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The best Super Bowl matchups that never happened
Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

The best Super Bowl matchups that never happened

Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda.

Typically, that's the response you get when you talk about what could've been. But when it comes to these 20 Super Bowl matchups, there's no question they should've happened. Some of these potential matchups would have been legendary. Let's dig into them.

 
New England Patriots vs. Green Bay Packers (2014)
Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Actual matchup: Patriots over Seattle Seahawks, 28-24. 

Tom Brady's Patriots vs. Aaron Rodgers' Packers. This was a matchup every football fan wanted to see. In the 2010s, they were the best quarterbacks in the league, and their teams were stacked. A Pats vs. Packers Super Bowl was always a safe preseason Super Bowl prediction. We never got the chance to watch this matchup. The football gods had other plans. Seattle's comeback victory against the Packers in the NFC Championship Game prevented it from happening. Regardless, the actual matchup was still a great game. 

 
2 of 20

Minnesota Vikings vs. Denver Broncos (1998)

Minnesota Vikings vs. Denver Broncos (1998)
RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports

Actual matchup: Denver Broncos over Atlanta Falcons, 34-19.

This matchup would've featured two of the top-scoring offenses in the league in 1998. Both the Vikings and Broncos finished in the top three for total yards gained, per Statmuse . This game would've been an offensive explosion. You had Randall Cunningham, Cris Carter, Randy Moss, and Robert Smith on the 15-1 Vikings. And this stacked team would have matched up against John Elway, Terrell Davis, and the reigning champion Broncos. Sounds like a recipe for a great game. Unfortunately, the Vikings were upset by the Falcons in the NFC Championship Game.  

 
3 of 20

New England Patriots vs. Tampa Bay Bucs (2021)

New England Patriots vs. Tampa Bay Bucs (2021)
Boston Globe-Contributor-Getty Images

Actual matchup: Los Angeles Rams over Cincinnati Bengals, 23-20.

Tom Brady and Bill Belichick won six Super Bowls together in New England. Was it all Brady? Was it all Belichick? These questions would have been put to bed in this Super Bowl. Make no mistake, this would have been a legacy match. Unfortunately, we've been denied the chance to see this ever come to pass after Brady's retirement after the 2022 season.

 
4 of 20

Dallas Cowboys vs. Oakland Raiders (1975)

Dallas Cowboys vs. Oakland Raiders (1975)
Long Photography-USA TODAY Sports

Actual matchup: Pittsburgh Steelers over Dallas Cowboys, 21-17.

The Cowboys and the Raiders were two of the best teams in the NFL in the 1970s. Yet, we never got to watch these storied franchises collide in the Super Bowl. The Cowboys, America's Team, were seen as the golden boys of the NFL. Meanwhile, the Raiders were an intimidating team that played dirty. It would've been the good guys vs. the bad guys. Also, the coaching matchup of Tom Landry and John Madden is iconic.  

 
5 of 20

Indianapolis Colts vs. Minnesota Vikings (2009)

Indianapolis Colts vs. Minnesota Vikings (2009)
Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Actual matchup: New Orleans Saints over Indianapolis Colts, 31-17.

The original matchup for this Super Bowl was great: Brees' Saints vs. Peyton Manning's Colts. But this matchup would've been even better: Brett Favre vs. Peyton Manning. Need I say more? The Vikings vs. the Colts would've featured two of the greatest quarterbacks of all time dueling in the Super Bowl. Every time they played, it was must-watch football. They're each all over the record books.

 
6 of 20

The Manning Bowl (2007)

The Manning Bowl (2007)
Getty Images

Actual matchup: New York Giants over New England Patriots, 17-14. 

Two quarterbacks, also brothers, never played against each other in the Super Bowl. But it almost happened in the 2007 season. Instead, Eli Manning and the Giants shocked the world and beat the 18-0 New England Patriots, ruining their chances at a perfect season. But if Eli's Giants played Peyton Manning and the Colts instead, it would've been a historic game. Since Peyton has a 3-0 record against his little brother, we think the Colts would've come out on top. 

 
7 of 20

Dallas Cowboys vs. New England Patriots (2016)

Dallas Cowboys vs. New England Patriots (2016)
David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Actual matchup: New England Patriots over Atlanta Falcons, 34-28 (overtime). 

This would've been the battle for the title of America's team.

The Cowboys had held that title since the 1970s when they won two Super Bowls. After the fact, they won three Super Bowls in four years in the '90s. The other team in this matchup is literally called the Patriots and has won six Super Bowls in the 21st Century. 

Featuring two of the biggest bandwagon fanbases, this would be one of the most hyped-up games in NFL history. Also, Brady and Belichick versus the rookie duo of Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott would have been intriguing. 

 
8 of 20

New England Patriots vs. San Francisco 49ers (2012)

New England Patriots vs. San Francisco 49ers (2012)
David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Actual matchup: Baltimore Ravens over San Francisco 49ers, 34-31.

Tom Brady, the GOAT, looked up to 49ers quarterback Joe Montana growing up. His favorite team was the 49ers, and he dreamed of playing for them. In the 2000 NFL Draft, the 49ers passed on Brady, who the Patriots drafted in the sixth round. We all know how that worked out. This Super Bowl would have been the chance for Tom Brady to get his revenge against the 49ers. 

 
9 of 20

Cleveland Browns vs. Detroit Lions (1994)

Cleveland Browns vs. Detroit Lions (1994)
Tom Pidgeon-Stringer-Getty Images

Actual matchup: San Francisco 49ers vs. San Diego Chargers 46-26.

Yep, you read the title right. The Browns vs. the Lions. This matchup would be a feel-good moment. The Browns and the Lions are two of the biggest losers in the NFL and have been for some time now. Neither has won anything. Regardless of who would have won this game, we'd have gotten to see a franchise win its first Super Bowl. Also, Bill Belichick's Browns vs. Barry Sanders' Lions matchup sounds interesting. It shows how long Belichick has been in the league. We might want to leave this one for the people playing Madden in franchise mode. 

 
10 of 20

St. Louis Rams vs. Baltimore Ravens (2000)

St. Louis Rams vs. Baltimore Ravens (2000)
James Lang-USA TODAY Sports

Actual matchup: Baltimore Ravens over New York Giants, 34-7.

Anything is better than 34-7.

This hypothetical Super Bowl could've been one of the greatest games ever. The St. Louis Rams, nicknamed the Greatest Show on Turf, were dubbed the greatest offense of all time. And the Baltimore Ravens' 2000 defense is one of the greatest defenses of all time, along with the 1985 Chicago Bears (more on them later). Does defense really win championships? Can a great offense beat a great defense? These questions and more would've been answered in this Super Bowl. 

 
11 of 20

Kansas City Chiefs vs. San Francisco 49ers (1994)

Kansas City Chiefs vs. San Francisco 49ers (1994)
Peter Brouillet-USA TODAY Sports

Actual matchup: San Francisco 49ers over San Diego Chargers, 49-26.

Instead of Steve Young finally getting his ring and ending the 49ers dynasty on a high note, the 49ers would have to go up against their former quarterback: Hall of Famer Joe Montana. Young took over as the 49ers starting quarterback when Montana got injured and never looked back. This matchup would've been a revenge game for Montana, who wanted to go out as a champion. For the 49ers, it would have been a chance to prove Young was their guy, and they didn't need Montana to win a Super Bowl. Exciting stuff. 

 
12 of 20

Chicago Bears vs. Miami Dolphins (1985)

Chicago Bears vs. Miami Dolphins (1985)
Manny Rubio-USA TODAY Sports

Actual matchup: Chicago Bears over New England Patriots, 46-10. 

The 1985 Chicago Bears are widely considered one of the greatest teams of all time. They dominated every team on their path to winning the Super Bowl, going 15-1 in the regular season and running away with the Super Bowl. The Miami Dolphins, led by quarterback Dan Marino, gave them their only loss of the season. Marino picked apart Buddy Ryan's 4-6 defense and led the Dolphins to victory. The '85 Bears are the best defense ever. Would Marino have nabbed his first ring against the '85 Bears? It would've been fun to watch him try.

 
13 of 20

Buffalo Bills vs. Philadelphia Eagles (1991)

Buffalo Bills vs. Philadelphia Eagles (1991)
George Gojkovich-Contributor-Getty Images

Actual matchup: Washington Redskîns vs. Buffalo Bills 37-24. 

The Buffalo Bills went to four Super Bowls in a row in the 1990s, thanks to the K-Gun Offense, but lost them all. Bills quarterback Jim Kelly led the no-huddle attack with ease. In other news, the 1991 Eagles Gang Green defense was simply incredible. They swarmed their opponents and didn't give up any easy points. This matchup would have been a classic example of a great defense versus a high-scoring offense. This matchup could've happened if Randall Cunningham didn't injure his knee at the beginning of the '91 season. 

With both teams becoming contenders in their conference, we could see this matchup shortly. We don't think America is ready for a Bills vs. Eagles Super Bowl. 

 
14 of 20

New York Giants vs. Los Angeles Raiders (1990)

New York Giants vs. Los Angeles Raiders (1990)
Mike Powell-Staff-Getty Images

Actual matchup: New York Giants over Buffalo Bills, 20-19.

C'mon now. We all know these are two of the biggest cities in America. Who wouldn't want to see them in the Super Bowl? How would you write the slogan for this Super Bowl? East Coast vs. West Coast? Hollywood vs. Broadway? However you want to draw it up, this is a great matchup on paper. Lawrence Taylor and the Giants vs. a tough Raiders team could have gotten chippy quickly. Also, if the Raiders won, it would have given Bo Jackson a ring. If the Giants won, it would have given The Big Blue Wrecking Crew their second ring — which they wound up getting anyway. It's a shame it never happened. 

 
15 of 20

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. San Francisco 49ers (2011)

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. San Francisco 49ers (2011)
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Actual matchup: New York Giants over New England Patriots, 21-17. 

The 49ers and the Steelers are two storied franchises. And they've never played each other in the Super Bowl. While this matchup almost happened several times, the stars didn't align. For starters, the Steelers were the team to beat in the '70s, and the 49ers were a dynasty in the '80s. If you combined their Super Bowl wins, you'd have 11 Lombardi trophies! If the Steelers didn't lose to Tim Tebow's Broncos in the Wild Card, and if the 49ers beat the Giants in the NFC Championship Game, we could've seen them in the Super Bowl together.

This is basically the Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics of the NFL. 

 
16 of 20

New York Giants vs. New York Jets (2010)

New York Giants vs. New York Jets (2010)
Rob Tringali-Contributor-Getty Images

Actual matchup: Green Bay Packers over Pittsburgh Steelers, 31-25.

Do I need to explain this one? It's the battle for The Big Apple, for crying out loud. The NFL's marketing team would have a field day with this one. Whoever wins this game gets the right to say they're the Kings of New York. 

 
17 of 20

Dallas Cowboys vs. Kansas City Chiefs (1966)

Dallas Cowboys vs. Kansas City Chiefs (1966)
Tony Tomsic-USA TODAY Sports

Actual matchup: Green Bay Packers over Kansas City Chiefs, 35-10. 

This hypothetical matchup would feature two of the best head coaches of the era: Tom Landry vs. Hank Stram. Both were innovators in a time when the game was young and evolving. Landry is credited with inventing the 4-3 defense. On the other hand, Stram helped create the early formations of the 3-4 defense. This game would've been historic. 

 
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Carolina Panthers (1996)
Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

Actual matchup: Green Bay Packers over New England Patriots 35-21.

The Carolina Panthers and the Jacksonville Jaguars entered the NFL as expansion teams in 1993, and their inaugural seasons came in 1995. The following year, both teams were in their respective conference championship games. Unfortunately, both were laid to rest, and we got the above Super Bowl matchup. But if they played each other, it would've made history. Nothing like this has happened before in NFL history. Two brand-new expansion teams have never played a Super Bowl, and this could've been it. I guess beginner's luck has to end at some point, huh?

 
19 of 20

Houston Oilers vs. Dallas Cowboys (1979)

Houston Oilers vs. Dallas Cowboys (1979)
Focus On Sport-Contributor-Getty Images

Actual matchup: Pittsburgh Steelers over Los Angeles Rams, 31-19. 

Everything is bigger in Texas — even the rivalries. This interstate duel would have determined the Kings of Texas crown. During the late '70s, both the Cowboys and Oilers were great teams. The Cowboys, led by Roger Staubach and Tom Landry, won two Super Bowls together in Big D. On the other side of Texas, the Love Ya Blue Oilers enjoyed the most successful period in franchise history as a contender in the AFC. This would have been a hard-fought game, no doubt. 

 
20 of 20

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (2008)

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (2008)
Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Actual matchup: Pittsburgh Steelers over Arizona Cardinals, 27-23.

This wouldn't have just been the battle for Pennsylvania. It also had several great players: Troy Polamalu, James Harrison, Ben Roethlisberger, and Hines Ward of the Steelers vs. Donavan McNabb, Brian Dawkins, and Brian Westbrook of the Eagles. It's also the perfect David vs. Goliath story — a team with six Super Bowl victories going against a team with one. The only problem is that the game wouldn't have been as interesting to anyone outside of Pennsylvania. 

David J. Hunt

David J. Hunt is a freelance writer based out of Philadelphia. He ran cross country at Penn State, became a volunteer firefighter during COVID-19, and is a self taught journalist

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Report: Bengals draw hard line in Trey Hendrickson contract talks
NFL

Report: Bengals draw hard line in Trey Hendrickson contract talks

Cincinnati Bengals star defensive end Trey Hendrickson has been holding out from training camp as he seeks a new contract, and it does not sound like the two sides are all that close to a deal. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler said on "SportsCenter" Monday that there has been "some progress" in negotiations between the Bengals and Hendrickson's representatives over the past week or so. The real disagreement has to do with guaranteed money, and Cincinnati's brass is not budging. "Hendrickson wants a stronger guaranteed structure, particularly later in what should be a multiyear deal. In talking to people with the Bengals they feel like, 'Hey, we've probably relented as far as we can go.' So this is a classic stare-off right now, and it's time to buckle up," Fowler said, via Andrew Peters of Bleacher Report. Hendrickson is set to earn $16M in base salary in the final year of his contract this season. He recently said he has shown a willingness to take less than market value on a new deal, but the Bengals do not want to guarantee him money beyond the 2026 season. Based on what he has said, the 30-year-old Hendrickson is not seeking to become the highest-paid defensive player in football. In order to accomplish that, he would have to top the three-year, $123M extension T.J. Watt signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers last week. Hendrickson had 35 sacks over the past two seasons, which was the most in the NFL during that span. He had 17.5 sacks each season and finished second in NFL Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2024. The Bengals took care of one major offseason issue on Sunday when they finally signed first-round pick Shemar Stewart to a rookie deal. All it will take is one side to budge in the team's ongoing stalemate with Hendrickson, but all parties seem to be dug in as training camp rolls on.

Yankees’ planned fire sale after Aaron Judge injury epitomizes roster weakness
MLB

Yankees’ planned fire sale after Aaron Judge injury epitomizes roster weakness

Would the New York Yankees still be a heavyweight contender without Aaron Judge? Most fans would doubt it. What comes as a shock is that Yankees general manager, Brian Cashman, appears to agree. According to MLB insider Andy Martino of SNY, Cashman had explored the option of selling ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline (6 p.m. EST) if Judge’s flexor strain had turned out to be something worse. Martino wrote this: “[On Saturday], we relayed that the Yankees were floating some of their free-agent-to-be relievers in preliminary trade talks. We have since learned through league sources that last week the Yanks brought up Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt in talks with at least one other club.” It would be strange to see a team with a record well above .500 shop core hitters at the deadline. Both Bellinger and Goldschmidt — hitting .281/.333/.507 with 19 home runs and .283/.341/.419 with eight home runs respectively entering Tuesday — have been valuable producers for the Yankees this year. Goldschmidt signed a one-year deal with the Bronx Bombers over the offseason while Bellinger was acquired via trade with the Cubs. He is signed through 2026 but has a player option at the end of the year. Either player would bring a nice haul back to the Yankees. Of course, the reigning AL MVP’s injury doesn’t seem to be a season-altering, ‘abandon ship’ type of event. Optimistically, Judge should be back soon. But this does serve to illustrate how the team’s success is dependent on one player. Beyond Judge, the Yankees’ batting order doesn’t feature a star-caliber player, or at least a player the lineup can be built around. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, New York lacks enough solid hitters to be considered a worthy contender without Judge. The Yankees’ three bottom-of-the-order hitters — Austin Wells (.214), Anthony Volpe (.213) and newest acquisition Ryan McMahon (.223) — all own batting averages below .230 entering Tuesday. And this doesn’t include J.C. Escarra (.205), Oswald Peraza (.152) or even Ben Rice (.229). If Judge was lost for the season, selling wouldn’t have been a bad idea. He is insoluble glue holding the battered Yankees’ roster together, especially with Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt gone for the year. No one on the trade market could replace him, but with Judge coming back, the Yankees might have enough firepower to at least limp to the finish line.

NFL

Vikings training camp recap, Day 6: J.J. McCarthy struggles, other notes

Coming into training camp, ups and downs were expected for Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who is essentially still a rookie. The team has high expectations for the 22-year-old, but also realizes that it's going to take some time for him to learn and grow and develop after he missed so many valuable reps due to his knee injury last season. Through the first handful of practices in camp, there had been a lot more good than bad from McCarthy. Saturday's practice, in particular, saw him put on a show for the fans in attendance with numerous impressive throws. With that said, Tuesday's practice was more bad than good. McCarthy's completion percentage — while I didn't track it down to the throw — was well below 50 percent in team periods. There were some that were narrow misses, some that were blatant misses or miscommunications, and a couple balls that were arguably drops by his targets. But the overall theme was that far too many balls hit the grass instead of being completed. In early route-running period near the goal line, McCarthy found Jordan Addison, but he couldn't secure the ball as Jeff Okudah appeared to punch it out. One play later, McCarthy threw just a touch high for Lucky Jackson, who made a great catch but was ruled to be out of bounds. He also failed to connect with T.J. Hockenson on two targets, one of which was well behind the tight end. McCarthy was better in 11-on-11 action in the middle of the field, highlighted by a pretty strike to Addison for a chunk gain. Then came another goal line period, this one 7 on 7, and the struggles resumed. He missed Addison in the back corner of the end zone. He threw another one back there to Addison, who caught it but landed out of bounds. He rifled one just high for Josh Oliver, with the ball deflecting off of Oliver's hands and then directly into the crossbar. McCarthy did throw a couple touchdowns during that period as well. The Vikings finished up with a situational period where the offense faced a third down and then transitioned into either a field goal, a punt, or a fourth-down attempt. McCarthy's first throw was a nice completion downfield to Aaron Jones, setting up a field goal try. But he then threw one way too high for Jordan Mason on a fourth down, and followed that by missing Jalen Nailor by quite a bit due to an apparent miscommunication. That caused McCarthy to put both of his hands on his helmet. It was that kind of day. To be clear, this isn't concerning or worth putting too much stock in. McCarthy has had a strong start to camp, and off days are going to happen. It wasn't a particularly long or high-intensity practice compared to some of the other ones we've seen. And in training camp, results on one day of practice — good or bad — are never all that meaningful, especially when it's still July. Lastly, the first-team offense remains without its two best players, Justin Jefferson and Christian Darrisaw. McCarthy will look to shake it off and have a better day on Wednesday, which will be the second fully-padded practice of camp. Here are a few other things I saw on Tuesday: There were plenty of vet days off today. On the defensive line, Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave sat out, which meant first-team reps for Jalen Redmond and rookie Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins alongside Harrison Phillips. At safety, it was Theo Jackson and Jay Ward in for Harrison Smith and Josh Metellus. Offensively, Michael Jurgens was at center for Ryan Kelly, while Brian O'Neill got some plays off, which meant Blake Brandel sliding out to right tackle. Will Fries pancaked backup defensive tackle Jonathan Harris on a screen pass to T.J. Hockenson, which drew some high fives from teammates. One of the things that shows up on Fries' Colts tape is his tenacity when it comes to finishing blocks. Dwight McGlothern just keeps making plays. After he had an interception on Monday and broke up a pass that created another pick, the second-year cornerback jumped a route and picked off Sam Howell on Tuesday. There are a lot of guys competing for roster spots in the Vikings' CB room, but it feels like "Nudie" (McGlothern's nickname) is going to be on the 53. It was a good day for the Vikings' depth tight ends. Ben Yurosek had one of the highlights of the practice with a leaping touchdown catch from Howell in red zone 7s, but Bryson Nesbit and Giovanni Ricci made some plays as well. With Gavin Bartholomew on the PUP list, those first three guys are competing for the TE3 role, as things stand. Will Reichard hasn't been automatic in the first couple days we've seen him kick. He hit the left upright from 53 yards out in the situational period, then later missed wide right from 46. I believe Reichard was 5 for 7 on the day, including makes from 48 and 50 yards. Rondale Moore and Silas Bolden got the first two punt return reps in the situational drill. More Vikings coverage

Yankees reportedly interested in Pirates left-hander
MLB

Yankees reportedly interested in Pirates left-hander

The Yankees have interest in Pirates left-hander Andrew Heaney, reports Jon Heyman of The New York Post. Heyman adds that the Yankees, and the Mets, have checked in on Joe Ryan of the Twins and MacKenzie Gore of the Nationals. However, he downplays the likelihood of anything coming from those pursuits. Similarly, Heyman mentions that the Yankees reached out to the Pirates about Oneil Cruz but says nothing is likely to come from that either.P The Yankees have been connected to plenty of starting pitchers recently. That includes some potentially notable upgrades like Dylan Cease or Mitch Keller, as well as more back-end types like Chris Paddack, who was traded from the Twins to the Tigers yesterday. Heaney is more in the latter category at this stage of his career. He’s had some tantalizing strikeout stuff in the past but that’s not the case this year. In 107 innings for the Pirates, he has a 4.79 earned run average and a subpar 17.2% strikeout rate. His season got off to a strong start but he’s been in a rough slide lately. Through his first 14 starts, he had a 3.33 ERA, though with a subpar 18.5% strikeout rate. He was getting a bit of help from his .234 batting average on balls in play and 81.8% strand rate. His FIP and SIERA were both 4.44 for that span, suggesting those metrics thought it was a mirage. They were proven correct when Heaney posted an 8.79 ERA over his next six starts. It’s not the most exciting set of numbers but the Yanks might just want a veteran to take the ball every five days. As mentioned, they were interested in Paddack, who has similar numbers to Heaney this year. Paddack posted a 4.95 ERA with a 17.6% strikeout rate before his trade. The Yankees have lost Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt to Tommy John surgery but still have a strong one-two atop the rotation in Max Fried and Carlos Rodón. They have been without Luis Gil all year so far but he’s on the cusp of a return. Will Warren is having a good season on the whole. Adding a vet would allow the Yanks to perhaps move Cam Schlittler back to Triple-A or bump Marcus Stroman to long relief or off the roster. It’s been a rough stretch for the Yankees, as they have fallen into a tight Wild Card race. Entering today, they are only a game and a half ahead of the Rangers, who are the top team not currently in possession of a playoff spot. Heaney wouldn’t be in the club’s planned playoff rotation but he could upgrade the staff for the stretch run. Schlittler has just two big league outings under his belt while Stroman has a 6.08 ERA in his eight starts this year. Heaney shouldn’t cost much in terms of prospect capital and is also making just $5.25M this year. There’s now less than $1.75M of that still to be paid out. Since the Yankees are a third-time competitive balance tax payor and are over the top tier, they face a 110% tax on any additional spending. The Yankees could pursue a more impactful upgrade and it seems like they have looked into the possibility. However, all reports have suggested that a trade of either Gore or Ryan would be a long shot. Both pitchers are affordably controlled for two years after this season, making them very valuable to their respective clubs. It would likely take a massive prospect haul to pry either player loose. It’s basically the same story with Cruz, who is controlled for three seasons after this one.