Bill Belichick has the backing of another key figure from the New England Patriots’ dynasty – as well as someone with whom he repeatedly clashed – in the wake of the coach’s exclusion from the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 2026 class.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft told the Associated Press on Wednesday that Belichick deserved to be chosen in his first year of eligibility.

‘Whatever perceptions may exist about any personal differences between Bill and me, I strongly believe Bill Belichick’s record and body of work speak for themselves,’ Kraft said in a statement.

‘As head coach of the New England Patriots for more than two decades, he set the standard for on-field excellence, preparation, and sustained success in the free agency and salary cap era of the National Football League. He is the greatest coach of all time and he unequivocally deserves to be a unanimous first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer.’

On Jan. 27, ESPN reported that Belichick – a finalist in the coaches category – did not receive the necessary 40 of 50 votes required for induction. Despite holding winning a record six Super Bowl titles as a head coach and 333 regular-season victories – second only to Hall of Famer Don Shula – Belichick now must wait until at least 2027 to be selected.

Kraft is also a finalist for the 2026 class as the contributor finalist, with Roger Craig, Ken Anderson and L.C. Greenwood the candidates in the senior category. Belichick was also in that pool of finalists, from which one to three figures will be inducted. This year’s class will also feature anywhere from three to five modern-era selections chosen from a group of 15.

Kraft hired Belichick in January 2000, and the Patriots achieved an unparalleled level of success in the coach’s 24-year tenure. But major divisions between the two emerged as the partnership wore on, with the relationship becoming even more strained after Tom Brady’s exit in 2020. With the Patriots having suffered losing seasons in three of the four years following Brady’s departure, Kraft parted ways with Belichick after the 2023 season.

Brady was among the host of former Patriots players who came to Belichick’s defense.

‘I don’t understand it. I mean, I was with him every day. If he’s not a first-ballot Hall of Famer, there’s really no coach that should ever be a Hall of Famer,’ Brady said Wednesday in an interview with Seattle Sports.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 2026 class will be revealed Feb. 5 at NFL Honors in San Francisco.

LOS ANGELES — Players representing their clubs converged at the Westin Bonaventure in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday, Jan. 28 for NWSL media day to give their thoughts on the general state of affairs, from fresh starts with new teams to the growth of the NWSL writ large.

The league has seen a boom over the current decade, expanding from nine teams in 2019 to 16 in 2026, with the two newest teams — Boston Legacy FC and Denver Summit FC — ready to kick off their inaugural seasons. Atlanta will also be receiving the NWSL’s 17th club and the league is reportedly actively looking to expand to 18 by 2028.

Women’s soccer — and women’s sports in general — are more popular than ever. And with the league growing as quickly as it has in such a short amount of time, that also means the players are playing more than ever — more matches, more tournaments and more of a workload.

How are players handling it?

‘It’s definitely a grind, but that’s why we signed up for this job,’ Boston Legacy FC goalkeeper Casey Murphy told USA TODAY Sports. ‘You definitely know what you’re getting into. Being a professional athlete, you’re gonna play a ton of games, you’re gonna work hard and you’re gonna practice a lot.’

Seattle Reign forward Emeri Adames added that it reminds her of the schedule she had already gotten used to in her youth club days.

‘It’s fun to do that again,’ she told USA TODAY Sports. ‘I love playing games. More opportunities. More opportunities to see more fans.’

In Adames’ eyes, the busy schedule is balanced out by the offseason and the midseason break. Those are the times she takes advantage of to reset and rejuvenate.

Angel City FC right back Gisele Thompson echoed a similar sentiment about when she was at the youth club level. But there was one big difference she felt right away at the professional level.

When Thompson was playing every weekend as a high schooler, she could get through the whole day on just a small piece of toast for lunch. That’s not the case in the NWSL. In between her training sessions and getting extra reps in at the intensity she was going — coupled with the physicality of playing in the pros — her body simply couldn’t handle it. Thompson believes that’s what led to her injuries early in 2025.

During one international tournament, USWNT head coach Emma Hayes pulled Thompson aside and told her, ‘You’re going to need your body to be healthy because you have three games over such a small time period.’

That’s when things finally clicked.

‘I think that has motivated me even more to want to get my body healthy,’ Thompson said. ‘And be at that high elite level.’

Murphy admitted that the more packed schedule can get a bit overwhelming sometimes but when those days happen, she thinks back to the younger version of herself and this being all she ever wanted. All she ever dreamed of.

‘I just stay super grateful for what I get to do for a living,’ she said. ‘I know it’s a special opportunity and phase of my life.’

Grass vs. turf debate

With the arrival of two new teams this season also comes the addition of one more artificial turf fields to the two already in the league in Seattle and Portland. Though Boston Legacy FC will mainly play on grass at Gillette Stadium in their first year as they await renovations to be completed on White Stadium for 2027, they will play some games this summer when Gillette is in use for the men’s World Cup at Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket — which uses turf.

‘It’s just something you get used to. As a pro, you have to be able to play on both,’ Murphy, who previously played on turf during her time with the Seattle Reign, told USA TODAY Sports. ‘Obviously, I prefer grass as a goalkeeper. It’s a little nicer to dive on, not as much turf burn. But you know, it is what it is.’

Chicago Stars FC forward Ivonne Chacón was unequivocal in where she stood on the debate.

‘Natural grass, clearly,’ she told USA TODAY Sports in Spanish. ‘With turf, it’s complicated, but I prefer grass.’

Adames, who plays on turf at Lumen Field with the Reign, didn’t express much of a preference either way. She doesn’t notice much of a difference between the two surfaces, aside from turf burn when she falls. Her teammate Mia Fishel, on the other hand, was ecstatic to learn that Lumen Field will be installing a grass field because of the 2026 World Cup.

‘We want to play on grass,’ Fishel said. ‘Because on our bodies, it’s better. We train on grass. So it’s an adjustment from going from grass to turf. So it’d be a huge advantage to have our fans there and to have grass.’

Artemi Panarin was held out of the New York Rangers’ lineup on Wednesday, Jan. 28 for roster management purposes.

The Athletic and other media organizations said Panarin isn’t likely to play before the Olympic break. The Olympic roster freeze begins on Feb. 4.

He’s the most valuable trade asset the Rangers have after general manager Chris Drury said in a letter to fans that they planned to ‘retool’ the roster. Panarin has led the team in scoring each season since signing as a free agent in 2019. He leads again with 57 points in 52 games.

Panarin is in the final year of his contract but has a full no-movement clause, meaning he has the final say on where he goes if traded. TSN reported that Panarin, who averages $11.6 million in his current deal, would want an extension lined up before signing off on a trade.

Here are some possible places where it could make sense for Panarin to end up in a trade:

Carolina Hurricanes

They have been aggressive the past two seasons, trading for Jake Guentzel and Mikko Rantanen, though they weren’t able to re-sign those players. The Hurricanes likely want to make a splash again as they try to get past the third round. They have cap space and a first-round pick.

Detroit Red Wings

The Red Wings are a legitimate threat to end their nine-year playoff drought. They made only minor moves at last year’s deadline, which drew criticism. Acquiring Panarin would be a major addition and the Red Wings have tons of cap space. Panarin would be reunited with former Blackhawks and Rangers teammate Patrick Kane.

Dallas Stars

The Stars were also aggressive last season, trading for and signing Rantanen at the 2025 deadline. They could use forward help with Tyler Seguin out after ACL surgery. But they lack a first-round pick and their cap situation is tight.

Los Angeles Kings

If they could acquire and sign Panarin, it would help the team’s future with Anze Kopitar going to retire after the season. They have a first-round pick and workable cap space.

Vegas Golden Knights

When are they not in the mix whenever a big name is available? They already traded for Rasmus Andersson this season. It doesn’t matter what their cap situation is. They find a way.

LeBron James’ latest return to Cleveland proved to be an emotional one.

James was honored with a tribute video during the Cavaliers’ 129-99 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night, and it appeared to bring him to tears.

The four-time MVP was clearly emotional while on the bench as Cleveland showed the video on the screens at Rocket Arena. Among the highlights shown during the video was his playoff game against the Detroit Pistons in 2007, when he scored 25 straight points.

“… Obviously, with the moment they put up there with the Detroit game and looking up in the rafters and seeing our championship banner, it was a lot of reflecting for sure,” James said during his postgame media availability.

James finished the game with 11 points, five assists and three rebounds in 27 minutes of play. He shot 3-for-10 from the field and was 0-for-3 from the 3-point line. He also had six turnovers.

While he largely struggled, the game still had plenty of highlights for James. One of them was having his mother, Gloria, in attendance for the game.

“My mom got to watch her son and her grandson play in the NBA at the same time,” James said.

James’ son, Bronny James, also plays for the Lakers and he finished the game with eight points in eight minutes of play and had a highlight dunk late in the game. He went 3-for-3 from the field and 2-for-2 from the 3-point line.

The New York Jets are evidently leaving no stone unturned as they look to revamp their coaching staff ahead of Aaron Glenn’s second season with the team.

The Jets ‘reached out’ to Jon Gruden about potentially joining Glenn’s staff for the 2026 NFL season, according to The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt. However, Gruden ‘wasn’t interested in the job.’

It wasn’t immediately clear what type of role the Jets had offered Gruden. That said, it’s worth noting the team parted ways with offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand on Jan. 27 after just one season.

Gruden hasn’t held an NFL coaching job since the 2021 season, when he resigned from his head coaching job with the Las Vegas Raiders after emails he sent containing racist, homophobic and misogynistic remarks during his time at ESPN were leaked to the media.

During the 2023 season, Gruden consulted in an unofficial capacity for the New Orleans Saints, and has more recently taken on a role producing content for Barstool Sports.

Despite his absence, Gruden’s name has been bandied about in the rumor mill over the years. NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero mentioned teams had done ‘extensive homework’ on the Super Bowl-winning coach prior to the 2025 NFL coaching cycle.

The Jets’ reported curiosity indicates there is still interest in Gruden. But for now, the 62-year-old will remain out of the NFL.

Meanwhile, the Jets will turn their attention to another veteran coach to help organize their offense. New York is expected to hire Frank Reich to take over as the team’s primary play-caller, according to SNY’s Connor Hughes.