A disastrous season for the Washington Wizards just got worse. With the team sitting at 14-39, one of its most promising youngsters is set to miss time with an injury.
Center Alex Sarr will be sidelined approximately two weeks due to a hamstring strain, the team announced.
It’s unclear when the 20-year-old Sarr first sustained the injury. He first popped up on the team’s injury report Wednesday, and eventually was ruled out for the contest with a hamstring issue. Prior to that, Sarr missed two other games in February, though with calf and ankle injuries.
Sarr took part in three games in between those injuries, and did not see his playing time decrease much in those contests.
After being selected by the Wizards with the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Sarr has shown plenty of potential. He turned in a solid rookie year, leading to a sixth-place finish in the Rookie of the Year voting.
In his second season, Sarr has taken a step forward. The center is averaging 17.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game. Despite that, the Wizards haven’t won many games, and have one of the worst records in the NBA.
If there’s a reason for optimism about Sarr’s injury, it’s that he shouldn’t miss too many games for the Wizards. With All-Star Weekend on the horizon, the Wizards’ next game will take place Feb. 19. If he were to return in exactly two weeks, he would miss only four regular-season games. That’s an aggressive timeline, though possible based on Shams Charania’s report.
Sarr will, however, miss the Rising Stars event Friday. He was supposed to play on team T-Mac in the event. Despite missing the festivities, Sarr plans to attend All-Star weekend. The NBA announced Wizards guard Bub Carrington as Sarr’s replacement in the Rising Stars tournament.
On Sunday, February 1, at 6 PM, in New York City, poets gathered for a poetry reading at Ray’s Pizza and Bagels, at an event hosted by Other Rooms Press. The event also featured an open mic.
The event was hosted in the dining room in the back of the restaurant. Before the start of the event, the area was full, half of diners and half of people involved with the event. Ed Go and Michael Whalen introducted the event.
The featured poets, in order, were Miriam Stanley, Matt Reeck, Sarah Sarai, billy cancel, Thomas Fucaloro, and Igor Satanovsky. Ed Go also read a small piece. This was followed by the open mic, which featured 6 additional people.
Cooper Flagg will end up missing his first All-Star weekend after all.
The Dallas Mavericks rookie underwent an MRI on Wednesday that revealed a left midfoot sprain, the team announced. He will now miss the Mavericks’ game with the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday and won’t participate in the Rising Stars game at the Intuit Dome on Friday to kick off All-Star Weekend in Southern California.
Bailey will slot in on Team Melo with head coach Carmelo Anthony.
Jazz forward Ace Bailey will replace fellow rookie Cooper Flagg of the Mavericks on Team Melo in the 2026 Castrol Rising Stars (2/13, 9 PM ET, Peacock).
Unlike Flagg, though, Bailey wasn’t necessarily a focal point of his team’s lineup from the jump. While he’s started 37 of the 48 games he’s played in, his usage rate (18.7%) is noticeably lower than Flagg’s (24.7%).
That said, Bailey has still shown promise, particularly of late. He’s averaging 11.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game while shooting 44.9% from the field, including 34.3% from beyond the arc.
He’s gone for 20-plus points on seven different occasions. Four of those outings have come in the past 12 games.
Although Flagg won’t get to participate in the weekend’s festivities, his injury arrived at perhaps the best time for the Mavericks. Flagg isn’t expected to miss any further time recovering, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. The Mavericks will return from the All-Star break on Feb. 20 for a matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves, giving Flagg more than a week to recover.
Flagg, whom the Mavericks selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft last summer, has averaged 20.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game this season. The former Duke standout has shot just better than 48% from the field. Flagg had a game-high 27 points and five assists in Dallas’ 120-111 loss to the Phoenix Suns in Arizona on Tuesday night.
But despite a strong start to his rookie campaign, the Mavericks have struggled lately. The team will enter Thursday’s game at Crypto.com Arena with a 19-34 record. They have lost eight straight and sit 12th in the Western Conference standings, which has them on pace to miss the playoffs for a second straight year.
As for Bailey’s Jazz, they’re also in the West’s cellar. At 18-37, Utah is 13th in the conference table.
But both of those teams are planning for the future, and their teenage rising stars are at the core of those plans.
Nottingham Forest’s Sean Dyche has been sacked (MIGUEL LEMOS)
Nottingham Forest sacked manager Sean Dyche on Wednesday after a dismal draw with Wolves left them hovering above the Premier League relegation zone.
“Nottingham Forest Football Club can confirm that Sean Dyche has been relieved of his duties as head coach,” the club said in a statement on X.
“We would like to thank Sean and his staff for their efforts during their time at the club and we wish them the best of luck for the future.”
Forest’s 0-0 home draw with bottom club Wolves left them just three points clear of the bottom three.
Speaking after Wednesday’s stalemate, a gloomy Dyche acknowledged his job was in peril, and that volatile owner Evangelos Marinakis could well decide to swing the axe.
Marinakis has already sacked Nuno Espirito Santo and Ange Postecoglou this season, and his patience once again wore thin after Forest drew a blank despite having 35 shots.
Dyche’s team were booed off at the final whistle.
Dyche said he was a “realist” about his precarious situation and spoke like a manager resigned to his fate.
“The owner has been fair to me, without a shadow of a doubt,” he said. “If anyone chooses to change in football now, that’s their decision. We’ve all seen it,” he said.
“If the owner wants to make a change, then that’s up to him, and that’s the way football is now, that’s just the reality of it.
“He’s been absolutely fair with me from the beginning to the end, and I’ve been fair with him and told him the truth every step of the way.”
Forest thrived under Nuno last season, securing a place in the Europa League, but the Portuguese coach was dismissed after falling out with Marinakis over transfers.
One day doesn’t go by without Luigi Vendramini thinking of it.
Vendramini can still see it. He ducked under a big Paddy Pimblett right, and connected on a beautiful leg kick. As Pimblett stood up, the two orthodox fighters threw big lefts. But only one landed. It was Vendramini’s, and it landed clean. Pimblett, the UFC’s fast-rising star, was buckled and suddenly on the retreat.
Four-and-a-half years later, the punch stings Vendramini more than it does Pimblett. The YouTube video of their fight has over 11 million views – and perhaps Vendramini has played it over in his head more times than that.
Despite his defensive deficiency, Pimblett survived one of the cleanest shots Vendramini has ever landed – and eventually turned the tide to win by knockout.
“It’s crazy,” Vendramini recently told MMA Junkie. “Every day, I think about this.”
If only… Vendramini couldn’t change the course of history, not only of his own but of the entire sport. Pimblett didn’t lose until his recent interim title crack vs. Justin Gaethje. Meanwhile, the loss landed Vendramini his pink slip.
“It hurt,” Vendramini said. “I worked so hard to be in the UFC. I didn’t feel like I showed my potential. I don’t feel like I did great. I did great fights with strong guys. I never lost to someone demoralizing. I took the top. My opponents, they beat me. But if you see all my fights, even when they win, the fight is very hard.”
Vendramini fought four times in the UFC from September 2018 to September 2021. He went 1-3 with a win over Jessin Ayari and losses to Pimblett, Fares Ziam, and Elizeu Zaleski Dos Santos. It was a tougher run than normal, and his strength of competition has aged well. However, Vendramini admits there were no consolations in his defeats. For months, he struggled to convince himself to build back.
“It was difficult,” Vendramini said. “I was in the gym after I went out of the UFC. I worked really hard for one year in the gym, kind of like, ‘I’m going to come back to the UFC’, and all these things. I stayed working very hard for one year. It was hard for me to come back for a fight because when you go out of the UFC, it’s hard to go to another show. You don’t want it. You want the best. You don’t want to go for another show. You have to fight in the UFC to understand this. When you fight in the UFC, you don’t want to try another thing. You just want another opportunity in the UFC. It’s crazy. The opportunity is crazy. It’s a dream.”
It took Vendramini nearly three years to return to the cage after the Pimblett loss, but eventually, he got the ball rolling. It’s been tough finding opponents, but since the start of 2024, Vendramini has fought and won four times. Each outing has ended in a first-round finish.
Under the watchful eye of his father, black-belt Augusto Vendramini, and with some help from the coaching staff at Xtreme Couture, Vendramini thinks the improvements have been made. More than that? He’s grown up. If he learned anything from the Pimblett loss, it was that he needed to.
“I think the mindset is everything in the game,” Vendramini said. “It’s not about the technique. My father is my coach, and he says, ‘The game doesn’t change. It’s jabs, hooks, crosses, uppercuts, and double legs. It’s rear-naked chokes and guillotines. There isn’t a crazy skill that nobody knows. Between the guy who becomes champion and the guy that gets cut, it’s just a mindset.’ I swear, when I fought with Paddy, I didn’t think he was strong. During that four minutes I fought with him, I took stronger guys in the gym. The guy is a monster. The guy goes for the belt.
“… The problem was that I arrived there young. Most of the fighters who get cut fast, they arrive there with a crazy, spectacular reputation. But when you arrive in the cage, you need to realize it’s just a normal fight. The problem is when you get to the UFC, and you think it’s a dream. I cannot explain to you. When you are inside the cage there, it is not a fight for you. It’s a dream. You feel like you’re in Disneyland. Then, when you check, someone is there to KO you. I cannot explain. It’s difficult. It’s like you’re in a different world. Sometimes I go inside the UFC, and I start to wake up in a fight in the second round. The first round, I was just dreaming. I was not inside there. I was not focused. Now, when I go there, I know how things work. I know how the UFC, how the cage, and everything is. Now, I’m going to go in there in the same way I go into a small show in my city. That’s it. That’s the mindset.”
Vendramini is now 30 with a 13-3 professional record. He’s headed back to the United States for more training soon and has notified his manager, Jason House, that he’s ready should the UFC need him. Considering he was one iota away from having a win over Pimblett, Vendramini thinks the improvements make his signing a good one, should the UFC welcome him back.
“I think the second opportunity is going to be the same as reborn again,” Vendramini said. “I think about this since I go out. I cannot die without another opportunity. I don’t sleep normal. I don’t live normal. I feel like something is missing. I need this opportunity, not for money, not for fame. For me, I need it for myself. I need to show for myself what I’m capable of doing. … Even if I have opportunities with these guys again, I can beat them. I’m 100 percent sure of this.”
The Los Angeles Rams don’t need a starting quarterback in 2026, but that doesn’t mean they should be looking for someone to eventually take over for Matthew Stafford. The only other quarterback under contract on the roster right now is Stetson Bennett, so L.A. would be wise to look at adding at least another name to the room in 2026.
Where that quarterback comes from, though, remains to be seen. They could bring back veteran Jimmy Garoppolo, who is an impending free agent, or sign another veteran before the draft. L.A. has two first-round picks, too, and could add a rookie on Day 1 or Day 2. CBS Sports’ Emory Hunt, though, has another option: Trade for Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
Hunt’s reasons are simple: Tagovailoa has a good skillset already and could use a year without getting hit while he learns from Stafford in Sean McVay’s offense.
“Why not make a move to get a guy that could be that guy in waiting? We’ve seen the reclamation projects that go out there to Sean McVay that have come back out on the other side. We saw that with Baker Mayfield, and I believe we’re going to see it with a guy like Tua Tagovailoa,” Hunt said. “I think that’s a great fit for him to sit behind Stafford a year, get one less season on the body and allow him to take over when Stafford decides to retire. We’ve seen Tua play high-level football. It is still in there. I think that scheme that they run out there in Los Angeles actually is tailor-made to his skillset.
“That could be a spot where we see him be the next Sam Darnold and [the Rams] can continue to dominate that NFC West like they have over Sean McVay’s career.”
It’s a bold move, especially given that it would require a trade to pull off. However, it sounds as though Miami is willing to eat a lot of his salary to facilitate a move. So, there’s a world in which the Rams get a huge discount for a cheap look at a former first-round pick.
If the deal is right, there really is no harm in seeing Tagovailoa in a McVay offense. At worst, they wasted a mid-to-late-round pick to acquire him without sacrificing cap space. At best, Tagovailoa could replace Stafford when he retires.
There are a lot of different moves the Rams can make at quarterback this offseason. This is one of the wilder ideas.
BYU wide receiver Parker Kingston (11) runs the ball as he gets free from Iowa State’s defense during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, in Ames, Iowa.
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Matthew Putney, Associated Press
A first-degree felony rape charge has been filed against BYU receiver Parker Kingston by the Washington County Attorney’s Office, according to a news release issued Wednesday afternoon.
According to the release, the charges follow an investigation that began in February 2025 “after the alleged victim, a female then 20 years old, reported a sexual assault to officers at St. George Regional Hospital.”
Kingston, 21, will be a senior at BYU this season and is expected to be the Cougars’ primary receiver after a breakout season in 2025 that saw him catch 67 passes for 928 yards and five touchdowns.
BYU athletics issued the following statement Wednesday evening:
“BYU became aware today of the arrest of Parker Kingston. The university takes any allegation very seriously, and will cooperate with law enforcement. Due to federal and university privacy laws and practices for students, the university will not be able to provide additional comment.”
According to the news release, the alleged victim reported that Kingston sexually assaulted her on Feb. 23, 2025, in St. George.
The release states that St. George Police detectives gathered “digital and forensic evidence” over the course of their investigation.
“They also conducted interviews with the parties involved and other witnesses. The information was then turned over to the Washington County Attorney’s Office for review,” according to the release.
Kingston has been taken into custody and is currently being held in Washington County without bail. An initial appearance is scheduled in Utah’s 5th Judicial District Court on Friday.
Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers was among those named as finalists for consideration for 2026 induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame (Patrick McDermott)
Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers and retired NBA stars Amar’e Stoudemire, Blake Griffin and Kevin Johnson were among finalists named Wednesday for 2026 election to the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Finalists advance to the honors committee that will announce the 2026 Hall inductees on April 4 with enshrinement on August 15 at the Hall of Fame hometown in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Others selected from the North American committee include referee Joey Crawford, player Buck Williams and coaches Mark Few, Gary McKnight, Dick Motta, Jerry Welsh and Kelvin Sampson.
Women’s stars to make the list for final consideration include the unbeaten 1996 US Olympic gold medal squad and players Jennifer Azzi, Elena Delle Donne, Chamique Holdsclaw, Candace Parker and Molly Bolin-Kazmer.
Rivers, 64, guided Boston to the 2008 NBA title and was named NBA Coach of the Year in 2000 after his first league campaign while with Orlando. He has won more than 1,175 games over 27 seasons guided the Magic, Boston, the Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia and Milwaukee.
Stoudemire was a six-time NBA All-Star and the 2003 NBA Rookie of the Year after jumping into the league from high school. He averaged 18.9 points over 14 seasons for Phoenix, New York, Dallas and Miami.
Johnson played a combined 12 NBA campaigns for Phoenix and Cleveland and later became mayor of his hometown of Sacramento, California.
Griffin, a six-time NBA All-Star forward, was the top pick in the 2009 NBA Draft and played for the Los Angeles Clippers, Detroit, Brooklyn and Boston before retiring in 2023.
Others on the list for a spot in the Hall in 2026 include former Serbian coach Dusan Ivkovic from the international committee, five-time NBA All-Star Marques Johnson from the veterans committee plus long-time Israel club star Tal Brody and two-time NBA Coach of the Year Mike D’Antoni from the contributors committee.
“This year’s group of finalists represents the full scope of basketball’s impact,” Hall of Fame chairman Jerry Colangelo said. “Their achievements span championships, historic milestones and a lasting influence on how the game is played, taught, and experienced around the world.”
Incheon United embark on their first season back in K League 1 following promotion from the second division in 2025. With the departure of several club legends, experienced veterans, and long-serving squad members, the side that lines up on opening day will look very different from the team relegated so unceremoniously in 2024. After a year away and the highs of last season, what can Incheon expect on their return to the top tier, now shifting from favourites to underdogs?
Last Season
23 W – 9 D – 7 L, 1st (K League 2)
What Happened?
A poor 2024 season, compounded by managerial mishaps, poor individual performances, and off-the-field issues, meant that Incheon United finished 12th and were relegated before the final game of the year.
As a result, Incheon spent 2025 battling to bounce back and achieve promotion at the first attempt. Standing in their way were a Suwon Bluewings side that had suffered a similar fate in 2023, a young and hungry Bucheon FC 1995 team, and a host of other clubs looking to claim a major scalp.
Incheon were fortunate to retain a number of their more experienced players and, as such, were favourites on paper to return to the top flight before a ball had been kicked. Despite this, the journey back was not always straightforward.
They began the season strongly, recording 11 wins, a draw, and a defeat in the opening round-robin set of matches. From that point on, Incheon held a commanding lead at the summit of the table.
As the season wore on, injuries and fatigue set in, but the team were able to keep their noses ahead of the competition, eventually finishing six points clear of Suwon Bluewings in second place, despite the Bluewings winning only two of their final five matches.
Notable Moves
Incheon have seen considerable turnover over the winter, with several notable departures.
Long-time vice-captain Kim Do-hyeok is among the biggest names to leave the club following the end of the campaign. At Incheon since 2014, his role diminished significantly under Yoon last season, with the veteran managing just 320 minutes of action. The move to Gimpo FC represents a chance to maximise his remaining years in the game.
Harrison Delbridge, who joined Incheon in 2021, was a mainstay in the heart of the defence but also found opportunities limited under the new regime. With his contract set to expire at the end of 2025, the former Australian international opted for a return to the A-League, rejoining Melbourne City.
Shin Jin-ho, a regular presence in the side last season, departed following the expiry of his contract. He featured 32 times across the campaign, making eight starts and contributing four goals and four assists. He has since joined K League 2 newcomers Yongin, where he has been named club captain.
Among the arrivals, the most intriguing is midfielder Iker Undabarrena, who arrives from Johor Darul Ta’zim in Malaysia. A lack of creativity in central areas was a recurring issue for Incheon last season—one that has lingered since the departure of Elías Aguilar in 2023. Whether Undabarrena can finally fill that void remains to be seen.
Kim Dong-heon has spent most of the previous two seasons fulfilling his military service with Gimcheon Sangmu. Now back at the club and looking to make an impact, Dong-heon will do battle with Lee Tae-hee for the Incheon goalkeeping spot.
Last season, Incheon had five goalkeepers registered across different stages of the campaign; however, there was little dispute over who Yoon Jong-hwan preferred. Min Seong-jun spent most of the year as first choice, as Incheon conceded only 30 goals in their 39 K League 2 matches. Despite this, Seong-jun has been allowed to leave, with the club opting to retain Dong-heon and Tae-hee as their main goalkeeping options. From the perspective of many fans, Dong-heon is the preferred starter and harbours aspirations of breaking into the Korean national team squad for the 2026 World Cup. To achieve this, he will need to be at the top of his game for Incheon.
As a newly promoted side, Incheon will assume an underdog role in many of their matches. The key to success will be consistency and clean sheets. A fully fit and motivated Kim Dong-heon could be the difference between Incheon picking up points and falling short. Much is often made of the value of goals in tight games and the impact strikers can have, but the same is true of goalkeepers. Having a reliable set of hands and Dong-heon’s physical presence in goal could prove decisive in helping Incheon achieve their targets in 2026.
Incheon manager Yoon Jong-hwan has never shied away from giving younger players opportunities in the first team. One beneficiary of this last season was Choi Seung-gu. The 20-year-old made his senior debut on the opening weekend and went on to feature 24 times across league and cup competitions, operating both at full-back and in central midfield. He also represented Korea at the U20 FIFA World Cup in Chile last autumn. Quick, robust in the tackle, and composed in possession, Choi will be keen to test his abilities against more competitive opponents in K League 1 this season.
Biggest Question
Can Incheon build on their success in 2026 and reestablish themselves as a K League 1 club?
Relegation in 2024 was a huge blow to Incheon and, as a city-owned club, to the local government as well. The result was a change in both manager and CEO, with long-term chairman Jeon Dal-soo resigning from his role.
Twelve months on, Incheon regained their top-flight status at the first attempt.
Under Yoon Jong-hwan last season, Incheon played fast-paced, attacking football against teams that were happy to sit with eleven men behind the ball. This year, however, is likely to be very different, as Incheon will be underdogs in most matches.
Early-season games against Seoul, Daejeon, Gwangju, and Pohang will act as a useful measuring stick to see whether Incheon can once again compete with some of the stronger clubs from last season’s K League 1.
In addition, Incheon have seen a significant number of players leave the club as Yoon looked to trim what might be considered – perhaps unfairly in some cases – the dead wood. With a need to maximise the budget provided by the city, every squad place counts. As a result, around twenty players departed over the winter break, with only a handful of players, as yet, joining to bolster the ranks.
Those early fixtures will be vitally important as the club looks to put points on the board before the six-week World Cup break and the onset of the relentless Korean summer when the league resumes. There is blind optimism among many fans that the team will simply continue picking up points as they have over the past twelve months, but realistically, much bigger and stronger challenges lie ahead.
Reason to Watch
Incheon’s first season back in K League 1 poses many questions ahead of the new campaign. In 2022 and 2023, Incheon looked to create stability around the club, and back-to-back top-six finishes suggested this was happening. The unexpected relegation in 2024 underlined that any club can be at risk if they go through a rough patch they cannot recover from.
Last season marked a period of change for Incheon as they sought to reimagine their footballing identity under then-new coach Yoon Jong-hwan. Fast, attacking football replaced the slow, sideways passing of 2024. The hope is that the progress made and improvements in style of play will continue this year, but with a tough start in the opening month, Incheon will need to come out all guns blazing.
Incheon start the season at home to FC Seoul. Tickets will be available from Tuesday 24th February at 2pm via the Ticketlink app. The match kicks off at 2pm on Saturday 28th February at Incheon’s Sungui Arena Park.
MIAMI GARDENS, FL – JANUARY 22: new Miami Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and new Miami Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafleyduring answer questions from reporters at the Miami Dolphins press conference on Thursday, January 22, 2026 at Baptist Health Training Center in Miami Gardens, FL. (Photo by Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Following last weekend’s Super Bowl, I asked the following question:
What did you, as a Miami Dolphins fan, see from last evening’s game and victory by the Seahawks that you hope the new front office and coaching staff employ in their own plan to rebuild this team to something that looks respectable? On the other side of things, what did you see Seattle do that you hope the Dolphins do not grasp onto in their own rebuild?
Below are some of your thoughts and answers-
cyberflea says that building up those lines is the way to go.
The key is a dominant defensive line. Football games are won and lost on the line of scrimmage. This is where Sully as he mentioned will build the Dolphins from the inside – out. Offensive and defensive lines.
JUK, in a reply to cyberflea, just pointed out a couple of things about how the Seahawks were built.
Not disagreeing about line play but worth noting Seattle didn’t build inside out as such. They just got good players in. Their o line isn’t a strength of the team and is one of the cheapest in the league (albeit before giving cross a new contract). Interestingly they drafted all their o line but not on the d line.
Dave G says that it proves that you can still win a Super Bowl without a top-notch quarterback.
We could win a SB without a great QB. We have Achane, and with another big back giving us a thunder and lightening backfield it can be achieved. We need to draft some defensive studs though.
FlyerFinFan says that it shows that you need to be able to stop the run and pressure the quarterback.
Need solid run D and a crazy pass rush that seems to be a key component with bowl winners. Seahawks, Eagles, Chiefs….they’ve all received this in victory. I’d take either a CB or DE 1st round even if you trade back do it. 2nd round take the other position. After that get your OT/OG, WR or TE BPA.
One thing I didn’t understand from Kubiak was throwing a 5 yard out short of a first down that could have been a pick six. They were already in FG range and calls like that aren’t needed. When you have the lead and the other team can’t do squat why take the risk???
JUK again responded, this time to FlyerFinFan. He believes you should draft based on the level of talent available, not just a specific roster need.
The lesson from the Seahawks is you draft good players not positions. Going into the first two rounds saying we must draft these positions is a recipe for reaching and failure. Note I’m not saying we shouldn’t take an edge and a corner in the first two rounds, but if the best player there on your board in round 2 is (as a random example) is McNeil-Warren and you think he’s this year’s Nick Emmanwori, you should pick him not force yourself to get a CB
Cutie0716 says it shows we need a fast, angry front 7 and a secondary full of guys who know how to tackle. Also wants the team to go out and find players who are “hungry.”
We need a hungry defense. We need a quicker and angrier front 7, and a secondary that tackles the opposition by wrapping them up, NOT trying to knock them down with their shoulders. I saw that all year and that falls on the coach.
Defense in 2026, with maybe one of the top 3 OL as our 1st pick. Then DL, secondary and LB.
We will also have the UDFA to find the rest. And no less than 15 UDFA. Hungry. No more prima donnas.
Dolphster says it’s a reminder that defense wins championships.
I’ve said as much in other threads and James mentions the same in his article. Defense wins championships.
PhinsTifosi, in agreement with Dolphster, says it’s a yes about defense winning it all!
“O sells tickets. D wins championships,” -Bear Bryant
SuperG!, in response to PhinsTifosi, said it‘s smoke and mirrors from the ownership.
“If you can’t sell tickets, buy out the remaining unsold tickets so it appears as if you are selling tickets.” – Stephen Ross
finfanfromsiam says build the defense, stop throwing stupid money at free agents, and manage the cap properly!
The smothering defense is the blueprint. Don’t drop stupid money on free agents. Proper cap control.
sdphinsfan says play solid D and run it down their throats.
Play good Defense and run the ball. Works every time…
The Seahawks under Schneider have put a focus on acquiring good players that fit what they do. They don’t overpay…and it doesn’t seem like they miss on alot, either in FA or the Draft. That tells me their scouting department knows what they are doing…hint, hint Sully. Get that part right and you and Haf will have a chance to turn this around.
JUK also has a comment of his own, pointing out that a coach who calls the D can win it all and that the team needs to stop forcing picks to just fill a position and instead draft the best players possible.
A first time play calling defensive coach just won the superbowl. We have one of those (who is very well respected) for those that thought that can’t work.
You don’t have to have a top 10 QB on a rookie contract to be competitive and win a Super Bowl (in fact Mahomes’ first title is the only one since Flacco in 2012 to fulfil that criteria). Schneider has drafted 3 QBs in 14 years with the highest being Wilson/Milroe in the 3rd round.
To expand on the point above, drafting good players matters more than drafting specific positions. Only two of the Seahawks starters in the front 7 were draftees but 4 of their 5 secondary starters were. They added other key pieces by trade or free agency.
A great example – In the Seahawks 2023 draft (which they absolutely smashed) they picked Witherspoon and JSN with their two first round picks, even though Jalen Carter was on the board for the first pick. They then traded for Leonard Williams later that year. They got 5 key players in the top 108 of that draft but went CB, WR, Edge, RB, G. In 2024 their best draft picks were an interior D Lineman and a tight end, and in 2025 they hit on their top 2 picks with a guard and a safety.
TL:DR. Just draft good players rather than trying to force positional value. You can than add key pieces via free agency and trade… even at QB if that’s how your roster building falls.
Well, that’s our selection of comments this evening. It seems the fanbase is in agreement on the need to build a solid defense, and for some, a top-of-the-first-round quarterback isn’t necessary to win it all. Some of you also want to see the team learn to draft more in the best player available mode than in the reach-for-positional-need mode. I would also like to see them stop drafting the project guys, unless it’s a possible steal on day three. As always, thank you to each of you who takes the time to answer our PQOTD.
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