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New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are reportedly moving on from a former second-round pick.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Patriots are trading defensive end Keion White to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round pick and a 2026 seventh-round pick.
It stands as a largely underwhelming return for a 26-year-old player who recorded five sacks last seasons and was a high draft pick just two years ago. But, the writing was on the wall that White needed a fresh start elsewhere after failing to carve out a role in Mike Vrabel’s defense.
One of New England’s top pass-rushers last season, White fell behind on New England’s depth chart during training camp, with Vrabel’s new defensive scheme and the presence of several interior pass-rushers like Milton Williams, Khyiris Tonga, and a healthy Christian Barmore negating White’s top strength when it came to rushing up the gut to put pressure on opposing QBs.
White was unable to settle into a groove as more of an outside edge rusher, losing out a featured role to the likes of Harold Landry and K’Lavon Chaisson as the preseason carried on.
White appeared in just five games for New England this season, recording just six total tackles. He was designated as a healthy scratch ahead of Sunday’s win over the Cleveland Browns. He logged 17 total snaps in Week 7 against the Titans.
The Georgia Tech product look poised for a breakout season with New England in 2024 after posting four sacks over the first two games of the year. But, he only recorded two sacks over his remaining 36-game run in Foxborough before the team opted to send him out west.
Even if White wasn’t a strong fit in Vrabel’s defense, his absence makes New England’s pass-rushing corps a bit thinner. The Patriots’ pass-rushing personnel now features Chaisson, Landry, Anfernee Jennings, Elijah Ponder, and Caleb Murphy on the active roster.
White will look to recoup his value in the Bay Area, where his pass-rushing capabilities will be utilized to account for the loss of Nick Bosa, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 3.
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FIFA World Cup host cities lay out security plans ahead of matches
Host cities ramp up security and anti-human trafficking efforts ahead of FIFA World Cup matches across the U.S.
The FIFA World Cup is coming to Massachusetts, and when it comes to having a place for people to hang out together, there will be a free fan zone where everyone can celebrate the big event.
Seven World Cup matches will take place at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA this summer, and the first one is right around the corner, to be played on June 13, with Scotland taking on Haiti.
Fan Zones are a public space to watch the game for people who don’t have tickets to the actual game. Held in public places, they broadcast the mach on giant screens to offer an immersive experience to watch the game, according to FIFA>
“At the heart of FIFA Fan Festival Boston, (a) Cultural Showcase will ignite the stage with a vibrant celebration of the spirit, creativity, and cultural heartbeat of Boston and communities across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,” FIFA said.
Where will the fan zone be located when the World Cup games start in just 11 days?
The official FIFA Fan Festival for the 2026 World Cup in Boston will be located at Boston City Hall Plaza at 1 City Hall Sq. Boston, MA.
“The festival will run daily from June 12 through June 27, offering live match broadcasts, cultural showcases, food vendors, and entertainment,” according to FIFA.
The fan zone will open between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. and will stay open until after dark, between 8:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. according to reports.
Here are some of the offerings at the fan zone in Boston, according to the FIFA website:
While the game is free, you do need to register in advance.
“You can select which days and matches you plan to attend through the FIFA World Cup Boston 2026 website or the Meet Boston events page. Up to six people can register on a single application,” the World Cup Boston website says.
So you’re saying there’s a chance? Despite an abysmal start to the 2026 season, the Boston Red Sox remain in the mix for a playoff spot. At least according to FanGraphs, who gives the club a 27.1% chance of reaching the postseason.
Boston’s likely path to October means winning the wild card. FanGraphs gives the Red Sox a 26.1% chance of winning an American League wild card. The team currently sits threes games back of the third and final wild card, despite a record of 25-33.
Don’t look for a division title this year in Beantown. FanGraphs gives the Red Sox a 1% chance of winning the AL East. Which makes sense, since the team currently sits in last place, 11.5 games behind the first-place Tampa Bay Rays.
But SI’s Tom Verducci and Will Laws thinks Boston has a much tougher chance of making the playoffs. In their deep dive of the postseason, the pair came up with what they call the “Line of Doom.” According to their research, a team that starts “no better than 23–31 and your season is almost over only one-third of the way through the schedule.” Here’s why.
“In the wild card era (since 1995), only one team made the postseason starting with less than 22 wins in the first 54 games, the 2005 Astros (20–34). Of the 231 teams to start 23–31 or worse, only seven made the playoffs—once every 33 times,” Verducci and Laws note.
“Since the postseason field expanded in 2022, 31 teams began 23–31 or worse. Only one, the 2024 Mets (22–32), made the playoffs. That leaves such slow starters with a 1 in 31 chance—virtually the same as the larger sample size,” the pair add.
“The fact is one-third of the season does a good job separating pretenders from contenders. And as the calendar flips to June, understand that the playoff spots won’t change very much. In the four seasons with 12 playoff spots up for grabs, teams in playoff position when May ended kept a playoff spot 73% of the time—35 of 48 teams,” Verducci and Laws conclude.
So what does this have to do with the Red Sox, you ask? It’s Boston’s record after 54 games: 23-31. The “Line of Doom.”
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