LUMEN FIELD (Seattle) — After a masterful opening script, an 80-yard touchdown drive that took 8:32 off the clock in 17 plays, the Bears’ offense sat on the visitor’s sideline at Lumen Field, hyped by what had just transpired. The broadcast cameras caught Caleb Williams delivering a fiery message to his teammates.

“I don’t give a f— who they are!”   

At the podium post game, Williams said he didn’t remember saying that. But that drive, that overall offensive performance, how the defense flew around and what special teams displayed — all three phases — showed that the Bears embodied those words. 

They didn’t care that the Seahawks were the defending Super Bowl champion, with an elite defense and the world’s best wide receiver, playing at home in primetime. The Bears came to Seattle and punched the Seahawks in the mouth, winning 34-17 Monday night at Lumen Field.

“That’s who we want to be known as,” Williams said. “When we come in, we’re also a force to be reckoned with.”

In the process, the Bears signaled their arrival as a top Super Bowl contender. 

Caleb Williams was fired up during and after the Bears’ win over the Seahawks in Seattle on Monday. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

Chicago was already in the conversation as one of the league’s best teams, of course. The continued development of Williams under head coach/playcaller Ben Johnson coupled with a top-10 defense in both yardage and points allowed did that for the Bears. But on Monday night, Chicago’s offense showed that it can overwhelm even the league’s best defenses. As for the Chicago defense, All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, acquired via a blockbuster trade with the Tennessee Titans just days ago, unlocks new heights for the unit. 

In addition to the 6-1 San Francisco 49ers, the 6-2 Bears now look like the team to beat in the NFC. 

“People are going to talk, people are going to say things and whatever. But this was a good test for us to know where we’re at,” tight end Colston Loveland told me, “and confirm that we’re a good team and can compete with anyone.”

Chicago dominated time of possession, controlling the ball for 35:03 of 60 minutes. Their 17-play touchdown drive to start the game marked the first time the Seahawks had allowed an opening-possession TD in their past 26 games, including the playoffs, according to NFL on FOX research. The Bears also had a 10-play touchdown drive in the third quarter. 

Chicago was highly efficient on early downs, putting Seattle’s defense at a disadvantage most of the night. The Bears had eight completions of at least 11 yards on first or second down. Half of those went for 20-plus yards — three to Rome Odunze, one to Luther Burden. They also went 4-for-4 in the red zone and converted their lone fourth-down attempt, a fourth-and-1 play from their own 44 on their first possession. 

Midway through the fourth quarter, veteran wide receiver Kalif Raymond caught a screen pass on third-and-9 and took it 39 yards to set up the second of running back D’Andre Swift’s three rushing touchdowns, which was a back-breaker for Seattle’s defense. That turned a three-point game into a 10-point lead for Chicago at 27-17. 

The Bears’ 34 points marked the most points scored on the Seahawks since Week 16 of last season. 

“People can call it a statement, but it’s just going out there and playing our style of football,” Odunze said. 

Defensively, Simmons was everything Chicago was hoping for — and his impact was felt immediately. He recorded his first sack as a Bear in the first quarter. He followed that with a six-yard tackle for loss in the second period. Late in the fourth quarter, he broke up a third-down pass by Sam Darnold intended for Jaxon Smith-Njigba. 

But it wasn’t just about the plays Simmons made himself. It was about how his presence forced the Seahawks to react. He faced a team-high 13 double-teams, per Next Gen Stats. In the third quarter, one of them gave defensive end Montez Sweat a one-on-one with Seahawks right tackle Abe Lucas, who he beat for the sack. 

“A lot of people don’t know how smart he is and what he brings to us,” said Bears defensive lineman James Lynch, who was Simmons’ teammate for two seasons with the Titans. “What he sees and what he’s feeling, all that stuff.” 

That’s the Simmons effect. His addition means defensive coordinator Dennis Allen can lean on the four-man rush in a way that he hasn’t been able to consistently. Everyone on the Bears’ defense gets more playmaking opportunities and favorable matchups because of Simmons, and Monday was just the start. Chicago recorded three sacks, six quarterback hits, five tackles for loss, six passes defensed and an interception.

Everything that Simmons has been doing in Tennessee for years without attention — high motor play with an elite impact in both the run and pass game — is now at center stage and for Chicago’s benefit. He finished his Bears debut with six tackles (two for loss), a sack and a pass breakup.

During the 48 plays Simmons was on the field, the Bears’ defense allowed just 3.0 yards per play and recorded five tackles for loss, according to Next Gen Stats. On the eight plays he was off the field, the Bears allowed 13.3 yards per play. 

“Our guys were excited the moment they heard the news we were bringing him on, and he’s fit right in,” Johnson said. “We have a high-character locker room and he’s that himself. You can feel his presence out there, whether it’s during the play or even after the play. You can feel him talk a little smack as well, which I think elevates everybody around him. I thought he played outstanding.

“His impact was profound.”

In addition to the offensive and defensive dominance, the Bears’ special teams unit was excellent in Seattle as well. Defensive lineman Austin Booker blocked kicker Jason Myers’ 33-yard field goal attempt early in the fourth quarter. Myers missed an extra point right before halftime as well. 

After beating the Patriots and Seahawks — last year’s Super Bowl teams — in consecutive weeks, the Bears exude supreme confidence right now. 

“We believe in each other,” Williams said. “It’s not just offense. We wouldn’t have this belief without the defense. We wouldn’t have this belief without the special teams. We know we have each other’s back. We work our tail off as a team. The details, how detailed we are. It’s really cool to see those things come to life in big moments and just throughout the game, so that’s who we are.”

Who are these Bears? 

They’re a team on the shortlist for the NFL’s top Super Bowl contenders.

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If you somehow haven’t heard yet, Tom Brady is returning to where it all began this Sunday. Brady is set to call his first game in Foxborough as the New England Patriots host the Green Bay Packers at Gillette Stadium on FOX’s “America’s Game of the Week.”

The broadcast booth might actually be the only foreign territory for Brady at his old stomping grounds. As Brady prepares for his return to Gillette Stadium this week, he shared on FS1’s “The Herd” how special Sunday will be for him.

“It’ll certainly be emotional. Every inch of that stadium I’ve been through so many times, from the locker rooms to the meeting rooms,” Brady said. “So many memorable plays in that stadium, big games, championship games, rivalry games, division-clinching games, so to be back there [is special].”

While Brady began his Patriots’ tenure at Foxboro Stadium, he played 18 of his 20 seasons in New England at Gillette Stadium. No matter the stadium, though, Brady and the Patriots shined. In 17 of the 18 years that Brady ended the season as the Patriots’ starting quarterback, New England won the AFC East. The Patriots reached the AFC Championship Game in 12 of those 18 seasons, hosting the conference title game on seven occasions. 

All of those accomplishments helped set a new standard for success across pro sports. And Brady is excited to celebrate those who helped him in New England, like Rob Gronkowski, who’ll be inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame this weekend. 

“To really understand what that Patriots organization is all about and to convey that to the fans in a way that I’m not like, talking about myself. Rather, I’m really talking about this awesome program that’s been built,” Brady said. “The Patriots just always seem to do things the right way.”

On top of that, Brady led the Patriots to six Super Bowl titles. With those six wins, Brady helped the Patriots move into a tie with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most Super Bowl victories. 

Tom Brady on Patriots vs. Packers, Return to Foxboro, Bears & Caleb=

Reminders of Brady and his success are all around Gillette Stadium. The banners of the six Super Bowls Brady won hang around one of the video boards, while there’s a statue of him right outside the stadium. 

But as it’ll be easy for Patriots fans to reminisce about the glory days with Brady’s return on Sunday, their current team has certainly given them a lot to be excited about. Drake Maye is playing at a high level again, ranking among the best in the league in passing yards (1,983), passing touchdowns (15), passer rating (100.4) and QBR (76.5) as New England is 5-3.

Brady gave Maye, along with head coach Mike Vrabel and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, props for helping the Patriots play at a high level again after they made the Super Bowl last season. 

“Last year, they were in the Super Bowl. It kind of came out of nowhere. It was such a terrible season the year before,” Brady said. “Coach Vrabel comes in and kind of resets the entire environment. Josh McDaniels does an incredible job with Drake Maye. Drake’s an MVP candidate. It was a tough loss to the Seahawks in the Super Bowl. I don’t think anyone was beating the Seahawks on that particular day.”

“Then, they come back this year and they kind of start slow and everyone’s thinking, ‘Oh, this Patriots team and Drake Maye, maybe they aren’t as good as we thought.’ Then, they’ve been on a tear recently.”

The Packers have also played well as of late. They’ve won five of their last six as they’re also 5-3. And just like Maye, Jordan Love has arguably been one of the best few quarterbacks in the league this season. He leads the league in passing yards (2,246) to go with 16 touchdowns and six interceptions, good for a 92.4 passer rating.

Brady said that Love’s “playing as good of football as he’s played in his entire career.”

“He’s always been a bit of a streaky passer, in my opinion,” Brady added on Love. “He’s kind of got an explosive arm, and with that explosive arm has come some volatile throws in the past where he has these great games and then the next game he’s very off-target, very inaccurate, and you’re kind of like, ‘What happened?’ 

“This year, it hasn’t been that way. I just think it’s been a lot of great, accurate passes, and maybe the lack of the running game? He didn’t have Josh Jacobs early in the year, and they were running for like 2.5 yards per carry. It was crazy. They just kind of said, ‘Alright, we’re going to make this a passing team.’

“Head coach Matt LaFleur’s got a tonof confidence in him. When the coordinator and the head coach, in this position, has so much confidence in the quarterback, he’s just going to keep throwing it out there. Take this shot, take that shot. Not there? Check it down. Make a good decision, take a sack, throw it away, and Jordan Love’s just playing exceptional football.”

Jordan Love leads the league in passing entering Week 9. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

But, as Brady knows, winning at Gillette Stadium doesn’t come easy for visiting teams. Brady went 134-23 in home games at Gillette Stadium in his career, telling “The Herd” that his Patriots teams did a good job at making their visiting opponents “play left-handed” and that former head coach Bill Belichick made sure that they were competitive every week.

Vrabel’s Patriots teams have done a good job so far at continuing that home success, which Brady called a “hallmark” of that organization. They’ve gone 11-3 at home since Vrabel became the head coach. 

So, Brady knows that it’ll be a challenge for the Packers and Love to get a win on Sunday. 

“This is going to be a big test for them because against the Patriots you’re going to have to play well in all three phases against a great team,” Brady said. “They’re going to need a big effort from Jordan Love and a big effort from that defense, so it’s an incredible matchup.”

Between Brady’s return, Gronkowski’s Patriots Hall of Fame induction and the fact that Sunday could serve as a potential Super Bowl preview, there’s a lot to enjoy about the Packers-Patriots matchup. And that has Brady very excited. 

“I love this game,” Brady said.

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I played offensive line for eight seasons in the NFL, and before that I spent my Saturdays in Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon, blocking for guys who ended up on lists like this one. So when I watch college football now, I watch for the stuff that signaled to me in the huddle whether a guy was for real.

I’m picking the 10 players who impressed me most during the previous weekend. Not just the gaudiest stat lines, but the performances that hold up when you turn the tape on. Some weeks, that’ll be an edge rusher wreaking havoc. Other weeks, it’ll be a lineman you’ve never heard of who didn’t lose a rep all afternoon. I have a soft spot for those guys. 

Week 9 had several guys ball out. Let’s get into it.

It was ugly for Miami in Chapel Hill, but have no fear— Darian Mensah is here! The new Heisman favorite went 22 of 29 for 274 yards and three passing touchdowns in the 38-35 victory over North Carolina. Over his last three games, he’s thrown 10 touchdowns with just one interception, and on the year, he has a whopping 25 passing scores and just the one interception against Florida State. He’s an absolute baller.

As an Oregon fan, it’s been a wild ride watching Raiola the last month. The high of the USC game along with the lows of the UCLA and Illinois performance. Oregon switched offensive coordinators and it appears that switch did good for Raiola. He was 22 of 31 for 336 yards with three touchdowns against Northwestern. If he can keep this up, it may allow Oregon to win a few more games this season.

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Bowman may have made the offensive play of the weekend against Ohio State. Bowman caught a short pass and rumbled for 70 yards. The true freshman continues to showcase his special talents when he’s in the open space. He’s on pace to be an incredible player for USC in the years to come. 

The linebackers at Georgia are a blast to watch on film. They are huge. They move like players half their size. Cole was a man amongst boys against Florida. He had nine tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss, and one fumble recovery for a touchdown. An amazing day for the future NFL star.

Stokes is making a name for himself this season and will be atop plenty of Power 4 QB transfer wish lists. He completed 29 of 35 pass attempts for 371 yards and four touchdowns against Army on Saturday. He added a fifth touchdown via his rushing. Stokes leads all of FBS in total touchdowns with 28 to his name.

Aiden put up monster numbers for Iowa State in their upset over Oklahoma State last weekend. He ended up with 29 carries for 221 yards and two touchdowns. His 75-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter stretched Iowa State’s lead out to 10 points and they were able to hold on to win 51-49.

The word “quarterback” is a loose term for Air Force’s third string signal caller. He attempted one pass that was not completed. However, he rushed 35 times for 200 yards and four touchdowns. He also added a long rush of 62 yards. Air Force being able to keep the offense rolling without their starting quarterback is impressive, and Hodges gets much of the credit for that. 

Roberts went off for 138 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in the 34-10 victory over Arkansas. He averaged six yards a carry on 23 attempts, and also caught three passes for 20 yards and a receiving score. Roberts is elusive and has incredible vision, which is why he’s just one of three FBS players to have already eclipsed 1,000 yards rushing. 

For the first time in college football history, both teams made a 60-yard field goal in the same game. Both of these kicks occurred in the final 19 seconds of regulation. Drzewiecki put Minnesota ahead with 19 seconds left and then McAteer came in cold (another Indiana kicker attempted four field goals) and blasted a 60-yarder to tie the game. Indiana won in overtime, both of these guys should get some love. 

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It takes one to know one.

Few human beings can relate to a 42-year-old still playing quality football in the NFL like Pittsburgh Steelers star Aaron Rodgers. One of the people who can, though, is Tom Brady.

Rodgers and the Steelers are coming off a 27-6 win at home over the Cleveland Browns in Week 8, marking their fourth consecutive win in a streak that began following an Oct. 1 loss on the road in Cleveland. Pittsburgh stands atop the AFC North at 6-2.

Brady detailed to Colin Cowherd the change he’s seeing from the four-time NFL MVP this season on Tuesday’s edition of “The Herd.”

“Aaron’s always been a very aggressive passer. If something was open down the field, he’d cut it loose. I’ve been really impressed with Aaron this year because he was a very mobile quarterback for a long time. He could move in the pocket and buy a bunch of time. He doesn’t quite have that same elusiveness, and he’s really transitioned to becoming more of a pocket passer,” Brady said of Rodgers. “He’s always been an incredible passer of the football, but now that he’s playing from the pocket, he’s totally in control. I think he’s got six interceptions this year, and five of them have been off the hands of his receivers or a Hail Mary.

“He’s making incredible decisions. He has always made great decisions, and that’s why that team’s first place in the AFC North, and I don’t see anyone stopping them in that division, either.”

Through eight games, Rodgers has totaled 1,871 passing yards, 13 passing touchdowns, six interceptions and an 86.2 passer rating, while completing 60.8% of his passes. Granted, Rodgers’ passer rating and completion percentage are each career lows.

In all, Pittsburgh’s offense is 14th in the NFL in rushing yards (117.9 per game), 18th in points (22.5 per game), 19th in total yards (328.4 per game) and 20th in passing yards (210.5 per game).

How can Rodgers keep producing for Pittsburgh?

“To me, it’s about decision-making. I think the big challenge a lot of times as a veteran player is kind of shedding a lot of the PTSD from bad plays over the many, many years of playing that you don’t predetermine what you want to do all the time,” Brady said. “You still have to read plays in a way that is fresh in your mind, rather than always make assumptions about a certain play or a certain route or a certain receiver that keeps you from playing very freely.

“For example, you call a certain play, I remember right away, ‘I threw an interception going here and throwing here, and I threw an interception here.’ I don’t want to throw another interception on that play, so I’m going to be a little more cautious with the football, and when you start being a little more cautious, you lose some of your aggressiveness.”

Tom Brady on Aaron Rodgers & Steelers; will they win the AFC North?

Brady and Rodgers each rank in the top five in NFL history in regular-season passing yards and passing touchdowns; the former is first with both 89,214 passing yards and 649 passing touchdowns, while the latter is third with 540 passing touchdowns and fifth with 68,145 passing yards.

The Steelers have a Week 9 bye, then face an AFC North road tilt against the Cincinnati Bengals on Nov. 15, whom they beat at home on Sept. 27.

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Denny Hamlin stood in the media center at Talladega Superspeedway. Three races remained in the season. And at that point, he already needed solid runs plus help to win the championship.

He had won the regular-season title and seemed to be in the best position to win his first title in his 21st Cup season. He has earned 64 wins in a Hall of Fame career and already has said that he anticipates 2027 will be his final Cup season.

Asked if he still looked at the final three races as an opportunity to win a title or if he just wanted the season to be over, he answered the question quickly.

“It’s pretty miserable for sure,” Hamlin told me and other reporters. “We can only do what we do. I certainly wish I could go back as a driver and change some things.”

Denny Hamlin wishes he could turn back time on this year’s Chase. (Getty Images)

Hamlin enters the season finale Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway sitting third in points and with a very, very remote possibility of winning the title. 

He is 70 points behind leader Kyle Larson. Hamlin would need to win the race and earn 17 of the 20 possible stage points (16 if he can also earn the point for having the fastest lap), while Larson finishes 29th or worse with no stage points.

“We just didn’t gain enough to make it realistic,” Hamlin said on USA Sports after his sixth-place finish at Martinsville that put him in the need-a-miracle position for Homestead.

If Hamlin appears worn out, it’s because he probably is.

The 46-year-old Hamlin, who turns 47 in a couple of weeks, had a tumultuous 2025-26 offseason. 

He was engaged in a tense trial where his 23XI Racing team sued NASCAR and then his terminally ill father died in a house fire.

In going through the rubble of his parents’ home, Hamlin injured his right shoulder rotator cuff again, which he had surgery on after the 2023 season.

He might try to avoid surgery until after the 2027 season.

Denny Hamlin is hopeful he can delay having surgery until he’s finished racing. (Getty Images)

“I don’t have [surgery] scheduled right now,” Hamlin said at a news conference Saturday at Martinsville. “The plan was to scan right after the season to kind of see where it stood.

“Pain tolerance has been OK. Obviously, it’s late in the season — everything just gets a little worse. But generally, I’ve been able to manage it inside the race car. I will see if it hasn’t progressed. Maybe if I can nurse it, just for one more year and then do it after that.”    

That insinuation is that he hasn’t considered racing beyond 2027.

“I’m content because, obviously, I want to be able to win the last start whenever that is,” Hamlin said. “Right now, I know when it is and I feel like I still would be capable of doing that.

“I’m going to enjoy the last 39 races or whatever it is and just play it by ear. But I really feel as though it is a good timeline. There have been many weeks certainly over the last five or six where I’ve just been done, done with it — done with all of this.”

Hamlin was speaking after winning the pole Saturday at Martinsville before his frustrating Sunday where he finished sixth with what he believed was a race-winning car. 

He was prescient in his comments while also showing his attitude toward the 2026 season.

“You have weeks like this that kind of bring you back up just for a day,” Hamlin said. “Then tomorrow [in the Martinsville race], go ahead and crush it back again. … The grind is a really tough one.”

WHAT YOU SHOULD READ NEXT

Three drivers are still in the hunt for The Chase, and now it all comes down to Homestead. Here’s how the last race in the NASCAR season could unfold.

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Paris Saint-Germain faced a test of its squad strength with four of its best players missing for the trip to Villarreal in the Champions League on Tuesday.

The defending champions were coping just fine, though.

Helped by dreadful defending, PSG swept into a 4-0 lead after 17 minutes of a mismatch at El Madrigal.

The goals that sunk the Yellow Submarine — the nickname of Villarreal — came in an eight-minute burst, scoring in the 9th when Joao Neves poked home a loose ball after missing the initial corner into the box.

Desire Doue added a second in the 12th, Senny Mayulu scored a minute later and Fabian Ruiz slammed home in the 17th — with all three goals stemming from mistakes by Villarreal as they played out from the back or got dispossessed in its own half.

PSG, which started the fourth round of games in first place in the standings, was without Ousmane Dembélé, Marquinhos and Nuno Mendes because of thigh injuries, along with long-term absentee Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (ruptured ACL).

It wasn’t stopping PSG heading for a 10th straight win in all competitions.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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United States men’s national team striker Folarin Balogun has been added to Monaco’s squad for the Conference League, having originally been left out amid uncertainty over his future.

In the squad list displayed on UEFA’s website on Tuesday, Balogun’s name now appears among the forwards. Ansu Fati, who was injured in an Oct. 25 match against Lille and — according to French daily L’Equipe — is sidelined for two months, is no longer on the list.

Balogun has only featured as a substitute this season for Monaco, playing in five games and scoring his first goal in a 3-1 loss at Paris FC on Sunday.

(Photo by Xavier Laine/Getty Images)

The striker was close to joining Everton for a reported 40 million pounds ($54 million) on the last day of the summer transfer window for most leagues in Europe — Sept. 1 — but pulled out of a deal because he felt uncomfortable that the English club raised doubts about his health in a medical examination.

Days later, Balogun was left out of Monaco’s Conference League squad because the club still had the option of selling him to a league where the transfer window remained open. That didn’t materialize.

All this came after a World Cup when Balogun — the star player for the U.S. team — was the subject of a major controversy following his red card during the round-of-32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina.

His one-game suspension was deferred by FIFA after U.S. President Donald Trump intervened, calling Gianni Infantino — president of soccer’s world governing body — to see if the red card could be reviewed.

Balogun was allowed to play in the round of 16 and had a forgettable performance as the U.S lost to Belgium.

Monaco won its first two games in the Conference League — against CSKA Sofia and Freiburg — and has matches to come in the 36-club league phase against FC Nordsjælland on Thursday, then Hearts, Brighton and Lincoln Red Imps.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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Major League Baseball proposed delaying the start of a salary cap until 2028, saying teams have too many commitments for next season that wouldn’t allow them to reduce spending quickly enough.

A day after the start of free agent negotiations for the 2026-27 offseason, owners on Tuesday proposed to players the sport adopt a hard cap of $258.2 million for 2028 and a floor of $180.2 million, using luxury tax payrolls with average annual values. A team would be allowed to remain as low as 90% of the floor in 2028, which would be $162.18 million, but would have to spend the entire amount of the floor over a three-year period.

“We recognize that clubs will need a full offseason to prepare to operate within the cap and floor system,” MLB spokesman Glen Caplin said in a statement. “This proposal would allow a smoother transition into the cap and floor system without delaying key player benefits, including earlier free agency, a $1 million minimum salary, a 30% increase to the pre-arbitration bonus pool and transactional reform that will reduce roster churn.”

Baseball’s five-year labor contract, reached in March 2022 on the 99th day of a lockout, expires Dec. 1 and management is expected to again lock out the union. MLB hadn’t proposed a salary cap since the negotiations that led to a 7 1/2-month strike in 1994 that forced cancellation of the World Series for the first time in 90 years. The players’ association has said it will never accept a cap.

Management’s proposal is tied to a 50-50 split of revenue with players, and the union takes issue with management’s definitions of revenue and expenses. Cap and floor figures would be lower if there is a work stoppage that causes MLB revenue to decline.

Management said eight teams would have to reduce their current payroll by a combined $528 million to get under the 2028 cap: Boston, the Chicago Cubs, the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets and Yankees, Philadelphia, San Diego and Toronto.

Twelve teams would have to increase spending by $636 million to reach the floor: the Athletics, the Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Colorado, Miami, World Series champion Milwaukee, Minnesota, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, AL champion Tampa Bay and Washington.

Where every team stands against MLB’s proposed salary cap and floor

Each team’s 2026 payroll as calculated for luxury-tax purposes, compared with the $258.2 million salary cap and $180.2 million floor proposed by MLB on Nov. 3 for a 2028 start.

8above the cap

10between cap and floor

12below the floor

 

 

 

$100M

 

$150M

 

$200M

 

$250M

 

$300M

 

$350M

 

$400M

 

$450M

 

Proposed cap: $258.2M

 

Proposed floor: $180.2M

 Dodgers$433.1M · $174.9M over cap

 Mets$359.5M · $101.3M over cap

 Yankees$341.9M · $83.7M over cap

 Phillies$322.2M · $64.0M over cap

 Blue Jays$315.8M · $57.6M over cap

 Red Sox$271.2M · $13.0M over cap

 Cubs$269.2M · $11.0M over cap

 Padres$264.6M · $6.4M over cap

 Braves$257.5M · $0.7M below cap

 Astros$234.9M · $23.3M below cap

 Diamondbacks$234.4M · $23.8M below cap

 Tigers$234.3M · $23.9M below cap

 Giants$225.9M · $32.3M below cap

 Orioles$217.7M · $40.5M below cap

 Rangers$215.1M · $43.1M below cap

 Mariners$205.7M · $52.5M below cap

 Angels$194.8M · $63.4M below cap

 Royals$187.3M · $70.9M below cap

 Brewers$154.7M · $25.5M under floor

 Reds$150.7M · $29.5M under floor

 Athletics$144.6M · $35.6M under floor

 Twins$137.9M · $42.3M under floor

 Pirates$137.8M · $42.4M under floor

 Rockies$134.2M · $46.0M under floor

 Nationals$123.2M · $57.0M under floor

 White Sox$117.6M · $62.6M under floor

 Rays$114.2M · $66.0M under floor

 Cardinals$108.8M · $71.4M under floor

 Guardians$92.6M · $87.6M under floor

 Marlins$84.4M · $95.8M under floor

 Tap to play

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Payrolls are 2026 luxury-tax (competitive balance tax) figures, which count contracts at average annual value. Under the proposal, cap and floor are measured with luxury-tax (AAV) payrolls, and a team could sit as low as 90% of the floor ($162.2M) in 2028. The cap and floor have not been agreed to by the players’ union.

MLB said it was willing to discuss phase-in timelines and procedures. It would keep the current luxury tax system and revenue-sharing plan for 2027 with the same thresholds and tax rates as in 2026, then centralize MLB media revenue for 2028.

Owners said they would accept the union’s proposal to reduce service time for free-agent eligibility from six seasons of service to five for players at least 30 years old but would give a player’s team the right to make a qualifying offer as under the current free-agent rules. If a player rejects the qualifying offer, he would be eligible for salary arbitration.

MLB would accept the union’s proposal to eliminate qualifying offers for other free agents.

Management would raise the minimum salary from $780,000 to $1 million for those with two years of service and $900,000 for others — those others would earn $100,000 more from the pre-arbitration bonus pool if they accrue a full year of service as long as they are not on the injured list for half a season or more. Minor league minimums would increase from $63,600 to $73,400 for initial big league deals and $127,100 to $146,700 for additional contracts.

MLB proposed a one-time bonus payment to players as part of the plan, using money from luxury tax proceeds the current labor agreement earmarks for players’ 401(k) accounts. The bonus would be based on 2026 service time, with those in the majors for at least 172 of the 187-day regular season getting $285,000. The bonus would be $213,400 for three-quarters of a year, $142,300 for half and $71,100 for a quarter.

MLB would increase the pre-arbitration bonus pool from $50 million in 2026 to $65 million in 2027, then up to $75 million over the term of a seven-year labor agreement through the 2033 season. It would include Prospect Promotion Incentive draft picks in the international draft MLB wants and would allow a player to earn his team two PPI picks, one in the amateur draft and the other in the international draft. MLB would accept the union’s proposal to exclude foreign professionals, such as Japanese players, from the calculation if a player earns additional service time based on his finish in Rookie of the Year voting.

Owners would eliminate a player’s fourth option year and reduce optional assignments per season from five to four. They would decrease the number of years by one for when a player must be protected from the Rule 5 draft and allow a player selected in the Rule 5 draft to be optioned.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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Manchester United fans attempted to disrupt the Champions League match against Roma on Tuesday by throwing tennis balls onto the pitch at Old Trafford.

United was 2-0 down inside 18 minutes, but the protest had been pre-planned and flagged on social media earlier in the day.

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Tom Brady believes Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson were made for each other.

On Tuesday’s edition of “The Herd with Colin Cowherd”, after the Chicago Bears beat the Seattle Seahawks 34-17 less than 24-hours earlier, Brady said Williams is the ideal quarterback for Johnson’s creative offense.

“I think Caleb Williams is the perfect quarterback for that Ben Johnson offense because Ben likes to do things a little bit unconventionally,” Brady said. 

Chicago hosts the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday night. Brady, meanwhile, heads to Foxborough that same day to call America’s Game of the Week, Packers vs. Patriots, for FOX.

“Johnson uses his skill players as well as any coordinator in the league. So they’re just doing unbelievable things,” Brady added. “They attack everybody, and last night they’re on their heels. They just don’t know if it’s inside run or outside run, or reverse or trick play, or short pass or deep pass or screen pass, they just have to read and react every time.”

Chicago improved to 6-2 with a win that showed the offense’s firepower against one of the best defenses in the league. 

Williams completed 24 of 34 passes with one touchdown through the air while D’Andre Swift ran for three touchdowns. The Bears gained 363 yards against Seattle’s defense.

Brady said the variety kept Seattle off balance.

“With the speed of Luther Burden, with the speed of Caleb Williams, with the power of D’Andre Swift, they just had them on their heels the entire night,” Brady said.

Tom Brady on Bears’ dominant win over Seahawks, Are they the best team in the NFL? | The Herd

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