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Longtime U.S. midfielder Michael Bradley was named the head coach of MLS NEXT Pro side New York Red Bulls II on Thursday.
It is the first head coaching position for Bradley, 37, who worked on his father Bob Bradley's coaching staff with the Norwegian club Stabaek from 2023-24.
Bradley will replace Ibrahim Sekagya, who was promoted Wednesday to a spot as an assistant coach for the Red Bulls' first team in MLS.
It is a homecoming of sorts for Michael Bradley, who began his professional career in 2004 with the MetroStars, a forerunner of the current New York Red Bulls of MLS.
"I couldn't be more excited to come back to where my professional playing career began," Bradley said. "This is a dream opportunity as a young coach. I'm looking forward to working every day with this talented group of players, and I'll give everything to help them take the next step in their careers.
"I'm thankful to the club for the opportunity and can't wait to get started."
Bradley played with Toronto FC in MLS from 2014-23, recording 16 goals in 258 matches and earning three All-Star nods. He earned 151 caps with the U.S. men's national team from 2006-19, scoring 17 goals and participating in the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups. He was the U.S. Soccer Player of the Year in 2015.
Bradley's first match as head coach of Red Bulls II will be on June 21 against Carolina Core FC in High Point, N.C.
"We are excited to welcome Michael to the club," said New York Red Bulls sporting director Julian de Guzman. "He had an incredible playing career and is one of the greatest American soccer players ever.
"We see him as a promising coaching talent and look forward to supporting his development as he transitions to a career behind the touchline."
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Veteran Center Rejected Knicks Offer
The New York Knicks imagine themselves as a championship contender, and those dreams looked like they may be rapidly approaching reality in last season's run to the Eastern Conference Finals. They've spent much of this offseason patching holes in their roster, requiring significantly more firepower from their bench to scare their opponents with a well-rounded rotation that they lacked in 2024-25. They're not looking to burst at the seams with reserve bucket-getters, but have done plenty to consolidate their backup guards and bigs with a summer of moves that's still continuing. Though their most recent on-court developments have provided the Knicks' hopes with real wind behind their sails, those wishes to bolster the frontcourt aren't new. New York reportedly tried to woo a veteran center in Daniel Theis over to last season's situation, but failed to seal the deal. Theis, now playing for AS Monaco, could have joined the Knicks mid-season last year before opting for a European return, according to BasketNews.com. He spent the first leg of the 2024-25 campaign with the New Orleans Pelicans, the sixth team that the 33-year-old's suited up for in the last five seasons. New York's offer gave Theis yet another chance to fill in as a role-playing big on another contender, but he chose to bet on himself. "I could have gone to the Knicks, for example, but it was more for insurance that Mitchell Robinson came back from a long injury," Theis said on a recent Euro Insiders podcast. "And then I talked to Tom Thibodeau and he said, 'Yeah, you will be like insurance in case he can't play and this and that.' It's like what I did with P.J. Tucker. "For me, it was like, 'Okay, if I sit for the rest of the year, what are my chances in the summer?' So if I’m like, 'Okay, I go overseas to Europe and play great, I might have a better chance.' That was my whole intention and thought behind it — just consider Europe and see what it is." Robinson did indeed manage to remain healthy when it counted, seeing the floor in all 18 Knicks playoff games after playing in just 17 during the regular season. His reliability as a defender and rebounder up front would have negated Theis' presence, as he would have spent all but a few garbage time minutes occupying the same seat on the bench that Tucker took in the postseason. Though he would've likely been constrained to a minimum contract that would've expired at season's end alongside other role playing veterans like Landry Shamet, Cameron Payne and Precious Achiuwa, he'd have been a little more playable than some other deep-cut Knicks as a rim-rolling center, and that's the sort of job that New York's looked to fill in the months since. Theis chose his path, and the Knicks stayed young in building a roster that's expected to blow every other 21st century Knicks team out of the water.
Browns may not be prepared for one thing with Shedeur Sanders
During a recent edition of the "Orange and Brown Talk Podcast," Cleveland Browns beat reporter Ashley Bastock of the Cleveland Plain Dealer suggested that Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski may not be prepared for the "potential fan backlash" that could arise regarding the team's handling of rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Stefanski seemed to say plenty about the subject when it was learned on Monday that Sanders remains fourth on the club's unofficial depth chart even though he enjoyed a solid NFL debut in the club's preseason opener at the Carolina Panthers on Friday night. Also on Monday, Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer made it known that Stefanski won't be in a rush to play Sanders or fellow first-year pro Dillon Gabriel ahead of schedule. "Stefanski and the other offensive coaches have a plan for the rookie QBs, and they’re not about to be swayed by public opinion and the Sanders-mania that’s sweeping the nation," Cabot wrote. "Yes, it was a great debut against the Panthers with two beautiful touchdown passes to first-year receiver Kaden Davis. But Stefanski always keeps things simple for his rookie quarterbacks in preseason games, and most have looked excellent in their outings under him. Therefore, he wasn’t ready Monday to start handing over those precious starting reps to Sanders when he’s unlikely to start Week 1 and doesn’t necessarily need that valuable time with the ones — yet." Neither Gabriel nor presumed backup Kenny Pickett played against the Panthers after they were slowed by hamstring injuries during training camp. Meanwhile, Sanders completed 14-of-23 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns in Cleveland's 30-10 victory over Carolina. Gabriel returned to the practice field on Monday, but Pickett reportedly could be sidelined "for a couple more weeks." It's unclear if either signal-caller will play in Cleveland's preseason matchup at the Philadelphia Eagles this coming Saturday. "They have had a process with Shedeur all the way through," Cabot added during the latest episode of the podcast. "And even when they were taking heat nationally from all kinds of pundits and experts saying that they were setting Shedeur up to fail, they stuck to their guns. And even after his really, really nice debut, they really haven’t changed the process." As recently as Tuesday morning, Zac Jackson of The Athletic mentioned that veteran Joe Flacco is still "the clear leader" to be Cleveland's Week 1 starter over Sanders, Gabriel and Pickett. As of Tuesday morning, FanDuel Sportsbook had Flacco as a -310 betting favorite to get the nod for the Browns' regular-season opener versus the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 7. Previous whispers indicated Stefanski will want to name his Week 1 QB1 before Cleveland wraps the preseason up with a home game against the Los Angeles Rams on Aug. 23. It certainly sounds like Stefanski won't lose any sleep over disappointing members of a passionate fan base who want to see what Sanders can do against live defenses in meaningful contests.
Reason for Struggling Warriors-Bulls Trade Involving Jonathan Kuminga
The Golden State Warriors and Chicago Bulls are two teams stuck in major limbo. On one end, the Warriors have not made any signifcant moves during NBA free agency, largely due to not finding a solution to Jonathan Kuminga's contract dilemma. On the other end, the Chicago Bulls have been stuck trying to find a solution for both Nikola Vucevic and Josh Giddey. Coincidentally, the two teams could very easily help each other, but it's looking like they won't. According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the Warriors are not open to any sign-and-trades for Jonathan Kuminga that would force them to trade either Buddy Hield or Moses Moody. "Golden State values both players quite highly, sources say, while maintaining high expectations for both Hield and Moody to be consistent contributors who prove reliable in providing the necessary spacing to boost the Warriors' half-court offense in the postseason," Fischer said. Why Won't a Jonathan Kuminga Trade to the Chicago Bulls Happen? From Fischer's analysis and reporting, the Warriors refusing to trade either Hield or Moody will be the main reason why a trade does not happen between the Golden State Warriors and Chicago Bulls. "The Warriors' refusal to entertain the prospect of surrendering Hield or Moody in those circumstances are among the prime reasons that it's difficult to envision Golden State and Chicago ever finding common ground on a sign-and-trade construction that features Kuminga and Giddey switching teams," Fischer said. Are the Golden State Warriors Interested in Josh Giddey? It may have seemed like the Warriors' interest in Josh Giddey seemed to have come out of nowhere, but according to Fischer, their interest is genuine. However, if the team has to trade Hield or Moody, it won't be happening. "I'm told that the Warriors continue to value Giddey's skillset and have communicated their interest to the Australian point guard's representation. There simply does not appear to be a feasible pathway to such a trade … not right now," Fischer said. Simply stated, the Golden State Warriors are interested in trading for Josh Giddey, which would likely be for Jonathan Kuminga, but the salaries make it tough. "The base-year compensation issue alone makes it challenging before we even get to the limited salary-matching and outgoing player flexibility that Golden State is currently facing," Fischer concluded. The Warriors and Bulls still have over a month before training camp, but once the clock reaches September, then it may be short.
Packers' injury issues go well beyond just QB Jordan Love
The big injury news for the Green Bay Packers on Tuesday involved starting quarterback Jordan Love. That is not their only concern. While Love is expected to be sidelined for at least the next week, the Packers are also dealing with a growing list of injuries at wide receiver, and that list added another name on Tuesday. Wide receiver Romeo Doubs left Tuesday's practice after getting tangled up with a defensive back on a deep pass attempt. While he said he should be okay, it is still a big concern because the Packers are already dealing with injuries to fellow wide receivers Christian Watson, Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks. Watson's injury is, at the moment, the most significant of them as he is likely to begin the regular season on the physically unable to perform list. Overall, that is pretty much every one of the Packers' top returning wide receivers on the injured list. The problem is that by missing extended training camp and preseason time, especially when Love is also sidelined, they are missing a lot of key practice reps and preseason work that could be getting them ready for the season, especially when so many of the wide receivers are relatively unproven and still pretty inexperienced NFL players. Given how tough the NFC North is expected to be, the Packers cannot afford to get off to a slow start. Not only are they going to be dealing with an offensive lineup that may not be 100% healthy at the most important positions, they also open the season with two NFC opponents in the first five days of the campaign, with games against the Detroit Lions (Sept. 7) and Washington Commanders (Sept. 11). That is a grueling start to the season under normal conditions. But when you add in the short week, as well as the injury situation, it is clear this is going to be a massive test for the Packers early on.
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