS since the break. It’s hard to envision the team taking strides forward until it gets its shortstop on track. It’d be fun to see Bryce Eldridge go on a late-season tear to bring some hope for the future in what has been a lost season in San Francisco. The rookie has 13 homers in 81 games. The A’s were never going to do much with Nick Kurtz, Shea Langeliers, Brent Rooker and Tyler Soderstrom all injured, but they certainly weren’t expecting right fielder Lawrence Butler to be a below replacement level player in the second season of his seven-year extension. He has looked better lately, so maybe he can turn it around. Could Zac Veen be a post-hype sleeper down the stretch? After raking in 100 games at Triple-A (.327/.402/.635), the Rockies outfielder is already providing a spark in his first four games back in the big leagues. As bad as things have gone in Kansas City, Jac Caglianone is on fire in August. The 23-year-old is slashing .407/.429/.759 with nine extra-base hits and 18 RBIs in 14 games this month as he continues his breakout. Elly De La Cruz is 7-for-51 (.137) with one stolen base in August. The Reds need him to get back to being a dynamic force down the stretch if they want to challenge for a playoff spot. It took until August, but the Mets are finally playing some ball. A significant part of that is the uptick from Bo Bichette, who is starting to resemble the player the Mets envisioned. The Mariners mustered a big series win in Houston, but their road back to relevance won’t get any easier as their next three series are against the Brewers, Cubs and Phillies. Julio Rodríguez is heating up, and one of his annual late-season surges might be the only thing that can save Seattle. Acquired as part of the Mackenzie Gore trade with the Rangers, 24-year-old first baseman Abimelec Ortiz has five home runs in his first 13 games. Is Royce Lewis … back? The 27-year-old infielder has an OPS over 1.000 in August. After years of injuries, it would be a joy to see the former top overall pick find the form that made him such a captivating young talent a few seasons ago. Unmoved by their deadline additions, the Guardians are 9-19 to start the second half, and José Ramírez hasn’t looked like himself since returning from his hamate fracture last month. The Guardians aren’t going to do much if Ramírez is a league-average hitter. You simply can’t drop back-to-back series against the Angels and A’s when you’re trying to be taken seriously as a contender. Wyatt Langford, who had a 1.005 OPS in June and an .819 OPS in July, has a .597 OPS in August. The Rangers need to get him going again. All eyes are on Paul Skenes as he tries to right the ship. Pittsburgh’s ace has a 5.62 ERA since the start of July, and the Pirates have won just three of his past 13 starts. Skenes’ velocity is down, he just threw 65 pitches in his last start, and he had his next start pushed back. Those are all ominous signs, but maybe he can figure it out in time to save Pittsburgh’s season. They don’t have Adley Rutschman or Taylor Ward anymore, but they still have the Polar Bear. Pete Alonso is hitting .380 with four homers in August and giving the Orioles a chance to sneak into the playoffs even after their deadline selloff. Framber Valdez signed a three-year, $115 million deal that gave him the highest average annual value of any left-handed pitcher in the sport, but his performances all year have been marred by inconsistency. The Tigers need Valdez to get in more of a rhythm with Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize gone. Their spectacular pitching has the Blue Jays still dreaming of October baseball. The offense, meanwhile, has been the worst in the American League. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. can’t be a below league-average hitter all season, right? … RIGHT? Considering how thin their rotation is — they rank 28th in starters ERA — the Astros can’t afford for Hunter Brown (3.67 ERA) to simply be solid. Free passes continue to be a problem that he’ll need to figure out quickly. Since returning from a leg injury in June, Eury Pérez has a 1.80 ERA over his past 10 starts. When Perez and Sandy Alcantara are pitching the way they are now, the Marlins have a chance against anyone. Rookie Joshua Báez, who just became the first player ever to homer in each of his first three at-bats, is already helping jump-start a Cardinals offense that had the lowest OPS in the sport in July. We know the Phillies’ top three starters give them a chance against any team they’ll see in October. But if they want to make it there, they’ll need to win some of the other games, too. On that note, Aaron Nola has a 2.91 ERA over his past four starts. The seemingly indomitable Red Sox have suddenly dropped seven of their past nine games and have scored more than four runs just once in that stretch. Adley Rutschman is 1-for-17 to start his Boston career, which obviously has to change if the Red Sox want to make a run. (Of course, getting Roman Anthony, who’s been out since early May with a finger injury, back for the stretch will also help.) The White Sox put a ton of faith in Luis Castillo to turn his season around when they traded for him at the deadline. In two starts with his new club, Castillo has already provided fodder for the believers (7 IP, 0 R, 10 K) and the doubters (4 IP, 5 R, 5 K). With the return dates for injured starters Zac Gallen, Ryne Nelson and Corbin Burnes unclear, what Brandon Pfaadt is doing right now is invaluable. He has a 1.09 ERA over his last eight starts and hasn’t allowed an earned run in any of his past four starts. The answer here is obviously Aaron Judge, whenever he gets back. For now, the Yankees can enjoy the spark provided by rookie George Lombard Jr., who’s giving them reason to get excited about the shortstop position again. Sweeping the Brewers? You have my attention, San Diego. The Padres have had the best offense in baseball since the break, and Jackson Merrill has looked a lot more like the phenom who gave Paul Skenes a run for his Rookie of the Year Award two years ago. After dropping three of four to the Brewers, the Dodgers are now 5-10 in August and 18-21 since the start of July. I’m putting the focus here on both of their major offseason additions: Edwin Díaz has a 10.66 ERA and has blown three of his past five save opportunities, while Kyle Tucker can’t hit at home. As talented as the Dodgers are, one of those two has to get right by season’s end if they want to three-peat. After a pedestrian start to the year, Alex Bregman has been MLB’s most valuable third baseman since the All-Star break. The Cubs are going to be hard to stop if Bregman continues hitting like this. The Braves have enjoyed this bounce-back campaign despite Austin Riley enduring the worst offensive season of his eight-year career. However, Riley has a .957 OPS in August. Can he keep it up? The Rays won nine straight games on the road before returning home to welcome the Orioles, who then took three straight at Tropicana Field. One of those losses went to Freddy Peralta, who remains in search of his old form. The two-time All-Star’s past two starts (10.2 IP, 5 R) were at least an improvement on his Rays debut disaster (3.2 IP, 7 R). After getting swept in San Diego, the Brewers had a statement series win in L.A. while playing without Brice Turang, who might need to manage his knee pain the rest of the year. Getting William Contreras going feels vital. The standout catcher has a meager .604 OPS in the second half, but he homered on Saturday and reached base twice Sunday.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports