Author: Eternity Lab

On Monday against the Brewers, Pete Crow-Armstrong stole bases 34 and 35 of the season in a 4-3 loss for the Cubs. While Chicago’s fans can’t be thrilled about taking the L against their rivals from Milwaukee, PCA’s thievery put him into rare territory: that second steal made Pete Crow-Armstrong just the 19th member of the 35 home run, 35 steals club.

It’s the 25th such player season with at least 35 homers and 35 bags, as five players have pulled it off twice — Willie Mays, Bobby Bonds, Barry Bonds, Alfonso Soriano and Ronald Acuña Jr. — while Soriano actually managed it on three occasions, in 2002, 2003 and then 2006. 

Here is the complete list of 35/35 players and seasons:

Player	Season	Team	Home Runs	Stolen Bases
Ken Williams	1922	Orioles	39	37
Willie Mays	1956	Giants	36	40
Willie Mays	1957	Giants	35	38
Bobby Bonds	1973	Giants	39	43
Bobby Bonds	1977	Angels	37	41
Eric Davis	1987	Reds	37	50
Darry Strawberry	1987	Mets	39	36
José Canseco	1988	Athletics	42	40
Howard Johnson	1989	Mets	36	41
Barry Bonds	1996	Giants	42	40
Barry Bonds	1997	Giants	42	37
Shawn Green	1998	Blue Jays	35	35
Alex Rodriguez	1998	Mariners	42	46
Vladimir Guerrero	2002	Nationals	39	40
Alfonso Soriano	2002	Yankees	39	41
Alfonso Soriano	2003	Yankees	38	35
Carlos Beltran	2004	Royals/Astros	38	34
Alfonso Soriano	2006	Nationals	46	41
Matt Kemp	2011	Dodgers	39	40
Ronald Acuña Jr.	2019	Braves	41	37
Ronald Acuña Jr.	2023	Braves	41	73
Shohei Ohtani	2024	Dodgers	54	59
José Ramírez	2025	Guardians	39	41
Juan Soto	2025	Mets	43	38
Pete Crow-Armstrong	2026	Cubs	41	35

Crow-Armstrong was close to making it in 2025, when he hit 31 homers with 35 steals, but a second-half slump kept him from getting any closer: PCA batted .265/.302/.544 with 25 homers and 27 steals before the All-Star break in ‘25, but then hit a dismal .216/.262/.372 with just six more homers and eight more steals in the second half. While his 2026 started similarly slow, a switch flipped before May ended: on May 30, he went yard for the seventh time and pushed his OPS over .700 to stay, and has batted an absurd .316/.412/.707 since with 35 dingers and 23 steals.

He’s now leading the National League in slugging percentage (.577) and OPS (.953), while his 41 homers put him second in the majors behind Phillies’ DH Kyle Schwarber, who has 43. Thanks to his defense, Crow-Armstrong is leading the majors in wins above replacement, and has a genuine shot at the National League MVP award thanks to not just his incredible play, but the fact that Dodgers’ two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani hasn’t pitched since July 3. 

The Cubs lost, but Pete Crow-Armstrong made history with a pair of steals, anyway. (Photo by Aaron Gash/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

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The result of this sustained success — the likes of which PCA had never seen in his pro career before — is becoming a 35/35 player, which is a rarity unto itself. Even the 30/30 club isn’t a constant: there have been just 51 instances of a 30/30 season in MLB’s lengthy history, with 19 players managing the feat more than once — PCA being the most recent to do so. It follows that 35 homers and 35 steals is rarer than 30 of each, but rarer still is the 40/40 club. There are just six members of that one, and not one of them has repeated the trick. Pete Crow-Armstrong has 17 games left to get five steals to become the seventh 40/40 player in MLB history.

Each of the players who have managed 40/40 seasons are also included in the 35/35 list above: José Canseco pulled it off in 1988 for the first time in MLB history; Barry Bonds followed in 1996 with the second 40-steal season of his career; Alex Rodriguez made it in 1998 with his only 40-steal season and first of what would be eight campaigns with at least 40 dingers; Alfonso Soriano, after a near miss in ‘02 when he fell one long ball short, got there in 2006; Ronald Acuña Jr. was three steals shy of 40/40 in 2019, but blew by the mark with 73 thefts in 2023; Shohei Ohtani didn’t just become the sixth member of the 40/40 club, but stands alone as the only 50/50 member thanks to 54 homers and 59 steals in 2024.

PCA isn’t there yet, but he not only has the chance to join the 40/40 club, but could also have produced its best season to date. Shohei Ohtani’s wins above replacement in 2024 were 8.9 and 9.0, from FanGraphs and Baseball Reference, respectively — not playing the field, and not pitching, means he had no additional value beyond his admittedly exceptional offense. Acuña was worth 9.1 fWAR and 8.4 bWAR in ‘23, Soriano’s 2006 had him at just 5.4 and 6.1 — offensive levels were higher league-wide then — and Rodriguez posted 7.9 and a league-leading 8.5, respectively, in 1998, but it was also just the fifth-best season of his career by WAR. A-Rod had a pretty great career. Canseco in ‘88, well, he wasn’t exactly known for his defense, so as good as his bat was, he wrapped the year with a career-best 7.6 fWAR and 7.3 bWAR.

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Then there’s Barry Bonds in 1996. Bonds is basically the final boss of most offensive stats, so it makes sense that he’s the one player standing in Pete Crow-Armstrong’s way right now. Bonds produced 9.2 wins above replacement by FanGraphs’ calculations, but 9.9 via Baseball Reference — PCA, with 17 games left to go, is already ahead of Bonds in fWAR at 9.9, and real close in bWAR, at 9.5. If Crow-Armstrong is able to secure another five steals and pick up another bit of wins above replacement before the season ends, then it’s going to be easy to argue — at least from this particular point of view — that we just witnessed the best overall 40/40 season in MLB history.

And if PCA falls just short of 40/40, or remains behind Bonds instead of ahead of him in both WAR calculations, well. This is still a ridiculous campaign worth remembering — at least he made it so far as 35/35, which is rare enough as it is.

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The days of young quarterbacks patiently waiting for their turn to take over after they learn the NFL game are mostly a thing of the past.

That’s what made the Las Vegas Raiders ‘ decision to keep No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza on the bench to start the season behind Kirk Cousins a little unusual, even if it was telegraphed from the moment he was picked.

Mendoza is the first quarterback taken No. 1 overall to start his career on the bench since Baker Mayfield in 2018, with the last six since then earning Week 1 starts. Mayfield came in as a reserve for Cleveland in Week 3 that season and made his first start the following week. When Mendoza does it remains to be seen.

But with Mendoza and No. 13 pick Ty Simpson of the Los Angeles Rams starting the season as reserves, this marks just the second time in the last 19 seasons that no rookie quarterback will start the season opener. It also happened in 2022, when Kenny Pickett was the only QB taken in the first round when he went 20th to Pittsburgh.

Before that, it hadn’t happened since 2007 when JaMarcus Russell was drafted first overall by the Raiders. He held out that summer and didn’t sign a contract until after the opener. He didn’t start that season until the final game.

There were three rookie quarterbacks starting the opener in three of the previous five seasons as teams have become quicker to turn over the reins as the differences between the college and pro games have lessened.

That’s been especially true of No. 1 picks for a long time. Mendoza is the 30th quarterback taken first overall since the start of the common draft era in 1967. 

Twenty of those QBs started the season opener as rookies and all but one made at least one start in their first year, with only Carson Palmer in 2003 missing out. Palmer didn’t play at all that season for Cincinnati before taking over in 2004.

Three others made their first starts early with Tim Couch (Game 2), Mayfield and Alex Smith (Game 5) getting the chance in the opening weeks. Michael Vick made his first start in the eighth game in 2001, while Eli Manning (Game 10), Jared Goff (Game 10), Vinny Testaverde (Game 12) and Russell didn’t get the chance until late in their rookie seasons.

The Raiders also will tie a record by having a different head coach and different starting quarterback for the opener in four straight seasons. The streak started in 2023 with coach Josh McDaniels and quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, followed by Antonio Pierce and Gardner Minshew in 2024, Pete Carroll and Geno Smith in 2025 and now Klint Kubiak and Cousins.

The only other team to do that was the Houston Texans from 2020-23, with coach Bill O’Brien and Deshaun Watson the first year, followed by David Culley and Tyrod Taylor, Lovie Smith and Davis Mills, and DeMeco Ryans and C.J. Stroud.

Reporting by the Associated Press.

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While we’re all making our final preseason predictions before the start of the 2026 NFL regular season, there’s something else I want to do before the year gets going: plant the flag. 

Before the games get going, I’m planting the flag on some players (and an assistant coach) to exceed expectations and dominate headlines this season. That includes a pair of veterans looking to bounce back after relatively down seasons, and a pair of second-year pros who are ready to make the leap in 2026. I’m also buying stock in a first-year defensive coordinator with a bright future in coaching and could be a name to know in the next head coaching cycle. 

So, let’s plant the flag.

A reminder: A.J. Brown is just 28. You wouldn’t know it based on the offseason conversation surrounding Drake Maye’s new weapon. You’d think he was a 30-something receiver coming off an unproductive season and not one who’s still in the prime of his career and coming off yet another 1,000-yard campaign, despite playing in the league’s most dysfunctional passing game. 

The “washed up” talk is a bit premature, and I firmly believe that Brown is about to remind the NFL that he’s still one of the league’s scariest receivers. 

Even during a frustrating season, Brown showed why defenses fear him. He destroys press-man coverage and will dunk on a cornerback in one-on-one situations downfield. Only Tee Higgins and George Pickens tallied more receiving yards against press coverage in 2025, according to Next Gen Stats. And while Brown has lost some speed — he hasn’t hit 20 mph on a play in nearly two seasons — he can still create quick separation on short routes with physicality and sharp route running. 

Brown has mastered the art of pushing off right at the edge of the five-yard mark, when hand fighting is still legal. 

Opposing defenses were still treating Brown like a star last season. He’d routinely get extra attention in obvious passing situations, whether it was a safety over the top to prevent vertical shots or bracket coverage on short in-breaking routes. 

Brown remains a monster at the catch point, but in 2025, the quality and quantity of his tight-window targets dipped. Jalen Hurts targeted him on just 41 tight-window throws, the lowest mark of Brown’s four-year stint in Philadelphia, and his expected catch rate was just 53.5%, per Next Gen Stats. He still managed to haul in over 60% of those passes, showing his contested catch prowess. 

And that’s why I’m so bullish on Brown in 2026. Maye was the league’s best quarterback on tight-window throws, leading the NFL in both expected points added (EPA) and completion percentage over expected (CPOE) by a wide margin. He accomplished that with Stefon Diggs, who’s certainly past his prime, as his go-to target in those situations. Now that he has the league’s preeminent 50/50 ball winner out there with him, Maye will feel even more free to let it rip on those tight window throws. 

This is really a vote of confidence for Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell, whose reputation as a quarterback whisperer took a hit after J.J. McCarthy’s short-lived stint as Minnesota’s quarterback of the future. McCarthy’s play was so poor it obscured the improvement elsewhere along the offense. The Vikings’ offense went from bad in 2024 to above average last season; the offensive line allowed fewer pressures and O’Connell’s play designs kept getting receivers open. 

McCarthy just couldn’t make the plays that were there to be made. He finished dead last in accurate throw rate, per Pro Football Focus. McCarthy also finished last in completion percentage over expected on attempts, with a completion probability over 75%, per Next Gen Stats. He couldn’t even hit the layups O’Connell set up for him. 

Kyler Murray started five games for the Cardinals last season before suffering a season-ending foot injury. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

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In 2024, Murray finished sixth in that same stat. The ability to hit the gimme throws will be a big boon to the Vikings’ passing game. And Murray’s play under pressure should also raise the bar quite a bit. McCarthy struggled to extend plays in the face of pressure and had one of the higher pressure-to-sack rates in the league. Murray will take his fair share of sacks, but he looks like Tom Brady in the pocket compared to his younger backup. 

Murray’s presence in the backfield should also boost Minnesota’s run game. Defenses have to account for him pulling the ball on option runs, which was less of a concern with McCarthy under center.

But let’s be honest: Murray’s performance this season won’t be measured by comparisons to McCarthy’s 2025 campaign. Sam Darnold’s run in 2024 will be the point of comparison. We haven’t seen much of Murray over the past year, so it’s difficult to say if he’s still a better quarterback than Darnold in a vacuum, but we can say this: Murray is stepping into a more balanced offense, and all the key contributors who helped Darnold get his career back on track are still around. 

Murray putting up a top-10 season would not surprise me. 

With George Kittle nearing the end of his prime and Travis Kelce nearly at the end of his career, the “best tight end in the league” title belt is up for grabs, and Chicago’s Colston Loveland is my pick to snatch it this season. 

I don’t even know where to start. Loveland is everything you want in a tight end. He’s a massive human being who can box out smaller defensive backs in the red zone. He’s got enough wiggle to skate past linebackers who dare to cover him. And while he isn’t a burner, he gets down the seam in a hurry and can go outside of his frame to haul in passes. 

Loveland can line up out wide, in the slot, or attached to the offensive line like a traditional tight end. And he’s already a solid in-line blocker in the run game and can hold his own against defensive ends in pass protection. 

He got off to a quiet start in his rookie season, but he became a key figure in the Bears’ passing attack down the stretch, getting double-digit targets in each of Chicago’s last four games. Expect that to carry over into the 2026 season. While Loveland will draw more attention from defenses, Bears coach Ben Johnson makes it hard to hone in on his second-year star by moving him all over the formation, letting him pick out matchups he wants to exploit. Loveland’s versatility makes it all possible.  

Arizona’s Trey McBride is another candidate to take the TE1 mantle, if he hasn’t already taken it. But McBride’s in a far worse situation, with questions at quarterback and an inexperienced head coach. The same goes for Brock Bowers in Las Vegas. 

The race for the first-team All-Pro spot at tight end will likely come down to Loveland and those two, and I’ve got the Bears tight end narrowly beating them out. 

I cannot wait to watch this Chargers’ offense now that Mike McDaniel is coordinating it. While the prospect of Justin Herbert slinging the ball downfield is the main attraction, second-year running back Omarion Hampton, the team’s 2025 first-round pick, will be the player who benefits most from McDaniel’s arrival. 

Miami’s passing game may have crumbled in McDaniel’s final season, but his run game was as explosive as ever. Without the threat of Tyreek Hill blowing the top off the secondary, defenses could pack the box with run defenders with more confidence, forcing McDaniel to devise more creative ways to get Devon Achane out to the edge of the defense. He came up with some wild ideas, using wonky motions and backfield formations to set up advantageous blocking angles and give Achane a straight-line path to the second level as he built up speed. 

Watch how fullback Alex Ingold, who followed McDaniel to the Chargers, toys with the Bills linebacker and eventually creates a rushing lane for Achane. 

Achane hit 15 mph on 70 run attempts in 2025, which easily led the NFL, per Next Gen Stats. His average speed when he crossed the line of scrimmage ranked second behind Seattle’s Kenneth Walker. At times, it looked as if McDaniel was firing Achane out of a cannon, right into an open rush lane. 

If McDaniel can do the same for Hampton, he should be in for a monster season. Hampton doesn’t have Achane’s speed, but he ran a 4.4-second 40-yard dash and can be a nightmare to bring down in the open field due to his size. We didn’t see his top-end speed often in 2025, though. Hampton was hit behind the line of scrimmage on 53% of his attempts, trailing only Pittsburgh’s Jaylen Warren, per Next Gen Stats. Despite L.A.’s run-blocking issues, Hampton maintained a 4.4-yard rushing average and a solid 41.9% success rate. 

Expect a big increase in both stats now that McDaniel is dialing up plays for him. 

Listen to a Christian Parker press conference, and you’ll understand why folks in Dallas are excited about the new Cowboys defensive coordinator. The 34-year-old is a sharp football mind who can explain high-level concepts clearly and concisely. 

Parker also has an impressive coaching lineage, having worked under Vic Fangio and Vance Joseph, two of the sport’s best defensive coordinators. But Parker has never called plays, and we’ve seen plenty of coaches who can win a press conference but can’t coordinate a defense on game day. He still has plenty to prove. 

Given the state of the Cowboys defense, which is solid along the front seven despite lacking talent in the secondary, expectations for what constitutes a successful season for Parker have to be adjusted. Unless the first-year coordinator is a miracle worker, this won’t be a top-10 unit. Even an above-average finish would be considered a significant accomplishment. 

Parker’s primary task will be cutting down Dallas’s explosive play rate. No defense allowed more explosive plays last season, and the Cowboys were susceptible to big plays against both the run and the pass. 

Parker has harped on improving the team’s communication, which played a major role in the defensive breakdowns, especially in the secondary. Opponents racked up 483 yards on passes to deep targets to “open” receivers, per Next Gen Stats. No team was within 100 yards of them in that stat. Coverage busts like this were an all too familiar sight in Dallas last season. 

Parker’s former team, Philadelphia, ranked fourth-best in that same metric. If Parker can just solve that issue for Dallas, the defense should make the leap from “awful” to “mediocre.” That may not feel like much of an upgrade, but with one of the league’s best offenses on the other side of the ball, it would be enough to get the Cowboys back into the playoffs and push Parker up the list of head coaching candidates ahead of next year’s hiring cycle. 

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For the second time in two years, long-time Philadelphia Eagles pass rusher Brandon Graham is hanging up his cleats.

Graham took center stage at a Jefferson Health event in Philadelphia to announce his retirement in person. This is the second time he has stepped away, having previously un-retired to rejoin the team last October.

At 38 years old, Graham leaves behind a respectable NFL résumé after entering the league in 2010 as the No. 13 overall pick out of Michigan. During his 16 seasons in the league, Graham earned two Super Bowl rings, a Pro Bowl nod and a Second-Team All-Pro selection.

The defining moment of Graham’s career came against the New England Patriots in the high-scoring shootout of Super Bowl LII, when he strip-sacked quarterback Tom Brady late in the fourth quarter.

The forced fumble set up a late field goal for Jake Elliott to extend the Eagles lead to eight points, effectively sealing the 41-33 victory. While his career had a quiet start, Graham grew into one of the most durable and impactful pass rushers in Eagles history.

Graham spent all 16 of his NFL seasons in Philadelphia, setting a franchise record with 215 games played. Over his career, Graham was able to produce 493 tackles, 79.5 sacks, 23 forced fumbles with 83.5 stuffs and tackles for loss.

With Graham now retired, the Eagles’ new-look pass rush takes over. 

General manager Howie Roseman traded for former Minnesota Vikings Pro Bowl edge rusher Jonathan Greenard this offseason to replace Brandon Graham’s production. Alongside Greenard’s arrival, expectations remain high for former 2023 first-round pick Nolan Smith.

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Ten wins, for the most part, means you’re making it to the playoffs. 

Consider this: Dating back to the 2016-17 season, only twice has a team won 10 games in the regular season and missed the playoffs. Those two teams are the 2024 Seattle Seahawks (10-7) and the 2020 Miami Dolphins (10-6). 

Last season, all 12 10-win teams made it to the postseason, and two teams that won fewer than 10 games — the 9-7 Packers and the 8-9 Panthers — made it past the regular season. 

Which squads will win 10 in 2026? Let’s check out the odds at bet365 as of Sept. 8.

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Team to Record 10+ Wins

Rams: -450 (bet $10 to win $12.22 total) 
Ravens: -270 (bet $10 to win $13.70 total)
Bills: -210 (bet $10 to win $14.76 total) 
Seahawks: -200 (bet $10 to win $15 total) 
Lions: -190 (bet $10 to win $15.26 total)
Bengals: -155 (bet $10 to win $12.22 total)
Chiefs: -150 (bet $10 to win $16.45 total)
Patriots: -150 (bet $10 to win $16.45 total) 
Eagles: -150 (bet $10 to win $16.45 total) 
49ers: -145(bet $10 to win $16.90 total) 
Texans: -140 (bet $10 to win $17.14 total) 
Chargers: -135 (bet $10 to win $17.41 total) 
Broncos: -130 (bet $10 to win $17.69 total) 
Packers: -130 (bet $10 to win $17.69 total)

Nine of the 14 teams favored to reach at least 10 wins this season reached that mark last season. In fact, Seattle (14), Denver (14), New England (14), the Rams (12), Houston (12), Buffalo (12), San Francisco (12), Philadelphia (11) and the Chargers (11), all eclipsed 10 wins. 

Only one team won exactly 10 games last season and that was the Pittsburgh Steelers. They are +170 to reach 10 victories this season.

As for the teams favored to win 10 this year that didn’t last year, that list includes Detroit (9 wins last year), Green Bay (9), Baltimore (8), Kansas City (6) and Cincinnati (6). 

The Chiefs had won at least 10 games for 10 consecutive seasons before last season, while the Ravens had reached 10 in six of the previous seven seasons before last season.

Two teams missing from this list are Jacksonville and Chicago, who won 13 and 11 games last season, respectively. The Jaguars are +130 to win 10, while the Bears are at +100.

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Leaders of the Southeastern Conference will meet Thursday to discuss whether to kick LSU out of the conference in the wake of a simmering feud over whether players who spent time in the NFL should be allowed back on the team’s roster.

On Tuesday, the SEC amended the federal lawsuit it filed last week, asking the judge in the case to issue a temporary restraining order to prevent LSU from taking action to block or interfere with the Thursday meeting of school presidents and chancellors.

A vote of at least two-thirds of the conference’s CEOs would be needed to dump LSU, which is a founding member of the conference that started in 1933. An LSU spokesman declined immediate comment.

The SEC established a rule forbidding teams to bring players with NFL experience back on their roster. Two of those players, Zxavian Harris and Dae’Quan Wright, have been practicing with the team but were not placed on the roster in advance of last Saturday’s 51-10 win over the Clemson Tigers. They still could be added.

In a statement, the SEC said it has the right to establish rules and “a commitment to those rules and to the core principles of the Southeastern Conference is an essential element of SEC membership.”

“Today’s filing is necessary to defend that right and preserve the Conference’s ability to govern competition among its members,” the statement said.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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Last year’s winner Ousmane Dembélé, Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappé are among the top contenders for the men’s Ballon d’Or.

The 30 men’s and 30 women’s nominees were revealed by France Football magazine on Tuesday, with the winners to be announced at a ceremony in London on Oct. 26.

In the women’s field, two-time winner Alexia Putellas, Ewa Pajor and Melchie Dumornay are among the favorites to take over Aitana Bonmatí. The winner of the past three women’s awards, Bonmatí did not make the cut after missing most of the season through injury. She returned at the end of Barcelona’s quadruple-winning season that included another Champions League title.

Dembélé and Mbappé both played for France at the World Cup, where their team lost to eventual champion Spain in the semifinals. Although it’s difficult to win the accolade without a major trophy, Mbappé made history when he overtook Lionel Messi for the most all-time World Cup goals (22) in less games.

After claiming a second straight Champions League title with Paris Saint-Germain, Dembélé has a chance to retain the Ballon d’Or.

(Photo by Kristy Sparow – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

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Kane had one of his best seasons, scoring 73 goals for club and country and winning the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich. Kane also led England to a third-place finish at the World Cup.

The 39-year-old Messi, who has a record eight Ballon d’Or awards, was on the shortlist after guiding Argentina to a runner-up finish at the World Cup and winning Major League Soccer with Inter Miami. The other three Ballon d’Or winners still active, Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Luka Modric, were not in the list.

PSG Dominatess

(Photo by Nicolò Campo/LightRocket via Getty Images)

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Dembélé was one of nine PSG players nominated for the men’s award, including Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, Nuno Mendes, Willian Pacho, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Joao Neves, Fabian Ruiz and Vitinha.

In an interview with France Football, Dembélé said he expects the award to remain at PSG. Asked to name his top three in no particular order, he cited PSG teammate Kvaratskhelia, Kane and Mbappé. He also mentioned Michael Olise, Lamine Yamal, Ruiz and Pacho, but did not include himself.

“I don’t think the trophy is undecided. I think it will remain in the hands of a Paris Saint-Germain player,” he said.

The other men’s nominees include Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior, Ferran Torres — who scored Spain’s winner in the World Cup final — Manchester City striker Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham.

(Photo by Mark Cosgrove/News Images/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

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Italy, which did not qualify for the World Cup, and the Netherlands and Germany had no representatives. Only one player from Serie A, Lautaro Martínez of Inter Milan, was selected.

There was no goalkeeper nominated, ensuring Lev Yashin remains the only keeper to win the coveted trophy (1963) for another year.

The Ballon d’Or ceremony is moving from its traditional Paris home to London this year to mark the 70th anniversary of the first award won by England great Stanley Matthews.

The Voting System

The Ballon d’Or was created by France Football and has been awarded since 1956 for men, and since 2018 for women. It is voted for by journalists from the top 100 countries in the FIFA rankings for the men’s award and the top 50 FIFA-ranked countries for the women’s award.

Each journalist, one per country, selects players in ranked order with points attributed to each position. The winner is the player who receives the most points. Organizers say the trophy is awarded based on three criteria, in order of importance: 1, individual performances, decisive and impressive character; 2, collective performances and titles won; 3, class and fair play.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. — In a late-August joint practice with the Titans, the Super Bowl-champion Seahawks were being outplayed by a defense that finished 2025 in the bottom third of the league.

The connection between Pro Bowl quarterback Sam Darnold and Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba still looked sharp, but the Seahawks went nowhere in the run game all day. And a Titans secondary that struggled in preseason action against backups made several big plays against the pass, including a pick-six by cornerback Alontae Taylor off Darnold. 

Sure, you could chalk it up as one bad practice against an inferior team motivated to show out against the champs. But here’s another way to look at it: Seattle’s offense was still working through hiccups with first-time playcaller Brian Fleury. The new offensive coordinator’s acclimation is one of the biggest storylines facing the Seahawks, who open the 2026 NFL season by hosting the New England Patriots in a Super Bowl LX rematch on Wednesday night.

“He’s been around some really, really good playcallers. I think for him, it’s just learning the flow of it,” Darnold told me after the joint practice last month when I asked about building a rapport with Fleury. “When to call a certain play. When to get the play in. How much time we’re going to have on the play clock.

“But he’s super, super smart, and we know he can handle it.” 

It’s up to new Seahawks OC Brian Fleury to continue the offensive excellence that helped Seattle win the Super Bowl last season. (Photo by Jack Compton/Getty Images)

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Hired in February, Fleury has big shoes to fill in replacing Klink Kubiak, who left Seattle after one season to become head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. 

The 47-year-old Fleury is a longtime NFL assistant who was most recently the run game coordinator and tight ends coach for offensive guru Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers. Now, Fleury is tasked with sustaining and improving a Seattle offense that was one of the league’s best a year ago. 

Under Kubiak, the Seahawks ranked third in scoring (28.4 points per game) and pressure rate allowed (27.8%), according to Next Gen Stats, plus seventh in yards per game (351.4 yards). They were top-10 in both passing (229.1 yards per game) and rushing (123.3 yards per game). Darnold had his second straight 4,000-yard passing season, while Smith-Njigba led the league in receiving. 

To build off it, the Seahawks must adapt — and not just at playcaller. 

Standout running back and Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency. Fellow tailback Zach Charbonnet, the team’s combined rushing and receiving touchdowns leader a year ago, will be out at least the first four games as he recovers from a torn ACL suffered in January. 

But the desire to establish the run, Darnold told me, will be the same as last season. Coming from the Shanahan tree, similar to Kubiak, Fleury wants to use the rushing attack to set up the play-action game. That comes with a lot of the same terminology, which Darnold was also exposed to in 2023 as a Niners backup. 

Typically, it can take a full season for an offense to fully acclimate to a new scheme. Darnold says he’s already seeing his teammates make Fleury’s system their own.

“What really sets him apart, I think, is just his willingness to listen to the players and understand what I like and what the receivers like and some of the things that we did last year,” Darnold told me. “He’s so willing to adapt to what we did, and I know a lot of coordinators and a lot of coaches wouldn’t necessarily do that.

“Even though it’s a different coordinator, it feels like it’s kind of the same offense.”

The connection between Sam Darnold and Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) will again be key to the Seahawks’ success, but Seattle still wants to establish the run. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

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But the QB says there will be new wrinkles, both in the run game and the pass game, including some things that Shanahan has added to his offense since Darnold’s departure in 2023 that Fleury has brought with him to Seattle.

It also sounds like the Seahawks could be playing faster in 2025. Last year, they scored offensive points on 45.9% of their drives, sixth-most in the NFL, with an average possession time of 2:48, ranked 11th in the league.

“When we want to get into tempo, there’s a lot,” Darnold told me. “Building our tempo package was huge going into this year. Like, we haven’t shown a ton of it.”

So it’s safe to say that the Patriots will see a different offense on Wednesday than the Titans saw in late August.

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I can’t believe how many great starting quarterbacks there are in 2026. But what’s really unbelievable? Well, that’s actually how many bad starting quarterbacks there are.

There are roughly five where I genuinely wonder: Is this the best a team can do?

The short answer: no. The bottom five teams on this list are not trying to play the best quarterback. They’re not necessarily even trying to win. Because next year, we’ll see roughly five fresh names on this list — all coming in through the highly touted 2027 draft class. And that class seems to be already influencing the NFL, with the “haves” and “have-nots” sitting far, far apart. On purpose. So let’s get into the rankings.

Here’s how I project each starter to fare in 2026.

Previous: Offseason | Preseason

This should go down as one of the more agonizing seasons for a Cleveland QB, not just because Watson will be bad. Browns fans are trained sommeliers of bad QB play. No, it’ll be because the Browns might’ve been able to be competitive if they hadn’t committed to Watson again.

The Falcons were the last team to announce their QB1. What they didn’t seem to know was that it doesn’t matter. All four of them are bad.

Tua Tagovailoa beat out Michael Penix Jr. for the Falcons’ starting job to open the season. Don’t be surprised if Atlanta has a different QB1 to begin 2027. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

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Brissett is a real warrior for operating the offenses that he’s been handed in his career. But it’s a weird niche he’s grown into: the QB who helps teams tank — sometimes unintentionally.

He “won.” He’s “QB1” for the Raiders. QB1*? Either way, it doesn’t really count if Fernando Mendoza never got a fair shake in the quarterback competition.

Quietly, the Jets have made moves to support Smith to enjoy a surprising season. And if it were any team other than the Jets, I’d feel good about it.

In 2026, no quarterback will have a worse supporting case than Willis. Not one. I actually like Willis. I’m just deeply disappointed he picked Miami in free agency.

It’s the deciding year for Young to mature. Or else the Panthers will start a new young QB.

Time is a flat circle. So is CJ Stroud’s development.

This dink-and-dunk merchant needs to pray his playmakers — and his Achilles — hold up in 2026.

This dink-and-dunk merchant also must pray his playmakers — and his Achilles — hold up in 2026.

His preseason performance was so bad that it made you wonder if it’s over for him. Do you know how bad you have to be in preseason to do that?

I see shades of Kellen Moore’s past quarterbacks (Dak Prescott, Jalen Hurts) in his latest one. That’s a real testament to Shough. But also to Moore, who seems to be quietly earning a reputation as a QB whisperer.

After a promising finish to his rookie year, is Tyler Shough primed to take a leap in 2026? (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)

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In Year 2, Dart could elevate in many (but probably not all) of the same ways that Drake Maye did last year. But above all, Dart just needs to take care of his noggin.

Kevin O’Connell has to be relieved he doesn’t have J.J. McCarthy under center. But that doesn’t mean Murray will be the easiest talent KOC has ever corralled.

He’s a feisty pocket passer who thinks he can take on the world — but, in reality, cannot. So he’s going to need Chris Godwin, Emeka Egbuka and Jalen McMillan to get healthy and/or stay healthy.

He might have the most underrated receiving corps in the NFL, beginning with Courtland Sutton and Jaylen Waddle. Those dudes rip — and in totally different and complementary ways. Big year coming for Nix.

Seahawks OC Brian Fleury will replace Klint Kubiak, who was a sensational playcaller and designer for Darnold in 2025. Can Fleury be the stabilizing force that Darnold has seemed to need?

I think Sean Mannion is about to bring back the 2024 version of Jalen Hurts. Maybe, we’ll even see the 2022 version of Hurts.

Daniels had arguably the best QB rookie season (including the postseason) ever. People forget that. Honestly, I’ve basically forgotten that. Can the Commanders reinvigorate their young star?

2026 a make-or-break year for Jayden Daniels, how concerning is Josh Simmons’ injury in Week 1? | FTF

One of the least respected and most neglected QB talents of his generation, Goff … just needs to win a Super Bowl. That’s it. No big deal. Good luck.

If his offensive weapons ever get healthy — head coach included — Purdy could be due for a career year. But the electric substation also seems to be on pace for a career year, too.

I think he has arrived as an elite QB. For good. Like, there’s no way I’ll come to regret this. Seriously. I promise. Yup, yup, yup.

Expectations are absurdly high for a QB who was, at times, shaky in 2025. But it’s hard to bet against Williams’ talent when he’s under the guidance of Ben Johnson.

Caleb Williams for MVP, Bears & Chargers advance, Bills vs. Seahawks in Super Bowl LXI? | FTF

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Justin Herbert and Mike McDaniel are going to be undeniably fun. But McDaniel, notoriously bad in the playoffs, doesn’t really solve Herbert, notoriously bad in the playoffs. Ignore that, though. Let’s just enjoy the regular-season fun while it lasts.

He’s still really, really, really good. But his supporting cast might still be really, really, really not good.

He seems like such an obvious candidate for regression, except that the Patriots brought in A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs — and they all looked immediately excellent together in training camp.

I’m fully ready for Prescott to have another MVP-calber season — and perhaps win it.

He is the quarterback efficiency GAWD. He is the quarterback’s quarterback — the nerd’s quarterback. He is the most underrated QB in the NFL.

The reigning MVP has hit the point where everything looks easy. He’s in Tom Brady mode — Stafford has all the answers to the test.

I refuse to believe that Jackson won’t return to his normal self in 2026. I refuse to believe his 2025 season was anything other than a fluke. And the Ravens, who have kept largely the same offensive player personnel, seem to believe the same thing.

For the first time in Lamar Jackson’s eight-year career, the Ravens had a losing record in games he started last season. (Photo by Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) –>

Unlike Stafford, Allen makes everything look difficult, but that’s because the Bills have made things inordinately difficult for their QB. Here’s hoping Joe Brady and D.J. Moore can finally take some of the weight off him.

Don’t come at me with the what-has-he-done-lately takes. In 2024, he threw for 43 touchdowns. Burrow is gonna be fine. Honestly, with an easy schedule, he’s gonna be sensational.

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After nearly nine months on the training table, the wait is over. Two-time league MVP Patrick Mahomes is officially back for the Kansas City Chiefs.

Andy Reid told reporters Tuesday that Mahomes will start Monday against the Denver Broncos, provided there are no setbacks. The decision caps a remarkable recovery from the ACL and LCL tears Mahomes suffered against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 15.

With multiple MVPs and three Super Bowl rings before turning 30, Mahomes has been an anomaly since taking over under center in Kansas City. Last year marked the first time in his career that the Chiefs missed the postseason, falling to a 6-11 record after his injury. 

Between key defensive roster changes and the arrival of Super Bowl MVP running back Kenneth Walker, Mahomes has a brand-new dynamic around him. With his return against the Broncos now locked in, all eyes shift to a high-stakes AFC West division battle.

Mahomes won’t just face a competitive division featuring quarterbacks like Justin Herbert and Bo Nix, but reclaiming the top spot will be a genuine challenge. The expectations only intensified after the Chiefs suffered their first losing season of the Mahomes-Reid era.

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While Mahomes has provided steady leadership in recent years, the raw production hasn’t matched the eye-popping numbers from earlier in his career. In 14 games last season, he completed 62.7% of his passes for 3,587 yards, 22 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.

With Mahomes set to return, all eyes will be on his potential bounce back to see how competitive the new-look Chiefs appear in a wide-open AFC conference.

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