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One of the final cuts from the United States roster for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Mark McKenzie has been a consistent call-up for current U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino since the Argentine took over the sideline for the 2026 tournament co-hosts 19 months ago. Four years later, McKenzie — who plays at French club Toulouse — is expected to make the USA’s 26-player World Cup roster. He could even be in Pochettino’s starting lineup in Los Angeles when the Stars and Stripes kick off Group D against Paraguay on June 12, which could instantly turn the central defender from Bear, Delaware into a household name for the millions of fans watching at home. So who is Mark McKenzie? To find out, I sat down with the soft-spoken 27-year-old defender in March before the USA’s World Cup tune-ups against Belgium and Portugal. You were born in the Bronx and grew up in Delaware, but your father kept his job in Manhattan after you moved. How did he do it? I was five when we moved. He worked at the Hospital for Special Surgery. It’s a four-hour drive away, but for a number of years he commuted to New York almost every day. He’d leave at four in the morning and get home at nine at night, sleep for a few hours and do it again. He’d stay at my grandmother’s house in the city if it was a long night, but he tried to get home as much as possible, especially as my sister and I were getting into different sports. He always wanted to be present. Watching your dad do that, what message did that send? At a young age you don’t understand it exactly. But as I got older, I started to realize that he was doing it for the betterment of the family and not necessarily because he loved driving on the turnpike. He’s probably one of the biggest inspirations of my life. He’s an immigrant. He came from Jamaica with very little and earned everything he’s gotten. He instilled in me a lot of that same work ethic, that same understanding of what sacrifice looks like. I know things don’t happen overnight all the time, and that small progressions are very important. Ultimately, those pay dividends. You mentioned different sports. What other sports did you play growing up? Pretty much everything. Basketball. Flag football, because my mom wouldn’t let me play full contact. Swimming. A little bit of tennis. I even did tap dancing. My mom wanted a dancer — thankfully my sister fulfilled that for her. I’m just competitive. I had that from a young age, hated losing video games. I would cry if I lost playing Monopoly with the fam. When did you have to focus on soccer exclusively? Once I hit eighth grade, the Philadelphia Union academy was starting to come into the picture. But with school, I wasn’t able to make the commute back from Delaware every day. But once I got to high school, I made the decision to commit to soccer. Also, I didn’t feel like I was tall enough for basketball then. I grew a bit more in the years to come, but obviously it’s worked out pretty well. Were you always a defender? No, I was a midfielder until I was about 10 or 11, and then moved up to forward. Then I got to the Union’s pre-academy, and they saw that I didn’t have the same sense of arrogance sometimes that forwards have or the same selfishness to score. So they were like, maybe you should be a center back. I’m guessing that was tough to hear. Absolutely. You go from being the guy who’s getting goals and making plays to the guy trying to stop that happening. You’re facing attackers who want to embarrass you any moment they can. It was an adjustment. My dad was like, “You can throw a hissy fit if you want, but you’re getting an opportunity. If it’s at center back, be the best center back possible.” Central defenders are so skilled with the ball nowadays. Did being an attacker as a teenager help? Yes, and not just with my feet: Also in understanding how attackers move, their habits, the spaces they want to get to, the timing of their runs — stuff like that. Are you a sports fan? Any soccer clubs that you follow? As a kid, I would get up in the morning on the weekends and watch Premier League games. Arsenal’s been my favorite Premier League team since. I loved Thierry Henry and his style, so getting to meet him was really special. When did you meet Thierry Henry? When he was coaching Montreal in 2020, my last season with the Union. I also met him unofficially at a New York Red Bulls game back when I was 12. Got a chance to get a shirt signed by him. It was special. What about NFL or NBA teams? I’m a big LeBron James fan. I’ve always admired LeBron, the way he plays and carries himself.  I liked the Miami Heat back when he was there with Dwyane Wade. In terms of American football, unfortunately, I’m a Giants fan. Beating Tom Brady in the Super Bowl twice is the one thing we can live on. Your father loves soccer. Is that how you were introduced to it? I remember kicking the ball around with my dad on the streets of New York before we moved. He was my first coach, with my local YMCA team. That’s really how I really started to love it. Do you still have family in Jamaica? Have you been there? When I was younger, before soccer started to pick up, we went back a few times during the summers. And over the last probably five to seven years, we’ve been able to go and spend time with my cousins. I also played against Jamaica in the Nations League game we won in Kingston at the end of 2024, one of Mauricio’s first games. What’s your mom like? She’s the rock of our family, somebody who I draw a lot of strength from. Her name is Lynette. She’s a Black woman who’s earned everything, like my dad has. She’s also a breast cancer survivor. With my dad not around during the day, she’d go to work early, then after, take me to training or a youth clinic or camp while also managing my sister’s dance schedule. My parents are the reason I’m here today. Your sister is four years younger? Yeah. Madison is a dancer who has worked with some of the best choreographers out there. She’s chipping away at it day by day. I’m proud of her. You left MLS in 2021 and signed for Belgian team Genk in 2021. What was that like? Very different. I was coming off the best season of my life, and I’d always dreamed of taking that next step. Belgium was a great landing spot. I was able to experience Europe but also get minutes. My teammates were from all over the world, guys with international experience or who’d played in the Champions League. I think that was important. Who are you closest to on this U.S. team? Chris Richards and Tim Weah. Tim and I met at [age] 10 at this regional training program for players from New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware. We just enjoyed being around each other. Plus, his mom is Jamaican. So we share that as well. Did you know Tim was the son of Ballon d’Dor winner George Weah? Not then. When I met his dad I still didn’t know who he was. Now, I call him Uncle George. His mom is Auntie. It’s amazing to flash forward to where we are today. You’re a big music guy, right? I love music, but my taste has changed. I’m a man of God. And a lot of music, unfortunately, has some negative takes to it. Gospel music keeps me in the right headspace. There’s some Christian rappers who I enjoy listening to. I also became a dad recently, so lots of baby music. Your son Micah was born just after you’d spent 40 days away at the 2025 Gold Cup. How did your wife feel about that? Carley understands that my job is not normal. She’s used to it. We’ve been together for seven years, and she knows that this career is not forever. It’s all about being the best player possible and experiencing football’s highest levels. Her support is essential to my success. She allows me to be great. How has fatherhood changed you? It’s the most beautiful experience. I see life and my career differently. The best way I can explain it is, my son doesn’t care what I do. He doesn’t care if I win the World Cup or Champions League. He only cares about the fact that I’m his dad. He loves me for me and there’s nothing like that. To see him smile and laugh and grow and change each day adds a level of importance to being present. That’s what I’ve tried to focus on. You didn’t play much at that Gold Cup. Some players who make the World Cup roster might not see the field at all this summer. How can they still help the team? It’s tough as a competitor. I want to play. But with the national team it’s about the collective. You’re representing more than just yourself. My role was to demand more of not only myself in training, but the guys around me. I was also preparing myself in case I had to step in. We need 26 players pushing in the same direction. When you have even one kink in that line, it’s difficult to be successful.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The NFL’s content teams put on a show for the 2026 schedule release Thursday night, flexing their creative muscles in what’s become known as the social media Super Bowl. But which franchise had the best schedule release video this year? Here’s my top 10, in descending order: The Browns nailed the “Street Fighter” theme, bringing out Ohio native and internet personality MatPat to introduce the “video game.” The arcade vibe and retro sound effects and graphics take older Millennials back to their childhood. The Giants featured the always-entertaining Jameis Winston in their schedule release video, having the QB and offensive lineman Jermaine Eluemunor hang outside the Vessel in New York’s Hudson Yards. That’s where “Winston Van Gogh” played Pictionary with fans — if the fans named the team that Winston was referring to with his drawing within 15 seconds, they won Giants tickets. Winston sported a beret, giving him an artsy aesthetic, fitting for the occasion. With an art craft blend theme, the Jets had the most visually mesmerizing schedule release video this year. The sped-up blend of colors — leading into each opponent — was satisfying. No words were spoken, but nothing felt missing. The Raiders doing a “Step Brothers” parody starring quarterbacks Fernando Mendoza and Kirk Cousins was simply perfect. The bit included everything from the opening scene of them eyeing each other down, to Cousins showing the No. 1 overall pick how things are done around the facility. The Falcons’ content team told me earlier this week that their new football regime of head coach Kevin Stefanski, president of football Matt Ryan and general manager Ian Cunningham would be involved in their schedule release video. As it turned out, they played a significant role. Atlanta hit a nostalgic vein by incorporating the old “SportsCenter” commercial theme as well. The reference to the Drake-Kendrick Lamar rap beef and cameo by Atlanta music legend Jermaine Dupri was a nice touch, too. The Cowboys brought out the “Tylers” on their offensive line — Tyler Booker, Tyler Smith and Tyler Guyton — to headline the “TIA” (Tyler Intelligence Agency), which has secret agents (most of them named Tyler) on each of Dallas’ opponents in 2026. The incredibly detailed video, which includes a cameo from quarterback Dak Prescott, features strong digs at the Packers, Rams and Eagles (of course). The Bears put a modern spin on the late Bob Ross’ “The Joy of Painting” television series, with wide receiver Rome Odunze — dressed like Ross — guiding viewers through an oil painting interpretation of each of Chicago’s 2026 opponents. The best part was undoubtedly the dig at the rival Packers. Odunze pulled out a cheese grater to use on the edge of the canvas, then looked at the camera and said: “Isn’t that satisfying?” Maybe one day the Titans’ man of the street approach, which the team has used a couple of times, will get old. But not this year. Tennessee’s social team managed to find look-a-likes of key figures of their 2026 opponents on Broadway Street and other parts of downtown Nashville. The best one may have been a Myles Garrett jersey-wearing Browns fan who hilariously looked nothing like the reigning AP Defensive Player of the Year. The Colts crushed their “Simpsons”-themed video, which was jam-packed with small jokes, including the mess that was their 2025 schedule release and season at-large. This year’s video hilariously references how Indianapolis hasn’t won in Jacksonville in more than a decade with the viral scene of Homer Simpson hiding in the bushes. The Chargers have done it once again. Widely considered to be the gold standard on schedule release day, L.A.’s content team created a “Halo”-themed video loaded with excellent digs into their 2026 opponents. Some of the best include a nod to Cam Newton’s viral take on Bills receiver Keon Coleman and Texans QB C.J. Stroud giving Bears QB Caleb Williams advice after their primetime showdown in 2024.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The New England Patriots finished in last place in the AFC East in 2023 and ‘24, winning just four games each season. But they engineered a dramatic turnaround in 2025, exploding for 14 wins in the regular season to secure their first division title since 2019. New England’s rags-to-riches storyline was one of the biggest of the season, but it was hardly unprecedented. In fact, the NFL has a rich history of teams rising from the ashes in a single year. The 2025 Patriots, who went on to reach the Super Bowl, were the 26th NFL team since 2002 to go from worst to first in a single season. Who will be the 2026 version of the Patriots? Which team has the best chance to go from last to first in its division — and potentially make a deep postseason run? In descending order, I rank the fourth-place finishers from last season by the likelihood they will win their division in 2026: Not only do the Cardinals still have major roster issues — they don’t have a clear QB1 — but they also happen to play in the toughest division in football. The Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl last season. The Los Angeles Rams, who had the league’s best offense in 2025, reached the NFC Championship Game (where they lost to Seattle). The San Francisco Niners have won at least 12 games in three of the past four seasons. Arizona has some exciting offensive skill players to build around, including running back Jeremiyah Love, the No. 3 overall pick in the draft. The team took a flier on Miami QB Carson Beck in the third round. New head coach Mike LaFleur, the former Rams offensive coordinator, brings hope of an optimistic future. But the Cardinals’ chances of competing for the NFC West crown in 2026 are unrealistic. On paper, the Jets have had a strong offseason. They upgraded at quarterback with Geno Smith. WR1 Garrett Wilson has pass-catching help in first-round tight end Kenyon Sadiq and second-round receiver Omar Cooper Jr. No. 2 overall pick David Bailey provides pass-rush juice on the edge. The floor of the secondary has been raised with the additions of five-time All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and second-round pick D’Angelo Ponds as well. But challenging for the AFC East title is a huge reach. The Bills still have Josh Allen. Mike Vrabel’s off-the-field issues could be a distraction for the Patriots, but New England still has one of the best teams in the NFL. The Jets have a great chance of climbing out of the cellar in this division, though, if for no other reason than the Dolphins look like the least competitive team in the AFC East. Brighter days could be ahead in Las Vegas. The Raiders have the present and future secured at the quarterback position in Kirk Cousins and No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza. Their revamped defense still has five-time Pro Bowl edge Maxx Crosby in the fold, as his trade to Baltimore was nixed. So Vegas should be more competitive in 2026. But the AFC West features three playoff-caliber teams, including the Denver Broncos — who were a win away from the Super Bowl last season — and a Kansas City Chiefs team that’s getting Patrick Mahomes back. The Raiders making noise in this division would be a surprise. With star quarterbacks Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow healthy for the Ravens and Bengals, respectively, the Browns’ chances of competing for the AFC North title are unlikely. But if Cleveland can get competent play from the quarterback position — Deshaun Watson has emerged as the favorite to start over Shedeur Sanders — this becomes a team to watch. The wide receiver and offensive line rooms have been revamped. Plus, the Browns still boast one of the best defenses in football. The Titans have plenty of reasons to be optimistic. The top of the AFC South is somewhat fragile. For the Jacksonville Jaguars, a first-place schedule and losing key starters like linebacker Devin Lloyd and running back Travis Etienne Jr. in free agency could set the team back in Year 2 under Liam Coen. The Houston Texans, meanwhile, still have questions on offense, despite having arguably the NFL’s best defense. With new coach Robert Saleh, Tennessee has raised its floor substantially. Its defense has a chance to be good, particularly on the defensive line. The cast of pass-catchers around QB Cam Ward is respectable. If Ward makes a big Year 2 jump, the Titans become a wild card. It’s a new age in New York with John Harbaugh. The Super Bowl-winning coach has inherited a talented roster that’s added two top-10 picks (LB Arvell Reese, OL Francis Mauigoa). Harbaugh has also brought in two former Ravens — All-Pro fullback Patrick Ricard, tight end Isaiah Likely— who figure to be pivotal in setting a new culture. The Philadelphia Eagles are a candidate to step back in 2026. For the Dallas Cowboys, their defense is a bit of a wild card. The Washington Commanders are trying to rediscover their 2024 magic. With one of the NFL’s best coaches, the Giants could be in the mix for the NFC East crown — as long as QB Jaxson Dart makes a second-year jump. No division is more wide open than the NFC South, which had three eight-win teams in 2025. If quarterback Tyler Shough takes a step in Year 2, the possibilities open up for New Orleans. No. 8 overall pick Jordyn Tyson is expected to be a top-end wide receiver alongside star Chris Olave, and free-agent acquisition Travis Etienne Jr. is one of the better running backs in the NFL. The Lions are too talented to finish in last place in the NFC North again. Sure, they weren’t even bad in 2025 — they were above .500 with nine wins — but with a fourth-place schedule, it feels inevitable that Dan Campbell & Co. will get back into NFC contention with a double-digit win season. The Chicago Bears, who won the division last year, could cool off a bit with a first-place schedule. The Green Bay Packers face uncertainty regarding the health of edge Micah Parsons (ACL tear in December) and tight end Tucker Kraft (ACL tear in November) and the void created by receiver Romeo Doubs’ departure in free agency. The Minnesota Vikings aren’t even sure who their starting quarterback will be. Watch out for the Lions.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Each year, the release of the NFL schedule brings hope to all 32 fan bases, as everyone charts out how their favorite team can make the playoffs. Well, now it’s time for us to determine whether those hopes are valid. As the NFL released its full regular-season schedule on Thursday, we’re predicting the records for all 32 teams. The Los Angeles Rams remain the favorite to win the Super Bowl following Thursday’s schedule release, but are we sure they’re destined to make another run with Matthew Stafford in 2026? Will the Seattle Seahawks have a strong enough regular season to show they’re a true threat to repeat as Super Bowl champions? We’re planting our flags on the answers to those questions and how every team will perform in the 2026 regular season. AFC East Record prediction: 11-6 Ralph Vacchiano: The Buffalo Bills still have Josh Allen, have improved their defense and probably have a stronger overall team. But the schedule is sneaky dangerous for Joe Brady’s first season as head coach. They already have the eighth-toughest schedule based on last year’s records, but even that’s deceiving because the slate is filled with teams that underachieved in 2025 — like the Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions and Baltimore Ravens (whom the Bills face at home). Add in road trips to Green Bay, Denver and Los Angeles to face the Rams, and there won’t be many breaks. It’s a good thing for them that half the AFC East remains terrible. Record prediction: 5-12 Greg Auman: This is actually an optimistic projection, taking the Dolphins to clear their extremely low over-under of 4.5 wins after going 7-10 last season. The Miami Dolphins have done a full rebrand – new coach, new general manager, new quarterback – and that’s not likely to all take shape in the first year. Looking for easy wins, they have the New York Jets twice and the Las Vegas Raiders. They’ll be an underdog everywhere else, so five wins means Malik Willis holds up well in his first full season as an NFL starter, and Miami’s defense overcomes a young and underwhelming front seven. The reasonable Year 1 challenge for Jeff Hafley’s team is to stay ahead of the Jets and set things up to be competitive in 2027, when they have $145 million in 2027 cap space (only the Jets and Arizona Cardinals have more), so you want to be seen as a franchise on the rise that doesn’t have to overpay to import free-agent talent. Record prediction: 10-7 Henry McKenna: It’s like night and day when looking at the New England Patriots’ home schedule and their schedule on the road. They’ll face five playoff teams on the road, including the Seattle Seahawks (and not including the Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs, who seem primed for comeback years). It’s actually rare for a Super Bowl loser to miss the playoffs altogether, and I don’t think that’ll happen here — not as the Patriots continued to invest in their weakness on offense and built even more depth to their defense. For now, the Patriots must be pleased to have added wide receiver Romeo Doubs and rookie offensive tackle Caleb Lomu. The biggest prize, however, is sure to be A.J. Brown, expected to join New England in a trade later this offseason. Still, the Patriots won’t match their 14-win season last year. Record prediction: 6-11 McKenna: The New York Jets will definitely want to draft a quarterback in 2027. But head coach Aaron Glenn needs to post results this year in the win column. And that’ll take priority, particularly given the Jets have multiple first-rounders, so they can package picks to move up — if they do win more games than expected. Their offense looks young and loaded, with the exception of veteran quarterback Geno Smith. Their defense is totally rebuilt in Glenn’s image. The Jets have a lot of potential easy wins, from the Miami Dolphins (2x), Las Vegas Raiders, Tennessee Titans and Arizona Cardinals. And I think they can steal a game or two away from more impressive teams. AFC North Record prediction: 12-5 Vacchiano: It’s been 28 years since the Baltimore Ravens suffered back-to-back losing seasons, and don’t expect it to happen now that Jesse Minter has taken over for John Harbaugh. With a healthy Lamar Jackson, they are still the class of the AFC North. And they have a great chance to pad their record with games against teams from two of the NFL’s weakest divisions (the NFC South and AFC South). More than half their games are against teams that missed the playoffs last year, and maybe only one — a road trip to Buffalo — is against an obvious Super Bowl contender. If they can avoid the slow start that’s doomed them the last two seasons, this team has a shot to build a lot of momentum and hit the postseason on a roll. Record prediction: 11-6 Ben Arthur: With a healthy Joe Burrow, the Cincinnati Bengals win at least nine games. Their offense is that good in a vacuum. But as we know, what’s held Cincinnati out of the playoffs the last couple of seasons, has been its defense, which ranked 31st in yards allowed and 30th in points given up in 2025. To the Bengals’ credit, they’ve been aggressively building up that side of the ball this offseason. They’ve remade their defensive line with Dexter Lawrence II, Boye Mafe and Jonathan Allen. They added a reliable veteran in Bryan Cook at safety. I don’t think the moves Cincinnati has made are enough to get it back into the AFC’s upper echelon, but the team should be back in the postseason mix. Record prediction: 6-11 Vacchiano: The Cleveland Browns revamped their offensive line, added some young receivers and even strengthened their top-tier defense. But new coach Todd Monken still has the same old problem at quarterback. The only good news is that he might have some space to figure that out against what, based on last season’s records, is the easiest schedule in the league. They face only five games against 2025 playoff teams. Four of their road games are against teams that drafted in the top eight. They only play four teams all season that had a winning record last year. If, by some miracle, they can find a competent quarterback, this could be a real bounce-back season for the Browns. Just don’t hold your breath waiting for that miracle to happen, even against a slate this soft. Record prediction: 8-9 Vacchiano: So much of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ season is riding on the old shoulders of Aaron Rodgers — whether he plays again, or whether he can defy his age for one more season. Whoever their quarterback is will immediately have a tougher challenge if Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow can stay healthy, making the AFC North games much more of a minefield. The Steelers also have to go on the road to New England and Philadelphia, and even their trip to Jacksonville won’t be easy. Playing the NFC South and AFC South gives them plenty of soft spots in the schedule. But finishing first last season gave them their division’s toughest schedule. Given their fragile state, stuck between contending and rebuilding, that’s not much of a prize. AFC South Record prediction: 11-6 Auman: The Houston Texans opened 2-4 last year and then won 10 of 11 behind the best defense in the NFL. Can an overhauled offensive line help them find a top-10 offense to match? The AFC South should be a two-horse race with the Jacksonville Jaguars, but Houston’s second-place schedule might actually be tougher than Jacksonville’s, facing the Buffalo Bills, Green Bay Packers and Los Angeles Chargers, all projected to win more games than their division’s defending champs. Can C.J. Stroud get back to the promise of his rookie year? Adding running back David Montgomery should give the offense more balance after an ineffective run game in 2025 that ranked 29th in yards per carry. Getting Stroud up to 25-plus touchdown passes might be the difference between good and great, with the Texans likely on the road in the AFC divisional round again in 2026. Record prediction: 5-12 Arthur: The Indianapolis Colts’ gamble on Daniel Jones is risky — coming off an Achilles tear in December, there’s no telling how quickly he can get back to the level he was playing at in the beginning of the 2025 season, if at all. Sure, Jonathan Taylor is still around to carry a big load, but the pass game also has a big void with Michael Pittman Jr. out of the picture. And it’s difficult to have confidence in the defense, either. The Colts still have a hole at edge rusher opposite Laiatu Latu. Linebacker Zaire Franklin is gone (traded to the Green Bay Packers), and reliable nickelback Kenny Moore could be joining him, too. Colts owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon was confident in running it back with coach Shane Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard in 2026, but there are too many unknown variables. Record prediction: 10-7 Auman: Everyone expects the Jacksonville Jaguars to take a step back after a wildly successful 13-4 debut season under Liam Coen. Can the defense come close to 31 takeaways this year? Can Trevor Lawrence match (or exceed) a career-best 29 touchdown passes? Jacksonville let two of its top young stars leave in free agency in running back Travis Etienne and linebacker Devin Lloyd, so will they be missed? Is Travis Hunter the playmaker they drafted him to be, or a non-factor again? With a quiet free agency, no first-round pick and a few reaches in the draft, you can argue they lost more talent than they added in the offseason. But the Jaguars had six wins of 14-plus points in the final eight weeks of the regular season; no other team had more than three in that span. If that’s who the 2026 Jaguars are, they’ll win much more than 10 games. Record prediction: 6-11 Arthur: Arguably the NFL’s most talent-deficient team the last two seasons, the Tennessee Titans have raised their floor substantially in the span of a few months. Their defense should be more than competent, particularly on the defensive line. Cam Ward now has a respectable receiver room around him, highlighted by No. 4 overall pick Carnell Tate. That should lead to at least a couple more wins in 2026. Having a last-place schedule (again) will help. But how much of a step does Ward take in Year 2? That’s the big question. The Titans’ future hinges on it. Ward’s showing against some of the NFL’s best defenses as a rookie is reason for optimism. AFC West Record prediction: 11-6 McKenna: It’s a tough draw, adding the superpowered NFC West onto a schedule that doubles up on the outstanding AFC West. If not for that tough schedule, I would’ve increased the Denver Broncos’ win totals significantly. That’s why I envision this season being a bit of a slog for Denver. The addition of wide receiver Jaylen Waddle is thrilling, and he should be a truly sensational option across from Courtland Sutton. The defense might not perform at the same level as last year — just because there tends to be variance from year to year with defenses — but this team should still be really excellent. They were, after all, a Super Bowl favorite, if not for Bo Nix’s injury. If their quarterback stays healthy, this team will again make a deep playoff run. Record prediction: 8-9 McKenna: Out of an abundance of caution, the Kansas City Chiefs probably won’t start quarterback Patrick Mahomes in Week 1. He might be ready ahead of schedule. But the risks are too significant, whether that’s the quarterback suffering another injury, or simply that he doesn’t quite look the same right away. Justin Fields will be in the building to buy Mahomes some time. And while Fields doesn’t strike fear into opponents, coach Andy Reid will find the best ways to use the toolsy, dual-threat quarterback. But this is a team that’s firmly on the fringe of the playoffs, between Mahomes’ injury and the general uncertainty about personnel on offense. Do they have the right wide receiver? Do they have the right tackles? Can Travis Kelce do much more than rotational play? That’s a lot of questions. And with his ACL recovery, Mahomes will have fewer answers than normal. Record prediction: 4-13 Eric D. Williams: In his first year as a head coach, Klint Kubiak’s primary job is to make sure there are no hiccups in No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza’s development. That’s why the Las Vegas  Raiders signed Kirk Cousins, so they don’t have to rush the Indiana product onto the field if he’s not ready. Raiders general manager John Spytek did a nice job of improving the roster through the draft and free agency with signings like center Tyler Linderbaum, and defensive draft picks in safety Treydan Stukes and cornerback Jermod McCoy. The Raiders also benefited from the Ravens rescinding a trade for Maxx Crosby, getting the team’s best player back on the roster. But there will be an uphill climb for Las Vegas to escape the bottom of the AFC West. Record prediction: 10-7 Williams: Securing the services of offensive innovator Mike McDaniel was one of the biggest signings in the league this offseason. McDaniel will design an offense that gets the most out of talented signal caller Justin Herbert, while also doing a better job of keeping him clean. The Los Angeles Chargers will miss departed defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, now the head coach in Baltimore. The Bolts could have used another playmaker on offense and another pass rusher on defense, but head coach Jim Harbaugh will have his team buttoned up and in position to make the playoffs. One-and-done in their first two postseasons together, Herbert and Harbaugh must figure out how to make it happen once they get there. NFC East Record prediction: 6-11 Arthur: An elite offense got the Dallas Cowboys seven wins last season. So, with the same offense and an improved defense entering 2026, getting above .500 should be more than doable. It helps that the NFC East isn’t as threatening as it was a year ago at this time. But their non-division schedule is brutal. The Cowboys have the Jacksonville Jaguars, Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco 49ers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home. Away, they’ll see the Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams. Apart from the Texans, all those teams have offenses that are good to great, ones that should pose big challenges for a first-time defensive coordinator in Christian Parker. The Cowboys’ offense won’t have an easy going, either. Expectations are high in Dallas, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see it take a step back. Record prediction: 7-10 Vacchiano: The New York Giants are expecting big things in the first year of the John Harbaugh era and their second year with Jaxson Dart, especially after enduring one of the NFL’s toughest schedules last season. They’re more in the middle of the pack this year, but the NFC East could be much tougher to navigate. They also play seven 2025 playoff teams, and they have to go on the road to face the defending Super Bowl champs (Seattle Seahawks), plus tough trips to Houston, Philly, Detroit and Los Angeles (the Rams). They do have a chance to build up some equity at home, where they face the Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns, Arizona Cardinals and New Orleans Saints, so that will help. But the rough road could put a cap on any overall improvements that they make. Record prediction: 12-5 Vacchiano: The Philadelphia Eagles are as loaded as ever, and if they can just get some consistency up front and a little better play out of their offense, they’ve got a chance to be a Super Bowl contender. They sure will have to run the gauntlet of contenders to get there, though. They’ve got home games against the Los Angeles Rams, Houston Texans and the defending champion Seattle Seahawks, plus road trips to San Francisco, Chicago and Jacksonville. The NFC East is better too, but the Eagles are still the class of that division, by far. And they can fatten up their record on AFC South teams, too. But they will be tested constantly this season against some of the NFL’s elite. If nothing else, it’ll be very clear where they stand heading into the playoffs. Record prediction: 6-11 Vacchiano: The Washington Commanders are counting on the healthy return of Jayden Daniels to vault them into contention, but even that could be tough unless the complete rebuild of their league-worst defense actually works. They’ll find out because they face six of the top 11 offensive teams from last season, plus two more teams (Philadelphia Eagles, Cincinnati Bengals) that could be in the top 10 this year. In fact, outside of road trips to Arizona and Tennessee, they don’t face anyone who doesn’t have a legit shot at the playoffs in 2026. Daniels’ return will surely give them a boost, but they are plugging in so many new pieces, including two new coordinators, that they might need time to figure it all out. But this schedule really doesn’t give them any breaks. NFC North Record prediction: 11-6 McKenna: The Chicago Bears have something special in Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams. And 11 wins is actually quite generous, given their schedule, the toughest in the NFL (in terms of opponents’ combined winning percentage in 2025). Williams and Johnson have continued to develop the level of trust that’s instrumental for long-term success in the NFL. Even with the Bears winning a lot of close victories (and even with those sorts of teams tending toward regression), I believe in what Johnson is building. I believe in the ways the coach is developing Williams. And I see a clear path from general manager Ryan Poles in building up the offense last year (still reaching maturity) before addressing the defense in a big way this year. Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen has way more tools to improve that unit. This Bears team will be more consistent — and, in turn, better. Record prediction: 10-7 Arthur: On paper, the Detroit Lions’ offense is worse off. Standout RB2 David Montgomery is out of the picture. There are shuffling parts on an O- line that struggled in 2025. But with a fourth-place schedule, Detroit is poised to have a bounce-back year. Of the Lions’ 11 non-division games, just three are against teams that made the playoffs last year — New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills and Carolina Panthers. Their road slate includes favorable matchups: Atlanta Falcons, Miami Dolphins and Arizona Cardinals. The Lions clearly have a path to double-digit victories. It remains to be seen, though, if they can get back into the NFC’s elite with all the personnel changes. Record prediction: 10-7 Arthur: The Green Bay Packers’ path to being one of the NFC’s top contenders is filled with “ifs.” If Micah Parsons is healthy. If Tucker Kraft is healthy. If 2025 first-round pick Matthew Golden steps up at receiver, filling the void left by Romeo Doubs’ departure. Throw in the fact that they have a second-place schedule, too. But Green Bay is somewhat fortunate with its game slate. Outside the division, games against the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers and Miami Dolphins should be wins at home. On the road, the Packers have the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium, which doesn’t provide the best home-field advantage. This should be a double-digit win season for Green Bay. Record prediction: 7-10 McKenna: The discount for Kyler Murray was incredible. The quarterback-value contract did not, however, embolden the Minnesota Vikings to go out and fix their many problems. In fact, they shipped off edge Jonathan Greenard, one of their best players, in a trade. And without much of a free agency class (due to cap constraints), the Vikings will have to rely upon their rookie defensive linemen Caleb Banks and Domonique Orange to contribute right away. Given Banks’ injury history (a 300-pound man with foot issues), I have concerns. Last year was the year when they were supposed to contend. Because that flopped, this might have to be their get-right year. NFC South Record prediction: 8-9 Auman: Adding Kevin Stefanski as head coach should be good for an Atlanta Falcons offense that ranked 24th in scoring last year, but they didn’t sign a free agent making more than $5 million a year (and that was tackle Jawaan Taylor), and they lost four free agents making at least that much. They didn’t have a first-round pick due to trading up for edge rusher James Pearce Jr. last year, so there isn’t much of an influx of talent. Do they want Tua Tagovailoa or Michael Penix to be the starting quarterback? Or neither and draft another in 2027? Atlanta lost seven of eight games in the middle of 2025 – win just one more of those and it’s somehow division champs. The NFC South is close enough that any of the four teams can enter 2026 with confidence, but it still feels like a ninth straight year missing the playoffs. Record prediction: 9-8 Auman: Could the Carolina Panthers have a better record than 2025 and still miss out on a division title? Finishing first last year means they get to play the Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos and Philadelphia Eagles, and it’s hard to see them going better than 1-2 in those games. Carolina actively upgraded its defense, writing big checks to land edge rusher Jaelan Phillips and linebacker Devin Lloyd. The Panthers put their top two draft picks into both sides of the line of scrimmage, addressing clear needs. Head coach Dave Canales has given up play-calling duties, so there’s uncertainty in how a first-time playcaller in Brad Idzik can handle that challenge. Bryce Young’s three NFL seasons have seen his touchdown pass total rise from 11 to 15 to 23 – if he can continue that rise in 2026, the Panthers aren’t far from repeating as division champs. Record prediction: 8-9 Auman: The New Orleans Saints were the opposite of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last year, opening 2-10 then surprising with four wins in the final five weeks. Can quarterback Tyler Shough sustain that strong finish over a full season? New Orleans actively upgraded the offense around him, signing running back Travis Etienne and guard David Edwards before drafting receiver Jordyn Tyson and adding much-needed depth at receiver and tight end. Can the return of linebacker Kaden Elliss offset the loss of Demario Davis? Can a young secondary step up after losing key names over the last two years? A last-place schedule is a major help, giving them the Arizona Cardinals, Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants as three winnable games. All four NFC South teams went 3-3 in division, so if anyone can just take care of business in those games, the division title could go with that. Record prediction: 10-7 Auman: Can the Tampa Bay Buccaneers stay healthy in 2026? They pushed through injuries in their 6-2 start and were scuttled by them in losing seven of eight down the stretch, a collapse that nearly cost Todd Bowles his job. The defensive front is much improved – a healthy defensive tackle Caliah Kancey, vet Al-Quadin Muhammad and rookies Rueben Bain Jr. and Josiah Trotter will make life easier for the secondary. How do they adjust to losing two franchise icons with Lavonte David retiring and Mike Evans signing with the San Francisco 49ers? Can the offense under new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson look more like 2024 under Liam Coen, with Kenny Gainwell sparking what should be a solid running game? The NFC South plays the NFC North this year — three years ago, the Bucs won the division going 3-1 against the North when the rest of the division went 2-10. If they can even go 2-2, it could be the difference in a tightly bunched division. NFC West Record prediction: 4-13 Williams: Playing competent and competitive football under first-year head coach Mike LaFleur is the goal for the Arizona Cardinals. Arizona ignored the pocket protectors, eschewing positional value in favor of taking, who many NFL scouts I spoke with believed was the best player in the draft, running back Jeremiyah Love at No. 3. Intimately familiar with a diversity of run game schemes, LaFleur will build an offense that best uses Love’s unique skill set. Not finishing last in the NFC West would be a big win for the Cardinals. Record prediction: 9-8 Williams: The Los Angeles Rams pushed all their chips into the middle of the table for the 2026 season, making a blockbuster trade with the Kansas City Chiefs for versatile slot corner Trent McDuffie and signing his teammate, outside cornerback Jaylen Watson, in free agency, significantly upgrading a defense that let them down in the NFC Championship Game at Seattle. However, Matthew Stafford is 38 years old and played all 17 games last season for the first time since 2021. And slated to back Stafford up is surprising first-round pick Ty Simpson, who has never taken an NFL snap and is a play away from leading a team that is the current betting favorite to win the Super Bowl. The Rams also must make sure Puka Nacua’s off-the-field issues are in the rearview mirror. Record prediction: 10-7 Williams: The San Francisco 49ers improved on offense with the additions of veteran receivers Mike Evans and Christian Kirk, and the return of linebacker Dre Greenlaw in free agency should help bring intensity and juice back to the defense. The returns of Fred Warner and Nick Bosa from season-ending injuries should help that as well. San Francisco still has one of the most talented teams in the league. But the 49ers are also one of the older teams, and it’s hard to see them staying healthy for an entire season. Looks like the Super Bowl window of this version of Kyle Shanahan’s team is closing. Record prediction: 11-6 Williams: The Seattle Seahawks have the league’s Offensive Player of the Year returning in wide receiver Jackson Smith-Njigba and everyone else on offense, other than Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III. They also lost some important players defensively in free agency, like cornerback Riq Woolen, safety Coby Bryant and edge rusher Boye Mafe, but the foundational pieces remain and the Seahawks still have one of the youngest rosters in the league. The bottom line is that the Super Bowl window is still wide open, and the Seahawks have a chance to appear in back-to-back NFL title games for the first time since the 2013-2014 seasons.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

With the 2026 NFL schedule now released, we know what the regular season will look like. But of course, we don’t know how it will end — or which 14 teams will make the playoffs. That’s what I’m here to tell you. And I’m not just here to tell you who will make the playoffs. Let’s also go through the postseason with a Madden-like simulation to imagine what might happen, from the wild-card games to the Super Bowl. I’m going to project the scores in every playoff game, because there’s no detail too small for a way-too-early playoff prediction bracket. This is the fun time of the year, when every team can win the Super Bowl. I’ll take a crack at predicting who will win. And how they’ll do it. AFC Playoff Standings The most obvious omission is superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. And my reasoning is fairly simple. First, Mahomes is coming back from an ACL injury that he suffered in December. Even if he returns in Week 1 (and I’m dubious), he won’t be the same player until late in the year — and maybe even 2027. Second, the AFC West is one of the best divisions in the NFL, especially because the Las Vegas Raiders should improve drastically this year. And third, the Chiefs’ roster sorely lacked talent last year, and you could argue they traded their third-best player, cornerback Trent McDuffie, this offseason. The AFC South feels like a coin flip between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Houston Texans. I’ll take the Jags, in large part because I trust coach Liam Coen, and because of Texans quarterback. C.J. Stroud’s playoff collapse. But Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence and Coen figured something out last year, and I think they can sustain their success. The Bengals, meanwhile, invested in their defense this offseason and should see a real return on that investment. Their schedule is easy. They’ve assembled talent. All they have to do is avoid the slow start that has plagued them seemingly every year under coach Zac Taylor — and I like them to win at least three of their first five games going into their Week 6 bye. Don’t count me as a believer in the Pittsburgh Steelers — or Aaron Rodgers, if he returns. I have even less faith in the playoff-hopeful Indianapolis Colts and Daniel Jones, who’s returning from a torn right Achilles tendon. NFC Playoff Standings Every one of my NFC playoff permutations left out an elite team, which made for an impossible decision. In this case, it was the Green Bay Packers who didn’t make the cut. It genuinely pains me to leave them out, because they’re as good as any of the other teams in the NFC’s playoff pool. Also left out were the Washington Commanders, a team that, if quarterback Jayden Daniels is healthy, could see a real surge, particularly if all their new defensive pieces come together. Even after making the NFC Championship Game two years ago, they’re somehow a sleeper in their conference. Ultimately, I couldn’t bet against the Chicago Bears — which, admittedly, is a little bit crazy. They won several close games last season to finish at 11-6, and those sorts of teams tend to regress. But over the offseason, I spoke to head coach Ben Johnson about the team’s plan to fend off regression and I came away convinced that Chicago is here to stay. Johnson and third-year QB Caleb Williams should take a big step forward. But most importantly, I think defensive coordinator Dennis Allen’s unit will improve drastically, which is what this team really needs in order to finish with a similar record as last season. As for the seeding order, the NFC West is about as hard to predict as can be. The 49ers get the edge because they have a weak schedule and they put together a solid free-agency class, which includes veteran receiver Mike Evans. But the NFC’s top seed could just as easily be the Rams or Seahawks (again). As usual, the NFC South is up for grabs. And as usual, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the consensus favorite. But the Saints have a hilariously easy schedule. In his first season at the helm, coach Kellen Moore got the New Orleans offense humming, admittedly against bad defenses last year. And given all that the Saints did to invest in their continued reboot, with receiver Jordyn Tyson, guard David Edwards and running back Travis Etienne, I think they could find themselves at the top of the division. AFC Wild-Card Round Bye: Broncos NFC Wild-Card Round Bye: 49ers Wouldn’t it be crazy to have a road-team sweep in the NFC? There’s no way the Saints advance. And the Lions will likely have a record that reflects their weak schedule, which could leave them ripe for an upset in Round 1, particularly when matched up against former Detroit OC Ben Johnson, who knows the team’s system and personnel inside and out. Even with the Lions executing a pair of 2-point conversions, Dan Campbell can’t take down the coach he mentored. On the AFC side, the Patriots won’t have the same endurance this year — despite getting better over the course of last postseason. They seem like a team that will regress, which will look like a one-and-done playoff appearance. The Bills are going to be a team with a new-ish identity, particularly on defense, and I think that could make them as dangerous as ever in the postseason, even if it means generating the final stop in a shootout with the Ravens. And remember: Josh Allen is 2-0 against Lamar Jackson in the playoffs. The Chargers get an upset, fueled largely by their run game, which new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel is going to turn into something special. AFC Divisional Round NFC Divisional Round The Bengals were — just a few years ago — one of the best-built teams in the NFL and a few points away from a Super Bowl win over the Rams. A lot has changed since then. The quarterback, Joe Burrow, has not. This feels like the season when his love for football returns. This feels like the season when the Bengals support him. As a result, Burrow takes Josh Allen down to advance to the AFC Championship Game. In a rematch of last season’s NFC Championship Game, the Rams get their revenge. L.A. was essentially one play away from beating the Seahawks in Seattle, and I think that the Seahawks would be lucky to see New Orleans in Round 1. Seattle looks bound for a regression year as it restocks the defense. (If the Seahawks saw anyone other than an NFC South team, they’d probably be one-and-done.) AFC Championship NFC Championship If quarterback Bo Nix didn’t break his ankle in the divisional round last season, the Broncos would have made the Super Bowl. They might have even made it if that crazy snow storm hadn’t blown into Denver so quickly and intensely. And it looked like, with Nix, the Broncos were the only great team in an otherwise unspectacular conference. So with the AFC still lacking (compared to the NFC), the Broncos get their second chance. And they’ll convert on it, taking care of Cincinnati, whose questions at cornerback might prove too severe to make a complete Super Bowl run. The Rams can’t quite make good on their second chance in the conference title game. Instead, Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford watch as the 49ers eke out a win in San Francisco, in part because they have home-field advantage and in part because they earned the NFC bye. The 49ers are a deep team. They have elite players at premium positions. They have a relatively easy schedule outside their division. This could be their year. Super Bowl LXI What a strange matchup of quarterbacks: Nix and Brock Purdy. What a logical matchup of coaches: Sean Payton and Kyle Shanahan. What an excellent matchup of defenses. It feels like Payton and Nix are only coming to understand each other better. It feels like Broncos OC Davis Webb will be the hot head coaching candidate next offseason. And it feels like former Dolphins receiver Jaylen Waddle is the perfect addition to the Denver offense. (Don’t sleep on rookie tight end Justin Joly either!) That offensive unit proves to be too much against the 49ers, whose age might start to show at this point in the postseason. Running back Christian McCaffrey, tight end George Kittle and receiver Mike Evans might all be among the best at their positions, but they have plenty of wear and tear. That’s how the Broncos find their advantage, with their young and fast defense taking care of Purdy & Co. Payton gets his second Super Bowl victory. And he does it by making Nix look a little bit like Saints legend Drew Brees, including on the game-winning drive when the Broncos convert a two-pointer, rather than settling for a tie (and, likely, overtime).​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

For over three decades, many of the NFL’s top regular-season matchups have taken place on FOX’s “America’s Game of the Week.” That will certainly be the case for the 2026 season, too. Several of the NFL’s best teams will be featured in “America’s Game of the Week” in 2026, with FOX Sports announcing the nine games that will be featured in that window as part of Thursday’s schedule release. Six of the matchups are between division rivals, including a rematch of one of last season’s epic playoff games. And this slate doesn’t even include what will happen on Thanksgiving Day, when the Dallas Cowboys host the Philadelphia Eagles on FOX, and Christmas Day, when the Seattle Seahawks host the Los Angeles Rams on FOX. So, as we now know where Tom Brady, Kevin Burkhardt, Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi will be spending several Sundays this fall, let’s take a look at the early storylines we’re watching for in each of the America’s Game of the Week matchups announced on Thursday: The season launches with two NFC East showdowns. The Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders met twice in the final three weeks of the regular season last year, and they’re back at it in their 2026 opener. The Commanders actually opened last year 3-2 and then went 2-10 the rest of the way. Can a healthy Jayden Daniels get back to his phenomenal rookie form of 2024? Washington’s pass defense ranked 31st in average yards per pass play, so it’s a major test for them to open against an upgraded Eagles pass game, which will likely be without A.J. Brown but added first-round pick Makai Lemon and veterans Dontayvion Wicks and Hollywood Brown at wide receiver. Watch out for running back Saquon Barkley, who has averaged 143 rushing yards in his last three games against Washington, with a combined five touchdowns. The Dallas Cowboys haven’t won more than one playoff game in any season for 30 years, but one thing they can hang their hat on is handling the Washington Commanders. They swept their divisional rival last year and have an 8-2 record since the start of 2021. Dak Prescott threw for 571 yards and five touchdowns and no interceptions against Washington last year, and if the Commanders are to get back to anything closer to their 2024 breakout, they’ll need to hold their own in the division. Can rookie linebacker Sonny Styles lead a defensive bounce-back year for Washington? The Commanders ranked dead last in total defense and 31st in the red zone, and this is a chance to show what’s changed against a dangerous offense. The Green Bay Packers have been a wild-card team three years in a row, and a home division game like this is a must-win if they are going to catch the Chicago Bears for an NFC North title. The two games at Soldier Field last year were epic for Chicago’s Caleb Williams — rallying from 10 down with two minutes left to win in overtime in the regular season, then another comeback from 11 down with five minutes to play for a huge win in the playoffs. Jordan Love had three touchdown passes in last year’s win over Chicago at Lambeau Field. After 32 touchdown passes in his first year as a starter, Love has had 25 and 23 in the last two seasons. Can he find a connection with second-year receiver Matthew Golden to get back to his 2023 form? A healthy part of the Lions’ slide from 15-2 in 2024 to 9-8 in 2025 was going from sweeping the Lions to being swept. Detroit’s defense dropped from seventh in points allowed in 2024 to 22nd, and the Packers averaged 29 points in the wins over the Lions. Can a retooled offensive line get Detroit back into playoff form? New Packers defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon should have Micah Parsons back healthy by this game, though starting the season without him could get Green Bay out to a slow start. Detroit’s health is a key, and you’ll see how they’re better with defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike back after missing all of last season. For the first time since he joined FOX Sports in 2024, Tom Brady is set to call a game featuring the New England Patriots. Brady is slated to be in the booth when the Patriots host the Packers in Week 9 in Foxborough. For Green Bay, it gets featured on America’s Game of the Week three times in a span of five weeks, this time going on the road to face the defending AFC champs. New England flipped so much from 2024 to last year’s breakout success, but that included going 1-4 against NFC teams in 2024 and then 5-0 in the regular season last year. Brady went just 4-3 against the Packers in his career — one of his least successful career records — playing long enough to lose to Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers alike. Drake Maye was especially good against NFC opponents last year, with 11 touchdown passes against just two interceptions. New San Francisco 49ers receiver Mike Evans is just 1-3 at AT&T Stadium with two touchdowns in his four games there. Can his playmaking ability take San Francisco’s offense to another level? The 49ers ranked fifth in red-zone efficiency and first on third downs last season, and Evans could help them end a surprising drought — San Francisco hasn’t had a receiver catch 10-plus touchdowns in a season since … Terrell Owens in 2002. (Tight ends have done so, but no receivers). Dallas had the NFL’s worst scoring defense last year, allowing 30 points per game, so rookie safety Caleb Downs will lead the efforts to improve there. The Cowboys had just 12 takeaways in all of 2025, the third-lowest total in the league. The NFC West has perhaps three of the top eight teams in the NFL. Last year, the Seattle Seahawks bookended their regular season with the 49ers, losing the opener and then winning in Week 18, followed by a 41-6 thrashing in the playoffs. Seattle’s home-field advantage isn’t what it once was. The Seahawks were 34-6 at home from 2012-16 in their “Legion of Doom” heyday, but they were 16-18 at home from 2021-24 before bouncing back with a 6-2 mark (plus two home playoff wins) last season. Will the NFC West powers beat each other up enough that the division doesn’t get the NFC’s top seed? If the division is to send a team to the Super Bowl for the fourth time in six years, they might have to be road warriors in January. Alas, the Cincinnati Bengals defense — over the last two seasons, Cincinnati has seven games in which it has scored at least 33 points and lost. No other team in the NFL has more than two such games in the same span. Will that be the case for Joe Burrow and friends in 2026?  The Bengals acquired defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and imported Boye Mafe and Jonathan Allen for their defensive front. If they can just get a top-20 defense, that might be enough to get them into the playoffs. Can Patrick Mahomes have a healthy bounce-back season after going 6-8 as a starter and throwing only 22 touchdowns? By this game, Kansas City Chiefs rookie corner Mansoor Delane should have played enough to have confidence trying to cover another LSU standout in Bengals receiver Ja’Marr Chase. The Ben Johnson Bowl is back. Chicago went 11-6 and won the division last year despite Johnson getting swept by his old team, including a 52-21 drubbing in Week 2 in Detroit. This is a game that could have major playoff implications, in the division and the conference. Watch for Chicago’s two second-year pass-catchers to shine, with tight end Colston Loveland leading the team in receptions as a rookie last year and receiver Luther Bolden emerging in the final month of his first season. Which quarterback will throw more touchdown passes in 2026? It’s a close call between Detroit’s Jared Goff (who threw 34 last year) and Chicago’s Caleb Williams, who threw for 27 himself.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

It’s time. Four years of preparation will culminate in 1,248 players across 48 countries getting the call every player dreams of to represent their nation at the 2026 FIFA World Cup this summer: Here is the full list of rosters for all 48 countries participating in the 2026 FIFA World Cup: Roster to be released by June 1st. Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa), Gerónimo Rulli (Olympique de Marseille), Juan Musso (Atlético de Madrid), Walter Benítez (Crystal Palace FC), Facundo Cambeses (Racing Club), Santiago Beltrán (River Plate) Defenders: Agustín Giay (Palmeiras), Gonzalo Montiel (River Plate), Nahuel Molina (Atlético de Madrid), Nicolás Capaldo (Hamburger SV), Kevin Mac Allister (Union Saint Gilloise), Lucas Martínez Quarta (River Plate), Marcos Senesi (Bournemouth), Lisandro Martínez (Manchester United), Nicolás Otamendi (SL Benfica), Germán Pezzella (River Plate), Leonardo Balerdi (Olympique de Marseille), Cristian Romero (Tottenham Hotspur), Lautaro Di Lollo (Boca Juniors), Zaid Romero (Getafe CF), Facundo Medina (Olympique de Marseille), Marcos Acuña (River Plate), Nicolás Tagliafico (Olympique Lyonnais), Gabriel Rojas (Racing Club) Midfielders: Máximo Perrone (Como 1907), Leandro Paredes (Boca Juniors), Guido Rodríguez (Valencia CF), Aníbal Moreno (River Plate), Milton Delgado (Boca Juniors), Alan Varela (FC Porto), (Ezequiel Fernández (Bayer Leverkusen), Rodrigo De Paul (Inter Miami), Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen), Enzo Fernández (Chelsea), Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool), Giovani Lo Celso (Real Betis), Nicolás Domínguez (Nottingham Forest), Emiliano Buendía (Aston Villa), Valentín Barco (RC Strasbourg) Forwards: Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Nicolás Paz (Como 1907), Franco Mastantuono (Real Madrid), Thiago Almada (Atlético de Madrid), Tomás Aranda (Boca Juniors), Nicolás González (Atlético de Madrid), Alejandro Garnacho (Chelsea), Giuliano Simeone (Atlético de Madrid), Matías Soulé (AS Roma), Claudio Echeverri (Girona FC), Gianluca Prestianni (SL Benfica), Santiago Castro (Bologna FC), Lautaro Martínez (Internazionale), José Manuel López (Palmeiras), Julián Álvarez (Atlético de Madrid), Mateo Pellegrino (Parma Calcio) Final Roster to be released on May 30. Roster to be released on June 1. Roster to be released on May 18. Roster to be released on May 15. Goalkeepers: Nikola Vasilj (FC St. Pauli), Martin Zlomislić (HNK Rijeka), Osman Hadžikić (Slaven Belupo) Defenders: Sead Kolašinac (Atalanta), Amar Dedić (Benfica), Nihad Mujakić (Gaziantep), Nikola Katić (Schalke 04), Tarik Muharemović (Sassuolo), Stjepan Radeljić (HNK Rijeka), Dennis Hadžikadunić (Sampdoria), Nidal Čelik (Lens) Midfielders: Amir Hadžiahmetović (Hull City), Ivan Šunjić (Pafos), Ivan Bašić (Astana), Dženis Burnić (Karlsruher SC), Ermin Mahmić (Slovan Liberec), Benjamin Tahirović (Brøndby), Amar Memić (Viktoria Plzeň), Armin Gigović (Young Boys), Kerim Alajbegović (Red Bull Salzburg), Esmir Bajraktarević (PSV Eindhoven) Forwards: Ermedin Demirović (VfB Stuttgart), Jovo Lukić (Universitatea Cluj), Samed Baždar (Jagiellonia Białystok), Haris Tabaković (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Edin Džeko (Schalke 04) Roster to be released on May 18. Roster to be released by June 1st. Roster to be released by June 1st. Goalkeepers: Camilo Vargas (Atlas), David Ospina (Atlético Nacional), Álvaro Montero (Vélez Sarsfield), Kevin Mier (Cruz Azul), Andres Mosquera Marmolejo (Independiente Santa Fe), Aldair Quintana (Independiente del Valle) Defenders: Johan Mojica (RCD Mallorca), Álvaro Angulo (Pumas), Deiver Machado (RC Lens), Cristian Borja (Club América), Junior Hernandez (Deportes Tolima), Daniel Muñoz (Crystal Palace), Santiago Arias (Independiente), Andrés Román (Atlético Nacional), Edier Ocampo (Vancouver Whitecaps), Yerry Mina (Cagliari), Davinson Sánchez (Galatasaray), Jhon Lucumí (Bologna), Willer Ditta (Cruz Azul), Yerson Mosquera (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Carlos Cuesta (Vasco da Gama), Juan Cabal (Juventus), Jhohan Romaña (San Lorenzo) Midfielders: Jefferson Lerma (Crystal Palace), Richard Ríos (Benfica), Juan Camilo Portilla (Talleres de Córdoba), Nelson Deossa (Pachuca), Gustavo Puerta (Hull City), Kevin Castaño (Krasnodar), Jhon Solís (Girona), Jorge Carrascal (Dynamo Moscow), James Rodríguez (Minnesota United), Jhon Arias (Palmeiras), Juan Fernando Quintero (Racing Club), Yaser Asprilla (Girona), Sebastian Gomez (Coritiba), Juan Manuel Rengifo (Independiente Santa Fe), Jordan Barrera (Barranquilla FC), Wilmar Barrios (Zenit Saint Petersburg), Juan Cuadrado (Atalanta), Johan Rojas (Vasco da Gama) Forwards: Luis Díaz (Bayern Munich), Carlos Andrés Gómez (Vasco da Gama), Johan Carbonero (Racing Club), Jaminton Campaz (Rosario Central), Luis Suárez (Sporting CP), Jhon Córdoba (Krasnodar), Rafael Santos Borré (Internacional), Neiser Villareal (Millonarios), Kevin Viveros (Atlético Nacional), Edwin Cetre (Estudiantes de La Plata), Juan Camilo Hernandez (Columbus Crew), John Steven Mendoza (León), Sebastian Villa (Independiente Rivadavia) Roster to be released by June 1st. Roster to be released on May 15. Roster to be released on June 1. Roster to be released by June 1st. Goalkeepers: Lukas Hornicek (Braga), Martin Jedlicka (Banik Ostrava), Antonín Kinsky (Tottenham), Jan Koutny (Sigma Olomouc), Matej Kovar (PSV Eindhoven), Jakub Markovic (Slavia Prague), Jindrich Stanek (Slavia Prague) Defenders: Vladimír Coufal (TSG Hoffenheim), David Douděra (Slavia Prague), Matěj Hadaš (Sigma Olomouc), Tomáš Holeš (Slavia Prague), Robin Hranáč (TSG Hoffenheim), Štěpán Chaloupek (Slavia Prague), Václav Jemelka (Viktoria Plzen), David Jurásek (Slavia Prague), Ladislav Krejčí (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Karel Spáčil (Viktoria Plzen), Adam Ševínský (Sparta Prague), Martin Vitík (Bologna), Tomáš Vlček (Slavia Prague), Jaroslav Zelený (Sparta Prague), David Zima (Slavia Prague) Midfielders: Lukas Ambros (Gornik Zabrze), Michal Beran (Sigma Olomouc), Pavel Bucha (FC Cincinnati), Lukás Cerv (Viktoria Plzen), Krystof Danek (LASK Linz), Vladimir Darida (Hradec Kralove), Patrik Hellebrand (Gornik Zabrze), Adam Karabec (Lyon), Ondrej Kricfaluši (Banik Ostrava), Tomáš Ladra (Viktoria Plzen), David Planka (Banik Ostrava), Lukás Provod (Slavia Prague), Matěj Ryneš (Sparta Prague), Lukas Sadílek (Gornik Zabrze), Michal Sadílek (Slavia Prague), Hugo Sochůrek (Sparta Prague), Alexandr Sojka (Viktoria Plzen), Tomáš Souček (West Ham), Pavel Šulc (Lyon), Denis Višinský (Viktoria Plzen) Forwards: Adam Hložek (TSG Hoffenheim), Tomáš Chorý (Slavia Prague), Mojmír Chytil (Slavia Prague), Christophe Kabongo (Mlada Boleslav), Jan Kliment (Sigma Olomouc), Jan Kuchta (Sparta Prague), Vasil Kušej (Slavia Prague), Ondřej Mihálik (Hradec Kralove), Vojtěch Patrák (Pardubice), Václav Sejk (Sigma Olomouc), Patrik Schick (Bayer Leverkusen), Matej Vydra (Viktoria Plzen) Final Roster to be released by June 1st. Roster to be released by June 1st. Roster to be released by June 1st. Roster to be released on May 22. Goalkeepers: Mike Maignan (AC Milan), Robin Risser (Lens), Brice Samba (Rennes) Defenders: Malo Gusto (Chelsea), Maxence Lacroix (Crystal Palace), Jules Kounde (Barcelona), Lucas Digne (Aston Villa), Ibrahima Konate (Liverpool), William Saliba (Arsenal), Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich), Lucas Hernandez (Paris Saint-Germain), Theo Hernandez (Al Hilal) Midfielders: Aurelien Tchouameni (Real Madrid), Adrien Rabiot (AC Milan), N’Golo Kante (Fenerbahce), Manu Kone (Roma), Warren Zaire-Emery (Paris Saint-Germain) Forwards: Ousmane Dembele (Paris Saint-Germain), Bradley Barcola (Paris Saint-Germain), Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace), Rayan Cherki (Manchester City), Marcus Thuram (Inter Milan), Maghnes Akliouche (Monaco), Desire Doue (Paris Saint-Germain), Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid), Michael Olise (Bayern Munich) Roster to be released on May 21. Roster to be released by June 1st. Roster to be released by June 1st. Roster to be released by June 1st. Roster to be released by June 1st. Roster to be released on May 15. Roster to be released by June 1st. Roster to be released on May 16. Goalkeepers: Alex Padilla (Athletic Club), Antonio Rodríguez (Tijuana), Carlos Acevedo (Santos Laguna), Carlos Moreno (Pachuca), Guillermo Ochoa (AEL Limassol), Raúl Rangel (Chivas) Defenders: Bryan González (Chivas), César Montes (Lokomotiv Moscow), Edson Álvarez (Fenerbahçe), Eduardo Águila (Atlético de San Luis), Everardo López (Toluca), Israel Reyes (América), Jesús Angulo (Tigres), Jesús Gallardo (Toluca), Jesús Gómez (Tijuana), Johan Vásquez (Genoa), Jorge Sánchez (PAOK), Julián Araujo (Celtic), Luis Rey (Puebla), Mateo Chávez (AZ Alkmaar), Ramón Juárez (América), Richard Ledezma (Chivas), Víctor Guzmán (Monterrey) Midfielders: Alexei Domínguez (Pachuca), Alexis Gutiérrez (America), Alvaro Fidalgo (Real Betis), Brian Gutiérrez (Chivas), Carlos Rodríguez (Cruz Azul), Denzell Garcia (FC Juarez), Diego Lainez (Tigres), Efrain Álvarez (Chivas), Elias Montiel (Pachuca), Erick Sánchez (America), Erik Lira (Cruz Azul), Gilberto Mora (Tijuana), Isaías Violante (America), Jeremy Márquez (Cruz Azul), Jordan Carrillo (Pumas), Jorge Ruvalcaba (NY Red Bulls), Kevin Castañeda (Tijuana), Luis Chávez (Dinamo Moscu), Luis Romo (Chivas), Marcel Ruiz (Toluca), Obed Vargas (Atlético de Madrid), Orbelin Pineda (AEK), Jesús Angulo (Toluca) Forwards: Alexis Vega (Toluca), Armando González (Chivas), César Huerta (Anderlecht), Germán Berterame (Inter Miami), Guillermo Martínez (Pumas), Julián Quiñones (Al-Qadisiyah), Raúl Jiménez (Fulham), Roberto Alvarado (Chivas), Santiago Giménez (Milan) Final Roster to be released on June 1. Roster to be released on May 21. Roster to be released on May 25. Goalkeepers: Max Crocombe (Millwall), Alex Paulsen (Lechia Gdańsk), Michael Woud (Auckland FC) Defenders: Tim Payne (Wellington Phoenix), Francis De Vries (Auckland FC), Tyler Bindon (Nottingham Forest), Michael Boxall (Minnesota United), Liberato Cacace (Wrexham), Nando Pijnaker (Auckland FC), Finn Surman (Portland Timbers), Callan Elliot (Auckland FC), Tommy Smith (Braintree Town) Midfielders: Joe Bell (Viking FK), Matt Garbett (Peterborough United), Marko Stamenic (Swansea City), Sarpreet Singh (Wellington Phoenix), Alex Rufer (Wellington Phoenix), Ryan Thomas (PEC Zwolle) Forwards: Chris Wood (Nottingham Forest), Eli Just (Motherwell), Kosta Barbarouses (Western Sydney Wanderers), Ben Waine (Port Vale), Ben Old (Saint-Étienne), Callum McCowatt (Silkeborg IF), Jesse Randall (Auckland FC), Lachlan Bayliss (Newcastle Jets) Roster to be released on May 21. Roster to be released on May 26. Goalkeepers: Roberto Fernández (Cerro Porteño), Orlando Gill (San Lorenzo), Gastón Olveira (Olimpia), Carlos Coronel (Sao Paulo), Santiago Rojas (Nacional), Juan Espínola (Barracas Central) Defenders: Gustavo Gómez (Palmeiras), Júnior Alonso (Atletico Mineiro), Fabián Balbuena (Gremio), Omar Alderete (Sunderland), Juan Caceres (Dynamo Moscow), Blas Riveros (Cerro Porteno), Alan Benitez (Libertad), Agustin Sandez (Rosario Central), Mateo Gamarra (Cruzeiro), Saul Salcedo (Newell’s Old Boys), Jose Canale (Lanus), Diego León (Manchester United), Alexandro Maidana (Talleres), Alcides Benitez (Belgrano), Ronaldo Dejesus (Lanus), Alan Nuñez (Nacional) Midfielders: Miguel Almirón (Atlanta United), Mathías Villasanti (Gremio), Kaku (Al Ain), Andrés Cubas (Vancouver Whitecaps), Ramón Sosa (Palmeiras), Diego Gómez (Brighton & Hove Albion), Damián Bobadilla (Sao Paulo), Braian Ojeda (Orlando City), Matías Galarza (Atlanta United), Robert Piris Da Motta (Cerro Porteno), Alvaro Campuzano (Libertad), Diego Gonzalez (Atlas), Hugo Cuenca (Burgos), Mauricio Magalhaes (Palmeiras), Lucas Romero (Universidad de Chile), Enso González (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Ruben Lezcano (Olimpia) Forwards: Oscar Romero (Huracan), Ángel Romero (Boca Juniors), Antonio Sanabria (Cremonese), Julio Enciso (Strasbourg), Gabriel Avalos (Independiente), Carlos Gonzalez (Independiente del Valle), Alex Arce (Independiente Rivadavia), Adam Bareiro (Boca Juniors), Lorenzo Melgarejo (Libertad), Isidro Pitta (Red Bull Bragantino), Ronaldo Martinez (Talleres), Gustavo Caballero (Portsmouth), Robert Morales (UNAM), Adrian Alcaraz (Olimpia), Rodney Redes (LDU Quito) FInal Roster to be released by June 1st. Roster to be released on May 19. Goalkeepers: Shehab Elleithy (Al Shahania), Salah Zakaria (Al Duhail), Meshaal Barsham (Al Sadd), Mahmoud Abunada (Al Rayyan) Defenders: Boualem Khoukhi (Al Sadd), Pedro Miguel (Al Sadd), Sultan Al Brake (Al Duhail), Tarek Salman (Al Sadd), Al-Hashmi Al-Hussain (Al Arabi), Ayoub Al-Alawi (Al Gharafa), Bassam Al-Rawi (Al Duhail), Rayyan Al-Ali (Al Gharafa), Issa Laye (Al Arabi), Lucas Mendes (Al Wakrah), Mohammed Waad (Al Shamal), Niall Mason (Qatar) Midfielders: Ahmed Fathi (Al Arabi), Jassim Gaber (Al Rayyan), Assim Madibo (Al Wakrah), Abdulaziz Hatem (Al Rayyan), Karim Boudiaf (Al Duhail), Mohammed Mannai (Al Shamal), Homam Al-Amin (Cultural Leonesa) Forwards: Almoez Ali (Al Duhail), Akram Afif (Al Sadd), Tahsin Mohammed (Al Duhail), Edmílson Junior (Al Duhail), Ahmed Al-Ganehi (Al Gharafa), Ahmed Alaa (Al Rayyan), Sebastián Soria (Qatar), Hassan Al-Haydos (Al Sadd), Mubarak Shannan (Al Duhail), Mohammed Muntari (Al Gharafa), Yusuf Abdurisag (Al Wakrah) Final Roster to be released by June 1st. Roster to be released by June 1st. Roster to be released by June 1st. Roster to be released by June 1st. Roster to be released by June 1st. Roster to be released on May 25. Goalkeepers: Kristoffer Nordfeldt (AIK), Viktor Johansson (Stoke City), Jacob Widell Zetterström (Derby County) Defenders: Daniel Svensson (Borussia Dortmund), Victor Lindelof (Aston Villa), Isak Hien (Atalanta), Carl Starfelt (Celta Vigo), ⁠Elliot Stroud (Mjallby ​AIF), Gustaf Lagerbielke (Braga), Gabriel Gudmundsson (Leeds United), Emil Holm (Juventus), Hjalmar Ekdal (Burnley), Erik ​Smith (St. Pauli) Midfielders: Taha Ali (Malmo), Yasin Ayari (Brighton), Lucas Bergvall (Tottenham), Jesper Karlstrom (Udinese), Ken Sema (Pafos), Mattias Svanberg (Wolfsburg), Besfort Zeneli (Union St-Gilloise) Forwards: Alexander Bernhardsson (Holstein Kiel), Anthony Elanga (Newcastle United), Viktor Gyokeres (Arsenal), Alexander Isak (Liverpool), Gustaf Nilsson (Club Brugge), Benjamin Nygren (Celtic) Roster to be released on May 20. Roster to be released on May 15. Roster to be released by June 1st. Roster to be released on May 26. Roster to be released by June 1st. Roster to be released by June 1st.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Speedway, Ind.) — Pato O’Ward has famously found himself in contention to win the Indianapolis 500. He’s led during the last lap. But not at the finish line. O’Ward has led 95 laps in his six Indy 500 starts, and the Arrow McLaren No. 5 driver has nine career victories in the series. But none have come in the Indy 500. So what makes the Indy 500 so hard to win? “It goes greater than just driving the race car,” O’Ward told me and other reporters this week. “It goes through seven pit stops. It goes through an ever-changing strategy. It goes through the timing [of moves], the timing that I still have to get right. “And there’s so many things that are out of your control that can throw it upside down. But at the end of the day, it is up to us inside of the race cars to try and just get ourselves into that opportunity to make it happen.” An opportunity. That’s what the drivers seek at Indianapolis. And then they hope, in some ways, a little bit of racing luck falls their way. From driver to driver, they talk about how this race is different than any other. And it isn’t just the fact that more than 300,000 people will be at the track for the sold-out race on May 24 (12:30 p.m. ET on FOX). For the last few years, drivers have not raced on an oval 1.5 miles or bigger. That makes the 2.5-mile IMS oval much larger than any other race they run all year. They don’t run 500 miles anywhere else, meaning more pit stops. So what they learn one year, they can’t apply to any other track, meaning it takes a year to learn. It took Josef Newgarden 12 starts in the race to win it — his 27th career victory in the series. The Team Penske No. 2 driver then won again in his 13th and appeared to be in position to win in his 14th last year before a mechanical issue ended his day. “If we get an opportunity like we did last year, I think we’ll be in a good spot,” Newgarden told me and other reporters this week. “Every year is different, though. There’s maybe not been as many changes year over year, but I think you’ve just got to be open to the possibility to that what worked last year might not work this year.” Alexander Rossi won as a rookie in 2016. He’s been trying to earn that second victory since then. [WHO TO ROOT FOR? Guide To Choosing Your Favorite INDYCAR Driver] What makes this race so hard to win? “You should ask Scott [Dixon] that,” Rossi told me and other reporters last month. “He’s one of the best drivers of our generation, and he only has one as well. There’s just so many variables and things out of your control and it’s a very particular race.” Scott Dixon has won the pole three times since his 2008 victory, which came in his sixth start. The Chip Ganassi Racing No. 9 driver will make his 18th start this year in looking for that second win. Oh, and Dixon — the six-time INDYCAR champion — also has led more laps (677) than any other driver in race history. “Even if you have a perfect day, it only gives you a chance,” Dixon told me and other reporters. “It’s a longer race. Everybody’s pushing everything to the limit, whether that’s the driver or on the mechanical side, or on the engineering side, strategy side. “And then, like anything on ovals, it can be a, a late-race caution that could flip everything on its head as well. So some things are in your control and some things are out of your control. As far as you look at a three-hour, one-day event, it’s probably the hardest one.” Ovals. For drivers who grew up in the European formula system and move to INDYCAR, they don’t have much experience racing ovals. There are five oval tracks on this year’s schedule — Phoenix, WWTR Gateway (St. Louis), Nashville, Milwaukee and Indy. Christian Lundgaard won the race Saturday on the IMS road course. But the Arrow McLaren No. 7 driver isn’t considered a favorite this weekend because he is rarely a contender on ovals. Lundgaard told me and other reporters that his competitors have told him once it clicks for him on an oval, he will run better. “Phoenix was a big disappointment in many ways,” Lundgaard said about the March race. “The test [in February] was never really the same for me as the race was. “There’s no time out there where I’m uncomfortable. … It is just that feel of you need to be comfortable in the uncomfortable and just put the car in different positions and different places to really figure out what it’s doing. And I think some people are happier to do that than others.” [POWER RANKINGS: Christian Lundgaard Leaps After Sonsio Grand Prix Win] Helio Castroneves is more than happy to do that. He has won four Indianapolis 500s. He won his first two and then needed seven more races to earn a third and then 12 more to win a fourth. Driving an extra entry for Meyer Shank Racing, Castroneves looks to capture a victory on the sport’s biggest stage (by the way, he’s used to big other stages as a Dancing With The Stars winner in 2007). “I refuse to hear people say that you can’t do it, and I’m just going to work extremely hard and put all the little details together,” Castroneves told me and other reporters as he talked about what makes this race hard as he goes for a record fifth. “And I think that’s where I’m good at it.” Every driver says the issue is they can put all those little details together and still not win. Will Power won in his 11th start in 2018. This will be his eighth attempt at earning another and his first start for the Andretti Global No. 26 driver. “It’s so complicated with how much goes into it,” Power told me and other reporters last month. “You could name 10 different reasons why you didn’t win the past 10 races here. “It’s unpredictable. You never know what’s going to happen on race day. I think the lesson would be, is to be there at the end in that front group. That’s, if I was to tell myself something over the last 10 times I’ve done this, is you’ve got to get to the end and be at the front.” That’s exactly where four-time INDYCAR Series champion Alex Palou found himself last year. “You need to have a fast car, but only having a fast car doesn’t mean anything,” Palou told me and other reporters. “You need to have great pits, but only having that doesn’t mean anything. … It’s such a long race with so many pit stops and things that continue to change that you need to be able to react wherever you are.” Palou is used to winning by leading most of the laps in his Chip Ganassi Racing No. 10 car. At Indianapolis, in a 200-lap, 500-mile race, there will be times when a driver ends up outside the top-10. “It’s not like a straightforward race where you’re top-three and you do a good pit stop and you win,” Palou said. “It’s more of like, ‘Hey, you might be leading, but then you’re 15th four-wide on the outside, and you need to survive that. “There’s so many things that can go wrong, and as soon as one of those don’t go right, you cannot win.” Marcus Ericsson knows that. He won in his fourth Indy 500 start. But he has been close to winning two of the last three. His failure to win hasn’t come from a lack of effort. “There are so many things that you have to get right, and even when you do get everything right, it’s still not over until it’s over,” Ericsson told me and other reporters here at Indianapolis. “So it’s a tough race to win. “And it’s the race you work all year-round, or at least I do, to try and figure out how I can be better here, how I can execute better, how I can minimize mistakes — how I can just get back to Victory Lane, basically. So it’s what drives me, and I think many others.” Which brings us back to O’Ward, who, as the commercials have shown, has had his heart ripped out here at Indy. A driver can find himself in position and then must do everything right in the final laps. “[You must choose] when to make a pass, when you choose to back up to [someone] — and a yellow can come out because some other guy decided to put it in the wall,” O’Ward said. “Or you do [that move] too early, and they get you back. “I feel like I’ve had it all happen to me.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Do you want your favorite driver to be fiery, friendly or just consistent? Well, there are 25 full-time INDYCAR drivers in the series, so there are quite a few different personalities to choose from. But who should fans root for when the green flag drops for the fastest racing on Earth, the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 24 (12:45 p.m. ET live on FOX)? Before it’s time for drivers to start their engines, here’s some helpful nuggets about each driver to help pick a favorite as they race toward Victory Lane at The Brickyard. Mr. Consistent: Alex Palou Chip Ganassi Racing No. 10 Honda Who is he? Palou rarely seems to have a bad day. The 29-year-old Spaniard has been running at the finish in 54 of the last 57 races. In those 57 races, he finished in the top three 33 times (that’s good for 58 percent). No wonder he has won the championship the last three years and four of the last five — and has a big lead already as he eyes a fifth title. Fun fact: He is a passionate pickleball player. The Pop Star: Pato O’Ward Arrow McLaren No. 5 Chevrolet Who is he?  More than any other INDYCAR driver, Pato O’Ward has the strongest following — at least on social. It’s no wonder the Mexican driver has his country wanting to host an INDYCAR race. The McLaren driver has nine wins in 112 career starts. Fun fact: He considers himself a foodie. The Determined: Josef Newgarden Team Penske No. 2 Chevrolet Who is he?  The 35-year-old Newgarden has won 33 races over the last 12 INDYCAR seasons, including back-to-back Indy 500 triumphs in 2023 and 2024. The Penske driver seems to be one of the more emotional INDYCAR drivers when things go wrong and one of the most cold-blooded when he sees a chance to pounce. Fun fact: He has appeared on “American Ninja Warrior” and participated in the NFL Combine. Yes, really. The Champion: Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing No. 9 Honda Who is he?  There are several drivers who have won titles, but Scott Dixon leads all active drivers with six championships and 59 victories. The 45-year-old New Zealander looks like he could race another 10 years for Ganassi, although we figure his career will end sooner than later. Fun fact: Appointed Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit by Queen Elizabeth II in 2019. And Knighted last December. The Fiery: Will Power Andretti Global No. 26 Honda Who is he?  The 45-year-old Power is known to have emotional outbursts when someone angers him with a move or a decision. However, the Penske-turned-Andretti driver seems to get over it somewhat quickly — or at least much quicker than the highlight remains viral. Fun fact: Enjoys drumming and purchased his first drum set at the age of 15. The Curious: Mick Schumacher Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing No. 47 Honda Who is he? The son of Formula 1 icon Michael Schumacher, Mick had a brief tenure in Formula 1 before coming to INDYCAR this year as a rookie. He’s had some awesome and not-so-awesome moments. Fun fact: He is named after motorcycle world champion Mick Doohan. The Antagonist: Santino Ferrucci A.J. Foyt Racing No. 14 Chevrolet Who is he?  Santino Ferrucci gets under the skin of other drivers with what some would say are outlandish moves on the track. He only seems to care a little bit about that, though. The 27-year-old driver from Connecticut loves to race, so driving for A.J. Foyt seems appropriate. Fun fact: Was featured in GQ magazine as an 11-year-old karting prodigy. The Friend: Scott McLaughlin Team Penske No. 3 Chevrolet Who is he?  Scott McLaughlin brought his New Zealand spirit to the United States after winning three consecutive Supercar championships. His transition to INDYCAR wasn’t easy, but it’s still unknown whether the Penske driver will reach superstar results. Fun fact: Enjoys golf and plays regular rounds with Penske teammate and NASCAR champion Ryan Blaney. The Beachgoer: Kyle Kirkwood Andretti Global No. 27 Honda Who is he?  Kyle Kirkwood lives in Florida. He likes his surfing. And fishing. And diving. Oh, and he can race, too. The Andretti driver won twice in 2023 and three times in 2025. Fun fact: Has a love for deep-sea fishing. The Zoomer: David Malukas Team Penske No. 12 Chevrolet Who is he? David Malukas is knocking on the door of his first win. But if there was a contest for the best social content creator in the garage, Malukas would win hands down. Fun fact: His favorite sports team is Chelsea. The Veteran: Graham Rahal Rahal Letterman Lanigan No. 15 Honda Who is he?  Graham Rahal is in his 20th year of full-time INDYCAR racing. The son of driver and team co-owner Bobby Rahal, Graham Rahal has six career wins. Fun fact: he is a diehard fan of the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Unintimidated: Marcus Ericsson Andretti Global No. 28 Honda Who is he?  Marcus Ericsson races hard and seems to just go about his business while on the track. The 35-year-old Swede has four career wins, but it’s been more than three years since his last victory in the 2023 season opener. He’s changed teams since then, going from Ganassi to Andretti before the start of 2025. Fun fact: Was once a youth hockey goalie before pursuing a racing career. The Frustrated: Alexander Rossi ECR No. 20 Chevrolet Who is he?  Rossi is in his 11th season in INDYCAR and in 2025 had a new firesuit as he joined Ed Carpenter Racing. This is his fourth organization. The 34-year-old Rossi has had plenty of highs and lows with eight victories and finishes as high as second in the standings and as low as 15th. He does a podcast each week, where he details the ups and downs of a driver who had just two podium finishes in the last three-plus years. Fun fact: Enjoys flying and has his private pilot’s license. The Nice Guy: Felix Rosenqvist Meyer Shank Racing No. 60 Honda Who is he?  Talk to people around INDYCAR and many say Felix Rosenqvist is one of the nicest people in the paddock. The Meyer Shank Racing driver appeared to be on the brink of a breakout season a couple of years ago but is still searching for it. Fun fact: Hobbies include skiing, skateboarding, hiking and video games. The Hot Seat: Nolan Siegel Arrow McLaren No. 6 Chevrolet Who is he? Nolan Siegel joined Arrow McLaren during the 2024 season and knows if he doesn’t consistently battle for a top-10 finish, he likely will need to find a new home for next year. Fun fact: He has his pilot’s license. The Young and Confident: Marcus Armstrong Meyer Shank Racing No. 60 Honda Who Is he? The 25-year-old Marcus Armstrong had four top-five finishes in 29 starts over 2023-24 at Ganassi before moving to Meyer Shank last year. Fun fact: One of Armstrong’s favorite lines about NASCAR is that “Talladega Nights” is a documentary. The Upstart: Christian Lundgaard Arrow McLaren No. 7 Chevrolet Who is he? He’s the most recent INDYCAR winner, that’s who Christian Lundgaard is. He is in his fifth season of INDYCAR racing (he has two wins) and went from RLL to Arrow McLaren before the start of last season. Fun fact: He has a golf handicap of 3. The Underdog: Rinus VeeKay Juncos Hollinger Racing No. 76 Chevrolet Who is he?  VeeKay spent five years at Ed Carpenter Racing, went to Dale Coyne Racing last season and now is with Juncos Hollinger Racing. The 25-year-old has finished 12th to 14th in the standings each year at ECR but did not earn a podium finish in 2023 or in 2024. So the split from ECR is somewhat understandable but also was a little bit of a surprise, and he has been scrapping for a ride each of the last two years. Fun fact: Enjoys cycling. The Ready To Prove: Christian Rasmussen ECR Racing No. 21 Chevrolet Who is he? Christian Rasmussen, like Lundgaard, is from Denmark, and after doing 13 races for Ed Carpenter Racing in 2024 (he didn’t do four of the oval races), he ran well enough that he has been full time since 2025. Fun fact: Rasmussen has a passion for old cars. The Survivor: Romain Grosjean Dale Coyne Racing No. 18 Honda Who is he? Google Romain Grosjean’s name and you will see the fiery F1 accident he was previously in — you’ll be amazed that he is still racing. Fun fact: He started an esports racing team in 2020. The Improved: Kyffin Simpson Chip Ganassi No. 8 Honda Who is he? While still inconsistent, Kyffin Simpson is showing steady progress as he is now in his third season at Chip Ganassi Racing. Fun fact: He is from the Cayman Islands. The Doubted: Sting Ray Robb Juncos Hollinger Racing No. 77 Chevrolet Who are they?  Sting Ray Robb is in his fourth season in the series and second with Juncos Hollinger Racing with two top-10s over the last three-plus years. Fun fact: Robb’s unique name is from a combination of his ancestral roots in Stirlingshire, Scotland, and his grandfathers’ names. The Potential: Louis Foster Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing No. 45 Honda Who is he?  Louis Foster is finding his way in his second season as the reigning INDYCAR rookie of the year. Fun fact: Foster’s father is a former British Touring Car champion. The Prospect: Dennis Hauger Dale Coyne Racing No. 19 Honda Who is he? Denis Hauger is the defending Indy NXT champion and is an Andretti Global driver on loan to DCR for this season. Fun fact: Hauger wears an amulet, which he received from his grandmother, for good luck. The Unknown: Caio Collet A.J. Foyt Racing No. 4 Chevrolet Who is he? Collet finished second in the Indy NXT Series last year, his second season in the series after racing formula cars for several years. Fun fact: His father raced quadbikes and competed in the Dakar Rally.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

In 2024, when the Los Angeles Chargers created what became their viral “Sims”-themed schedule release video, several members of their social team sat in a room filming the New England Patriots matchup in the life simulation video game. The scene was a retirement home. At some point, something strange started to happen. “One of the Sims peed his pants because I guess we had him standing there for too long,” Megan Julian, the Chargers’ vice president of social media and digital marketing, told me. “And then he’d like go take a shower. We were all just sitting there, waiting for this little Sim [character] to go do his thing. Sometimes, this job and this process is such a ridiculous thing. “And then at the end, when everybody gets to see [the video] and my boss is yelling from down the hall, ‘Is it doing well? Do people like it?’” Julian added. “We’re reading the comments out loud. We’re looking at the Reddit threads to see what jokes people picked up on. I think it just brings us together in a really cool way before the season every year.” This is just one example of how big the schedule reveal has become in NFL culture. Over the past several years, schedule release day has become known as the Super Bowl for social media teams. Their videos are analyzed and ranked for the quality of jokes, nostalgic nods and pop culture references. Videos like the Chargers’ anime creation in 2022 and the Tennessee Titans’ 2023 reel, in which they quizzed people on Broadway Street in Nashville on the logos of their opponents that year, broke the internet. In 2019, the Atlanta Falcons’ schedule release video paid homage to “Game of Thrones” by using the cityscapes and mascots of their opponents. In 2024, the Patriots had Julian Edelman portray the title character in “Good Will Hunting” in a parody of the Oscar-winning movie set in Boston. That same year, the Los Angeles Rams had video game versions of Matthew Stafford, Puka Nacua and other star players recklessly drive around the cities of the team’s opponents in a takeoff on “Grand Theft Auto.” Ahead of Thursday’s 2026 schedule release, I spoke to leaders of the Chargers and Falcons’ content teams about what it takes to make a great schedule release video. Both franchises expressed an appreciation for the camaraderie and creative freedom involved. “It’s a chance for creative teams to kind of let their hair down. It’s a chance for all clubs to kind of use its proverbial one night to roast, and they roast and can be roasted and that’s just part of the fun of it,” Falcons chief marketing officer Shannon Joyner told me. “These videos really do kind of live on their own. … It’s truly just a creative exploration that doesn’t have any set rules or necessities that go along with it. I think that is what — in a positive way — lends to such a spectrum of 32 amazingly creative ideas that all have their own unique flavor.” The Chargers began working on their 2026 schedule release video in late January, not long after their opponents were finalized. Every year, their video and social teams get together for an initial meeting, where “upwards of 100” ideas are pitched, according to Julian. Nothing is ruled out early. This year, the Chargers pared their ideas down to five themes and then examined the constraints and opportunities for each potential concept. “You could almost say you’re burning a lot of time by doing that, but you almost need to be really exhaustive on the pre-production to really know that you’re hitting on the right idea,” Tyler Pino, the Chargers’ vice president of production, told me. “And so that process is probably the most painful of all this. “Then there always comes a moment when everyone in the room — you don’t even have to say it — is like, ‘This is it.’ … Then you just take off like a rocket ship,” he added. “From there, it’s like a Manhattan Project. The team is like ‘OK, like we gotta go.’” There’s a challenge of being “niche while also being broad” with the project, as Pino put it. The video should speak to your fan base, the NFL at large and broader pop culture simultaneously. Both teams acknowledge that there have been jokes in their schedule release videos that were completely missed. Some jokes, thrown in at the last minute, land better than expected. Others, which took a lot of time, don’t land at all. And some things that weren’t even intended to be jokes become ones. “I think that’s just the nature of the beast,” Julian told me. The Falcons, who also began their schedule release prep in January, have an initial meeting that is an “organizational open invitation,” according to Joyner — employees from the social media team to the stadium tours business participate. This year, Atlanta’s creative team involved the franchise’s new football regime — head coach Kevin Stefanski, president of football Matt Ryan and general manager Ian Cunningham. “We do want to use this moment to tastefully call back to things or honor things, or that our fans will react to or that the internet will react to,” Ryan Delgado, the Falcons’ director of digital platforms, told me. “It’s important for us to kind of think through that lens, but realizing that everyone has a different version of that and how that comes across is always going to be kind of a challenge for sure. “It’s very difficult to stick to one thing and you put your head down and look up months later and be like, ‘Here it is.’ I mean, that’s just the way the internet works and how quickly things move and whatever the new moments are and if you’re able to integrate those in there, then great.” Organizationally, the schedule release video is “really important” to the Chargers, per Julian. There’s an understanding that it can help the team sell tickets and generate excitement. No other creative pursuit in the calendar year takes as much time. “Normally in social and video, we’re going really quickly,” Julian told me. The Chargers had meetings on the schedule release video five days per week dating back to February. That doesn’t include all the technical and creative work that employees put in on the project. “It’s like creating a sequel to anything: You want to make it bigger and better and subvert expectations of what people think we’re going to do,” Pino told me. “Every year we’re like, ‘How can we do this again?’ When you’re at the bottom of the mountain, it’s pretty daunting, especially when you don’t have the idea yet. You always have doubt of can we actually pull this off again? And then somehow, through us all just kind of being in rooms for hours and hours and hours and banging our heads against the wall, we usually get to a good result. “It’s definitely become a bigger thing than we’ve ever imagined.” Joyner called the schedule release “the ultimate brand and business moment.” “The floor has been raised so, so high for what clubs are doing and how you show up on this day, how you show up in this moment,” Delgado told me. “And you’re naturally going to observe all 32 clubs and kind of see what they did. Learn from it. Try to figure out, ‘How did that happen? How did that come about?’ You’re always going to be sort of a fan first or try to walk yourself through this and be able to watch all of them as much as you possibly can.” [Ranking the 10 Best Schedule Release Videos of All Time] Pino sees the schedule release video process as rewarding. At no other point in the year are there so many people working on one project. Before publishing their video each year, the Chargers find peace in the answers to a couple of questions: Did we like our process? Did we work as hard on this as we could to make it as good as it could have been? The work on the 2026 schedule release videos is now done. Tonight is the Super Bowl for social teams. “That last 15 minutes before we release the video, there’s always all of us in the room like really nervous,” Pino told me. “Like, ‘Oh, I don’t know about this year.’ It happens every year. And then you just have to kind of release it to the world and hope for the best.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports