January 2026

There were 1,518 posts published in January 2026 (this is page 135 of 152).

Bo Bichette to Philly? Making a case to sign the former All-Star

Bo Bichette to Philly? Making a case to sign the former All-Star originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Right-handed hitting could remain a clear priority for the Phillies, even as the calendar turns to January.

On Saturday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that the Phillies have an interest in infielder Bo Bichette, adding them to a growing list of teams linked to the 27-year-old free agent.

The appeal is straightforward. Bichette hits right-handed, brings lineup balance and, importantly, has shown a willingness to move off shortstop — a flexibility that could make a fit in Philadelphia possible.

Bichette’s market is not a simple one. Productive position players under 30 rarely linger in free agency, but injuries and defensive questions over the past two seasons have complicated his value, even as his career offensive numbers remain strong.

A familiar profile

Bichette’s offensive resumé closely mirrors that of Trea Turner, one of Dave Dombrowski’s largest free-agent commitments in his time with Philadelphia.

Across four full seasons (minimum 120 games) prior to free agency, Turner had hit .298/.353/.476 (.829 OPS). Under the same criteria, Bichette posted a nearly identical .301/.343/.478 line (.821 OPS). Over that span, the two were separated by just 12 hits and 13 at-bats.

Both led the league in hits twice and earned two All-Star selections before hitting the open market.

Turner ultimately commanded an 11-year, $300 million deal before the 2023 season, driven largely by his speed. Bichette does not offer that same element, and his defense is a significant question mark.

In 2025, Bichette recorded minus-13 Outs Above Average at shortstop, placing him in the lowest percentile league-wide, according to Statcast. Turner also struggled defensively in his career, but is coming off a phenomenal year with the glove. For Bichette, a move off shortstop would be a guarantee in any agreement.

Making room for Bo

Until this postseason, Bichette had played exclusively at shortstop, logging 6,184 career innings at the position. A left knee sprain sidelined him late in September, but he returned for the World Series and made a smooth transition to second base, committing no errors.

There is risk in projecting him at second or third long-term, but the bat could justify it.

If the Phillies explored moving an infielder, Alec Bohm stands out. The 29-year-old third baseman is set to reach free agency next offseason, and Bichette would represent an offensive upgrade with a similar contact-oriented approach.

A Bryson Stott trade would be a different calculation. Stott remains under control through 2028 and has experience at shortstop, but moving him could help facilitate a deal for a catcher if the Phillies are unable to re-sign J.T. Realmuto.

From a lineup perspective, Turner and Bichette separating sluggers Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper is an easy fit on paper.

Beyond the peripherals

Bichette’s offensive profile is atypical, in a good way.

He sprays the ball to all fields. For his career, he has pulled 28.2 percent of batted balls, gone straightaway 37.1 percent of the time and used the opposite field on 34.7 percent — roughly nine points below league average in pull rate and more than nine points above average to the opposite field.

Primarily a fastball hitter, Bichette was productive against all pitch types in 2025. He hit .308 against fastballs and posted a career-high .313 average with 67 hits against breaking pitches.

His most damage came against offspeed offerings, mostly changeups, where he hit .319 with 10 extra-base hits and a .609 slugging percentage, despite seeing the pitch just 10.4 percent of the time.

Bichette is also comfortable expanding the zone.

The Phillies ranked third in MLB last season in out-of-zone swing rate at 30.7 percent, while Bichette owns a career mark of 35.7 percent (per FanGraphs). While that approach carries risk, it has not hindered his production.

In 2025, he posted an 18.4 percent swing-and-miss rate, ranking in the 83rd percentile, and has made contact on 89.3 percent of in-zone swings over his career.

It’s an aggressive profile, but one that has consistently worked.

What would it cost?

Projecting Bichette’s contract is tricky because of his positional uncertainty.

The situation draws parallels to Marcus Semien prior to the 2022 season. Semien had spent most of his career at shortstop before shifting primarily to second base in 2021, when he slugged 45 home runs for Toronto. Despite a crowded shortstop market that offseason, Semien still secured a seven-year, $175 million deal with Texas, effectively receiving shortstop-level money to play second base.

This offseason features a thin free-agent infielder class. With limited supply, Bichette remains positioned to command a strong market, even this late into the winter.

A deal in the range of six years and $180 million is plausible, particularly if the Phillies structure it to manage luxury tax penalties in the front-half. That could require moving Bohm’s projected $10.25 million arbitration salary, similar to how the club handled Matt Strahm.

Such a move could also complicate a Realmuto reunion, pushing the Phillies toward younger, controllable catching options.

Whether Dombrowski is willing to reshuffle the roster to that degree remains an open question. But Bichette represents the type of offensive addition that could meaningfully change a lineup that has reached the postseason four straight years without a title.

A connection worth noting

There is also a familiar thread.

“When you talk about calm, he’s about as calm as it gets,” Bichette told Sportsnet ahead of Game 6 of the World Series, referring to Don Mattingly, the Phillies’ new bench coach.

Bichette and Mattingly built a strong relationship in Toronto, one that was visible even after the Blue Jays’ Game 7 loss to Los Angeles. That connection alone would not drive a signing, but it is part of the backdrop.

For a Phillies team searching for lineup balance and another dependable right-handed bat, Bichette checks a lot of boxes — if they’re willing to make another splash.

CES 2026: You Can Finally Use XREAL’s AR Glasses With the Nintendo Switch 2

At CES 2026, I was able to play the Nintendo Switch 2 in AR. That’s something I hadn’t done before, and that’s because until now, only one company had an AR dock that worked with Nintendo’s latest console, which doesn’t like to play nice with AR glasses plugged directly into it. Viture’s solution is fine, if a bit bulky, but Lifehacker has long praised the AR glasses from competitor XREAL, and finally, you can use XREAL glasses with the Nintendo Switch 2.

Previously, XREAL did have an accessory that allowed for gameplay on the original Nintendo Switch, but it’s since been discontinued, and even if you buy it secondhand, it won’t work with the Switch 2. Now, the XREAL NEO changes that.

Coming in smaller than Viture’s dock, the NEO is basically a combination portable battery bank and AR adapter that allows you to use your XREAL glasses while powering them and charging/converting whatever device you’re displaying at the same time. It’s got a 10,000 mAh capacity and a 20W output on its own—enough for fast charging—but you can also plug it into a wall while using it, which will allow your devices to charge at 65W+. That should be especially handy if you’re primarily using the Neo as an adapter, and yes, it will allow your glasses to display the original Switch as well, not just the Switch 2. XREAL also notes that you can use the Neo on other handhelds like the Steam Deck, although it’s a bit less necessary there, as the Steam Deck can output video to XREAL glasses directly.


Credit: XREAL

In a confusing move, the Neo also has a magnetic ring to attach directly to your device, but it can’t charge wirelessly. It seems the magnet is more there for easy storage, and so you can use a flip-out kickstand on the back of the Neo to prop your device up.

Using the Neo with the Switch 2, it worked like a dream. The console immediately swapped over to docked mode and started playing on a connected pair of XREAL glasses like it was on a television, which gave me a virtual 171-inch screen and graphics outputting at 1200p. Oh, and those graphics? They were in 3D.

The XREAL 1S converts 2D video to 3D

That’s because, alongside the Neo, I got to test out the new XREAL 1S AR glasses. These bump the resolution up to 1200p, and increase the FOV from the base XREAL One’s 50 degrees to 52 degrees. Refresh rate is still 120Hz, but the glasses are brighter (at 700 nits) and the aspect ratio is larger, at 16:10. Most importantly, these come with the ability to add 3D depth to 2D imagery out of the box.


Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt

I tried it out with Mario Kart World, and if you told me the game was designed with this 3D natively, I would have believed you. It was flawless, just the right amount of subtle, and I never saw any telltale blur around the characters. According to XREAL, though, the 2D-to-3D conversion is happening entirely within the glasses using the onboard spatial chip and AI.

This has the benefit of working with any content you plug into the XREAL 1S, although XREAL did warn me the effect might not come across as well for flat content as opposed to content using CGI. For instance, the AI just didn’t know what to do with the original Super Mario Bros. for NES, leading to some elements getting depth and others being ignored.

Still, you can turn the effect off in those cases, and I could see it being really handy if you’re a big fan of 3D movies, since it can be kind of hard to find them on streaming. Now, you can turn any movie 3D, even if your mileage may vary from flick to flick.

The best part of the XREAL 1S, though? Despite the upgrades, they’re actually cheaper than the base XREAL ONE, at $449 vs. $499. And they’re available now, with estimated delivery windows sitting around this weekend. Plus, if you don’t want to get a new pair of AR glasses, the 2D-to-3D conversion tech, called Real 3D, is also now out for the XREAL ONE Pro, and can be downloaded in an update.

The XREAL NEO, meanwhile, is currently only up for pre-order, with shipments scheduled to start in February. The Neo is available for $99 until February 4, by the way, but the price will jump up to $119 after that.

Even with the cheaper NEO pricing, the total package for both the dock and the glasses will cost you $548. But if you really miss the 3DS, this is another easy way to play your Nintendo games in 3D, without sacrificing portably, but while keeping a big screen at the same time.

My Five Favorite Things I Saw at CES Unveiled 2026

While CES doesn’t technically kick off until Tuesday, the conference gets a bit of a soft launch with CES Unveiled. This event hosts a ton of companies, all proudly showing off their latest products and concepts in one giant room. While there’s plenty to write home about, five products in particular this year caught my eye:

Tombot


Credit: Lifehacker

Tombot’s robotic puppy, “Jennie,” isn’t supposed to be a pet-replacement. Instead, Jennie is specifically designed to help people with Alzheimer’s. The bot is a healthcare device, and is made to not only comfort owners, but to monitor “sundowning,” or the confusion that some living with Alzheimer experience in late afternoon and at night.

I can’t speak to the medical claims, but Tombot impressed me. I’ve seen products like this before, but what struck me was the realism. That’s not to say Tombot’s robot tricks you into thinking there’s a real puppy on the table. But the company has designed the bot with enough motors and sensors to make it realistic enough. When you look at Jennie, she looks at you; when you move, her face reacts in kind, powered by cleverly-placed motors. There are capacitive touch sensors to react to touch, light sensors to adjust to the lighting of the room, gyros for orientation, and microphones to responds to sounds.

Jennie is designed to be interactive: You can call its name—either Jennie, or a name you set in the app—and it responds to the call, potentially with a bark. Tombot says that it hired a number of ten-week-old lab puppies to record the voices for its bot. In all, Jennie will have about 1,500 unique behaviors when Tombot launches her this year.

Tombot told me that Jennie is designed to last all day on a single charge. When you aren’t home, Jennie can drop into a sort of low power mode, that should last over a week. When you come back, Jennie should immediately welcome you home. Tombot says its bot will cost $1,500 at launch, but will offer financing options.

CubicScreen


Credit: Michelle Ehrhardt/Lifehacker

What if you could turn your iPhone into a 3DS? That’s what I took away from the premise of CubicSpace’s CubicScreen, anyway. The company makes a screen protector for your iPhone embedded with an optical filter that allows you to view spatial photos and videos in 3D, without the need for glasses or a separate device. It’s your 2D iPhone, in 3D.

I was a bit skeptical walking past the booth, but, in practice, the tech really works. CubicSpace had some 3D photos and videos already stored in the CubicScreen app on their demo iPhones, and, when looking at the screen, they really did appear three dimensional. This isn’t “pop out of your screen” 3D, mind you; rather, it’s an depth effect. If you’ve ever used the 3D feature on a 3DS, this is that experience: You’ll be able to see the depth behind subjects in your photos and videos, which adds to the immersion of the image.

Part of the effect uses eye tracking to adjust the effect as you view the image. To that point, the app can support zooming while retaining the 3D effect. It’s a little trippy: You zoom in on an picture, and, most of the time, it snaps into 3D instantly. Sometimes, the effect falls out, and you can tell you’re looking at a distorted image. But most of my experience, the effect held.

This 3D effect wasn’t just a trick of editing, either: CubicSpace took a photo of Lifehacker’s Associate Tech Editor, Michelle Ehrhardt at the booth, which instantly took on the 3D effect. The screen overlay and the software appears to work fast.

CubicScreen will cost $79 when it launches. There is currently an order page, but they aren’t accepting payment yet.

Allergen Alert


Credit: Jake Peterson/Lifehacker

If you have a food allergy, you know the stress that comes when you’re not in control of your meals. There’s a risk to eating food you didn’t make yourself, and for some of us, that risk isn’t an option.

That’s why I found Allergen Alert’s “the mini lab” so intriguing. The idea is, when you want to know whether your food contains a certain allergen, you can scoop a sample of it into the provided container, place that container into the mini lab, and within two minutes, you’ll have a positive or negative result. The device itself isn’t large—about the size of a portable speaker—which makes it feasible to take out to restaurants and other people’s houses.

Right now, the company says the mini lab can detect milk and gluten, up to five parts per million, but the goal is to detect other major allergens, like egg, fish, soy, sesame, peanuts shellfish, tree nuts. Of course, I have no way to actually test whether it can detect milk and gluten at this time, so I can’t necessarily endorse the product. In fact, it isn’t currently available: Allergen Alert tells me the product is supposed to launch in September for $200.

However, if Allergen Alert is correct in its claims, this product could be a game changer. A two minute check on that supposedly allergen-free meal could literally save someone’s life, and offer peace of mind to those who could have serious adverse effects from ingesting an allergen.

Birdfy Hum Bloom


Credit: Jake Peterson/Lifehacker

Birdfy brings a new smart bird feeder concept to CES just about every year. And while the company had its previous models on display at Unveiled this year, its newest prototype grabbed my attention.

The Hum Bloom is not meant for all of the birds that visit your house or garden. Instead, this product is specifically designed for hummingbirds. The Hum Bloom has an 4K camera that can shoot up to 120fps slow-motion video. While that’d make for some dramatic landings for any bird, it’s particularly ideal for capturing hummingbirds that flap their wings hundreds or thousands of times per minute.

Birdfy says the Hum Bloom’s AI can identify more than 150 hummingbird species, so you’ll know which type of bird you’re watching in slo-mo on your phone. Birdfy claims the feeder is “leak-proof,” and also comes with ant moat to keep out bugs. Personally, I’m stuck on Birdfy designing a slo-mo camera system just for hummingbirds. I look forward to seeing that footage from reviewers in the future.

Opsodis 3D speaker


Credit: Jake Peterson/Lifehacker

This is one of those products my picture will simply not do justice. In order to understand why I was so taken by this speaker, you’d need to hear it for yourself.

Admittedly, I wasn’t expecting much when I agreed to demo the speaker. Again, at first glance, the Opsodis just looks like your typical wireless speaker. That changed once the rep played a video on a connected iPad: Suddenly, I was hearing sounds next to my ears; behind my ears; around my ears. I wasn’t really paying attention to what was happening on screen, because I was too distracted wondering how I was hearing everything I was hearing from a relatively tiny speaker directly in front of me.

As it turns out, this wouldn’t work if I had the speaker placed just about anywhere. The demo used Opsodis’ “narrow mode,” one of three audio modes the speaker is capable of. Narrow mode is the stronger spatial audio experience, but requires the speaker to be placed close and directly in front of the user: specifically, 60 centimeters away, or 23.62 inches. “Wide mode,” which I didn’t try, offers a “softer” spatial audio experience, while the third mode simulates standard stereo audio.

While this won’t necessarily offer a movie theater-like experience just by placing it in front of your TV, this was some of the most fun I had at CES Unveiled tonight.

Michael Bisping urges Tom Aspinall to not rush back from eye surgery

Michael Bisping knows more than one should about eye injuries in fighting, and doesn’t want Tom Aspinall to make the same mistakes he did.

Aspinall, who will be undergoing surgery on both eyes after suffering severe eye pokes in his title fight against Ciryl Gane, has spoken about getting on the road to recovery. However, Bisping, who competed in his most significant UFC bouts with one eye, wants Aspinall to take his time.

“It was 10, 11, 12 fights – I don’t know how many fights it was with one eye, but it was definitely a lot,” Bisping said in a YouTube video. “… Because of that, and because I had about five or six eye surgeries, I do know a little about this. Real quick, let’s talk about this: Tom’s gonna need, apparently, eye surgery. It’ll probably just be a minor thing like a realignment of the tendons, but these can go wrong.

“… My retina was reattached after it was detached against Vitor Belfort, and then it re-detached, and then they fixed it again, and then I got glaucoma, because once you start messing around with the eyes, in fact, just like any part of your body, once you start going in and messing around with it, it’s never the same again. It’s never quite as strong, and things can go wrong.”

To make things especially complicated, Aspinall is dealing with procedures in both eyes. Bisping’s right eye was his problematic side, which stemmed from his fight against Belfort in January 2013. Bisping returned to action that April. In total, he made 11 more appearances, which included his middleweight title reign.

However, Bisping wishes he had taken more time to focus on healing, because now, he can’t see out of his right eye. He urges Aspinall to be patient in his recovery, because he’s risking permanent damage.

“The one thing you can’t do with an eye is rush back,” Bisping said. “That is the one big lesson that I learned, because I did that. I rushed back too soon. I rushed back to sparring. I rushed back to competition, and I never saw out of that eye again. Tom has got to take his time.”

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Michael Bisping offers Tom Aspinall advice on eye surgery recovery

Houston Rockets jersey history No. 4 – Greg Smith (2011-14)

The Houston Rockets have had players donning a total of 52 different jersey numbers (and have one not part of any numerical series for Houston assistant coach and general manager Carroll Dawson) since their founding at the start of the 1967-68 season, worn by just under 500 players in the course of Rockets history.

To honor all of the the players who wore those numbers over the decades, Rockets Wire is covering the entire history of jersey numbers and the players who wore them since the founding of the team all those years ago right up to the present day.

With seven of those jerseys now retired to honor some of the greatest Rockets of all time to wear those jerseys, there is a lot of history to cover.

And for today’s article, we will continue with the 10th of 14 players who wore the No. 4, big man alum Greg Smith. After ending his college career at Fresno State, Smith went unselected in the 2011 NBA draft, playing in other leagues until until he signed with Houston that same year.

His stay with the team lasted until he was cut by the team in 2014.

During his time suiting up for the Rockets, Smith wore only jersey Nos. 0 and 4 and put up 5.3 points and 4.1 rebounds per game.

All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.

This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Rockets jersey history No. 4 – Greg Smith (2011-14)

2026 NFL Draft order: Updated first-round picks after Raiders secure No. 1 pick

The Las Vegas Raiders have clinched the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft, by virtue of having the easiest schedule of the four teams that finished tied with the league’s worst record at 3-14. Here’s how the draft order looks heading into Sunday Night Football in Week 18:

1. Raiders

2. Jets

3. Cardinals

4. Titans

5. Giants

6. Browns

7. Commanders

8. Saints

9. Chiefs

10. Bengals

11. Dolphins

12. Cowboys

13. Falcons (traded first-round pick to Rams)

14. Buccaneers

15. Colts (traded first-round pick to Jets)

16. Ravens

17. Lions

18. Vikings

PROJECTED PLAYOFF TEAMS

19. Panthers

20. Packers (traded first-round pick to Cowboys)

21. Steelers

22. Chargers

23. Eagles

24. Bills

25. Bears

26. 49ers

27. Texans

28. Jaguars (traded first-round pick to Browns)

29. Rams

30. Patriots

31. Broncos

32. Seahawks

Who has the first pick in the 2026 NFL Draft?

The Las Vegas Raiders earned the first overall pick by having with the easiest schedule of the four teams that finished tied with the worst record in the NFL, 3-14.

What are the tiebreakers for NFL Draft picks?

Draft picks are awarded in order of lowest winning percentage, and the tiebreaker is opponents’ winning percentage, with the team that played the easiest schedule picking first. If two teams have the same record and same strength of schedule, division or conference tiebreakers are applied. If the divisional or conference tiebreakers are not applicable, or ties still exist between teams of different conferences, ties will be broken the following tie-breaking method:

  1. Head-to-head, if applicable
  2. Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games (minimum of four)
  3. Strength of victory in all games
  4. Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed in all games
  5. Best net points in all games
  6. Best net touchdowns in all games
  7. Coin toss

The 18 non-playoff teams get the first 18 picks. The six wild card round playoff losers get picks 19-24, the four divisional round losers get picks 25-28, the conference championship game losers get picks 29 and 30, the Super Bowl loser gets pick 31 and the Super Bowl winner gets pick 32.

When is the 2026 NFL Draft?

The 2026 NFL draft takes place April 23-25 in Pittsburgh. The first round will be on Thursday night, the second and third rounds will be on Friday night, and the fourth through seventh rounds will be on Saturday.

Who is the projected No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft?

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza is the betting favorite to go first overall. Other contenders include Oregon quarterback Dante Moore, Miami defensive end Rueben Bain, Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese, Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and Auburn defensive end Keldric Faulk

Eagles’ backup plan backfires with 24-17 loss to Commanders that costs them shot at NFC’s No. 2 seed

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Eagles’ backup plan backfired, and the Super Bowl champions will start their postseason defense of the title as the No. 3 seed in the NFC.

With Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley and most key Eagles starters sitting out even with playoff seeding at stake, the Washington Commanders got fourth-quarter passing and rushing touchdowns from Josh Johnson to beat Philadelphia 24-17 on Sunday.

The NFC East champion Eagles (11-6) will open the playoffs at home next weekend against San Francisco.

The Eagles needed help to earn the No. 2 seed. They had to beat the Commanders and Detroit needed to win at Chicago. Sure enough, the Lions beat the Bears 19-16 to add some sting to the Eagles’ loss.

With Jayden Daniels shut down and Marcus Mariota dealing with a leg injury, the Commanders (5-12) started Johnson, their 39-year-old third-stringer. Johnson rallied the Commanders from a 17-10 hole with a 2-yard touchdown pass to John Bates and then scored on a 1-yard run with 2:32 left.

Even with the No. 2 seed at stake and the possibility of two home playoff games that would come with it, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni decided to sit his starters, saying: “Tt’s not a guarantee that we can get the 2 seed, but I can rest the starters.”

Hurts, Barkley, wide receiver A.J. Brown and tight end Dallas Goedert sat out.

The Eagles had to watch and root — for the Lions, too — like everyone else.

Eagles fans cheered when each Detroit score against Chicago was shown on the videoboard. Sirianni said during the week he also would be scoreboard-watching, though he kept the cheering to his team’s own plays, such as Tanner McKee’s 15-yard TD pass to Grant Calcaterra for a 7-0 lead in the second quarter.

The Commanders, also playing backups in a forgettable season a year after they faced the Eagles in the NFC championship game, refused to roll over and twisted the stomachs of Eagles fans into knots — and got them ready to light up talk radio this week.

McKee had been impressive in limited action as Hurts’ backup over the last two seasons but did little to improve his stock in the finale.

He was 21 of 40 for 241 yards with an interception and was sacked on the final drive.

Jake Moody sent Washington into halftime with a 10-7 lead on a 56-yard field goal.

The Eagles pounced on a fumble in the third quarter and Tank Bigbsy, the sure-handed backup to Barkley, scored for a 14-10 lead. Jake Elliott kicked a 39-yarder for a 17-10 lead.

The Eagles’ shot at the 2 seed was upended when Kelee Ringo — yes, a backup — was flagged for pass interference to set up Johnson’s go-ahead rushing TD.

1,000 yards for DeVonta Smith

Smith was one of the Eagles regulars who earned snaps, and he topped 1,000 yards receiving for the third time in his career.

Smith entered the game 44 yards shy and exceeded 1,000 yards before the end of the first quarter. He had three catches for 52 yards — including a 27-yarder on his final reception that gave him a team-high 1,008 yards.

Smith was immediately pulled from the game.

Brown didn’t need to play because he already had 1,003 yards.

Injuries

Eagles: Calcaterra left with an ankle/knee injury. Offensive lineman Brandon Toth was evaluated for a concussion.

Up next

The Commanders are set to have a top-10 pick in the NFL draft.

The Eagles could play two road games if they want to return to the Super Bowl.

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Dolphins player of the game, Week 18: DT Zach Sieler

In an atrocious ending to the 2025 season for the Miami Dolphins, there weren’t many positives.

Defensive tackle Zach Sieler made his mark on the game with a blocked field goal late in the second quarter which was recovered by rookie cornerback Jason Marshall Jr.

Sieler totaled three tackles and a tackle for loss on Sunday in addition to his blocked kick.

At the time it seemed like Sieler’s blocked kick could have sparked a momentum swing for the Dolphins. Miami used the blocked kick to set up a Riley Patterson field goal to cut the Patriots’ lead to 14-10. Unfortunately for the Dolphins, their third quarter woes continued and New England scored 24 unanswered to end the game.

Sieler played in all 17 games for the Dolphins in 2025, finishing the year with 47 tackles, 5.5 sacks, and 10 tackles for loss. His numbers were significantly down from his previous two seasons, but he received a lot more attention from opposing offensive lines after back-to-back 10-sack seasons.

While many big changes will made in the offseason, Sieler’s spot on the defensive line is almost definitely safe after he signed an extension through the 2029 season. Sieler has been a team captain for the Dolphins over the last two seasons.

This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: Dolphins player of the game, Week 18: DT Zach Sieler

Where will the Tennessee Titans pick in the 2026 NFL Draft?

The Tennessee Titans finished up the NFL’s 2025 season with a 3-14 record after falling to the Jacksonville Jaguars 41-7 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, in their Week 18 finale.

Heading into Week 18, the Titans were slated to have the No. 4 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft. With the regular season officially at an end, we now know the Titans will have the No. 4 overall pick in the upcoming draft.

At the conclusion of the early slate of games, the Las Vegas Raiders secured the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. Following the Raiders are the New York Jets (lost to Buffalo) and the Arizona Cardinals (lost to the Los Angeles Rams). The Jets win the strength-of-schedule battle with the Titans, and the Titans defeated the Cardinals earlier this season, so both will pick ahead of Tennessee.

The Titans currently have eight picks in the draft, but having a top-five pick gives them an opportunity to add an impact player. Most mock drafts peg the Titans to select a defensive player like Miami’s Rueben Bain or Ohio State’s Arvell Reese, which isn’t surprising given how the Titans’ defense played this year.

But let’s remember that the depleted secondary needs some serious love, and the offensive line needs bolstering. Ohio State’s Caleb Downs, if available, would be a nice addition to the Titans’ defense, and Miami’s Francis Mauigoa is the top-ranked offensive tackle in the draft. Of course, there are others, but if we’re looking specifically at the Titans’ first-round pick, these are some of the names that will be tossed around.

Other names the Titans might consider are Spencer Fano (OT, Utah), Kadyn Proctor (OT, Alabama), Peter Woods (DL, Clemson), and Keldric Faulk (DE, Auburn). Some of these players won’t be available when it’s the Titans’ turn, but Tennessee will have plenty of players to choose from, and many of them have the potential to have an immediate impact.

The remaining draft order will be determined as the playoffs continue and finalized after the Super Bowl.

This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: 2026 NFL Draft: Tennessee Titans will select No. 4 overall

Penn State earns transfer commits from Iowa State OL duo

Penn State continues to add players from Iowa State. This time, the Nittany Lions added two players in the trenches.

Offensive linemen Kuol Kuol II and Trevor Buhr have both committed to Penn State.

Buhr will enter as a junior guard with playing experience. His play earned him a Big 12 Honorable Mention in 2025 after playing at left guard, protecting new Penn State quarterback Rocco Becht.

He was listed as a three-star transfer in the portal, ranked as the No. 174 player in the portal and No. 11 interior offensive linemen, according to 247Sports.

Joining him is Kuol II, who will have four years of eligibility remaining, and an exterior offensive lineman.

He entered Iowa State as a four-star recruit, the No. 34 offensive tackle and No. 14 player in Ohio. As a redshirt freshman transfer, Kuol II is a three-star, ranked as the No. 477 player and No. 29 offensive tackle in the transfer portal, according to 247Sports.

Both players add much-needed depth to a rather depleted unit after many departures. Each player will have a chance to earn a starting role under the new offensive line coach, and former Iowa State offensive line coach Ryan Clanton.

This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Penn State earns transfer commits from Iowa State OL duo