The Boston Red Sox surprisingly fired manager Alex Cora and several members of his coaching staff on Sunday. A new report details the reasons behind that decision. According to Julian McWilliams of CBSSports.com, the Red Sox front office and Cora had a growing disconnect regarding the talent on the roster and their game-time philosophy. The front office had moved to a more flexible roster with a greater emphasis on various metrics and matchups, coinciding with a decreased willingness to spend. Two particular instances led to the decision. Cora had continued using shortstop Trevor Story as the second hitter in the lineup despite an ice-cold start to the season. The front office also noted that infielder David Hamilton had been playing better in Milwaukee, leading to questions as to whether or not Cora was getting the most out of the players. Neither reason for firing Red Sox manager Alex Cora, coaching staff holds up Neither reason makes sense for Cora to be let go. Story was slotted into the second spot in the lineup for the first nine games of the year before being moved down the batting order. As Story posted a .263/.308/.433 batting line with 25 homers and 29 doubles while stealing 31 bases in his 654 plate appearances in 2025, it was understandable that Cora would give him some time to snap out of his slump before taking him out of the second spot. Hamilton, meanwhile, has only been slightly better than he was in 2025. He posted a .198/.257/.333 batting line in his 194 plate appearances in 2025, hitting six homers and four doubles while stealing 22 bases. Hamilton had produced a .234/.355/.250 batting line in his 80 plate appearances entering Monday, with a double as his only extra-base hit. There may be other behind-the-scenes reasons as to why Cora and the majority of his coaching staff were fired. However, if those two reasons are the only justification, the Red Sox made a tremendous mistake.
Perhaps there’s something that affects the mind when drafting from the Washington Commanders’ war room. Maybe it’s the notion that trades will fix the problems. But here is why the Commanders made the biggest mistake of the 2026 NFL Draft. General manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn managed to get things right when they collected Sonny Styles with their No. 7 overall pick. Yes, they passed on safety Caleb Downs, who went to the Cowboys. And Commanders’ fans might have to live with that decision for the next decade. But still, it’s not fair to call the drafting of Styles a mistake. Styles checks all of the boxes. However, it is fair to give a long, stern look at what the Commanders did in Round 3. Oh my. Commanders blew it by drafting WR Antonio Williams First, let’s see what the experts said. You know, the guys who spend their whole year watching film on these NFL prospects. Let’s see how they ranked the wide receiver position when the Commanders’ turn came at No. 71. We will look at the rankings of NFL.com along with the order of NFL Draft Buzz. NFL.com 1. Chris Brazzell II 2. Zachariah Branch 3. Malachi Fields 4. Antonio Williams 5. Chris Bell 6. Ja’Kobi Lane 7. Ted Hurst NFL Draft Buzz 1. Chris Brazzell II 2. Chris Bell 3. Zachariah Branch 4. Antonio Williams 5. Malachi Fields 6. Ted Hurst 7. Ja’Kobi Lane So, you get the picture. Williams was the fourth-best receiver available. And with good reason. He has a light frame with short arms, which will make him a candidate to be shut down by corners who are good at physical press coverage. Furthermore, the Commanders won’t be able to count on him to block in the run game. Along with the lack of strength, there are durability concerns. But worst of all, Williams lacks the type of speed needed to threaten defenses on the back end. Adding to the woes, the Commanders don’t have a WR2. And the idea of Williams filling that spot on the outside is slim, according to NFL Draft Buzz. “Williams is a slot receiver,” NFL Draft Buzz wrote. “That is his position in the NFL. And there is no reason to overthink it.” So why did the Commanders even draft him? They are counting on him to win in the middle of the field with quickness and craft. “Put him in a timing-based passing scheme that values route precision over raw athleticism, and he will produce right away,” NFL Draft Buzz wrote. “Spread formations, RPO concepts, and quick-game packages that let him work against linebackers and nickel corners in space are where he thrives.” But the biggest issue with Williams isn’t what he can do. The biggest issue with drafting him is what the Commanders passed on. Commanders passed on bigger, faster receivers Most notably, and easy to argue, they took a pass on Chris Brazzell II. What will Brazzell bring to the Panthers instead of the Commanders? A game changer, according to NFL Draft Buzz. “Brazzell walked into Indianapolis with a reputation as a long, fluid receiver who could win downfield and at the catch point,” NFL Draft Buzz wrote. “He walked out having torched the 40-yard dash with a 4.37 that tied for the ninth-fastest time among 34 receivers. That number changes the calculus entirely. “Before the combine, you could talk yourself into Brazzell as a quality possession X who won with technique, length, and contested-catch ability. Now you are looking at a 6-4 target with an 80-inch wingspan who also happens to run faster than most of the guys he will line up across from at the next level.” Every time Brazzell catches a long pass in 2026, someone should send a group text message to Quinn and Peters. “Hey, guess who just caught another bomb? Yep. Brazzell.” Quinn and Peters can then go back to watching Williams catch short passes in the middle of the field. Sigh. If not Brazzell, why not Branch? He’s a few inches shorter, but he’s faster. Remember that thing where Quinn and Peters wanted faster players? Now, there was another guy in play. This would have taken some guts. But at 6-foot-4 and 206 pounds, Hurst brings the type of frame NFL teams love. This guy has size and speed. And he has Puka Nacua-type upside written all over him. Look at this summary from NFL Draft Buzz. “But the important thing is what happens after the release,” NFL Draft Buzz wrote. “He changes speeds through his stems, sinks his hips on breaks with fluidity rare for his frame, and finds zone windows with a feel that his average depth of target shift from 17.2 to 12.6 yards between 2024 and 2025 confirms was already developing. With physical development and an expanded release package, he can grow into a starting outside receiver by year two.” And the problem with that last sentence is that the Commanders desperately need a receiver to step into a bigger role for 2027. Because the current WR1, Terry McLaurin, is getting old.
The Pittsburgh Steelers did not make a big splash to acquire Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft last week. Instead, Pittsburgh took a flier on developmental prospect Drew Allar out of Penn State in the draft's third round. It sounds like those assuming the Steelers' offseason activities show that Aaron Rodgers will return to serve as the club's QB1 this coming season are correct. When do Steelers expect to get Aaron Rodgers back? "The Steelers still have no formal word from aging quarterback Aaron Rodgers about his plans for 2026," NFL insider Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom US wrote for an update shared on Tuesday. "But, there remains a sense within the organization that he will play next season, with formal word anticipated in the coming weeks." As recently as last week, Steelers president Art Rooney II hinted that Rodgers would re-sign with the club before Pittsburgh begins organized team practice activities in the middle of May. Last offseason, Rodgers didn't sign with the Steelers until right before their mandatory minicamp began in June. "It’s clear to Rodgers' representatives that this situation cannot drag all the way to minicamp like it did a year ago before he formally signed with them," La Canfora mentioned. Why Steelers seemingly have been confident about Aaron Rodgers decision New Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy said back in March that he was "confident" he eventually would have Rodgers atop the depth chart. McCarthy was first Rodgers' head coach when the two were with the Green Bay Packers from 2006 through a portion of the 2018 season. Not long after the Steelers hired McCarthy, Rodgers made it known that he has "so much love for Mike and appreciation for the time we spent together." "If Rodgers truly intended to retire," La Canfora added, "it’s unlikely he would string out McCarthy, having just taken over a new franchise." La Canfora was also sure to note that "the Steelers continue to tread lightly about the topic" because of "how mercurial Rodgers can be." That said, it seems like the latest Rodgers-related offseason saga is nearing its expected conclusion.
Happy 34th birthday to former third-overall NFL Draft pick, Blake Bortles! Bortles played three seasons of college ball at Central Florida, where he’s fifth all-time in passing yards and touchdowns in program history. The Jacksonville Jaguars selected him third-overall in the 2014 Draft, where he and the Jags had trouble matching his productivity with winning football. In his most productive season as a pro in 2015, he threw for 4,428 yards and 35 touchdowns and an NFL-high 18 interceptions for a team that went 5-11. He nearly reached the 4,000-yards once again in 2016, but the Jags went just 3-11 that year. The Jags only had one winning season with Bortles under center in 2017-18, when they nearly beat Tom Brady and the Patriots in the AFC Championship game and became perhaps the most surprising Super Bowl participant ever before collapsing in the second half. Which brings us to today’s quiz. Bortles became one of just 29 quarterbacks in NFL history to rack up at least 4,000 passing yards and at least 18 interceptions in the same season. How many of those QB’s can you name in five minutes? Good luck! Did you like this quiz? Are there any quizzes you’d like to see us make in the future? Let us know your thoughts at quizzes@yardbarker.com, and make sure to subscribe to our Quiz of the Day Newsletter for daily quizzes sent right to your email!
