Trump Endorses Orbán As Budapest Warns Brussels “Keep Your Hands Off Our Elections”

Tyler Durden
Sat, 02/07/2026 – 08:10

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/trump-endorses-orban-budapest-warns-brussels-keep-your-hands-our-elections 

Year Two Of The Largest Ever Global LNG Supply Wave Is Hitting Markets

Tyler Durden
Sat, 02/07/2026 – 07:35

https://www.zerohedge.com/commodities/year-two-most-largest-ever-global-lng-supply-wave-hitting-markets 

Por PAT GRAHAM

BORMIO, Italia (AP) — El esquiador suizo Franjo von Allmen acabó primero en el descenso olímpico el sábado y se colgó la primera medalla de oro de los Juegos Olímpicos de Invierno de Milán-Cortina.

En un día perfecto en Bormio, von Allmen completó el exigente recorrido en un minuto y 51,61 segundos.

Su tiempo fue suficiente para resistir el embate del italiano Giovanni Franzoni, quien se quedó con la plata. Su veterano compatriota Dominik Paris, de 36 años, firmó una rápida carrera para llevarse el bronce y dejar a suizo Marco Odermatt fuera del podio.

___

Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/07/franjo-von-allmen-gana-el-descenso-masculino-y-se-cuelga-el-primer-oro-en-miln-cortina/ 

The first installment tax bills, which are mailed around the first of February, are normally due on March 1. This year, however, the bills will not be mailed until early March and will be due on April 1, according to the Barrington Township Assessor’s office.

The state legislature enacted this one-time-only extension to give taxpayers more time between tax bill payments, according to a news release. The due date for last year’s second installment bills should have been on August 1, 2025, but was delayed to December 15 because of problems with Cook County’s new computer system.

If the legislature had not acted, there would have been just two and a half months between tax bill due dates. Barrington Township Assessor Mike Gentile, along with his colleagues in the Cook County Township Assessors Association, felt that this short gap between tax bills would have caused financial hardship for many, the release said.

The assessors’ association advocated for an extension with Senate President Don Harmon’s office, the release said. Officers from Cook County agencies worked on the same issue with members of the Illinois House.

On the final day of the legislature’s fall veto session, lawmakers worked late into the night.  At 3:30 a.m., they unanimously approved the one-month extension of the due date for first installment property tax bills.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/07/barringtn-township-first-installment-tax-bills/ 

The Chicago Cubs went into the offseason with a clear vision they largely executed.

Ahead of pitchers and catchers reporting to Mesa, Ariz., on Wednesday, the Cubs enter spring training knowing their two major acquisitions, third baseman Alex Bregman and starter Edward Cabrera, help position them to build off last year’s 92-win season.

The Cubs return the majority of a roster that reached the postseason for the first time since 2020, leaving only a couple of opening-day roster spots up for grabs. With Cubs camp soon getting underway, here are three storylines to watch.

Want the latest Cubs news? Subscribe to the Chicago Tribune to read it all — and sign up for our free Cubs Insider newsletter.

1. How will they optimize their bench?

Barring an injury in camp, the Cubs’ position-player group is largely set, especially the starters.

That leaves the bench to configure with spots already allocated to catcher Miguel Amaya as part of the tandem with Carson Kelly, infielder/outfielder Tyler Austin and infielder Matt Shaw, who also will get work in the outfield this spring to prepare him for a superutility role.

The biggest questions the Cubs must answer as they evaluate their bench options during camp: What do they want to prioritize for their fourth outfielder spot, and will they open the season with Moisés Ballesteros on the team to get regular designated hitter at-bats? After their starting position group was among the healthiest in the majors last year, the Cubs are anticipating that could be an area of regression in 2026. It made fortifying their bench an offseason priority, evident in signing Austin while bolstering their outfield depth through the waiver claim of Justin Dean and two minor-league signings that included big-league camp invites for Chas McCormick and Dylan Carlson.

The trio can play all three outfield positions, providing important backup depth to center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and giving manager Craig Counsell flexibility if he wants to give him a day off against a tough lefty starter. Kevin Alcántara will also be in the mix, though the Cubs gained a fourth option year on the 23-year-old prospect, which would allow him to start the year at Triple-A Iowa if the organization wants to open the season with a more experienced player in McCormick or Carlson.

The Cubs should have plenty of at-bats to give Ballesteros at DH if they want his big-league ready bat in the majors rather than getting him more regular work at catcher in Iowa. General manager Carter Hawkins indicated last month that the Cubs will see how Ballesteros’ role will play out over the course of spring.

“Whether he starts with the club or not, we feel like he’s a great option for us and feel like he’s going to be a great hitter in this league for a long time,” Hawkins said. “We want to have him catch, we want to make that value be not just the bat so we’ll be focused on that too.”

The presence of Shaw and Austin give the Cubs viable flexibility too. If Ballesteros isn’t part of the opening-day roster, their positional flexibility allows regulars to stay in the lineup as the DH but get a day off playing the field.

2. Can the Cubs take advantage of intriguing free agents still available?

Diamondbacks starter Zac Gallen delivers against the Cubs on July 20, 2024, at Wrigley Field. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer and the Cubs front office always look to find value and keep an eye on the free-agent market into spring training.

With camp only days away, there could still be value found among the remaining free agents that might entice the Cubs to make another move before the season. Right-hander Zac Gallen is still an intriguing arm given his age (30) and upside coming off a down year. He likely won’t be cheap but would raise the ceiling of the Cubs rotation, where the organization has depth though a few durability question marks.

Other intriguing names if the price is right: right-handers Chris Bassitt, Nick Martinez, Evan Phillips, Zack Littell and Michael Kopech.

The Cubs know how important pitcher depth becomes in the postseason after injuries and ineffectiveness compromised their starter options in October. They want to protect against that as much as possible, particularly with limited starting pitching prospects who are candidates to debut this year. Right-hander Jaxon Wiggins is their most notable such prospect who could see a Cade Horton-like opportunity arise at some point this summer. Getting left-hander Justin Steele back at some point will give them a boost.

3. Which internal or nonroster invitees will emerge to earn a bullpen spot?

Cubs pitcher Luke Little delivers against the Brewers on Aug. 18, 2025, at Wrigley Field. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)

Counsell loves “out-getters” and will have a lot of fresh faces in the bullpen to work with as he navigates the back end of games.

Right-hander Daniel Palencia and left-hander Caleb Thielbar return, while four offseason additions safely project as part of the pen with right-handers Phil Maton, Hunter Harvey and Jacob Webb and left-hander Hoby Milner.

How the Cubs opt to build the bullpen and pitching staff will partly depend on what roles Colin Rea and Javier Assad fill and if they choose to have Assad, Ben Brown and/or Jordan Wicks start the year at Triple A to maintain starting pitching depth. They also have seven relievers on the 40-man roster — a group that includes lefties Ryan Rolison and Luke Little and right-hander Gavin Hollowell — who give them optionable arms. Right-hander Porter Hodge showed how great he can be during a stellar 2024 rookie campaign and is looking to bounce back from an inconsistent and injury-plagued 2025, making him a wild card for this pen.

In a best-case scenario, one of their nonroster invitees would become the 2026 version of Brad Keller, who impressed last spring en route to becoming a key piece in their bullpen, which he turned into a multiyear offseason deal with the Philadelphia Phillies. Right-handers Trent Thornton, Collin Snider, Corbin Martin and Jeff Brigham are NRI relievers to watch in camp.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/07/chicago-cubs-storylines-spring-training/ 

Kirsty Coventry, elected last March as the first female president of the International Olympic Committee, touts the Milan Cortina Winter Games that officially open Friday as “the most gender-balanced in history.”

That’s reflected in, and helped by, changes on the schedule over the coming weeks.

A women’s doubles event was added to luge. A women’s large hill individual event appears in ski jumping for the first time at an Olympics. Ski mountaineering — the lone sport making its Games debut in Italy — has a mixed-gender event, while skeleton now includes one too.

The IOC frequently adjusts the programs for its marquee competitions: Flag football, squash and obstacle racing are going to be first-time sports at the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics, while lacrosse and cricket will return after an absence of more than a century each, and baseball and softball come back after shorter time away. Other sports will introduce mixed-gender team events.

Here is a look at what’s new at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

What is ski mountaineering aka skimo?

Ski mountaineering makes its Olympic debut on Feb. 19 (women’s and men’s sprints) and Feb. 21 (mixed relay) in Bormio, about 125 miles (200 kilometers) northeast of Milan.

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In the simplest terms, ski mountaineering — also known by its shortened name, skimo — involves athletes climbing up a mountain and skiing down it.

Cameron Smith, who forms the U.S. team with Anna Gibson, described the sport this way: “It’s basically what skiing was before there were chairlifts.”

Smith and Gibson beat out Canada for the 12th and last Olympic skimo berth.

“Just to qualify for the Olympics would have been such a win for our team, and that’s really been our No. 1 focus for years now. And it felt like that was as far as we could dream — that just making it to the start line would be where our potential is,” said Smith, who trains out of Crested Butte, Colorado.

“We’re going there to be competitive and chase bigger and bigger dreams,” Smith told The Associated Press. “We’re allowed to dream of podiums and dream of medals.”

Will Lindsey Vonn and Mikaela Shiffrin pair up?

American stars Lindsey Vonn and Mikaela Shiffrin could form a formidable pair at Cortina d’Ampezzo when Alpine skiing introduces its team combined event, in which one racer does a downhill run and the other does a slalom run and the times are added together.

If Vonn is able to compete, that is. Vonn, 41, is a downhill star who won gold in that event at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. She ruptured her left knee’s ACL in a crash last week but said Tuesday she is confident she’ll be able to race at these Games. Shiffrin, 30, is a slalom star who was 18 when she became that event’s youngest Olympic champion at Sochi in 2014. The women race on Feb. 10; the men’s combined is Feb. 9 at Bormio.

Female ski jumpers compete on the large hill

Women who began competing in Olympic ski jumping at the 2014 Games on the normal hill will also be on the large hill for the first time. Medals for that new event will be determined Feb. 15 at the Predazzo Ski Jumping Stadium. Another change for this sport: The men’s so-called super team event involves two athletes instead of the four that competed in the previous team format.

Freestyle skiing adds dual moguls

Freestyle skiing is bringing in dual moguls for women and men — basically the same sort of judging based on technique, flips and twists, plus speed, as the existing moguls event, but with two athletes going down the hill in adjacent lanes. The women’s dual moguls is on Feb. 14 at Livigno Aerials and Moguls Park; the men do it the next day at same site.

Skeleton and luge bring new events

A women’s doubles event will debut in luge, with the first of six training runs on Feb. 8 and medals determined on Feb. 11 at the Cortina Sliding Center. At the same site, skeleton is adding a mixed team event that combines times for one woman and one man. That’ll happen on Feb. 15, the sport’s last day at these Olympics.

Video journalist Brittany Peterson in Denver contributed

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/07/olympics-skimo-whats-new/ 

Chicago White Sox shortstop Colson Montgomery experienced a little bit of everything in 2025.

He went through an early-season reset while in the minor leagues, going to Arizona for a short period to fine-tune his swing. Montgomery bounced back, reaching the majors on July 4. He provided plenty of fireworks the rest of the way, hitting 21 home runs in 71 games.

“Once I got up here to Chicago, I just started having the most fun I’ve ever had in my life,” Montgomery said during SoxFest Live on Jan. 30 at the Ramova Theatre. “It’s everything you’ve worked for.”

Montgomery was part of a wave of Sox prospects to go from the minors to the majors last season, along with infielder Chase Meidroth, catchers Edgar Quero and Kyle Teel and pitcher Grant Taylor.

That group enters 2026 looking to build on those initial big-league moments.

“I’ve done a lot this offseason to get my body ready for 162,” Montgomery said.

Manager Will Venable is also heading into Year 2.

“We’re all learning and growing and getting better and certainly feel like I’m one year better than I was last year and have a season long of experiences to help guide me and help me better in my job on a daily basis,” Venable said on Jan. 29. “I’m excited about what can come of that and know that we’ve got a lot of work to do at the same time.”

The work continues with the arrival of spring training. The first workout for Sox pitchers and catchers takes place Tuesday in Glendale, Ariz. The first full-squad workout is set for Feb. 15.

The continued development of the young core, which also includes the likes of pitchers Shane Smith and Mike Vasil and third baseman Miguel Vargas, will be a focus this spring. Here are three more Sox spring training storylines ahead of the start of camp.

Want the latest White Sox news? Subscribe to the Chicago Tribune to read it all — and sign up for our free White Sox Insider newsletter.

1. What roles will the offseason additions — including Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami — fill?

The Sox have been very active this offseason with trades and signings.

They added power, along with a large international following, by signing first baseman Munetaka Murakami to a two-year, $34 million contract on Dec. 21. The two-time Nippon Professional Baseball Japanese Central League Most Valuable Player hit 246 home runs over the last eight seasons with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows.

He could give the Sox another much-needed longball threat.

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“He’s a star,” Vargas told the Tribune on Jan. 30 at SoxFest Live. “He’s a guy who’s an MVP in Japan, he can hit. I think for us, the most important thing is make this a home, make him feel welcomed (so) he can be the best he can be.”

The Sox signed starter Anthony Kay, who returns to the majors after spending the last two seasons in Japan, to a two-year deal. They bolstered the bullpen, agreeing to a two-year deal with Seranthony Domínguez.

They added pitching depth, coming to terms on a one-year deal with Sean Newcomb, acquiring Chris Murphy in a trade from the Boston Red Sox and selecting Jedixson Paez and Alexander Alberto in the Rule 5 draft. The Sox gave a boost to their outfielder, agreeing to a one-year contract with Austin Hays that became official Wednesday.

The Sox will have a new-look outfield after trading center fielder Luis Robert Jr. to the New York Mets. One of the players the team acquired in the deal, Luisangel Acuña, will see time in center.

Earlier in the offseason, the Sox acquired outfielders Everson Pereira and Tristan Peters in separate trades with the Tampa Bay Rays. And they began February with another trade, acquiring pitchers Jordan Hicks and David Sandlin from the Boston Red Sox. Hicks has worked as a starter and reliever in the past.

The Sox will get the chance to see how best to utilize all the additions during the spring.

2. Which prospects are getting closer to a big-league debut?

White Sox prospects, from left, George Wolkow, Braden Montgomery, Hagen Smith and Noah Schultz have a laugh as players are introduced during SoxFest on Jan. 25, 2025, at the Ramova Theatre. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

There’s a possibility that pitchers Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith and outfielder Braden Montgomery will be among the prospects to aid the Sox at some point in 2026.

All three are among the 25 nonroster invitees to camp.

Schultz, from Oswego East, pitched at Double-A Birmingham and Triple-A Charlotte last season. Smith spent 2025 with the Barons.

“I can’t wait to see these guys in spring training,” general manager Chris Getz said on Jan. 29. “Noah is feeling really good and the way Hagen finished the season last year in the playoffs and the (Arizona) Fall League. 2026 is a new season for those guys and us and we anticipate that they are going to be able to help us at some point.

“But most importantly coming to spring training, have a productive one, be healthy and have the best version of themselves throughout the year.”

Schultz — a first-round pick in 2022 — is the No. 49-ranked prospect in baseball entering 2026, according to MLB.com. Smith, the team’s first-round pick in 2024, is No. 72 on the list.

MLB.com ranked Montgomery at No. 36. He played for Class A Kannapolis, High Class A Winston-Salem and Birmingham in 2025.

“(Montgomery) works as hard as anybody in the organization, which is a benefit to us because we can point to him and highlight that,” Sox director of player development Paul Janish said during a recent videoconference call. “That’s beneficial not just for himself but for his teammates.

“We talk a lot about his offensive capabilities but he has a really, really strong desire to be a complete player and he works at it. I’m excited for his year that’s coming up. We’ll see where the road leads.”

3. How will the WBC affect the spring?

White Sox catcher Kyle Teel drops his bat after hitting an RBI single against the Royals on Aug. 26, 2025, at Rate Field. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

The World Baseball Classic returns, and five Sox players were on rosters released Thursday evening.

That includes Murakami for Team Japan, Domínguez for Team Dominican Republic and Teel for Team Italy.

Infielder Sam Antonacci — competing for a roster spot after a strong 2025 playing largely for Winston-Salem and Birmingham along with 19 games in the AFL — joins Teel on Italy. He is a nonroster invitee to Sox camp.

Infielder Curtis Mead, who played 41 games for the Sox after coming over last season in a trade from the Rays, is on Team Australia.

The WBC’s first round is March 5-11, with Japan and Australia among the teams in Tokyo, Italy playing in Houston and the Dominican Republic in Miami. The top-two teams from each pool advance to the quarterfinals, scheduled for March 13-14 in Houston and Miami. The semifinals will be played March 15-16 in Miami, with the championship game the next day.

The players will join their respective teams for a portion of camp and return to Glendale as the Sox inch closer and closer to the start of the regular season.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/07/chicago-white-sox-2026-spring-training-storylines/ 

TORONTO — Before reading this article, please take a moment to check your notifications. There’s a chance that you, too, have been traded by the Chicago Bulls for a second-round draft pick and cash considerations.

This week’s trade deadline was the busiest for the Bulls in years. Eight players gone, seven trades executed, all in the course of six hectic days. In the aftermath, executive vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas seemed committed to a route of getting worse in the short term to improve in the long term.

It’s an optimistic plan. It’s also full of risks and follies to nitpick and assess. And while Bulls fans should feel bolstered that the front office has finally — finally — taken a new approach to roster construction, the execution of the next rebuild stage leaves little margin for error.

First, let’s look at a couple of big-picture questions.

Why is this happening now?

The Bulls had their backs against a wall. With eight expiring contracts on their books, they were bound to see this volume of turnover — either under their control at the deadline or at the whims of players over the summer. That turned the deadline into a fire sale as the Bulls succeeded in moving every expiring contract except that of Zach Collins, who was essentially off the market because of lingering injuries.

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The contract situation forced the Bulls into a full teardown, something Karnišovas ardently avoided in prior seasons. He openly acknowledged that his hand was forced, which only underlines the frustration surrounding his previous hesitance to attack the market and commit to a rebuild.

This entire painful process clearly should have begun at last year’s deadline. The Bulls could have received significantly higher returns for Coby White and Nikola Vučević when both players were healthy and averaging career highs in scoring (White) and shooting percentage (Vučević).

Offloading high-scoring players at last year’s deadline would have set up the Bulls for better draft position in 2025 (a star-studded draft featuring league-ready players such as Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel) while setting the table to fully tank for a top lottery pick in 2026.

Instead, the Bulls are — once again — stuck in the middle. Because they didn’t begin their tanking efforts until this year’s deadline, they already had won 24 games before offloading half their roster. The teams competing for top-four lottery odds have won 14 games or fewer, a chasm the Bulls won’t be able to close over the final 30 games.

The Bulls still can improve their lottery odds significantly through the tactics employed at the deadline. Their odds of landing a top-four pick are already up to 6.2% from 2.4% last week. With more losses, they might be able to get those odds above 30% — a valuable improvement but well below the possibilities if they had committed to this gambit a year earlier.

In the long term, Bulls fans will have to wait and see if Karnišovas can make bold moves again in the future before he is forced into a corner.

What’s with all these second-rounders?

The Bulls weren’t high on the value of second-round picks heading into this trade window. Second-round picks always have been relative gambles and have only lost value in recent years as fewer players declare for each draft. Yet despite that messaging, the Bulls ended up with nine new second-round picks by the deadline, bringing their total to 14, tied with the Detroit Pistons for the third-most in the league.

More draft capital is always a net positive — and sometimes luck comes into play. Karnišovas famously struck the greatest second-round gold mine in draft history in 2014, when he selected Nikola Jokić for the Denver Nuggets with the 41st pick. Although not the same wattage of star power, Karnišovas also hit on a second-round pick with the Bulls by selecting Ayo Dosunmu at No. 38 in 2021.

But if Karnišovas plans to use these picks as future trade assets, things could get complicated. There isn’t a set conversion rate between the first and second rounds. Consolidating picks has become more difficult, and an executive can’t confidently expect to flip a handful of second-rounders into a first-rounder, even if it’s outside the lottery. This tactic leaves plenty of legwork for Karnišovas in the future.

With those questions (somewhat) answered, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of each trade.

Trade: Emanuel Miller to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Dario Šarić (from the Sacramento Kings) and two second-round picks

Bulls forward Emanuel Miller (2) is late to retrieve a pass against the Pacers on Dec. 5, 2025, at the United Center. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)

Grade: A

Sometimes the best business is boring. Sending out a two-way player and taking back an expiring contract (that was traded by the end of the week) is a tidy way to pick up a couple of second-round picks. Even if these picks aren’t the most valuable, this was a neat win for the Bulls to kick off a busy week.

Trade: Kevin Huerter and Dario Šarić to the Detroit Pistons for Jaden Ivey (from Detroit) and Mike Conley Jr. (from the Minnesota Timberwolves)

The Bulls’ Kevin Huerter celebrates after his game-winning 3-pointer sealed a 114-111 victory over the Celtics on Jan. 24, 2026, at the United Center. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

Grade: A-

The Bulls were cooking at this point in the week. This trade sent out an expiring deal in Huerter, who wasn’t young enough or consistent enough from 3-point range to fit into the team’s future. In return, the Bulls get to take a flyer on Ivey, a former No. 5 pick who will be a restricted free agent this summer.

Who are the 7 new Chicago Bulls? Meet Jaden Ivey, Anfernee Simons and the rest of the deadline additions.

Ivey isn’t a sure thing. He still hasn’t returned to his former self after suffering a brutal broken lower leg on New Year’s Day last year — but he’s also barely 13 months removed from that injury, which required multiple surgeries and extensive recovery. If Ivey can rebuild his athleticism and regain his first step, he could fit seamlessly into the Bulls rotation.

Trade: Nikola Vučević to the Boston Celtics for Anfernee Simons and a second-round pick swap

Bulls center Nikola Vučević smiles after shooting an air ball against the Jazz on Jan. 14, 2026, at the United Center. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

Grade: A-

This one came as a surprise — even to Vučević himself. After the Bulls failed to trade him at prior deadlines, it seemed the market had dried up for the veteran center despite his willingness to take a role off the bench if it meant playing for a contender. But this deal checked boxes for every side of the trade.

This was a perfect tanking move for the Bulls. Vučević was vital to the Bulls offense, supplying 16.9 points per game while facilitating action through the post and anchoring on the other end as a defensive rebounder. He was set to walk in free agency, but moving him this week allowed the Bulls to move up to near the top of the second round this year, as the pick they got in the swap initially belonged to the New Orleans Pelicans (13-40).

Sure, this is one of the most obvious “too little, too late” trades for the Bulls, who should have moved Vučević when his value spiked just before last year’s deadline. But they did the best with what they had in this particular window, which still can be celebrated in a vacuum.

An added bonus: Vučević lands in the position he envisioned for the final years of his career.

Trade: Coby White and Mike Conley Jr. to the Charlotte Hornets for Collin Sexton, Ousmane Dieng and three second-round picks

Bulls guard Coby White walks away after greeting Pacers center Tony Bradley following a 120-105 Pacers win Friday, Dec. 5, 2025, at the United Center. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)

Grade: B-

This had to happen. The Bulls couldn’t afford to pay White in free agency. They also couldn’t afford to let him walk for nothing.

Aspects of this trade work well, particularly the decision to send White to his home-state Hornets, who are challenging the Bulls for the last spot in the play-in tournament. Sending out your No. 2 scorer to a direct competitor is a simple but savvy tanking move for a team that has struggled to divest itself from the ghost of competitiveness.

With Coby White’s trade, the Chicago Bulls cut ties to the past — and give up the heart of their locker room

Still, it’s hard not to mourn the steep loss of value suffered by waiting an additional year to trade White, who was sidelined by calf injuries for nearly half of this season. He was just regaining his shooting confidence and overall fitness in the last 10 days, but his shaky start to the season was enough to drop his value after a 2024-25 season filled with career highs.

Adding draft capital has its own value, and Sexton potentially could fit into the Bulls future as an “experienced” younger player. But the fact the Bulls couldn’t achieve their goal of securing a first-round pick for White makes this a misstep.

Trade: Dalen Terry to the New York Knicks for Guerschon Yabusele and cash considerations

The Bulls’ Dalen Terry, left, and Isaac Okoro during warmups before a game against the 76ers on Dec. 26, 2025, at the United Center. (Dominic Di Palermo/Chicago Tribune)

Grade: B+

At first, this trade was baffling. Yabusele is an undersized, slow-footed, 30-year-old big man who doesn’t fit any future plans for the Bulls and had a player option for 2026-27 on his two-year, $11.275 million contract. Terry never fit into the Bulls rotation, but he’s still a young player with athletic potential (and wasn’t contributing enough to derail a tank job).

However, a league source said — and Yabusele later confirmed — that the forward declined his player option as a stipulation of this deal. That means the Bulls essentially just took on a bit of bad money to offload Terry.

This trade is ultimately nothing in the overall scope, but it offers a moment to reflect on how poorly Karnišovas has drafted in the first round. Terry was the No. 18 pick in 2022. Not even four years later, the Bulls salary-dumped him in an effort to tank. If they want to pull off their plan of building around young players, they have to identify talent more consistently — or risk a repetition of this draft-and-dump cycle.

Trade: Ayo Dosunmu and Julian Phillips to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Rob Dillingham, Leonard Miller and four second-round picks

Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu loses the ball while driving against Hornets forward Brandon Miller on Jan. 3, 2026, at the United Center. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

Grade: C-

As beloved as Dosunmu is in Chicago, the Bulls needed to move the guard before his salary ballooned in free agency this summer. Making that tough decision should have come with a major payday for both sides — Dosunmu’s value never has been higher as a true two-way player who’s one of the league’s top 10 3-point shooters this season. So why did the Bulls let him go for so little?

This trade wasn’t about the players the Bulls received. Dillingham, the No. 8 pick in 2024, is a slight point guard who struggled to crack the rotation in Minnesota. He is five years younger than Dosunmu — which does align him more closely with the Matas Buzelis timeline — but has shown no signs of developing into the same caliber of playmaker and defender. Miller is a nonfactor who might not see much playing time even with the current skeleton crew.

All of that would be perfectly acceptable if the Bulls had picked up a first-round pick for their troubles. Instead, they collected another handful of second-rounders: the least favorable of Denver’s and Golden State’s in 2026, Cleveland’s in 2027, the more favorable of Minnesota’s and Golden State’s in 2031 and the more favorable of Phoenix’s and Houston’s in 2032.

This is an undersell, plain and simple, for one of the team’s best pieces of player development in the last decade. And given Dosunmu’s emotional ties to the city and team, it’s a squandered opportunity that will sting in Chicago for a while.

Trade: Ousmane Dieng to the Milwaukee Bucks for Nick Richards (from the Phoenix Suns)

Grade: B

It’s hard to assess this one since neither player ever made it to market. Richards is certainly a better short-term option for the Bulls frontcourt, which had been gutted at this point in the trade window. But the Bulls shouldn’t really care about which player will make the biggest impact in the next 30 games. Dieng had interesting potential as another young player who might have fit into the team’s timeline. Ultimately, this was a negligible move made at the end of a trade frenzy.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/07/chicago-bulls-grades-nba-trade-deadline/ 

When Logan and Jennifer Wagler dropped off their youngest son in Champaign over the summer, their hope was that he would put on 5 pounds, adjust well to college life and work hard so he could find a way to contribute to the Illinois basketball team.

They’ve always tried to be realistic about their three kids’ sports careers, not to look at things through “rose-colored glasses.” So they were happy enough with the low-key reports they received from their son.

Keaton Wagler keeps his thought processes internalized, like he does his emotions on the basketball court. He sometimes shared fun stories of his team, but mostly he told them everything was good and he was enjoying it. Nothing more, nothing less.

So Logan was confused a few weeks in when Illinois assistant coach Tyler Underwood called to talk about some of the things the family needed to start considering for the future, given what the Illini envisioned for Keaton.

“Well, what do you mean?” Logan asked.

“Logan, he’s going to play in the NBA,” Underwood said.

“And I didn’t even know how to react,” Logan told the Tribune. “I’m like, ‘I mean, are you serious?’”

Wagler has caused more than his parents to utter that question during his rapid ascension to stardom in his freshman season for No. 5 Illinois.

The college basketball world watched, jaws dropped, as the 6-foot-6 guard scored a Mackey Arena opponent-record 46 points against then-No. 4 Purdue, hitting many of his nine 3-pointers from well beyond the arc.

As he scored 23 second-half points to fuel the Illini’s upset victory at then-No. 5 Nebraska.

As he banked in a three-quarter-court shot at the halftime buzzer in a blowout of Northwestern, part of a 13-point, seven-rebound, five-assist performance that has become just average for him.

Are you serious?

The player who received only two Power Four offers coming out of Shawnee Mission Northwest High School near Kansas City, Mo., has been called an NBA lottery pick by reigning Big Ten Player of the Year Braden Smith of Purdue. Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg, the former Chicago Bulls coach, said Wagler is playing like a first-team All-American.

Even Wagler — the 261st-ranked recruit in the 2025 class, per the 247Sports composite — is a little surprised to hear such projections.

“It’s probably surprising to most people, if not everyone,” Wagler told the Tribune. “Really, I don’t think anyone thought I would come in here and by this time of the season be projected as a lottery pick or whatever. So it is really crazy to think about.”

The signs were there, of course, before he stepped on Illinois’ campus — in his smooth shooting, in the decision-making that is both innate and bred in a basketball family, and in that stoic makeup that hasn’t cracked even in the heat of Big Ten battles.

‘Play the game the right way’

Illinois guard Keaton Wagler passes the ball against Alabama on Nov. 19, 2025, at the United Center. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)

David Birch first saw Wagler in the men’s league open gyms where he played with Logan. Keaton was maybe 10 — and tiny — yet he would score against high school players, even guys who had played in college.

“I would be getting frustrated,” said Birch, the Shawnee Mission Northwest coach. “Like, why are you letting this little kid score out here?”

Logan and Jennifer met playing basketball at Hutchinson Community College, and Logan went on to play at Division II Rockhurst in Kansas City. Son Landon, three years older than Keaton, is a senior guard at NAIA MidAmerica Nazarene. Daughter Brooklyn, 10 years older, also played there and now coaches at Shawnee Mission Northwest.

Keaton, who dabbled in football, soccer and baseball early on, was as basketball-crazed as any of them, asking his mom when he was in preschool if there was a job he could do where he just shot baskets.

He tagged along with his brother to pickup games and got pushed around, which he said developed his toughness. He watched his sister and brother play in the state playoffs, which his parents think helped develop his understanding of how to handle big moments.

And Keaton, who said he was mainly just a shooter as a young kid, also had his dad pushing him, not just to score but to make the right play at all times. Logan, who recognized his son’s advanced understanding of the game, issued challenges to Keaton before games, offering a cool pair of basketball socks or $5 if he completed the task.

“But it was never like, ‘If you get this many points…,’” Keaton said. “It was always something like, ‘If you get this many rebounds or assists.’ So just trying to teach me how to play the game the right way.”

All of that translated to his start at Shawnee Mission Northwest, where he played his freshman season with his brother. Birch remembered how opponents would play a triangle-and-two defense that season to try to stop Landon and the team’s other best player. Birch needed shooters to combat that defensive approach, and he turned to Keaton.

In his first varsity game, Keaton made four 3-pointers, Birch said.

“We stopped seeing the triangle-and-two,” Birch said.

Birch said Keaton’s shooting, decision-making, passing, retention of plays and defensive coverages and his ability to learn quickly all helped him lead his team to back-to-back Kansas 6A state titles as a junior and senior. The three-time captain averaged a team-high 12.5 points and 3.5 assists on a talented squad during an undefeated junior season.

He also played for the VWBA Elite AAU team, and that summer after his junior year, he started to believe he was a high-level player, something his AAU coach Victor Williams instilled in him.

But his college recruiting didn’t gain a lot of traction early on.

Birch said colleges watched Wagler play in high school on a team with Michigan State-bound center Ethan Taylor, now a high school senior.

“Everybody in the United States watched us play,” Birch said. “We had a five-star, 7-1 center. There wasn’t a single college that didn’t come in and watch us play.”

Wagler received plenty of offers, about 20 to 30 from mid-major Division I schools during that strong AAU season after his junior year, his parents said. But he didn’t receive similar interest from Power Four programs.

Birch would hear that Wagler wasn’t strong enough or athletic enough. He suspects recruiters thought his high school team’s success was due to Taylor. Tyler Underwood said Wagler’s exposure maybe wasn’t as high playing for a public high school and an AAU team that wasn’t shoe-sponsored, a decision Wagler made because he trusted Williams’ guidance.

The Waglers tried not to overthink it. Keaton’s coaches and well-connected people they knew kept telling them the high-level offers would come. His parents, with their grounded mindset, just wanted him to have options.

“I wouldn’t say I was frustrated because I felt like I could play at the high level,” Keaton said. “I knew that if I kept playing well, then they would come. I just trusted the process, believed in myself and my coaches, and it ended up working out.”

For both Wagler and Illinois.

‘Yo, he is insanely good.’

Illinois guard Keaton Wagler goes to the basket as Northwestern forward Nick Martinelli defends Jan. 14, 2026, at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)

Every time Wagler hits a new goal weight, Illinois strength and conditioning coach Adam Fletcher has the same response:

“That’s good, but I want more.”

Wagler’s parents said he never was the best eater, and putting on weight always has been a focus.

Tyler Underwood said Wagler was 160-some pounds when he arrived at Illinois, but with Fletcher’s help he has put on 20. Wagler said it’s not a specific diet. He just has to eat a lot, consistently and smartly, and stay hydrated. It’s about not skipping breakfast or the shakes he is given. And it’s consistent maintenance work in the weight room during the season.

One reason the Illini felt comfortable bringing Wagler on board — when perhaps others thought he wasn’t strong enough — was their faith in Fletcher.

“Physicality is super important in college basketball and a lot of people talk about it, so that was probably a thing that people worried about,” Underwood said. “I think we have a unique ability to take kids that are a little physically undersized.

“We have the best strength coach in the country. He’s super meticulous. He has a plan, and we have great confidence in him to add that weight. And I think that was a huge factor in not only getting (Wagler), but why you’re able to see him do what he’s doing now.”

Underwood flagged Wagler after watching film sent by Williams, who shared an Oklahoma State connection with Tyler’s father, Illinois head coach Brad Underwood. Wagler’s passing, shooting, positional size and natural feel for the game were intriguing. And Tyler Underwood said the film from Wagler’s high school junior season to AAU just kept getting better and better.

“You saw his confidence growing, his ability to shoot off the bounce, his ability to play in high-level games,” Underwood said. “You could just tell, nothing rattled him. He was always in control. Someone who had a really high assist-to-turnover ratio, made really good decisions with the basketball, all skills that we value.

“And then you get to know the person, and you’re like, ‘This could be something pretty special.’”

The Illini offered Wagler on Aug. 22, 2024, and when he visited campus a few weeks later, he said it felt like home. Everyone was nice. People took photos with him at a football tailgate. Logan and Jennifer fell in love with the school too, believing Keaton would be taken care of there, but they let their son come to the decision on his own.

He picked Illinois before his senior season, with his only other Power Four offer from Minnesota. He went on to average 18.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.8 steals as a senior and arrived in Champaign with no real expectations except that he would work hard, have a good attitude and be the best version of himself.
Illinois players Kylan Boswell, from left, Andrej Stojaković, David Mirković and Keaton Wagler head to the bench during a timeout against Northwestern on Jan. 14, 2026, at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)

As Wagler got going with the team over the summer, veteran guard Kylan Boswell told the coaches, “Yo, he is insanely good.” Boswell didn’t necessarily say as much to Wagler every day, but Wagler could tell the team leader was interested in him, always wanting them to guard each other in practices.

By all accounts, it was an important step to get Wagler ready for Big Ten play, as was a closed-door scrimmage against defending national champion Florida that made him realize the physicality he would need.

“(Boswell) is probably the best on-ball defender in the country, and he pushed me every day in the summer,” Wagler said. “We were going at it each and every day, and he really got me used to the physicality because he’s super physical. He really taught me how to use my body well, being not as strong as everyone else, but being able to use my body to create separation.”

Preseason injuries to guards Andrej Stojaković and Mihailo Petrović made Wagler realize the Illini would need him to step up when the season began. Everything Illinois coaches had seen was promising, but they needed to see the mental component, the toughness, the ability to respond to adversity in action.

“That’s been beyond anything I would have expected,” Brad Underwood said.

Wagler had a few bumps early on. He scored only three points in Illinois’ loss to Connecticut at Madison Square Garden, one of only three losses this season. He wasn’t involved enough on offense in that game, so Illinois put him on the ball more.

He has scored in double figures every game since, bringing his average from 13.5 points to 17.9. And he has 82 of his 98 assists since then, including two games with 10 and two games with eight.

Some of his biggest performances have come in the biggest games.

‘Not afraid of the moment’

Illinois guard Keaton Wagler brings the ball up the court against Purdue’s Braden Smith on Jan. 24, 2026, at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind. (Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

Wagler took the inbounds pass with two seconds to play in the first half Wednesday against Northwestern, dribbled twice and then launched the basketball from well beyond the half-court line. When the ball banked into the basket, he raised both hands and then jumped to body-bump teammate Jake Davis.

So, yes, Wagler does celebrate in games sometimes.

But many times this season he has knocked down a shot — a more crucial one than his Hail Mary in a 40-point win — and backpedaled with a straight face.

Logan and Jennifer said their son is hilarious, fun-loving and caring. But they tried to instill in Keaton that he doesn’t need to be flashy, that there’s no reason to trash-talk, and that has manifested in his on-court persona.

“Keaton’s really turned it into his own thing,” Logan said with a laugh. “I mean, he has no emotion, pretty straight-faced. I’ve always appreciated that about him.”

Logan thinks his son wants to avoid showing frustration to opponents so it doesn’t compound. Neither Birch nor Tyler Underwood has seen Wagler get very rattled or angry.

His Illinois coaches and teammates use different words for it: nonchalant, stoic, cold.

“I’ve never been a guy that talks a lot on the floor or does a bunch of celebrations,” Wagler said. “I’ve kind of always been level-headed and just trying to be focused on the game. But, I mean, there’s some times where I do show emotion.”

Staying level-headed is easier said than done in a conference that has five teams in the top 12 of this week’s Associated Press rankings. Yet Wagler has piled up 21.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game in 12 Big Ten games. He’s shooting 47.6% from 3-point range with only 1.9 turnovers per game in conference play.

There was no bigger example of Wagler’s ability to keep calm in the big moment than his performance at Purdue, Illinois’ second game after Boswell was sidelined with a fractured right hand.

Illinois guard Keaton Wagler takes a shot over Purdue’s Oscar Cluff on Jan. 24, 2026, at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind. (Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

Tyler Underwood called it the “power of the flow state” as Wagler hit shot after astounding shot in an 88-82 win. He went 13-for-17 from the field, including 9-for-11 from 3-point range.

But some late adjustments as Illinois tried to build a lead were just as crucial. The Illini hit four straight 3-pointers — all by players other than Wagler — as he worked against a Purdue defensive change.

“(It’s) where he’s so unique for an 18-year-old,” Tyler Underwood said. “Purdue showed coverage for 36 minutes that was a switch. And then the last four minutes of the game, they change their coverage and they go to a hedge, and he doesn’t even blink and makes the play, gets it out of his hand right away.

“To show that level of decision-making and maturity, it’s a lot harder than it sounds, especially for someone who hasn’t seen a ton.”

Wagler said he has improved the most since joining Illinois with on-the-ball decision-making and reading defenders, especially out of a pick-and-roll.

Eight days after Purdue, Wagler went into a Nebraska arena hyped by the Cornhuskers’ unprecedented success and scored just five points in the first half. But he came out of halftime to score 23 more and lift the Illini to the first back-to-back road victories over top-five teams in program history.

His parents have recognized the poise he is showing.

“Even at a young age, if the game was tied, it was on the line, he was a kid that wanted the ball in his hands,” Logan said. “He wanted to make the right play. He wasn’t afraid of the moment. He would make his free throws down the stretch to ice games.

“I think it really boils down to the fact that he just wants to win.”

‘Don’t drink the poison’

Illinois guard Keaton Wagler during the second half against Nebraska on Feb. 1, 2026, in Lincoln, Neb. (AP Photo/Bonnie Ryan)

Jennifer reached her son on FaceTime after the Purdue game and was greeted with a big smile.

“It was so much fun,” Keaton told her.

They had to connect by phone because Logan, Jennifer and Landon watched the game on TV from home — Jennifer unable to sit during the entire “surreal” experience.

The winter storms that stretched across the United States that weekend were going to hit Kansas City and West Lafayette, Ind., before and after the game, and travel looked risky. Logan is the parks and recreation director for Lenexa, Kan., and Jennifer is a fifth-grade teacher. The Waglers have been stretched thin balancing the basketball schedules of Landon and Keaton.

“We were just kicking ourselves when that game was at halftime,” Logan said. “We’re like, what were we thinking? We should have just grinded it out and got out there.”

They made sure they were at Nebraska, though, along with a group of 38 people from Wagler’s hometown.

Birch and his assistant coaches try every year to attend college practices of some of their former players to get ideas for their team. They went to Illinois in November around the time of the Florida Gulf Coast game and got the idea to bring their team to the Nebraska game.

Tickets — before the Huskers started the season 20-0 — were $30, so the booster club, of which Jennifer was the president for seven years, helped arrange the trip. A bunch of teachers from Wagler’s elementary school, which sits right next to the high school, also attended, so Wagler had his own cheering section among the sellout, whiteout crowd.

Illinois guard Keaton Wagler looks to pass against Nebraska forward Rienk Mast and guard Jamarques Lawrence, left, during the first half Feb. 1, 2026, in Lincoln, Neb. (AP Photo/Bonnie Ryan)

Birch, whose young team has struggled a bit this season, thought his players gained some hope for what they could do in the future by watching Wagler — though Birch, like everyone else, has been surprised at the rapid rise.

“I thought he’d find a way to contribute,” Birch said. “I thought he’d get on the floor. I thought he’d have a good career.

“You talk about guys picking up things quickly. To think he was going to do it in about a week, and then all of a sudden, he’s treating the Big Ten like it’s our high school conference, I don’t know if anybody saw quite that.”

The whole Wagler crew now is navigating unforeseen territory.

Wagler said after the Purdue game he got a flood of congratulatory messages from family, friends, past Illinois players and others. The coolest, he said, was from NBA trainer Chris Brickley, who offered some nice words.

It was an experience Wagler tried to appreciate and then promptly ignore.

Brad Underwood tells his players, “Don’t drink the poison, bad or good.” Wagler is trying to listen to his coach as the outside attention skyrockets and his name continues to float higher and higher in NBA draft projections.

“That is a lot of months away,” Wagler said. “So knowing that isn’t for a while, I have to be focused because I can’t let my teammates down, being in my head thinking that I’m good enough already, which you can never be too good. So I’m just trying to try to keep my mindset the right way, trying to get better each day.”

The reality is Wagler won’t go 9-for-11 from 3-point range every game, Tyler Underwood said. So Wagler, who turned 19 on Tuesday, needs to focus on where he can improve.

Underwood said Wagler can reach another level of athleticism as he grows into his body. The Illini offense has become the most efficient in the nation after slowing its pace, but Underwood believes Wagler can play faster as he gets more experience. Wagler also believes he can get better defensively — being more comfortable on the ball and pressuring more — and on the boards.

He’ll have a decision to make come April about his next steps.

Logan and Jennifer always have tried to keep their kids humble. Underwood remembers Jennifer talking during Keaton’s official visit about how she told him not to let it go to his head after he got a fourth star from a recruiting service.

Their check-ins with their son have continued, but now they’re making sure he’s blocking out the noise that has come with his stunning success.

“Our saying to him is, ‘Just keep your foot on the gas,’” Logan said. “None of that matters. Nothing’s over till the season’s over. Just focus on what’s right in front of you. And he does a tremendous job of doing that.”

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/07/keaton-wagler-illinois-basketball/ 

SAN FRANCISCO — Nobody on the Seattle Seahawks has supported Sam Darnold quite like Ernest Jones IV.

When Darnold threw four interceptions against the Los Angeles Rams in a 21-19 loss in Week 11, Jones had his quarterback’s back. The second-team All-Pro linebacker wouldn’t allow Darnold to take the blame.

“Sam’s been balling,” Jones said after that game. “If we want to try and define Sam by this game, man, Sam’s had us in every game. So, for him to sit there and say, ‘Yo, that’s my fault,’ no, it’s not. There were plays defensively we could have made plays or opportunities where we could have got stops.

“This is football. He’s our quarterback and we’ve got his back.”

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Darnold rewarded his teammate’s faith. He led the Seahawks back from a 16-point fourth-quarter deficit to an overtime win against the Rams in the next meeting and was sensational in a 31-27 victory over the Rams in the NFC championship game.

“Like I said, doubt Sam if you want to, Sam’s going to show you every time,” Jones said afterward. “That’s who we know, and that’s why I stood on that, and I’ll do it all over again.”

Darnold, 28, has earned plenty of trust in the locker room in his first season in Seattle after a breakout year in Minnesota. Once considered a bust after the Jets drafted him at No. 3 in 2018, Darnold — on his fifth team in eight seasons — is one victory away from leading the Seahawks to the franchise’s second Lombardi Trophy.

Darnold and the Seahawks face Drake Maye and the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl on Sunday in a rematch from a matchup 11 years ago.

Tom Brady and the Patriots won that one 28-24 after Russell Wilson’s pass from the 1-yard line in the final minute was intercepted by Malcolm Butler.

That gave Brady, coach Bill Belichick and the Patriots the fourth of their sixth Super Bowl rings before the dynasty ended.

Patriots quarterback Drake Maye talks with the media during a news conference Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif., ahead of Super Bowl LX. (Charlie Riedel/AP)

First-year Patriots coach Mike Vrabel, a standout linebacker on three of those championship teams, has quickly turned a team that was coming off consecutive 4-13 seasons into a winner.

Maye has been the catalyst for the team’s impressive turnaround.

“From Day 1, I feel like the guys have really taken what Coach Vrabel has wanted to do with us and have just really applied it to their lives in every single way,” Maye said.

“Whether it’s on the field, off the field, getting treatment, doing little things, making great decisions off the field. I think the biggest thing is just — Coach Vrabel always says he treats us how we treat the team. I think that’s how guys have taken this year, and it’s just rallying together and wanting to play for each other. From there on, we just have had fun doing it every single day since, and it’s been a ride. Looking forward to trying to finish it off.”

Brady also was a second-year quarterback when he led the Patriots to their first Super Bowl title in the 2001 season.

They were double-digit underdogs when they beat the Rams. The Pats were favorites in their next eight Super Bowl appearances until now. They are a 4½-point underdog this time.

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Maye, 23, the No. 3 pick in the 2024 draft, will be the second-youngest quarterback to start a Super Bowl. Ben Roethlisberger was the youngest to win one when he led the Pittsburgh Steelers to a victory over the Seahawks in the 2005 season.

Maye has demonstrated plenty of poise in clutch situations. He changed a play and ran a bootleg to extend the drive on third down late in the AFC championship game against the Denver Broncos to seal a 10-7 victory in the snow.

“I think just as we’ve gone through this entire year in this program, and the more that he’s been out there and the games have kind of built up on us that, really, we’ve done a nice job in those situations,” Vrabel said of Maye’s maturity in big moments. “I think he’s improved in them, and he’s a big part of why we’re here.”

Of course, both teams are far more than just their quarterbacks.

Darnold has All-Pro wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and running back Kenneth Walker, and the Seahawks defense is the stingiest in the league. They allowed the fewest points in the NFL and have standout players at every level. Defensive tackle Leonard Williams, linebacker Jones and cornerback Devon Witherspoon were second-team All-Pros. Safety Nick Emmanwori had a standout rookie season.

Maye has running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Rhamondre Stevenson and wide receiver Stefon Diggs, and the defense has been dominant in the playoffs.

Only one team will leave Santa Clara, Calif., with the Lombardi Trophy.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/07/super-bowl-sam-darnold-drake-maye/