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LOS ANGELES — After appearing grumpy following the Los Angeles Rams’ first-round selection of backup quarterback Ty Simpson on draft night, head coach Sean McVay was back to his chippy, enthusiastic self after his team consummated one of the biggest trades in NFL history, securing the league’s best defensive player in former Cleveland Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett. Garrett sat sandwiched between jovial Rams general manager Les Snead and McVay during the opening moments of his introductory press conference. And then the duo got down to the nitty-gritty of a franchise-altering move that had been in the works for months, according to Snead. The Rams went from slight favorites over the defending champion Seattle Seahawks to the overwhelming pick to win the Super Bowl with Garrett in the fold. But Garrett isn’t getting too far ahead of himself, acknowledging his new team still must go out and do it on game days. Garrett said he found out a week ago about the possibility of landing in Los Angeles via trade. “On paper, I’m sure things look great, but we got to go out there and put the work in,” Garrett said at the podium. “It starts in the field, starts in the classroom, and we’re not going to take a single day for granted. We’re not going to be looking at any odds or favorites. We’re going to win each game day-by-day.” Those wise words from Garrett were music to McVay’s ears. “It’s one day at a time and I love everything that he said because I couldn’t be more in agreement,” McVay said. “We’re not going to let the outside narratives affect our ability to be courageous every single day and go swing and see what the hell happens.” Garrett has had four head coaches, 16 starting quarterbacks and just one playoff win during his time with the Browns. He’s finished with double-digit sacks for eight consecutive seasons in Cleveland, won the Defensive Player of the Year twice and is third among active leaders in the NFL with 125.5 sacks. An eight-time captain and five-time All-Pro, Garrett is the only player in league history to record at least 14.0 sacks in five consecutive seasons (2021-25). With the move to the bright lights of L.A., Garrett finally has a transformative head coach in McVay that matches his superstar talent. During that same time Garrett has been in the league, McVay has led the Rams to seven playoff berths and two Super Bowl appearances, winning Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles. The Rams have had eight winning seasons with four NFC West titles under McVay’s guidance. At 40 years old, McVay is currently the fifth-youngest coach in the NFL, but he’s also the second-longest tenured coach behind only Andy Reid. By moving to Los Angeles, Garrett gets the stability and sustainable success he coveted in Cleveland. “They love playing the game and they love playing the game for this guy,” Garrett said, motioning toward McVay during the press conference. “That means a lot, having a player’s coach lead you onto that field and wanting to give the extra effort and go the extra mile for him and for each other. That’s what you feel going on to that field now. These guys are going to war, not just as individuals but as a team. That’s how you end up playing those games later into the year.” McVay already has proof of concept that he can coax the most out of extremely talented, high-maintenance athletes. Jalen Ramsey, Von Miller, Eric Weddle, Odell Beckham Jr. and Matthew Stafford are all players brought in by McVay who performed to their full potential in helping to lead the Rams to a Super Bowl victory. Garrett now joins that group as a hired gun for the Rams in a move made to help put this franchise over the top in winning a Super Bowl in their home stadium for the second time in league history. Yes, I previously stated the Rams would miss the playoffs as one of my five bold predictions earlier this offseason. But I must amend my prediction after this seismic move in securing the services of a future Hall of Famer in Garrett. And that move could lead to the return of another future Hall of Famer, as former Ram Aaron Donald is considering coming out of retirement. McVay was asked about the possibility during the press conference. “Aaron’s a guy that I stay really close in touch with, and I know the respect that he has for Myles,” McVay said. “I talked to him about the opportunity to be able to bring [Garrett] on board. If Aaron decides he wants to dust them off at the age of 35, I bet you he could still do it at a pretty high clip.” Garrett said he watched highlights of the Rams’ fabled “Fearsome Foursome,” led by Hall of Famers Deacon Jones and Merlin Olsen during the Rams’ heyday in the 1960s when he was a high schooler. Garrett is now in a position to chase that high bar set by those four and others like Donald. “I see a position to solidify myself here as well among the greats,” Garrett said. “I still have plenty of great years in front of me and being able to cement that legacy not only as a football city here in L.A., but as an individual [winning Defensive Player of the Year] for a Super Bowl and more. Those things are definitely pressing on my mind, and I have a bit of urgency to do it and do it right away.” The Rams need Garrett at his best, and they might have to make sure he’s playing at a Defensive Player of the Year level right away. They have one of the toughest schedules in the league, starting with a season opener in Australia against their NFC West rivals, the San Francisco 49ers. That’s just the beginning of a five-game stretch that includes games at the Denver Broncos and Philadelphia Eagles, plus a home game against the Buffalo Bills. Garrett will have some help around him, at least, even as the Rams decided to let go of promising edge rusher Jared Verse. Byron Young, who led the team in sacks last season, will complement Garrett along the edge, while Los Angeles has a few other formidable players in the defensive interior (Kobie Turner, Poona Ford). Of course, the Rams also made a major swing to improve their secondary this offseason, giving up a handful of draft picks (including a first-rounder) for All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie before signing his Kansas City Chiefs teammate, Jaylen Watson. Still, Garrett will be the catalyst of the Rams’ defense, and McVay’s pleased to have the two-time Defensive Player of the Year leading that side of the ball. “He’s a pain in the ass to game plan against and I’m glad we don’t have to do that anymore,” McVay said. “He makes other guys around him better and I know he’s excited to come in and be a big part of this culture and we can’t wait to get to work.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Thanks to a rain delay and an already late start, the NASCAR Cup Series race at Nashville Superspeedway didn’t end until well past midnight on the East Coast. Is that a problem? A little bit on a Sunday night. Night races can be electric, and sometimes for programming and scheduling purposes, the best time for a race. In Nashville, the later the start meant a better chance to beat the heat and allow for a typical afternoon summer storm to pass through. But the biggest question at Nashville — the race ended when Denny Hamlin took the checkered flag at 12:25 a.m. ET — and the lateness of the race goes beyond the 80-minute rain delay: Is the Nashville race too long? It is a 300-lap, 400-mile race, relatively normal, but with the Next Gen car it seems to be a long event. Without red flags, the Nashville race this year was 3 hours, 44 minutes; while it was 3:05 in 2025, 4:03 in 2024 (five overtimes!), 3:00 in 2023 and 3:35 in 2022. NASCAR has done a good job in making some of its races shorter. NASCAR cut the length of races at Dover from 500 miles to 400 in 1997 and at Pocono from 500 miles to 400 in 2012 (and they were 325 and 350 in the 2020 and 2021 doubleheader weekends). Martinsville had one of its races cut from 500 laps to 400 laps in 2022. The fall Charlotte race that is back on the oval will be 400 miles, not 500 miles — it was 500 miles before the track went to its road course for the fall race in 2018. [NASCAR POWER RANKINGS: New No. 1 Tops List After Nashville] The key time for a race, with a few exceptions (Daytona 500 and Coke 600 most notably) should be 2 hours, 45 minutes to 3 hours, 15 minutes. Nashville has shown that it can have 400-mile races in that time frame, but also three in the last five that have exceeded it, all by at least 20 minutes. Certainly fans travel long distances and want a race that delivers enough action for that travel commitment. NASCAR will always balance the will of ticket buyers versus those who are watching at home. NASCAR even added laps to a race this year, making Watkins Glen a 100-lap race instead of 90, as the drivers seem to have fewer wrecks and those races were ending closer to the 2-hour mark than NASCAR wanted. But there are races that could be shorter, and Nashville appears to be one of them. Could it hurt to try a 350-mile race next year and see if it changes anything? And while NASCAR is at it, here are a couple more that could use changing: –Change one of the Talladega races to a 400-mile event instead of both being 500 miles. Daytona has a 500-mile and 400-mile event. Why not Talladega? Maybe cut the race on the date has less sunlight in order to get in the full race. –Cut one of the Bristol races from 500 laps to 400 or 450. Martinsville already had one of its races cut and that doesn’t seem to impact the quality of the event. Why not do that with the spring race to give it a little bit of a different vibe than the fall? Part of NASCAR’s roots is that Cup races often were marathons, ultimate tests of man and machine. But to get some of the “hell yeah” moments with cars that rarely fail (granted, the Nashville issues were because of brake rotor issues), urgency is needed. Nashville was saved by a late caution; without it, that spectacular finish doesn’t happen. A few more “sprint” races wouldn’t be a bad thing. As NASCAR continues to look to liven up its schedule, race lengths belong in the conversation. In Second Thoughts, Bob Pockrass offers his opinion on a burning motorsports topic.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

A flurry of deals happened Monday, though they didn’t really do much to shake up the NFL landscape. The Rams were on a Super Bowl track long before they got Myles Garrett. The Browns were plummeting with or without him. The A.J. Brown trade had been baked in for some time. And Odell Beckham’s return to New York didn’t move the needle at all. By now it’s clear who the real contenders are, which teams are on the cusp, and which ones are just fooling themselves and their fans. But in case it’s not, here’s a look at the real and fake contenders, broken down by tiers. *Super Bowl odds according to DraftKings (listed in parentheses) Tier 8: The race to the top of the 2027 Draft Las Vegas Raiders (+15000)New York Jets (+15000)Miami Dolphins (+30000)Cleveland Browns (+15000)Arizona Cardinals (+40000) It is a good bet that these five teams will own the first five picks in the 2027 NFL Draft. That’s great news for them because four of them desperately need a franchise quarterback, and next year’s draft should be full of them. The Raiders are the ones that don’t need a franchise QB anymore after drafting Fernando Mendoza No. 1 in April. They even improved their team around him — at least a little. In fact, if they weren’t in the AFC, and in particular the AFC West, they might have a shot at being in the playoff race most of the season. But the road is too tough. And at some point they’ll hand Mendoza the keys, which almost always means an initial step backward. But the other four teams really do need a franchise quarterback and the race for the No. 1 pick — maybe Texas QB Arch Manning — could be fascinating (or disgraceful, depending on how obvious the tanking becomes). None of these teams have a realistic shot at the playoffs, and that should be obvious to even the most optimistic of them by no later than Halloween. The Jets might actually be the best team in this sad bunch. They have a good offensive line, a couple of good skill players and an adequately rebuilt defense. And Geno Smith might actually improve their QB play, too. But given his penchant for throwing interceptions the past two years, that might not be saying much. The Dolphins don’t seem to think they’re in the tank yet. Why else would they sign the top free agent QB (Malik Willis) and keep RB De’Von Achane? But look at the rest of their team. They’ll see it eventually, too. It stinks. And yet they still might be better than both the Browns and the Cardinals, who are both redefining Quarterback Hell. The Cards have some impressive skill players (WR Marvin Harrison Jr., TE Trey McBride, RB Jeremiyah Love), but their quarterback will either be an unhappy Jacoby Brissett or Gardner Minshew, or maybe third-round rookie Carson Beck. With a still-terrible defense, that won’t lead to a lot of wins, especially against a brutal schedule that could easily lead them to an 0-13 start. As for the Browns, their decision to trade Myles Garrett to the Rams tells you all you need to know about what they’re thinking this season. And the fact that they’re trying to squeeze whatever’s left out of QB Deshaun Watson says everything about what new coach Todd Monken thinks of the other young quarterbacks on his team. They are all-out on 2026, whether they admit it or not. They just need to hope that whatever QB they fall in love with in next year’s draft doesn’t choose to go back to school just to avoid playing in Cleveland. Tier 7: The playoff fringe New Orleans Saints (+8000)Tennessee Titans (+12000) This is a special category for two improving teams that will be average, at best, but could have a shot at making the playoffs if everything goes right. The best chance belongs to the Saints, who played really well behind rookie QB Tyler Shough down the stretch last season and then got him a couple of big weapons in RB Travis Etienne and rookie WR Jordyn Tyson this offseason. The biggest factor for them, though, is that the NFC South still stinks. The Saints were 6-11 last season and missed the division title by two games. It’s a short walk to .500 and playoff contention. Life won’t be nearly as easy for the Titans, who almost certainly will miss the playoffs in the stacked AFC and top-heavy AFC South. But they are improving, with a better coaching staff and better cast around young QB Cam Ward. They might double their win total from three to six and could still be in the playoff chase in December. But real contention is more likely a year away. Tier 6: Need some help (and some health) Pittsburgh Steelers (+5000)Indianapolis Colts (+6500)New York Giants (+7000)Washington Commanders (+6500) I know, I know. The Steelers are the defending AFC North champions and probably deserve a better tier than this. That’s a reasonable argument, except that they had one of the NFL’s worst offenses (25th) and one of the NFL’s worst defenses (26th) last season, despite going 10-7. They also lost their longtime head coach (though Mike McCarthy is a pretty good replacement for Mike Tomlin), didn’t add a lot to their defense and are still relying on a 42-year-old quarterback. RB Rico Dowdle and WR Michael Pittman make them better. But the revived Ravens and Bengals make the division better, too. Still, the Steelers aren’t quite the same as the other teams in this group, who really need some breaks and health to rise a tier. The Colts are a strong team, for example, but only if QB Daniel Jones is healthy enough to start. And even then, he has to prove he can still play at his 2025 level. After he suffered a serious injury with the Giants, he wasn’t the same the following season. And speaking of the Giants, they are overflowing with optimism after landing head coach John Harbaugh. But there are questions about when their top WR (Malik Nabers) and RB (Cam Skattebo) will be healthy. Their defensive front was thinned out, too, by the Dexter Lawrence trade and several injuries. They are an improved team, but thin in a lot of areas. The thinnest team in this group, though, might be the Commanders, who seem to be betting everything on the healthy return of QB Jayden Daniels and a first-year coordinator (David Blough) — so much so that they didn’t bring in much offensive help. They did rebuild their defense with mostly solid but unspectacular players, and a stronger defense will help. But they really need Daniels to be the star he was as a rookie two years ago. Otherwise, they’ve got no shot. Tier 5: Playoff contenders, but nothing more Los Angeles Chargers (+1700)Dallas Cowboys (+2500)Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+5000)Atlanta Falcons (+12000)Carolina Panthers (+8000)Minnesota Vikings (+5000) This group comprises the teams on the playoff bubble who’ll need some help along the way to get in. Also, if they do get in, don’t expect them to win more than one game, if that. These are not Super Bowl contenders. The best team in this tier is the Chargers, who are also in a category that could be titled “Fool me once …” (you know the rest). It’s easy to want to trust a team coached by Jim Harbaugh and quarterbacked by Justin Herbert, but at this point we all know better. Their offensive line is still a liability, and with this franchise, something always goes wrong in the end. The same could be said of the Cowboys, who still have what might be the NFL’s best offense, but are still lacking on defense. The latter unit has improved, but enough to make them a Super Bowl contender? That would be a surprise. Those two at least have a slim chance of rising up a tier. The same can’t be said of the three teams in the NFC South: the Buccaneers, the Falcons, and the Panthers, who won the worst division in football last season via a tie-breaker after all three of these teams finished 8-9. They all have more questions than answers at the moment. The Bucs can be prolific, but they lost their best receiver to free agency. The Falcons seem loaded at every offensive position except quarterback. And the Panthers probably have the most promise, but are still waiting for QB Bryce Young to play like the No. 1 pick he once was. And speaking of first-round quarterbacks, that’s why the Vikings are in this group, too. They have an elite defense and plenty of offensive weapons. But the QB will either be J.J. McCarthy or a revived Kyler Murray, and neither inspire much confidence right now. Tier 4: Dangerous teams Kansas City Chiefs (+1500)Green Bay Packers (+1700)Detroit Lions (+1900)San Francisco 49ers (+1800) All four of these teams fall into an interesting gray area. None of them jump off the page as an immediate and obvious Super Bowl contender. But they all could be. And it would be foolish to rule any of them out. Take the Chiefs. Everyone’s down on them for the way they played last season, even before QB Patrick Mahomes got hurt. And no one is sure when he’ll be back. But if he’s back to form, do you really believe their dynasty is dead? The Chiefs also added RB Kenneth Walker III and they still have Andy Reid. If they can get into the playoffs, no one will want to play them. The same is true of the Packers and the Lions. Both teams can be dangerous and have good, experienced quarterbacks. The Lions are loaded on offense, assuming they’ve fixed their offensive line. They just need their defense to play better. And the Packers are strong on both sides of the ball, assuming they’re not hurt by the loss of defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley. If QB Jordan Love and linebacker Micah Parsons stay healthy all season, Green Bay will be a tough out, too. The most interesting team in this category is the 49ers. I love what they’ve done this offseason on both offense and defense, and the additions and some better health will make them a really dangerous team. The one thing to worry about, though, is their ridiculous travel schedule — 38,000 miles across 58 time zones, which are both NFL records. For a team that’s getting older and deals with a lot of injuries, that might be too tough to survive. But if they do survive the torturous regular season, move them up at least one tier, maybe two, when the postseason starts. Tier 3: Playoffs locks Cincinnati Bengals (+2000)Houston Texans (+1800)Chicago Bears (+2500)Jacksonville Jaguars (+3000) The biggest wild-card team in the NFL is probably the Bengals. Obviously, the healthy return of QB Joe Burrow makes them dangerous. They are loaded on offense and can outscore anyone. But did they do enough to fix an atrocious defense? Maybe, if DT Dexter Lawrence is a lot better than he was last year. Imagine if they had a defense like the Texans do, though. Or imagine if the Texans had the Bengals’ offense. That’s Houston’s problem. They might have the best defense in football. It’s championship-worthy. But they’re carrying an erratic offense, unless QB C.J. Stroud magically rediscovers his rookie form. The other two teams in this category are here because of their offense, too. The Bears have run Ben Johnson’s scheme to perfection, and if WR Rome Odunze can become elite, they might be unstoppable. Their defense, though, was ranked 29th last season. It remains to be seen if they did enough to fix it. As for the Jaguars, they went on an epic offensive run at the end of last season, and coach Liam Coen seems to be an offensive genius. But letting lead rusher RB Travis Etienne go was certainly a choice. It’ll take a committee to replace him, if they even can. Tier 2: Title contenders New England Patriots (+1600)Buffalo Bills (+1000)Baltimore Ravens (+1000)Philadelphia Eagles (+1600) All four of the teams in this category are good enough to make a Super Bowl run, though they’ll head into the season with enough unanswered questions to prompt at least a little pause. For example, there’s no reason to think the Patriots won’t be as good as they were last year, especially now that QB Drake Maye has his No. 1 WR in A.J. Brown. But they were the beneficiaries of a remarkably soft schedule last season that propelled them through the playoffs. The slate won’t be as easy this time around. There’s also a lot of competition in the still-stacked AFC. The Bills will be serious contenders as long as QB Josh Allen is healthy. But can D.J. Moore find his old form and be the No. 1 WR Allen so desperately needs? And the Ravens are dangerous again, as long as QB Lamar Jackson and RB Derrick Henry are healthy. But belief in them requires a lot of faith in a first-year head coach (Jesse Minter). Over in the NFC, the Eagles are still as loaded as ever, though they did just trade their best WR (Brown). The real question, though, is whether first-year offensive coordinator Sean Mannion can fix what has sometimes been a dysfunctional offense — especially in the passing game — with QB Jalen Hurts. Tier 1: The front-runners Los Angeles Rams (+600)Seattle Seahawks (+1100)Denver Broncos (+2000) If you weren’t sure before, now you know: The Rams are going for it all, future be damned. That was clear by their offseason deals to fortify their secondary (with CBs Jaylen Watson and Trent McDuffie), and now it’s painfully obvious after their “F— them picks” deal for Myles Garrett, the reigning defensive player of the year. The one caveat to their chances is that their biggest threat comes from inside the division, with the reigning Super Bowl champion Seahawks. Seattle should be just as dangerous, even after losing RB Kenneth Walker III in free agency. Meanwhile, in the AFC, the Broncos would have made the Super Bowl last season if they hadn’t been playing with a backup quarterback in the AFC Championship Game. A healthy Bo Nix, plus the addition of WR Jaylen Waddle, makes them the team to beat, especially if they can navigate a difficult schedule and emerge with home-field advantage.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The 2026 NFL offseason was already a pretty hectic one, and then Monday happened. In a move that felt like it came out of nowhere, the Los Angeles Rams and Cleveland Browns made one of the biggest blockbuster trades in recent NFL history. The Rams acquired two-time Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett from the Browns for three draft picks (including a 2027 first-round selection) and two-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Jared Verse. That wasn’t the only big move on Monday, though. After months of speculation, the New England Patriots finally got star wide receiver A.J. Brown. They got the talented wideout from the Philadelphia Eagles for a 2027 first-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick, adding to their offense as they try to make another Super Bowl run. So, where do those two trades fit into the biggest moves of the NFL offseason? Between 10 new head coaches, 36 offensive and defensive coordinator hires, an entire draft and a busy free agency, there’s plenty to choose from. But we tried to rank the top 10 biggest moves of the 2026 offseason. The Arizona Cardinals decided to end their rich investment in quarterback Kyler Murray this offseason. They cut the 2019 overall pick while he was in the middle of his $230 million contract, taking on $46 million in dead money against this year’s cap. But Murray also had enough guaranteed salary with offset language that allowed him to go anywhere and play for the league minimum. The Minnesota Vikings capitalized on that opportunity, signing him to the veteran’s minimum in March. It’s also a strong move on Murray’s part. In theory, Murray will compete with J.J. McCarthy for the starting quarterback job. But he’s in a great position to re-establish himself, throwing passes to star wide receiver Justin Jefferson and company as he’ll try to recapture the magic the Vikings had when they went 14-3 in 2024. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is very much in the same position with the Atlanta Falcons after being cut by the Miami Dolphins, but Murray is better equipped to reset himself as a free agent in 2027 at age 29. Kevin O’Connell’s quarterbacks threw 30-plus touchdowns in each of his first three seasons as Vikings head coach, and Murray’s career best is 26. So, he could be this year’s bounce-back darling. Would the Vikings let him walk or pay him? So many huge contracts in free agency, of course, but one of the biggest names swapping one top-tier team for another was Kenneth Walker, who rushed for 135 yards in the Super Bowl and then bolted for the Kansas City Chiefs. How much could a solid run game make life easier for Patrick Mahomes to return from his torn ACL? Walker rushed for 1,027 yards last season, and the Chiefs haven’t had a 1,000-yard rusher since Mahomes took over as the starting quarterback in 2018. It matches the longest active drought without one in the NFL. Will the Seattle Seahawks miss Walker? They have running back Zach Charbonnet recovering from his own torn ACL, so they’ll lean on first-round pick Jadarian Price from Notre Dame out of the backfield. Walker wasn’t the only significant loss from their Super Bowl team, with corner Tarik Woolen signing with the Philadelphia Eagles, edge rusher Boye Mafe joining the Cincinnati Bengals and safety Coby Bryant leaving for the Chicago Bears. We hear you. There’s a draft every year. But Fernando Mendoza was a huge part of the buzz around this draft, coming off a dominant college season that saw Indiana win a national title and him take home the Heisman Trophy. There was no drama as to what the Raiders should do with the top pick, and Mendoza takes over a franchise whose last playoff win came nine months before Mendoza was born in 2003. Add in the hiring of first-time head coach Klint Kubiak, who had been with five teams in five seasons before guiding Seattle’s offense and Sam Darnold to a Super Bowl win, and you have a promising new chapter in Las Vegas. The Raiders are 7-27 in the last two seasons, and this first year with Kubiak and Mendoza might bring only modest improvement from that in a tough division. But the rookie quarterback should give them a chance at a positive trajectory for the first time since they moved to Las Vegas. The trade for All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie was the first big swing the Los Angeles Rams made this offseason. They surrendered four draft picks, including their 2026 first-rounder, to get McDuffie from the Chiefs. Shortly after, the Rams gave McDuffie a massive extension, signing him to a four-year, $124 million deal. The Rams weren’t done adding to their secondary with the McDuffie move, though. They signed McDuffie’s Chiefs teammate, cornerback Jaylen Watson, to a three-year, $51 million deal in free agency, retooling the back end of their defense. McDuffie and Watson won two Super Bowls in Kansas City. Now, they’re a central part of Los Angeles trying to win one on its home field in February. There were bigger moves to be made before the Rams were done, but this set the tone for them pushing all their chips to the middle of the table to maximize this final window with Matthew Stafford at quarterback. The NFC West has arguably three of the NFL’s top eight teams in 2026, and this sent notice to the Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers that the Rams weren’t to be taken lightly this season. The Denver Broncos really didn’t do much this offseason, but their lone notable move was a big one. It’s possible the Broncos’ only new starter will be wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, who they acquired from the Miami Dolphins for a package of picks that included this year’s first-rounder. Waddle averaged just over 1,000 yards and five touchdowns in his five seasons with the Dolphins, and he gives Bo Nix another legit target to go with Courtland Sutton, who turns 31 in October. Denver ranked 11th in passing yards last season but 25th in yards per pass attempt — perhaps the addition of Waddle, combined with the shift to Davis Webb as offensive coordinator, will improve the latter. The Broncos went 14-3 and hosted the AFC Championship Game, but their offense mustered only seven points in that loss to the New England Patriots (granted, backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham played that game). But in an offseason of very little change, the addition of Waddle could be a key difference for 2026. The Cincinnati Bengals’ defense has been terrible the last three years, enough to keep a prolific offense with quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase out of the playoffs. If the Bengals are going to return to the postseason, they need at least an average defense, and giving up such a high pick to get Dexter Lawrence from the New York Giants shows the urgency to improve there. He had made three straight Pro Bowls before a down year in 2025, and he’ll join Boye Mafe and defensive tackle Jonathan Allen, plus rookie edge rusher Cashius Howell, in a new-look defensive front. It wasn’t that long ago that the Bengals made a Super Bowl and the AFC Championship Game in back-to-back seasons. So, Lawrence is the kind of headliner that shows their willingness to be a more complete team and help the offense out as they try to get back to those lofty goals. So much change at the top this offseason, with 10 new head coaches across the league. Because of that, we could easily have more than one head coach hire in the top 10 here. But John Harbaugh was the biggest. He was fired by the Baltimore Ravens after 18 years, including playoff appearances in six of the last eight years. He lands in New York, where all eyes are on quarterback Jaxson Dart and running back Cam Skattebo on offense, with edge rusher Abdul Carter and rookie linebacker Arvell Reese leading the defense. How much better can the Giants be? They’re 7-27 in the last two seasons, and playing in a division where the Washington Commanders and Dallas Cowboys are expected to improve in challenging the Philadelphia Eagles. New York has made the playoffs just once in the last nine seasons, but getting arguably the biggest get of the coaching cycle will have the Giants in the spotlight all season. There are first-year coaches in high-pressure situations across the league — including Jesse Minter in Harbaugh’s old job in Baltimore — but the intrigue surrounding Harbaugh might be the biggest of all. Quarterback Drake Maye was the runner-up for MVP last season, and the New England Patriots have added to his passing arsenal, first signing Romeo Doubs from the Green Bay Packers in free agency and then landing A.J. Brown from the Eagles on Monday. They managed to get him without having to give up a 2027 first-round pick (the one they sent to the Eagles is a 2028 first), so there’s some sense of value in an offseason loaded with high picks traded for top veterans. Brown topped 1,000 receiving yards in all four of his seasons in Philadelphia and had at least seven touchdown catches in each. The Patriots, by comparison, have had just one 1,000-yard receiving season in the last four years, and no receivers catching seven touchdowns in a season. Can Brown settle in with New England and avoid the drama that overshadowed his play in Philadelphia in the end? He and Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel worked together with the Tennessee Titans, so there’s a bond there already. New England made it to the Super Bowl largely with its defense this past postseason, but its offense should be a bigger part of that effort in 2026. One of the biggest moves of the 2026 offseason was ultimately one that wasn’t made. It was a blockbuster deal, with Maxx Crosby finally leaving Las Vegas and going to Baltimore for two first-round picks, only to have the Ravens void the deal due to concerns over his surgically repaired knee. Las Vegas and Crosby were understandably upset about the move, opting to keep him rather than trade him for less with public concerns about his health. And the Ravens were able to successfully pivot the morning after they ripped up the Crosby trade. They signed edge rusher Trey Hendrickson from the Bengals, essentially getting an elite pass-rusher without having to surrender any draft picks. Hendrickson is 31, three years older than Crosby, and still landed a four-year, $112 million deal from the Ravens. He missed 10 games last season due to injuries, but had 35 sacks in the two years prior, making him one of the game’s top pass rushers. Can Hendrickson help get quarterback Lamar Jackson to the deep playoff run they’ve largely lacked in Baltimore? If so, we’ll be talking about the deal that wasn’t and how the Ravens still got what they needed on defense. Now, this was a blockbuster of a trade. The Rams landed the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, marking the first time that the winner of the award was traded in the following offseason. Not only that, but Myles Garrett just made history. He set the NFL’s single-season sack record in 2025, logging 23 sacks and now joins one of the most talented rosters in the league. Los Angeles already gave up a first-round pick for Trent McDuffie, but its move for Garrett really shows how all-in the Rams are this season. They gave up a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick and a 2029 third-round pick. Oh, and they also gave up edge rusher Jared Verse, who is already a two-time Pro Bowler entering the third year of his career. It’s enough to set up the Rams as the team to beat for the Super Bowl to be played on their home field, despite being in the same division as the defending champion Seahawks and a 49ers team that won 12 games last season. The Rams have made a practice of trading first-round picks for established veterans, but this is the biggest of all their deals, maximizing the limited window left with Matthew Stafford, a reigning MVP who is 38 years old. The chips are all in the middle of the table, such that anything less than a championship for the Rams will be seen as a disappointment with so much invested in winning right now.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Every World Cup creates a star nobody saw coming. Colombia’s James Rodriguez dazzled at the 2014 tournament in Brazil with his spectacular goals that ushered a move to Real Madrid. And after helping Argentina lift the trophy at Qatar 2022, Enzo Fernández parlayed a £106 million record move to Chelsea in January 2023. Someone is going to surprise us all again this summer. Here are four names to circle before the tournament starts. Age: 29Position: StrikerClub: VfB Stuttgart (German Bundesliga) The conversation around Germany begins and ends with Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala. Understandable, they possess that otherworldly ability. But quietly sitting behind them is a striker who just posted 19 goals and six assists in 28 Bundesliga appearances — making him one of the league’s most efficient strikers. He then scored twice against Finland days before the squad flew out. Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann trusts him. Germany will have games where it needs to break something open off the bench. Undav has been waiting his entire career for exactly that moment to break out of the shadows on the international scene and become one of the main men to lead the squad. Age: 21Position: WingerClub: PSV Eindhoven (Dutch Eredivisie) Born in Appleton, Wisconsin. Raised in a Bosnian household. Came up through the New England Revolution. Switched his international allegiance from the United States to Bosnia — and then stepped up and converted the decisive penalty to knock Italy out of its third consecutive World Cup. He’s only 21 and plays at PSV. He’s a left-footed inverted winger who takes people on and creates. Bosnia is in a group with Canada, Switzerland and Qatar — a realistic path to the knockouts. Opposing sides haven’t studied him properly yet, and most fans can’t pronounce his surname. Esmir’s game speaks for itself though. He’s one of those players who would stand out instantly on a futsal pitch. He glides effortlessly with the ball. He has that mesmerizing technique when taking on his defender. Goal and assist production hasn’t materialized yet at the domestic level, but he’s still young and inexperienced. The personality he showed in the World Cup playoffs against Italy is a telltale sign of his personality and confidence — shining in the biggest moment of his career. Age: 21Position: WingerClub: RB Leipzig (German Bundesliga) Everything in this Norway squad orbits Erling Haaland. Every defensive structure collapses inward the moment the hulking blonde receives the ball in dangerous areas. That’s precisely why Nusa, the 21-year-old right back/winger, is so dangerous. The space exists thanks to the black hole that swallows up defenders in the shape of Haaland. Nusa will make the most of his one-on-one opportunities. He’s a direct, quick and tricky winger who plays with loads of swagger. Manager Ståle Solbakken’s predicted lineup has him starting. Norway went eight wins from eight in qualifying. This team isn’t just here to make up the numbers, and Nusa might be one of the main reasons it makes a deep run in the tournament. Age: 21Position: Attacking midfielderClub: Como 1907 (Italian Serie A) Argentina arrives as the defending champion with a familiar question hanging over everything: What happens when Messi can’t carry it anymore? The answer might be wearing the squad number right next to him. Paz is 21, plays for Como and just had the best season of any midfielder in Serie A by most accounts — 21 goals and assists across all competitions. Paz has elite vision and an honest work rate off the ball, and he moves with a rare elegance. He’s not expected to start for Argentina, and that’s fine. Albiceleste manager Lionel Scaloni will use Paz as an impact substitute. My hunch is he’ll make the most of his first few minutes and turn them into a start at some point in this tournament.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Three straight national championships. A 4-0 record against the SEC in the College Football Playoff over the last three seasons. Two of the three largest CFP victories against a Power 4 team during that span. Those are just some of the reasons why the conversation around college football’s top conference has shifted toward the Big Ten. But despite the Big Ten’s recent dominance, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey isn’t ready to surrender the crown. “If you look at the entirety of our league, we are by far the most competitive, the strongest football league by far,” Sankey told reporters during SEC spring meetings last week in Destin, Florida. “But you’re going to lose games when it’s close and competitive like that. So why have they surpassed us? It’s an oddball, it’s bounced a couple times the wrong way.” FOX Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt was on the ground at the SEC spring meetings and addressed Sankey’s comments, and much more, during a recent episode of “The Joel Klatt Show.” Here’s Klatt’s breakdown of what he learned from SEC spring meetings: The recent results on the football field paint a different picture than the one Sankey described at last week’s SEC spring meetings. Since the 2023 College Football Playoff, Big Ten teams are 4-0 against SEC opponents. That stretch includes Michigan’s 27-20 Rose Bowl victory over Alabama following the 2023 season, Ohio State’s 42-17 win over Tennessee in the first round of the 2024 CFP, the Buckeyes’ 28-14 semifinal victory over Texas that same year, and Indiana’s CFP win over Alabama last season. “[Going] 4-0 [against the SEC] is not a small thing now,” Klatt said. “I’m sorry, but Nick Saban is no longer there with his big ol’ coattails for you to ride as a conference. It’s not that way anymore.” For much of the last decade, Alabama served as the standard for SEC dominance under Saban, winning six national championships between 2009 and 2020. Georgia followed with back-to-back national titles in 2021 and 2022 under Kirby Smart. Since then, however, the Big Ten has seized control of the sport’s biggest prize, winning each of the last three national championships. Klatt argued that the SEC’s recent struggles extend beyond those matchups. Over the last three CFPs, SEC teams are just 2-5 against Power 4 opponents and Notre Dame, with both victories belonging to Texas during its 2024 playoff run. “I’m sorry, Greg, but it wasn’t just a bounce,” Klatt said. “Again, [it’s all] narrative. What do you want to believe, and who are you getting your news from?” Klatt also pointed to the SEC’s 1-5 record against Power 4 opponents in non-CFP bowl games last season as further evidence that the conference’s claim to dominance is no longer. “The SEC has dominated the sport for a long time, and it’s been hard for them to admit the truth,” Klatt said. “You are not ‘by far’ the best conference. You’re not even the best conference, and the data backs that up.” The biggest question entering last week’s SEC spring meetings was simple: Would Greg Sankey finally reveal where the conference stands on the proposed 24-team College Football Playoff? Instead, the meetings came and went without any meaningful answers. Sankey previously voiced support for a 16-team format, while momentum has continued to build around a 24-team proposal that would eliminate automatic qualifiers in favor of a selection-based format featuring the 23 highest-ranked teams and one Group of 6 representative. With every Power 4 conference already showing support for the model, all eyes turned to Sankey and the SEC, where multiple coaches and athletic directors have reportedly shown growing support for the 24-team model. But, according to both Klatt and other reporters at the meetings, there was no sign of support, at least not right now. According to Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger, Sankey said, “The SEC’s timeline on a decision on a 24-team CFP expansion will likely come in the fall.” The belief was that Sankey’s skepticism of the format could be tested against his fellow coaches and athletic directors, who appeared to be supportive of the 24-team proposed model. Instead, there was next to no clarity from Sankey. “We didn’t get anything, and that leaves us to this conclusion: I don’t think they have any unification or any consensus of what they want,” Klatt said. “They don’t have a cohesive message right now. If they had a cohesive message, we would have heard it. “I think they have dissension, and the evidence is that there was nothing that came out of the meetings.” Regardless of what emerged from the SEC’s meetings, the future of the CFP still hinges on the sport’s two most powerful conferences — the SEC and Big Ten — and whether the former eventually softens its resistance to a larger field. “The longer they can just drag this out, then nothing is going to change,” Klatt added, “because the Big Ten and the SEC have to agree.” As conversations surrounding CFP expansion continue to dominate headlines across college football, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart dropped perhaps the biggest bombshell to come out of SEC spring meetings. Smart, a two-time national champion and three-time SEC Coach of the Year, suggested that if college football cannot establish uniform rules regarding issues such as NIL, the SEC could eventually consider operating independently. “I’ve said this for a long time to our president,” Smart said. “I’ve been a huge advocate that if we can’t find rules that everybody plays by, then we should play our own. I’m not afraid of that. I’m not afraid to break away and say that our conference is strong enough to go out and play.” While Joel Klatt agreed with Smart’s underlying concern, he certainly did not endorse the idea of schools breaking away from the rest of college football. Smart’s argument centers on the lack of a unified governing structure. Schools in different states currently operate under different NIL laws and regulations, creating what many coaches rightfully view as an uneven playing field. “While his sentiment is absolutely right in that we need rules that everybody can play by and that we’re all under the same umbrella, I totally support and get that,” Klatt said. What Klatt did not support was the notion that breaking away is the answer. “A breakaway from college football would be tragic,” Klatt said. “It would be unbelievably terrible for the sport we all love. It would be the worst thing that happened in this sport.” Smart’s comments come as debate continues over a proposed 24-team CFP model, which has drawn criticism from some fans and media members who believe continued expansion could ultimately harm the sport. “It’s certainly not there,” Klatt said. “I think there would be pluses and minuses and unintended consequences and unintended gains, just like we saw from going from 4 to 12 in the CFP.” For Klatt, it comes down to finding a system that creates consistency across college football, not fracturing the sport even more. “The answer can’t be go home,” Klatt said. “It can’t be that because then college football, as we know it, is over.” There is never a lack of entertaining back-and-forth banter in college football, and SEC spring meetings delivered another example of that when Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian took a shot at Texas Tech’s schedule. Without mentioning the program he was referencing, Sarkisian said: “There’s a team in our state that plays in another conference and has a schedule that I would argue that if I played with our 2s and our 3s, we could go undefeated. They’ll probably make the CFP this year.” Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire quickly responded by saying he’d love to play Texas, while prominent booster Cody Campbell said Texas Tech would pay the buyouts necessary to replace both ACU and Texas State on the team’s schedule. Simply put, Texas Tech is calling Sarkisian’s bluff. “I think this is hilarious,” Klatt said. “If Texas wanted to play this game and Sark wanted to take this challenge on, they could absolutely play Week 1. Texas Tech, I believe, would absolutely do this, and I believe they would absolutely pay for it. The question is: would Texas do this? The answer is: absolutely not.” Texas is slated to face one of the nation’s toughest schedules in 2026, including a Week 2 showdown against Ohio State, which would come one week after this proposed matchup. “Sark, in his sentiment, is not wrong,” Klatt said. “But the hyperbole he uses that our 2s and 3s could go win every game on Texas Tech’s schedule … come on. “That’s a real slap in the face, so, of course, Joey McGuire is going to step up and defend his fraternity and his program, and obviously Cody Campbell is going to do the same.” Could the game happen? Sure. Will it happen? Probably not. Goodbye, Mercer. Farewell, Chattanooga.SEC athletic directors have voted to play conference games in the next to last week of the regular season, a move that effectively eliminates the November non-conference “cupcake games” that have drawn criticism from fans and media alike. “I think this is fantastic,” Klatt said. “We want to see better games more often in college football. This is one of the reasons that I support expansion because I believe we will get better, more valuable non-conference games.” The decision comes as the SEC prepares to move to a nine-game conference schedule beginning this year, ending a run of eight-game league schedules that dates back to the conference’s expansion in 1992. The SEC did play 10 conference games during the 2020 COVID season, but that was after not playing any non-conference games. “This is a very good revelation moving forward so that we can all start to play similar schedule formats,” Klatt said. “I think everyone is going to argue about the difficulty of their week-in and week-out basis — and let’s face it, that goes back to what Greg Sankey said — they feel their schedule is a grind, and they’re not wrong. They are a very good conference.” Klatt acknowledged the SEC’s talent, noting the conference produced more NFL Draft picks than any other league this past year. But he argued that many of the metrics the SEC pointed to as evidence of its dominance no longer favor the conference. “There is a reason the SEC had more players drafted than any other conference,” Klatt said. “It just so happens that every other data point, except for the total number of draft picks, favors other conferences. “All these things that they hung their hat on for so long: championships, record on the field, bowl games, first-round draft picks. That’s gone away, and all they have is this total number of draft picks and a narrative.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Alex Palou won for the fourth time in eight races this year, so he naturally stays atop these power rankings after his win on the streets of Detroit this past weekend. Now the series heads to World Wide Technology Raceway, commonly known as Gateway. It’s a 1.25-mile oval and a track where Palou has never even reached the podium. Here are my power rankings following Detroit: Dropped out: Marcus Armstrong (Last Week: 7) On the verge: Armstrong, Kyffin Simpson, Rinus VeeKay 10. Scott Dixon (Last Week: 8)Chip Ganassi Racing No. 9 Honda Dixon had a hybrid issue and his day ended 31 laps before the finish at Detroit. After four top-10 finishes, he has two finishes of 15th or worse. 9. Josef Newgarden (Last Week: 10)Team Penske No. 2 Chevrolet Newgarden gutted out a finish of 10th at Detroit despite nursing an injury to his left foot. He has five top-10 finishes in the eight races this year. 8. Graham Rahal (Last Week: NR)Rahal Letterman Lanigan No. 15 Honda Rahal had an impressive third-place finish on the streets of Detroit, his third podium finish in his last six starts. He moved up to ninth in the overall standings. 7. Scott McLaughlin (Last Week: 4)Team Penske No. 3 Chevrolet McLaughlin had a great day going at Detroit before tangling with Will Power and ended up 19th. He remains on this list because he has shown the speed, but the finishes need to come. He sits seventh in the standings. 6. David Malukas (Last Week: 2)Team Penske No. 12 Chevrolet Malukas had a rare bad day at Detroit with an 18th-place finish, ending a string of six consecutive top-10s and back-to-back second-place finishes. He dropped a spot to third in the standings. 5. Felix Rosenqvist (Last Week: 6)Meyer Shank Racing No. 60 Honda The Indianapolis 500 winner had a solid sixth-place finish at Detroit. He has three finishes of sixth or better in his last four starts. 4. Christian Lundgaard (Last Week: 5)Arrow McLaren No. 7 Chevrolet Lundgaard started fifth and finished fifth at Detroit for his third top-five in the last five races. He is fourth in the point standings. 3. Pato O’Ward (Last Week: 3)Arrow McLaren No. 5 Chevrolet Fourth in the Indianapolis 500 and fourth at Detroit is a sign of consistency for O’Ward, who has finished outside the top-five only twice this year. All of those six top-five finishes are either a fourth or a fifth. 2. Kyle Kirkwood (Last Week: 9)Andretti Global No. 27 Honda Kirkwood finished a frustrating second as he was the defending race winner at Detroit. He felt he had a shot to win but was stymied by some caution flags. He has six top-five finishes this year, including three podium finishes. 1. Alex Palou (Last Week: 1)Chip Ganassi Racing No. 10 Honda Four wins in eight races and a 62-point lead in the standings following his Detroit victory. This is Palou’s championship to lose.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The Los Angeles Rams’ blockbuster trade will allow the football world to see the NFL’s best pass-rusher on the league’s biggest and brightest stage. By luring Cleveland Browns superstar Myles Garrett to Hollywood to help the reigning MVP make a final run at the Lombardi Trophy, the Rams are giving the seven-time Pro Bowler and two-time Defensive Player of the Year a stage that will not only cement his credentials as a future gold jacket wearer, but he could attain “G.O.A.T” status as the most talented pass-rusher to ever don the pads. As a former NFL player who played with Hall of Famers Bruce Smith, Reggie White and Derrick Thomas, and worked with the Carolina Panthers when a young Julius Peppers embarked on his Hall of Fame career, I am uniquely qualified to make that assessment based on watching and benefiting from their dominance and destruction at the point of attack. Considering three members of the aforementioned quartet rank among the top four in sacks all time (No. 1: Smith, 200.0; No. 2: White, 198.0; No. 4: Peppers, 159.5), the comparisons for Garrett are warranted based on his performance and production through his first nine seasons. Garrett, the NFL’s single-season record holder (23), has totaled 125.5 career sacks in 134 games. He has been the model of consistency, with eight seasons with at least 10 sacks and 149 tackles for loss, including a whopping 55 since 2024 alone. There’s only one real blemish on his playing résumé, and it’s beyond his control: He’s appeared in just three playoff games. As the featured playmaker for former Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, the 6-foot-4, 272-pounder attacked offensive guards and tackles like an NBA small forward running an isolation play on the wing. Garrett’s first-step quickness and wide array of hesitation fakes and spin moves make him impossible to block without using a double team or a “chip” block from a running back or tight end. Additionally, the freakishly athletic sack artist can win with power, utilizing a bull rush or two-hand swipe to slip past blockers at the point of attack. Garrett’s clever use of finesse moves and old-school power maneuvers are complemented by his relentless motor. He is the rare superstar who plays with the energy and enthusiasm of a practice squad member trying to earn a permanent roster spot. Garrett’s competitiveness, stamina and effort jump off the tape, and it is one of his superpowers when evaluating his game. Reflecting back on my time with Smith and White, the Hall of Fame inductees also took tremendous pride in their conditioning. They were able to combine their skill with a nonstop motor that enabled them to outwork and outlast opponents on the edges. With Smith and White also capable of knocking blockers around with arm-overs and “hump” maneuvers, their ability to win with either finesse or force set them apart from others at the position. The two-time Defensive Player of the Year not only shares the explosive strength and power traits of the NFL’s all-time sack leader and the runner-up, but he also flashes the electric athleticism that helped Peppers terrorize opponents off the edge. The explosive first-step quickness and slippery maneuvers (dip-and-rip and stutter swim moves) are straight from the former two-sport athlete’s playbook. With Garrett capable of single-handedly destroying game plans like the three-time All-Pro and 2000s and 2010s NFL All-Decade Teams member, the Rams are adding a generational talent to the defense who will tilt the field in their favor whenever he steps between the lines. Considering the Super Bowl LVI blueprint that produced Sean McVay’s first Super Bowl win, the Rams have recreated a defensive lineup with similar star power. Garrett steps into the role previously occupied by three-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald, as the disruptive force at the line of scrimmage. Although No. 99 did his damage on the interior, the attention he commanded created big-play opportunities for others on the frontline. Kobie Turner and Byron Young will undoubtedly benefit from Garrett’s presence, as they will see their one-on-one opportunities increase with teams sending two and three blockers in the sack leader’s direction. Given Young’s win rate (14%), per ESPN Analytics, which ranked fifth among defensive tackles in 2025 without the All-Pro in the lineup, the fourth-year pro could see his sack numbers explode this season after tallying 24 in 51 career games. Young quietly recorded 12 sacks a season ago, with a 16.8% Pass-Rush Win Rate that ranked among the top 20 edge defenders in the league, per PFF. As teams are forced to make tough decisions in pass protection with three credible pass-rushers on the field, Garrett’s arrival could transform a good pass rush into a great one by season’s end. General manager Les Snead and McVay have found a way to operate in “Super Bowl-or-bust” mode, while planning for a future with a young franchise quarterback in the bullpen. While the Rams’ acquisitions have cost them multiple first-round picks, the opportunity to add Garrett to a lineup that features an All-Pro defensive back (Trent McDuffie) and another playmaking cover corner (Jaylen Watkins) should create a dèjá vu moment that brings back memories of Super Bowl LVI when another G.O.A.T led a title run with defensive backs Jalen Ramsey and Eric Weddle cast in supporting roles. With all eyes on the Rams, Stafford and Garrett attempting to create a storybook ending in Hollywood, the football world might finally see the game’s preeminent pass-rusher on the super stage.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

To play for the U.S. men’s national team at the World Cup is a unique honor, but only a handful of players have had the distinction of being called captain. In the modern era, the job entails a lot of responsibilities, such as being the figurehead on the pitch while keeping your teammates composed during high-stakes moments. With the United States co-hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup, it will be the 12th time the U.S. has participated in the tournament. Aside from the 1950 squad that featured a three-player rotation and Claudio Reyna twice wearing the armband, each appearance by the USA at soccer’s marquee event has had a different player holding the honor. With defender Tim Ream now tabbed as captain for this summer’s 26-man squad, here’s the history of the U.S. World Cup captains, starting with the inaugural edition in 1930. Tom Florie | 1930 World Cup Born in 1897 to Italian immigrants in Harrison, New Jersey, Florie was one of the top American soccer players of the early era. He began his professional career after serving in the U.S. Navy during World War I. In the American Soccer League, he thrived as a forward for Providence FC and the New Bedford Whalers. While he was not named to the Olympic team in 1928, he served as the U.S. national team’s first World Cup captain for the tournament in 1930. In the tournament, he scored in a 3-0 win over Belgium in the group stage and helped the team advanced to the semifinals, which is still its best finish in the history of the tournament. Florie’s final appearance with the U.S. team came in a 7-1 loss to Italy at the 1934 World Cup. George Moorhouse | 1934 World Cup Born in Liverpool in 1901, Moorhouse moved to the United States after serving for Great Britain during World War I. Upon arriving, he played for several clubs in the New York area. He initially featured as the left back for the U.S. team at the 1930 World Cup. The U.S. team did not play any games until the 1934 World Cup in Italy. For that tournament, Moorehouse was named captain. The U.S. team defeated Mexico 4-2 in its lone qualification match. The format of that tournament was single-elimination and in the first round, the U.S. team drew hosts Italy and lost 7-1. Harry Keough, Ed McIlvenny, Walter Bahr | 1950 World Cup The U.S. team rotated captains for its three games at the 1950 World Cup. Two of them, Harry Keough and Walter Bahr, became well-known figures and ambassadors for the sport. Keough was the captain for the U.S. team’s 3-1 opening loss to Spain because he could speak Spanish. He worked for the U.S. Postal Service as a player but then went on to become an influential coach at St. Louis University, leading it to five national titles. Bahr was the captain for the team’s 5-2 loss to Chile in the group stage finale. Bahr would go on to coach Penn State’s soccer team from 1974-1988 and was named the College Coach of the Year in 1979. Of course, the middle group stage game was a 1-0 win over England which still serves as one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history. The Scottish-born McIlvenny was given the honor of captaining the team that day because he was born in Great Britain. His playing career began England at the lower levels where he featured for the now-famous Wrexham before moving to the United States in 1949. The 1950 World Cup would be the only time he played for the United States. Following the tournament, he would move back to England to continue with his career, first with Manchester United, before retiring in 1958. Mike Windischmann | 1990 World Cup Born in Germany but raised in New York City, center back Mike Windischmann played in the youth leagues of the Big Apple before playing college soccer for Adelphi University on Long Island. Upon graduating, Windischmann elected to play for the Brooklyn Italians, one of the most storied semipro clubs in American soccer history. He used his success with Brooklyn to earn a spot on the 1988 Olympic team where he scored in a 1-1 draw with Argentina. Following the success of the Olympics, Windischmann joined the MISL’s Los Angeles Lazers (an indoor club) and later the Albany Capitals of the outdoor American Soccer League. During his only season with the Capitals, Windischmann was selected to be part of the 1990 World Cup team which was competing in the tournament for the first time in 40 years. He started all three games as the U.S. team exited without a point. Following the 1990 season, Windischmann retired from professional soccer while opting to play two more years with the U.S. national futsal team. He helped to a second-place finish at the 1992 FIFA Futsal World Championships. Tony Meola | 1994 World Cup Captaining the U.S. national team in 1994 was a big job as it entailed being the face of a team that was hosting the tournament and was the first time many Americans were watching the team, or even the sport. Meola handled the job extremely well as the pony-tailed goalkeeper made several big saves in the tournament and displayed charisma that made many in the country embrace the team. In fact, he even earned a preseason invite as a placekicker for the NFL’s New York Jets. Meola began playing for the U.S. national team while he was still in college at the University of Virginia and earned the starting job at the 1990 World Cup. He played in the lower levels of the domestic professional game, both outdoor and indoor, that existed at the time. When MLS began play in 1996, Meola became one of the most important players in the league’s early seasons with the Metrostars and Kansas City Wizards. He made the 2002 World Cup team as a third-string backup. He retired from playing in 2008. Thomas Dooley | 1998 World Cup The run-up to the 1998 World Cup was a mess for the U.S. team as head coach Steve Sampson dismissed captain John Harkes from the team for “leadership issues,” but it was later revealed Sampson cut Harkes because he became aware of an affair between Harkes and the wife of teammate Eric Wynalda. To help settle the team, Sampson turned to 37-year-old veteran Thomas Dooley. The German-born Dooley began playing for the U.S. team in the years preceding the 1994 World Cup when U.S. Soccer was scouting for a more professional contingent of players. Dooley was discovered to have U.S. eligibility through his American father who served in Germany while in the Army. Despite being an outsider to the country, Dooley won over the team when he joined with his professionalism and dedication. To this day, he remains the only American player to have ever won the German Bundesliga, which he did in 1990/91 with Kaiserslautern. Unfortunately for Dooley, the 1998 World Cup remains a low point in the history of the U.S. national team as the team lost all three group stage games, including a 2-1 loss to Iran that eliminated the team from the knockouts. Dooley was given a send-off game with the national team in 1999 to finish with 81 appearances. Following his playing days, he turned to coaching and most of his years have been in Asia. In April, he was named manager of the national team of Bangladesh. Claudio Reyna | 2002, 2006 World Cups As one of the most decorated American players of all-time, Claudio Reyna remains the only player to captain the U.S. national team in two World Cups. Early in his career, he became the first American to captain a club in a top European league with Wolfsburg in Germany’s Bundesliga. He became a legend for Scottish powerhouse Rangers when he scored the game-winning goal over Parma to clinch qualification for the 1999–2000 Champions League. But Reyna’s time with the United States was groundbreaking. He was a member of four World Cup teams, although an injury prevented him from playing in 1994. He helped the U.S. team advance to the semifinals of the 1995 Copa América in Uruguay. He captained the 1996 Olympic team and scored against Argentina. In 2002, he captained the U.S. team to its best World Cup finish in the modern era with a run to the quarterfinals. That year he became the first U.S. player to be named to the World Cup all-tournament team. Injuries negatively impacted the final years of his career and a knee injury in a 2-1 loss to Ghana at the 2006 World Cup was his final moment for the team. After the U.S. loss, which eliminated the team after the group stages, he announced his international retirement. Carlos Bocanegra | 2010 World Cup The years following the 2006 World Cup disappointment were successful. When Bob Bradley was hired as coach in 2007, he immediately settled on Carlos Bocanegra to be the team’s captain, and he ended up leading the team to several important accomplishments. In 2007, he wore the armband for the team’s Gold Cup triumph. At the 2009 Confederations Cup, Bocanegra led the team to victories over Egypt and top-ranked Spain before falling to Brazil in the final. The following year at the 2010 World Cup, the U.S. team won its group for the first time since 1930. At the club level, Bocanegra’s long career also was marked by impressive times of leadership. He wore the armband for Fulham in the Premier League, Saint-Étienne in Ligue 1, Rangers in the Scottish Premiership, and he ended his career as captain for Chivas USA in its final MLS season before folding in 2014. A native of California, Bocanegra finished his international career with 110 caps. Clint Dempsey | 2014 World Cup As one of the most popular and successful American players of all time, Clint Dempsey was Jurgen Klinsmann’s choice to captain the 2014 World Cup team in Brazil after he had been serving in that role since 2013. The lead up to that tournament was dominated by the story of Klinsmann’s controversial decision to cut the team’s all-time leading scorer Landon Donovan. But Dempsey immediately delivered an important goal just seconds into the first game as the U.S. team came away with a crucial 2-1 win over long-time nemesis Ghana, who eliminated the U.S. team from the two previous World Cups. Dempsey played in three World Cups and scored goals in each tournament. He finished his career tied with Donovan as the all-time U.S. national team leading scorer with 57 goals. He wore the armband a total of 20 times. At the club level, Dempsey enjoyed tremendous success with Fulham. His best season came in 2011-12 when he scored 23 goals for Fulham in all competitions, including 17 in the Premier League. In 2010, he scored a memorable goal against Juventus in a Europa League knockout victory that is sometimes considered the most important goal in Fulham’s history. Tyler Adams | 2022 World Cup After failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, the U.S. team went with a youthful approach throughout the cycle leading to the 2022 World Cup. Head coach Gregg Berhalter settled on Adams, just 23 years old, as the captain shortly before the World Cup began. After the Americans advanced to the Round of 16 before losing to the Netherlands, Adams was named U.S. Soccer’s Male Player of the Year for 2022. In a club career that saw him begin as a homegrown player for the New York Red Bulls, and then progress to Europe with RB Leipzig, Leeds United, and now AFC Bournemouth (which he helped to a sixth place finish this season and a spot in the Europa League next year), Adams is part of the generation that reset the program following the embarrassing failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. Adams is still a key part of the U.S. national team program under Mauricio Pochettino, but he was not selected to captain the 2026 World Cup team as the position was given to Tim Ream. Tim Ream | 2026 World Cup When Tim Ream made his United States national team debut in 2010, few expected it would be the start of a remarkable international career that has continued for over 15 years — and has the center back now serving as the USA’s captain at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. At 38 years old, he will be the oldest player to ever serve as the USA captain at a men’s World Cup. Now with MLS club Charlotte FC, the St. Louis native had a solid career in the English Premier League, most notably with Fulham. He joined an elite group of American players who have worn the armband in a Premier League game (others including Brian McBride, Carlos Bocanegra, Claudio Reyna, Clint Dempsey and Tim Howard).​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Most of us were expecting one major NFL trade on Monday. However, we wound up with two deals that will drastically shake up the 2026 season, and one of the trades ranks among the biggest in NFL history. The Los Angeles Rams made a stunning deal to acquire two-time Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett from the Cleveland Browns, giving up Pro Bowl edge Jared Verse and three picks (including a 2027 first-rounder) in the process. Hours later, the New England Patriots finally landed three-time All-Pro receiver A.J. Brown after months of rumors, trading a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles. Now, the debate is on regarding who won those franchise-altering moves. Did the Rams give up too much for Garrett? Were the Patriots smart to give up a first-round pick for Brown? We asked several execs and scouts around the league those questions following Monday’s trades. From praising the Rams to questioning the Browns, here’s what they told us: Eric D. Williams: The Rams moved on from a talented and productive young player in Jared Verse, along with giving up significant draft capital to acquire the best defensive player in the NFL, pass rusher Myles Garrett from the Cleveland Browns. But in return, according to sources I spoke with, the Rams improved their chances of winning a Super Bowl this season — and beyond. “It’s probably a win-win, with more risk for the Rams,” a league source told me about the deal. “It’s hard to argue with it for the Browns, given how much they got. As great as Garrett is, he’s going into his 10th season. “But if the Rams win a Super Bowl with him and he helps, then it’s awesome for them no matter what else happens. That’s how you really judge it for them. They would love to win it this year, but if they win it any time [Garrett] is on the team and he is a key factor, it’s a good trade. It does not need to be the 2026 season. It would be unlikely it is later than 2028, but not impossible.” Garrett, 30, is the first reigning Defensive Player of the Year to be traded in NFL history. And the move comes a year after he set the NFL’s single-season sack record, logging 23 sacks in 2025. So, it’s no surprise that a longtime scout who evaluated Garrett at Texas A&M in 2017 believes the star edge rusher brings a different dimension to Los Angeles’ defense. “A really good team just got a lot better,” the scout told me. “I remember evaluating him coming out, and I thought he was generational. It used to be that generational players stayed with one team during their career, but that’s not the case now. “I think he’ll be a good fit with the Rams and give them something they do not have. He’s got a lot of gas left in the tank. … Sometimes a good player like that will up his game even further in a new environment.” Parting with a two-time Pro Bowler in Verse isn’t easy, as the 2024 first-round pick ranked sixth in total pressures last season, per Pro Football Focus. But giving up the 25-year-old standout — plus a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick and a 2029 third-round pick — was worth it for Garrett, according to a front office executive I spoke with. “Trading for the best defensive player in the league does not come cheap,” the executive said to me. “It’s the cost of doing business.” As for the Browns, the front office executive said receiving Verse and the draft assets will help continue the team’s rebuilding process under new head coach Todd Monken. “He’s a big, fast and productive pass rusher who can also play the run,” the executive said about Verse. “At 25 years old, he’s durable and on a rookie contract. Sounds good to me.” Ralph Vacchiano: Garrett wanted out of Cleveland a year ago, but the Browns had other plans. They wanted to make him the face of their franchise as they started rebuilding from scratch, giving him a record extension at the time. Then, on Monday, they decided to start all over again. “That’s the Browns,” one NFL executive told me. “They had a plan. They gave it a whole year. Now they’re starting over. It’s what they do.” That’s certainly the way it seemed when they traded Garrett just a year after giving him a four-year, $160 million contract with a full no-trade clause, which is rare. The Browns resisted all efforts to deal him even after he requested a trade last offseason. And they did get a historic season out of him. Of course, he did it on a 5-12 team. “I don’t know what they got out of keeping him,” the executive told me. “They knew they didn’t have a quarterback. They knew they probably wouldn’t be good until late in his deal. He’s a great player, don’t get me wrong, but they needed the assets more. “I don’t know if they could’ve gotten a better deal last year or even the same deal, but they would’ve been a year further along [in their rebuilding]. You can’t run a franchise by starting over every year.” Williams: In one of the worst-kept secrets this offseason, the Eagles finally traded mercurial receiver A.J. Brown. In a transaction rumored for months to take place on June 1 due to salary cap ramifications for the Eagles, the Patriots gave up a first-round pick in 2028 and a fifth-round selection in 2027 for Brown’s services. One source I spoke with thought it a head-scratcher that the Eagles secured a first-round pick even though it was a foregone conclusion that Philadelphia was trading Brown to New England. Brown played for Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel when both of them were in Tennessee. “I’m somewhat surprised that the Eagles were able to get a first-round pick as part of the deal, albeit a first in two years,” the league source told me. “It was clear that Philadelphia wanted to move on, and yet they were still able to convince New England to give up a one.” However, the league source acknowledged that the Rams coming close to making a trade for Brown (which potentially would have included wide receiver Davante Adams) could have driven up the price for New England. Now that Brown, known for his prickly personality, is a Patriot, how he fits with third-year quarterback Drake Maye and is used by offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels will be the next thing to watch for in New England. “I think he’ll be fine in the locker room,” the league source told me. “He couldn’t be any more challenging than Stefon Diggs in that locker room.” Vacchiano: A first-round pick in any draft is a high price to pay for a wide receiver approaching age 30 who hasn’t lived up to his potential over the past two seasons. But the Patriots expect that A.J. Brown will improve just by getting him out of Philadelphia. “He’s the classic change-of-scenery guy,” an NFL assistant general manager told me. “He clearly wasn’t happy in Philly. He’s going to be better just by putting on different colors.” That’s what the Patriots are counting on after trading a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-rounder for the soon-to-be 29-year-old. His numbers were down the past two seasons, but he still averaged 73 catches, 1,041 yards and seven touchdowns despite missing seven games. After recording 1,003 receiving yards in 2025, Brown has logged at least 1,000 yards in six of his first seasons in the league. The injuries that bothered him weren’t nearly the problem that his attitude and demeanor had become, at least to those who watched him from the outside. And in New England, that is expected to change. “A.J. Brown looked miserable over the last two years and the Eagles’ passing game was always off,” a scout told me. “But look at the numbers he still put up. And he did that splitting attention with DeVonta Smith. That shows you how talented this guy is. “Yes, you’ve got to make him the focus of your offense. Yes, you have to work to keep him happy. But the Patriots will gladly do all that. He’s the best receiver they’ve had in years.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports