Category: Ice Hockey

The 2026 Pensburgh Top 25 Under 25 listing of the best young players in the organization is now complete, here it is.

Pensburgh Top 25 Under 25: Graduates and Departed players in 2025
Top 25 Under 25: The best of the rest
#25: Chase Pietila, D
#24: Ryan Miller, F
#23: Finn Harding, D
#22: Peyton Kettles, D
#21: Zam Plante, F
#21 (bonus): Brady Peddle, D
#20: Melvin Fernstrom, F
#19: Tanner Howe, F
#18: Tomas Galvas, D
#17: Pierce Mbuyi, F
#16: Jake Livanavage, D
#15: Owen Pickering, D
#14: Tristan Broz, F
#13: Avery Hayes, F
#12: Ville Koivunen, F
#11: Hendrix Lapierre, F
#10: Markus Ruck, F
#9: Mikhail Ilyin, F
#8: Joel Blomqvist, G
#7: Liam Ruck, F
#6: Will Horcoff, F
#5: Bill Zonnon, F
#4: Rutger McGroarty, F
#3: Sergei Murashov, G
#2: Harrison Brunicke, D
#1: Ben Kindel, F

There are always obvious questions for a list like this to wonder why certain players are in a spot, ahead or behind of others. It’s a tough task to sort through players who may be years away from NHL impact (if they ever get there at all) and others with more limited windows and lower ceilings but a higher chance of adding something at the NHL level in the very near future.

This year, the tiers get messy and feature some overlap of competing priorities and abilities. That’s where some of the art comes in to blend players further out with bright promise against others further along.

Generally speaking, this might help:

Tier One, 1-3: High-end, ready or very near-ready NHL players

Kindel is almost in a class by himself in the organization at this point, a step ahead of everyone else since he’s still one of the youngest and already established himself as an NHL lineup contributor. Brunicke and Murashov both are very close to joining Kindel as full-time NHL players that could be top of the lineup players in the near future. These players may or may not all end up being long-term first line star players, but right now they look like very strong bets to be key contributors and the cream of the current crop when it comes to young players in the organization.

Tier Two, 4-10: Bright prospects a little further away

The Ruck twins, who are scheduled to be in college for the 2027-28 season, are the outliers here where the majority of the rest of the group should be getting chances in the near future to show what they’ve got. Some like Rutger McGroarty and Joel Blomqvist would prefer to push up to the top category (though at this point their overall ceilings aren’t as high-end). Others like Bill Zonnon and Mikhail Ilyin are just getting started in the organization. In general, these players like the Rucks and Horcoff won’t be big factors in the very near future but are a little further out. They’re already well-regarded and have a lot going in their favor but most (though not all) just need a little more time to see how the developments go.

Tier Three, 11-15: Clock ticking on mid-level prospects

The players in this area (Hendrix Lapierre, Ville Koivunen, Avery Hayes, Tristan Broz, Owen Pickering) are getting on the clock for making a move in their individual careers. These players have been pros for several years, all will be at least 23 years old by midseason (some even older still). None have secured NHL spots going into the start of the 2026-27 season. The majority might even be the core players for Wilkes-Barre during the bulk of this season. At some point, it stands to figure that most if not all of these players will get their opportunity as a mid-season call-up during the year. From there, they’ll need to make the most of it to extend the audition. This tier has some guys where it would be really beneficial and perhaps a positive surprise to see a great training camp, but each individual on it is in a spot where they need something to stand out and gain some positive momentum. Only by hockey prospect standards can they be considered old, yet they’re starting to get there. Overall they still hold an amount of short-term organizational value since they should be at a minimum really good AHL players for the team this year, now it’s a matter of seeing, who if, any can make the most of their chances and elevate into something bigger.

Tier Four, 16-25: Distant prospects

At the end of the line are the players that are just starting out their pro careers within the last year (Jake Livanavage, Tanner Howe, Melvin Fernstrom, Finn Harding, Chase Pietilla) or even further out and playing outside of the Pens’ organization for at least the coming season (Pierce Mbuyi, Tomas Galvas, Peyton Kettles, Zam Plante, Brady Peddle, Ryan Miller). Unlike the tier above them, they are young or inexperienced enough to where time is more on their side as far as future developments are going, considering most in this year has been drafted within the last two years. This area needs to simmer for at least another year or two and hopefully they will put together some tractions as they work their way into the NHL picture one day from the bottom of the rankings.

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Overall for the Penguins, the future looks bright. This T25U25 list is the best one for the Penguins in many moons, it wasn’t so long ago that admittedly there were some very long longshots found in the top-10 simply due to a lack of material in general (Isaac Belliveau, Filip Lindberg, Jonathan Gruden come to mind from 2021-23).

Further, even better is that Pittsburgh has acquired several young-ish players that are a little older than these prospects. Somewhat recent additions of Arturs Silovs, Egor Chinakhov, Nick Robertson, Declan Carlile, Kaeden Korczak and Elmer Soderblom are players now in the 25-26 age range that will contribute to the NHL this season and possibly beyond in some cases. They didn’t make the aged-based cut-off to be showcased in our summer series but they still represent a big chunk of the NHL roster that will be important for the short and mid-range future.

The other piece of good news is that more young talent should be flowing in the neat future. The Pens have all their future first round picks as of now. They’ll get the Rangers’ second round pick in ‘27 and have two additional second round picks in 2028 (Dallas and Colorado) to have as many as seven future top-50/60ish picks that will be added to the organization over the next 22 months. That’s subject to change based off any further future trades, but even that outlook could be considered to grow if any veterans are dealt away for high draft picks in the coming months and years.

It takes a long time for an NHL team to build up and see the long pipeline take 18-year old draft picks into what hopefully becomes young NHL-caliber talent over a 3-4-5+ year development period. The Pens are firmly investing in their development and the younger side of the organization to help pickup the mantle whenever the end of the Sidney Crosby/Evgeni Malkin era wraps up. In the big picture, the team could use a few more elite talents that project as high-end players, but this summer’s feature put a spotlight that the team is stocking up in a big way in quantity of some pretty decent talent that they will hope to develop in the period that lies ahead.

The Cincinnati Bengals’ third running back spot has been one many assumed would go to Tahj Brooks, but after a forgettable training camp and preseason, could someone else take that spot? Or could the Bengals surprise everyone and keep four running backs on the 53-man roster?

In Friday’s preseason finale vs. the Philadelphia Eagles, college free-agent running back Jamal Haynes made a play that could make the front office at least consider keeping him on the roster or the practice squad.

It truly was a sight to watch, even for a preseason game.

Haynes to the house.#CINatPHI on CBS/Paramount+ pic.twitter.com/SpGkzLiQHs

— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) August 29, 2026

That run had everything. He danced around when the initial hole wasn’t there. He created his own cutback lane as the defense overpursued to contain him, breaking it outside. Tore through an arm tackle and took a few ankles before letting it rip to win the footrace to the end zone.

Haynes has had a decent camp after coming out of Georgia Tech as an undrafted product. At only 5’7, he can certainly get lost behind that huge offensive line. However, a third or fourth running back would be relied on more for special teams as either a returner or coverage player.

Maybe he catches on the Bengals’ practice squad, but he certainly will be on at least someone’s practice squad in the NFL after that one.

It is finally over and now the Arizona Cardinals and the rest of the NFL prepare for the real thing.

It was another offensive showcase for the Cardinals, as Gardner Minshew and Kedon Slovis combined for 309 yards passing and two touchdowns, but Slovis did throw two interceptions in his audition for the rest of the league.

Meanwhile, the Cardinals running game was phenomenal, as the running backs ran for 166 yards on 32 carries and two touchdowns, led by Evan Hull who had 16 carries for 107 yards and two touchdowns.

Of course, in what we hope is not a preview of what is to come, the Cardinals defense gave up a late lead as the Cardinals lost 42-38. Kyle McCord threw for 226 yards and four touchdowns including the game winner to Kisean Johnson.

Let’s get to the real thing now.

The Seattle Seahawks ended their 2026 NFL preseason on a meh note, with the rare 9-9 tie with the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. Much attention was paid to Jalen Milroe’s second full start in as many Seahawks preseason finales. Would he struggle? Would he show enough to have people believing in his potential again? I’d say 16/26 for 223 yards and a touchdown does the trick, especially when he lost completions and yards on numerous drops and penalties throughout the night.

Jason Myers, though? In a contract year? A missed extra point and a missed game-winning field goal capped off a nightmare preseason for the veteran kicker, whose historic five-field goal Super Bowl performance garnered some talk that he could’ve been game MVP. Hopefully we’re not seeing Myers have a drastic fall-off and that this is just an August funk.

Unlike the Seahawks, Kansas City opted to play some starters in the early going, including Travis Kelce, Xavier Worthy, Creed Humphrey, George Karlaftis, and Chris Jones. One pass by starting quarterback Garrett Nussmeier intended for Worthy was way off target and into the arms of new Seahawks corner Trevon Diggs!

Trevon Diggs INT!

Stream on @NFLPluspic.twitter.com/9OGOus2fgu

— NFL (@NFL) August 29, 2026

Jalen Milroe was backed up in his end zone following a celebration penalty and a Beau Stephens hold, but he made perhaps his best play as a Seahawk by finding Cody White down the field for a 40-yard gain.

ON TARGET 🎯 @JalenMilroe to @codywhite_82 for 40 yards.

📺: KING 5 pic.twitter.com/7Ugy9X5lep

— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) August 29, 2026

Milroe ripped one over the middle to Elijah Arroyo for another 24 yards, putting the Seahawks in scoring position. An end zone shot to Cody White just missed, while a third-down throw was tipped for an incomplete pass. Jason Myers capped off Milroe’s second series (and arguably his best as a Seahawk) with a 46-yard field goal.

Some poor kick return coverage allowed Brashard Smith to get into Seahawks territory, giving Kansas City a short field and a chance to tie or take the lead. A screen pass to the 1-yard line was called back for holding, which stalled out Nussmeier and company in the red zone. Harrison Butker knotted the score at 3-3.

There were some more good plays from Milroe, who completed a dart over the middle to Cody White into Chiefs territory. Unfortunately, a fluky turnover occurred when a screen to Jacardia Wright was dropped. It was close, but the replay booth upheld the initial call that Milroe’s pass was a lateral and the Chiefs recovered the loose ball.

Nussmeier marched the Chiefs into the red zone again, but consecutive quality reps from Nehemiah Pritchett shut off any thought of a touchdown. Harrison Butker’s second chippie put KC up 6-3.

Seattle’s last drive was promising up until the Seahawks committed two penalties on one play, both of which were declined because Logan Brown and Elijah Arroyo got whipped and gave up a strip sack to second-round rookie R Mason Thomas. Somehow, the Seahawks recovered but had to punt.

R MASON THOMAS FROM THE OUTSIDE 💪 pic.twitter.com/IequkX9Zvo

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) August 29, 2026

After Harrison Butker missed a 58-yard field goal early in the second half, the Seahawks were blessed with great field position for a chance to tie or retake the lead. Milroe hit a big-time throw to Emmanuel Henderson Jr in the face of pressure to set up first-and-goal at the 1. A read-option keeper by Milroe ended up in a negated touchdown due to a holding penalty on Nick Vannett. You know how you atone for the error? You catch a touchdown from Milroe. Jason Myers missed a PAT so the Seahawks lead was just 9-6.

Jalen Milroe and Nick Vannett put the Seahawks ahead

Stream on @NFLPluspic.twitter.com/jGTYu02ZJJ

— NFL (@NFL) August 29, 2026

The Chiefs seemed poised to take the lead early in the fourth quarter, but the Seahawks defense made a heroic goal-to-go stand on a night when they were struggling to stop the run. D’Anthony Bell, who was flagged for a harsh personal foul penalty, stymied Brashard Smith on 2nd and goal, then Jalan Gaines swarmed from the backside to deny Smith on 3rd and goal. Andy Reid decided to kick a 19-yard field goal with Butker for some trollish reason to knot it up at 9-9.

With a chance to atone for last Sunday’s limp finish to a game-winning drive, the Seahawks hit one more explosive pass play to get into fringe field goal range. Jalen Milroe hit an over route to rookie Emmanuel Henderson Jr for 30 yards for his final completion of the evening. A few runs gave Jason Myers a 52-yarder from dead center with a chance to end the preseason with a win. He pushed it wide right in a total screwball kick. Game over.

The kick is no good and we have a tie in Kansas City! pic.twitter.com/dcPuoajXpR

— NFL (@NFL) August 29, 2026

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Full Seahawks-Chiefs box score

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The Seahawks’ next opponent

The games count for real starting Wednesday, Sept. 9. It’s the Super Bowl rematch against the New England Patriots at 5:20 pm PT on NBC and Peacock. There will be a new banner unveiled at Lumen Field!

The Miami Dolphins lost to the Atlanta Falcons earlier tonight, ending an ugly preseason schedule in which the team failed to win a game. In fact, other than the opening drive of their first game when the starting offense was on the field, Miami did not score a touchdown this summer. Is that a sign of things to come?

Miami is not expected to be a good team this year. They have the second-longest odds of any team in the league to be named Super Bowl champions. According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the Dolphins are +50000 to claim the Lombardi Trophy, only ahead of the +100000 Arizona Cardinals.

The Dolphins are the youngest team in the league as they reset their roster from the Mike McDaniel era to new head coach Jeff Hafley’s vision of the club. They are probably going to spend plenty of time this year churning the bottom of the roster and trying to find hidden gems that will shine in the future.

Waiver claims are likely to be a favorite roster move for the Dolphins this season. When a team releases a player, he may be subject to waivers. If so, any team can put in a claim to acquire the player and assume his contract. With the 6 p.m. Eastern deadline on Sunday, August 30, for roster cuts to be made looming, waiver claims are about to take center stage.

But, what are the full rules of the waiver process and what is the waiver order?

What are waivers?

Waivers are a labor process under which a team may release a player from their roster. The player’s contract becomes “claimable” by any team in the league and, if the team is granted the waiver claim, the player moves to the new team under their current contract. It is almost like a trade with no compensation sent to the old team.

How are waiver claims made?

Once a player is waived, the rest of the teams around the league have 24 hours to exercise a claim. This is not a full free-for-all, though. Player waivers are processed at the same time each day (usually 4 p.m. Eastern), and claims are processed at the same time the next day. Teams can submit a waiver claim at any time during the 24-hour period; the league collects all claims and processes them in the order explained below.

For this year’s roster cuts, they are due by 6 p.m. Eastern on Sunday. The league will process waiver claims at 1 p.m. Eastern on Monday.

Are any players exempt from the waivers process? What is released vs. waived?

Players who have accrued four seasons of service time do not have to go through the waivers process. Those players are classified as “released” rather than “waived” and they become free agents immediately rather than having to wait to see if a team claims them.

A player receives credit for an accrued season if they are on a team’s active roster for six games in a season. Players on injured reserve or the physically unable to perform list still receive credit for their service time.

What happens when a team is awarded a waiver claim?

Teams are limited to their 53-man roster size. If they receive a waiver claim and are already at 53 players, they must waive or release another player.

How does the waiver wire impact practice squad players?

Teams cannot start building their practice squads until after the waiver wire processes on Monday. Once players clear waivers without being claimed, they are free to sign with any team in the league, including the team that waived them. This could be on the 53-man roster, or on the 16-man practice squad.

A player on a team’s roster cannot be signed directly to the practice squad. The team will have to waive him, allow the next process deadline to pass, then, if he was not claimed, he can be signed to the practice squad.

What is the waiver order and what happens if multiple teams make a claim?

Waiver claims are processed in the inverse order of league standings. For the first three weeks of the season, the NFL uses the previous year’s standings – which basically makes the waiver order match the draft order, without any trades factored into it.

If multiple teams put in a waiver claim on a player, the higher listed team receives the waiver claim. For example, if a player is waived and both the Las Vegas Raiders and the Miami Dolphins claim him, the Raiders will receive the player and his contract because the Raiders are first in the waiver order while Miami is 11th.

For the waivers that will start being processed on Monday after the cuts have been made, the order is:

1. Las Vegas Raiders
2. New York Jets
3. Arizona Cardinals
4. Tennessee Titans
5. New York Giants
6. Cleveland Browns
7. Washington Commanders
8. New Orleans Saints
9. Kansas City Chiefs
10. Cincinnati Bengals
11. Miami Dolphins
12. Dallas Cowboys
13. Atlanta Falcons
14. Baltimore Ravens
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
16. Indianapolis Colts
17. Detroit Lions
18. Minnesota Vikings
19. Carolina Panthers
20. Green Bay Packers
21. Pittsburgh Steelers
22. Los Angeles Chargers
23. Philadelphia Eagles
24. Jacksonville Jaguars
25. Chicago Bears
26. Buffalo Bills
27. San Francisco 49ers
28. Houston Texans
29. Los Angeles Rams
30. Denver Broncos
31. New England Patriots
32. Seattle Seahawks

Miami is in a decent position to be able to put in waiver claims, but there are still some needy teams in front of them that could block any move the Dolphins try to make.

Who could be subject to waivers from the Dolphins?

The Dolphins have to make some tough decisions over the next couple of days, dropping 38 players from their current roster. If these players are cut, they will be subject to waivers rather than being immediate free agents.

I removed players who are virtual roster locks and should not find themselves waived.

Rookies

• Coleman Bennett, running back
• DJ Campbell, guard
• Kevin Cline, tackle
• Ethan Conner, tight end
• Stephen Dix, Jr., linebacker
• Jeremiah Franklin, tight end
• Mark Gronowski, quarterback
• DJ Herman, fullback
• Max Llewellyn, defensive end
• Donaven McCulley, wide receiver
• Rodney McGraw, edge
• Jai’Onte’ McMillan, cornerback
• Louis Moore, safety
• Cam Rice, defensive tackle
• Seydou Traore, tight end
• Carlos Washington, Jr., running back

0 accrued seasons

• Tucker Addington, long snapper
• Gottlieb Ayedze, tackle
• Miles Battle, cornerback
• Major Burns, safety
• Seth Coleman-Lyles, defensive end
• Keith Cooper, Jr., defensive tackle
• Marques Cox, tackle
• Donovan Edwards, running back
• AJ Henning, wide receiver
• Alex Huntley, defensive tackle
• Cam Miller, quarterback
• Fatorma Mulbah, defensive tackle
• Josh Priebe, guard
• Cam Riley, linebacker
• Jaheim Thomas, linebacker
• Theo Wease, Jr., wide receiver
• Jackson Woodard, linebacker

1 accrued season

• Quinn Ewers, quarterback
• Jarquez Hunter, running back

2 accrued seasons

• Ethan Bonner, cornerback
• Andrew Meyer, center
• Ryan Miller, wide receiver

3 accrued seasons

• Alex Austin, cornerback
• Robert Beal, Jr., defensive end
• Matthew Butler, defensive tackle
• Cameron Goode, defensive end
• A.J. Green III, cornerback
• Ben Sims, tight end

Sunday is cut day, which is always a tough one. Hundreds of players across the NFL suddenly find themselves looking for a new opportunity.

For many, the next stop is the waiver wire. It gives teams the chance to claim players released by another club before they become free agents. Players with fewer than four credited seasons generally must go through the waiver process, while vested veterans with at least four credited seasons can typically become unrestricted free agents immediately when released.

Once a player is placed on waivers, teams have a limited amount of time to submit a claim. If multiple teams want the same player, the team with the highest waiver priority gets him.

Waiver priority is based on the NFL’s waiver order, which is determined by team records and draft position depending on the point in the season. Unlike fantasy football, teams do not automatically drop to the bottom of the list after making a successful claim. This means a team with a high waiver priority can potentially claim multiple players if it has the highest priority for each one.

NFL 2026 waiver wire order

1. Las Vegas Raiders
2. New York Jets
3. Arizona Cardinals
4. Tennessee Titans
5. New York Giants
6. Cleveland Browns
7. Washington Commanders
8. New Orleans Saints
9. Kansas City Chiefs
10. Cincinnati Bengals
11. Miami Dolphins
12. Dallas Cowboys
13. Atlanta Falcons
14. Baltimore Ravens
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
16. Indianapolis Colts
17. Detroit Lions
18. Minnesota Vikings
19. Carolina Panthers
20. Green Bay Packers
21. Pittsburgh Steelers
22. Los Angeles Chargers
23. Philadelphia Eagles
24. Jacksonville Jaguars
25. Chicago Bears
26. Buffalo Bills
27. San Francisco 49ers
28. Houston Texans
29. Los Angeles Rams
30. Denver Broncos
31. New England Patriots
32. Seattle Seahawks

Jacksonville currently has +2700 odds to win Super Bowl LXI, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. Based on the Jaguars’ position in the waiver wire order, those odds might be too high.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

On Friday night, the Kansas City Chiefs battled the Seattle Seahawks to the end of an NFL Preseason Week 3 matchup; the game ended in a 9-9 tie.

Here are five rapid-fire takeaways from the game:

1. The rookies on defense have turned up the team speed

There’s no statistic for it, but the Chiefs’ defense has looked so much faster since rookie cornerback Mansoor Delane began playing with the starters in last week’s preseason game. He started Friday’s contest off with a tackle for loss.

Five's on it 😮‍💨 @mansoordelanepic.twitter.com/eAuOD5Bear

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) August 29, 2026

Of course, the team needs willing, physical tacklers on the outside, but Delane’s speed to the point of contact was outstanding. It goes along with the play he made last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, setting up his teammate for a tackle for loss on a quick screen.

You love to see 'Thomas' turning the corner for a blindside sack in Arrowhead 🥹 pic.twitter.com/cpEyvSUUW2

— Arrowhead Pride (@ArrowheadPride) August 29, 2026

Up front, it’s clear rookie defensive end R Mason Thomas is going to be a difference maker for Kansas City’s pass rush in 2026. The speed with which he gets off the ball is paired with the flexibility to turn the corner and disrupt the quarterback in the back of his drop.

The ease with which Thomas flies around the corner is truly different; the closest a defensive end has come to this skill set under defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo with the Chiefs was Frank Clark, and the Chiefs arguably got the latter half of Clark’s prime as a dominant pass rusher.

2. Brashard Smith and Andrew Armstrong will be hard to cut

Since training camp began, it’s been clear the Chiefs see talent in running back Brashard Smith and wide receiver Andrew Armstrong. Each has been in the starting rotation throughout the preseason, but neither is guaranteed to make it through cutdown day.

Both made statements on Friday night.

Smith’s started in the return game, a facet of his skill set that could lead to a starting spot on the Chiefs. He is battling with wide receiver Nikko Remigio for the return job, and Smith showed the speed advantage he has in that competition during the preseason finale. He took one kickoff out of the end zone and gained 57 yards by winning to the edge of the coverage.

Smith also had his best performance as a runner this preseason. He ran downhill with a purpose, using his quickness to cut back efficiently on his way to a team-leading 72 yards over 16 attempts. He was stuffed at the goal line over numerous short-yardage attempts, but that will never be Smith’s strength as a player.

Wide receiver Andrew Armstrong led the team with five catches for 54 yards. The big-bodied receiver is a strong player among a receiving corps that doesn’t boast play strength.

3. Garrett Nussmeier, impressive, is still a rookie

Rookie quarterback Garrett Nussmeier started this game and played the whole way through. He finished with 22 completions over 34 pass attempts, averaging 5.8 yards per pass (198 yards) and throwing one interception with a passer rating of 68.

Trevon Diggs INT!

Stream on @NFLPluspic.twitter.com/9OGOus2fgu

— NFL (@NFL) August 29, 2026

The interception was certainly a rookie moment: rolling left, Nussmeier lofted a pass leading wide receiver Xaiver Worthy to the sideline, or so he thought. Throwing off his back foot, the ball hung in the air and was short, making an easy interception for Seahawks cornerback Trevon Diggs.

The play ended a nice drive that advanced to the Seattle 30-yard line. There were good stretches of rhythm from the Chiefs’ offense, especially with a commitment to the ground game. Rookie running back Emmett Johnson gained 39 yards over seven carries as the lead back in this contest. The offensive line fired off the ball and kept moving.

Late in the game, Nussmeier made an impressive throw while on the move in the pocket for the second consecutive week to move the chains on 3rd & 12.

Despite all that momentum, Nussmeier couldn’t lead the Chiefs to a touchdown, settling for field goals on three possessions that got inside the 10-yard line. There’s a lot to like about Nussmeier, but there is also reason to believe he needs more time to develop before overtaking veteran Justin Fields as the immediate backup to quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

The Baltimore Ravens throttled the Washington Commanders on Friday night, leaving M&T Bank Stadium with a 41-3 win and an undefeated debut preseason for head coach Jesse Minter.

Minter, who was an assistant coach during the Ravens’ historic preseason win streak between 2016 and 2023, downplayed the result and redirected focus to his players.

“You really want to play to your identity, and you want to create a play style of how you play in all three phases,” Minter said in his postgame press conference. “What are your standards? What are you accepting as playing for the Ravens?”

Tonight, that standard was dominance on both sides of the ball for all 60 minutes. Minter’s defense held the Commanders to just 177 yards on 52 plays (a paltry 3.4 yards per play) and 1-for-14 on third and fourth down. Declan Doyle’s offense, led primarily by undrafted rookie quarterback Joe Fagnano, racked up 456 yards on 69 plays (6.6 YPP) and scored on four of their five trips to the red zone.

The only blemish came on special teams. Kicker Tyler Loop, who ended the 2025 season with a franchise-altering miss vs. the Steelers, missed two of his four field goal attempts, fueling anxiety about the 2025 sixth-round pick heading into his second NFL season.

Minter downplayed concerns about Loop after the game, noting that he “had a good camp overall,” but admitted that “it comes down to making the kicks in the pressure situations in the game.

Loop, to his credit, took questions in the locker room as he did after that fateful miss in January. He insisted that his confidence “has only gone up” this preseason, but acknowledged the frustration of missing his kicks in-game.

“My job is to go make kicks,” Loop said. “That is the expectation every time I go on the field. The 10 guys that are with me and the other guys on the sideline, they expect me to make the kick. That is my job, and I have to do that. When it does not happen, it is frustrating. When it does happen, it is fun. That is just the nature of the job.” 

Minter sidestepped a question about bringing in kicker competition before Week 1, and if this offseason has been any indication, the Ravens are planning to stick with Loop.

This weekend’s roster cuts could give general manager Eric DeCosta an opportunity to add some kicking competition via the practice squad. Before that, though, he will have to set his own 53-man squad, a process that became indeterminately more difficult on Friday night. Fagnano’s impressive preseason could draw interest on waivers. So, too, could fellow undrafted rookie Ethan Burke, who has impressed off the edge throughout the summer. He and Adisa Isaac appear to be neck-and-neck for the Ravens’ fifth outside linebacker roster spot. And then there’s Baltimore’s defensive line room, which arguably has eight players who are worthy of a roster spot.

“You want the guys to make the decisions really tough for us,” Minter said. “They have all done that.”

Sorting through Friday night’s film will only be one part of the equation. Minter, DeCosta, and their staffs will go through every aspect of the Ravens’ upcoming season – including injuries, contracts, cap space, special teams roles, and more – to set their 53-man roster by Sunday evening at 6 p.m. ET.

But even those players who do not make the team will still leave Baltimore knowing that, for at least one night, they truly played like Ravens.

“The thing I am really most proud of is that all the guys out there play the way we want to play,” Minter concluded.“ And does that mean they are all going to be able to make the team? No. But, they have bought into how we want to play, and that has showed up in the games, so I’m just most happy about that.” 

The Kansas City Chiefs tied with the Seattle Seahawks in the preseason finale of the 2026 campaign with a 9-9 score. The countdown to Week 1 is on after an 0-2-1 record in exhibition games.

Running back Brashard Smith led the team with 72 rushing yards over 16 attempts, including a team-long rush of 13 yards. Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier totaled 198 yards over 22 completions. Wide receiver Andrew Armstrong led all pass catchers with 54 yards over five receptions.

Defensive tackle Marcus Harris held the game at a tie at the end with a few clutch tackles; he ended the game with a team-high six tackles. Defensive end R Mason Thomas had a strip sack, the only sack of the game for Kansas City.

First Quarter

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The Chiefs opened the game with Garrett Nussmeier at quarterback and leaned heavily on Emmett Johnson to pick up an early first down. An 8-yard completion to Travis Kelce set up second-and-short, but a drop by Noah Gray followed by an incompletion brought out the punt team.

Kansas City’s defense started strong, with Mansoor Delane coming up from his cornerback position for a 4-yard tackle for loss. Two more stops followed as the Chiefs forced a quick three-and-out.

The Chiefs’ second possession started with a 12-yard run from Johnson followed by a 14-yard screen pass to the running back. After a short Emari Demercado run, Nussmeier connected with Tyquan Thornton for 11 yards. The drive ended on the next play when Nussmeier underthrew Xavier Worthy and was intercepted by Diggs.

Seattle immediately took advantage with a 40-yard completion from Jalen Milroe to Montorie. Foster followed by a 24-yard completion to Elijah. Arroyo. The Chiefs’ defense tightened up from there, making three consecutive stops to force a field goal and limit the Seahawks to a 3-0 lead.

Brashard Smith gave Kansas City excellent field position with a 57-yard kickoff return. Nussmeier opened the possession with a 20-yard completion to Armstrong before Johnson added 15 yards on three carries. A holding penalty eventually stalled the drive, forcing the Chiefs to settle for a field goal to tie the game 3-3.

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Second Quarter

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Seattle opened the second quarter with completions of 19 and 13 yards from Jalen Milroe before a holding penalty slowed the drive. On the following play, a backward pass resulted in a fumble that linebacker Cole Christiansen recovered at the Chiefs’ 36-yard line.

Kansas City turned the takeaway into points. A 17-yard completion from Nussmeier to Jared Wiley highlighted the possession before the Chiefs settled for a field goal to take a 6-3 lead.

The Seahawks picked up a quick first down on their next possession and benefited from a pass interference penalty, but R. Mason Thomas responded with a strip sack on first down that put Seattle behind the sticks. The Seahawks recovered the fumble but were eventually forced to punt.

Starting from their own 5-yard line late in the half, the Chiefs moved the ball out to the 48 behind some nice plays from Nussmeier and Emari Demercado. An intentional grounding penalty resulted in a 10-second runoff, ending the first half with Kansas City leading 6-3.

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Third Quarter

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The Seahawks received the ball to start the second half, but the Chiefs’ defense quickly forced a three-and-out.

Kansas City picked up two first downs on its opening possession behind a 12-yard run from Brashard Smith and a 12-yard reception by Cyrus Allen. The drive stalled from there, and Harrison Butker missed the field goal attempt wide right.

Following the missed field goal, Jalen Milroe moved the Seahawks quickly down the field for a touchdown, throwing for 67 yards on the drive. Jason Myers missed the extra point, leaving Seattle with a 9-6 lead.

The Chiefs picked up one first down on their next possession with another 12-yard run from Smith, but the drive stalled shortly afterward and Kansas City punted.

Seattle’s next possession was short-lived, as the Chiefs forced three consecutive incompletions and another punt.

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Fourth Quarter

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The Seahawks opened the fourth quarter but failed to pick up a first down as the Chiefs’ defense quickly forced another punt.

Kansas City was pushed behind the sticks by a first-down penalty and went three-and-out.

Seattle’s offense continued to struggle, moving backward on its next possession before another three-and-out.

The Chiefs picked up a first down on a nice completion to De Jesus, but an offensive pass interference penalty on the following play put the offense behind the sticks. Kansas City never recovered and was forced to punt.

Seattle took over at its own 20-yard line with a little over three minutes remaining. A 30-yard completion to Henderson and several short runs moved the Seahawks into field goal range, but Jason Myers missed a 52-yard attempt as time expired, ending the game in a 9-9 tie.

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Special teams notes

Kicker Harrison Butker connected on three of his four field-goal attempts, hitting from 19, 24 and 28 yards while missing from 58 yards.

Jacob De Jesus averaged 9 yards on three punt returns, including a long of 20 yards, while Brashard Smith provided the biggest return of the night with a 50-yard kickoff return.

Punter Matt Araiza averaged 44 yards on four punts, with a long of 53 yards.

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The Atlanta Dream may have to face the first-place Minnesota Lynx without one of their stars.

Angel Reese picked up her eighth technical foul of the season Friday night in Atlanta’s 101-83 loss to the Portland Fire. If the call holds, Reese will receive a mandatory one-game suspension for the Dream’s home matchup against the Lynx on Sunday afternoon.

With 8:45 remaining in the fourth quarter, Reese got tangled up with Portland guard Carla Leite on a box out. The officials quickly whistled Reese for a tech, much to the surprise of both Reese and her teammates. The Atlanta All-Star walked away from the call saying, “I didn’t do anything.”

Angel Reese has picked up her 8th technical foul of the season; that will trigger an automatic 1-game suspension if it is not rescinded by the league.

Reese would be slated to miss the Dream's game Sunday vs Lynx if the technical foul is upheld. pic.twitter.com/F7lRFuDXPn

— espnW (@espnW) August 29, 2026

The Athletic contacted the WNBA league office to ask if Reese’s violation would be rescinded, as happened with Caitlin Clark when she picked up her eighth technical foul earlier this season. As of publication, no decision had been made.

If the call stands, this would mark the second consecutive season that Reese accumulated eight technicals. She served a suspension in Game 41 for the Chicago Sky. Atlanta’s next game is its 40th of the season.

Unlike in 2025, Reese’s team is in the postseason picture this year. However, the Dream fell to fifth in the WNBA standings with Friday night’s loss to Portland and they face an uphill battle against the Lynx without Reese and Brionna Jones, who was already ruled out of Sunday’s contest. One more defeat would tie them in the loss column with Washington, which owns the tiebreaker against Atlanta after winning the season series.

Reese can return to play for the Dream after the FIBA break, during which she will represent Team USA, and has to pick up two more technical fouls in the regular season before receiving another suspension. The tally does not carry over into the playoffs.

Kahleah Copper and Clark are both sitting at seven technical fouls and could face potential suspension before the end of the 2026 campaign.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

Atlanta Dream, WNBA, women's sports

2026 The Athletic Media Company

It has come and gone. We made it.

The preseason is over for the Dallas Cowboys, and at long last they finally lost an exhibition game as they fell to the New Orleans Saints on Friday night by a final score of 27 to 24.

For all of this calendar year our discussions around this team have centered around how “differently” things have been. The approach to roster construction, the avoidance of off-the-field drama, and now it has all served as a common denominator all the way to the regular season. That’s what this moment signifies.

There are still things to tend to before we fully get there. The Cowboys have to finalize their 53-man roster (in an initial sense at least, they’ll obviously tend to it) by Sunday afternoon. But next up… real football.

Below you will find a recap of how things went against New Orleans.

So long, preseason.

First Quarter

The Saints won the toss and elected to receive which put the Cowboys on defense first.

Spencer Rattler got things moving a little bit and before you could blink the Saints were in field goal range. Thankfully the Cowboys defense buckled and held them there, but Daniel Carlson did boot one in from 38 yards out for the game’s first points.

SCORE: COWBOYS 0, SAINTS 3

Joe Milton got the start at quarterback on the night which seemed to underscore that he is QB2 for this team. Phil Mafah did a lot of the work on that first possession, but the Cowboys also had to settle for a field goal. Brandon Aubrey was good from 49 yards out.

SCORE: COWBOYS 3, SAINTS 3

The Saints began moving the ball once again, it felt like 2024 (if you know you know), and this time were able to cash all the way in. Touchdown, visitors.

Saints 6th-round pick Barion Brown finds the end zone

Stream on @NFLPluspic.twitter.com/s3lAfyzFq0

— NFL (@NFL) August 29, 2026

The quarter ended with the Cowboys somewhat threatening, partly thanks to this beauty from Joe Milton to Camden Brown.

.@CamdenBrown7 continues to make plays 😤

📺: #NOvsDAL on CBS11  
📲: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/XM2vIx7C1dpic.twitter.com/LW1eOzcvjQ

— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) August 29, 2026

Very nice.

Second Quarter

The Cowboys wound up scoring on the possession, but they couldn’t quite match the Saints. Brandon Aubrey lined up from 51 and you know the drill.

SCORE: COWBOYS 6, SAINTS 10

On the game’s fifth possession… we finally got a punt. It looked like New Orleans was going to benefit from a roughing the passer penalty that Spencer Rattler seemed to draw, but replay assist showed that the Cowboys were fine. What a world we are living in these days.

Unfortunately while the Cowboys were able to get within striking distance, they finally blinked themselves. Brandon Aubrey gave a 57-yard field goal is best effort and couldn’t quite convert.

Soon enough the Saints were back in the endzone, this time courtesy of Spencer Rattler on the ground.

TOUCHDOWN RATTLER!#Saints | 📺: FOX-8 pic.twitter.com/9fkseoQ4O8

— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) August 29, 2026

SCORE: COWBOYS 6, SAINTS 17

Milton and co. took over with about two minutes left which was very interesting in terms of seeing what he could do.

Joe was solid and he helped the team set up another Brandon Aubrey attempt. This one was from 58 and was as good as could be.

SCORE: COWBOYS 9, SAINTS 17

That was that and both teams went to their locker rooms for halftime.

Third Quarter

Sam Howell was in at quarterback for the second half and things weren’t exactly spectacular to start as the Cowboys punted.

New Orleans picked up where they left off and scored another touchdown. This time it was Zamir White from 11 yards out.

Zamir White runs into the endzone with ease 🤝#Saints | 📺: FOX-8 pic.twitter.com/S0X4wHyTEs

— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) August 29, 2026

SCORE: COWBOYS 9, SAINTS 24

It was another punt for the Cowboys. A penalty did wipe away a fresh set of downs, but by this point in the game the offense wasn’t exactly doing a ton of work.

New Orleans wound up punting. The vibe was clearly shifting towards the end of the preseason in an overall sense.

Fourth Quarter

As the fourth quarter started the Cowboys did it with a bang.

Sam Howell found Jordan Hudson for a huge touchdown to turn the mood right around.

.@Sam7Howell to @d1Jordan3 for a TD ❗️

📺: #NOvsDAL on CBS11  
📲: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/XM2vIx7C1dpic.twitter.com/Wn7kAeQ0ae

— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) August 29, 2026

SCORE: COWBOYS 16, SAINTS 24

The Saints punted it back to the Cowboys which provided life in the game with Dallas down by one score.

With that opportunity the Cowboys seriously cashed in. Like… seriously cashed in.

Sam Howell found Mitch Van Vooren for the touchdown, and then he took care of things himself for the game-tying two-point conversion.

MITCH VAN VOOREN TOUCHDOWN

📺: #NOvsDAL on CBS11  
📲: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/XM2vIx7C1dpic.twitter.com/10ABfgrCja

— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) August 29, 2026

.@Sam7Howell TIES THE GAME ‼️

📺: #NOvsDAL on CBS11  
📲: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/XM2vIx7C1dpic.twitter.com/LFMLhdWaas

— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) August 29, 2026

SCORE: COWBOYS 24, SAINTS 24

The Saints went down and kicked a field goal and left 1:55 to work with. Kellen Moore clearly did so because New Orleans is working through kickers. You can’t blame him.

SCORE: COWBOYS 24, SAINTS 27

This set the Cowboys up with a fun opportunity. Sam Howell and co. had a chance down by 3 to go the length of the field to score a touchdown to end the preseason undefeated.

Unfortunately it wasn’t in the cards and the Cowboys lost a preseason game for the first time this year.

The Falcons just completed the third and final week of the 2026 NFL preseason, which means that the trimming down of the offseason roster from 90 to the 53 man final roster will begin shortly. There’s been a number of fascinating roster battles and impressive players fighting for spots, making for some tough decisions for Ian Cunningham and Kevin Stefanski. After all, the Falcons face a tough Week 1 matchup on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers, where Atlanta has never won before and remains three-point underdogs.

This year, the cutdown deadline is earlier than usual, with teams needing to have their final cuts submitted no later than Sunday, August 30 at 6 PM ET. We’ll be keeping an eye on the transaction wire to bring you the latest news as quickly as possible throughout the coming days. Keep this page bookmarked as we’ll be updating it regularly once the announcements begin.

Falcons 2026 roster cut tracker

• None yet, but we’ll keep you posted!