This is an article version of the CBS Sports HQ AM Newsletter, the ultimate guide to every day in sports. You can sign up to get it in your inbox every weekday morning here.
🤯 Five things to know Tuesday
- Contenders loaded up at the MLB trade deadline. If you logged off for more than a minute yesterday, you missed a flurry of trades. Luckily, we have you covered. The scorching Red Sox went all-in on a deal for All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman. The Cubs got yet another arm for their rotation with the acquisition of Clay Holmes. The Yankees added more offensive pop in the form of Heliot Ramos. And the Padres landed Casey Mize at the buzzer. Boston and Chicago made our list of the biggest winners -- but the Bronx Bombers weren't as fortunate after failing to address major needs. Check out the complete list of deadline deals to get caught up on what you may have missed.
- Bijan Robinson becomes NFL's highest-paid running back. The Atlanta Falcons have reached an agreement with Robinson on a historic three-year extension with a maximum value of $75 million, according to ESPN. The deal includes $51 million guaranteed, which is the highest ever for a running back. Robinson's average annual value on the new deal sits at $25 million, which exceeds Saquon Barkley's $20.6 million AAV.
- Bears safety Coby Bryant will miss 8-10 weeks. Chicago avoided the worst-case scenario after Bryant was carted off the field during Monday's practice, but the team still didn't get good news. Bryant will be out for 8-10 weeks while he recovers from a hyperextended knee. The Bears were hoping that Bryant could be a lynchpin in their secondary after signing him to a $40 million contract in the offseason, but now he could miss at least the first month of the 2026 season.
- USC and Notre Dame will renew their rivalry. Don't lock the Jeweled Shillelagh into a vault just yet. USC and Notre Dame announced that they have scheduled a four-game series that will begin in 2030 -- which will keep the historic rivalry alive after an upcoming four-year hiatus. To make this happen, Notre Dame and Indiana canceled their home-and-home series set for 2030 and 2031. That will only increase the criticism the Hoosiers are facing for their soft non-conference schedules.
- Mauricio Pochettino will stay on as USMNT coach through 2030. Following a strong run in the 2026 World Cup -- albeit with a disappointing ending -- Pochettino and the USMNT have agreed to a new deal that runs through the 2030 World Cup. This summer, Pochettino became the first coach in team history to notch three World Cup victories, and he has four years to work toward an improvement. Can he push the USMNT into the quarterfinals next time around?
🏈 Do not miss this: Top 10 NFL coaches
Coaching can make a world of difference in the NFL. Just look at what Mike Macdonald has done for the Seahawks, or how quickly DeMeco Ryans got the Texans back on track. Nothing is more important than having talented players, but coaching makes the biggest impact in football, and it shows every season.
With that in mind, our team of experts put their heads together to rank the top 10 NFL coaches. Winning a Super Bowl wasn't enough to push Macdonald into the top spot, but he's awfully close. Elsewhere, Mike Vrabel landed at No. 8 despite the off-field drama that has followed him this summer.
- Pereles: "Vrabel's value can be seen in how organizations perform when he's not there. Vrabel went 54-45 and made the postseason three times in six years with the Titans before being fired. The Titans are an NFL-worst 6-28 since. The Patriots went 4-13 in 2024, hired Vrabel and went 14-3 and made the Super Bowl last year. Numbers don't lie. Vrabel's off-field involvements have been the topic du jour this offseason, but make no mistake: He can really coach."
Vrabel's ability as a coach will be tested in a big way this season. Coming off a 14-3 campaign, which included a Super Bowl appearance, the Patriots face tough sledding thanks to a significantly more difficult schedule.
I can't reveal more of the complete list (which can be found right here), but I can reveal those who just missed the cut:
- Dan Campbell, Lions
- John Harbaugh, Giants
- Kevin O'Connell, Vikings
- Mike McCarthy, Steelers
- Liam Coen, Jaguars
If you're hankering for more coach rankings, I have some good news. Here are our 2026 SEC coach rankings. (Spoiler: The two-time national champ is the top dog dawg.)
⚾ Post-deadline MLB Power Rankings
The trade deadline has passed, and the MLB landscape has shifted a bit -- at least in some ways. Still, the Dodgers seem to be inevitable. They cemented their status as World Series favorites by acquiring Tarik Skubal, a move that should incite anger against cowardly owners, and it seems as though the rest of the season is a foregone conclusion.
Or is it?
In his post-deadline MLB Power Rankings, Matt Snyder has the Dodgers at No. 1, but there's still a good chance they can be defeated in the postseason.
- Snyder: "There's also this: Projection odds right now have the Dodgers as the heavy favorites to win the World Series again. Not surprising. Any guesses as to what percentage chance they have, though? Per Fangraphs, 29.8%. C'mon now, do some math. That means there's more than a 70% chance that someone else wins it all."
Here's a quick peek at the rest of this week's rankings:
11. Padres (+8)
12. Astros (+9)
13. Marlins (+9)
14. Guardians (-1)
15. Pirates (-3)
Roughly 20 spots below the Dodgers are the Orioles, a team that just shipped off some of its best players while still in the midst of the wild card race. Baltimore has now waved the white flag on a rebuild that didn't even yield a single playoff win.
👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest
- The QB battle between Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. is already heating up.
- UFC flyweight fighter Allan Nascimento, 34, was found dead after suffering an apparent heart attack.
- Will Mike McDaniel unlock a new ceiling for Chargers QB Justin Herbert?
- Bears coach Ben Johnson offered a loft comparison for WR Luther Burden.
- Caitlin Clark declined to wade into the public discussion about transgender athletes.
- These top 20 CBB players could return for a fifth year after a key court ruling.
- Likewise, these nine college football standouts could come back to make an impact.
- One player who will not be returning is Purdue All-American Braden Smith.
- Sen. Ted Cruz predicts that the Protect College Sports Act will hit the Senate floor very soon.
- Jacob Fatu absolutely destroyed Royce Keys at WWE Raw last night.
- MLS has found its new commissioner in LAFC co-owner Larry Berg.
📺 What we're watching Tuesday
⚽ Pachuca at FC Cincinnati, 7:45 p.m. on FS1
⚾ Dodgers at Cubs, 8 p.m. on TBS
⚽ Tigres UANL at Real Salt Lake, 10 p.m. on FS1
🏀 Tempo at Valkyries, 10 p.m. on LeaguePass
