The last time Joaquin Niemann held the solo lead after the first round of a LIV Golf tournament, he finished the week with a victory. That was 2-1/2 years ago when he opened with an historic 59 in the 2024 season opener at Mayakoba.

Based on Niemann’s impressive performance Thursday at LIV Golf New York, don’t be surprised if he duplicates that feat this week at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster.

The Torque GC captain opened with a bogey-free 7-under 64 to grab a two-shot lead over Ripper GC’s Lucas Herbert and Majesticks GC Co-Captain Ian Poulter. Niemann also was the primary contributor as Torque grabbed a three-shot advantage on the team leaderboard.

Niemann made approximately 140 feet of putts while leading the field in Greens in Regulation as he tied for his lowest round, relative to par, in his 41 LIV Golf rounds in 2026. He led the field on Thursday in Strokes Gained Off the Tee and Strokes Gained Approach. Asked if it was his best round this season, Niemann replied: “I have a pretty bad memory, so I’ll say yes.”

He did remember his 59 at Mayakoba, one of just three rounds under 60 in league history. That set up the first of his league-record eight individual tournament wins, the most recent coming earlier this year in Korea. Last season when he won five times, he shared the first-round lead twice, converting one of those into a win.

“I’m just excited right now for the chance to be leading in the first round,” said Niemann after a round that started with a 20-foot birdie putt and included a 40-foot putt from off the green, a 52-foot birdie putt and an 18-foot putt late in his round to save par and keep his scorecard clean. “The putts are going in, which is nice. It’s nice to see that. I’m just excited for what’s coming next.”

To stay atop the leaderboard, however, he’ll likely have to fend off the league’s hottest player in Herbert, who won his second tournament of the season two weeks ago at LIV Golf United Kingdom presented by JCB with a record 30-under total.

Herbert opened with a bogey-free 61 in England and finished with another bogey-free round, a 62, to win by six shots. On Thursday, he was bogey-free again, escaping out of trouble by successfully scrambling all eight times. Herbert has suffered just one bogey in his last 63 holes and will appear in the final group on Friday for the fifth consecutive round.

“Been in very good form lately,” said the 30-year-old Australian. “It’s been fun to ride that wave. I didn’t feel quite as comfortable today as I did at JCB but that’s understood because that was some of the best golf I’ve ever played there, so high expectations.”

While Poulter can’t match Herbert’s result, the 50-year-old Englishman’s form has improved significantly in his recent appearances. He has three top 20s in his last four LIV Golf starts, including a season-best T15 in the UK, and he also finished solo fourth in his senior major debut at the U.S. Senior Open.

Like Niemann and Herbert, Poulter was also bogey-free on Thursday. He’s hoping to duplicate the feat of his former Majesticks teammate Henrik Stenson, who won the individual title at Bedminster in 2022 when the course hosted its first LIV Golf event.

“I hope there’s a lovely little bit of mojo going on at this place,” Poulter said. “It would be great for us to have one of the boys and obviously me have a win. That would be amazing. It’s great to play a golf course like this laid out in as perfect a condition as it is. It’s going to be a great test, and obviously I’m hoping Majesticks can be on the board come Sunday.”

The Majesticks as a team finished second that week, their best-ever team result. The all-English team will start Friday in solo fourth behind Torque, with Ripper GC and HyFlyers GC tied for second.

Torque has been one of the league’s most consistent teams this season, with three podium results and eight finishes of fifth or better. But the all-Latin American team has not won since the regular-season finale last year in Indianapolis. Niemann hopes a return atop the podium could be in store this week.

“We did it at the last tournament last year, so right now it’s kind of like our momentum. The whole team is playing great,” Niemann said. “It’s just a matter of time. Obviously, it’s hard to win, especially with the teams right now how they are. They’re pretty strong. We’re definitely trying our best, the four of us, to get the win and celebrate hopefully with the champagne.”

TOP OF THE LEADERBOARDS

Individual Top 10

1 (-7) – Joaquin Niemann, Torque (64)

T2 (-5) – Ian Poulter, Majesticks (66); Lucas Herbert, Ripper (66)

T4 (-3) – Brendan Steele, HyFlyers (68); Thomas Pieters, 4Aces (68)

T6 (-2) – Scott Vincent, HyFlyers (69); Harold Varner III, OKGC (69); Bubba Watson, RangeGoats (69); Lee Westwood, Majesticks (69)

T10 (-1) – Yosuke Asaji, Wild Card (70); Sergio Garcia, Fireballs (70); Tom McKibbin, Legion XIII (70); Paul Casey, Crushers (70)

Team Top 3

1 (-4) – Torque GC (Niemann 64, Ancer 71, Ortiz 71, Munoz 74)

T2 (-1) – Ripper GC (Herbert 66, Leishman 71, Smyth 71, Smith 75)

T2 (-1) – HyFlyers GC (Steele 68, Vincent 69, La Sasso 72, Tringale 74)

ROUND 1 NOTES

INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONSHIP RACE: The top two players in the season-long points standings, Legion XIII Captain Jon Rahm and Crushers GC Captain Bryson DeChambeau, failed to break par on Thursday. Rahm shot a 1-over 72, leaving him tied for 24th, while DeChambeau suffered his highest-ever round over par in his LIV Golf career with a 5-over 76 that left him tied for 49th.

DeChambeau, who started the week nearly 220 points behind Rahm, needs a big week to have any chance of preventing Rahm from clinching the title this week. He must climb within 200 points of Rahm going into the final regular-season tournament at Indianapolis.

After round 1, Rahm is now projected to finish with 948.04 points to DeChambeau’s 722.35, and Rahm now has a 99% probability chance of winning his third consecutive season-long crown. DeChambeau is the only player still with a chance to catch Rahm.

POULTER UPDATE: When LIV Golf made its previous appearance in the U.S. this season, Ian Poulter suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee while hopping up a step in Virginia. It was expected to require surgery, but thus far, Poulter not only has managed the pain, he’s found his form. He met with his surgeon five weeks ago and for now, no surgery date has been scheduled.

“He’s read the scans and said he could operate,” Poulter explained. “There’s no guarantee I’m going to be pain-free within five months. He said he could put half a new knee in because I’m wearing on both sides of the insides on the medial side.

“He said, look, I don’t want to touch it. You’re playing good golf. You just can’t be silly. Just don’t do some of the things that you might want to do, which is go and play paddle tennis with my friends and family and go skiing and stuff like that. So, I’m going to need to get my family kicks in another way, but I’ve got to save these legs as long as possible before the inevitable happens.”

This week, Poulter has his family cheering for him onsite. That includes his son Luke, ranked 5th in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.

“He’s on an amazing trajectory: Top 10 in the world, playing great golf, plays golf courses that are exceptional,” Poulter said. “So, he doesn’t come and watch me that often. I kind of had to put a round in today and just show him that dad’s not done yet. It’s great. I love having the family come out and watch, and it inspires me to keep playing well.”

ALL PARS: Southern Guards GC’s Dean Burmester became the third player in LIV Golf history to record 18 pars in a single round. The other two times both happened in Chicago – Matthew Wolff in 2022 and Paul Casey in 2024.

FLYING HIGH: HyFlyers GC have seen the results improve since Scott Vincent was added to the playing roster as the replacement for captain Phil Mickelson. That’s also left 43-year-old Brendan Steele as the club’s elder statesman on the active roster.

The HyFlyers also have the league’s youngest player in 22-year-old Michael La Sasso. Steele said he and teammates Vincent and Cameron Tringale want to provide as much guidance as La Sasso wants while he works through his first year as a professional golfer.

“We’ve all tried to help each other throughout the year,” Steele said. “Obviously being Michael’s first year, there’s a lot of new things for him. We’re always there to help each other with whatever we need. We’re a very collaborative team, and that’s something I’ve really enjoyed about whatever the lineup looks like as we always like to work together and help each other.

“Beyond that, the league is very open to helping each other as well. I know Michael has obviously picked my brain and Cameron and Scott, but he’s obviously talked to other guys in the league, which is really special about what we have out here.”

RD. 2 SCHEDULE ADJUSTMENT: The shotgun start time for Friday’s second round at Trump National Bedminster has been moved up to 10:05 a.m. ET. Gates, Hospitality and the Fan Village will open at 8:30 a.m. ET. All parking lots open at 7 a.m. ET.

STATS LEADERS

Round 1

Driving Distance: Bryson DeChambeau, 323.8-yard avg.

Longest Drive: Josele Ballester, 328.9 yards (18th hole). Official measured drives taken only on holes 15 and 18.

Driving Accuracy: Younghan Song, Tyrrell Hatton, 92.86% (13 of 14)

Greens in Regulation: Joaquin Niemann, 83.33% (15 of 18)

Scrambling: Lucas Herbert (8 of 8), Dean Burmester (7 of 7), Ian Poulter (5 of 5), Joaquin Niemann (3 of 3), 100%

Fewest Putts: Lucas Herbert, 23

Bogey-free rounds: Joaquin Niemann (64), Ian Poulter (66), Lucas Herbert (66), Dean Burmester (71)

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

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A lot of times, in college football, wins depend solely on how your schedule is lined up. 

In other words, some teams attempt to schedule wins, while others schedule challenges. 

Here are a few bets I have my eyes on ahead of the 2026 college football season.

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TEXAS TECH (-1.5, -140) TEXAS
Regular-season wins

I think Tech’s baseline is 11-1 given the very favorable Big 12 slate. There is no BYU or Utah, and the Red Raiders’ toughest games are at home — ASU, Houston, Arizona and TCU. A 12-0 slate is not impossible and the chances of it happening are the highest of any P4 team. 

If Tech goes 12-0, Texas has to go 11-1 to beat us. If Tech goes 11-1, which is probably more likely, Texas has to go 10-2 to beat us, and I’m not sure if that’s a certainty. 

I’d say 9-3 is very much on the table for Texas. The Longhorns have to visit LSU and A&M. Ohio State and Ole Miss come to Austin. And of course, there is the annual Oklahoma game in Dallas. 

This is exactly what Sark is talking about. Look at the Texas schedule compared to Tech’s schedule. Texas power rates higher than Tech, but will finish with a worse record. 

It’s not sour grapes, it’s just reality. 

Fallica’s Pick:   TTU to Have 1.5 More Wins than Texas (-140)

OREGON (-4.5, +125) VS. NEBRASKA
Regular-season wins

I think Nebraska has 6-6, at best, stamped all over it. 

The Huskers are hoping Anthony Colandrea can play more like he did at UNLV than he did during his P4 stop at Virginia. Matt Rhule is 0-fer vs. ranked teams while at Nebraska, 2-10 overall in November, and the Huskers have been dominated by Iowa lately. Nebraska is not going to beat Indiana, Oregon or Ohio State. It will probably lose at Iowa. 

And would anyone be shocked if Maryland or Washington went to Lincoln and won? 

I wouldn’t. 

There is going to be a ton of excitement when the Huskers start 4-0 and then reality will set in. Oregon hasn’t lost to a team which hasn’t played for the national title since 2022. It does not lose games it isn’t supposed to. 

I think the Ducks are 11-1 at worst and if that’s the case, then Nebraska has to go 7-5 to beat us. 

Fallica’s Pick:   Oregon to Have 4.5 More Wins than Nebraska (+125)

TOLEDO OVER/UNDER 7.5 WINS

Let’s start with the obvious: The MAC is not a good league, especially outside the top few teams. 

I think there’s a bit of an overreaction here to Jason Candle leaving for UConn. Let us not forget, Candle had a knack for losing a bunch of games as a big favorite. I think we have a coaching upgrade with Mike Jacobs — an Ohio guy with Ohio State and Jim Tressel connections that should be able to pluck players out of Ohio high schools. 

But that’s the future. Let’s talk about the now. 

Jacobs brought a ton of his team with him from Mercer, where he went 20-6 over the last two seasons. You’re telling me a bunch of successful FCS veterans can’t come to the MAC and post an 8-4 record? 

I don’t buy it. I’m on the Rockets’ Over. 

Fallica’s Pick: Toledo Over 7.5 Wins (-125)

NORTH CAROLINA OVER/UNDER 4.5 WINS (+120)

Consecutive 4–8 seasons are very much on the table in Chapel Hill. 

UNC has Miami and Louisville in ACC play (I think those two are the best teams in the ACC), faces Notre Dame and TCU in the non-conference, and picks up a lot of the mid-to-upper tier ACC opponents on its schedule (at Clemson, at Pitt, at Virginia, NC State). 

There’s a chance UNC is 1-4 after five games, and what’s the vibe like if that’s the case, knowing you still have Miami and Louisville on the slate? I know there were changes to the offensive coaching staff which should help, but it feels like there’s so much going on off the field that it’s going to be a season of distractions. 

We’ll see what happens, but Under feels like the right side here.

Fallica’s Pick: UNC Under 4.5 Wins (+120)

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Endless scoring in extras. Series sweeps, and Pete Crow-Armstrong showing off his speed. Ronald Acuña Jr. with the home run you might remember most. Thursday’s MLB action provided all that and much more.

Here are all the best moments from last night in Major League Baseball:

Red Sox Sweep White Sox In Wild Extra Innings

The Red Sox had quite the opportunity on Thursday. A chance for an eighth win in a row, a sweep of the White Sox in this series and, more incredibly, a season sweep of first-place Chicago, too, all wrapped up into one game. There was just one little problem — the White Sox.

Second baseman Chase Meidroth opened up the scoring with a two-run homer in the third, his 10th of the season, to put the White Sox up 2-0. Second baseman Colson Montgomery then added another pair with a two-run single to center.

A homer from catcher Connor Wong cut the lead in half, but the White Sox would get a run back with an RBI double in the fourth. Boston would tie it in the bottom of the fourth, then right fielder Braden Montgomery would put Chicago ahead once more with a two-run single in the fifth — the game just kept going back and forth like this, until the bottom of the ninth. The Red Sox, down to their final strike with the tying run on third, got an RBI single from right fielder Wilyer Abreu to send it to extras.

Meidroth hit his second homer of the game in the 10th inning off closer Aroldis Chapman, who had just entered to begin the frame. 

Trevor Richards came on to pitch for Chicago in the bottom of the 10th, and had similar luck. A walk to DH Masataka Yoshida put two on, allowing shortstop Andrew Monasterio to double in one run, then a sac fly evened things up once more. Garrett Whitlock relieved Chapman in the 11th, but a wild pitch moved Miguel Vargas to third, and then Colson Montgomery’s sac fly put Chicago ahead, again. Abreu would answer in the bottom of the inning with a sac fly, forcing a 12th… where the White Sox would score on a Sam Antonacci single to go ahead for the final time.

In the bottom of the 12th, reliever Chris Murphy threw a wild pitch, allowing bonus runner Jarren Duran to take third base. Catcher Jake Rogers, who entered earlier as a defensive replacement, hit a sac fly to tie things up yet again.

That would be all Boston could score, though, giving the White Sox an opportunity in the 13th… which was squandered — Brayan Bello threw a clean frame, stranding Vargas at second, and the Red Sox had a chance to win in the bottom of the inning. Which they took.

Caleb Durbin’s RBI single gave Boston a walk-off win, its eighth victory in a row, and a season sweep of the White Sox on top of the series sweep. Almost inexplicably, the Red Sox are half-a-game behind the Yankees for the top wild-card in the AL, and just five games behind the Rays for the AL East lead. The Sox were 11 games under .500 after their first game of July, but have won 26 of their last 29 games — a stretch so rare that just four teams have pulled that or better off in the last 70 years. And now they are not only in position for a postseason spot, but moving up in those standings and bettering their chances.

The White Sox should send a gift basket to the Mets, by the way. Despite being swept by the Red Sox, Chicago’s AL Central standing actually didn’t change one bit: New York swept the Guardians at the same time the Sox were swept, so the only thing that happened is the Twins also moved to being three games behind Chicago.

Acuña Goes Deep Twice (With Some Help)

Ronald Acuña Jr.’s second homer against the Marlins on Thursday was pretty standard, as far as home runs go. Just 337 feet but hit to just the right place where that was far enough.

His first one, though? Well that required an assist. It wasn’t an inside-the-park dinger, and it actually traveled significantly further than the second one, but it still didn’t get over the wall all on its own. Left fielder Heriberto Hernández and center fielder Esteury Ruiz had a bit of miscommunication trying to catch a deep fly to the warning track, and pop. Out of a near-catch and over the wall. Home run.

Supremely goofy? Yes. The moment that all of baseball to this point has built to? Also yes. The Braves ended up winning, 11-3 — how could Atlanta not win, when the stars aligned for it to allow that dinger? — and has now won a season-best eight in a row while joining the 70-win crew. It’s just the Brewers and Braves hanging there now, at least until the Dodgers snap their losing streak.

More Like Run-Off Win

Or until the Cubs win a few more, whichever comes first.

The serious home run power and the best-in-class defense sometimes make it easy to forget that center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong is also a talented baserunner. But here he is, using that speed to (1) force a throw to third base from backstop Alejandro Kirk in a tie game in extras with the Blue Jays, and (2) make it home when that throw does not end up where it was meant to.

He’s just really flaunting that whole total package thing right now — that’s your MLB leader in wins above replacement, folks, and that’s despite a horrific slow start to the year that had people, rightfully, thinking, “well, at least he’s a great defender.”

Sometimes You Have To Just Admit Defeat

The new-player smell hasn’t worn off of Luis Arraez for the Phillies just yet, and this play was just weird enough to keep that scent in the air a little longer. Sure, it was an out, but it was also really funny. Look at Arraez go clear over the plate while avoiding the tag, then realize, oh, there’s no way I can actually touch it to score now. Rather than force an altercation with an armored foe, Arraez decided, nah, you win.

Arraez might have “lost” there, but the Phillies ended up with the dub in the end, defeating the Nationals 7-3 to take the series three games to one. Arraez, by the way, was 2-for-4 with an RBI even if he didn’t get that run, and is hitting .385 with three extra base hits and four RBIs with the Phillies so far.

Tigers Crush Mariners

This is not really what you want when you’re the Mariners: before the trade deadline, the Tigers sold off the winner of the last two AL Cy Young awards in Tarik Skubal, as well as Casey Mize, while Seattle attempted to better position itself for a postseason run. And yet it was Detroit winning two of three against the M’s, and in dominant fashion on Thursday, too.

The Tigers would get yet another homer from catcher Dillon Dingler, his third in three games and 26th of the season, to go up 2-0 in the first.

And that would end up being the game-winning hit, even if no one knew it at the time. Detroit shut out Seattle, but kept pouring on the runs — the Tigers would win, 11-0, with rookie third baseman Kevin McGonigle also going deep for his 12th homer of the season. 

The Tigers got seven scoreless out of starter Framber Valdez, the big free agent acquisition who has looked a lot more like the Valdez of old the last couple of starts, and now sit one game back of a wild-card spot in the AL after going 19-10 since the start of July. Hey, why did this team deal Skubal and Mize again, anyway?

Brewers Rattle Off 3-Straight Dubs Vs. Pirates

Speaking of the trade deadline, starting pitcher Dustin May made his debut for the Brewers on Thursday, against the still-in-this-thing Pirates. Milwaukee got a first inning dinger out of left fielder Jackson Chourio to make it a 1-0 game, and Pittsburgh never ended up having a lead at any point.

The Pirates did tie it up, 2-2, but that’s all they could muster against May: the tall righty went six innings with just six baserunners allowed, and the bullpen took care of the rest. A dinger by catcher Gary Sánchez gave Milwaukee back the lead, and and the Brewers added another couple runs after that to win the final three games of the series and send Pittsburgh to the basement of the NL Central with the Reds simultaneously sweeping the Athletics to climb out of it.

Padres Split Series With D-Backs

The Diamondbacks had won two of the first three games in the series against the Padres, in this race for a postseason spot, but San Diego managed to recover and split the series and move within a game of Arizona for the last wild-card spot in the NL in the process.

Third baseman Manny Machado plated a run while hitting into a double play in the first inning, and then got another run in on another ground out in the third. First baseman Ty France would hit a sac fly later to make it 3-0, and while Arizona eventually got on the board, too, San Diego finally got an actual hit to send a run home to cancel that one back out, when catcher Freddy Fermin singled in center fielder Jackson Merrill.

Merrill would also single in a run later, but the most encouraging part of this whole ordeal was getting Walker Buehler to throw four solid innings with one run allowed, before the bullpen took over and held Arizona scoreless the rest of the way. The Padres added two new starters at the trade deadline because they just didn’t have enough doing well enough beforehand; if Buehler can have some decent outings, in addition to adding Mize and Robbie Ray, then the next two months might be less tenuous than the first few.

Watch Out, Shohei

As said, the Guardians lost to the Mets to complete the sweep, but it was also a bad loss — Cleveland fell, 13-6, with New York putting another seven runs on the board across the seventh and eighth innings. The actual pitchers couldn’t get the job done for the Guardians, but don’t worry, catcher Austin Hedges was there to hold things down.

Hedges struck out Luis Robert Jr. on a 75 mph fastball, then retired the side in order in the ninth. Four up, four down — he now has 11 ⅓ innings on his résumé, with three strikeouts against two walks and, somehow, a league-average ERA.

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The best player in baseball — at least this season — has been Yordan Alvarez. 

The Houston superstar is dominating at the plate in a way that hasn’t been seen in over a decade. 

Can he pull off the batting Triple Crown in 2026?

Let’s take a look at the odds at DraftKings Sportsbook as of Aug. 7.

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ALVAREZ TO WIN AL TRIPLE CROWN

Yes: -155 (bet $10 to win $16.45 total)
No: +130 (bet $10 to win $23 total)

The rare batting Triple Crown is when a player leads their league in batting average, home runs and RBIs in the same season. 

The last time a player won the Triple Crown at the plate was back in 2012, when Miguel Cabrera did it with the Detroit Tigers. That year, he hit .330 and tacked on 44 home runs and 139 RBIs. 

He led the major leagues in the final two categories, but not in batting average. 

Prior to Cabrera, the last Triple Crown took place in 1967, with Boston’s Carl Yastrzemski, who went .326/44/121. 

Baltimore’s Frank Robinson did it in 1966 (.316/49/122) and the Yankees’ Mickey Mantle did it in 1956 (.353/52/130). 

Before that, there was a mixture of MLB and Negro League stars that accomplished the feat. 

Going back to Alvarez, he’s favored to win the Triple Crown this season. 

In the American League, he’s currently batting .329 (second is Yandy Diaz at .300), he has 35 home runs (second is Junior Caminero with 33) and he has 85 RBIs (second is Dillon Dingler with 78). 

Alvarez also has the most hits in the AL with 136. Diaz is second with 127. 

In terms of the pitching Triple Crown — leading the league in wins, ERA and strikeouts — it happens much more frequently. Detroit’s Tarik Skubal won it in the AL in 2024 and Atlanta’s Chris Sale won it in the NL the same season. 

A pitcher has won the Triple Crown 11 times dating back to 1997 and five times since 2011.

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The Dodgers managed to end their losing streak with a win over the Diamondbacks Saturday before dropping the series finale the very next day, Ithe previously surging Red Sox have lost a series for the first time since July 1, and the AL Central race looks like it’ll come down to the wire.

Most of the MLB divisions range from hotly contested to at least up for grabs, while the wild-card race in both leagues is open to practically anyone, to the point you have to wonder why some of the teams that sold at the deadline chose that over buying.

Here is where the postseason races stand with just under two months remaining in the MLB season.

JUMP TO:

AL: East | Central | West | Wild Card
NL: East | Central | West | Wild Card

The Rays extended their division lead to 5.5 games after sweeping the Mariners over the weekend. 

The Yankees split two extra-inning outings as they won two of three against the Braves  over the weekend. Max Fried continues to work back into the rotation alongside Gerrit Cole. However, New York remains without Aaron Judge (rib fracture) and Cody Bellinger, who is out four-to-six weeks with a hamstring strain.

The Red Sox saw their streak of nine consecutive series wins come to a halt over the weekend after dropping consecutive tight games to Oakland, leaving Boston 6.5 games behind Tampa Bay and 1.5 games behind the Yankees.

The White Sox remain in first place after taking two of three from Cleveland over the weekend. Chicago has weathered slugging rookie Munetaka Murakami’s extended injury absence while maintaining the fourth-best run differential in the AL.

Cleveland and Detroit sit tied for second place, 3.0 games behind Chicago, while Minnesota lurks 3.5 games back after dropping back-to-back 4-3 heartbreakers in Milwaukee.

Four teams are still fighting in this division with the post season lurking around the corner.

The Astros hold a slim 1.0-game lead in the AL West over the Rangers who fell 10-5 to Orioles on Sunday. Seattle dropped both weekend contests to Tampa Bay, falling 4.0 games behind Houston.

The most wide-open division in MLB might be the AL West, and that’s not just because the top three teams remain within four games of each other. The Rangers have been outscored by 28 runs on the year; the Astros have been outscored by 23. The Mariners carry a minus-15 run differential, but at least Seattle has allowed the fewest runs in the division (474).

This is anybody’s division in part because no one is stepping up to take it.

The Yankees and Red Sox occupy the top two AL Wild Card spots, while the Rangers hold a paper-thin margin for the third spot. Cleveland, Detroit, and Minnesota remain within 1.5 games of Texas, keeping the AL postseason picture wide open.

Boston’s winning ways of late helped erase much of the early damage to its season, helping bring it from a season-worst 14 games under .500 to 11 games over. Nothing is locked up yet for any of these clubs, however: the Rangers have the Twins right on their tails, and four more teams are within striking distance of Texas.

The AL is a mess, but in a way that will be fun these last two months.

Atlanta pulled a game back in the Bronx, capping the three game series with a 2-1 10-inning victory on Sunday to maintain an 8.5-game division cushion over Philadelphia. 

The Braves dropped two games to the Yankees after reaching 70 wins, however, Atlanta hold the largest division lead in MLB. Ronald Acuña Jr. continues to lead the lineup on offense and defense since returning in late July.

Acuña Jr. has five homers and a .520 slugging percentage since returning in late-July, two games before the start of that winning streak. Atlanta is 46-20 with Acuña in the lineup in 2026, and 25-27 without him. 

Philadelphia was just 12-19 at the end of April, but consecutive 18-win months pushed it back into the NL East race. July was less kind, but even so, the Phillies at least have the wild-card to fall back on.

The Brewers have been their typical steady selves, and have the most wins in MLB as well as the best run differential. 

Milwaukee has rotation depth, led by NL Cy Young frontrunner Jacob Misiorowski—who became the second-fastest pitcher in MLB history to reach 200 strikeouts in a season on Sunday, bringing his total to 204—and a lineup that has added rookies Cooper Pratt and Luis Lara to fill holes at short and in right. Milwaukee also picked up Dustin May at the deadline, and he picked up a deserved W in his Brewers’ debut.

The Cubs might have lost 10 games in a row in mid-May, but also won 10 games in a row on two occasions and have played better-than-.500 ball in their remaining games. Pete Crow-Armstrong has established himself as an MVP candidate after a slow start, and leads the majors in wins above replacement as he approaches a 30 homer, 30 stolen base season with Gold Glove defense in center.

The Diamondbacks might be pretty good. The Padres, if the players who were supposed to be hitting this whole time actually keep hitting, might be decent, too, and now they have Robbie Ray and Casey Mize in the rotation. None of that seems to matter to the Dodgers, though, as the Dodgers are still 7.5 games ahead despite losing eight of its last nine.

The Dodgers have the second-best run differential in the NL, and while losing Shohei Ohtani as a pitcher for an indeterminate length of time does add some questions, Los Angeles has already weathered the storm of Mookie Betts’ offense disappearing and injuries to the likes of Tommy Edman, as well as big offseason acquisition Kyle Tucker just being okay out there. Oh, and Tarik Skubal is here now.

This is a team much more than one minor crisis away from collapsing, but it should be pointed out that the crises are starting to pile up.

The Cubs have proved they can hang with the league’s best after a recent sweep of the Dodgers, and the Phillies, despite a recent slide, are as well as their success against the Nationals this week. 

The Diamondbacks are in the mix, but their lead is slim, with the Padres right there just 1.5 games out, and then the Marlins, Cardinals, Reds and Pirates all between 2.5 and 4.5 games back, with Pittsburgh the furthest back. The Pirates added Luke Weaver to fix their major bullpen woes, though, so they maybe aren’t as far back as that looks, either.

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New users on Kalshi can use promo code FOXSPORTS to unlock up to $500 in bonuses ahead of today’s MLB slate. Teams are turning their attention toward the playoff push, making every series increasingly important.

The Milwaukee Brewers and Minnesota Twins meet in an intriguing matchup between postseason contenders. The Chicago Cubs also take their recent hot stretch on the road against the Kansas City Royals, giving fans another matchup to watch as the weekend begins.

The Tampa Bay Rays and Seattle Mariners also square off in a pitching-heavy matchup featuring Logan Gilbert, who has already recorded 139 strikeouts this season.

The Houston Astros head to San Diego for a matchup with the Padres after seeing their six-game winning streak snapped. 

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Yankees vs. Braves

*Probability is subject to change*

New York Yankees	56%	56¢	45¢
Atlanta Braves	45%	45¢	56¢

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MLB Games Today

Matchup	Time (ET)	Probable Pitchers	Notable Game Detail
Toronto Blue Jays @ Philadelphia Phillies	6:40 PM	Yariel Rodríguez vs. Zack Wheeler	Zack Wheeler looks to stifle a Blue Jays lineup trying to establish a new rhythm after a quiet trade deadline.
New York Mets @ Pittsburgh Pirates	6:40 PM	Zac Thornton vs. Carmen Mlodzinski	This matchup marks a battle of young arms as both teams work to refresh their pitching depth for the August push.
Cincinnati Reds @ Washington Nationals	6:45 PM	Andrew Abbott vs. Cade Cavalli	Cade Cavalli makes a highly anticipated start for Washington against Cincinnati’s steady left-hander.
Atlanta Braves @ New York Yankees	7:05 PM	Tyler Mahle vs. Max Fried	Max Fried takes the mound for the Yankees in a star-studded, premier cross-league showdown.
Los Angeles Angels @ Miami Marlins	7:10 PM	Barrett Klassen vs. Tyler Phillips	Two teams focusing heavily on player development showcase their top young pitching prospects.
Oakland Athletics @ Boston Red Sox	7:10 PM	Blake Perkins vs. Payton Tolle	The blazing hot Red Sox look to extend their eight-game winning streak against the struggling Athletics.
Cleveland Guardians @ Chicago White Sox	7:40 PM	Christian Messick vs. Noah Schultz	Top pitching prospect Noah Schultz takes the hill for the White Sox to challenge a disciplined Cleveland offense.
Minnesota Twins @ Milwaukee Brewers	7:40 PM	Zane Matthews vs. Moran Drohan	A high-stakes, border-battle rivalry kicks off between two heavy-hitting postseason contenders.
Chicago Cubs @ Kansas City Royals	8:10 PM	Kevin Gausman vs. Daniel Lynch IV	Newly acquired ace Kevin Gausman makes his second start for the Cubs following their aggressive deadline moves.
Baltimore Orioles @ Texas Rangers	8:15 PM	Shane Baz vs. Nathan Eovaldi	The Orioles look to steady the ship on the road against veteran postseason hero Nathan Eovaldi.
Colorado Rockies @ St. Louis Cardinals	8:15 PM	Ryan Feltner vs. Kyle Leahy	The Cardinals look to spark another home-field offensive explosion following Alec Burleson’s recent multi-homer heroics.
Houston Astros @ San Diego Padres	9:40 PM	Ronel Blanco vs. Robbie Ray	Newly acquired left-hander Robbie Ray makes a high-profile start for San Diego against a dangerous Houston lineup.
Los Angeles Dodgers @ Arizona Diamondbacks	9:40 PM	Roki Sasaki vs. Merrill Kelly	Japanese sensation Roki Sasaki leads the league-leading Dodgers into a fierce NL West divisional battle.
Tampa Bay Rays @ Seattle Mariners	9:45 PM	Drew Rasmussen vs. Logan Gilbert	Seattle ace Logan Gilbert brings his elite strikeout numbers to a premier late-night pitching duel.
Detroit Tigers @ San Francisco Giants	10:15 PM	Keider Montero vs. Hayden Birdsong	Keider Montero leads a resilient Tigers rotation into San Francisco to close out the Friday night slate.

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New users on Betr can use promo code FOXSPORTS to claim up to $200 in bonuses plus a free pick while getting ready for a loaded MLB weekend. Friday’s slate features several streaking teams, marquee pitching matchups and important divisional races as the playoff picture continues to take shape.

The Atlanta Braves enter today’s matchup against the New York Yankees riding an impressive eight-game winning streak, with former Braves ace Max Fried taking the mound for New York. 

The Red Sox are also rolling, entering the weekend on an eight-game winning streak after a dramatic 13-inning walk-off win over the White Sox. The Red Sox now host an Athletics team that has lost seven straight.

In Philadelphia, the Phillies send Zack Wheeler (10-2, 2.49 ERA) to the mound against the Nationals, while the Astros travel to San Diego looking to rebound after Toronto snapped their six-game winning streak.

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Matchup	Time (ET)	Probable Pitchers	Notable Game Detail
Toronto Blue Jays @ Philadelphia Phillies	6:40 PM	Yariel Rodríguez vs. Zack Wheeler	Zack Wheeler looks to stifle a Blue Jays lineup trying to establish a new rhythm after a quiet trade deadline.
New York Mets @ Pittsburgh Pirates	6:40 PM	Zac Thornton vs. Carmen Mlodzinski	This matchup marks a battle of young arms as both teams work to refresh their pitching depth for the August push.
Cincinnati Reds @ Washington Nationals	6:45 PM	Andrew Abbott vs. Cade Cavalli	Cade Cavalli makes a highly anticipated start for Washington against Cincinnati’s steady left-hander.
Atlanta Braves @ New York Yankees	7:05 PM	Tyler Mahle vs. Max Fried	Max Fried takes the mound for the Yankees in a star-studded, premier cross-league showdown.
Los Angeles Angels @ Miami Marlins	7:10 PM	Barrett Klassen vs. Tyler Phillips	Two teams focusing heavily on player development showcase their top young pitching prospects.
Oakland Athletics @ Boston Red Sox	7:10 PM	Blake Perkins vs. Payton Tolle	The blazing hot Red Sox look to extend their eight-game winning streak against the struggling Athletics.
Cleveland Guardians @ Chicago White Sox	7:40 PM	Christian Messick vs. Noah Schultz	Top pitching prospect Noah Schultz takes the hill for the White Sox to challenge a disciplined Cleveland offense.
Minnesota Twins @ Milwaukee Brewers	7:40 PM	Zane Matthews vs. Moran Drohan	A high-stakes, border-battle rivalry kicks off between two heavy-hitting postseason contenders.
Chicago Cubs @ Kansas City Royals	8:10 PM	Kevin Gausman vs. Daniel Lynch IV	Newly acquired ace Kevin Gausman makes his second start for the Cubs following their aggressive deadline moves.
Baltimore Orioles @ Texas Rangers	8:15 PM	Shane Baz vs. Nathan Eovaldi	The Orioles look to steady the ship on the road against veteran postseason hero Nathan Eovaldi.
Colorado Rockies @ St. Louis Cardinals	8:15 PM	Ryan Feltner vs. Kyle Leahy	The Cardinals look to spark another home-field offensive explosion following Alec Burleson’s recent multi-homer heroics.
Houston Astros @ San Diego Padres	9:40 PM	Ronel Blanco vs. Robbie Ray	Newly acquired left-hander Robbie Ray makes a high-profile start for San Diego against a dangerous Houston lineup.
Los Angeles Dodgers @ Arizona Diamondbacks	9:40 PM	Roki Sasaki vs. Merrill Kelly	Japanese sensation Roki Sasaki leads the league-leading Dodgers into a fierce NL West divisional battle.
Tampa Bay Rays @ Seattle Mariners	9:45 PM	Drew Rasmussen vs. Logan Gilbert	Seattle ace Logan Gilbert brings his elite strikeout numbers to a premier late-night pitching duel.
Detroit Tigers @ San Francisco Giants	10:15 PM	Keider Montero vs. Hayden Birdsong	Keider Montero leads a resilient Tigers rotation into San Francisco to close out the Friday night slate.

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New users on Polymarket can enter promo code FOX to get a $20 bonus while trading on today’s MLB action. With the postseason races tightening and several intriguing weekend series beginning Friday, there are plenty of baseball markets to follow.

The Braves and Red Sox have both won eight straight games and are looking to extend their MLB’s leading win streaks. The Braves face the Yankees in the Bronx and the Red Sox face a struggling Athletics team.

Logan Gilbert takes the mound for the Mariners as they face the Rays. Gilbert has already recorded 139 strikeouts this season and is looking to add more against a good Rays team. The Blue Jays and Phillies meet in Philadelphia, while the Dodgers and Diamondbacks begin a key NL West set with Roki Sasaki on the mound in game one.

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Braves vs. Yankees

*Probability is subject to change*

New York Yankees	55%	55¢	46¢
Atlanta Braves	46%	46¢	55¢

More markets available on Polymarket.

MLB Games Today

Matchup	Time (ET)	Probable Pitchers	Notable Game Detail
Toronto Blue Jays @ Philadelphia Phillies	6:40 PM	Yariel Rodríguez vs. Zack Wheeler	Zack Wheeler looks to stifle a Blue Jays lineup trying to establish a new rhythm after a quiet trade deadline.
New York Mets @ Pittsburgh Pirates	6:40 PM	Zac Thornton vs. Carmen Mlodzinski	This matchup marks a battle of young arms as both teams work to refresh their pitching depth for the August push.
Cincinnati Reds @ Washington Nationals	6:45 PM	Andrew Abbott vs. Cade Cavalli	Cade Cavalli makes a highly anticipated start for Washington against Cincinnati’s steady left-hander.
Atlanta Braves @ New York Yankees	7:05 PM	Tyler Mahle vs. Max Fried	Max Fried takes the mound for the Yankees in a star-studded, premier cross-league showdown.
Los Angeles Angels @ Miami Marlins	7:10 PM	Barrett Klassen vs. Tyler Phillips	Two teams focusing heavily on player development showcase their top young pitching prospects.
Oakland Athletics @ Boston Red Sox	7:10 PM	Blake Perkins vs. Payton Tolle	The blazing hot Red Sox look to extend their eight-game winning streak against the struggling Athletics.
Cleveland Guardians @ Chicago White Sox	7:40 PM	Christian Messick vs. Noah Schultz	Top pitching prospect Noah Schultz takes the hill for the White Sox to challenge a disciplined Cleveland offense.
Minnesota Twins @ Milwaukee Brewers	7:40 PM	Zane Matthews vs. Moran Drohan	A high-stakes, border-battle rivalry kicks off between two heavy-hitting postseason contenders.
Chicago Cubs @ Kansas City Royals	8:10 PM	Kevin Gausman vs. Daniel Lynch IV	Newly acquired ace Kevin Gausman makes his second start for the Cubs following their aggressive deadline moves.
Baltimore Orioles @ Texas Rangers	8:15 PM	Shane Baz vs. Nathan Eovaldi	The Orioles look to steady the ship on the road against veteran postseason hero Nathan Eovaldi.
Colorado Rockies @ St. Louis Cardinals	8:15 PM	Ryan Feltner vs. Kyle Leahy	The Cardinals look to spark another home-field offensive explosion following Alec Burleson’s recent multi-homer heroics.
Houston Astros @ San Diego Padres	9:40 PM	Ronel Blanco vs. Robbie Ray	Newly acquired left-hander Robbie Ray makes a high-profile start for San Diego against a dangerous Houston lineup.
Los Angeles Dodgers @ Arizona Diamondbacks	9:40 PM	Roki Sasaki vs. Merrill Kelly	Japanese sensation Roki Sasaki leads the league-leading Dodgers into a fierce NL West divisional battle.
Tampa Bay Rays @ Seattle Mariners	9:45 PM	Drew Rasmussen vs. Logan Gilbert	Seattle ace Logan Gilbert brings his elite strikeout numbers to a premier late-night pitching duel.
Detroit Tigers @ San Francisco Giants	10:15 PM	Keider Montero vs. Hayden Birdsong	Keider Montero leads a resilient Tigers rotation into San Francisco to close out the Friday night slate.

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Put Stefon Diggs in the category of people who won’t be surprised if the Washington Commanders have a bounce-back season.

“They got talent. They got a lot of talent,” Diggs said about the Commanders on Friday afternoon after his first practice with the team. “[Dyami] Brown, he’s been to a couple teams. I see that he has a lot of potential; he’s made some plays. Terry [McLaurin], obviously, Trey Burks, he was in Tennessee. He’s been in the league for a little while, too. And then, you got the young guys, [third-round pick] Antonio Williams can hoop a little bit. He’s got some game, and, hopefully, I can be a piece in that process that can kind of build this team and lead this team in the right direction because, at the end of the day, I just want to win.

“Winning is the main thing for me. We had a lot of that last year [with the New England Patriots], and I kind of want that to just carry over, and all I bring is my experience and the things that I’ve done and my leadership.”

Safe to say Stefon Diggs sees plenty of potential in his new team

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Diggs, who was released by the Patriots in March, signed a one-year deal with the Commanders worth up to $12 million earlier in the week.

The partnership with the Commanders is a homecoming of sorts for Diggs, who grew up roughly 35 minutes north of Nortwest Stadium, the Commanders’ home stadium, in Gaithersburg and played college football for the Maryland Terrapins, whose campus is located roughly 15 minutes north of Washington’s home turf.

Coming off a 2024 campaign that saw Washington win a playoff game for the first time since 2005 and reach the NFC Championship Game for the first time since winning Super Bowl XXVI (1991 season), the Commanders went 5-12 in 2025. 

Washington’s offense was 24th in the NFL in passing yards (184.1 per game), tied for 22nd in points (20.9 per game), 22nd outright in total yards (318.8 per game) and fourth in rushing yards (134.7 per game). Moreover, quarterback Jayden Daniels, the 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year, was limited to seven games due to knee, hamstring and elbow injuries.

Stefon Diggs makes his arrival as a Washington Commander

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As for some of the Commanders’ offseason moves, they selected Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Sonny Styles with the No. 7 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft and signed linebackers Odafe Oweh (four-year, $100 million deal) and Leo Chenal (three-year, $24.75 million deal), defensive tackles Javon Kinlaw (three-year, $45 million deal) and Tim Settle (three-year, $24 million deal), cornerback Amik Robertson (two-year, $16 million deal) and tight end Chig Okonkwo (three-year, $27 million deal) in free agency, among other moves.

Regarding Diggs, the 2020 All-Pro led the Patriots in receptions (85) and receiving yards (1,013) last year in a season that saw them reach Super Bowl LX.

The Commanders are Diggs’ fourth team in as many years, as the Buffalo Bills traded the now-32-year-old receiver to the Houston Texans in 2024, and he signed with the Patriots after the 2024 season. Diggs spent the first five seasons of his NFL career with the Minnesota Vikings (2015-19) before being traded to the Bills, with whom he earned each of his four career Pro Bowl nods, in 2020.

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In the NFL, the bar is always rising. Each offseason, superstars reset the market, altering the salaries that the best players at each respective position expect to receive. 

Well, as we approach the start of the 2026 NFL season, deals are still being made that are setting the bar at positions around the league. Philadelphia Eagles star Jalen Carter and Cleveland Browns Pro Bowler Denzel Ward became the latest players to receive a record-setting contract. Carter agreed to a deal that made him the highest-paid defensive tackle in the league, while Ward agreed to an extension that made him the highest-paid cornerback in the league. 

Carter and Ward join an illustrious list of players to be the highest-paid player at their respective position. So, who does he join on the All-Highest-Paid-Player-Per-Position Team?  Here are the NFL’s highest-paid players at each position, per average annual value (AAV), via Spotrac:

Mahomes is the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL again. He usurped Dak Prescott for the honor after he signed a two-year extension in June, bringing the total value of his deal to $504.75 million. Prescott had been the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL for nearly two years before that, signing an extension in September 2024 that pays him $60 million per year. 

Two days after Bijan Robinson signed the wealthiest contract for a running back, Jahmyr Gibbs slightly topped it. Gibbs and the Detroit Lions agreed on a three-year, $75.8 million deal ($67.5 guaranteed) on Thursday. The Lions selected Gibbs with the 12th pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, and he’s appeared in 49 games over three seasons. 

Cincinnati Bengals star Ja’Marr Chase held the honor of being the highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history for roughly a year, thanks to a contract that paid him just north of $40 million per season. But Smith-Njigba’s memorable 2025 campaign helped him usurp Chase for that honor. Smith-Njigba has reportedly agreed to a four-year, $168.6 million extension with the Seahawks.

Smith-Njigba won Offensive Player of the Year in 2025, leading the league in receiving yards (1,793). His dominant regular season preceded Seattle’s run to a Super Bowl title, which saw Smith-Njigba put up a 153-yard performance in the NFC title game. 

A few days after the 2025 NFL Draft ended, Kittle agreed to a four-year, $76.4 million extension with the 49ers. His new deal is worth an average of $19.1 million, surpassing the contract Trey McBride ($19M AAV) signed with the Arizona Cardinals earlier in April of that year.

However, Kittle might be facing his toughest test yet following another injury-plagued season in 2025. He missed time due to a hamstring tear before tearing his Achilles in the playoffs.

Tunsil agreed to a two-year, $60.2 million extension at the start of the 2026 offseason that made him the highest-paid offensive tackle. The 31-year-old took that honor from Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs, who signed a five-year, $140.6 million extension in 2024.  

Tunsil has been one of the game’s top offensive tackles since he entered the league in 2016. He’s been named a Pro Bowler five times, and was graded as Pro Football Focus’ sixth-best offensive tackle in 2025. 

Skoronski became the highest-paid guard in the NFL in August when he agreed to a four-year, $100 million extension with the Titans. The Titans selected Skoronski with the 11th overall pick in 2023, and he’s started 48 games over the last three seasons. 

Linderbaum became the NFL’s highest-paid center in March after signing a three-year, $81 million deal to join the Las Vegas Raiders. He passed Chiefs center Creed Humphrey for the honor, as Humphrey signed a four-year, $72 million extension ($18 million AAV) in August 2024.

Carter became the NFL’s highest-paid tackle when he agreed to a four-year, $152 million extension with $106 million guaranteed. He received the contract after earning his second Pro Bowl nod in 2025 as he was also a key part of the Eagles’ Super Bowl team in 2024. Carter usurped Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones for the honor, as Jones is getting paid $31.75 million per year on a five-year, $158.75 million deal. 

Anderson only needed three seasons to earn a contract that made him the highest-paid edge rusher in the NFL. He signed a three-year, $150 million extension with the Texans, which included just over $100 million guaranteed. Packers star Micah Parsons was previously the highest-paid edge rusher, signing a four-year, $186 million extension ($46.5 million AAV) in August 2025.

Of the defensive positions, inside linebacker has the cheapest average annual value contract leader. Still, Warner is making a pretty penny. He reached a three-year, $63 million extension ($56 million guaranteed) when he re-signed with the 49ers in May 2025. Warner is one of the longest-tenured 49ers, having played seven seasons with the team since he was drafted in 2018. 

He is arguably the NFL’s best inside linebacker, and if not, he’s at least the most consistent. He had been named to three consecutive All-Pro teams before an injury cut his 2025 campaign short. Warner was also the engine of San Francisco’s defense during its run to Super Bowl LVIII. He had recorded at least 118 total tackles in each season of his career prior to his injury-shortened 2025 season. 

Ward became the other player to set the standard at his position on Tuesday. He agreed to a two-year, $62.2 million deal with the Browns, making him the league’s highest-paid cornerback. Prior to Tuesday, Trent McDuffie was the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL. He agreed to a four-year, $124 million extension with the Rams shortly after Los Angeles traded for him, giving him $31 million per year. 

In a good deal of contract maneuvering, James slightly beat out Ravens’ star Kyle Hamilton to become the NFL’s highest-paid safety. The Chargers’ star signed a three-year, $75.6 million extension in May after earning his sixth All-Pro nod in 2025.

There are two kickers who can claim to be the highest-paid player at the position. Both Aubrey and Boswell are making $7 million per year, as both players are also on a four-year, $28 million pact. Aubrey is receiving more guaranteed money, though, as his contract has $15 million guaranteed to Boswell’s $10.5 million guaranteed.

Stout was one of a few members of the Ravens’ organization to follow head coach John Harbaugh to the Giants, and he was paid handsomely for doing so. Stout received a three-year, $12.3 million deal at the onset of free agency this offseason. Stout was named first-team All-Pro in 2025, with his 44.9 average net yards per punt leading the league. 

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