Look, LSU. Look, Michigan. College football doesn’t like what you’re doing — or what you’ve been allowed to get away with.

You’re paying the malicious compliance tax. That’s the tax where folks are doing just enough to satisfy the rules or the contract, but not enough to make the process a pleasant one.

And being right isn’t going to change their minds.

College football has spent the last few years changing what it will tolerate. Players can make millions. Transfers can move immediately. The playoff can crown an undisputed national champion. The sport has made room for immediate eligibility upon transferring schools — “free agency” — according to some coaches.

But there are still lines that fans, coaches and administrators simply won’t let you cross.

LSU and Michigan are the latest high-profile examples of how the sport operates, and it’s on emotion first.

Michigan fans stormed the field after Bryce Underwood connected with JJ Buchanan for a game-winning Hail Mary. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

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Objectively, the Wolverines did nothing illegal in their 13-12 win over in-state foe Western Michigan. They played by the rules enforced by Big Ten officials and scored what — under normal circumstances — would have been a dramatic, game-winning touchdown at home.

Michigan fans stormed the field, and head coach Kyle Whittingham made the appropriate remarks about narrowly escaping with a victory.

Except they didn’t. 

The Wolverines didn’t win the game — not in the eyes of the public and not in the eyes of the Mid-American Conference, which lodged an appeal with the NCAA and College Football Playoff seeking to have its loss overturned. Normally, the scoreboard settles these kinds of debates. But the clock is at issue, and to everyone watching the broadcast, the game was over when it struck zero.

Then, the replay booth intervened.

Its clock showed one second remaining after the play was dead. One second Michigan didn’t appear to have. One second that gave the Wolverines another snap and a chance to turn what looked like a 12-7 loss into a 13-12 victory.

The rules said Michigan had time. The audience saw a game that was already over. And in the end, Michigan went on to win a game that most believe is so unfair that they want to see the final result changed.

Now, No. 11 Oklahoma comes to the Big House on Saturday (noon ET, FOX), and the fallout from that finish has changed the way people see Michigan. The Wolverines aren’t just viewed as a team that got away with one. They’re viewed as a team that isn’t as good as many of us who cover the sport once thought.

In my top 25 rankings this week, I dropped Michigan from No. 16 to No. 25 despite the fact that it won the game on the scoreboard. And the scoreboard deserves our respect. Heck, even the NCAA does.

According to NCAA Rule 1-1-3-5 Winning and Final Score, Article 3, paragraph B: “When the referee declares that the game is ended, the score is final.”

But in a move I found utterly shocking, my peers who vote in the AP Top 25 Poll each week saw fit to cast Michigan out of the top 25 entirely. That’s a drastic fall — 10 spots if we’re counting down through the teams that also received votes — and it tells us something: Most AP voters don’t believe Michigan’s win on the scoreboard is valid.

And that raises the question of just how much it means to win — or lose — as each week draws us closer to the 2026 College Football Playoff selection.

Meanwhile, in Baton Rouge, the SEC is suing one of its own members in federal court. In its amended complaint, the conference alleges “a lack of institutional control” and is seeking a court order that could pave the way for LSU’s expulsion from the SEC.

LSU head coach Lane Kiffin and his program have continued to not just act against the interests of its conference, but mock it. On Saturday night, Kiffin asked a rhetorical question during a halftime interview while his team was throttling Dabo Swinney’s Tigers. 

“Imagine if we had pro players,” Kiffin quipped.

It’s the kind of joke Kiffin thought was harmless, but the rest of us — notably the SEC — saw as a mockery of one of college football’s core beliefs: Professionals aren’t allowed to play the amateur game.

The fact that some college players make more money annually than some NFL players doesn’t incite the same outrage as Kiffin attempting to put men who have signed professional football contracts on his college roster. The SEC wants to make an example of LSU.

As of Wednesday, the feud between LSU and the SEC has cooled down, at least now. The Tigers added two players to complete its 105-man roster, eliminating the possibility of bringing in former NFL rookies Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris.

But emotion, not reason, has long been the guiding hand of college football. This weekend was no different.

I believe three things get you and keep you in a job: 1. Be on time. 2. Be good at your job. 3. Have people like you.

You must have two of the three to keep your job. That means if people like you, and you’re on time, you can get away with not being excellent at your job. But if people don’t like you, and you show up late, being good at your job isn’t going stop you from getting fired. Right now, the SEC doesn’t believe LSU is on time — look at the timing of adding these players — and doesn’t much like LSU.

LSU coach Lane Kiffin and the school are moving on from their efforts to add a pair of NFL players, an issue that has escalated into a significant legal battle. (Photo by Derick Hingle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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It really doesn’t matter that LSU stomped a mud-hole in Clemson and walked it dry if you’re not on time and people don’t like you.

And that’s why college football is a people business. Managing emotions and irrational expectations is how this sport moves. When you take those emotions for granted or try to talk people out of how they feel with reason, they turn feral in a hurry.

They’ll remind you just what is and isn’t kosher.

In this chaotic moment for college football, the sport has shown once again it knows what it wants, what it will allow and what it won’t. 

My advice: Say you’re sorry for winning a game the sport believes you shouldn’t have, Michigan. Apologize to the SEC with both knees on the floor, LSU.

I assure you, the juice ain’t worth the squeeze.

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Underdog is launching a new promo for the new NFL season kicking off today. Keep Your Million for Week 1, giving fans a new way to follow the biggest games on the opening slate. New users can enter promo code FOXSPORTS to unlock a 50% first-time deposit match worth up to $1,000 in bonus funds, then jump into Underdog’s free-to-play Keep Your Million survival game for a chance to work through a virtual $1 million bonus-funds pot.

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After today’s opener, Week 1 continues with the 49ers facing the Rams on Thursday in Australia, then Sunday continues the full slate of matchups featuring some of the top contenders and teams who could be the biggest surprises.

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How to Watch Patriots vs. Seahawks

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• When: Wednesday, September 9, 2026 at 8:20 p.m. ET
• Where: Lumen Field, Seattle, WA
• TV: NBC
• Streaming: Peacock

Rest Of The NFL Week 1 Slate

Thursday, Sept. 10

• San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams (8:35 p.m. ET on Netflix) *In Melbourne, Australia

Sunday, Sept. 13

• Chicago Bears at Carolina Panthers (1 p.m. ET on FOX)
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Cincinnati Bengals (1 p.m. ET on FOX)
• New Orleans Saints at Detroit Lions (1 p.m. ET on FOX)
• Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans (1 p.m. ET on CBS)
• Baltimore Ravens at Indianapolis Colts (1 p.m. ET on CBS)
• Cleveland Browns at Jacksonville Jaguars (1 p.m. ET on CBS)
• Atlanta Falcons at Pittsburgh Steelers (1 p.m. ET on FOX)
• New York Jets at Tennessee Titans (1 p.m. ET on CBS)
• Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Chargers (4:25 p.m. ET on CBS)
• Miami Dolphins at Las Vegas Raiders (4:25 p.m. ET on FOX)
• Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings (4:25 p.m. ET on CBS)
• Washington Commanders at Philadelphia Eagles (4:25 p.m. ET on FOX)
• Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants (8:20 p.m. ET on NBC/Peacock)

Monday, Sept. 14

• Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs (8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN/ABC)

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EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Welcome to West Coast Read, a weekly spin around what’s happening in the NFL on the Left Coast.

And to kick things off, we start with a conversation I had with new Los Angeles Chargers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel and his plans for Justin Herbert. McDaniel displayed flashes of excellence as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, but things ultimately fizzled in four seasons on South Beach.

However, McDaniel was highly sought after this offseason by several teams, both as a head coach and offensive coordinator, because of his reputation for innovation as a playcaller. With plenty of options on the table, McDaniel chose the Chargers because of the vast array of skills Justin Herbert has at his disposal, providing a stark contrast to the limited skill set his previous quarterback in Miami had in Tua Tagovailoa, taken one spot above Herbert at No. 5 overall in the 2020 draft. 

McDaniel told me his 20 years of coaching in the NFL prepared him for this crossroads moment of his career in coaching the most talented quarterback he’s ever worked with in the league. 

“It’s as simple as I’m not sure there are many players in my entire career that are more talented to play the quarterback position than Justin,” McDaniel told me in a conversation after practice during training camp. “And so, with those talents, I learned and built offensive systems around players who are not as talented, so it forces you to try and get really high-level play from guys that don’t have those supreme skill sets.

“Your offense and problem-solving are at its best, where maybe you don’t have to solve those problems from a coaching perspective [with Herbert]. There’s a certain coverage or a certain defensive issue that’s presented, and your quarterback can scramble and go get the first down. And you don’t have to solve the problem as a coach. That’s the greatest blessing of bouncing around NFL teams as you evolve as a coach, because you get exposed to so many types of talents. So, you’re not pigeonholed.”

Mike McDaniel helped Tua Tagovailoa become a Pro Bowler during his time as Dolphins head coach. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

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McDaniel provided this example: if he had landed in New England early in his coaching career working with someone like Tom Brady back in 2007, he would have benefited from one of the best quarterbacks ever at solving pre-snap issues, changing plays and protections that put his offense in the best situations. 

And maybe that would have stunted his growth as a play designer. 

“And then, when you don’t have him, what type of coach can you be?” McDaniel told me. “I think as a young coach, I would have really screwed it up. I would have asked for Justin as young as possible, but I’m very much glad I’m finally getting the opportunity to coach him now, after solving problems with guys that can’t throw it as far or overcome a poorly designed play where things are gloved and just scramble for the first down.”

McDaniel said he maintained discipline installing the offense, making sure to focus on Herbert’s footwork and improving his ability to get the ball out quick on short completions before getting to the good stuff — how to take advantage of the Oregon product’s otherworldly arm strength. 

Mike McDaniel has raved about Justin Herbert all offseason after becoming the Chargers’ offensive coordinator. (Photo by Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)

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That occurred midway through training camp, and the results of that were evident when Herbert connected a long touchdown pass to Quentin Johnston during a preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams. 

McDaniel will fix L.A.’s offense, so Herbert plays at an MVP level by making sure he doesn’t get bored with short completions that help move the chains and providing a more consistent running attack led by a healthy Omarion Hampton. 

But McDaniel needs to accomplish two things to be deemed a successful season for himself and Herbert: No. 1, his quarterback can’t continuously get belted like a piñata, leading the league in sacks and quarterback hits. And second, Herbert’s postseason stat line must improve from a career 54.7 completion percentage, with two touchdowns and five interceptions for a 64.7 passer rating. Herbert is 0-3 in the playoffs and under his direction in the postseason, L.A.’s offenses have averaged 15 points per game. 

Justin Herbert was sacked six times in the Chargers’ loss to the Patriots in the postseason as Mike McDaniel will look to keep his new QB safe. (Photo by Kathryn Riley/Getty Images)

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McDaniel believes good things are in store for Herbert and the Bolts, but that must translate into some postseason wins. 

“It’s been an interesting, very cool process — bucketing all the stuff we’re getting him to work on and then taking some of the stuff that he’s done at a very high level and making sure that isn’t lost in this offense,” McDaniel told me. “That’s why I was front-loaded in watching all the film from his career so that I could build an install that both incorporated the stuff I wanted to work on but allowed for the field to distribute so that later in plays he can make off-schedule stuff happen like he always has. 

“There’s different parts of the field that he can access that most throwers can’t. So, there’s been some work on just making sure that skill set is utilized. Which, from an offensive perspective, is even a more powerful way to make the defense defend the entire field. Balancing that stuff out — we didn’t work on anything that was big arm down the field until probably the last week — so, really focused on small ball, getting the ball out on plant throws and quick-timing plays. I knew that was the biggest jump he needed to make. I was very proud of myself because I put off all the fun, down-the-field stuff until just recently.”

  All-L.A. Super Bowl?

Speaking of the Chargers, they have a chance to pair up with their crosstown rival Rams and achieve something unprecedented in the NFL. 

Former Raiders CEO and Los Angeles native Amy Trask served as an intern when the Los Angeles Raiders won the Super Bowl after the team’s 1983 season after relocating from Oakland.

So, Trask understands what an all-Los Angeles Super Bowl would mean for the city.

“I’ve heard a number of discussions about this,” Trask told me. “Some have suggested that would be disappointing for tourism and for the hotels industry because arguably you’d have far less people traveling to the game if neither of the teams were located outside of Los Angeles.

“But I have a different view. While I understand the point that is made, I think it could be a tremendous opportunity for the region to showcase itself. The Los Angeles area and the region itself did a spectacular job during the World Cup. We of course have the Olympics coming in a couple years. But with the Super Bowl coming in February, if it is the Los Angeles Chargers vs. Los Angeles Rams, think about what the region can do to showcase itself.”

The Rams are a heavy favorite to win the Super Bowl after executing blockbuster trades for Myles Garrett and Trent McDuffie, along with the return of All-Pro Aaron Donald from a two-year retirement. 

After back-to-back 11-6 seasons under Harbaugh and quick exits from the postseason, the Chargers have the sixth-best odds to win the Super Bowl at +1700. 

This year’s Super Bowl is set to take place at SoFi Stadium on Feb. 14. The last time the Super Bowl was played in Los Angeles was in 2022, when the Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 on their home field.

The first Super Bowl in L.A. took place at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in 1967, with the Green Bay Packers defeating the Kansas City Chiefs, 35-10. In all, nine Super Bowls have been played in Los Angeles. Only Miami (11) and New Orleans (11) have hosted more. 

The Chargers won their only championship in 1963, a 55-10 victory over the Boston Patriots for the American Football League title at Balboa Stadium in San Diego. Along with winning it all four years ago, the Rams also lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers at the Coliseum in 1980 in Super Bowl XIV. 

Rams CEO Kevin Demoff recently recognized it’s been 10 years since the Rams moved back to Los Angeles. It’s been nine years since the Chargers relocated from San Diego to Los Angeles. 

During that time, the two teams have combined for 11 playoff appearances and a Super Bowl victory for the Rams after the 2021 season in the stadium that Rams owner Stan Kroenke built.

Yes, the same Kroenke who just bought the Los Angeles Angels.

A Rams-Chargers Super Bowl could be kismet.

“Having grown up in Los Angeles and living in Los Angeles, you’ve got everything here,” Trask said. “It’s a very reasonable drive from the mountains, which will have snow on them, the desert, which will be very beautiful, and the beaches, which are always beautiful. Exploit the region. Show off the region. That’s what I think can be done if it ended up Chargers-Rams.” 

Jeremiyah Love, whom the Arizona Cardinals took with the third overall pick in this year’s draft, flashed electric playmaking ability in his first and only action during the preseason, totaling 58 yards on 11 carries in a Week 1 contest against the Raiders. But Love suffered a high-ankle sprain and hasn’t practiced since, making his availability in his team’s season opener on the road against the Chargers a question mark.

While most NFL observers consider Love the most talented running back in this year’s draft class, a longtime NFL talent evaluator believes Love’s backup at Norte Dame, Jadarian Price, might be the better player. 

Scott McCloughan served as San Francisco’s top personnel man for four seasons and Seahawks general manager John Schneider’s right-hand man as senior personnel executive from 2010 to 2013. McCloughan also worked in personnel for the Cleveland Browns and Washington Commanders and currently serves as a draft consultant for teams and agents that hire him to evaluate NFL prospects. 

“I think he’s Nick Chubb,” McCloughan told me about Price. McCloughan was in Cleveland when they drafted Chubb. “He’s a big guy who can run downhill. He’s got some speed. He’s got some elusiveness and ball skills. I told Johnny [Schneider] when they drafted him, ‘You just got a hell of a player dude.’”

The Seahawks took Jadarian Price in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. (Photo by Jack Compton/Getty Images)

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At 5-foot-11 and 210 pounds, Price ran a 4.49-second, 40-yard time at the NFL Scouting Combine. And while he doesn’t possess the elusiveness or pass-catching ability of Love, he has a clearer path to a workhorse role for the Seahawks, with Kenneth Walker signing with the Chiefs in free agency and Zach Charbonnet working his way back from season-ending knee surgery,

Along with Love’s injury concerns, he’s also in a stacked running back room that includes experienced veterans Tyler Allgeier and James Conner. Love is actually listed as the No. 2 running back on Arizona’s depth chart. 

But McCloughan believes Price will be a more productive back than Love in their NFL careers.

“You know what, it was very close,” McCloughan told me. “I mean, it wasn’t a slam dunk. And don’t get me wrong, Love’s really good. And of course, Love was the starter. But Jadarian, I think he’s going to be a really good NFL running back. I know Nick just recently retired, but when he was in his prime, he was kicking ass.

“He’s got a lot of power, but he also has speed.”

More 3TE Sets In 2026? Don’t Bet On It

 

Rams head coach Sean McVay predominantly used three-receiver sets during his time with the Rams, usually leading the league in that personnel grouping. However, due to injuries and effectiveness, McVay’s Rams led the league by using three tight end personnel groupings on 331 snaps in 2025, averaging 6.2 yards per play. It’s by far the most a team has used that formation over the past decade in a single season. The second-most was 183 by the Cleveland Browns in 2021. 

League-wide, teams used three tight ends 5% of the time in 2025, up from 3.5% in 2024. Moreover, 21 tight ends were selected in this year’s draft, the most since 2002 (24).

The Rams drafted another tight end this year in Max Klare and are carrying five on the active roster, so McVay could be planning to lean on three TE sets again. However, new Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Brian Fleury, who served as the San Francisco 49ers tight ends coach before taking his new job, does not expect the Rams to use three tight end sets as often this season. 

Terrance Ferguson had three receiving touchdowns as a rookie in 2025. (Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images)

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“Last year, I think they caught a lot of people off guard by doing that, especially in those first few weeks,” Fleury said. “When you get into bigger groupings, usually it simplifies the defensive menu. But as they continue to put it on the field, the defensive menu continues to grow as people become more prepared. 

“Going into this season, while that might seem like an advantageous trend for an offense to do, the entire league has had the entire offseason to come up with their plan for defending their team personnel. So, I don’t think you’re going to see quite the same advantages. We will have some of it available and deploy it when we feel appropriate. But I don’t know that you are going to get quite the level of production that the Rams had out of it league-wide.”

  Top 5 On The Westside

A weekly look at the top five teams among the NFC and AFC West:

5. Kansas City Chiefs

I’m tempted to put the Chargers here, but even though he’s recovering from a knee injury, I trust Patrick Mahomes more than Herbert.

4. San Francisco 49ers

They’re a M*A*S*H unit on both sides of the ball, but Shanahan will figure out how to cobble together enough healthy bodies to play winning football.  

3. Denver Broncos

They have one of the best defenses in the league and one of the most underrated QBs in Bo Nix. 

2. Los Angeles Rams

In Sean McVay we trust, unless it’s booking travel arrangements. 

1. Seattle Seahawks

To be the best, you must beat the best. Showing the defending champs some respect here, unlike the rest of the country. 

“There’s only three players that I would stand up and watch play: LT (Lawrence Taylor), Reggie White and Aaron Donald. Those are three guys where I would watch every play because I’ve never seen nothing like it. And I think Myles [Garrett] could be that same type of player here, for sure.” 

Eric Dickerson to me on the impact Myles Garrett could have on the Los Angeles Rams. 

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The Seattle Seahawks found a way beat the New England Patriots again, this time without their starting quarterback.

Sam Darnold departed Wednesday’s season-opening matchup after the Seahawks’ first drive. He suffered a hip injury and was eventually ruled out of the game right before halftime.

Darnold reportedly underwent a CT scan on his hip, with the initial test result coming back inconclusive. He is now scheduled to undergo an MRI Thursday, according to ESPN.

After the game, Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said the medical staff was able to, “rule out a fracture,” according to NFL Network.

Seattle’s quarterback was sacked on the final play of the Seahawks’ opening drive. However, he didn’t show any clear signs of injury when he left the field. 

In fact, Darnold told the Seahawks’ training staff he didn’t need to be looked at when he first returned to the sideline after getting sacked by Patriots defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones. He was later evaluated in the blue medical tent and eventually went into the locker room. 

Drew Lock entered the game for the Seahawks on their second drive. He completed 6 of 8 passes for 51 yards over the first half, but Lock struggled to lead the Seahawks to a score. They trailed the Patriots 7-0 going into halftime, with the Seahawks punting the ball on Lock’s first three drives before running the clock out to end the first half in his fourth drive. 

Darnold led the Seahawks to the Super Bowl title last season. He threw for 4,048 yards with 25 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in the regular season as Seattle won a franchise-record 14 games.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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We all have our own routines and superstitions when it comes to traveling, and that’s apparent when you look at the way the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams planned their upcoming trips to Melbourne, Australia. 

While Rams head coach Sean McVay’s team landed in Melbourne on Thursday morning, the day before the game set to start on Friday at 10:35 a.m. local time (8:35 p.m. ET on Thursday, Sept. 10). The Rams are only expected to spend one night in Melbourne, which is 17 hours ahead of Los Angeles, before flying home after the game.

“They have a loose idea of what we’re doing, but I do still think it is appropriate in terms of the trajectory,” McVay told reporters late in training camp, when asked if he’s told players the schedule. “I want to be able to talk to them about it, but we’re leaving later than most people would probably expect.”

That’s no surprise. McVay took a similar approach last year, when the Rams stayed in Baltimore for a week after his team’s victory over the Ravens in Week 6, flying to London from there for a Sunday game, a 35-7 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. In all, the Rams spent a little over 30 hours in London for what McVay referred to as a business trip. 

The Rams’ approach to flying abroad on the eve of an international game worked last season when they defeated the Jaguars in London behind Davante Adams’ four touchdown catches. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)

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The 49ers are on the other end of the spectrum. San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan and his team traveled to Australia last Thursday and arrived last week on Friday — a week before the game — to get better acclimated to their new surroundings in Melbourne, holding practices there in the lead-up to the game. 

“It’s a big adjustment on the body,” Shanahan told reporters before the trip. “So, the recommendation for everybody has been to tell us when to go, and it’s made a lot of sense. And I know how our players feel also. I was a little bit on the fence. Science wasn’t, and what I was told. And our players weren’t at all. So that helped me get off the fence.”

San Francisco edge rusher Keion White said he would try to sleep the entire 16-hour flight.

“I don’t know if you can OD on melatonin, but I’m going to try,” White joked. 

So, which team will be best prepared to perform?

I asked that question to Dr. Cheri Mah, a sleep expert based at Stanford University who specializes in the connections between sleep, performance, recovery and injury prevention. Mah helped establish a sleep curriculum with the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks for the past four years and worked with the Philadelphia Eagles during that team’s Super Bowl season in 2017. 

Most recently, Mah helped prepare new Memphis head coach Charles Huff for his team’s late kickoff in Las Vegas against UNLV, a 27-21 victory for the Tigers over the Rebels. Mah says sleep is one of the most important things for an athlete’s recovery. Athletes should view sleep as an investment, with a good night’s sleep as the start of the day. Mah said she always looks at trips and breaks them down into preflight strategies, in-flight strategies and post-flight strategies.

“That’s what my biggest challenge is for the athletes and teams I work with,” Mah told me. “Making that small but powerful shift in how you invest in your sleep in what you do in the day, how your evening routine is structured and really setting up a sleep system for yourself, starting in the offseason.” 

Mah explained the advantages of both approaches for the two teams, considering factors such as the direction and location of travel, how long they will be there, and what they need to do to get ready for the following game. Mah has not consulted with either the Rams or 49ers for this trip. 

“For the Rams, the advantage of not changing the body clock — if that is what they’re trying to do by jetting in and jetting out — is their body clock when they’re playing in Australia would be at approximately 5 p.m. PT,” Mah said. “4 to 8 p.m. approximately in the afternoon/early evening is when performance is enhanced. Athletes perform physically the best during this period in the 24-hour day. So, that works to their advantage, given that game time will be right in that sweet spot. That works in the Rams’ favor from a body clock perspective.

“And then, when they come back, they’re not trying to adjust to jet lag because if they jet in and jet out, they try to keep their clocks on Pacific Time, and they don’t have to spend many days trying to then try get back on Pacific Time, like the 49ers will, when they are returning and trying to get ready for the following week.”

The 49ers’ travel plans have been in mind as tight end George Kittle tries to make his way back from an Achilles tear for the start of the season. (Photo by Matthew Huang/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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And the disadvantages for the Rams?

“It’s a long flight,” Mah said. “Even though they are trying not to change body clocks and sleep, they will still experience travel fatigue. And that is a lot of travel fatigue in a very short amount of time — both going there and coming back. And then trying to be fresh enough and ready enough to play the following day. I just think that’s incredibly challenging physiologically, especially when you’re on that long flight. You’re cramped. There’s dehydration and there’s still going to be some time when the players need to sleep and take naps. 

“Trying to do that without any cushion between landing and playing definitely can be challenging for them.”

The Rams are also traveling westward instead of eastward and across many more time zones (London is eight hours ahead of Los Angeles, while Melbourne is 17 hours ahead of Los Angeles) than London last year, which could impact their approach.

Mah said the rule of thumb is that for every time zone you cross, it takes your body about a day to acclimate. Usually, on domestic flights, travelers deal with a maximum of three time zone changes, and so it will take three days to adjust if you do nothing ahead of the flight to shift your body clock, according to Mah.

So, the 49ers have taken what some sleep experts would consider a more traditional approach to dealing with jet lag by traveling a week early. 

“There’s pros and cons to what the 49ers are doing as well, right?” Mah said. “They are trying to shift their body clock, but even in a week they’re probably not going to be completely shifted physiologically to Australia time. The benefit is they have a couple of days to train closer to game time at 10 a.m. … Aligning their practice time gives them an opportunity to synchronize it with kickoff time.

“They have a couple of days to get rehydrated and better acclimated to the Australian Time Zone, get their eating habits and treatments better resynchronized, so they have a better cushion when it comes to game time.”

Mah acknowledged that, culturally, things can be different for teams. In working with teams traveling to London, some teams chose to arrive just a few days before kickoff while others got there a week in advance. For some teams, being in a different country and dealing with changes like food provides a challenge for players. And players will have a say in how teams decide to proceed. 

“There’s no perfect solution,” Mah said. “There’s clearly advantages and disadvantages to what both teams are trying to do. But I do think being thoughtful about how they’ve chosen to do this and being mindful of sleep and the impact of travel is a huge win.” 

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Lumen Field (Seattle) — The Seattle Seahawks avoided the heartbreak of losing on the night they unfurled their Super Bowl LX banner, scoring 13 unanswered points in the second half to defeat the visiting New England Patriots 13-10 in a Super Bowl rematch.

The Seahawks struggled to contain quarterback Drake Maye and the Patriots early on. However, Seattle’s potent defense, engineered by head coach Mike Macdonald, showed up in the second half, helping the Seahawks start the season 1-0 on the year, while Mike Vrabel and the Patriots dropped to 0-1.

Here are my takeaways:

1. WTF, Drake Maye? Seahawks Darkside Defense Coaxes Nightmare Performance From Pats QB

Things started out well for Maye, as Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels provided good answers for the Seahawks’ defensive pressure. Patriots left tackle Will Campbell did a much better job of protecting his quarterback in pass coverage than he did in Super Bowl LX, too, giving New England a chance to win. 

However, that all changed in the fourth quarter, as Maye threw interceptions on back-to-back drives that led to 10 points for the Seahawks, changing the momentum of the game in Seattle’s favor and serving as a catalyst for Seattle’s comeback win. 

The interceptions didn’t end there for Maye, either. After Maye got the Patriots down to the Seahawks’ 16-yard line with under 30 seconds remaining, he threw his third interception of the game on an awful throw. He tried to force a pass to Mack Hollins along the side of the end zone, but Seahawks defensive back Josh Jobe made a tremendous toe-tapping pick to seal the victory for the Seahawks. 

With the interception, Maye now has 11 interceptions in his last five games. He threw that many picks in the 17-game regular season in 2025, as his only multi-interception games since the start of last year came against the Seahawks. 

On top of that, Maye has already thrown more interceptions on deep balls this season than he did last season. He threw just one interception on passes of at least 20-plus air yards last season, but had two interceptions on such passes on Wednesday night, per Next Gen Stats.

Seattle’s defense finished with three sacks, nine tackles for loss and six pass breakups, playing at the elite level it played at last season. 

2. If Darnold’s Hip Injury Is Serious, Lock Provides Glimmer Of Hope For Seahawks

Just like that, Seattle’s push to repeat as Super Bowl champs took a big hit when Sam Darnold suffered a hip injury and did not return. The USC product suffered the injury on the second drive of the game, when he tried to scramble out of the pocket on third-and-five but was sacked by Patriots linebacker Dre’Mont Jones for a 5-yard loss.

Darnold limped to the locker room for further evaluation and did not return. Backup Drew Lock replaced Darnold. While Lock is an experienced backup who knows Seattle’s offensive system, Darnold is the starter for a reason. And if he’s out for a prolonged period, the chances for Seattle to stay within striking distance in the ultra-competitive NFC West will be an uphill climb.

However, Lock did lead the Seahawks to a come-from-behind victory in the second half, completing 16-of-22 passes for 187 yards, with a touchdown and no interceptions for a 113.3 passer rating. It was enough to at least show some confidence in Lock in the short term, as the Seahawks await to find out if they’ll be without Darnold for the long run.

3. Need A Big Play? Jaxon Smith-Njigba To The Rescue

The reigning Offensive Player of the Year showed why he’s the highest-paid receiver in the league. Facing a fourth-and-short and trailing 10-3 early in the fourth quarter, Lock found Smith-Njigba on a short pass over the middle of the field, and the Ohio State product turned it into a 45-yard touchdown to tie the game. 

Smith-Njigba finished with seven receptions for 111 yards on eight targets. His teammate Cooper Kupp also made an acrobatic catch in the series before, setting up a Jason Myers 30-yard field goal.

3 ½. What’s Next

The Seahawks will look to continue the momentum when they hit the road against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 2. However, their concentration over the next few days will be on whether Darnold’s injury is severe enough to force him to miss more time. 

Meanwhile, the Patriots will try to move on from the season-opening loss when they host Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2. 

 

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The Los Angeles Dodgers are calling up top prospect Josue De Paula straight from Double-A, according to multiple reports on Wednesday. The Athletic was the first to report.

De Paula is expected to get at-bats at designated hitter after Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced on Wednesday that Shohei Ohtani will be heading to the IL.

De Paula, 21, is the No. 6 ranked prospect in baseball and the highest-rated outfielder. He spent the 2026 season with the Dodgers’ Double-A minor league affiliate, the Tulsa Drillers, and hit 27 home runs in 588 plate appearances, while posting a slash line of .303/.401/.547. He also had stolen 31 games in 123 games.

Prior to being signed by the Dodgers out of the Dominican Republic in 2022, he played out of El Niche Academy. He signed a $397,500 contract with the Dodgers in January 2022.

De Paula was named the 2025 Futures Game MVP.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers are placing two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani on the injured list, manager Dave Roberts said on Wednesday.

“It’s the right thing to do,” Roberts said following the Dodgers’ 14-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday, which Ohtani was sidelined for. “We tried to kick the bucket as much as we could.”

Ohtani has missed six of the last seven games due to lingering soreness in his right biceps and left knee. Roberts said Ohtani would be in the lineup on Thursday “if it were a postseason game.”

Ohtani, a four-time MVP, is a key component of the Dodgers’ bid for a third consecutive World Series championship, even though he won’t be pitching the rest of the season because of his injuries.

“Most likely, no,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton when asked about pitching again this season following the team’s Monday night win at home over the Cincinnati Reds, per MLB.com. “I’m going to be focusing on hitting moving forward.”

The Dodgers are off Thursday and open a seven-game trip in Miami on Friday. Top prospect Josue De Paula is expected to join the team in Miami.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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LOS ANGELES — It’s the start of practice, and Nate Scheelhaase has some pep in his step.

Scheelhaase, the new Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator, is bouncing around the field. The 35-year-old pedals back into coverage, simulating a defensive back to give his tight ends a good look as they run routes with the quarterbacks, stopping a player to correct footwork or offer a word of encouragement.

Scheelhaase’s energy and enthusiasm are something that doesn’t go unnoticed by his boss, Los Angeles head coach Sean McVay. 

“He’s done a great job,” McVay told me. “He’s got great organizational skills, great communication skills. He shows great leadership to be able to bring people together. He’s got a great capacity for the game, and he’s continuing to learn the foundation of some of the things we’ve been doing. But he’s been awesome. And I’ve been really pleased with the job he’s done.” 

The former University of Illinois quarterback is the latest offensive assistant of the McVay coaching tree expected to springboard to stardom as an NFL head coach. Zac Taylor (Cincinnati Bengals), Liam Coen (Jacksonville Jaguars), Matt LaFleur (Green Bay Packers), Mike LaFleur (Arizona Cardinals) and Kevin O’Connell (Minnesota Vikings) are all current head coaches who served as offensive coordinators for McVay, while Brandon Staley (ex-Los Angeles Chargers head coach) and Raheem Morris (ex-Atlanta Falcons head coach) are defensive coordinators who moved on to earn head coaching jobs in the league.

“You just learn how to communicate with people on a clear and concise level,” Coen told me when asked what he learned from McVay. “Obviously, you learn the schematics and techniques of all three phases. But honestly, I think what makes Sean different is just the way he can connect with people — white, black, purple, green, rich, poor, from here or there — it doesn’t matter. Sean can connect, and I think that’s something you always appreciate about learning from him.”

Scheelhaase interviewed for head coaching jobs in Baltimore, Buffalo, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Las Vegas during the last hiring cycle. But he returned to take on the offensive coordinator role in Los Angeles, replacing Mike LaFleur. Scheelhaase understands he’s a work in progress, as he looks to add value to a loaded roster considered to be a heavy favorite to win the Super Bowl. 

“What doesn’t change in this game and being involved in it is you feel like you’re one piece of the puzzle, and your contribution can make an impact,” Scheelhaase told me. “That was one of the things that excited you as a player to be in the locker room. And a lot of guys stepped into coaching for that reason — to be a part of something bigger than themselves. That’s what I love about coaching, being able to make an impact. And it looks different based on the role that you have or based on the position you play. But it matters.

“It matters from our head coach to our backup left guard, to our athletic trainers and to the people that are making our food in the morning. So, being able to own my role and make meaningful contributions is a huge deal to me.” 

Sean McVay has the most extensive coaching tree in the NFL with former Rams OC and current Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell being one of his five former assistants to hold a head coaching job this season. (Photo by Jevone Moore/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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How Scheelhaase’s Coaching Journey Began As A Player

Tony Severino, a recently retired legendary head coach at Rockhurst High School in Kansas City, Missouri, told me he saw something in Scheelhaase as an aspiring player at his football camp.  

“I saw something special in him back then,” Severino said. “He’s one of the first freshmen we ever started. He started in the secondary and at slot receiver because we had a senior at quarterback. Midway through his sophomore year, we put him at quarterback, and he was special, and then whenever we needed him on defense at safety. He was always a great football player.”

Scheelhaase told me he got his foundation from playing for Severino. Along with Severino, Scheelhaase said he also got his first football education from his parents, former University of Iowa defensive back Nate Creer and LouAnn Scheelhaase. 

“My dad was my coach, and my mom was the head video coordinator,” Scheelhaase told me. “She had the video recorder in the crowd. We’d play on Saturday and watch on Sunday after the game. 

“I learned the behind-the-scenes parts after games could make a huge impact on what you were trying to do on the field. You could learn and become a better player from the behind-the-scenes stuff. So, I think somewhere inside me, it created an appreciation for everything that happened before the snap, and so that carried on. He coached me all the way through eighth grade.” 

Nathan Scheelhaase was a four-starter at Illinois, playing against the likes of Kirk Cousins. (Photo by Mark Cunningham/Getty Images)

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Scheelhaase describes his father as a survivor. Creer grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and was raised by an older sister after losing both parents at 10 years old. From that, Scheelhaase said he learned how to grind and battle through adversity from his parents, who sold their house and moved to Illinois to be closer to him when he played football in college.

“He knows how to work,” Scheelhaase told me about his father. “He’s worked warehouse jobs his whole life, freaking third shift. And knowing a little bit of where he comes from, I have a lot of gratitude for where I’m at and what I get to do here. So, I think you learn a lot, not only from the football side but how to work.

“My mom is the same way. My mom is a stud. I was able to go to private school that was out of our budget because she freaking took a job that was not her favorite, but she knew she could make enough money to get me through high school at the place that I wanted to go to school. She is meaningful in probably every character piece that I have and still is to this day. I’ve got awesome parents. And certainly, on the human side, but also on the football side, I’m super grateful for them.” 

A Natural Leader

Scheelhaase, who was a four-year starter at Illinois, holds the program record for total yards with 10,634, and while things didn’t always go as he would like, Scheelhaase played his best when the game mattered the most, according to Louisville head coach Jeff Brohm, who served as one of the four offensive coordinators he worked with at Illinois.

“Nathan was intelligent, very bright,” Brohm told me. “He was a very good teammate, supportive of everybody — even the guys he was going against. To be quite honest, he performed better on game day than he did at practice. He was a guy who always came through in the game, had a lot of grit, toughness and character – and those things always showed up in the game and helped us win.”

Brohm pointed to two performances in bowl games by Scheelhaase that were key moments in his rise. He led Illinois to wins over Robert Griffin III in the Texas Bowl in 2010 before a victory over UCLA in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl a year later, earning MVP honors in the latter. 

Nate Scheelhaase threw for a touchdown and ran for 110 yards in Illinois’ win over UCLA in the 2011 Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

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As Scheelhaase had a strong college career, he credited his playing days for helping him succeed so far as a coach. Scheelhaase said playing quarterback from youth football to college helped him see and coach the game through a quarterback lens. 

“Obviously, the quarterback is the trigger man; he’s going to make a meaningful impact on the offense and the team at large,” Scheelhaase told me. “I think anytime you can view things through his lens as a starting point, it’s going to just give you a good barometer of where to go and what to do as far as what should we put into the install? How should we schedule our offseason programming? And what’s going to ultimately be on the third-down game plan?

“So, if you’re always viewing things through his lens — as far as are we providing clarity for him and are we putting him in the best position to be successful – it’s the lens in which I view the game.”

Severino echoed Scheelhaase’s sentiment, believing the player he once coached in camp was ready to take on the challenge of coaching due to his playing background.

“Quarterback is kind of like a catcher,” Severino told me. “A catcher sees the whole game out in front of them, and they make great Major League managers. Quarterbacks, a lot of times, if they’re good people, they make great leaders. And they become good head coaches.”

How Scheelhaase Found His Coaching Voice  

After his playing career was over, Scheelhaase said he earned his first full-time job as a running backs coach for head coach Matt Campbell at Iowa State in 2018 after a few years on Illinois’ coaching staff. Scheelhaase spent six seasons with the Cyclones, coaching running backs and receivers before ultimately being promoted to offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, where he helped to groom Brock Purdy and Rocco Becht.

Campbell, who is now the head coach at Penn State, remembers how infectious Scheelhaase’s personality was when he was at Iowa State.

“No. 1, he galvanizes the players, galvanizes the people around him,” Campbell told me. “There’s a humility and curiosity with how he comes in and really tries to grow himself and the people around him in football. And then I think the second thing I really appreciate about him is he just has a sense of trust and leadership.

“He just had this ability to lead in a positive way, and I think everyone around him felt that.”

Nate Scheelhaase cut his teeth in coaching as an assistant at Iowa State. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)

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That personality allowed Scheelhaase to form a close bond with Campbell. In fact, Scheelhaase, his wife Morgan and his family went on a vacation with Campbell’s family to Hawaii once. 

It was moments like those that Scheelhaase shared with Campbell that the new Rams offensive coordinator credited with helping build his foundation as a coach. 

“He helped to form a lot of who I’ve become as a coach,” Scheelhaase told me about Campbell. “The way to do it, the way to treat people, the way to come to work every day, the way to go about it with the right mindset — which is how you can put players and people in the best position to be successful. And pouring everything you’ve got to help that happen. I learned a whole lot and will forever be indebted to him. He’s the man.” 

Scheelhaase has continued that building process with the Rams. McVay allowed him to call plays during preseason games the last two years, and he’s constantly working to help Los Angeles find an edge that will help them on game day.

An example of that last season included daily work with receiver Konata Mumpfield, which led to the rookie contributing to L.A.’s NFC Championship run last season.

“Mumpfield was a rookie receiver who is really talented and has continued to make a great impact for us,” Scheelhaase told me. “But we started utilizing him on third down, and he was really our third receiver on third down. I can remember behind the scenes working with him in walk-through practice just so he had a great idea of the concepts we were running and how he fit in the puzzle before he was even playing. This was probably seven, eight or nine weeks before he may have been out there in those situations, but behind the scenes he was working. 

“And then seeing him get into a Sunday night game against Tampa and Matthew [Stafford] hit him on a backside in-cut, and you feel like you were able to contribute to help create clarity for him, which is obviously our job as coaches.”

Now, Scheelhaase should have even more say in the Rams’ offense in 2026. He’s quickly risen through the ranks of McVay’s staff, going from offensive assistant and passing game specialist in 2024 to pass game coordinator in 2025 before his promotion to offensive coordinator over the offseason. 

Nate Scheelhaase has added responsibilities in 2026, getting promoted to offensive coordinator. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images)

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But Scheelhaase said he has already had the freedom to find his role and voice as a coach, crediting McVay as he said that’s one of the Rams head coach’s secret sauces. 

“There’s so much more to it than the X and Os,” Scheelhaase told me. “The way he builds a culture in the NFL where people matter, and connection matters, is one of our secret sauces, for sure. And the way he brings up leaders and allows them to see behind the curtain, be able to see behind the scenes and learn, to hear his thoughts and how he’s thinking. 

“How he moves and how he operates throughout the course of a year, I’ve been fortunate enough to just be a sponge and be able to soak up a ton of insight in those situations. That’s a part of it.”

McVay still remains the offensive playcaller for the Rams in 2026. That shouldn’t deter teams from pursuing Scheelhaase as a head coach candidate next offseason, though, if everything goes right this year. It certainly hasn’t stopped teams from pursuing McVay disciples in the past, either, as the likes of Kevin O’Connell and Mike LaFleur didn’t call plays under the Rams head coach before getting head coach opportunities themselves. 

And while McVay still holds onto playcalling duties, it’s the way he leads that Scheelhaase is taking note of as he potentially becomes the next McVay disciple to become a head coach. 

“He knows what the foundational pieces in this game are always going to be, and he’s willing to double down on those things time and time again,” Scheelhaase told me. “I don’t think he’s trying to chase a different identity. I don’t think he’s trying to chase what maybe somebody else is doing.

“But I think he has a great belief in what it looks like to be a successful organization, and what that emphasis looks like throughout the year. It’s not just in the fall, but it’s a 365-day-a-year job, and I think he’s got that mapped out pretty darn well for what’s important.”  

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LOS ANGELES — Another day, another ominous turn in the Shohei Ohtani health saga. 

Knee and bicep issues have already downgraded the two-way sensation to a one-way slugger for the remainder of the year. 

For the next couple of weeks, though, he is neither.

Ohtani’s insistence on trying to play through aches and pains for the last three months — and the Dodgers’ unwillingness to shut him down and place him on the injured list before it got to this point — had relegated the four-time MVP mostly to spectator status with the postseason just weeks away. 

On Wednesday, Ohtani was held out of the lineup for the sixth time in the Dodgers’ last seven games. 

And with only 16 games remaining in the regular season, he will now require the IL stint that the Dodgers have spent months trying to avoid. 

“It’s the right thing to do,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “I think that we tried to kick the can as much as we could.”

In Ohtani’s place, the Dodgers plan to call up top prospect Josue De Paula directly from Double-A to make his MLB debut on Friday. De Paula, the No. 6 overall prospect in the sport according to MLB Pipeline, will primarily serve as the team’s DH for the next couple of weeks but could also find some time as a corner outfielder. 

The 21-year-old starred at Double-A Tulsa, where he slashed .303/.401/.547 with 27 home runs and 31 steals. But the excitement of adding De Paula is tempered by the reason for his addition. 

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

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A week ago, Ohtani went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts in a game against the Cardinals and looked to be in obvious discomfort at the plate, shaking out his arm between half-hearted swings. He was mired in a 6-for-46 stretch without a home run over his last 12 games at that point. 

Clearly, Ohtani’s injuries were causing him issues at the plate, despite what he was telling his team and what Dodgers officials were publicly acknowledging. The next day, general manager Brandon Gomes attempted to dismiss what seemed clear to anyone who had watched Ohtani over the last few weeks. 

“I just think there’s also just ebbs and flows of the season, and what to attribute things to and what not to is just too hard to say,” Gomes said. “We haven’t had any indication that he’s not feeling good enough physically to go out and play.”

Ohtani then sat out each of the next four games.

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

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The hope was the time off would help Ohtani’s body get to a place where he could bounce back as a hitter. He returned to the lineup on Monday and went 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts. 

The Dodgers then planned to give him Tuesday off and continue to sprinkle in off days the rest of the regular season to try to get him as right as possible before October. 

But Ohtani was expected to return to the starting lineup for Wednesday’s series finale against the Reds, so it was a surprise when he wasn’t in the lineup again. 

“There was a swing Monday that he didn’t feel great on,” Roberts explained Wednesday afternoon. “He hasn’t totally recovered from Monday. So, the thought is to give him today and then huddle up with him, the medical staff, and figure out what’s the next steps.”

Clearly, communication between Ohtani and the Dodgers remains a work in progress.

(Photo by Melina Pizano/Getty Images)

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Roberts did not know about Ohtani’s setback the day after that painful swing. Ohtani swung in the cages on Tuesday and was expected to be available off the bench “in a big spot” that night before he reported his discomfort from the previous day’s game. 

The main issue this time was Ohtani’s arm, according to Roberts. 

“It’s not really localized, and that’s why when you see him a week ago shaking his arm, it’s just the arm,” Roberts said. “So, it’s not specific to elbow or shoulder. It’s just his bicep, arm, but it’s not one specific thing.”

This is not where the Dodgers hoped to be as they ramp up for the playoffs, months after Ohtani first reported his knee and bicep pain.

(Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

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Ohtani has not pitched in a game since July 3, and every attempt to ramp back up since then invited setbacks that have clearly impacted his performance at the plate. He is slashing .198/.294/.396 since Aug. 8, when he first started back up his throwing program. He is hitting .186 since Aug. 14, when he threw his first bullpen session in more than three weeks. 

Those sessions are now done. 

On Monday, after months of delaying the decision, Ohtani finally acknowledged that he would shift his focus strictly to hitting — the only logical choice at this point as he tries to get right at the plate. 

Two days later, though, he’s now too hurt to even do that. 

This will be Ohtani’s first stint on the IL since he joined the Dodgers before the 2024 season. 

The Dodgers didn’t place him on the IL on June, when he first reported his knee pain. They didn’t do it in July, when he first reported the bicep issue while he was still dealing with knee pain, which required an injection over the All-Star break. 

They didn’t do it a week ago, when he was clearly compromised at the plate, or throughout a second half in which he has a pedestrian .246 batting average and .332 on-base percentage. 

“It really hasn’t even been something that we’ve discussed,” Gomes claimed last Thursday. 

One week later, though, those discussions picked up. 

“I think that we tried to play both sides and try to play him, not play him,” Roberts said. “And then, ultimately, after not playing him for four days and then playing him and not being able to play a day after an off day, it was more just really huddling up and saying, ‘Hey, how are you going to feel on Friday? How are you going to feel on Saturday? Talking to the doctors and training staff, there was not much certainty that he’d be in a much better place. With that, just taking it off the table seemed like the best course of action.”

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

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The timing is not ideal. 

Because Ohtani is a two-way player, he needs at least 15 days on the IL. And because he played Monday after the four days off, he will not be eligible to return until Sept. 23. That would give him just five games maximum before the end of the regular season to try to find his rhythm. 

In retrospect, Roberts wishes the team handled that differently. 

“I think if we look right now, here today, I would love to go back and put him on the IL,” Roberts acknowledged. “But I did feel at that moment in time, we all felt that giving him four days was sufficient.”

Though it wasn’t, Roberts remains confident that Ohtani will return this year. He reiterated multiple times that Ohtani would be in the lineup if the Dodgers were in the postseason right now, and he thinks Ohtani will only need the minimum IL stay. 

The question no one can answer is what he’ll look like when he’s back. 

If he can’t find his usual form, the Dodgers’ delayed decision threatens to be their undoing. 

“He’ll be in a much better place than he was today,” Roberts said. “Is it going to be to 100 percent? Probably not. But I do think that with this time that we’re taking now, he’ll be in an adequate spot to finish the season.”

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