NEW YORK — Nathan Lukes hit a two-out, two-run single in the seventh inning, Louis Varland and seven Toronto Blue Jays relievers shut down the New York Yankees – allowing only six hits – for a 5-2 victory in Game 4 of the American League Division Series to advance to their first ALCS since 2016.

Game 1 of the best-of-seven ALCS is set for Sunday at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, where the Blue Jays will face the Seattle Mariners or Detroit Tigers. That series is tied at two, with the deciding game to be played on Friday in Seattle.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider scraped together his staff after using eight pitchers in the 9-6 Game 3 loss, telling his group to be flexible and ready at a moment’s notice. In Game 4, none of the eight Toronto hurlers threw more than 27 pitches, and the Yankees hitters could do nothing to break through, essentially putting on a masterclass on how to operate a bullpen game.

Varland, the Game 3 loser after giving up home runs to Aaron Judge and Jazz Chisholm, threw 1 ⅓ innings, allowing one hit and striking out two on 20 pitches.

Once again, the Blue Jays started quickly and scored first as they had in the previous three games, and it was Vladimir Guerrero Jr. doing the honors, with a single, his ninth RBI in the series, that scored George Springer, who doubled to lead off the game.

The Yankees were again in comeback mode and tied up the score in the third when Ryan McMahon hit his first career postseason home run, a solo shot to right.

Ultimately, the go-ahead run came in the fifth off of Yankees starter Cam Schlittler, who, in his last start, went eight innings, allowing no runs while striking out 12 against the Boston Red Sox in Game 3 of the wild-card series.

It was the Blue Jays who repeatedly put the ball in play and extended their lead when Ernie Clement and Andrés Giménez singled to start the inning, with George Springer scoring Clement on a sacrifice fly.  Schlittler, the 24-year-old rookie right-hander, allowed two runs on eight hits in 6 ⅓ innings.

Toronto got insurance runs in the seventh when Ernie Clement singled to right, his ninth hit of the series. Andrés Giménez then reached on a fielder’s choice thanks to an error by second baseman Jazz Chisholm, allowing Clement to advance to third.  Schlittler was relieved by Devin Williams, and he gave up the two-run scoring single to Lukes to extend the lead.

Pinch-hitter Myles Straw sent thousands of fans to the Yankee Stadium exits with an RBI single in the eighth. The Yankees’ last scoring threat, loading the bases with two out in the eighth, went nowhere after Austin Wells flied out.

The Yankees were attempting to dig out of a 2-0 ALDS hole – something they accomplished in 2017 –  but now face an offseason of questions, again falling short of a championship, despite having the third-highest opening day payroll in the majors.

— Scooby Axson, USA TODAY Sports

Here’s how Wednesday’s game unfolded:

Myles Straw brings in another Toronto run

Myles Straw hit a one-out RBI single in the top of the eighth against Camilo Doval to increase Toronto’s lead to 5-1. David Bednar come in to pitch and got Andres Gimenez and George Springer to strand runners on first and third.

Nathan Lukes delivers insurance for Blue Jays

Jazz Chisholm couldn’t handle a hotshot that may have been an inning-ending double play, opening the door for the Blue Jays to tack on in the seventh. Devin Williams relieved starter Cam Schlittler and struck out George Springer, but Nathan Lukes delivered a two-run single with two outs to make it 4-1 Blue Jays.

Blue Jays lead 2-1 through six

Eric Lauer intentionally walked Aaron Judge with one out and nobody on base, then got Cody Bellinger to line out to left for the second out. Yariel Rodriguez came on for Lauer and walked Giancarlo Stanton but got Jazz Chisholm to ground out and end the inning with a runner in scoring position.

Blue Jays go in front on George Springer sac fly

Ernie Clement and Andres Gimenez started the top of the fifth with singles against Cam Schlitter, Clement advancing to third on the latter with nobody out. George Springer ripped a sacrifice fly to center field that brought in the go-ahead run but Schlittler limited the damage by striking out Vladimir Guerrero Jr. with two outs.

Cam Schlittler works out of jam

Addison Barger hit a leadoff double in the top of the fourth against Cam Schlittler, but the rookie right-hander got Alejandro Kirk and Daulton Varsho to fly out before whiffing Anthony Santander to the threat with a man on third.

Ryan McMahon home run ties it up

July acquisition Ryan McMahon hit a solo home run to lead off the bottom of the third off lefty Mason Fluharty, tying the game 1-1. McMahon had three hits – all singles – in 12 at-bats in the 2025 postseason entering Game 3.

No perfect game today

Today is the anniversary of Don Larsen pitching the only perfect game in a World Series in 1956 as the New York Yankees beat the Brooklyn Dodgers in Game 5, 2-0. There will be no such game in Game 4 of the ALDS, as both starters gave up hits in the first inning. Toronto’s three hits led to them taking an early 1-0 lead, while New York wasted Aaron Judge’s one-out hit, his 12th of the postseason.

Toronto starts fast again

The Blue Jays are swinging early, and George Springer got the party started with a leadoff double to left on the game’s second pitch off Yankees rookie starter Cam Schlittler, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. knocked in his ninth run of the ALDS with a single. Further damage was avoided when Cody Bellinger made a spectacular sliding play for the third out, stranding two batters on base.

What time is the Yankees vs Blue Jays game today?

First pitch in Game 4 is scheduled for 7:08 p.m. ET.

Yankees lineup today

1. Trent Grisham (L) CF
2. Aaron Judge (R) RF
3. Cody Bellinger (L) LF
4. Giancarlo Stanton (R) DH
5. Jazz Chisholm Jr. (L) 2B
6. Paul Goldschmidt (R) 1B
7. Austin Wells (L) C
8. Anthony Volpe (R) SS
9. Ryan McMahon (L) 3B

Blue Jays lineup today

1. George Springer (R) DH
2. Nathan Lukes (L) LF
3. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (R) 1B
4. Addison Barger (L) 3B
5. Alejandro Kirk (R) C
6. Daulton Varsho (L) CF
7. Anthony Santander (S) RF
8. Ernie Clement (R) 2B
9. Andrés Giménez (L) SS

John Schneider’s message to pitchers for bullpen game

“Be flexible, be ready. Again, we’ve done this. A lot of teams have done this. There’s no set script. I think everyone kind of understands where they fit within their lineup, and things can change in a hurry.

‘I think (the pitching and bullpen coaches) do a really good job of communicating that with them, and I think they’ve done it enough to where they’re going to be prepared. You never know how the game’s going to start. So you can have all the best laid out plans and it changes.

‘So I think they have to be flexible and just be ready to go when the phone rings.”

Yankees vs Blue Jays prediction, odds

Aaron Boone on Yankees’ starting pitchers

‘Our rotation has been huge for us this year and especially as we really started to play well in the final six, eight weeks of the season. It started with a lot with our starting pitching, being able to give us just — whether it’s a high end max six or seven inning or whether it was a five inning. Just our starting pitching was giving us a real chance to win ball games every day.

‘That’s the nature of the postseason sometimes. It’s not going to be perfect. The other guys are really good. The other teams are really good. And the Blue Jays have done a good job against our starters here these first three games of the series.’

Bo Bichette injury update from John Schneider

‘The last three days have been pretty positive for him. He hit in our little sim game in Toronto against Max (Scherzer) and Chris (Bassitt). Running today for the first time. We’ll take it a day at a time and just listen to how he’s feeling.

‘In talking to him when he got here yesterday, I think he’s probably turned the corner a little bit in terms of making some steady progress. It wasn’t just kind of hitting in the cage, it was facing some live pitching and knowing that he was going to be running today for the first time.

‘So I think he’s making some strides, and we’ll continue to take it a day at a time.’

The Chicago Cubs managed to keep their postseason hopes alive on Wednesday, Oct. 8 with a 4-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 3 of the National League Division Series.

It’s the second home win for the Cubs these playoffs after facing elimination.

The Brewers did take an early lead with a run scored by Christian Yelich in the first inning, but the Cubs responded with a four-run first inning against the Brewers that proved to be the difference in the overall outcome.

Milwaukee attempted to rally with runs scored in the fourth and seventh innings, but it wasn’t enough to swing the game in its favor; the Brewers left several runners on base in the later innings.

Pitcher Drew Pomeranz earned the win after striking out two in one inning of work. Brad Keller was credited with the save after striking out two in 1.1 innings pitched. Starter Jameson Taillon handled a bulk of the workload on the mound with four innings pitched. He allowed five hits and two earned runs, while striking out three.

With the victory, the Cubs force the series to a Game 4 back in Chicago on Thursday.

USA TODAY Sports provided updates and highlights of NLDS Game 3 between the Brewers and Cubs:

Brewers vs. Cubs highlights

Final: Cubs 4, Brewers 3

Pitcher Brad Keller and the Brewers record three straight outs to put the game away and force a Game 4 on Thursday.

Brewers have tying run on base

Jackson Chourio hit a lead-off double to left field and served as the tying run for the Brewers. Andrew Kittredge is removed by the Cubs and replaced by Caleb Thielbar.

Thielbar struck out Turang before walking William Contreras. Sal Frelick grounded to second, where Contreras was out. Chourio moves to third and still represents the tying run.

Brad Keller comes in to replace Thielbar. Caleb Durbin walked. Frelick moved to second base.

Bauers strikes out swinging on a pitch from Keller. The Brewers leave the bases loaded as the game moves to the bottom of the eighth.

Score: Cubs 4, Brewers 3.

Cubs looking to add insurance runs late

The Cubs have runners on first and second base with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Nico Hoerner and Kyle Tucker both singled to right field before the Brewers removed Jared Koenig from the mound in place of Chad Patrick.

Patrick would strike out Ian Happ for the third out of the inning, leaving the two runners on base stranded.

Score: Cubs 4, Brewers 3.

Jake Bauers, Brewers cut into Cubs’ lead

Jake Bauers with a solo home run in the top of the seventh. The Brewers continue to cut into the Cubs’ lead and it’s a one-run game.

Score: Cubs 4, Brewers 3.

Anderson back on mound for Brewers

Brewers pitcher Grant Anderson returns to the mound for the bottom of the sixth.

Dansby Swanson singled to left field for the Cubs’ only hit of the inning, but was eventually left stranded by Anderson and the Brewers.

Score: Cubs 4, Brewers 2.

Cubs put a new arm on the mound

Right-handed pitcher Daniel Palencia comes in to replace Drew Pomeranz at the start of the sixth inning.

William Contreras and Sal Frelick both grounded out for the Brewers before Caleb Durbin lined out to right field to send the game to the bottom of the sixth inning.

Score: Cubs 4, Brewers 2.

Brewers make another pitching change

José Quintana’s night is done after the Brewers got the first out in the bottom of the fifth. Grant Anderson comes in as relief.

Quintana allowed two hits while striking out two in three innings of work.

Kyle Tucker singled to center field off Quintana during the inning. It was the only hit for the Cubs in the inning. Seiya Suzuki struck out swinging against Anderson for the first out. Anderson picked off Tucker, who was caught trying to steal second base. Anderson struck out Ian Happ to end the inning.

Score: Cubs 4, Brewers 2.

Drew Pomeranz started fifth for Cubs

Drew Pomeranz took the mound at the start of the fifth inning, replacing Jameson Taillon.

Pomeranz started to warm up in the fourth inning. After Christian Yelich was grounded out early in the frame, Pomeranz put away Jackson Chourio and Brice Turang at the plate to send the game to the bottom of the fifth inning.

Taillon allowed five hits and two earned run while striking out three in four innings of work.

Score: Cubs 4, Brewers 2.

Brewers’ defense records three out to end fourth

José Quintana and the Brewers make quick work of the Cubs in the bottom of the fourth. Milwaukee managed to get the first three batters out. Nico Hoerner and Matt Shaw both grounded out at second. Michael Busch flied out in left field.

Score: Cubs 4, Brewers 2.

Brewers get runners on base quickly

The Brewers quickly get runners on first and second base early in the fourth inning.

Jake Bauers helps take advantage of the situation, hitting an RBI single off Jameson Taillon, allowing the Brewers to cut into the Cubs’ lead. The Brewers trail the Chicago at the top of the inning.

Drew Pomeranz is throwing in the Cubs’ bullpen. Taillon made it through the inning, but it remains unknown if he will return to the mound for the 5th inning.

Score: Cubs 4, Brewers 2.

Jose Quintana strands two Cubs runners in third inning

After Seiya Suzuki led off the bottom half of the inning with a double, Brewers pitcher Jose Quintana walked Ian Happ. Despite the early trouble, Quintana managed to get out of the inning without further damage on the scoreboard.

After getting Carson Kelly to fly out to right fielder Sal Frelick, Pete Crow-Armstrong struck out on a questionable checked-swing call. Dansby Swanson grounded out to shortstop Joey Ortiz to end the inning. Score: Cubs 4, Brewers 1.

Brewers go down 1-2-3 again in third inning

Cubs starter Jameson Taillon has settled down considerably after an adventurous first inning. He completed a second consecutive 1-2-3 inning in the top of the third inning. This time, it came against the top of the Brewers’ order, getting Christian Yelich, Jackson Chourio and Brice Turang out. Score: Cubs 4, Brewers 1.

Jose Quintana cools off Cubs in second inning

After a chaotic first inning, the Brewers called on 14-year veteran left-hander Jose Quintana to settle things down and quiet the boisterous Wrigley Field crowd.

The move worked in the second inning, as Quintana put the Cubs down 1-2-3 to keep the Brewers within reasonable striking distance on the scoreboard. Score: Cubs 4, Brewers 1.

Brewers go quickly in second

How would the Brewers respond to the Cubs’ big first inning? By going down 1-2-3 against Jameson Taillon.

The highlight was a 13-pitch at bat for Brandon Lockridge, who fouled off seven pitches before striking out. Score: Cubs 4, Brewers 1.

Cubs answer big time in bottom of first inning

Just as he had in Game 1, Michael Busch hit a leadoff home run. This is Busch’s third home run this postseason.

It turned into a brutal first inning for Chicagoland native Quinn Priester. After allowing Busch’s leadoff home run, Nico Hoerner singled, then Kyle Tucker walked. Priester finally got the first out, but it took a spectacular sliding catch by right fielder Sal Frelick on a hard hit ball by Seiya Suzuki. Ian Happ walked to load the bases. Priester got Carson Kelly to strike out, but Pete Crow-Armstrong hit a two-out single to score Tucker and Hoerner.

After all that, Priester was pulled from the game and Nick Mears came in. The Cubs weren’t done. As Crow-Armstrong took off for second, Mears uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Happ to score. And, after batting around in the bottom of the first inning, the Cubs grabbed a commanding three-run lead. Score: Cubs 4, Brewers 1.

Brewers plate one in first inning

Christian Yelich opened the game with a leadoff double. After a ground out by Jackson Chourio and a walk to Brice Turang, things got wild at Wrigley Field.

William Contreras hit an infield pop fly that got lost in the late afternoon shadows as first baseman Michael Busch could not see the ball. Contreras’ pop fly landed in front of Busch, Contreras was safe at first and Turang hustled to second base, which wasn’t covered as Cubs infielders were chasing after the lost pop fly. Cubs manager Craig Counsell probed the umpires about why an infield fly rule was not in effect, but no Chicago fielder had a bead on the ball.

Sal Frelick hit a sacrifice fly to left field and Yelich scored the game’s opening run. Score: Brewers 1, Cubs 0.

What time is Cubs vs Brewers game today?

First pitch in Game 3 is scheduled for 5:08 p.m. ET at Wrigley Field.

Where to watch Brewers vs Cubs today: TV channel, stream

Game 3 will air on TBS and can be streamed on HBO Max or with Sling TV.

Watch Cubs vs Brewers on Sling TV

Cubs vs Brewers prediction, odds

Brewers lineup for NLDS Game 3 vs. Cubs

1. Christian Yelich (L), DH
2. Jackson Chourio (R), LF
3. Brice Turang (L), 2B
4. William Contreras (R), C
5. Sal Frelick (L), RF
6. Caleb Durbin (R), 3B
7. Jake Bauers (L), 1B
8. Brandon Lockridge (R), CF
9. Joey Ortiz (R), SS

Starting pitcher: Quinn Priester (R)

Cubs lineup for NLDS Game 3 vs. Brewers

1. Michael Busch (L), 1B
2. Nico Hoerner (R), 2B
3. Kyle Tucker (L), DH
4. Seiya Suzuki (R), RF
5. Ian Happ (S), LF
6. Carson Kelly (R), C
7. Pete Crow-Armstrong (L), CF
8. Dansby Swanson (R), SS
9. Matt Shaw (R), 3B

Starting pitcher: Jameson Taillon (R)

Brewers make changes to starting lineup for Game 3

The Milwaukee Brewers will have a different look to their Game 3 lineup against the Cubs on Oct. 8, with Jake Bauers playing first base against right-handed Chicago starter Jameson Taillon and center fielder Brandon Lockridge taking the place of Blake Perkins.

Quinn Priester, Cubs fan as a youth, is Game 3 starter for Brewers

This is Quinn Priester’s game. And is there anyone better for the job?

The right-handed starter takes the mound looking to send the Brewers to the NL Championship Series and his boyhood team to the offseason. The Brewers have won 19 of the last 20 games in which Priester has pitched.

Priester, a native of Glendale Heights in suburban Chicago who cheered for the Cubs growing up, gets the playoff assignment at Wrigley Field for the Brewers in a close-out situation with Milwaukee up 2-0. On the other side, it’s veteran Jameson Taillon getting the ball for the Cubs for the second time this postseason in a must-win situation. — Christopher Kuhagen, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Where’s Rhys Hoskins? Not on Brewers’ NLDS roster, but still a presence

If you watch the reaction from the home dugout on William Contreras’ go-ahead home run in Game 2 of the NLDS against the Cubs, the most excited member of the Brewers might have been someone who’s not even on the roster.

Toward the back of the celebratory line of high fives for Contreras was Rhys Hoskins, hat twirling in his right hand as he jumped up and down while the Brewers catcher approached him. 

This – relegated to a spot on the dugout railing rather than the infield dirt – is not where Hoskins envisioned himself being this postseason. — Curt Hogg, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

AI-assisted summary
• Bill Belichick’s tenure at North Carolina has seen the cancellation of two behind-the-scenes television deals, first with HBO and now with Hulu.
• The team, under Belichick, has had one of the worst starts against Power conference teams in the program’s history.
• Belichick’s hiring, led by the university’s Board of Trustees, has been a source of controversy and criticism.

So let me get this straight, because it’s more difficult by the day to filter fact from fantasy with Bill Belichick and North Carolina football. 

On the same week the hard-working North Carolina creatives department defied strict orders and posted on X about former Tar Heel great Drake Maye living the dream with the NFL’s New England Patriots, the coach who once latched onto the greatest player in the history of the NFL for a bucket of trophies with those same Patriots, 86’d a deal with Hulu for a behind the scenes look at his now spectacular fail of a buildout in Chapel Hill.

This, of course, comes months after fallout from the highly-anticipated marriage of UNC and HBO’s Hard Knocks, which wanted a similar program until The Muse nixed that one, too. 

You remember The Muse, right? Jordon Hudson, she of the five decades in the rearview to Belichick’s remarkable life, tagging along with Belichick’s new gig and running all things Team Beli.

It was Team Beli that — ahem — allegedly ordered UNC creatives to avoid all mention of the New England Patriots on the school’s social media accounts. Even if it meant ignoring one of the program’s greatest players ever (Maye), whose family just happens to be Carolina royalty.

And if you don’t think Team Beli laid down that law, let’s not forget that when Belichick began his offseason media book tour, one revealing thing stood out: Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who gave Belichick the opportunity to coach and provided him with endless financial and professional backing, wasn’t mentioned.

Since that bizarre book media tour — which ended quickly after The Muse was offended by the simple, softball question of how did you and Belichick meet? — a whole lot of bad has unfolded among the stately pines on the pristine campus in Chapel Hill.

How much embarrassment and shame is enough for North Carolina? Is it WRAL reporting that Belichick has lost the locker room already? Or that Belichick doesn’t even speak to some players, and the culture is a ‘complete disaster’?

And we haven’t even reached the level of distress on the field.

Belichick turned over the UNC roster, built on four straight strong recruiting classes by former coach Mack Brown, and added 70 new players. That’s a roster of 82% who had never played a down at UNC.

Chapel Bill (which The Muse had copyrighted) then lost by 34 to TCU in the season opener, in front of a packed house at Keenan Stadium and a national television audience — as the only game played on the Monday of Labor Day weekend.

After two gimme putt wins against Charlotte and Richmond, the 33rd team — Belichick’s name for the Carolina program, in reference to it being ‘the 33rd NFL team’ — lost by 25 to UCF and by 28 to Clemson. 

This is an abject train wreck at every possible angle. It’s also a steep and painful learning curve for one of the nation’s greatest academic universities.

When the Board of Trustees at any university gets knee-deep in coaching change, bad things happen. 

It’s ugly enough the board allegedly violated open meetings laws in approving Belichick’s contract. It’s worse that Trustees chairman John Preyer, a vocal critic of UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham, was essentially a one-man search committee and initiated the Belichick deal without input from Cunningham or anyone else associated with the athletic department.

Instead of Cunningham hiring flawless and spotless (and pretty damn good) Iowa State coach Matt Campbell, Preyer pulled out his pompoms and hired Belichick without any clue of the tentacles that came with it.

Instead of hiring a humble, hard-driving coach who has thrived in lesser situations at Iowa State and Toledo — with significantly less money to build and develop players and a winning program — Preyer decided, on his own, to hire high maintenance Bill and The Muse. 

A surly, my way or the highway personality who had never coached at the college level, much less in the new, unbridled environment of player empowerment. A coach who was toxic and unhireable in the NFL because of his personality and want of total control, and because of the whole chicken and egg thing with a guy named Brady.

So Preyer decides to give Belichick $50 million over five years, with the understanding that Beli’s son, Stephen, sure would be a helluva candidate to take over once Bill and The Muse decided to drop cash on a Caribbean island somewhere.  

Then — and here’s the kicker — Preyer decided to hit up donors for $20 million in NIL funds to go all-in and buy a championship. Now here we are 10 months later, and this is what North Carolina has to show for it.

Team Beli pulling out of not one, but two cable/streaming site deals to showcase the glorious rebuild from the greatest football coach in the history of the game. What would’ve been hours of free publicity for the program (hello, recruiting advantage), is now just another strange twist to the embarrassing story.  

And we haven’t even dug into the hastily-built and woefully prepared team with holes everywhere. The group of high school and transfer portal players that two men (Belichick and UNC general manager Michael Lombardi) with decades of NFL experience and not a sniff of college knowledge, haphazardly threw together.

The bye week couldn’t have come at a better time. A chance to reset, focus on what works and try to get a win in two weeks at California. 

Then the Hulu news broke and we’re reminded once again what this really is. It’s not too late to throw $30 million go away money at the mess, and hire Campbell after the season. 

What a glorious social media post that will be from the UNC creatives.  

Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB.

The Bengals got their first look at quarterback Joe Flacco in a Cincinnati uniform during practice today.

Fans will have to get used to that sight.

Bengals coach Zac Taylor confirmed today that the 40-year-old Flacco will be the team’s starting quarterback this week against the Green Bay Packers.

Cincinnati traded a fifth-round pick in the NFL Draft to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for Flacco and a sixth-round pick. The former Super Bowl MVP was benched ahead of Week 5 and started rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel in his place in a 21-17 loss to Minnesota.

His arrival means he will take over for longtime backup Jake Browning, who had started the last three games for the Bengals in place of injured franchise quarterback Joe Burrow.

Browning went 0-3 as a starter for the Bengals this season. He completed 59 of 92 passes (64.1%) for 516 yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions in those games.

It wasn’t Browning’s first time as the Bengals’ starter. He went 4-3 as a starter in 2023 in place of an injured Burrow and led the NFL in completion percentage at 70.4%.

Cincinnati decided to make a move and solidified the change within 48 hours. Flacco will be the presumed starter until Burrow potentially returns from injury later this year.

Flacco won’t have an easy outing for his first start as a Bengals quarterback. Cincinnati is on the road this week to take on the Packers, who just had their bye week and feature star pass rusher Micah Parsons.

This marks the third AFC North team Flacco has started at least one game for. He spent 11 years with the Baltimore Ravens and started the 2025 season with the Browns.

AI-assisted summary
• Florida’s Billy Napier and Auburn’s Hugh Freeze are facing pressure after multiple disappointing seasons.
• Wisconsin’s Luke Fickell has not met expectations, with the team in danger of a second straight losing record.
• USC’s Lincoln Riley and UNC’s Bill Belichick are also listed among the most overpaid coaches.

The clock is ticking for some of college football’s highest-paid coaches.

That includes Florida’s Billy Napier, who was on the verge of being fired last season before earning a reprieve that hasn’t paid off for the Gators.

Another coach under fire is Wisconsin’s Luke Fickell, who arrived with massive expectations after a historic run at Cincinnati but is in danger of posting back-to-back losing records. That hasn’t happened in Madison since 1991-92.

And a third is Auburn’s Hugh Freeze. Despite a long track record of success, including during his previous stint at Mississippi, Freeze has been unable to transform the Tigers into anything resembling an SEC contender.

∎ View the entire 2025 college football coach salary database here

This group leads USA TODAY Sports’ list of the most overpaid head coaches in the country:

Lincoln Riley, Southern California

Riley earned $11.5 million during the 2023 calendar year, including bonuses and the value of various benefits, according to the private school’s most recently available federal tax records. That ranks him third among coaches is our survey behind Georgia’s Kirby Smart ($13.3 million) and Ohio State’s Ryan Day ($12.6 million). While Smart and Day have won three of the past four national championships, Riley has gone just 11-7 since USC joined the Big Ten last season. The results over his four seasons since moving from Oklahoma have simply not been there despite Riley’s massive salary.

Bill Belichick, North Carolina

Belichick is one of nine coaches in our survey making at least $10 million in total compensation. While UNC might’ve felt the need to break the bank to hire a six-time Super Bowl champion, the 73-year-old Belichick’s decades of success had not translated to the college game. The 2-3 Tar Heels have looked like one of the weakest teams in the Power Four in games against TCU, Central Florida and Clemson.

Luke Fickell, Wisconsin

This seemed like the perfect marriage: Fickell’s program at Cincinnati embraced the same physical style that helped turn Wisconsin into one of the most consistently successful programs in the Power Four. The results have been shockingly poor. The Badgers went 7-6 in 2023, dropped to 5-7 last season and are 2-3 so far in 2025. While the roster is young, the lack of on-field success could make this a three-and-out coaching tenure. Fickell is making $7.8 million in total compensation as part of a deal that runs through the 2031 season, with a current buyout of $27.5 million.

Billy Napier, Florida

At 21-22 overall, Napier could become the first non-interim Florida coach to post a losing record since Raymond Wolf from 1946-49. While last November’s decision to bring Napier back for another year sparked a strong close to last season, the Gators have continued to be one of the most frustrating teams in the SEC and one of the biggest disappointments in the Power Four despite his $7.5 million in total compensation. Napier’s current buyout is $20.4 million.

Hugh Freeze, Auburn

Unless his team’s underperforming offense gets in gear, Freeze could become the first Auburn coach with three losing seasons in a row since Earl Brown from 1948-50. Before being hired by the Tigers, Freeze had just one losing season in 10 years as a Bowl Subdivision head coach. Barring a strong second half, Auburn will be conducting its third coaching search since the end of the 2020 season. Freeze is earning $6.7 million in total compensation this season with a school buyout of $15.4 million.

AI-assisted summary
• Colorado’s athletic department expenses are rising significantly, but the university has not yet determined where the money will come from.
• Despite the financial uncertainty, Colorado increased Sanders’ pay and expanded the football support staff.
• While Sanders has generated massive media exposure and revenue for the university, the athletic department still relies on substantial financial support from the school.

BOULDER, CO – To help protect their massive investment in coach Deion Sanders, University of Colorado officials agreed to pay for his personal security by putting his bodyguard on the school payroll.

That bodyguard, Michael Rhodes, is a former police officer who is paid $48,880 and is part of a football enterprise at Colorado that has expanded from 48 to 57 coaches and support staff since last year, according to records obtained from Colorado by USA TODAY Sports.

That includes Rhodes in the role of “private security to the head coach.”

“Officer Rhodes is a trusted and invaluable member of Coach Prime’s security team and has been an important addition to CU Athletics’ overall security efforts since his arrival,” the university said.

The cowboy-hatted Rhodes screens Sanders’ mail and follows him around, protecting a prized employee who now is one of 10 college football coaches making at least $10 million annually, according to the newly released coaches’ pay database from USA TODAY Sports.

That’s up from only two coaches making at least $8 million in 2019 − Alabama’s Nick Saban and Clemson’s Dabo Swinney, both of whom had won multiple national championships by then. This year, seven of those $10-million coaches never have won a national championship, including Sanders, whose pay was increased by Colorado from $5.7 million in 2024.

Yet schools keep throwing that kind of money at these coaches anyway, even as another massive new cost has been added to their athletics budgets this year starting July 1 − up to $20.5 million in additional benefits for players, including payments for their names, images and likenesses (NIL).

All of which raises a fundamental question: Where is the money coming from to pay for all of this?

Colorado says revenue sources are ‘TBD’

Some schools can answer that question more easily than others. Texas, for example, generated $332 million in athletics revenue in fiscal 2024, the most in the nation among public schools. That level of resources helped Texas increase the pay of coach Steve Sarkisian from $5.45 million in 2021 to $10.8 million now.

At Virginia Tech, the governing board on Sept. 30 approved a plan that provides $229 million in additional support for athletics over the next four years.

At Michigan, the university has offered athletics a $15 million loan to help pay rising costs in athletics.

In Colorado’s case, it’s a mystery.

“TBD,” Colorado’s athletic department recently stated on an estimated budget revenue form for fiscal year 2026, which started July 1.

TBD stands for “to be determined.”

In fiscal 2024, Colorado athletics generated only about a third of the revenue that Texas did, $115 million.

Meanwhile, the academic side of campus is straining for resources. In 2024, CU projected a small but growing budget deficit starting in fiscal 2027. As a result, it told faculty and staff to move forward by “being comfortable with being uncomfortable.”

“As someone who is a teaching professor, I find it interesting that this budget crisis has occurred since Deion Sanders has come to CU,” said Sigman Byrd, an associate teaching professor at Colorado. “That the university will be perhaps giving even more money to athletics makes it worse. It frustrates me, angers me. Why is Sanders and the football team getting the money? That the university may not be transparent in the way it’s paying its bills concerns me, too.”

Colorado’s statement on where the money is coming from

USA TODAY Sports has submitted several requests to Colorado since May for records that show the athletic department’s revenue and expense estimates for the current fiscal year. In response, Colorado said it didn’t have documents responsive to these requests. The university then provided a document on Sept. 10 that shows estimated expenses for the current fiscal year at $164.9 million, about $24 million more than the estimated expenses for fiscal year 2025 and $27 million more than fiscal 2024.

Most of that increase can be attributed to football expenses and the new $20.5-million cost for players, under terms of the legal settlement for the House vs. NCAA lawsuit.

But Colorado said it doesn’t have anything to provide in writing that spells out where it’s getting the money to pay for that and Sanders’ new contract.

In previous years, the university has supported its athletic department with substantial funding to help to cover costs. In fiscal 2023, the university provided $31.89 million to athletics, according to documents obtained by USA TODAY Sports. In fiscal 2024, which included Sanders’ first season at CU, the university also provided $31.9 million to athletics, including $1.7 million from student fees. In fiscal year 2025, CU athletics estimated getting at least $26 million in support from the university.

But for fiscal 2026, the university said school support for athletics is “TBD,” like the rest.

“The FY26 budget is currently in development and is not finalized,” CU Athletics said in a statement to USA TODAY Sports in September. “Due to new opportunities presented by the House settlement, the budget for FY26 has required extensive conversations with our campus partners as well as our Board of Regents. CU Athletics is preparing for House implementation with a singular focus on revenue generation, which includes donations, multi-media rights, outside events and other sources, particularly the immense ancillary benefits the university receives thanks to head football coach Deion Sanders.”    

The chair of the Board of Regents declined comment through a CU spokesperson.

CU media exposure from Sanders valued at $3.2B

In other words, Colorado is partly hoping its investment in Sanders pays off with increased revenues. It already has in many ways. Colorado sold out every home game in 2023 and had a record $31.2 million in football ticket sales in fiscal 2024.

His team is 2-4 this year without a Big 12 Conference win and was 9-4 last year after finishing 1-11 before Sanders was hired in 2022. Almost all of its games are now televised on national television, unlike before Sanders’ arrival, which has helped gain the university $3.2 billion in advertising equivalency value as measured by Cision, CU’s media monitoring company.

By those metrics, Sanders is arguably underpaid compared to what he brings in. Colorado football by itself reported $64.7 million in operating revenues in fiscal 2024, compared to $38.5 million in expenses.

But there are limits to his money-making magic. The value of its media exposure under Sanders isn’t cash revenue, though it has helped boost enrollment to a record last fall of more than 38,000, up by 3.4% from the year before. In 2019, it was about 35,500. Factors other than athletics obviously boost and cap enrollment.

Sanders’ health has also been a concern. He was scheduled to undergo another surgery to remove blood clots in his left leg on Oct. 7 but is expected to return to his job this week.

Meanwhile, Colorado’s athletic department still has needed the university’s financial support since his arrival. It has 16 other sports to pay for, most of which don’t generate much revenue, if any. Football helps pay for them. And now the expenses are going up in fiscal 2026 without a clear new revenue source to cover them.

“In the absence of new revenue and assuming the expenses are accurate, then the campus will be on the hook for something approaching $50 million in subsidy of the athletic department,” said Roger Pielke, an emeritus professor at Colorado who previously taught sports governance in the CU athletics department. “That probably explains the sensitivities.”

The subsidy gap in college football

Colorado serves as a high-profile example of a school investing heavily in football at a time when uncertainty looms over future funding and a growing revenue gap divides college football.

One way to measure that divide is by whether athletic departments generate enough revenue on their own to pay the bills or need financial support from their universities to cover costs, such as direct payments from the university and student fees.

Only 24 of 236 Division I athletic departments received less than $4 million in university allocations in fiscal year 2024, the most recent year available for all schools, according to public records collected by USA TODAY Sports in conjunction with the Knight-Newhouse College Athletics Database at Syracuse University. That list includes big-revenue football schools in the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference such as Ohio State, Penn State, Texas, LSU, Michigan, Georgia, Oregon and Alabama.

Those athletic departments can afford to give their coaches big paychecks without getting help from the other side of campus. Of the nine public school coaches making $10 million, six work for athletic departments getting less than $4 million in support from their universities, including Ohio State’s Ryan Day, whose pay jumped from $10 million last year to $12.5 million now.

High subsidies at other schools

On the other end of the spectrum, 33 athletic departments received at least $30 million in university support, including Colorado ($31.9 million), Houston ($38.4 million), Arizona State ($51.7 million) and South Florida ($63.7 million).

This was all before the new $20.5 million settlement cost kicked in, along with increases related to football pay, such as at Arizona State, where coach Kenny Dillingham is making $7.4 million, up from $3.95 million last year.

“It doesn’t seem that the new model that includes new institutional NIL compensation for college athletes is moderating the growth rate of college coaching salaries and the excessive buyouts in their contracts,” said Amy Perko, CEO of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics.

To address this, Perko said Congress should reconsider how to curb excessive pay for coaches at tax-exempt universities. She also noted that nearly 80% of Division I university leaders expressed concern about their athletics departments’ future reliance on institutional funds and student fees to cover expenses, according to a national survey conducted by Elon University Poll and the Knight Commission.

Why Colorado committed to the new expenses

If Colorado didn’t commit to these new expenses, it would risk falling into the abyss of irrelevancy in sports. Every school in major college football feels this pressure.

In Colorado’s case, the years before Sanders’ hiring showed what happens when you don’t keep up in sports, especially football. A bad team led to apathy and despair among fans and donors.

The University of Colorado’s Board of Regents referenced the competition in March when it approved Sanders’s new contract. The board’s agenda said it was necessary “in light of the prevailing market conditions and competitive employment agreement practices nationwide for head coaches.”

But even with Sanders packing the stadium and drumming up national attention on television every week, paying the bills is still more challenging in the Big 12 than in the revenue-rich Big Ten or SEC. In the Big 12, most schools got about $39.5 million each in fiscal year 2024, compared to $63 million for members of the Big Ten.

How other schools are paying for it

Another Big 12 school, Houston, is getting a new revenue boost at the same time its player expenses are going up. The Cougars previously got almost a half share of Big 12 revenue distributions, starting in 2023 when they joined the league. This year, they get a full share of around $36 million, athletics director Eddie Nunez said. That increase of around $18 million is dedicated to paying the $20.5 million for players.

It helps that coach Willie Fritz is making $4.5 million, the same as last year.

“For us, it was a little bit easier,” Houston athletics director Eddie Nunez told USA TODAY Sports. “We have this revenue coming in that we have not been living off of.”

That’s not the case at Colorado, which already was living off of a full revenue share in the Pac-12 and Big 12 conferences.

Other schools are tackling the new expense in different ways with cost reductions, fundraising efforts and university support.

∎ At Virginia Tech, the Board of Visitors on Sept. 30 approved a new $229-million planned investment in athletics over the next four years, including $48.3 million in institutional support, $21.3 million in student-fee revenue, $120 million in planned donations and $39.6 million in bridge funding, which the school said would come from university cash assets.

∎ In June, the Board of Governors for the State University System of Florida granted permission for state universities to give a $22.5 million annual lifeline to their athletics programs through at least June 2028.

∎ At West Virginia, the schools’ board of governors is taking steps to significantly boost funding for athletics and put it in the “top funding tier” in the Big 12, with more details to come.

∎ Even in Michigan’s big-revenue athletics department, athletics director Warde Manuel said the Wolverines faced a projected deficit of $27 million for the 2025-26 academic year, including the $20.5 million for players. He cited a planned 10% reduction in staff while the university has also offered the department a loan of up to $15 million, spokesman Dave Ablauf said.

‘We’ve got to figure out how’

USA TODAY Sports requested interviews with Colorado athletics director Rick George and Chancellor Justin Schwartz but was told they weren’t available. The athletic department said Sanders declined to comment. He previously addressed his new contract by saying he loves Colorado and wanted to get more resources for his program first.

Otherwise, he said, “I don’t like talking about my stuff.”

In July, George appeared on the athletic department’s YouTube channel with host Mark Johnson, an employee of the university.

“Where’s this money coming from?” Johnson asked in reference to the big new cost of revenue-sharing with players.

“Well, look,” George said, “like a lot of times, we’ve got to figure out how we’re gonna get to that point.”

George then said his department has tried to minimize expenses and maximize revenues but didn’t offer a clear solution that would cover these huge new costs in fiscal 2026.

University regents approved a student athletics fee increase this year from $28.50 to $90 per semester, but it’s being phased in gradually and only netted athletics about $1.7 million annually before the increase.

George cited a rare seventh home football game this season instead of the usual six, which could add around $5 million more than normal. He also said the new artificial turf at Folsom Field might lead to more events, such as a concert in October. He even said he hoped his football team hosted a College Football Playoff game in December. Ohio State, for example, netted $5.1 million for its playoff home game in 2024. But that is not likely this season for the Buffaloes.

“We absolutely need more support from our donors if we can,” George said then.

Colorado’s estimated donations for fiscal 2026 are like the rest: TBD.

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

Cooper Flagg has a lot to live up to after the Dallas Mavericks selected the Duke All American and Naismith College Player of the Year winner with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

There’s a long legacy of Hall of Famers produced from that spot atop the draft order, with players like Elgin Baylor (1958), Oscar Robertson (1960), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1969), Magic Johnson (1979), Shaquille O’Neal (1992) and Tim Duncan (1997) among those who serve as proof of what can happen to a franchise when it gets the No. 1 pick right. There have also been plenty of busts born from terrible injury luck or a team’s front office making the wrong choice.

Flagg is in the unusual position of playing a big role for a potential contender immediately as a rookie, rather than learning the NBA with a rebuilding team like most recent No. 1 picks are forced to do. With the 2025-26 NBA season fast approaching, USA TODAY Sports ranked all the No. 1 picks since 2000 as Flagg prepares to begin his rookie campaign.

Flagg and all No. 1 picks before the 2000 NBA draft were not included in this exercise. Here’s how the rankings turned out:

25. Anthony Bennett, 2013

Cleveland Cavaliers

• Career: 4 seasons, 151 games
• Stats: 4.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 0.5 assists

What’s worse for a team than a No. 1 pick who didn’t live up to the billing because of injury? A No. 1 pick who didn’t live up to the billing because the team completely bungled the evaluation process. That’s the fate of Anthony Bennett after the Cavaliers shocked everyone when it chose the the UNLV forward with the No. 1 pick only for him to be discarded by the team the next year. Bennett ended up playing four NBA seasons with four different franchises and has since carved out a lengthy career in the G league and overseas.

24. Greg Oden, 2007

Portland Trail Blazers

• Career: 3 seasons, 114 games
• Stats: 8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.2 blocks

Oden missed more NBA seasons than he played after being drafted No. 1 in 2007 as a one-and-done star from Ohio State. He played in 61 games in his 2008-09 rookie season (after sitting out his first season following the draft), and then appeared in just 44 games the rest of his career due to foot and knee injuries.

23. Markelle Fultz, 2017

Philadelphia 76ers

• Career: 9th season, 270 games
• Stats: 10.4 points, 4.4 assists, 3.2 rebounds, 1.1 steals

A mysterious shoulder ailment that affected Fultz’s shooting motion fundamentally altered the trajectory of his career and led to a failed stint with the Sixers after Philadelphia used the No. 1 pick on him. Fultz forged a rotation role with the Orlando Magic in recent seasons and played 21 games with the Sacramento Kings last year. He is currently a free agent.

22. Kwame Brown, 2001

Washington Wizards

• Career: 12 seasons, 625 games
• Stats: 6.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 0.9 assists

Michael Jordan’s notorious No. 1 pick with the Wizards wound up playing for seven teams in the NBA after coming to the league straight from high school. His best statistical season came playing alongside Jordan with the Wizards, and he was later a rotation player on Lakers’ playoff teams starring Kobe Bryant.

21. Zaccharie Risacher, 2024

Atlanta Hawks

• Career: 2nd season, 75 games
• Stats: 12.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 12.2 PER

It’s tough to judge the Hawks’ top pick based off one season. The intriguing wing was a solid defender and more efficient offensively after the All-Star break, showing enough flashes to make the all-rookie team in 2025.

20. Andrea Bargnani, 2006

Toronto Raptors

• Career: 10 seasons, 561 games
• Stats: 14.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists

Bargnani settled in as more of a role player after the Raptors used the No. 1 pick on him. The Italian 7-footer had three-straight seasons in which he averaged at least 15 points per game while shooting better than 34.5% from 3-point range.

19. DeAndre Ayton, 2018

Phoenix Suns

• Career: 8th season, 443 games
• Stats: 16.4 points, 10.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.0 blocks, 20.0 PER

Ayton is already on his third team and getting another fresh start with the Los Angeles Lakers this season. He made the NBA Finals with Phoenix in 2020, but this 7-footer with a wealth of offensive tools has yet to fully realize that potential. He had an underwhelming campaign with the Portland Trail Blazers last year before negotiating a buyout.

18. Kenyon Martin, 2000

New Jersey Nets

• Career: 15 seasons, 869 games
• Stats: 12.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.1 blocks, 15.0 PER

Martin was a one-time All-Star and a key starter on a Nets team that went to the NBA Finals in back-to-back seasons. He carved out a 15-year career as a role player coveted for his interior defense, rebounding and toughness.

17. Ben Simmons, 2016

Philadelphia 76ers

• Career: 8th season, 422 games
• Stats: 13.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.5 steals

The toll Simmons’ injury issues, outside shooting woes and attitude concerns have taken on his reputation have overshadowed some of the productive seasons he had after being selected No. 1 by the Sixers. The 2018 NBA Rookie of the Year earned one All-NBA nod, led the league in steals in 2020 and was named to the NBA All-Defensive teams twice. He played for the Los Angeles Clippers last season and remains a free agent after indicating on social media recent retirement rumors were inaccurate.

16. Andrew Wiggins, 2014

Cleveland Cavaliers (traded to Minnesota Timberwolves)

• Career: 12th season, 810 games
• Stats: 18.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.0 steals, 14.7 PER

Drafted No. 1 by Cleveland and then included in the trade that sent LeBron James back to the Cavaliers, Wiggins is now on his third team (the Miami Heat) since starting his career with the Timberwolves. The 2015 NBA Rookie of the Year was a key starter on the Golden State Warriors’ 2022 championship team.

15. Zion Williamson, 2019

New Orleans Pelicans

• Career: 7th season, 214 games
• Stats: 24.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.0 steals, 25.1 PER

Williamson is lower than some of his relative peers on this list ‒ despite better production when he actually plays ‒ since the two-time All-Star has yet to make an All-NBA team with the Pelicans because of his injury and availability issues. An in-shape Williamson could be poised to make a leap this season.

14. Andrew Bogut, 2005

Milwaukee Bucks

• Career: 14 seasons, 783 games
• Stats: 9.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.5 blocks, 16.4 PER

The Australian center once led the league in blocks (2011) and eventually earned a third-team All-NBA nod and a spot on the All-Defensive team after being drafted No. 1 overall by the Bucks. He was also a prominent role player on the Golden State Warriors when they won the 2015 NBA championship.

13. Cade Cunningham, 2021

Detroit Pistons

• Career: 5th season, 214 games
• Stats: 22.1 points, 7.5 assists, 5.4 rebounds, 1.0 steals, 16.9 PER

Cunningham enjoyed a breakthrough in his fourth season in Detroit in 2025, earning third-team All-NBA honors while leading the Pistons to a playoff win for the first time since 2008.

12. Paolo Banchero, 2022

Orlando Magic

• Career: 4th season, 210 games
• Stats: 22.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 17.1 PER

The sophomore campaign for the 2023 NBA Rookie of the Year was rockier than expected due to injury, but Banchero is already one of the league’s most promising inside-outside threats and has been the leading scorer of a postseason team both seasons since being drafted No. 1 by the Magic.

11. John Wall, 2010

Washington Wizards

• Career: 11 seasons, 684 games
• Stats: 18.7 points, 8.9 assists, 4.2 rebounds, 1.6 steals

Wall led the Wizards past the first round of the playoffs three times in four years during his prime after the franchise had accomplished the feat just once in the previous 30 years. The athletic point guard, who last played in an NBA game in January 2023 and officially announced his retirement last month, earned All-NBA and All-Defense honors one time apiece during his career.

10. Victor Wembanyama, 2023

San Antonio Spurs

• Career: 3rd season, 117 games
• Stats: 22.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 3.7 blocks, 23.5 PER

If Wembanyama lives up to the hype and potential of his first two seasons, he could quickly leap into the top-5 of this list. Nonetheless, Wembanyama was already the Rookie of the Year and a member of the NBA’s All-Defensive team with the Spurs in 2024, and he’s led the league in blocks twice. Getting San Antonio to the playoffs is the next step now that the 7-foot-3 center has been medically cleared after deep vein thrombosis in his shoulder cut last season short.

9. Yao Ming, 2002

Houston Rockets

• Career: 8 seasons, 514 games
• Stats: 19 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, 1.6 assists, 23.0 PER

The 7-foot-6 Chinese center became one of the best centers in the NBA with the Rockets but had his run as an elite player cut short due to injury. Ming earned All-NBA honors five times but only once did his teams in Houston advance past the first round of the playoffs.

8. Karl-Anthony Towns, 2015

Minnesota Timberwovles

• Career: 11th season, 695 games
• Stats: 23.1 points, 11.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.2 blocks, 23.8 PER

The 2016 NBA Rookie of the Year earned third-team All-NBA honors last season for the third time in his 10-year career. One of the best 3-point shooting big men in league history, Towns helped the Timberwolves win a playoff series for the first time in 20 years and was a force on the New York Knicks’ team that made a run to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2025. He’s poised to move up this list with the Knicks expected to contend for a title again.

7. Derrick Rose, 2008

Chicago Bulls

• Career: 15 seasons, 775 games
• Stats: 17.4 points, 5.2 assists, 3.2 rebounds, 18.0 PER

Rose would be ranked higher based on his brief rise and peak as an NBA player, when he won the 2009 Rookie of the Year award and the 2011 MVP award in his third season after the Bulls took him No. 1 overall. Injuries derailed Rose’s time in Chicago after a run to the 2011 Eastern Conference Finals, though he did carve out a lengthy career as a role player. His only All-NBA honor came during his MVP season.

6. Blake Griffin, 2009

Los Angeles Clippers

• Career: 13 seasons, 833 games
• Stats: 19 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 21.0 PER

Griffin didn’t play during his first year in the NBA due to injury, but he won NBA Rookie of the Year in 2011 as part of a strong run of seasons during the first portion of his career with the ‘Lob City’ Clippers. Griffin was a five-time All-NBA selection, including one nod later with the Detroit Pistons.

5. Anthony Edwards, 2020

Minnesota Timberwolves

• Career: 6th season, 423 games
• Stats: 23.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.3 steals, 17.7 PER

Edwards is this high in the rankings, in part, because he could be poised to climb even higher based on the potential he showed during his first five years in the NBA. He’s already a two-time All-NBA selection and led the Timberwolves to the Western Conference Finals in 2025. The two-way threat is expected to be among the league’s elite players for the next decade.

4. Kyrie Irving, 2011

Cleveland Cavaliers

• Career: 15th season, 875 games
• Stats: 23.7 points, 5.6 assists, 4.1 rebounds, 1.3 steals, 22.2 PER

Irving was the 2012 Rookie of the Year after the Cavaliers chose him with the No. 1 overall pick and then won an NBA championship alongside LeBron James in 2016. He’s a three-time All-NBA selection (and did so with three different teams) and made the NBA Finals with the Dallas Mavericks in 2024. Irving will miss the beginning of the 2025-26 season with the Mavericks after suffering a torn ACL last March.

3. Anthony Davis, 2012

New Orleans Hornets

• Career: 14th season, 847 games
• Stats: 24.1 points, 10.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 2.3 blocks, 26.8 PER

Davis ranks behind Dwight Howard on this list even though he was the NBA Finals MVP on the team Howard won a championship with because of how Davis’ tenure with the team that took him No. 1 went. He had one playoff run with New Orleans before demanding a trade to the Los Angeles Lakers. Davis nonetheless became arguably the best two-way big man of his generation, and the argument is only due to the injuries that sidelined him over the years. Now entering his first full season with the Dallas Mavericks, Davis is a five-time All-NBA selection (including four first-team nods), a five-time All-Defensive pick and led the NBA in blocks three times.

2. Dwight Howard, 2004

Orlando Magic

• Career: 18 seasons, 1,367 games
• Stats: 15.7 points, 11.8 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, 1.3 assists, 21.3 PER

His career numbers don’t do justice to his run as one of the league’s most dominating players during his prime years after being picked No. 1 by the Magic. The recent Hall of Fame inductee was an 8-time All-NBA selection (including five first-team nods), named Defensive Player of the Year three times, led the league in rebounding five times and led the NBA in blocks twice. Howard won an NBA championship as a role player with LeBron James and the Lakers in 2020 after leading Orlando past James and into the NBA Finals as a star 11 years earlier.

1. LeBron James, 2003

Cleveland Cavaliers

• Career: 23rd season, 1,854 games (regular season plus playoffs)
• Stats: 27.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 26.9 Player Efficiency Rating (PER)

The NBA’s all-time leading scorer is a no-brainer No. 1 choice for the best No. 1 pick since 2000. The four-time MVP, four-time Finals MVP and four-time NBA champion is entering his record-breaking 23rd season in the league and still seems to have more left in the tank. He just earned second team All-NBA honors with the Los Angeles Lakers as a 40-year-old. Though his initial run in Cleveland as its No. 1 pick ended in his controversial ‘decision’ to leave for Miami, James led the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals and then returned to Cleveland to win an NBA championship in 2016. He also won consecutive championships with the Heat in 2012 and 2013 and guided the Lakers to the 2020 championship.

After trading Joe Flacco to the Cincinnati Bengals on Tuesday, the Cleveland Browns appeared likely to elevate Shedeur Sanders as the team’s primary backup quarterback.

Coach Kevin Stefanski, however, isn’t ready to make that call yet.

Speaking Wednesday for the first time since the trade, Stefanski said he was not yet prepared to name the second-string option behind Dillon Gabriel for Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers.

‘I always have to be mindful of our players and our players’ development,’ Stefanski said when asked whether Sanders had officially been installed as the backup. ‘I want to make sure I’m always doing what’s best for our players, and of course our team. … These are young players that you’re so invested in their development, so I’ll let the week play out and make a decision later on then.’

In addition to Sanders, the Browns also have Bailey Zappe on the practice squad. The fourth-year passer started eight games for the New England Patriots from 2022-23 and also took the reins for the Browns in last season’s finale against the Baltimore Ravens. He re-signed with the team in August after Cleveland traded Kenny Pickett to the Las Vegas Raiders.

Stefanski opened by saying the team was taken aback by the Bengals’ pursuit of Flacco, who was benched last week after throwing six interceptions in his first four starts.

‘The Joe trade took us by surprise,’ Stefanski said. ‘That was not something we saw coming. They called us, and it happened very fast.’

The 49ers sit atop the NFC West at 4-1 with a perfect 3-0 record in divisional games. San Francisco would be the No. 2 seed in the NFC if the playoffs started today, thanks to a perfect 4-0 record in conference games.

Despite this success, the team is plagued by injury issues throughout the roster, especially at quarterback. Starter Brock Purdy suffered toe and shoulder injuries in a Week 1 win over the Seattle Seahawks and missed the next two games. Backup Mac Jones filled in nicely and led the team to wins over the Saints and Cardinals in Weeks 2 and 3, respectively.

Jones was injured in Week 4 – a game against his old team, the Jacksonville Jaguars – so Purdy made his second start of the year but did not look fully healthy. Jones took over the starting role again in Week 5 and led the 49ers to a thrilling overtime win over NFC West foe Los Angeles on ‘Thursday Night Football.’

So, who will be the starting quarterback for the 49ers in Week 6 on the road against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Purdy or Jones? Here’s what we know about Purdy ahead of Sunday’s game in Tampa.

Brock Purdy injury update

Purdy did not practice today in the 49ers’ first session of the week, per multiple reports. He was one of three starters to miss practice with an injury, along with wide receivers Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall. Jones was limited in practice as well.

It’s not a good sign for Purdy’s status in Week 6 that he did not practice at all today, but it’s not a definitive answer. The 49ers will have practices on Thursday and Friday ahead of Sunday’s game and his status will be more important on those days.

It’s also important to note that the team has not placed him on injured reserve (IR). If the team thought he’d miss at least four weeks, they would’ve done that.

San Francisco has back-to-back NFC South matchups with the 4-1 Buccaneers in Week 6 and the 2-2 Atlanta Falcons in Week 7 at home on ‘Sunday Night Football.’

49ers QB depth chart

• Brock Purdy (injured)
• Mac Jones
• Adrian Martinez (practice squad)

Martinez was moved to the active roster in Week 5 in case Jones left the game with an injury. If Purdy isn’t good to go for Week 6, Martinez will likely suit up once again.