Where will A.J. Brown play in 2026?

When Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni and general manager Howie Roseman spoke to reporters at the NFL scouting combine on Feb. 24, they did not shut down trade speculation surrounding the Pro Bowl wide receiver. Neither of them expressed any certainty that Brown would be with Philadelphia by the start of the 2026 season.

‘Will A.J. be here next season?’ Sirianni said. ‘I think we’re still in a spot, like, I can’t guarantee how anything is going to play out into next season. I’m thinking I’m going to be the coach next season but you can’t guarantee anything past tomorrow.’

Several times throughout the 2025 season, Brown publicly expressed his frustrations with the Eagles and how they used him in their offense. During a video gaming livestream, Brown called his situation in Philadelphia a ‘(expletive)-show’, and during the Eagles’ wild-card game clash with the 49ers, cameras caught him jawing with Sirianni on the sideline.

‘I think you go into the league year listening to offers for everything and anything,’ Roseman said at the NFL combine. ”Without getting into specifics on any player, we’re always listening and we’re always kind of open.’

Brown has played in 62 games over four seasons with the Eagles, catching 339 passes for 5,034 yards and 32 touchdowns. He won a Super Bowl with Philadelphia last year, and his 5,034 receiving yards as an Eagle rank ninth all-time in franchise history.

In 2025, Brown caught 78 passes for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns in 15 games.

If the Eagles do end up trading Brown, these four landing spots make a lot of sense:

AJ Brown landing spots

New England Patriots

Outside of the struggles the Patriots had with their offensive line to end their Super Bowl run, the wide receiver position appeared to be one of the weakest points on their roster. Veteran Stefon Diggs led New England with his 1,013 yards in 2025, but he was streaky – some weeks he’d cross over 100 yards in a game before multi-game stretches with fewer than 50 yards. Diggs also wasn’t a big red-zone target for the Patriots, catching just four touchdowns in his first year in New England.

Trading for Brown would give Patriots quarterback Drake Maye a younger, bona fide No. 1 receiver to throw to in 2026. Diggs, Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins and DeMario Douglas made up a solid receiving corps in 2025, but Brown would push that unit over the top as a true WR1.

A move like this would also reunite Brown with head coach Mike Vrabel, who was Brown’s first head coach in the NFL during both of their time with the Tennessee Titans. Brown said in a recent appearance on Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman’s podcast, ‘Dudes on Dudes,’ that he appreciated Vrabel for holding him accountable during his early years in the league.

‘When I say he holds every single player accountable from top to bottom, I don’t care who it is, like that’s who he is,’ Brown said. ‘And it makes the team come together because nobody is bigger than the team.’

Buffalo Bills

As with the Patriots, one of the Bills’ greatest roster weaknesses is at wide receiver. Since Diggs left Buffalo after the 2023 season, the Bills have not had a receiver cross the 1,000-yard mark. Khalil Shakir has led Bills receivers in both of the last two seasons, but he failed to crest 750 yards in 2025. And no Buffalo receiver had more than five touchdowns.

In 2025, the Bills started leaning especially heavily on running back James Cook, who finished the year with 309 rush attempts for 1,621 yards and 12 touchdowns. Even though former offensive coordinator Joe Brady took a promotion to become the team’s head coach, the Bills’ offense can’t rely on Cook having another season like that with the excessive taxation on his legs from 2025.

Enter Brown, the high-ceiling receiver that would give the Bills their first true WR1 since Diggs left Buffalo after 2023. Adding a receiver like that would help push Buffalo’s offense forward and allow them to deploy a similar strategy to the 2024 Super Bowl-champion Eagles: complement a strong run game with a dynamic passing game, all surrounding a talented, dual-threat quarterback.

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens have taken swing after swing at drafting a lead receiver in the first round for the last two decades. Travis Taylor in 2000, Mark Clayton in 2005, Breshad Perriman in 2015, Hollywood Brown in 2019, Rashod Bateman in 2021 and Zay Flowers in 2023. Only Flowers, the Ravens’ most recent attempt, has made a Pro Bowl.

Flowers is coming off of the most productive season of his career so far with 86 catches for 1,211 yards, five touchdowns and a second straight Pro Bowl nod. The Boston College product is a dynamic player who excels at creating separation with his route-running and generating yards after the catch. However, Flowers’ 5-foot-9, 182-pound frame has limited his contested-catch ability, something that would give Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson another tool to work with.

If Baltimore traded for Brown, it would have one of the strongest 1-2 punches at wide receiver in the NFL. Brown would be the bigger-bodied, No. 1 wide receiver option who’s good for 100+ catches, 1,000+ yards and at least five touchdowns per season. Flowers would be the dynamic No. 2 receiver that can work all three levels of the field by streaking open downfield, creating easy separation over the middle or generating yards after the catch on short throws.

Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers’ plan in the offseason should be building up their trenches in free agency and the draft. But Los Angeles, a team with $81.8 million in cap space, also has the room to take big swings on offensive playmakers like Brown.

None of the Chargers’ leading trio of receivers in 2025 – Keenan Allen, Quentin Johnston and Ladd McConkey – had more than 800 yards. None of them established themselves as the team’s true No. 1 option, either. McConkey led Los Angeles with 789 yards, Allen led with 122 targets and 81 catches, and Johnston led the Chargers with eight touchdown catches in a breakout season.

Now, Allen is hitting free agency ahead of his age-34 season, and the Chargers have brought in Mike McDaniel to be their new offensive coordinator. Adding a wide receiver like Brown to Los Angeles’ roster would give quarterback Justin Herbert a true No. 1 target, while McConkey and Johnston provide dynamic secondary and tertiary options. McDaniel’s offense was at its best in Miami when it had two outstanding wide receivers and a promising young running back to scheme around. With Brown, McConkey and Johnston catching passes and second-year back Omarion Hampton leading the run game, the Chargers’ offense could really break out with a more complex, multi-dimensional look in 2026.

The Olympic gold medal-winning United States women’s hockey team is receiving support online after it declined an invite by the White House to attend the State of the Union address on Tuesday, Feb. 24.

The winning team, which beat Canada for the gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics, cited ‘timing and previously scheduled academic and professional commitments’ as the reason behind their decline.

However, the team’s declining of the invite also came after a controversial phone call from President Donald Trump to the U.S. Men’s Hockey Team after they also beat Canada for a gold medal on Sunday, Feb. 22.

During the call, Trump invited the men’s team to the State of the Union and a White House visit, and offered to transport them on a military plane. He also said on the call, ‘I must tell you, we’re going to have to bring the women’s team, you do know that?’

The president added, jokingly, ‘I do believe I probably would be impeached’ if he didn’t invite the women’s team.

The phone call sparked discussion on social media with some upset about the president’s comments and laughter among the men, while others wanted to refocus on unity and country. See reactions.

Internet, celebrities support women’s hockey team for skipping White House

His wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, also supported the team’s decision to skip the event, writing: ‘Clearly they prefer arenas where women are actually respected!’

Actor Sophia Bush brought in a ‘Heated Rivalry reference,’ writing ‘our boyfriends would NEVER.’

‘@usahockey (obviously the women) you deserve better and you earned the world! We love you!’ Bush said in an Instagram post.

Some social media users not only expressed distaste over the president’s remarks but were also annoyed at the men’s team for laughing at the joke.

Jack Hughes: ‘People are so negative’

Hockey player Jack Hughes, who scored the game-winning goal against Canada, meanwhile, is seemingly unfazed by the criticism, telling the Daily Mail at a victory party in Miami: ‘Everything is so political.’

‘They’ve got busy schedules, too,’ Hughes told the media outlet. ‘Everyone is giving us backlash for all the social media stuff today. People are so negative out there, and they are just trying to find a reason to put people down and make something out of almost nothing.’

Hughes added his team wholly supported the women’s team and ‘everyone in that locker room knows how much we support them, how proud we are of them, and we know the same way we feel about them, they feel about us.’

‘We’re athletes,’ Hughes added. ‘We’re so proud to represent the U.S., and when you get the chance to go to the White House and meet the president, we’re proud to be Americans and that’s so patriotic.’

Olympic mom Ellen Hughes reacts to Trump’s comment

‘These players, both the men and women, can bring so much unity to a group and to a country,’ Hughes commented during an appearance on ‘Today’ Feb. 24. ‘People that cheered on that don’t watch hockey, people that have politics on one side or on the other side, and that’s all both the men’s team and the women’s team care about.’

Hughes added the ‘synergy’ between the two squads is ‘what it’s all about.’

‘If you could see what we see from the inside, and the men and women sharing, you know, dorm rooms and halls and flex floors and the camaraderie and the synergy and the way the women cheered on the men and the way the men cheered on the women — that’s what it’s all about,’ she said. ‘And the other things they cannot control. They care about humanity. They care about unity and they care about the country.’

Flavor Flav invites women’s team to Vegas

American rapper Flavor Flav, meanwhile, invited the women’s hockey team to Las Vegas for ‘some nice dinners and shows and good times’ to celebrate their achievement. It is not yet clear if the women’s team have accepted his offer, though a post on the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer’s Instagram said the team had accepted it. Several brands, including Alaska Airlines and Stubhub, also offered to help with the celebrations.

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@usatodayco.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.

Many in the United States will no doubt have their eyes glued to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday.

After their gold medal triumph over Canada at the Milan Olympics, the United States men’s hockey team will also be closely watched to see whether its players will make it to Washington, D.C. The president invited them to attend, and tour the White House, in a call to the locker room after the victory.

The women’s hockey team, which also won a gold medal with a victory over Canada, was also invited to attend the State of the Union but declined President Donald Trump’s invitation citing ‘timing and previously scheduled academic and professional commitments.’

‘They were honored to be included and are grateful for the acknowledgment,’  a USA Hockey spokesperson said.

The fallout of the invitations

Social media was in an uproar following the men’s hockey team’s victory, when Trump spoke to the team by phone to congratulate them while they were celebrating in the locker room. The video showed FBI director Kash Patel chugging beer and celebrating with the hockey players.

Patel called Trump and put him on speakerphone to talk to the players.

“What would really be cool, and we’ll do the White House next time, we’ll just have some fun, we have medals for you guys. And we have to, I must tell you, we’re gonna have to bring the women’s team, you do know that?” Trump said on the call.

Then Trump seemed to slight the women’s hockey team, saying, “I must tell you we’re going to have to bring the women, too; you do know that. Believe me, I probably would be impeached, OK?”

The men’s hockey team’s laughed at the comment, leading to outrage on social media.

The men’s hockey team accepted the president’s invitation on Sunday but it’s unknown how many will attend the address.

There is a petition on Move On asking the men’s hockey team to apologize to women’s team and skip the State of the Union.

Olympian Jack Hughes and his mom recently responded to the fallout from the U.S. men’s hockey team’s viral call with President Donald Trump.

During the locker room call with the team, President Trump invited the players to the State of the Union address. He briefly mentioned the U.S. women’s hockey team, who also won gold during the Olympics, beating Canada in an overtime thriller, saying he had to invite them too, or he would be ‘impeached.’ The men’s hockey team laughed at the president’s remark.

‘People are so negative out there, and they are just trying to find a reason to put people down and make something out of almost nothing,’ Jack Hughes told the Daily Mail.

‘People are so negative about things. I think everyone in that locker room knows how much we support them, how proud we are of them, and we know the same way we feel about them, they feel about us.’

During an appearance on the Today Show, Ellen Hughes, Jack’s mom, also addressed the backlash. Ellen Hughes is also the mother of Team USA’s Quinn Hughes and a consultant for the U.S. women’s hockey team.

‘These players, both the men and women, can bring so much unity to a group and to a country,” Ellen Hughes said. “People that cheered on that don’t watch hockey, people that have politics on one side or on the other side, and that’s all both the men’s team and the women’s team care about.’

A USA Hockey spokesperson said while the women’s team received an invitation, it wouldn’t be able to attend. They declined the President’s invitation.

‘Due to the timing and previously scheduled academic and professional commitments following the Games, the athletes are unable to participate,’ the spokesperson said. ‘They were honored to be included and are grateful for the acknowledgment.’

Jack Hughes seemed to confirm that he and his teammates will be in Washington for President Trump’s address. ‘We’re so proud to represent the U.S., and when you get the chance to go to White House and meet the president, we’re proud to be Americans, and that’s so patriotic,’ Hughes said.

Despite the backlash to the phone call with Trump, Hughes’ mom says both rosters supported one another during their respective runs to gold medals.

“If you could see what we see from the inside, and the men and women sharing, you know, dorm rooms and halls and flex floors and the camaraderie and the synergy and the way the women cheered on the men and the way the men cheered on the women — that’s what it’s all about,’ Hughes’ mom said.

‘And the other things they cannot control. They care about humanity. They care about unity, and they care about the country.”

The San Francisco 49ers racked up 13 wins in 2025 but finished third in their own division. They’re looking to improve and catch up to the Los Angeles Rams and Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks in 2026.

They’ll have to do it after settling a reported contract dispute with their star offensive lineman.

San Francisco and left tackle Trent Williams are ‘struggling to find a contractual solution’ for 2026, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Williams, 37, is entering the final year of his current extension and is carrying a nearly $39 million cap hit for 2026.

Williams is the second-highest paid left tackle in the NFL by average annual value (AAV) behind only the Los Angeles Chargers’ Rashawn Slater, per OverTheCap.

Williams signed a new extension late in the 2024 offseason after the 49ers reached Super Bowl 58 following a holdout. He played in 10 games that season but returned healthy for 2025 and made his 12th career Pro Bowl.

The five-time All-Pro left tackle is entering his age-38 season in 2026.

San Francisco currently has $41.2 million in cap space for 2026 per OverTheCap, 11th-most in the NFL for the upcoming season. His cap number of $38.84 million is the second-highest on the team entering 2026 behind edge rusher Nick Bosa ($41.61 million).

Perhaps Father Time has not caught up to these two boxing legends yet.

It was recently announced that Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather will return to the ring more than a decade after their first fight. Despite both boxers approaching 50 years old, it seems the two are still in good enough shape to throw haymakers.

Manny Pacquiao’s last professional fight was less than a year ago, a draw against Mario Barrios in July. Mayweather though, hasn’t fought in a professionally-sanctioned bout since 2022 when he defeated YouTuber Deji by KO.

Though Mayweather got the better of Pacquiao last time around, perhaps Pacman is more prepared this time around. Here’s everything we know about the upcoming fight.

When is Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao fight?

The match will take place on Sept. 19, 2026. It will air exclusively on Netflix.

Who won Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao last fight?

Mayweather won, maintaining his undefeated record by unanimous decision — 118-110, 116-112, 116-112.

Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao odds

Official odds for the rematch have not been released, but the last time the two fought in 2015, Floyd was a -200 favorite with Pacquiao a +170 underdog.

Why is Mayweather vs. Pacquiao at Las Vegas Sphere?

The Las Vegas Sphere is Sin City’s latest venue, providing state of the art technical capabilities. The venue itself is a spectacle, which will only add to the intrigue of the fight.

Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao tickets

Ticket availability has yet to be announced. Netflix has stated that ‘full details’ will be revealed ‘in the coming weeks.’

Is Floyd Mayweather vs. Mike Tyson still happening?

Yes. Mayweather and Tyson are set to square off in an exhibition match. Some reports have indicated that the match will take place on April 25 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, though neither the date nor location has been officially confirmed. Furthermore, there has been no word about any network airing the fight.

How old is Floyd Mayweather?

Floyd Mayweather is 48 years old, but turns 49 on Feb. 24.

How old is Manny Pacquiao?

Manny Pacquiao is 47 years old. He will turn 48 on Dec, 17 this year.

Another NHL player will miss some regular season time because of an injury that he suffered at the Olympics.

The Dallas Stars placed forward Mikko Rantanen on the injured list with a lower body injury, retroactive to Feb. 20. That means the earliest he could return is Feb. 27 and he will miss at least one game and possibly more.

Rantanen, the eighth-leading scorer in the NHL, sat out the bronze medal game at the Olympics, in which Finland beat Slovakia, 6-1, for its fifth medal in Winter Games involving NHL players. He was on the ice after the game for the medal ceremony and team photo.

Mikko Rantanen injury update

Mikko Rantanen was placed on the injured list by the Dallas Stars because of a lower-body injury he suffered at the Olympics with Team Finland.

Mikko Rantanen stats

Mikko Rantanen leads the Stars and is eighth in the NHL with 69 points in 54 games.

Other Olympians injury updates

Five NHL players were hurt in Milan, the most serious being Switzerland’s Kevin Fiala (broken leg), who will miss the rest of the regular season for the Los Angeles Kings.

Pittsburgh Penguins/Team Canada captain Sidney Crosby was hurt in the quarterfinals and missed the semifinals and gold-medal game. Coach Dan Muse said Monday that Crosby was traveling and they’d have to wait until doctors could see him before getting a clearer picture on whether he’ll miss time.

Winnipeg Jets/Canada defenseman Josh Morrissey didn’t play after being hurt in the opening game. Coach Scott Arniel said Morrissey would miss the team’s Feb. 25 game and ‘we’ll see where we go from there.’

Buffalo Sabres/USA forward Tage Thompson missed the third period after blocking a shot in the semifinals but played in the gold medal game.

Kevin Durant, 37, is feeling the Olympics call to him yet again. After the United States won gold in both men and women’s hockey in Milano Cortina, the former NBA MVP and the United States’ all-time leading Olympic scorer debunked the theory that 2024 was the last Olympic ride for many of the games biggest stars.

‘You guys, the media, have projected that,’ Durant told ESPN. ‘That narrative, where did the last dance thing come from? I didn’t say I wasn’t playing. LeBron said he wasn’t. You didn’t hear that from me or Steph.’

Curry is unlikely to participate in 2028 and James has already said that he will not play. Durant added that he wants to play, but only if he is still at the ‘top of [his] game.’

He said, ‘I want to produce on the floor and make Grant and whoever is making the decisions, want to put me on the team.’ He continued, ‘I want to still prove I can help the team win.’

Durant’s Olympic resumé

As mentioned earlier, Durant is the United States’ all-time leading scorer at the Olympics. He began his Olympic career in 2012, playing in London.

Durant averaged 19.5 points per game in the London Olympics, all while hitting more than 48.5% of his three-point attempts. Durant has averaged at least 19.8 points per game in every Olympics since with his worst mark coming in 2024, when he averaged just 13.8 points per game in Paris.

The U.S. has won gold at every Olympics Durant has participated in.

When and where will the 2028 Olympics be?

The 2028 Olympics will take place in Los Angeles, California. The basketball games, specifically, will be played at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood.

The first basketball game of the event will take place two days prior to the Opening Ceremonies on Wednesday, July 12, 2028, with the gold medal game not yet set but likely on Sunday, July 30, 2028. Durant will be 39 years old.