It’s bowl season, which means we have a lot of football to watch between Dec. 13 and Jan. 19! Ohio State, Utah, Georgia Southern, Army, Texas A&M — and just about everyone in between — will take part in a total of 47 games that will ultimately conclude with the 2026 CFP National Championship.
NESN has you covered with previews for each and every game — with our next contest kicking things off for the 2026 College Football Playoff:
Matchup: Oklahoma Sooners vs. Alabama Crimson Tide
Date: Friday, Dec. 19, 2025
Kickoff: 8 p.m. ET
Stadium: Memorial Stadium — Norman, Okla.
TV: ESPN, ABC
The 2026 College Football Playoff kicks off with an outstanding matchup between No. 8 Oklahoma and No. 9 Alabama — the third ever rematch in the college football playoff.
Oklahoma boasts back-to-back victories over Alabama, including a 24-3 victory that knocked them out of the playoff hunt in 2024 and a 23-21 victory earlier in 2025.
It’s just the second season in which playoff games are played on campus, with all four home teams (Ohio State, Penn State, Texas, Notre Dame) taking home the victory in 2024.
Oklahoma Sooners
Conference: SEC
Head Coach: Brent Venables
Record: 10–2
Oklahoma might have been victorious in that matchup earlier this season, but these are two completely different teams this time around.
John Mateer hasn’t been the same since undergoing thumb surgery on Sept. 24, finishing with a 12-10 touchdown-to-interception ratio in 2025 after finishing with a 29-7 touchdown-to-interception ratio in 2024. The Sooners have essentially been winning despite his efforts, as their defense has allowed just 13.9 points per game (7th of 136).
Gentry Williams and Kendel Dolby were listed as out on the club’s availability report, however, so perhaps there are cracks starting to form.
Alabama Crimson Tide
Conference: SEC
Head Coach: Kalen DeBoer
Record: 10-3
Alabama did not look the part of a playoff team in their embarrassing 28-7 loss to Georgia in the 2025 SEC Championship Game.
The Crimson Tide didn’t exactly get stomped when they faced Oklahoma earlier this season, however…
Ty Simpson was able to throw the ball all over the place, with two ugly throws and one back-breaking interception really changing the perception of his performance once things turned out the way they turned out. The Crimson Tide will be without superstar pass-rusher LT Overton, but other than that, have gained health and some unfortunate — but helpful — experience in recent weeks.
Oklahoma
QB John Mateer
RB Xavier Robinson
WR Isaiah Sategna
WR Deion Burks
TE Jaren Kanak
DL R Mason Thomas
DL Taylor Wein
DB Eli Bowen
DB Peyton Bowen
Alabama
QB Ty Simpson
WR Germie Bernard
WR Ryan Williams
LB Deontae Lawson
LB Yhonzae Pierre
DB Bray Hubbard
Key Notes
Oklahoma has a surprisingly decent all-time record against Alabama (5-2-1).
The Crimson Tide were ranked No. 9 in the CFP Poll, but No. 11 in the AP Poll. The Sooners were ranked No. 8 in both.
Alabama hasn’t lost to the same opponent twice in the same season since 1893, when they lost twice to the Birmingham Athletic Club.
Betting Lines
DraftKings Sportsbook: Oklahoma -1.5 | O/U 39.5
FanDuel Sportsbook: Oklahoma -1.5 | O/U 40.5
BetMGM Sportsbook: Oklahoma -1.5 | O/U 40.5
The Pick: Alabama ML
It’s bowl season, which means we have a lot of football to watch between Dec. 13 and Jan. 19! Ohio State, Utah, Georgia Southern, Army, Texas A&M — and just about everyone in between — will take part in a total of 47 games that will ultimately conclude with the 2026 CFP National Championship.
NESN has you covered with previews for each and every game — with our next contest serving as one of the longest-running games on the schedule:
Matchup: Memphis Tigers vs. North Carolina State Wolfpack
Date: Friday, Dec. 19, 2025
Kickoff: 2:30 p.m. ET
Stadium: Raymond James Stadium — Tampa, Fla.
TV: ESPN
The Gasparilla Bowl has been a staple on the bowl game schedule since 2008, though it has undergone several name changes since its debut season — St. Petersburg Bowl (2008-2009; 2014-2016), Beef ‘O’Brady’s Bowl (2010-2013), Gasparilla Bowl (2017-2025).
Florida (2024), Georgia Tech (2023) and Wake Forest (2022) are the three most recent winners, with each cruising to double-digit victories. It’s time that we finally get a close one, though things do favor one side considerably.
Memphis Tigers
Conference: American
Head Coach: Reggie Howard (Interim)
Record: 8–4
Memphis once looked like a favorite to land in the 2026 College Football Playoff, though it dropped three consecutive games to close the season against Tulane, East Carolina and Navy.
Ryan Silverfield, the club’s head coach for each of the last six seasons, has led the program to four bowl game victories (2020 Montgomery Bowl, 2022 First Responder Bowl, 2023 Liberty Bowl, 2024 Frisco Bowl) but won’t be in attendance for this one as he moved on to take the head coaching job at Arkansas.
Tigers quarterback Brendon Lewis, running back Sutton Smith and wide receiver Cortez Braham are the stars for an offense that scored 34.6 points per game (19th of 136) — so there’s still plenty of talent to keep the club competitive.
NC State Wolfpack
Conference: ACC
Head Coach: Dave Doeren
Record: 7-5
NC State head coach Dave Doeren hasn’t been as successful in the postseason, entering this contest with losses in each of his last five bowl appearances — including one-score losses in 2021, 2022 and 2024.
CJ Bailey (2,884 passing yards, 28 total touchdowns) and Will Wilson (nine rushing touchdowns) combine as one of the most lethal quarterback duos we’ve seen over the last couple of decades, with their combined skillset making the Wolfpack one of the best red-zone offenses in the FBS in 2025.
Memphis
QB Brendon Lewis
RB Sutton Smith
RB Gregory Desrosiers
WR Cortez Braham
LB Sam Brumfield
LB DeMarco Ward
DB Kamari Wilson
NC State
QB CJ Bailey
QB Will Wilson
RB Daylan Smothers
TE Justin Joly
LB Caden Fordham
DB Devon Marshall
Key Notes
Memphis and NC State have never played each other.
Betting Lines
DraftKings Sportsbook: NC State -4.5 | O/U 58.5
FanDuel Sportsbook: NC State -4.5 | O/U 58.5
BetMGM Sportsbook: NC State -4.5 | O/U 58.5
The Pick: Under 58.5
It’s bowl season, which means we have a lot of football to watch between Dec. 13 and Jan. 19! Ohio State, Utah, Georgia Southern, Army, Texas A&M — and just about everyone in between — will take part in a total of 47 games that will ultimately conclude with the 2026 CFP National Championship.
NESN has you covered with previews for each and every game — with our next contest upping the stakes:
Matchup: Kennesaw State Owls vs. Western Michigan Broncos
Date: Friday, Dec. 19, 2025
Kickoff: 11 a.m. ET
Stadium: Brooks Stadium — Conway, S.C.
TV: ESPN
The Myrtle Beach Bowl is relatively new on the schedule, but it has built quite the reputation as it often pits conference champions against one another out of the Group of Five.
The Sun Belt Conference, Mid-Atlantic Conference and Conference USA essentially got together in order to give themselves a showcase game during bowl season, which is a great idea in theory but has often led to blowouts — including four-score victories for UTSA (2024) and Appalachian State (2020).
Kennesaw State Owls
Conference: Conference USA
Head Coach: Jerry Mack
Record: 10–3
Kennesaw State is coming off one of the most impressive single-season turnarounds in recent memory, following up their 2-10 finish in 2024 with an outstanding 10-3 finish in 2025 — just their second season in the FBS.
Jerry Mack, in just his first season as head coach, signed a six-year contract extension after leading the program to its first Conference USA title victory in 2025.
Owls quarterback Amari Odom leads the conference in completion percentage (66.8%) and has accounted for 2,385 passing yards and 18 touchdowns, while wide receiver Gabriel Benyard leads the conference with 898 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns.
Western Michigan Broncos
Conference: Mid-Atlantic
Head Coach: Lance Taylor
Record: 9-4
Western Michigan is as good defensively as anyone in the FBS.
Nadame Tucker leads the entire country in tackles for loss (21.0) and sacks (14.5), while James Camden, Sefa Saipaia, Tate Hallock, Jarvarius Sims, Micah Davis, Josh Franklin and Tucker all have more than 50 tackles and multiple tackles for loss/sacks on the season.
The Broncos have had 12 different players force turnovers in 2025, while the unit has given up just 18.2 points per game (14th of 136).
Kennesaw State
QB Amari Odom
RB Coleman Bennett
WR Gabriel Benyard
DL Elijah Hill
DL Tylon Dunlap
LB Baron Hopson
Western Michigan
QB Broc Lowry
RB Jalen Buckley
DL Nadame Tucker
DL Rodney McGraw
S Tate Hallock
Key Notes
Western Michigan is undefeated when allowing fewer than 23 points (9-0).
Kennesaw State lost just one game (Jacksonville State) after back-to-back losses at the beginning of the season to Wake Forest and No. 1 Indiana.
Betting Lines
DraftKings Sportsbook: Western Michigan -3.5 | O/U 48.5
FanDuel Sportsbook: Western Michigan -3.5 | O/U 48.5
BetMGM Sportsbook: Western Michigan -3.5 | O/U 48.5
The Pick: Under 48.5
The Pittsburgh Pirates have been more open to spending this offseason than in years past; or they’re at least making it seem like it for advertisement/brand enhancement reasons. After submitting a ceremonial offer to Kyle Schwarber earlier this offseason, the Pirates might be in line for another slugger who’s been loosely linked to the Boston Red Sox: Eugenio Suárez.
Suárez has been talked about by pundits as a Plan B or C for the Red Sox if they fail to land guys like Alex Bregman or Ketel Marte (via trade).
For the Pirates, Suárez would provide some much-needed power and swagger in the lineup. This is probably why Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer listed the Pirates and Suárez together during a recent “best fits” article.
“It was awfully tempting to tab the Red Sox as the best fit for Eugenio Suárez,” Rymer wrote. “Yet no team truly needs Suárez quite like the Pirates. He’s one of the top home run hitters in recent history, and they hit 31 fewer home runs than any other team this season.”
“The sheer power hostility of PNC Park is a complicating factor here, so the Pirates would have to make Suárez an offer worth his while. But they do seem eager to spend, to a point where they reportedly offered Kyle Schwarber a club-record deal. … There hasn’t been any noise about the Pirates making a run at Suárez, but he’s a more realistic option for them than Schwarber ever was.”
Suárez, 34, hit .228/ .298/ .526 in 2025 with 49 home runs. Suárez started the year with the Arizona Diamondbacks before a July 31 trade reunited him with the Seattle Mariners. He helped Seattle reach the postseason, where he added three homers in 12 playoff games.
Across his 12-year MLB career, which began with the Detroit Tigers in 2014 and included standout years with the Cincinnati Reds, Suárez has played 1,630 games, collected 1,434 hits, hit 325 home runs, and recorded 949 RBI with a .246 average. He remains one of baseball’s most reliable power threats.
The Patriots suffered a defeat against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, and former New England wide receiver Julian Edelman believes the Patriots have some ground to cover before reaching their full potential.
“I view it as there not there yet,” Edelman said Wednesday on “The Herd”. “Something we used to hear all the time can’t win until you keep from losing, and the second half was an example of that.”
The Patriots held a solid 24-7 lead over the Bills at halftime. However, Buffalo responded strongly, scoring 28 points in the second half while limiting New England to seven.
Buffalo is guided by seasoned quarterback Josh Allen, who has an impressive eight years of experience under his belt and knows how to come through in high-stakes games. At the same time, the Patriots’ young quarterback, Drake Maye is still learning how to win at the NFL level.
New England has plenty of time to grow and secure significant victories in the future. Still, the matchup against Buffalo looked like a young Patriots team trying to navigate a challenging NFL opponent.
As if the buzz surrounding the Boston Red Sox‘s potential infield lineup in 2026 isn’t already weird enough, a new trade target for Boston was proposed this week by Bleacher Report’s MLB writer Kerry Miller.
Miller named the Red Sox as one of nine landing spots that would make sense for All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams of the Washington Nationals.
“They could roll with Abrams at 2B with a (Kristian) Campbell/(Triston) Casas platoon at 1B, in which case the right side of the infield would be costing them a combined sum of less than $10M in 2026,” Miller wrote. “Combine that with how little the star-studded outfield is making and that’s how you justify ponying up the necessary dough to bring back (Alex) Bregman.”
Abrams is still very young at 25, but his All-Star campaign in 2024 for the National signaled stardom.
Last season for Washington, Abrams hit .257 with 19 home runs, 60 RBI and 31 stolen bases across 144 games. His .748 OPS reflected steady production at shortstop, bolstered by better defense and baserunning that pushed his fWAR to 3.1.
Since debuting in 2022 with the San Diego Padres and joining the Nationals via trade that year, Abrams has built a career line of .249 with 59 home runs, 210 RBI, and 116 stolen bases. He’s definitely a dynamic power-speed threat that would help any team.
There was reportedly some trade talk involving Abrams during the recent Winter Meetings in Orlando. The Nationals, under new leadership, are reportedly listening to offers and drawing strong interest in Abrams. Would the Red Sox truly get involved in such discussions? It feels doubtful.
The Boston Bruins added some more depth to their defensive unit on Tuesday.
Boston claimed 24-year-old defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok off waivers from the Dallas Stars. Kolyachonok had his first practice with the Bruins on Wednesday, and head coach Marco Sturm said the team added him as more depth.
“That’s why we kind of picked him up,” Sturm said on Wednesday. “We needed some extra help, we are running really thin right now, and didn’t want to get in trouble, getting one injury away.
“We felt like he will be a good addition to our D-group. (General manager Don Sweeney) and his staff were scouting him for the last little bit. Seems like a good kid.”
Kolyachonok has one goal and two assists in 11 games with the Stars. The left-shot defenseman will add depth to Boston’s blue line, but Sturm isn’t sure when he will make his Bruins’ debut.
“He has a little bit of everything, I feel like he has a little bit of offense, he can defend,” Sturm said. “I think he played some PK as well. We look at him as a depth guy, and hopefully he is going to get a chance, too, I don’t know when.”
Kolyachonok, meanwhile, is just excited to be with Boston and will play whatever role is asked of him.
“Whatever they tell me to do, I am going to do it,” Kolyachonok said.
The Bruins will return to the ice on Thursday at home against the Edmonton Oilers.
The Patriots suffered a defeat against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, but their chances of securing the AFC East title remain promising.
New England still has three regular season games remaining, playing the Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets and Miami Dolphins.
Brad Gagnon from Bleacher Report outlined the Patriots’ ideal scenario for the remainder of the regular season.
“Beat the Ravens on the road in Week 16 to show some much-needed resiliency, then clinch the AFC East title by taking care of the division-rival Jets and/or Dolphins to close out the regular season,” Gagnon wrote on Wednesday.
The Patriots can secure a playoff spot with a win or a tie against the Ravens this Sunday. However, New England will need to wait for the outcome of the last two weeks, which will be determined by division opponents, to see if it can clinch the AFC East title.
New England currently has an 11-3 record, while Buffalo is at 10-4. If the Patriots win their remaining games, they will secure the AFC East title. However, after losing to Buffalo in Week 15, they lost the head-to-head tiebreaker, as the Patriots and Bills split their matchups this season.
The next tiebreaker is based on wins against division opponents. The Patriots have a 3-1 record, while the Bills are 3-2 following their loss to the Dolphins.
Even if the Patriots lose to the Ravens but defeat the Jets and Dolphins, New England will still claim the AFC East title, even if the Bills win all their remaining games.
It’s NBA trade season! The deadline is exactly 50 days away, and the Boston Celtics may or may not be involved in a big way, according to Brad Stevens.
On Wednesday, Bleacher Report’s NBA writer Dan Favale labeled the Celtics as sellers heading into deadline festivities. You can’t fault Favale’s take in that respect, with Stevens having been in a selling mindset dating back to the offseason.
With that in mind, if the Celtics did choose to trade someone, who are their top three trade assets right now? Favale identified these three players: Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, and Jordan Walsh.
Interestingly, neither Anfernee Simons nor Sam Hauser were included in Favale’s write-up, despite both of those guys being many pundits’ main trade chips for Boston for most of the season.
“Derrick White remains the hottest asset Boston employs if it’s looking to load up the draft cupboard while knifing into operating costs,” Favale wrote. “The Celtics should be able to get multiple first-rounders if they’re willing to move him.”
“Pritchard is under contract through 2027-28 and will never earn even five percent of the salary cap,” Favale continued. “His meld of shooting, ball-handling, rebounding at his position and defensive effort is worth first-round equity as well. Sam Hauser slips from the third and final spot thanks to some blasé shooting and a smaller role than expected. Walsh offers far more curb appeal as someone who is hustling his way to made threes and rebounds and can defend most positions on the floor.”
The 15-11 Celtics will resume their season on Friday night when they host the Miami Heat at TD Garden.
The New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens are hurting entering their matchup on Sunday, with several starters on both sides missing practice Wednesday.
Carlton Davis III (hip), Christian Elliss (illness), Marcus Jones (knee), Harold Landry III (knee) and Robert Spillane (ankle) all missed practice in Foxboro, Mass.
Spillane is still nursing an injury he seemingly sufferend last week during practice, which kept him sidelined for last Sunday’s loss to the Buffalo Bills. Davis also missed time during that contest, though he did return. Landry has been in and out of practices for several weeks.
Lamar Jackson (illness), Chidobe Awuzie (foot), Teddye Buchanan (knee), Roquan Smith (knee), Ronnie Stanley (knee/ankle) and Kyle Van Noy (quad) missed the session in Owings Mills, Md.
“Lamar has an illness, he was kept home with a flu deal,” Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said when asked about his starting quarterback on Wednesday. “It’s kind of a rest thing.”
New England and Baltimore’s full injury reports are listed below:
DID NOT PARTICIPATE
CB Carlton Davis III (Hip)
LB Christian Elliss (Illness)
CB Marcus Jones (Knee)
LB Harold Landry III (Knee)
LB Robert Spillane (Ankle)
LIMITED PARTICIPATION
DT Christian Barmore (Not Injury Related/Other)
DID NOT PARTICIPATE
CB Chidobe Awuzie (Foot)
LB Teddye Buchanan (Knee)
QB Lamar Jackson (Illness)
LB Roquan Smith (Knee)
T Ronnie Stanley (Knee/Ankle)
OLB Kyle Van Noy (Quad)
LIMITED PARTICIPATION
LB Jay Higgins IV (Knee)
S Keondre Jackson (Ankle)
FULL PARTICIPATION
WR Rashod Bateman (Ankle)
DT C.J. Okoye (Quad)
The Boston Red Sox have had an interesting offseason so far. While they’ve upgraded their rotation by trading for Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo, their lineup remains incomplete, especially with Alex Bregman still unsigned.
They’ve made several trades, but the Red Sox have not made any moves in free agency. They and the Colorado Rockies are the only teams that have yet to sign a Major League free agent this winter.
Accordingly, they appear to be falling behind in the AL East. The Baltimore Orioles now have one of the best lineups in baseball after trading for Taylor Ward and signing Pete Alonso. Meanwhile, the Toronto Blue Jays bolstered their rotation by signing Dylan Cease.
On Tuesday, MLB Network’s Dan Plesac made an alarming prediction for where Boston will finish in the standings next year.
Plesac has the Red Sox finishing last in the AL East in 2026 after finishing third this year, believing the Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays will pass them and the Blue Jays will finish first again.
Based on the current state of Boston’s roster, Plesac’s prediction isn’t unreasonable. While the Red Sox have good pitching depth, their lineup has major holes in it without Bregman and Rafael Devers.
In Boston’s defense, its offseason remains a work in progress. The Red Sox could still bring Bregman back and add another bat, either via trade or free agency. If they do that, their roster will look considerably stronger.
Boston still has work to do, but there’s plenty of time to do it.
Robert Spillane’s injury is causing some roster shuffling at One Patriot Place.
The New England Patriots announced they signed linebacker Amari Gainer to the practice squad on Wednesday, following up their active roster addition of linebacker Chad Muma on Tuesday.
Gainer, 25, originally entered the league as an undrafted free agent with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2024, spending the entire season on their active roster before being released prior to the start of 2025. Gainer, who stands at 6-foot-3 and weighs 240 pounds, played five seasons at Florida State (2018-22) before finishing his career at North Carolina (2023).
Muma, 26, didn’t work out after being selected in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Colts claimed him off waivers following final roster cuts earlier this season, before eventually cutting him themselves and re-signing him to the practice squad — doing their best to keep the incredible athlete (9.77 Relative Athletic Score) who has done well to establish himself as a key contributor on special teams.
Spillane, on the other hand, was seen wearing a boot in the locker room and missed practice on Wednesday, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss. Jahlani Tavai, Jack Gibbens and Christian Elliss were the primary off-ball options during Sunday’s loss to the Buffalo Bills.
The NBA Trade Deadline isn’t until Feb. 5, so teams still have plenty of time to prepare and evaluate their rosters before then.
That includes the Boston Celtics, who have emerged as surprise contenders in the Eastern Conference this year in Jayson Tatum’s absence. As of Wednesday, they’re fifth in the East at 15-11 and own the sixth-best net rating in the NBA.
While a lot could change between now and early February, the Celtics appear poised to contend for a playoff spot this season, especially with Tatum expected back at some point. Accordingly, they may be buyers at the deadline rather than sellers, which would be a surprising twist.
On Wednesday, Boston GM Brad Stevens shared his thoughts on the trade deadline and his potential approach to it.
“We will not put a ceiling on this group. If it makes sense for us to look for things that can help us, we certainly will, but it all has to be within good deals,” Stevens told reporters.
It’s encouraging to hear that the Celtics are open to being aggressive and making upgrades if the situation calls for it. After shedding a lot of talent over the offseason, they may be willing to add some at the deadline if it makes sense to do so.
Stevens acknowledged that Boston is still a work in progress, just like every other team in the NBA. The young Celtics have shown flashes of potential with their surprising start, so they could be even better with another established veteran or two in the mix, especially a big man.
Boston could desperately use some size in the frontcourt, so perhaps Stevens will attempt to address that before the deadline.
Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens met with reporters on Wednesday and fielded questions on a variety of topics. The most intriguing area of discussion was Jayson Tatum.
When asked to estimate a timeline for Tatum’s return to the court, Stevens didn’t offer one.
“We’re not putting a timeline on it, as we haven’t the whole time,” Stevens said, per CLNS Media. “He’s not gonna be back until he’s 110 percent healthy, and he feels good about it.”
“Obviously, he’s itching to play,” Stevens added. “Obviously, he hates watching … but we’ve had a lot of great talks about it … one of the things (I) love about this whole group … is they love to play.”
Tatum’s durability before his Achilles injury on May 12 was among the very best in the NBA as far as superstars are concerned. The Celtics have not one, but two durable superstars, considering the fact that Jaylen Brown has also been incredibly available throughout his career.
Say what you want about the NBA’s “load management era”, the Celtics’ two franchise cornerstones have simply never participated in it, and that’s something to admire.
Tatum’s current situation is obviously a totally different situation. He’s now seven-plus months removed from the injury, which has traditionally been a little over halfway through the rehab process for an Achilles tear.
Times are a’changin’ in modern sports medicine, though, and nowadays, NBA guys like Miami Heat’s Dru Smith have shown that you can come back from an Achilles after 10 or 11 months.
Much has been made about the fact that Tatum had surgery within hours of his injury, seeing as he was already in New York City, where his surgeon, Dr. Martin O’Malley, was readily available. The swiftness of JT’s operation and his relentless rehab regimen has put him in as good a position as possible to return in 2025-26.
Even so, it’s still best to exercise caution. This is why you hear Stevens talking the way he does, and why Stevens and the rest of the Celtics’ leadership has always maintained that there is absolutely no timeline for a Tatum return.
The long-term health of Tatum is too important to risk, and the fact that the Celtics have been playing winning basketball without JT should only reinforce the idea that he should take his time coming back and guarantee way beyond a reasonable doubt that he’s fully recovered, and then some.
Cody Bellinger is perceived as the second-most valuable outfielder on the free agent market, and it’s a tad surprising he hasn’t been scooped up yet.
Some people think that Bellinger’s agent, Scott Boras, is waiting for Kyle Tucker to get signed, so that he can use Tucker’s dollar figure as leverage or a guide in crafting his own negotiation tactics with teams interested in Bellinger.
Bellinger had a really good year with the New York Yankees last season, and Yanks GM Brian Cashman has been saying all offseason long that he wants to bring Bellinger back. The Yankees reportedly even prefer Belli over the younger and widely-rated better player in Tucker.
The Athletic’s Jim Bowden just dropped an update on Bellinger, which won’t necessarily make Yankees fans feel any better about Cody’s potential return.
“The market for Cody Bellinger is robust with the most likely result that he signs with a big market, contending team as expected,” Bowden wrote on Wednesday afternoon. Bowden also said that the Yankees, Mets, and Dodgers are the most likely landing spots for Bellinger, in that order.
Playing in 152 games in 2025, Belli hit .272 with 29 home runs, 98 RBIs, a .334 on-base percentage, and .480 slugging percentage, providing power, defense, and versatility in the outfield and at first base.
Across his nine-year MLB career spanning 1,157 games, Bellinger holds a .261 batting average, 225 home runs, 695 RBIs, and .817 OPS. He debuted with the Los Angeles Dodgers, earning National League Rookie of the Year in 2017 and MVP in 2019, plus a Gold Glove and two Silver Sluggers. After a dip in production, he rebounded with the Chicago Cubs before a trade to the Yankees.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes sustained a torn ACL in Kansas City’s 16-13 defeat to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.
Mahomes will miss the remainder of the season, and following this loss, the Chiefs have officially been eliminated from playoff contention.
The Patriots won’t have to go through Kansas City to make the Super Bowl, but the Chiefs can still impact New England’s playoff path.
Currently, the Patriots are sitting in the No. 2 spot in the AFC, behind the Broncos. Denver has a 12-2 record while New England has an 11-3 record.
The Broncos have three games left against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Chiefs and the Chargers.
Although the Jaguars and Chargers are both currently playoff contenders, the Broncos will face them in Denver, a tough venue.
However, the Broncos will face the Chiefs in Kansas City, a game that could have easily slipped away from them if Mahomes had been healthy.
With Mahomes injured, Denver could easily win the game, which is essential to playoff seeding.
After the Patriots fell to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, New England will need to win all its remaining games and hope the Broncos lose two to secure the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
Denver could still face a tough challenge against the Chiefs, but with Mahomes sidelined and Gardner Minshew set to start, it should be easier for Denver to come away with the win.
Securing the No. 1 seed in the AFC is crucial, as the team will have a bye in the first round of the postseason and home-field advantage throughout.
New England could undoubtedly benefit from a bye and home-field advantage throughout the postseason, especially with a young team.
Mahomes’ injury now has a significant impact on where the Broncos could end up seeded in the AFC, potentially hurting the Patriots’ chances of winning the conference.
At the start of November, Boston Red Sox fans were envisioning a pretty basic offseason blueprint. Re-sign Alex Bregman. Snag another impact starter. Go out and maybe get another bat in addition to Bregman (Kyle Schwarber? Pete Alonso?).
The reality of the last six weeks has been much different for the Red Sox. No one saw a Sonny Gray trade coming, for one. Schwarber and Alonso are no longer available. Bregman remains dangerously unsigned.
Suddenly, it feels like the Red Sox’s quest to sign another infield bat is a game of musical chairs. If Bregman doesn’t work out, pivot to Ketel Marte. Keep an eye on Kazuma Okamoto (with an offer ready). If everything fails, call up Nick Castellanos and see if he still has a third baseman’s glove.
Then there’s Bo Bichette to consider. Six weeks ago, no one was really thinking about the possibility of Bichette in a Red Sox uniform. It seemed like a foregone conclusion that Bichette would return to the Toronto Blue Jays.
But the Blue Jays have been spending like crazy, and still haven’t paid Bichette. Word on the street is that they might throw $400 million at Kyle Tucker before paying Bichette, too, which would really leave Bo up for grabs.
If Bregman was already enjoying his new Red Sox deal, we wouldn’t even be having a Red Sox-Bichette discussion. But since that hasn’t happened, every day that passes seems to lend further credence to the idea of Bichette launching bombs over the Green Monster.
While Bo’s an inferior fielder to Bregman by a significant margin, he’s arguably a more talented hitter, and he’s four years younger. This is what has a certain sector of Red Sox fans whispering about Bichette.
Well-known pundits aren’t just whispering about it. Bichette-Red Sox stuff has been everywhere, most recently in Jim Bowden’s column for The Athletic that went live on Wednesday. In identifying Bichette’s three updated landing spots in free agency, Bowden listed the Red Sox, Giants, and incumbent Blue Jays.
“Bichette is only 27 and can play second base, shortstop or third base,” Bowden wrote. “He’s led the AL in hits twice already and is a really focused, hard-working player who would become an instant fan favorite in Boston. Fenway Park’s unusual dimensions — with the Green Monster in left and the short porch in right — would benefit Bichette, who uses the whole field well. The Red Sox could make him their everyday third or second baseman.”
“If the Blue Jays don’t sign Kyle Tucker, it is likely Bichette will return to Toronto (assuming he hasn’t signed by the time Tucker does),” Bowden added. “I also think he’d be a huge get for the Giants.”
Time will tell how this is all going to shake out. But Bichette landing in Boston is absolutely not the worst outcome that Red Sox fans can imagine for this offseason, especially not after a surprising and mysterious month-and-a-half.
The New England Patriots may have lost to the Buffalo Bills in Week 15, but it wasn’t because of rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson. The former Ohio State Buckeyes star put together another dominant outing for the Pats, and in the process, he further solidified his chances of winning one of the NFL’s major end-of-season awards.
A second-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Henderson got off to a bit of a slow start this season, but he’s taken his game to another level over the past five games. During that stretch, Henderson has racked up 490 rushing yards and five touchdowns, in addition to 14 receptions for 81 yards and another score.
Henderson has quickly proven himself to be one of the most explosive offensive playmakers in the NFL, and it could earn him quite a prestigious accolade. If you ask NFL insider Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, he believes that Henderson has emerged as the frontrunner for the 2025 Offensive Rookie of the Year Award.
“Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson is a prime candidate to become the seventh Buckeyes player to earn an offensive or defensive ROY award since 2016,” Fowler wrote. “Henderson is tilting the odds in his favor after rushing for 490 yards and six touchdowns over the past five games.”
Without a clear leader in this race, Henderson’s late surge could be enough for him to take home this award. His role only seems to be expanding, too, so if he continues to rip off big plays over the team’s final three games, he could make the race for this award a wash.
At the end of the day, though, Henderson likely is more concerned about winning football games with the Patriots than taking home individual accolades. New England will look to get back in the win column in Week 16 when it takes on the Baltimore Ravens.
The Boston Bruins bounced back from an ugly 6-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Sunday to pick up a 4-1 victory over the Utah Mammoth on Tuesday night. Several players starred for the B’s in this one, but Charlie McAvoy made sure to give out some special praise to one unsung hero from this game afterwards.
Morgan Geekie got back on the scoresheet for the B’s after a recent dry spell, scoring the team’s first two goals to help them take control of the game. Casey Mittelstadt and Mikey Eyssimont each scored in the third period to help prevent Utah from finding its way back into this game.
While Geekie may seem like the popular pick for the Bruins’ title belt that gets passed around the locker room after wins, McAvoy opted to single out someone else instead. That player was Eyssimont, who McAvoy praised for finding a way to contribute whenever he’s on the ice.
“Special teams, great job, big goals. Geeks, strongest bottom hand in the league. But this is going to a guy, it’s not easy coming out and coming back in, but it takes everybody on a good team, so Mikey (gets the belt),” McAvoy said to the team after the game in the locker room.
In his first season with Boston, Eyssimont has turned himself into a reliable bottom-six contributor. In 32 games, Eyssimont has six goals and eight assists, which have played a big role in helping the B’s exceed expectations early on this season.
The Bruins’ ability to get the most out of all of their players is a big reason why they have raced out to a 20-14-0 record through 34 games. The team will look to continue its winning ways when it takes on the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night.
The New York Mets weren’t done poaching relief pitching from the New York Yankees when they inked Devin Williams to a new deal on December 3.
On Wednesday, reports from various sources flooded X indicating that the Mets are now finalizing a two-year, $22 million deal with former Yankees right-hander Luke Weaver.
In 2025, Weaver appeared in 64 games for the Yankees, logging 64 2/3 innings with a 3.62 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and 72 strikeouts. A late-May hamstring strain disrupted his campaign, leading to uneven results upon return, though he recorded eight saves in a setup role.
Weaver’s best work with the Yankees came in 2024, when his stellar relief work helped launch New York on a postseason run that ended with a World Series loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman turned heads during Winter Meetings when he basically revealed that New York was moving on from Weaver before Weaver had signed anywhere else. However, newer reports this week from The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner indicated that the Yankees were actually still interested in bringing Luke back.
That won’t be happening. Weaver is now a Met.
Drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2014, Weaver has built a nine-year MLB career across multiple teams. Debuting in 2016, he spent early seasons as a starter with the Cardinals, Diamondbacks, and others. Injuries and inconsistency marked his starting years, but a shift to relief revived his career.
There was some talk surrounding Weaver that he might be returning to a starting role with a new team in 2026, but Kirschner’s reporting suggested that any and all suitors for Weaver were only interested in him continuing as a reliever.
It sounds like Weaver and Devin Williams will be a big part of the Mets’ bullpen in 2026, which will certainly be a weird sight for Yankees fans.
The Boston Red Sox are beginning to fall behind the pack when it comes to their offseason work, but the good news is that there are still several big-name targets out there for the team to land. One guy who the team has continually been linked to on the trade market lately is Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte.
Not only is Marte a big bat who can help fill in the Red Sox’s lineup, but he also can help shore up the team’s middle infield, as they struggled to get much production from the second base position last season. In 2025, the switch-hitting Marte hit .283 while smacking 28 home runs and driving in 72 runs.
While the Diamondbacks are listening to trade offers for Marte, they don’t appear to be in a rush to trade him. With that in mind, a recent report indicates that despite Boston’s interest, it isn’t close to meeting Arizona’s asking price for the three-time All-Star.
“According to sources, the Red Sox are (as the moment these words are being written) not coming close to prying the second baseman away from Arizona,” Rob Bradford of WEEI reported.
Trade talks can heat up in a heartbeat, but it’s a bit worrisome to see that the Red Sox could be on the verge of missing out on another one of their top targets. If Boston can’t either re-sign Alex Bregman or trade for Marte, it could be in serious trouble come next season.
With guys like Kyle Schwarber and Pete Alonso already off the market, the Sox need to act with a greater sense of urgency if they want to take the next step forward in their quest to become a World Series contender. Whether or not they will be able to do that, though, remains to be seen.