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⭐ Five things to know Wednesday
- Jeremiah Smith, Colin Simmons and Leonard Moore lead the 2026 CBS Sports Preseason All-America team. Those three college football stars are unanimous honorees. Their selections reflect a larger trend. That is, the SEC, Big Ten and Notre Dame are well represented. The SEC leads the way with 15 first-teamers while the Big Ten accounts for six. Notre Dame has two of its own. We also unveiled our picks for this year’s preseason college football awards. Oregon hauled in two of them with Dante Moore winning Player of the Year and Dan Lanning taking home Coach of the Year.
- Three veteran NFL free agents found landing spots. The most notable of the trio is six-time Pro Bowler Keenan Allen, who intends to sign a one-year deal with the Colts as a third option to starting receivers Alec Pierce and Josh Downs. Speaking of former Chargers, Najee Harris is headed to the Giants for a year and brings depth to the running back group now that he has recovered from the torn Achilles he suffered last season. Lastly, Za’Darius Smith will come out of retirement to ink a one-year contract with the Falcons. The three-time Pro Bowl edge rusher is a critical addition to a unit that saw Jalon Walker tear his ACL and James Pearce Jr. receive an eight-game suspension.
- The Yankees and Dodgers face pitching injuries. Two years into the largest contract by a left-handed pitcher in baseball history, Max Fried is back on the injured list with a bone bruise in his pitching elbow — the same injury that cost him two months earlier in the season. The Yankees’ pitching staff is already stretched thin, so they need the offense to step up in order to maintain their AL Wild Card spot. Meanwhile, in the NL West, the division-leading Dodgers placed Edwin Díaz back on the IL less than three weeks after he returned from elbow surgery. He struggled to the tune of a 12.91 ERA and three blown saves in nine appearances.
- It is a matter of when, not if, the NFL adds an international team. In years past, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell hinted at the possibility of expansion outside the United States. Now he says he has “no doubt that this will happen one day.” Nothing is imminent, but everything is trending toward the NFL introducing one team, multiple teams or even an entire division to an overseas audience. Europe makes the most sense as a region to target, but the league will also hold games this season in Australia, Brazil and Mexico.
- The Premier League season is just two days away. There is a long campaign ahead — 380 total matches, to be exact — but if our preseason prognostications are correct, these clubs are in danger of relegation. On the other hand, maybe a quiet summer was exactly what Manchester United needed to take the next step toward reclaiming league glory. And if you’re concerned about the lack of USMNT players in the Premier League this year (only five), history says it might not matter.
🔥 Do not miss this: Hot seat for all 32 NFL teams
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After all of the hirings and firings this offseason, the number of coaches on the hot seat in 2026 might be smaller than in recent years. Still, the pressure is on for leaders like Todd Bowles, whose Buccaneers are on a downward trajectory heading into 2026. Our Zach Pereles explains why Bowles might have the shortest leash in the league.
- Pereles: “The Buccaneers failed to make the postseason for the first time in the Todd Bowles era, which began in 2022, and a second-half collapse (2-7 after the bye) raised questions about Bowles’ job security. Ultimately, Tampa Bay retained him, but he’s definitely on notice, especially considering how much is changing around him.”
Head coaches are not the only people whose seats can become uncomfortably warm, though. Coordinators face similar pressure, quarterbacks are always under scrutiny and players at all positions have expectations to meet. Pereles identified the one member of every team who enters the season with the hottest seat.
For the Browns, it’s a player rather than a coach. Deshaun Watson is on track to win the starting quarterback job in Cleveland, and as a member of our 2026 NFL All-Overpaid Team, anything less than a stellar season would make him a bust.
Here are a few other names on the hot seat:
- Commanders HC Dan Quinn
- Panthers QB Bryce Young
- Cardinals WR Marvin Harrison Jr.
- Jets HC Aaron Glenn
- Chiefs WR Rashee Rice
🤼 Makhachev still atop UFC Pound-for-Pound Rankings
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While Islam Makhachev had to work hard for his unanimous decision win over Ian Machado Garry, it was a victory nonetheless. That UFC 330 result gave us no reason to move Makhachev out of the No. 1 position in our UFC Pound-for-Pound rankings. It did, however, lead us to wonder if the gap between him and the rest of the welterweight division is slimmer than it once was.
Our Brian Campbell explained why, despite the lack of dominance, Makhachev still reigns over the UFC.
- Campbell: “Win streaks the length that Makhachev has now authored seem impossible to maintain because of how many ways there are to lose a fight at the elite level of UFC, where one mistake can cost you. To that end, what Makhachev has done and continues to do is remarkable.”
Meanwhile, on the women’s side, there is a newcomer in the top five. Strawweight champion Mackenzie Dern defended her title by unanimous decision over Gillian Robertson thanks to an improved wrestling game and greater striking. Here’s her new position in the rankings:
3. Zhang Weili (Previously: 3)
4. Mackenzie Dern (NR)
5. Manon Fiorot (4)
👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest
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📺 What we’re watching Wednesday
⚾ Padres at Mets or Tigers at Pirates, 12:35 p.m. on MLB Network
⚾ LLWS: Nicaragua vs. Dominican Republic, 1 p.m. on ESPN
⚾ Braves at Twins, 1:40 p.m. on ESPN Unlimited
⚾ White Sox at Cubs, 2:20 p.m. on Peacock
⚽ UEFA Champions League qualifying playoffs, 3 p.m. on Paramount+
⚾ LLWS: Alabama vs. Washington, 3 p.m. on ESPN
⚾ LLWS: Canada vs. South Korea, 5 p.m. on ESPN
⚾ Yankees at Orioles or Blue Jays at Rays, 6:35 p.m. on MLB Network
⚾ LLWS: New Jersey vs. Massachusetts, 7 p.m. on ESPN
⚽ Stars at Dash, 8 p.m. on CBS Sports Network
⚽ St. Louis City at Sporting Kansas City, 8 p.m. on FS1
🏀 Lynx at Valkyries, 10 p.m. on USA Network
⚽ Earthquakes at Galaxy, 10:30 p.m. on FS1
