Real Madrid has reportedly reached an agreement with RB Leipzig to sign winger Yan Diomande for a transfer fee exceeding 100 million euros.

The 19-year-old Ivory Coast international will travel to Madrid this week to undergo medical evaluations and complete a contract running through June 2031, per Fabrizio Romano.

Diomande recorded 12 goals and eight assists in 33 Bundesliga appearances for RB Leipzig which earned him the league’s Rookie of the Season award before representing Ivory Coast at the 2026 World Cup. 

Diomande started all four matches for the Ivory Coast at the World Cup this summer, recording an assist against Curaçao in the group stage. He helped his country reach the round of 32, where Ivory Coast was eliminated by Norway. He is expected to be a player to watch at the 2030 World Cup.

The move comes amid a broader overhaul at Real Madrid under manager José Mourinho, who began his second stint as manager of the club earlier this summer. 

Diomande joins Marc Cucurella, Ibrahima Konaté, and Bernardo Silva among the additions brought in to reshape the squad after a forgettable season that ended in scandal last year.

Moving to Real Madrid concludes a transfer chase for Diomande, who had also drawn interest from Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool earlier in the summer window.

Ivory Coast’s Best Moments 2026 FIFA World Cup™ 🇨🇮

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The New York Mets’ season has gone from World Series aspirations to a potential roster overhaul. With disappointment mounting in Queens, New York could become one of the busiest teams at the MLB Trade Deadline as the franchise shifts its focus toward selling.

At least, that’s the expectation from FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal. Rosenthal on Saturday broke down the team’s plans ahead of the deadline and highlighted the potential trades that could be on the way.

In fact, he expects multiple players to be traded before the deadline, headlined by starting pitchers Freddy Peralta and Clay Holmes.

“I expect them to make at least six trades,” Rosenthal said. “I see Peralta and Holmes. Holmes has a player option, but he’s like Shane Bieber from last year, coming off a significant injury but will be in demand and decline that player option. The Mets don’t seem interested in giving him an extension.”

(Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images)

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However, the Mets’ most valuable trade assets could come from their bullpen. Among the pitchers available is likely Luke Weaver, whose remaining year of team control could make him one of the most attractive relievers available at the deadline.

“The two lefty relievers, A.J. Minter and Brooks Raley,” Rosenthal said. “Luis Robert Jr. and Tyrone Taylor and the big question will likely not be Lindor, but Luke Weaver. The Mets have him for another year. They want to compete in 2027, but the demand for relievers is always high.”

If the Mets remain active at the deadline, their focus may not be limited to acquiring prospects. Instead, the team could target MLB-ready talent, as Rosenthal believes New York is looking to add major league players with the goal of being competitive again in 2027.

“The Mets are one of these teams that might not want prospects back,” Rosenthal said. “They might want major league talent. With players on expiring contracts, I don’t know that you would get much either way, so it probably would be [prospects] back. But at the same time, they might look for major league help.”

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Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski set a franchise record by striking out the first seven Colorado Rockies on Sunday.

Misiorowski also broke his own record for the most 100-mph pitches in a single game since pitch tracking began in 2008. The two-time All-Star reached 100 mph on 66 of his 83 pitches and hit a top velocity of 104.7.

He had thrown 58 pitches of at least 100 mph during a 15-strikeout performance against the Philadelphia Phillies on June 12.

Misiorowski struck out 12 of Colorado’s first 13 batters. The two-time All-Star retired the first 14 batters before Cole Carrigg homered with two outs in the fifth.

The Brewers record for consecutive strikeouts to start a game had been set last year by Quinn Priester, who had six in a row to begin a 5-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Sept. 18.

The major league record for consecutive strikeouts to start a game is owned by Pablo López, who fanned the first nine Atlanta batters he faced in the Miami Marlins’ 7-4 triumph over the Braves on July 11, 2021.

The Miz struck out a dozen in five innings of work for the Brewers today ‍

The Miz struck out a dozen in five innings of work for the Brewers today ‍

Misiorowski was three shy of the Brewers and MLB record for consecutive strikeouts at any point within a single game. Corbin Burnes struck out 10 straight batters in the Brewers’ 10-0 shutout of the Chicago Cubs on Aug. 11, 2021. The New York Mets’ Tom Seaver struck out 10 straight San Diego Padres on April 22, 1970, and Philadelphia’s Aaron Nola had 10 consecutive strikeouts against the Mets on June 25, 2021.

Misiorowski capped the first inning by getting Hunter Goodman to swing and miss at a 104.3-mph fastball after also striking out Jake McCarthy and Mickey Moniak. TJ Rumfield, Kyle Karros and Carrigg struck out in the second. Willi Castro also struck out to lead off the third before Troy Johnston ended the streak by flying out to center fielder Luis Lara.

Misiorowski then struck out the next five batters he faced. Edouard Julien went down swinging to end the third before McCarthy, Moniak and Goodman all struck out again in the fourth. Rumfield’s second strikeout led off the fifth, then Karros lined to fifth before Carrigg homered on a 2-2 pitch.

Carrigg’s 361-foot, opposite-field shot to left came on a 101.9-mph fastball. According to MLB.com, it was 12th-fastest pitch to result in a homer since the start of pitch tracking. No Rockies player had ever homered on a pitch that fast during the pitch tracking era.

Misiorowski already has pitched 120 innings this season. He worked 141 1/3 innings last year, including his regular-season totals in the majors and minors plus his 12 postseason innings during Milwaukee’s run to the NL Championship Series. He was coming off a four-inning appearance in an 8-3 victory over the New York Mets on Monday.

His ERA for the season actually rose slightly to 1.58 as he increased his strikeout total to 185 on Sunday. Misiorowski leads the majors in both categories.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Lucas Herbert didn’t just win LIV Golf United Kingdom Presented by JCB. He rewrote the LIV Golf record book doing it.

The Ripper GC star closed with a 10-under 62 on Sunday to finish at 30 under for the tournament, a wire-to-wire victory by six shots that stands as the lowest winning score in LIV Golf League history. Along the way, Herbert also set the league record for most birdies in a single tournament with 30, and the record for most combined birdies and eagles in a tournament with 32.

It’s a fitting result after a strong stretch of golf that began at Royal Birkdale, where Herbert tied the major championship scoring record with his own 62, and carried through four rounds at JCB Golf & Country Club that included a 61 in the opening round and never let up from there.

Herbert’s four rounds of 61-66-69-62 leave little room for argument about who is currently one of the hottest players in the world. He credited the belief he built at The Open for carrying straight into this week.

“Last week gave me a lot of confidence that I can mix it with the best guys,” he said. “Just wanted to really carry that into this week the best I could. I think I got out of my own way the first two rounds and I started thinking about it yesterday. It was just good to play like that today when I was being pushed by two of the best players in the world.”

Asked how he managed to look so composed under pressure with Bryson DeChambeau and Tyrrell Hatton both chasing him, Herbert admitted the calm was mostly an act.

“I think it was a bit of a trick in hiding it. I was definitely feeling it out there,” he said. “I knew it wasn’t going to be a day where even par, 1-under was going to get it done for me. I knew I had to go out there and get it. Just kept pushing myself the whole way, and here we are.”

He also pointed to a bit of good fortune sprinkled through the week, including a pulled tee shot on 10 that somehow kicked down into a good lie and set up an eagle.

“It was one of those weeks, just when you needed a good break,” Herbert said. “I played great this week, but also, I got a lot of good breaks, which is really nice. It’s good to take advantage of those when they come.”

The individual title was only half of Ripper GC’s celebration. The Aussie squad also claimed the team title at 52 under, holding off Legion XIII by four shots, giving Ripper its third win of the season and first in Europe. Ripper GC Captain Cameron Smith was complimentary about what Herbert pulled off in helping carry the team there.

“Herby is playing some unbelievable golf. To have a 61 and a 62 in the same week when it’s blowing 30, 40 Ks an hour is pretty impressive,” Smith said. “We just all got on the back of that and played well enough to scoop up the win.”

Marc Leishman, who contributed steadily across all four days, admitted the team result mattered more to the group than any individual finish once the win was out of reach.

“It feels unbelievable. Obviously, Herby and Cam have had unbelievable weeks, and me and Trav kind of backed it up a little bit,” Leishman said. “It’s funny, at the end of the tournament when you don’t have a chance to win it, you’re not even looking at the individual leaderboard. I was looking at the team leaderboard and pretty happy with where we were sitting.”

Travis Smyth, who struggled with his own game but still played a role in the team’s title, called it a dream realized.

“This is the team I’ve always wanted to play on, being Aussie. All the boys, the whole team is Australian, so it’s like a dream come true, honestly,” Smyth said. “I didn’t play well this week, but obviously everyone else had unbelievable weeks. To be able to get up on that podium and lift a trophy with the boys is unbelievable.”

Hatton gave his home crowd something to root for, closing with a bogey-free 9-under 63 to finish runner-up at 24 under. The Legion XIII star was gracious in defeat, quick to credit the player who beat him.

“Obviously, Lucas played amazing today. I wanted to get off to a fast start, which is what I did, but unfortunately Lucas did as well,” Hatton said. “I’m very proud of how I played. It would have been amazing to win in front of home fans, but I tried my best. But actually, Lucas was incredible this week.”

His performance also helped power Legion XIII to a second-place finish on the team leaderboard at 48 under, with Caleb Surratt having a great week with a T5.

DeChambeau’s own hot stretch, dating back to his positive week at The Open Championship, continued with a closing 4-under 68, good for solo third at 21 under. His week also lifted Crushers GC to third on the team leaderboard at 42 under as well as lessening the gap between him and Jon Rahm for the individual championship.

Smith’s impressive tournament, capped by his record-tying birdie streak on Saturday, was rewarded with a solo fourth finish at 17 under after a closing 3-under 69 — a fitting individual result to go with the team trophy he lifted as Ripper GC’s captain.

Abraham Ancer and Surratt shared fifth at 14 under, while Harold Varner III, Charles Howell III and Laurie Canter tied for seventh at 13 under. Canter’s week was a quiet highlight for Majesticks Golf Club, closing with a 6-under 66 to give the home fans one more player to cheer down the stretch, alongside Ian Poulter, who finished at 8 under for the week.

It was Herbert’s tournament from the opening tee shot Thursday to the last putt Sunday — a week that will be remembered as one of the greatest performances in LIV Golf history.

LIV Golf UK Final Leaderboard

1. Lucas Herbert (-30)

2. Tyrrell Hatton (-24)

3. Bryson DeChambeau (-21)

4. Cameron Smith (-17)

T-5. Abraham Ancer (-14)

T-5. Caleb Surratt (-14)

T-7. Harold Varner III (-13)

T-7. Charles Howell III (-13)

T-7. Laurie Canter (-13)

10. Carlos Ortiz (-12)

This piece is courtesy of Mike McAllister in partnership with LIV Golf.

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The past few years, Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid had drifted away from bringing rookies and quarterbacks into training camp a few days early, reasoning that such a veteran team coming off deep playoff runs could do without it.

After all, for a decade, the Chiefs had made at least the wild-card round. Many of those seasons ended in February.

But the Chiefs collapsed last season, finishing a dismal 6-11 while losing quarterback Patrick Mahomes to a major knee injury. There were significant roster issues on both sides of the ball, depth problems at important positions that became exacerbated when injuries happened to other players, and it all meant an end to the season far earlier than anyone in Kansas City had expected.

So, with the team in need of a reset — among other reasons — Reid opted to bring his quarterbacks and rookies, along with a few other players coming off injuries, back to Missouri Western State University for a few days of work before the full squad arrives.

“I didn’t like not doing it last year after I got done with it, to be honest with you,” Reid said of the three-day crash course, which continued through heat indexes topping triple digits Sunday. “It’s a good thing for the quarterbacks, good thing for the rookies coming in. We do have more numbers (of rookies) this year, so it allows us to get more reps.

“I think,” Reid added, “that will benefit us.”

It couldn’t hurt.

Start with the quarterbacks: Mahomes was cleared this past week to fully participate in training camp after undergoing surgery in December to repair torn knee ligaments. And while Reid insisted this week that the two-time MVP would have no limitations, there is nevertheless a certain comfort that comes with getting some reps without a full team flying around him.

“You just have to build that confidence back,” Mahomes said, “and I’m glad I get to do that from Day 1 of training camp. I didn’t want to have to get only a couple of weeks of practice in and then have to go play a game. I wanted to build it up, see how training camp goes as we gradually build, and so I think that’ll help me get back to where I need to be.”

For the next two QBs on the depth chart, there’s the matter of learning the offense.

The Chiefs swung a trade with the Jets to bring in Justin Fields as the veteran backup, in part to have someone capable of winning a couple of games should Mahomes be unable to start Week 1. Their young project QB is Garrett Nussmeier, the once-heralded college star from LSU who fell all the way to the 249th overall pick in the NFL draft last April.

Beyond the quarterbacks, though, is the chance to get some extra work for a rookie class — more than two dozen are in camp — that Kansas City will be leaning upon more heavily than perhaps any other point in Reid’s tenure.

Defensive back Mansoor Delane, the first cornerback taken in the draft, is expected to start Week 1, and he may not be the only first-year player on the field. The Chiefs’ other first-round pick, defensive tackle Peter Woods, could find himself playing alongside perennial Pro Bowl pick Chris Jones, while pass rusher R Mason Thomas will be counted upon to pressure the quarterback.

That makes every extra rep they can get before the veterans arrive invaluable.

“I’m super grateful for the three days (of rookie camp),” Woods said. “I told someone earlier that the veterans, they have a standard for what they want to see from us young guys. Just coming in and being able to have some days to prepare myself to be able to mesh well with the veterans, that means a lot to me. Not everyone gets a chance to do that.”

Not in Kansas City. Not the past few years.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY (Indianapolis) — Restart time appears to be Heim Time.

Corey Heim diced his way to the lead on a restart with 35 laps remaining and then held off the best of the best to capture the Brickyard 400 for his second career victory.

Heim, who is running a part-time schedule with 23XI Racing, has just eight starts this year and has won two huge races this summer — the road-course race at Naval Base Coronado and then on the hallowed grounds of Indianapolis.

“I’m pretty out of breath,” Heim said after exiting his car on the TNT telecast. “That was a workout. It was a dream come true. Winning at the Brickyard? That’s unbelievable.”

Here are my takeaways:

1. Restart Key To Heim Win

Heim got a push from Joey Logano to jump out to the lead on the restart while the line of Denny Hamlin-Christopher Bell-Chase Briscoe couldn’t coordinate their push well enough. It cost Hamlin four spots as he dropped to sixth while Bell was able to get to second.

“Pushing is the name of the game, and Briscoe let me know he was going to push me, but he got on me way early, and then it was pushing me into Denny — and then Denny is on the binders trying to not get a penalty [for jumping the restart],” Bell told me after the race.

“The three of us just did not execute the restart very well. Fortunately, it worked out for me. Denny’s probably not going to be very happy.”

After that, it was just up to Heim to first throw a block on Hamlin and then to hold off Bell, Joey Logano, Briscoe and Hamlin. And he did just that.

“[Hamlin] has every right to be a little bit frustrated with me,” Heim said. “He probably would have done the same thing.”

Corey Heim is taking the Cup Series by storm despite limited starts.

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2. Hamlin Left To Wonder

Christopher Bell was right that Denny Hamlin wasn’t pleased.

“It’s really more on us and the 20 [of Bell] and the 19 [of Briscoe] of just not orchestrating good pushes there,” Hamlin said in his TNT interview after the race. “We came detached at the wrong time.”

Hamlin saw the win slip away, which couldn’t have been a good feeling even if he is the co-owner of 23XI Racing, which has now won back-to-back Brickyard 400s with Heim and Bubba Wallace last year.

“That’s how you lose them,” Hamlin said. “These restarts, when everyone kind of knows when you’re going to go, it’s about the pushes.

“That’s essentially where I got the lead from [Heim] the restart before. Just came back the other way around.”

Denny Hamlin didn’t execute as he would have liked on a pivotal restart.

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3. Larson’s Indy Crashout

Kyle Larson looked like he was going to have control early in the race, but he blew a left rear tire just when he was about to take the lead on Lap 44.

The Hendrick Motorsports driver had no warning, and it was another sour end at a track that has been more sour than joy (except for his 2024 Brickyard 400 win).

“It’s obviously disappointing,” Larson told me and other reporters after exiting the track’s medical center. “You go from 10th to the lead on a good start and then race strategy — we set ourselves up well to gain a lot of points there and also set ourselves up to maintain that track position the rest of the race.

“It’s a bummer, but that’s just part of racing.”

A tire issue ruined Kyle Larson’s day at The Brickyard.

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4. Gilliland Wins Million Bucks

Todd Gilliland finished 24th to win the $1 million in-season tournament, a bracket-based head-to-head challenge within the last five races.

The Front Row Motorsports driver got to celebrate as his opponent, Ryan Blaney, got caught up in an accident and finished 26th.

“My heart was pounding those last 25 laps,” Gilliland said. “It was me, the 16 [of AJ Allmendinger] and the 12 [of Blaney]. … I still feel like we kind of earned it coming down the stretch.

“The biggest thing for me that was really cool through this whole process was seeing how my team really elevated themselves, really grabbed another gear.”

Blaney wasn’t thrilled, as he told the TNT broadcast after John Hunter Nemechek apologized to him for the contact that triggered the wreck: “He apologized and said he didn’t mean to do it. It still happened. … It’s a shame it ended that way.”

Todd Gilliland is $1 million richer after winning the in-season tournament.

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4 ½. Off Week Before Iowa

The NASCAR Cup Series has its second and final off weekend since the start of the regular season before getting back into action at the 0.875-mile Iowa Speedway oval.

It is another short track and part of a string of short-track races with 0.75-mile Richmond and 1-mile New Hampshire following Iowa.

WHAT YOU SHOULD READ NEXT

Alex Bowman is staying put for now. Here’s the latest from NASCAR’s silly season.

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Coach Kyle Shanahan walked onto the practice field and stood next to general manager John Lynch, watching his San Francisco 49ers practice for about 30 minutes.

Shanahan’s presence that has been a constant the past decade was a welcome sight on Sunday for the first training camp practice, coming less than two weeks after he got into a car crash that left him with a concussion and other injuries.

“I know he can’t stay away,” star linebacker Fred Warner said. “I know he’s given up his duties for a little bit, but that guy’s obsessed with ball. I’m sure of course he’s going to be around.”

While Shanahan made a cameo appearance at practice on Sunday, the Niners began preparations for the 2026 season without their leader in charge. Shanahan has ceded responsibility over the team to assistant head coach/offensive line coach Chris Foerster temporarily as he recovers from the crash he got into on July 14 in nearby Palo Alto.

Shanahan suffered a concussion, broken ribs, a broken nose and broken hand in the crash and won’t be back running the team until the concussion symptoms subside. Shanahan had a cast on his left hand, sunglasses to cover up his black eye and a new mustache that prompted Warner to complement him on his “disguise” as he watched practice.

Shanahan interacted with a few players, including Warner, Kyle Juszczyk, Christian McCaffrey and Dre Greenlaw before leaving the field.

“I knew it would be tough to keep him away from there,” star tackle Trent Williams said. “It’s going to be hard for him to get his rest. He’s not that type of person. It doesn’t surprise me at all to see him out there.”

With a veteran-laden team and several coaches who have been with the organization for years, Foerster and Williams said it’s almost as if the team is on “auto pilot” and not thrown off by Shanahan’s absence.

The training camp practice plan was put in place long before Shanahan’s crash with the opening stretch of camp essentially a repeat of the installations from the offseason program.

Foerster said he is leaning heavily on his assistants, especially coordinators Klay Kubiak, Raheem Morris and Brant Boyer. He said not much has changed other than he had to break the team after practice, he did a news conference and he got to make the call on small parts of practice such as whether to repeat or skip a play following a pre-snap penalty.

Foerster has been in the NFL for more than three decades, starting as an assistant offensive line and tight ends coach in Minnesota in 1993 and had little problem taking command of the entire team.

“He’s been doing this longer than everybody in that locker room been alive, probably except for me,” Williams said. “It’s like a hand-in-glove fit. Me personally, I’m so proud of him just watching him even just be a head coach for a day, or no matter how long it is. We go so far back, he’s family to me. Just seeing him in that position, I’m just really proud.”

Foerster spent four seasons with Washington when Shanahan was offensive coordinator and Mike Shanahan was head coach and joined the 49ers in 2019. Foerster had resigned as offensive line coach in Miami in 2017 after a video on social media appeared to show him snorting three lines of white powder at a desk, but got a second chance with Shanahan.

“He’s one of my best friends in the world by far,” Foerster said. “There’s not many people that I call a friend for a lot of reasons, and Kyle’s one of them. He and his wife, Mandy, are like family to me. This organization did some things for me and pulled me in at a time in my life when nobody would really want to be with me. And Kyle, along with John and the whole York family have stood by me and that loyalty’s never going to be forgotten. He’s a close, close friend, and it scares the crap out of you when something like this happens to somebody so close.”

Bosa Takes Field For Individual Drills

Star defensive end Nick Bosa was on the field to start camp as he makes his return from a torn ACL suffered in Week 3 last season. Bosa only took part in individual drills and was working on his own on the side during team drills.

“I couldn’t even tell that he had an injury or he came back from anything,” Williams said. “Most people with a knee injury that catastrophic, you come back, you can see something. You can see it in the atrophy in the muscle and the leg. You can see something. Bosa looks better than he did before he got hurt.”

News And Notes

OL Vederian Lowe left practice early with an ankle injury. … CB Nate Hobbs was the only active player not taking part in practice. … The Niners signed DT Kevin Givens a day after releasing Evan Anderson. Givens has played 70 games for San Francisco from 2019-25. … Foerster said Connor Colby will get the first shot to win the starting left guard spot after starting six games as a seventh-round rookie last season.

Reporting by the Associated Press.

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Puerto Rico and Curaçao may be small islands, but the support they showed was massive as elite center fielders Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday.

Both joined slugging second baseman Jeff Kent as the newest members before an estimated crowd of 12,000 fans at the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown, with 57 other Hall of Famers on stage — creating the largest gathering of current Hall of Famers.

Jones’ speech was almost like a love letter to his home country of Curaçao.

“There’s no easy way to get here from the small island of Curaçao, more than 2,000 miles away,” Jones said. “But today Cooperstown and Curaçao are forever joined together.”

The longtime Atlanta Braves outfielder, a 10-time Gold Glove winner and five-time All-Star, is the first player from Curaçao to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. But he said he doesn’t plan on being the last. He pointed to players who have followed him, including Ozzie Albies and Kenley Jansen, as part of the Curaçao legacy started by Hensley “Bam Bam” Meulens.

Among the highlights, Jones’ tribute to his late father, Henry Jones, stood out. He said his father used to hit him flyballs from foul pole to foul pole to teach him how to track the ball, and how to build strong wrists by rolling a sledgehammer.

“Everything he taught me had a purpose,” Jones said. “Henry Jones was a legend in Curaçao, a great player in his own right. And I’m not standing here in Cooperstown without his constant coaching. Dad, we did it.”

Chants of “Puerto Rico” broke out before Beltrán even uttered a word. And whenever he mentioned his home island, the crowd cheered for him and waved flags.

“Everywhere I played baseball, I always tried to represent my island,” Beltrán said. “I tried to do the best I could for the organizations that I played, but also I wanted to represent Puerto Rico.”

The 20-year veteran and 1999 AL Rookie of the Year ran through each organization he played for, thanking them for the different lessons each provided. The New York Mets received the most praise.

“When people ask me about why I chose (the Mets) cap, I have to say this,” he said. “Guys, it’s simple. Every organization shapes your career. New York shaped my life.”

When discussing the teams he played for, Beltrán gave specific examples from some of his stops, including watching teammates Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell “play with pain” in Houston. But he did not mention winning the World Series with the Astros in 2017. That title carries controversy because of an illegal sign-stealing scheme and Beltrán’s involvement in it.

Beltrán did not directly address the scandal, but did comment on those who may or may not have voted for him for whatever reasons.

“To the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, I want to say thank you for making me a Hall of Famer. … And for those that didn’t (vote for me) — that saw things different — I want to say also thank you. I appreciate your perspective,” he said. “If baseball has really taught me something, I want to say is that I hope in life, we continue to measure ourselves by the same standard we have used to measure others.”

Beltrán earned 84.2% of the vote from the BBWAA to make the Hall on his fourth try. Jones garnered 78.4% in his ninth year of eligibility, eclipsing the 75% needed for induction. Kent was elected by a much smaller panel last December, the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee, after dropping off the BBWAA ballot when his eligibility ran out in 2023.

The 2000 NL MVP with the San Francisco Giants played for six teams over his 17-year career and set the all-time home run mark for second basemen. A hard-nosed player, Kent showed a softer side during induction weekend.

Before even speaking, Kent needed tissues to wipe the tears from his eyes after looking at his parents in the crowd, he said in a post-ceremony news conference.

“I was more emotional for the 35, 40 minutes of sitting down than I was for the speech,” he said. “I thought I was going to be a wreck and I’m glad it was only a half a wreck.”

In his speech, Kent told a story of how his baseball career turned when his father offered him a deal: if he earned a college scholarship, he would buy him a pickup truck. Kent quit racing motorcycles and shifted his focus to school and baseball and eventually earned a scholarship to the University of California, Berkeley.

In turn, he got a pickup truck he still has.

“It sits in my garage as a simple reminder that some of the simplest things can change the entire direction of your life,” Kent said.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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Another summer, another iteration of talking season in college football as conferences across the country hold their media day events this month in anticipation of the 2026 season. The Big 12, ACC and SEC have all enjoyed their turns in the spotlight in recent weeks, and now it’s time for the Big Ten — which has won three straight national titles — to do the same. 

Beginning on Tuesday at the Hilton Chicago, not far from the league office in Rosemont, Illinois, the Big Ten will kick off its annual three-day spectacle that serves as an unofficial start to football season. Once again, each day will feature representatives from six programs in the 18-team league: 

Day 1: Illinois, Iowa, Penn State, Rutgers, USC, Wisconsin

Day 2: Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Oregon, Purdue, UCLA 

Day 3: Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, Northwestern, Washington 

To prepare for the event and look ahead to the upcoming season, I’ve explored a key storyline for each of the conference’s teams. Here are some of the biggest talking points to follow in Chicago.

* Recruiting and transfer portal rankings courtesy of 247Sports. 

Illinois

Bret Bielema has a 37-26 record in his six seasons as the head coach of Illinois (Photo by Jordan Bank/Getty Images). 

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Last year: 9-4 overall, 5-4 Big Ten

Postseason: 30-28 win over Tennessee in the Music City Bowl

Head coach: Bret Bielema, sixth season, 37-26 at Illinois

Coordinators: Barry Lunney Jr. (offense); Bobby Hauck (defense)

Recruiting: No. 24 nationally, No. 6 in the Big Ten 

Transfer portal: No. 43 nationally, No. 11 in the Big Ten 

Key storyline: New defensive scheme

Bielema opted to change the defensive system once coordinator Aaron Henry Jr. left to become the co-defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach at Notre Dame. He convinced Hauck, the former Montana head coach, to spurn a brief retirement and install the same 3-3-5 scheme that produced top-20 defenses three times in the last five years for the Grizzlies. How that system will fare against some of the run-heavy offenses in the Big Ten remains to be seen. The strength of Hauck’s unit in Year 1 is expected to be a secondary that returns three starters, including All-Big Ten performer Xavier Scott at nickel. He and safety Matthew Bailey bypassed the NFL Draft for another season with the Illini. 

Indiana

Curt Cignetti is 27-2 in two seasons as the head coach of Indiana (Photo by Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images).

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Last year: 16-0 overall, 9-0 Big Ten

Postseason: 27-21 win over Miami in the National Championship game

Head coach: Curt Cignetti, third season, 27-2 at Indiana

Coordinators: Mike Shanahan (offense); Bryant Haines (defense)

Recruiting: No. 29 nationally, No. 9 in the Big Ten 

Transfer portal: No. 8 nationally, No. 3 in the Big Ten 

Key storyline: Replacing QB Fernando Mendoza

When Mendoza joined the Hoosiers following two impressive seasons at Cal, where he blossomed from a low-level recruit into a transfer portal darling, there were already big shoes to be filled at the quarterback position. Kurtis Rourke, who served as Cignetti’s original signal-caller at Indiana, had guided the program to new heights by reaching the College Football Playoff in 2024. All Mendoza did was raise that bar to include a Big Ten championship, a national championship and the Heisman Trophy. Next in line for Cignetti is TCU transfer Josh Hoover, a three-year starter who enters the upcoming season having thrown for 9,629 career yards and 71 touchdowns. Will the magic continue?

Iowa

Kirk Ferentz is entering his 28th season as the head coach of Iowa (Photo by Ricky Bowden/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images).

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Last year: 9-4 overall, 6-3 Big Ten

Postseason: 34-27 win over Vanderbilt in the ReliaQuest Bowl

Head coach: Kirk Ferentz, 28th season, 209-128 at Iowa

Coordinators: Tim Lester (offense); Phil Parker (defense)

Recruiting: No. 26 nationally, No. 7 in the Big Ten 

Transfer portal: No. 77 nationally, No. 17 in the Big Ten 

Key storyline: An ongoing QB competition 

Ferentz’s search to replace dual-threat quarterback Mark Gronowski, who led the Hawkeyes with 16 rushing touchdowns last season, will continue into fall camp after an even battle between Hank Brown and Jeremy Hecklinski — both of whom were with the program in 2025. Brown is a 6-foot-4, 215-pound junior who originally transferred from Auburn two years ago. He served as Gronowski’s primary backup and completed 11 of 21 passes for 107 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Hecklinski is a 5-foot-11, 188-pound sophomore who enters the 2026 campaign having only attempted two career passes. Whichever player wins the job will need to enliven a passing attack that ranked 129th nationally and 17th in the Big Ten last year. 

Maryland

Malik Washington threw for 2,963 yards while rushing for 303 more in his true freshman season at Maryland (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images).

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Last year: 4-8 overall, 1-8 Big Ten

Postseason: None

Head coach: Mike Locksley, ninth season, 37-49 at Maryland

Coordinators: Clint Trickett (offense); Ted Monachino (defense)

Recruiting: No. 42 nationally, No. 11 in the Big Ten 

Transfer portal: No. 62 nationally, No. 16 in the Big Ten 

Key storyline: The head coach’s job security 

Questions regarding how, when and if the Terrapins should move on from Locksley dominated the second half of Maryland’s season. After a 1-8 Big Ten record in 2025, Locksley has now finished below .500 in Big Ten play for seven consecutive years. What felt like a legitimate surge in momentum from 2021-23 — a promising stretch in which Locksley won 23 games and tallied three straight bowl victories — fizzled out rather swiftly amid back-to-back disastrous campaigns. Now, Locksley enters the 2026 season as one of the leading figures in any discussion about coaches with tenuous job security. He’ll need sophomore quarterback Malik Washington, who opened some eyes as a true freshman last fall, to take a noticeable step forward if the Terrapins want to sniff the postseason. 

Michigan

Bryce Underwood threw for 2,428 yards while rushing for 392 more in his true freshman season at Michigan (Photo by Dustin Markland/Getty Images).

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Last year: 9-4 overall, 7-2 Big Ten

Postseason: 41-27 loss to Texas in the Citrus Bowl

Head coach: Kyle Whittingham, first season, 177-88 overall

Coordinators: Jason Beck (offense); Jay Hill (defense)

Recruiting: No. 12 nationally, No. 4 in the Big Ten 

Transfer portal: No. 24 nationally, No. 5 in the Big Ten 

Key storyline: QB Bryce Underwood’s development 

Few quarterbacks in college football, if any, will face more scrutiny than Underwood this fall. The former No. 1 overall recruit in the 2025 cycle, Underwood navigated an uneven freshman season as the Wolverines’ starter — albeit for a program that would eventually fire head coach Sherrone Moore last December. He ranked ninth in the Big Ten in passing yards, 13th in passing touchdowns and 14th in completion percentage amid issues with his footwork and touch. An excellent rushing attack and retooled wide receiver room, which includes high-level transfer JJ Buchanan from Utah, should offer Underwood more ballast than he enjoyed last season. But more is expected from a player with such lofty expectations and significant compensation.   

Michigan State

Alessio Milivojevic completed 64.2% of his passes in 2025 (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images).

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Last year: 4-8 overall, 1-8 Big Ten

Postseason: None

Head coach: Pat Fitzgerald, first season, 110-101 overall

Coordinators: Nick Sheridan (offense); Joe Rossi (defense)

Recruiting: No. 45 nationally, No. 12 in the Big Ten 

Transfer portal: No. 55 nationally, No. 14 in the Big Ten 

Key storyline: How will Fitzgerald adapt?

Think about how different the sport looked when Fitzgerald last coached a game for Northwestern in 2022. The College Football Playoff was still a four-team affair, and the batch of conference realignment that sent Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC and added a West Coast contingent to the Big Ten was still more than a year away from going into effect. The one-time transfer rule that has revolutionized roster building was still in its infancy, and revenue sharing remained a far-flung concept reserved for news conference soapboxes. So, while there’s no question about the successful program Fitzgerald built from 2006-2022 — a run that included six eight-win seasons and two trips to the Big Ten title game — he still has plenty to prove in the modern era.  

Minnesota

P.J. Fleck has a 66-44 record in nine years as the head coach of Minnesota (Photo by Kevin Abele/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images).

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Last year: 8-5 overall, 5-4 Big Ten

Postseason: 20-17 win over New Mexico in the Rate Bowl

Head coach: P.J. Fleck, 10th season, 66-44 at Minnesota

Coordinators: Greg Harbaugh Jr. (offense); Danny Collins (defense)

Recruiting: No. 28 nationally, No. 8 in the Big Ten 

Transfer portal: No. 51 nationally, No. 13 in the Big Ten 

Key storyline: Fixing the running game

When Fleck and the Gophers outperformed expectations by stringing together consecutive nine-win seasons in 2021 and 2022, they did so with one of the nation’s best rushing attacks that allowed Minnesota to control games. The Gophers ranked 27th nationally in rushing (198 yards per game) during the ’21 campaign and 16th nationally (207.5 yards per game) in ’22, firmly in keeping with the league’s rugged reputation. Since then, however, Minnesota’s potency on the ground has waned rather precipitously: a 66th-place finish in 2023, a 109th-place finish in 2024 and a 128th-place finish last season. Any uptick in balance the Gophers can find will benefit promising sophomore quarterback Drake Lindsey and the passing game. 

Nebraska

Matt Rhule has a 19-19 record with Nebraska in three seasons as the head coach (Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images).

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Last year: 7-6 overall, 4-5 Big Ten

Postseason: 44-22 loss to Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl

Head coach: Matt Rhule, fourth season, 19-19 at Nebraska

Coordinators: Dana Holgorsen (offense); Rob Aurich (defense)

Recruiting: No. 88 nationally, No. 18 in the Big Ten 

Transfer portal: No. 31 nationally, No. 8 in the Big Ten 

Key storyline: Rhule vs. ranked opponents

On one hand, Nebraska will enter the 2026 season having compiled back-to-back winning records for the first time since 2013-14 under former coach Bo Pelini. On the other hand, the Cornhuskers’ current leader — Rhule — remains winless against ranked opponents (0-9) since taking over the program four years ago and hasn’t notched eight victories in a single season, college or otherwise, since before the COVID-19 pandemic. This year’s schedule could include as many as six games against ranked opponents, headlined by dates with arguably the conference’s three best teams: Indiana (home), Oregon (away) and Ohio State (home). It’s time for Rhule to prove he can elevate Nebraska beyond its current middling status.  

Northwestern

Chip Kelly is the new Northwestern offensive coordinator for the 2026 season (Eileen T. Meslar via Getty Images).

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Last year: 7-6 overall, 4-5 Big Ten

Postseason: 34-7 win over Central Michigan in the GameAbove Sports Bowl

Head coach: David Braun, fourth season, 19-19 at Northwestern

Coordinators: Chip Kelly (offense); Tim McGarigle (defense)

Recruiting: No. 52 nationally, No. 13 in the Big Ten 

Transfer portal: No. 42 nationally, No. 10 in the Big Ten 

Key storyline: A new offensive brain trust

There probably weren’t many offseason college football bingo cards that had Northwestern as the program most likely to make a splashy offensive coordinator hire. However, the Wildcats swung big and landed Kelly, the former head coach at Oregon and UCLA and a national championship-winning offensive coordinator for Ohio State in 2024. It now falls on Kelly and freshly hired quarterbacks coach Jerry Neuheisel, formerly of UCLA, to finally maximize the many talents of transfer Aidan Chiles, the No. 153 overall player in the 2023 recruiting class. Chiles comes to Northwestern following two up-and-down seasons at Michigan State and a promising freshman year at Oregon State. The program should receive a nice boost from the opening of its new stadium (Ryan Field) in October. 

Ohio State

Jeremiah Smith caught 87 passes for 1,243 yards and 12 touchdowns in his sophmore season at OSU (Photo by CFP/Getty Images).

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Last year: 12-2 overall, 9-0 Big Ten

Postseason: 24-14 loss to Miami in the CFP quarterfinals

Head coach: Ryan Day, eighth season, 82-12 at Ohio State

Coordinators: Arthur Smith (offense); Matt Patricia (defense)

Recruiting: No. 4 nationally, No. 3 in the Big Ten 

Transfer portal: No. 7 nationally, No. 2 in the Big Ten 

Key storyline: Another former NFL head coach 

There were plenty of questions surrounding Day’s decision to hire former Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia as his defensive coordinator ahead of the 2025 season. Patricia, a longtime disciple of former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, hadn’t worked in college football since 2003. His tenure with the Lions was rocky to say the least. But when push came to shove, Patricia established himself as one of the best coordinators in the country for a unit that finished first in scoring defense (9.3 points per game) and first in total defense (219.1 yards per game). Smith, meanwhile, hasn’t coached in college since he was a defensive intern at Ole Miss in 2010. He served most recently as offensive coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers (2024-25) and head coach of the Atlanta Falcons (2021-23). Can Day strike gold for the second straight year? 

Oregon

Dante Moore threw for 3,565 yards and 30 touchdowns, completing 71.8% of his passes with a 163.7 passer rating in 2025 (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images). 

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Last year: 13-2 overall, 8-1 Big Ten

Postseason: 56-22 loss to Indiana in the CFP semifinals

Head coach: Dan Lanning, fifth season, 48-8 at Oregon

Coordinators: Drew Mehringer (offense); Chris Hampton (defense)

Recruiting: No. 3 nationally, No. 2 in the Big Ten 

Transfer portal: No. 21 nationally, No. 4 in the Big Ten 

Key storyline: QB Dante Moore vs. elite defenses 

For as good as Moore was during his first season as the Ducks’ starter — he threw for 3,565 yards with 30 touchdowns and only 10 interceptions — it was difficult to shake the feeling that he underperformed against high-level opposition. He threw more interceptions (five) than touchdown passes (three) in games against Indiana (twice), Iowa and Texas Tech. His first pass in the national semifinals during a rematch with the Hoosiers, who had previously upended Oregon at Autzen Stadium earlier in the season, resulted in a pick-six for cornerback D’Angelo Ponds. Eleven of the 17 total sacks he absorbed last season came in the aforementioned four games. The arm talent that made Moore a five-star recruit is undeniable; the toughness and poise to become a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate are still developing.   

Penn State

Rocco Becht completed 205 of 339 passes for 2,584 yards and 16 touchdowns at Iowa State in 2025 (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images for ONIT). 

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Last year: 7-6 overall, 3-6 Big Ten

Postseason: 22-10 win over Clemson in the Pinstripe Bowl

Head coach: Matt Campbell, first season, 107-70 overall

Coordinators: Taylor Mouser (offense); D’Anton Lynn (defense)

Recruiting: No. 65 nationally, No. 16 in the Big Ten 

Transfer portal: No. 4 nationally, No. 1 in the Big Ten 

Key storyline: Life after James Franklin

A long and winding coaching search to replace Franklin, who won at least 10 games in six of his 12 seasons with the Nittany Lions, ended with a figure most analysts agreed was an excellent choice for Penn State. Campbell, 46, has long been regarded as a rising star in coaching thanks to his yeoman’s work at Iowa State, a school largely bereft of top-end resources. His name is linked with high-profile jobs on what feels like an annual basis, both at the collegiate and NFL levels alike. Now, after tallying five eight-win seasons with the Cyclones and two finishes among the top 15 in the AP Poll, he assumes control at a program that has never quite claimed its place in the upper echelon of the modern game. The ongoing national title drought for Penn State stretches to 1986.  

Purdue

Barry Odom finished with a 0-9 record in the Big Ten in his first season as the Purdue head coach (Photo by Raj Mehta/Getty Images). 

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Last year: 2-10 overall, 0-9 Big Ten

Postseason: None

Head coach: Barry Odom, second season, 2-10 at Purdue 

Coordinators: Josh Henson (offense); Kevin Kane (defense)

Recruiting: No. 55 nationally, No. 14 in the Big Ten 

Transfer portal: No. 48 nationally, No. 12 in the Big Ten 

Key storyline: Churn, baby, churn

When Odom took over the Boilermakers following a successful two-year run at UNLV, where he averaged 9.5 wins per season, one of his first orders of business was flipping the roster — a task made easier by the transfer portal. He added 86 new players, including 20 new starters, ahead of the 2025 campaign and promptly finished with an unsightly 0-9 record in conference play, the same as his predecessor Ryan Walters. So what did Odom do ahead of the 2026 season? He flipped his roster again. Fifty-four new Boilermakers joined the program since the end of last year, including 15 players who project as starters. There are also changes at defensive coordinator, running backs coach, offensive line coach and wide receivers coach. It’s anyone’s guess how well things mesh this fall.   

Rutgers

In 17 seasons as the head coach of Rutgers, Greg Schiano has a 99-108 record (Photo by Isaiah Vazquez/Getty Images).

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Last year: 5-7 overall, 2-7 Big Ten

Postseason: None

Head coach: Greg Schiano, 18th season (two stints), 99-108 at Rutgers 

Coordinators: Kirk Ciarrocca (offense); Travis Johansen (defense)

Recruiting: No. 36 nationally, No. 10 in the Big Ten 

Transfer portal: No. 81 nationally, No. 18 in the Big Ten 

Key storyline: Fixing the cratering defense

In 2022 and 2023, under the direction of defensive coordinator Joe Harasymiak, now the head coach at UMass, the Scarlet Knights ranked 38th nationally and 16th nationally, respectively, in total defense. And then Rutgers went off a cliff. Schiano’s team plummeted to No. 95 nationally in 2024, which proved to be Harasymiak’s final season, and No. 127 last fall — worst in the Big Ten. In an effort to stop the bleeding, Schiano plucked Johansen from a sitting head-coaching job at South Dakota, a team that reached the national quarterfinals at the FCS level. Johansen, who had been at South Dakota in various roles since 2019, is now working in the power conferences for the first time. His first real challenge will come against high-flying USC on Sept. 19. 

USC

Jayden Maiava threw for 3,711 passing yards (ranked 5th nationally) and 24 passing touchdowns in 2025 (Photo by Adam Davis via Getty Images).

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Last year: 9-4 overall, 7-2 Big Ten

Postseason: 30-27 loss to TCU in the Alamo Bowl

Head coach: Lincoln Riley, fifth season, 35-18 at USC 

Coordinators: Luke Huard (offense); Gary Patterson (defense)

Recruiting: No. 1 nationally, No. 1 in the Big Ten 

Transfer portal: No. 29 nationally, No. 7 in the Big Ten 

Key storyline: Welcome back, Coach Patterson

Beginning in 2000, when TCU elevated him from defensive coordinator to head coach, Patterson oversaw one of the most successful runs the sport had ever seen from a program outside the power conferences. He tallied an incredible seven 11-win seasons with the Horned Frogs while playing in either Conference USA or the Mountain West from 2003-11, including an undefeated campaign in 2010. His success largely continued after TCU joined the Big 12 as Patterson racked up three more 11-win seasons from 2014-17, though momentum eventually fizzled toward the latter stages of his Hall-of-Fame tenure. Now, the 66-year-old Patterson has come out of retirement in hopes of finally fixing a leaky Trojans’ defense that ranked 51st nationally in scoring last season. It might be playoff or bust for USC this fall. 

UCLA

Nico Iamaleava completed 208 of 323 passing attempts (64.4%) for 1,928 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2025 (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images). 

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Last year: 3-9 overall, 3-6 Big Ten

Postseason: None

Head coach: Bob Chesney, first season, 132-52 overall 

Coordinators: Dean Kennedy (offense); Colin Hitschler (defense)

Recruiting: No. 62 nationally, No. 15 in the Big Ten 

Transfer portal: No. 25 nationally, No. 6 in the Big Ten 

Key storyline: Can Chesney match the hype?

Regardless of what happens this fall and beyond, Chesney has earned this opportunity in the power conferences. As a small-school lifer, he’s worked his way from defensive coordinator roles at Delaware Valley and Johns Hopkins to head-coaching opportunities at Salve Regina, Assumption, Holy Cross, James Madison and, finally, UCLA. The through line across his various stops? Winning. Chesney has endured just one losing season in 16 years as a head coach and guided JMU to the College Football Playoff last fall. All of that made Chesney, 48, one of the most coveted names on the coaching carousel and an excellent hire — on paper, anyway — for a program in desperate need of stability.

Washington

Demond Williams threw for 3,065 yards and 25 touchdowns with an impressive 69.5% completion rate in 2025 (Photo by Kevin Terrell/Getty Images). 

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Last year: 9-4 overall, 5-4 Big Ten

Postseason: 38-10 win over Boise State in the LA Bowl

Head coach: Jedd Fisch, third season, 15-11 overall 

Coordinators: Jedd Fisch (offense); Ryan Walters (defense)

Recruiting: No. 13 nationally, No. 5 in the Big Ten 

Transfer portal: No. 59 nationally, No. 15 in the Big Ten 

Key storyline: Finding new skill players

Washington dodged a potentially Heisman Trophy-sized bullet when quarterback Demond Williams Jr., who announced his intention to transfer after signing a $4 million NIL deal this offseason, reversed course and vowed to return. For as great as that news was, it still only solved one of the Huskies’ problems on offense. Gone are top two running backs, Jonah Coleman and Adam Mohammed, a duo that combined for more than 1,300 yards and 21 touchdowns last season. Gone, too, are wide receivers Denzel Boston (62 catches, 881 yards, 11 touchdowns) and Raiden Vines-Bright (24 catches, 238 yards, 1 touchdown), the latter a very promising freshman. Finding the right players to replace those proven commodities is one of the biggest challenges facing Fisch and the coaching staff this fall, especially for a team that believes it should contend for a spot in the College Football Playoff. 

Wisconsin

Luke Fickell is 17-21 in three seasons as the head coach of Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)

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Last year: 4-8 overall, 2-7 Big Ten

Postseason: None

Head coach: Luke Fickell, fourth season, 17-21 at Wisconsin 

Coordinators: Jeff Grimes (offense); Mike Tressel (defense)

Recruiting: No. 78 nationally, No. 17 in the Big Ten 

Transfer portal: No. 38 nationally, No. 9 in the Big Ten 

Key storyline: Fickell’s last stand

This certainly feels like the last chance for Fickell, who once guided Cincinnati to the College Football Playoff, to right the ship at Wisconsin. Win totals have decreased in each of his three seasons with the Badgers — from seven in 2023, to five in 2024, to four in 2025 — and the athletic director who hired him, Chris McIntosh, recently left for a job in the Big Ten office. The lifelines are evaporating. But Fickell is hellbent on going down swinging, evidenced by a massive 33-player transfer haul that finished as the Big Ten’s largest class among programs without a new head coach. A difficult first half of the season should give way to a friendly November against Rutgers, Maryland, Purdue and Minnesota that might allow Fickell to build some momentum. 

Notre Dame & Oregon National Championship? Lock In These Bets Before It’s Too Late

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Source

Yeeeeeehaw. Football is here.

The offseason didn’t feel quite as long as normal, with the 2026 FIFA World Cup filling my schedule with outstanding sporting experiences. But, man, I’m excited for the NFL season to get underway. And even if we’re still a long way away from the regular season, there might not be any better time of year than training camp. If you’ve never attended a practice, I’d strongly recommend dropping into your favorite team’s camp. It’s a whole different side to the sport.

Speaking of which — I want to dig into that a little bit, especially because every camp will be underway by the end of the week. 

But first, give me the chance to welcome you back. If you’re returning, I appreciate you for checking back in. If you’re new, thanks for coming to the party. This is my weekly column that runs every Monday. Yup, this is Sound Smart, where I try to spin forward, dive deeper, think outside the box and read between the lines.

1.

Training camp is the beginning. It’s the time of year when players begin to earn — or begin to lose — their jobs. It’s the time of year when coaches earn — or don’t earn — their salaries. It’s the time of year when champions decide that this is their year. 

This is really their year.

There are times when training camp is just another football practice, a distant relative of what you’d see at your local high school. But most practices are not like that, because no one has lost a game yet. Everyone’s job is on the line. And there’s a sense of optimism — both for the downtrodden franchises and the ones that will actually compete for a title.

Training camp is the beginning — a beginning full of hope for every team.

The season is about building game plans and devising specific paths to victory. But training camp is about building out the playbook, building out the fundamentals and developing identity.

And coincidentally, Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay took folks behind the scenes — albeit unintentionally — of what training camp will be like for the Super Bowl favorites. Ahead of camp, there were two examples of McVay’s coaching style that went viral on social media. 

Both informed what it will be like for Rams players when they begin training camp on Monday.

The first was an interview with the “Bussin’ With The Boys” podcast when McVay spoke about the type of players he wants on his 90-man camp roster. He said there are “non-negotiables” when he searches for players. Obviously, they have to have NFL-level talent. But beyond that, McVay looks for guys who have a history of overcoming adversity.

“If [adversity] shapes you and callouses you the right way, growth demands that discomfort,” McVay said.

He added: “I think that more than anything, especially because of some of the things I’ve gone through where I look back and say, ‘Man, I did not like the kind of leader or the caliber of person I was.’ I was fragile. I wasn’t resilient. … The game honors toughness, but I think life and the game honor toughness, both mentally and physically. How many different ways can we measure that mental resilience? What have they been through, and how did that shape who they’ve become in the midst of the journey?”

Sean McVay kids around with two-time All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie, one of the Rams’ key offseason acquisitions. (Photo by Kevin Terrell/Getty Images)

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So there’s a shared identity from one Rams player to the next. And that helps them bring that identity to the field and to the meeting room. 

You can see the work they put together on the field. That’s the beauty of training camp: It allows fans and media to watch the team practice openly. What we seldom see is what the teams look like in meetings — and certainly not when the coach is actively teaching his players about a play. 

So that brings us to the next piece of social media that circulated, which was a video of McVay running through a simple but impressive run play. He broke it down to the fine details to help people understand why the play succeeded.

The video appears to be a public event from the 2024 offseason, with McVay breaking down a 28-yard touchdown run by Kyren Williams in L.A.’s 26-25 win over the New York Giants in 2023. He called it “one of my favorite plays of the year.”

“When you see players do little stuff like this, man, it just makes you feel appreciated. It makes them feel appreciated, which they deserve. And I appreciate a lot of the little things right here,” he said. “[Receiver Cooper] Kupp usually comes back [to the left of the formation] on this play, but he’s going to check the slot pressure before he does that. … He’s able to recognize that they’re blitzing off the slot, so he’s able to secure this off the edge. Now, awesome job by a wideout to be able to do that.”

McVay then went on to break down the footwork of right tackle Rob Havenstein and then the downfield blocking by guard Kevin Dotson and center Coleman Shelton. “That gets the play started. But then what does it look like to see receivers compete without the football?” McVay asks. He went on to note receivers Tutu Atwell and Puka Nacua charging downfield into the second level to get their hands on defenders.

“That is a great run [by Williams], but that is some great s— by the players to understand the intent of the play,” McVay said.

So if you wonder what players mean when they talk about the “fine details,” well, that’s probably only just the beginning.

2.

Entering camp, there are a handful of starting NFL quarterbacks who, frankly, will not have their jobs in 2027. You probably know who I’m thinking of. Las Vegas Raiders import Kirk Cousins serves as a clear example, just filling the gap until No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza is ready to take the reins. 

That’s its own kind of pressure, but it’s not exactly a hot seat. Then there are guys who face pressure to perform, but it would be a long shot to think they’re going anywhere. Think: Lamar Jackson and Jayden Daniels.

Then there’s the group of starters whose status is yet to be determined for 2027. These seven QBs are effectively playing their way into a long-term job — or out of it.

The Panthers announced they were picking up Young’s fifth-year option, but that’s not exactly a commitment that he’ll be their QB next year. There has been an enormous amount of conversation about next year’s crop of QB draft prospects, and so it’s easy to imagine the Panthers looking to upgrade if Young can’t continue to ascend.

This isn’t to say he won’t ascend. Third-year coach Dave Canales has been patient and dedicated — two rare traits in the QB development process. Young has trended upward in a linear-enough fashion in his first three NFL seasons. But if his 2026 season doesn’t look better than last year, he might be searching for a new team next year.

I hesitate to put Stroud on this list, because it would be hard for the Texans to pass on him in many of the ways that it was hard for the Miami Dolphins to pass on Tua Tagovailoa in 2024, when the timing demanded that he get a huge deal. 

There’s a 90 percent chance that Stroud gets re-upped. But given what we saw in the postseason, particularly against the New England Patriots, Stroud is not a lock to stay in Houston. He has not built off his rookie season. There are ways, in fact, where he’s gotten worse. And there’s a non-zero chance that things fall apart for Stroud and the Texans.

It’s a contract year, and the Buccaneers are making Mayfield play for an extension. He’s a fierce competitor — one who probably takes it personally that the team hasn’t committed to him yet. As consistent and steady as he is, Mayfield still needs weapons to be a high-level operator from the pocket. And he just lost Mike Evans, the best wide receiver in franchise history, in free agency. 

It will be fascinating to see what the Bucs can do with their weapons, because I don’t know how much gas nine-year veteran Chris Godwin has left. Nor do I think Emeka Egbuka is the surefire WR1 that he looked to become at the beginning of his rookie season.

I highly doubt that either of these quarterbacks will be Cleveland’s QB1 in 2027. I honestly doubt that new head coach Todd Monken will have his job in 2027. But if the Browns do the unthinkable and make the playoffs, then maybe Cleveland’s QB — whoever it is — could make the case to stick around.

Shedeur Sanders (2) looks on as Deshaun Watson runs a drill during veteran minicamp in April. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)

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It’s a matter of when (not if) he wins the QB1 job in his supposed competition with J.J. McCarthy. But then the hard part begins. Coach Kevin O’Connell has earned the reputation as a QB whisperer. But now that comes with an asterisk, after a failed experiment developing McCarthy. 

O’Connell, however, retains his reputation for taking mid-tier veteran QBs and turning them into game-changers (Sam Darnold, Kirk Cousins). It could be magic if O’Connell can do it with Murray. But the McCarthy experiment proved that it’s not a foregone conclusion.

Let the record state that I’m one of Hurts’ biggest supporters. But even I can recognize his shortcomings as a quarterback, namely that he has been less willing recently to run the ball and throw over the middle. 

That’ll need to change in 2026. And while the departure of WR1 A.J. Brown hurts, the arrival of USC All-American Makai Lemon should help Hurts attack the middle of the field.

If Hurts gets back to efficient running, then the Eagles’ offense should hum. But it wasn’t exactly a success story last year. And with all that talent this year, we might see big changes if the offense flops for a second year in a row.

With wide receiver A.J. Brown traded to the Patriots, QB Jalen Hurts may have to carry more weight for the Eagles’ offense in 2026. (Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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3.

Let’s lump three teams into the same bucket as they prepare for the 2026 NFL season: the Chicago Bears, New England Patriots and Denver Broncos. 

Here’s why.

All three teams made the playoffs last year. All three had a knack for pulling out wins in close games. All three had second-year quarterbacks (and former first-round draft choices) who took enormous leaps forward. All three of those quarterbacks had unstable success — meaning that it remains to be seen whether they can sustain that success. And finally, all three teams benefited from a weak schedule. They won’t have that same luxury in 2026.

In the case of the Patriots, they’re hoping to fight off regression by improving their passing attack, bringing in receivers A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs and left guard Alijah Vera-Tucker.

The Broncos snagged receiver Jaylen Waddle in a trade, and I have no doubt they’ll plug and play the speedster to perfection into Sean Payton’s offense.

New Denver receiver Jaylen Waddle speaks to the media during Broncos OTAs in June. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)

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The Bears, meanwhile, seem to trust youngsters like tight end Colston Loveland and receiver Luther Burden III to take bigger roles — while investing in their defensive identity under DC Dennis Allen. That meant signing safety Coby Bryant and linebacker Devin Bush while drafting safety Dillon Thieneman and cornerback Malik Muhammad.

I think all three teams will make the playoffs again — despite history indicating that they’re due for some bad bounces (and some tough losses). In all three instances, I like the coach, I like the quarterback and I like the thought process that went into bolstering the roster.

4.   Lost My Trust, Earned My Trust

Lost It: Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort

The plan is murky in Arizona. 

The Cardinals don’t have a starting quarterback. The current QB1, veteran backup Jacoby Brissett, is still negotiating a deal for 2026, and it’s not like he’s a long-term solution. Nor, in my opinion, is Carson Beck, whom the team drafted in Round 3 this year. 

I don’t mind that the Cardinals threw a dart in this year’s QB class, but Beck was among my least favorite quarterbacks in this class. The QB Arizona is paying a boatload of money, Kyler Murray, was released and is likely to spend the 2026 season starting for the Vikings.

And then the Cardinals drafted Jeremiyah Love with the third-overall pick. I don’t fall in the camp of “running backs don’t matter.” But I do think that the Cardinals had way too many other problems for a running back to make the impact they hope he’ll make in the next four years. 

Running backs matter when you’re a playoff team. The Cardinals aren’t. And without a plan at QB, they won’t be for a few years.

Third-round QB Carson Beck hands off the ball to first-round RB Jeremiyah Love during Cardinals rookie mincamp in May. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

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I’m just not sure what the Cardinals are trying to be other than … really bad. That’s tolerable for one year. But that’s what they were last year. And this year, they only look worse.

Earned It: Eagles GM Howie Roseman

The Eagles watched receiver A.J. Brown become less effective every season, with his counting stats and averages largely trending downward since his first year with the team in 2022. And to make matters worse, Brown was outspoken about his dissatisfaction with “the passing game,” which felt like either a shot at Jalen Hurts or head coach Nick Sirianni or offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo — or all three. 

That’s why I think there was a collective sigh of relief in Philly when the Eagles traded Brown to New England. The return was fine, a 2028 first-round pick that is, admittedly, a long time away. But it’s a first-round pick nonetheless. That move was admirable by Roseman — cutting ties with a superstar when the cutting was good. 

But I also loved the way Roseman handled the draft, moving up to steal USC receiver Makai Lemon, a guy who should help Hurts attack the middle of the field, a place where the QB was hesitant last year. Lemon isn’t a one-for-one replacement for Brown, but the rookie should eventually fill a much-needed role — and one that should help the shifting offensive identity around Hurts and running back Saquon Barkley.

Makai Lemon is introduced at Game 3 of the Eastern Conference NBA playoff series between the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers in April. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

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Oh yeah, and remember when Roseman traded for Jaelen Phillips a few days before the trade deadline last year? Well, Phillips made the most among all edge rushers in free agency because of how well he played in Philly. And Roseman let the guy walk, in part because he traded for Vikings All-Pro edge Jonathan Greenard.

It’s fascinating how resourceful Roseman can be. He buys and sells on players at values that Wall Street traders would envy.

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