​Alex Cora's tenure as manager of the Boston Red Sox is over, and several members of his staff are out of a job, too. The Red Sox fired Cora, hitting coach Peter Fatse, bench coach Rámon Vazquez, third base coach Kyle Hudson and assistant hitting coach Dillon Lawson amid the team's 10-17 start to the 2026 season on Saturday, the team announced. Game planning and run prevention coach Jason Varitek has been reassigned to a new role within the organization, the team also shared. While the move came hours after the Red Sox defeated the Baltimore Orioles, 17-1, they had suffered a 10-3 loss on Friday after getting swept by the New York Yankees. "Alex Cora led this organization to one of the greatest seasons in Red Sox history in 2018, and for that, and the many years that followed, he will always have our deepest gratitude," Red Sox principal owner John Henry said in a statement. "He has had a lasting impact on this team and on this city. He has led on and off the field in so many important ways. These decisions are never easy, but this one is especially difficult given what Alex has meant to the Red Sox since the day he arrived. "I want to thank Alex, our coaches, and their families for everything they have given to this organization. They have been part of this club in a way that goes beyond the field, and they will always have our respect and gratitude." Cora, 50, was in the midst of his second tenure as the team's manager. He was previously the manager of the Red Sox for two seasons, helping the team win the World Series in 2018 before leaving the team for the 2020 season due to his role in the Houston Astros' cheating scandal. Cora was re-hired by the Red Sox following the 2020 season. Cora's second tenure as Boston's manager was a bit bumpy. He helped the Red Sox reach the ALCS in 2021, where they lost to the Houston Astros in six games. But Boston finished in last place in the American League East in the 2022 and 2023 seasons before going 81-81 in 2024. The Red Sox were able to make it to the postseason in 2025, going 89-73. However, they lost to the New York Yankees in the wild-card series, falling in three games. Even though the Red Sox lost star third baseman Alex Bregman over the offseason, the Red Sox were expected to be among the top teams in the American League in 2026. But they've spent the majority of the opening month of the season well below .500 as they've underperformed in all facets of the game. They were 26th in runs scored and 24th in ERA entering Saturday. Boston's top players haven't played up to expectations, either. Outfielder Roman Anthony has hit just .225 with a home run as he's recently battled a back injury. Ace Garrett Crochet had a 7.88 ERA before Saturday's start against the Orioles, in which he threw six scoreless innings. With Anthony and Crochet struggling, FOX Sports MLB writer Rowan Kavner recently attributed Boston's struggles to its lack of power at the plate and its starting pitching. "The Red Sox are last in MLB in slugging percentage, expected slugging percentage and home runs, and they have the lowest OPS in the American League," Kavner wrote on Thursday. "They’ve been too passive at the plate — they’re 29th in zone swing percentage — and that’s especially been a problem for Roman Anthony, who has the fourth-lowest zone swing % in MLB. Anthony, who hit 42% better than league average as a rookie last year and started for Team USA in the WBC, has been a league average hitter this year and has just one home run and four RBI, and he’s now dealing with back tightness. Jarren Duran, a 2024 All-Star, is slashing .194/.266/.306, all career lows. "Boston’s rotation was viewed as one of the deepest in the game this year after adding Sonny Gray and Ranger Suárez, and so far it hasn’t performed anywhere close to expectations," Kavner added. "Red Sox starters rank 26th in ERA and 24th in WHIP and batting average against. Gray has the lowest strikeout rate of his career and is now out with a hamstring strain. Suárez has also seen his strikeout rate decline precipitously, and the master of soft contact is allowing the highest hard-hit rate of his career. Brayan Bello has an ERA over 6.00. Most glaringly, though, Cy Young hopeful Garrett Crochet has a 7.88 ERA through five starts. And to make matters worse, Kutter Crawford and Patrick Sandoval, who were on the rehab trail, are both currently shut down." The Red Sox sit 7.5 games back of the first-place Yankees as of Saturday afternoon. Read More

​Editor's note: This story was originally published ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft. While headlining names like Fernando Mendoza, Jeremiyah Love and Carnell Tate will steal the spotlight in the first round of the NFL Draft, Days 2 and 3 should still bring plenty of excitement, as teams look to find hidden gems in the later rounds. This is where rosters are built, depth is strengthened and diamonds in the rough are found. Over the last decade, some of the NFL’s most valuable and impactful players have come from outside the first round, going on to win Super Bowls, break records, and earn major awards. In Rounds 2 and 3, players like quarterback Jalen Hurts have led their teams to multiple Super Bowl appearances and won Super Bowl MVP. Wide receiver Cooper Kupp delivered a historic season, setting the single-season record for total receiving yards and winning both Offensive Player of the Year and Super Bowl MVP in 2021. In Rounds 4-7, the list of impact players is even more impressive. Puka Nacua, a fifth-round pick in 2023, has quickly developed into one of the top wide receivers in the league. Tyreek Hill and George Kittle are other marquee names that were selected on Day 3. At quarterback, Dak Prescott has been a franchise cornerstone for nearly a decade after being drafted in the fourth round, and Brock Purdy went from Mr. Irrelevant to the San Francisco 49ers' $265 million franchise quarterback. Strong organizations don’t just hit on their first pick; they consistently find contributors throughout the rest of the draft. With that in mind, here are the top-five sleeper prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft. Keionte Scott, DB, Miami (Fla.) Keionte Scott checks all the boxes as a modern nickel defender in the NFL. In his last season at Miami, he had 64 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, five sacks, two interceptions and two forced fumbles, showcasing rare production from the slot and a very explosive profile. Scott backed up his tape with an elite Pro Day performance. He posted a 4.33-second 40-yard dash, a 44-inch vertical and a 10-foot-3 broad jump. His vertical would have led all defensive backs at the 2026 NFL Combine. Add in Scott's physicality against the run and strong football IQ, and he projects as a true three-down impact player who could come off the board earlier than expected. UPDATE: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Scott in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Taylen Green, QB, Arkansas Taylen Green is one of the most intriguing high-upside quarterback sleepers in the 2026 NFL Draft. After transferring to Arkansas, he showcased a rare blend of size, athleticism and production, throwing for 2,714 yards with 19 touchdowns while adding 777 rushing yards and eight scores on the ground. At 6-foot-6 and 227 pounds, Green pairs that dual-threat production with amazing testing numbers, including a 4.36-second 40-yard dash, a 43.5-inch vertical and an 11-foot-2 broad jump. Those marks place him among the most athletic quarterbacks ever tested, backed by a near-perfect 9.99 Relative Athletic Score. He remains a raw passer with inconsistencies, but his physical tools and playmaking ability give him a very high ceiling. UPDATE: The Cleveland Browns selected Green in the sixth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Jonah Coleman, RB, Washington After following Jedd Fisch from Arizona to Washington, Jonah Coleman had 1,053 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns in 2024 before adding 758 yards and 15 scores in 2025 despite battling a late-season knee injury. Built at 5-foot-9 with a powerful frame, Coleman thrives on finishing through contact, often requiring multiple defenders to bring him down. Even more impressive is his ball security. In 552 career rushing attempts, he fumbled just twice. While he lacks elite breakaway speed at the NFL level, his vision, contact balance and power make him a strong candidate to outperform his draft slot. Teams looking for a physical, three-down back could target him on Day 2 or early Day 3. UPDATE: The Denver Broncos selected Coleman in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Gabe Jacas, EDGE, Illinois Gabe Jacas is one of the more underrated edge defenders in this class and a strong Day 2 sleeper. As a four-year starter at Illinois, he was asked to do far more than just rush the passer, consistently setting the edge, dropping into coverage and handling multiple responsibilities within the defense. At 6-foot-4 and 260 pounds, Jacas brings a powerful, physical style of play that's rooted in his wrestling background. Despite taking on that all-around role with the Fighting Illini, he still produced at a high level in 2025 with 11 sacks, 34 pressures and 13.5 tackles for loss, while finishing his career with 26 sacks and 35.5 tackles for loss. He may not have the flashiest pass-rush arsenal, but his strength, versatility and consistency give him a high floor as a reliable three-down edge. Teams looking for a complete defensive end could value him higher than expected, making him a likely Round 2 selection with a floor in Round 3. UPDATE: The New England Patriots selected Jacas in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Bryce Lance, WR, North Dakota State Bryce Lance, the brother of Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Trey Lance, is one of the top FCS prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft and a high-upside sleeper with legit vertical ability. The North Dakota State standout put together two straight 1,000-yard seasons, including a breakout 2024 campaign with 75 receptions for 1,053 yards and a school-record 17 touchdowns. He followed that up in 2025 with 51 catches for 1,079 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging an unbelievable 21.2 yards per reception. At 6-foot-3 and 204 pounds, Lance pairs that production with a 4.34 40-yard dash and a 41.5-inch vertical, making him one of the more explosive receivers in the class. With his size, speed and downfield tracking ability, Lance profiles as a true deep-threat weapon at the next level, drawing comparisons to players like Alec Pierce and Christian Watson. UPDATE: The New Orleans Saints selected Lance in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Read More

​Yes, it's Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft and the picks fly off the board on what's the final day of the yearly spectacle. With that said, there are still plenty of star collegiate players taken on Day 3 that have a chance to start from the jump at the next level. Here's one thing to know about the top selections from Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft: Tennessee CB Jermod McCoy (pick No. 101 of the Las Vegas Raiders): Had four interceptions in 2024 If healthy, McCoy would've been a Day 2, if not a Day 1 pick. Why? Well, that's because he missed the entire 2025 college football season due to a torn ACL injury, with the former Volunteers and Oregon State Beavers (2023) defensive back potentially needing more surgery for the matter. In 2024, McCoy reeled in four interceptions, logged nine passes defended and racked up 44 combined tackles; the year prior, he had two interceptions. Clemson QB Cade Klubnik (pick No. 110 of the New York Jets): Was No. 1 QB recruit in Class of 2022 Klubnik was the consensus top quarterback prospect in the Recruiting Class of 2022, with him becoming the Tigers' full-time quarterback for the 2023 season. Over his three seasons as Clemson's starting quarterback (2023-25), Klubnik averaged 3,142.0 passing yards, 23.7 passing touchdowns, seven interceptions and a 138.1 passer rating per year, while completing 64.2% of his passes. Kubnik's best season arguably came in 2024, as he threw for 3,639 yards and 36 touchdowns and rushed for 463 yards and seven scores, a season that saw Clemson reach the College Football Playoff. Indiana WR Elijah Sarratt (pick No. 115 of the Baltimore Ravens): Played for head coach Curt Cignetti on two teams Sarratt was among the many players who followed Cignetti from the James Madison Dukes — with whom he played for one season after spending the 2022 season with the Saint Francis Red Flash — to the Hoosiers for the 2024 season. Last season (2025), Sarratt totaled 65 receptions for 830 yards and a Big Ten-high 15 touchdowns en route to Indiana winning its first National Championship in program history. Miami (Fla.) CB Keionte Scott (pick No. 116 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers): Had two pick-sixes in 2025 After two seasons at Snow College (2020-21) and three seasons with the Auburn Tigers (2022-24), Scott transferred to play for the Hurricanes in 2025, with Miami going on to reach the College Football Playoff National Championship. In his lone season at Miami, Scott reeled in two interceptions, running back both of those picks for touchdowns. He also tallied two forced fumbles and five passes defended. Penn State DE Dani Dennis-Sutton (pick No. 120 of the Green Bay Packers): Had 23.5 sacks in college Dennis-Sutton was among the more productive pass rushers in the Big Ten over his four years with the Nittany Lions (2022-25), most notably totaling 8.5 sacks in each of the last two years. He finished his collegiate career with 23.5 sacks, while forcing seven fumbles from 2023-25. Oregon LB Bryce Boettcher (pick No. 135 of the Indianapolis Colts): Was selected in the MLB Draft That's not a typo. Boettcher played both football and baseball for the Ducks, with his performance in the latter sport resulting in Boettcher being selected by the Houston Astros in the 13th round of the 2024 MLB Draft. While he played baseball at Oregon from 2021-24, Boettcher played football for the Ducks from 2022-25. Last season (2025), he led the Big Ten with 80 assists, while also logging 136 combined tackles and two forced fumbles. North Dakota State WR Bryce Lance (pick No. 136 of the New Orleans Saints): Is the younger brother of QB Trey Lance The Bison receiver is the younger brother of the former No. 3 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, who also played at North Dakota State. As for the new Saints wideout, Lance, who spent six seasons at North Dakota State, averaged 63 receptions for 1,066 yards and 12.5 touchdowns per season from 2024-25. Texas DB Michael Taaffe (pick No. 158 of the Miami Dolphins): Three-year starter for Longhorns Taaffe was among the faces of the Longhorns' defense, playing five seasons for the school and starting from 2023-25, which included appearances in the College Football Playoff in 2023 and 2024. Over the aforementioned span (2023-25), Taaffe averaged 2.3 interceptions and 65.3 combined tackles per season. Penn State RB Nicholas Singleton (pick No. 165 of the Tennessee Titans): 1st in Penn State history in rushing touchdowns Over his four seasons playing for the Nittany Lions (2022-25), Singleton rushed for a combined 3,461 yards and 45 touchdowns, which is first in program history; Singleton's rushing yards rank fourth in Penn State history. Ohio State S Lorenzo Styles Jr. (pick No. 172 of the New Orleans Saints): Brother of No. 7 pick Sonny Styles After two seasons playing for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (2021-22), Styles transferred to Ohio State, where he was teammates with his brother, Sonny Styles, from 2023-25; Styles was selected by the Washington Commanders with the No. 7 pick. Furthermore, Lorenzo Styles was a wide receiver at Notre Dame before switching to a full-time defensive back in 2023. North Dakota State QB Cole Payton (pick No. 178 overall): Dual-threat QB with potential positional versatility Payton was a one-year starter at North Dakota State, but he showed enough on tape to be a fifth-round pick. Will he play quarterback at the next level, though? You can read more about Payton here. Arkansas QB Taylen Green (pick No. 182 of the Cleveland Browns): Arguably the best athlete at QB in this year's class The Browns have added another quarterback to their quarterbacks room, taking Green at the start of the sixth round. Green set records in the vertical jump (43.5 inches) and broad jump (11 feet, 2 inches) for a quarterback at the history of the combine, while also running a 4.36 40. Green threw for 2,714 yards, 19 touchdowns and 11 interceptions to go with 777 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns this past season. Read More

​The Los Angeles Rams' selection of Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the 13th overall pick was quite possibly the biggest shock in the 2026 NFL Draft. Los Angeles seemed poised to select a receiving weapon to benefit quarterback Matthew Stafford this season, but they found a signal-caller for the future. Initially, it didn't seem like the Simpson pick appeared to be a satisfying choice for head coach Sean McVay. Following Day 1 of the NFL Draft, McVay's initial presser was brief, sharing that his phone call between him and Simpson in the Draft Room "will be kept between us," and that Simpson "would compete" with backup quarterback Stetson Bennett III. As McVay's responses were relatively curt, others also read into his body language when he discussed the selection of Simpson. McVay didn't appear to crack a smile or anything of that nature when he was asked about the pick. But McVay cleared the air on Friday, telling reporters that he was thrilled with the addition of Simpson and wasn't upset with Rams general manager Les Snead. "We couldn't be in more lockstep with every decision that we make. We're excited about it. There are different things that you always want to be mindful of and how things come off," McVay said at the Rams' press conference at the end of Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft. "We couldn't be more excited about us continuing to lead together. Every decision that we make is collective and collaborative. For any of the questions based on my demeanor and disposition last night, I did want to get that out of the way." In an interview with ESPN on Saturday, McVay gave even more clarification on why he gave the reaction he did to the Simpson pick. He said that he didn't want to say or do anything that could have upset Stafford. "I would've been stoic by nature, anyway, just based on the respect for Matthew because it's a unique situation," McVay said. "You get a chance to take a player that you like at a really important position, but you don't want to be minimized or misunderstood in terms of what this means and our investment and commitment to Matthew as long as he wants to continue to play. So, we're kind of teetering that line. Clearly, I came off a little grumpier than normal." McVay also used the grumpy line when he spoke with reporters on Friday. However, he wouldn't say what was exactly making him grumpy. "Well, there were other things that had nothing to do with that, which that’s normal life," McVay said. "The main thing was … I couldn’t be more excited about being able to add him, but also understanding how much I love Matthew Stafford, how respectful you want to always be and to the way things can be interpreted. The demeanor would’ve been stoic by nature because you are excited, but by no means — it is Matthew’s football team. "I’m excited to be able to add Ty. What a blessing it is for him to be able to learn from Matthew and to be able to come into this atmosphere and environment. Whenever that time comes for him to get an opportunity to be Matthew’s successor will be on Matthew’s terms. I think that’s really what the important thing was. I didn’t want that to ever be misunderstood while not minimizing the excitement for Ty and the buy-in. Les and his group really liked him." Simpson traveled to Los Angeles on Friday following his selection by the Rams, and had only good things to say about his future head coach. "He’s got the juice," Simpson said of McVay at the Rams' temporary draft headquarters near SoFi Stadium. "That dude is a guy who’s a fireball. He loves ball." The Rams ended the season as NFC West runners‑up and advanced all the way to the NFC Championship before falling to the eventual Super Bowl champion Seahawks. With Stafford claiming this year’s NFL MVP and a loaded roster built from the offseason, the Rams could be in a position to make a Super Bowl run. Read More