Sports
What are the Top 10 front offices in NFL? Here’s how 40 executives and coaches voted
By Jeff Howe, Mike Sando, Mike Jones and Dianna Russini
For a league bound by parity, the NFL is ruled by the organizations with the most stability.
That all starts up top. A stable owner and a trustworthy front office are non-negotiable ingredients to sustained success on the field. The best front offices not only identify talent, they share a vision with each department of the organization and don’t allow office politics to interfere with the priority of winning games.
Or, as one high-ranking executive surveyed for this project said: “It is the balance and interconnectivity of all the different departments and decision-making that goes into the product on the field and the plan for the future. How you balance each of those is the challenge of a good front office.”
The Athletic polled 40 league insiders, including 35 high-ranking executives and five coaches, to compile the NFL Front Office Rankings. Respondents, who were granted anonymity for both their votes and conversations discussing them in exchange for their candor, were asked to submit their top-five front offices, in rank order, based on each franchise’s football operations side. (Respondents were not allowed to vote for their own team.)
The results favored stability, with eight of the top 10 teams featuring general managers who have been in place for at least five years. Four of the top six teams, including the top two, promoted their GMs from within.
“Ultimately, it’s about results,” the high-ranking exec added, “but how you operate day to day is about your process. (Do) you have a sound process in the draft, free agency (and with) contract structure? Are you matching your aggressive roster building with maybe the life cycle of your team? All of those things go into what (makes) the best front offices.”
The scoring system: First-place votes were worth 10 points, second-place seven, third-place five, fourth-place three and fifth-place one. (One respondent split his fifth-place vote among two teams.)
Total points: 259 (15 first-place votes, appeared on 36 ballots)
Owner: Steve Bisciotti
General manager: Eric DeCosta
Head coach: John Harbaugh
It’s been more than five years since Ozzie Newsome stepped down as Baltimore’s GM. His disciples have kept the Ravens in contention nearly every year since.
DeCosta, who was a player personnel intern for the Ravens’ inaugural season in 1996 and has been with the organization ever since, took the reins from Newsome in 2019, and Baltimore’s 56 victories over his first five seasons were tied for the third-most in the league.
DeCosta handled quarterback Lamar Jackson’s complicated contract situation, working past a trade request to execute a five-year, $260 million extension in 2023. Jackson then won his second MVP award last season.
From a talent acquisition standpoint, DeCosta has steered the Ravens toward the trade for linebacker Roquan Smith, has a strong track record in the first (safety Kyle Hamilton, wide receiver Zay Flowers) and middle rounds (defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike, tight end Isaiah Likely), landed a priority free agent in running back Derrick Henry and created an environment where a veteran like linebacker Kyle Van Noy can thrive. Of course, those are just a handful of examples.
DeCosta also got out in front of the potential loss of receiver Hollywood Brown, flipping him and a third-rounder to the Arizona Cardinals for a first-round pick that netted center Tyler Linderbaum.
“Consistency,” an NFC executive said of the Ravens’ front office. “They know what a Raven is and understand how to win with those guys.”
That’s a common refrain when discussing DeCosta and his staff. They recognize the types of players and people who will be successful in their program, and they’re certainly aided by the fact that head coach John Harbaugh has manned the sidelines since 2008. All involved know what to expect from one another.
The Ravens’ influence can be felt in many buildings across the NFL. Current general managers Joe Hortiz (Los Angeles Chargers) and Joe Douglas (New York Jets) have experience under Newsome, the architect of Baltimore’s two Super Bowl winners and someone commonly referred to as the best GM in history. Chicago Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham, considered a likely future GM, also worked for Newsome.
Total points: 174 (13 first-place votes, appeared on 25 ballots)
Owner: Clark Hunt
General manager: Brett Veach
Head coach: Andy Reid
Reid and Veach are a formidable 1-2 punch for the two-time defending Super Bowl champions. Veach, who began his career as a coaching intern under Reid with Philadelphia in 2004, followed his mentor to Kansas City. Veach played a significant role in the decision to draft Patrick Mahomes in 2017 (under then-GM John Dorsey, who he succeeded weeks after that draft). Veach rebuilt the offensive line and armed defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo with a talented young defense that ranked among the top 10 in scoring defense four of the past five years.
“Veach grew up around Andy, so I think there is a very clear vision on what types of players they’re looking for and what works in their system,” an executive said. “Along with the winning comes continuity, and I think that staff as a whole has a very strong understanding of what works there. I think Veach and (assistant general manager Mike) Borgonzi are good evaluators. They have an eye for talent along with an understanding of what plays in the league.”
While Mahomes’ deal could be reworked in the not-so-distant future, he’s currently the greatest bargain on the planet because the Chiefs were savvy enough to take care of him before the QB market boom. Mahomes, for his part, sought a long-term partnership that would help the team put together an elite roster around him. The 12 quarterbacks currently ahead of Mahomes in average annual salary have combined to win zero Super Bowls and have 19 playoff wins to his 15.
Said one general manager who voted Kansas City as the top front office: “They have the stability of that head coach along with a guy who is comfortable in that second chair.”
So while Mahomes and Reid have become the faces of the franchise, Veach has been quietly fortifying a roster that’s helped them win three of the past five Super Bowls.
Total points: 151 (3 first-place votes, appeared on 26 ballots)
CEO: Jed York
General manager: John Lynch
Head coach: Kyle Shanahan
The 49ers, like the Chiefs, have a power coach who was instrumental in selecting the GM.
Shanahan and Lynch, after enduring a 10-22 start to their tenure, have reached two Super Bowls and four NFC Championship Games over the past five years. Their 62 regular-season and playoff wins from 2019-23 were the third most in the NFL.
Three former members of the Shanahan/Lynch front office have landed GM jobs elsewhere: Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (Vikings), Ran Carthon (Titans) and Adam Peters (Commanders).
“From the top on down, they’re on the same page, share the vision on how to build a team,” an AFC talent evaluator said. “They hit on late picks, and those guys contribute. They’ve got the best roster (with) seven All-Pros.”
The Niners’ upper-echelon talent rivals any team in the league. They have extended many of their key pieces, even if negotiations have gotten contentious at times with Nick Bosa, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and Trent Williams.
“The issues they had,” said a general manager, referring to this summer’s Aiyuk and Williams holdouts, “were because they have so many good football players.”
The 49ers invested three first-round picks in the ill-fated 2021 draft trade up for quarterback Trey Lance, but the development of Brock Purdy from Mr. Irrelevant into a potential long-term franchise QB made up for Lance’s failure to launch in San Francisco. If they pay Purdy near the top of the market, the challenge then becomes balancing out the roster with those new cap constraints.
4. Philadelphia Eagles
Total points: 140 (5 first-place votes, appeared on 23 ballots)
Owner: Jeffrey Lurie
General manager: Howie Roseman
Head coach: Nick Sirianni
Voters praised Roseman for his analytical and forward-thinking approach to roster-building, which has helped keep Eagles in the playoff conversation for the majority of his tenure, including a Super Bowl LII victory and another NFC title in 2022.
Since Roseman’s promotion to GM in 2010 — with a few gap years when his title and role evolved during the Chip Kelly years — the Eagles have reached the playoffs eight times. They’ve had a winning record in six of their last seven seasons.
“Howie is really aggressive,” an executive said. “That really stands out about the way they do things. They go for it. He’s not afraid to take risks on players. I think that’s a really good quality when you get into that role, and he’s quick to move on when something isn’t working. Those are attractive traits in a general manager. They’ve also always had guys in Philly who are good evaluators.”
Among the Eagles’ best attributes: cultivating front-office talent. Chiefs general manager Brett Veach, Jets GM Joe Douglas and Browns GM Andrew Berry all worked for Roseman. Ditto for Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham. Current Bucs general manager Jason Licht worked alongside Roseman in Philly from 2003-07. Current Eagles assistant general manager Alec Halaby has interviewed for GM jobs elsewhere.
“The resources they have in Philly, the access that you get to all departments, you can learn a lot,” another executive said.
Under Roseman’s watch, the Eagles pulled off the rare feat of drafting a second-round quarterback and then developing him to the point that they awarded him a top-of-the-market second contract. Of the 20 quarterbacks averaging $25 million or more annually on their current deals, only Hurts and Dak Prescott got their contracts from the team that drafted them outside the first round. Hurts has been protected by an elite offensive line, while the Eagles had enough flexibility to trade for A.J. Brown and draft DeVonta Smith in the first round, and still took care of both star receivers with second contracts.
The Eagles have had more turnover at head coach than the teams ranked ahead of them, but Roseman’s consistent approach has kept their identity intact.
Total points: 62 (appeared on 20 ballots)
Owner: Sheila Ford Hamp
General manager: Brad Holmes
Head coach: Dan Campbell
Holmes, who took over in 2021, helped guide the Lions to one of the best seasons in franchise history last year.
As one general manager put it: “If you asked: Who is the No. 1 GM in the league right now, this minute? It might be him. I love the demeanor, love what he stands for.”
Holmes and Campbell see things through the same lens, which has helped the GM acquire the types of players who will fare well for Campbell. They’ve built a roster that appears tough, selfless and talented.
“Detroit has done a great job of figuring out their style and getting guys who fit that in the draft and free agency” an NFC executive said.
Holmes’ first-round picks include right tackle Penei Sewell, defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, wideout Jameson Williams, running back Jahmyr Gibbs, linebacker Jack Campbell and cornerback Terrion Arnold. The Lions have built one of the best offensive lines in the league and have revitalized quarterback Jared Goff by building around him.
This was hardly a small-scale rebuild for an organization that had one playoff victory in the Super Bowl era before the new regime’s arrival, and Holmes brought a turnaround in a remarkably short time. When building out the roster, Campbell has said he wants players who would have been great teammates during his playing career, and Holmes has delivered.
“Detroit has done a nice job building it in their own image, which is unique to everybody else,” an executive said.
Total points: 54 (appeared on 16 ballots)
Team president: Mark Murphy
General manager: Brian Gutekunst
Head coach: Matt LaFleur
The Packers’ stability at quarterback over the decades mirrors their stability in the front office, as Gutekunst, like his predecessor, Ted Thompson, worked under Hall of Fame Packers GM Ron Wolf in the Green Bay front office two-plus decades ago. It’s that tradition as a scouting organization that helped Green Bay land so high on this list.
Led by an influx of young home-grown talent, including quarterback Jordan Love, the team reached the playoffs last season while carrying $65 million in dead money, most of it from the Aaron Rodgers trade. Reaching the playoffs and blowing out Dallas in the wild-card round signaled that the Packers were two years ahead of schedule on their rebuild. They have another $51 million in dead money this season, but could be back in the playoffs if Love, who could return from a sprained knee this week, and his young supporting cast continue to develop.
Gutekunst identified Love as Rodgers’ successor with a polarizing first-round pick in 2020, part of a plan to navigate one of the most complicated quarterback transitions in recent memory.
“Gutekunst’s humility and authenticity and being a smart football guy really shows up,” an executive said. “He’s very process-driven. There’s no panic there. They’ve made good decisions in free agency. They know their roster. They know their head coach. It’s more of a methodical, process-driven deal where they don’t rush to make a quick fix. They trust their process.”
Gutekunst and head coach Matt LaFleur could have the Packers back in championship contention even before 2025, when the books are cleared of all that dead money.
Total points: 52.5 (1 first-place vote, appeared on 11 ballots)
Chair: Jody Allen
General manager: John Schneider
Head coach: Mike Macdonald
Schneider’s 14-year partnership with former coach Pete Carroll produced 10 playoff appearances, two conference championships and a victory over Denver in Super Bowl XLVIII. Schneider, who helped Carroll build a historic defense in the early 2010s, was instrumental in identifying Russell Wilson as a franchise quarterback.
This is now a franchise in transition after the 2022 trade sending Wilson to Denver and Carroll’s departure following last season. But many of Schneider’s top lieutenants have been with the team for more than a decade and remain in place.
“Everybody just loves to work there,” a GM said. “They have a great front office vibe between coaching and personnel (staff). John Schneider is one of those collaborators. They draft well. Even with Pete leaving, the transition seemed very smooth.”
The Seahawks haven’t won a playoff game since 2019, but are 3-0 in Macdonald’s first season and are coming off back-to-back 9-8 seasons with a resurrected Geno Smith taking over for Wilson. The decisions to draft Wilson and later trade him reflected what voters saw as a willingness to make decisions without regard for potential backlash. The trade sending Wilson to Denver became one of the league’s most fruitful deals of the past few years.
“They have a clear vision of what they want to be,” an executive said. “(Schneider) had Pete (Carroll) for 13 years, and they had great communication and shared a vision. (It’s a) very stable organization. John is a very humble guy and has great relationships throughout the league and in the media. He is plugged in and knows what is going on.
“Even though they have had great continuity, he never settles and is always looking for what is next and asking, ‘What am I missing?’ Never thinks he is the smartest guy in the room and listens. Great leader and respected by everyone because he is so genuine.”
Total points: 48.5 (1 first-place vote, appeared on 13 ballots)
Owner: Stan Kroenke
General manager: Les Snead
Head coach: Sean McVay
McVay’s hiring in 2017 became a line of demarcation for a front office featuring president Kevin Demoff (with the team since 2009) and Snead (hired in 2012). Those three have combined to form a front office willing to take home-run swings, most notably the 2021 trade acquisition of quarterback Matthew Stafford.
The franchise found a new identity, and achieved a level of success it hadn’t experienced since the turn of the century, including a victory over Cincinnati in Super Bowl LVI. Snead famously ushered in a “F— them picks” era of roster-building, flipping first-round choices for veteran stars at a time when conventional wisdom held that, with the rookie-wage scale in place after the 2011 CBA, draft capital was king. The Rams didn’t use a first-round pick from 2017 to ’23, but ranked sixth in winning percentage (.609) and third in playoff victories over that span.
The aggressive strategy seemed to catch up to the Rams in 2022, when injuries ravaged a veteran roster that also lacked depth. But McVay led them back to the postseason in 2023.
“I think it’s pretty cool how they sold out to win a Super Bowl,” a head coach said, “and then they refurbished pretty quickly.”
Total points: 33 (appeared on 9 ballots)
Owners: Terry and Kim Pegula
General manager: Brandon Beane
Head coach: Sean McDermott
Beane arrived from the Carolina Panthers in 2017 and, with McDermott, has morphed the Bills into a perennial contender. He traded up to draft quarterback Josh Allen in 2018, built up the roster around him and gave Allen the resources and time to develop from an unpolished QB into one of the league’s best players.
“Beane is the best GM in the NFL,” one executive said, adding he “understands people and culture.”
After three consecutive losses in the divisional round, Beane and the Bills traded wide receiver Stephon Diggs and moved on from aging, expensive defensive stalwarts. The early returns appear positive for the 3-0 Bills.
“I think Beane is a top-five GM,” said a general manager. “He is super smart, number one. It’s never about him. If you look at the drafting and free agents they have signed, how patient they have been with the head coach, got the quarterback right — that was a 50/50 deal. I’m a big fan of him. I’m a big fan of his coach. He’s got all the right stuff, in a tough market, by the way. This is not a place free agents are clamoring to go to.”
Total points: 19 (1 first-place vote, appeared on 4 ballots)
Owner: Art Rooney II
General manager: Omar Khan
Head coach: Mike Tomlin
The Steelers’ 2022 transition from longtime GM Kevin Colbert to Khan, who has been with the franchise since 2001, marks the most significant recent change for one of the NFL’s most stable organizations.
Mike Tomlin is the longest-tenured coach in the league and one of only three Steelers head coaches since 1969. He’s never had a losing season.
“They are old-school,” an executive said. “They have been in the same defensive system forever, and they are really good at finding players who fit it.”
If there’s a critique, the Steelers have been searching for a long-term quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger began to decline. But with a top-10 scoring defense four times in five years since Roethlisberger retired, they’ve managed to stay in the AFC North race annually despite uncertainty under center.
Others receiving votes
Only two other teams — the Houston Texans and Cleveland Browns — received multiple top-five votes from our panelists. The Dallas Cowboys appeared on one ballot, receiving a first-place vote. Six other teams received a single vote.
(Top illustration of Howie Roseman, John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan, Brett Veach: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; Mitchell Leff, Michael Zagaris / San Francisco 49ers, David Eulitt / Getty Images)
All your favorite characters are competing for the same NBA award once again.
Nikola Jokić is the MVP favorite. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander follows him up. Two-time winner Giannis Antetokounmpo is on their tails, as are Jayson Tatum and Luka Dončić. Those five made up First Team All-NBA last season. Now, they make up the quintet atop the 2024-25 MVP race.
Christmas isn’t just Santa’s day. It’s also the marker of when NBA talk reaches the public sphere, which means it’s time to discuss the battles for the league’s most prestigious awards.
For MVP, the fight isn’t so bloody. Jokić is the obvious No. 1 today. He’s three-tenths of an assist away from averaging a triple-double; the advanced metrics (which have always painted him as a higher being) are greater than ever; and the shooting splits are out of a video game. On top of it all, he’s nailing a league-leading 51 percent of his 3-pointers.
If the season ended today, a fourth Jokić MVP would be on the way. Of course, there are still more than four months to go.
It’s difficult to infuse a team’s record into any reasonable candidate’s argument right now. Jokić’s Denver Nuggets provide the perfect example.
Denver is 16-11, fifth in the Western Conference. It is only two back of second place in the loss column. Yet, it’s only two up of ninth place in the loss column.
One bad week, and the Nuggets are in the bottom half of the Play-In Tournament, which would bump Jokić down a slot or two. It’s difficult to dub someone MVP if his team isn’t in the playoffs, even if Jokić somehow breaks mathematics as we know them and starts shooting 107 percent from the field.
Gilgeous-Alexander could become the favorite to win his first MVP in that case. His Oklahoma City Thunder are atop the Western Conference, and he’s the leading reason. Or maybe the Milwaukee Bucks go on a run, which inspires a third trophy for Antetokounmpo. Neither Tatum nor Dončić is out of the race, either.
As of today, my ballot would include those five. Let’s go with:
- Nikola Jokić
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- Giannis Antetokounmpo
- Jayson Tatum
- Luka Dončić
But the MVP race is not done — nor are others.
The NBA is littered with interesting awards races so far this season. Here are four more of them:
Who finishes second and third in Defensive Player of the Year?
Just look at how the Philadelphia 76ers ended the first quarter Monday night.
All they wanted to do was get up a shot, any shot, before the buzzer sounded. Their only strategy was to pray. That was not enough.
Kyle Lowry rose for a fadeaway jumper with seemingly no one around him, but the San Antonio Spurs employ one man whose arms appear twice the width of the court. That man swatted Lowry, then trailed Caleb Martin, who recovered the loose ball, and knocked Martin’s shot out of bounds at the buzzer.
We don’t need to call any award race over yet, especially because players must participate in at least 65 games to be eligible for most of them, but there is an obvious leader in Defensive Player of the Year. If Victor Wembanyama is on the court, you don’t score on the Spurs. He has 18 blocks over his past two games alone. He’s pacing to become the first player to average four rejections a game since Dikembe Mutombo in 1995-96 — and keep in mind, it was far easier to block shots then, considering how many more were inside the 3-point arc. The Spurs defense is more than 10 points per 100 possessions better when Wembanyama is on the court.
He is the world’s greatest defender right now. But who could follow him on the ballot?
Could there be an all-French top two? Rudy Gobert, the four-time winner of this award, has still helped the Minnesota Timberwolves to sixth in points allowed per possession, despite holes elsewhere on the roster. Opponents stop attacking the paint whenever Gobert is around. His team allows 8.3 percent fewer shots at the rim when he’s on the court, the largest differential for any player in the NBA, according to Cleaning the Glass. Almost all of those layups turn into midrange jumpers, not 3s.
Could it be Bam Adebayo, who has a similar effect on the Miami Heat’s opponent shot profile? Could Jaren Jackson Jr. contend for a second Defensive Player of the Year? Could Evan Mobley re-enter the conversation he was in a couple of years ago, when he finished second? The Cleveland Cavaliers own the best record in the league, and opponents are shooting 9.3 percentage points worse at the rim when Mobley is on the court, by far the largest differential in the NBA.
Could a perimeter player vault to the spot behind Wembanyama? Defensive Player of the Year is usually reserved for big men, but Dyson Daniels might have something to say about that. Daniels is getting steals on 4.4 percent of his possessions, the highest steal rate for any player since Tony Allen in 2010-11. He has 72 more deflections than De’Aaron Fox, who is second in the league. For reference, that’s the same difference as the one between Fox and 147th place. Daniels isn’t just a gambler. He’s a pest on the ball. Dribblers can’t jolt past him. As long as he keeps performing like this, he’s a lock for All-Defense, but he has two main knocks against him.
First, a perimeter player can’t affect team defense like a big man can. And second (which may just be further proof of the previous point), the Hawks are actually better defensively with Daniels off the court. And that’s not just because Daniels plays many of his minutes alongside the defensively challenged Trae Young. When Daniels is on the court and Young is off, the Hawks defense is a sieve.
If not Daniels, does OG Anunoby, an off-ball maestro who can cut off an entire side of the court, have a case to slide onto the ballot? How about Amen Thompson, who comes off the bench in Houston but still inspires fury among opposing starters like few others? The Rockets may be the NBA’s most-physical team defending the perimeter. No one there is better in that aspect than Thompson.
Ballot, as of today:
1. Victor Wembanyama
2. Dyson Daniels
3. Evan Mobley
What is a most improved player?
Franz Wagner was the obvious choice here, but an oblique injury will likely make him ineligible to win. And because of that, debating who is the most improved will say more about the debaters than it will about the candidates.
Is a vast improvement in shot-making the way to determine the victor? If so, the LA Clippers’ Norman Powell is the current favorite, but it’s still early enough and Powell’s scoring numbers (24.1 points per game and 47 percent 3-point shooting on 8.1 attempts a night) are so through the roof that there must be some regression on the way — though it’s not like Powell is putting up empty numbers. The Clippers are winning more than anyone could have expected, and their offense is more than 10 points per 100 possessions better with Powell on the court, according to Cleaning the Glass.
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Payton Pritchard has a case. He’s nearly doubled his 3-point volume, is sinking a higher percentage than ever, is the planet’s sneakiest offensive rebounder and has gone from cutesie, full-court-shot specialist to Sixth Man of the Year leader.
De’Andre Hunter is another player who’s hitting jumpers like never before, though he’s developed in other ways, too. He’s getting to the line more than ever. Hunter used to avoid contact. Now he finishes through it, a big sticking point for Hawks head coach Quin Snyder.
Yet, there are other types of improvement to deliberate.
Another Hawk, Jalen Johnson, should be on the list. Atlanta has handed more opportunities to Johnson this season, who is a better facilitator than ever. He’s never created his own shot this much and has never set up teammates like this. The Hawks offense is not just the Young show anymore. And Johnson is putting up the counting stats we normally associate with winners of this award: 19.4 points, 10.1 rebounds and 5.6 assists. He might be an All-Star this season.
RJ Barrett’s passing is worth a mention. Barrett has gone from looking for his shot first, second and third to learning how to change speeds in pick-and-rolls. He loves flinging cross-court zingers to shooters while leading the break. He had never posted a double-digit assist game coming into this season. He’s already done it five times in 2024-25. His assist rate right now is twice his career average.
Some other players who could sneak onto the list include Cade Cunningham (who is running an offense better than ever and should be an All-Star), Daniels (because of the defensive leap), Mobley (who is handling the ball more than ever in Cleveland) and Nikola Vučević (whose percentages put prime Dirk Nowitzki to shame and must be bound to come down but for now force his entry onto this list).
Ballot, as of today:
1. Jalen Johnson
2. Norman Powell
3. RJ Barrett
Who lands the final spot on the Rookie of the Year ballot?
As with M.I.P., one player had first place virtually locked up, and then that player (in this case, the 76ers’ Jared McCain) got hurt. Now, the race for Rookie of the Year has all the vibes of the one from 2017, when second-round pick Malcolm Brogdon won.
This season’s Brogdon is the Grizzlies’ Jaylen Wells, a fellow second-rounder who is starting for a top-three team in the West and has been highly efficient in the process. The Pelicans’ Yves Missi is doing his best to make something of a lost season in New Orleans. Tune into the Pels each month and Missi, a ferocious finisher and top-flight athlete, is doing something new a bit better.
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As with M.I.P., your third-place choice might say more about you than it does about the candidates.
The Spurs’ Stephon Castle has started for a winning team and is already a feisty defender, but the shooting isn’t up to snuff yet. The Grizzlies’ Zach Edey has missed some time and isn’t playing loads of minutes but is a scoring machine already. The Hawks’ Zaccharie Risacher cannot make a shot but is one of a few long defenders Atlanta has lining its wings. The Trail Blazers’ Donovan Clingan isn’t playing much but would own the NBA’s second-highest block rate (behind only Wembanyama) if he qualified for the league leaders. The Lakers’ Dalton Knecht isn’t connecting lately but has started occasionally for a winning team and is liable to catch fire at any point.
The candidates are underwhelming. But you have to choose three.
Ballot, as of today:
1. Jaylen Wells
2. Yves Missi
3. Stephon Castle
The Coach of the Year race
There isn’t a coach with a more difficult job this season than the Spurs’ Mitch Johnson, who had to take over a young team that hasn’t finished above .500 in six years after Gregg Popovich suffered a stroke. Yet, as the Spurs await Popovich’s return, they are 15-14. Just about every player is performing at his capabilities.
And yet, it doesn’t matter when it comes to awards.
Toss Johnson’s résumé into the same bin that held Luke Walton’s in 2016, when the Golden State Warriors went 39-4 after Walton took over temporarily for head coach Steve Kerr, who could not patrol the sidelines during that time because of a back injury. Johnson is not officially the head coach of the Spurs and thus is not eligible for Coach of the Year.
But even without him, there are too many qualified candidates to choose from. At least six coaches could justify first-place votes.
Kenny Atkinson took over a team that underwhelmed a season ago and has helped it to the best record in the NBA. The Cavs are 26-4.
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Jamahl Mosley’s Magic have suffered injury after injury. Paolo Banchero, the team’s sole All-Star, has played five games all season. Now, both Wagners (Franz and Moe) are out. Yet, Orlando’s identity is distinct. Battle the Magic and, win or lose, you will leave the arena with a sore back, neck, shoulder, knee — you name it. Most importantly, they’re winning: 19-12, fourth in the East.
Taylor Jenkins has transformed the 20-10 Grizzlies. If you think NBA teams all play the same style nowadays, check out Memphis. Jenkins and assistant Noah LaRoche have implemented an offense based around quirky cutting, stuff few others around the league are running. The Grizzlies use an extended rotation and don’t run their guys for many minutes. No one averages more than 28. It’s working. Memphis is a contender.
After Paul George left in free agency and without Kawhi Leonard even playing a game yet, the Clippers should not be this good, sitting at 17-13 as they await the return of Leonard. They guard like maniacs. Such is the beauty of employing Ty Lue, who has somehow never won this award.
Ime Udoka has the most typical case. The Rockets are the NBA’s surprise team. Their identity could not have adjusted more from its one before Udoka arrived in town. Houston tosses hound after hound at its opponents. It plays as hard as any team in the league. It’s disciplined. No one wants to face the Rockets, who are young, yet are second in the league in points allowed per possession.
Let’s throw reigning Coach of the Year Mark Daigneault into the mix, too. The Thunder are in the process of running away with the West despite a significant injury to rising star Chet Holmgren.
Voters could justify including the Heat’s Erik Spoelstra whenever they want. The New York Knicks’ Tom Thibodeau helped a renovated, offense-first roster to a 19-10 record. Michael Malone is navigating injuries aplenty and the loss of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope out West.
This is unquestionably the most gut-wrenching ballot to fill out right now.
Ballot, as of today:
1. Kenny Atkinson
2. Ime Udoka
3. Jamahl Mosley
(Top photo of Jaylen Wells: Justin Ford / Getty Images)
The NFL is giving fans a present on Christmas, with two high-profile matchups between AFC contenders with a lot of playoff implications.
The Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers play at 1 p.m. ET, and the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans play at 4:30 p.m. ET, with both games streaming exclusively on Netflix.
After many had streaming issues during the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson fight in November, Netflix is under a lot of pressure to ensure their viewers don’t have any issues watching the games.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is introduced prior to a game against the Houston Texans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. (Denny Medley-Imagn Images)
One Netflix subscriber even filed a lawsuit against Netflix for “breach of contract” because of constant glitches during the fight, per TMZ.
This will be the first time an NFL game has been streamed exclusively on Netflix, and no matter how the viewing experience is for fans on Wednesday, it won’t be the last game they see on the streaming service.
The NFL and Netflix announced in May that they agreed to a three-year deal where the streaming service will broadcast at least one Christmas Day game over the life of the deal.
Brandon Riegg, Netflix’s vice president of nonfiction series and sports, said the company learned from what went wrong in the Tyson-Paul fight.
“The sheer tonnage of people that came to watch was incredible. And for all the testing that the engineering team had done ahead of that, and I think they’re the best in the business, the only way to test something of that magnitude is to have something of that magnitude,” Riegg said.
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Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson takes the field against the Cleveland Browns at Acrisure Stadium. (Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images)
“We never want to have technical issues or a disappointing experience for our members. There was a subset of people that were watching that struggled with that and we acknowledge that. The good news is they stress-tested the system to such a degree that there’s a lot of these fixes and improvements that they realized that they could make, and they’re applying all that stuff.”
Netflix’s first test will be a showdown between the Chiefs (14-1) and Steelers (10-5).
The Chiefs have already secured their ninth consecutive AFC West title and are now playing for the No. 1 seed in the AFC, which would grant them the all-important bye week.
If the Chiefs were to win on Wednesday, they would have the No. 1 seed locked up before Week 18, giving head coach Andy Reid a chance to rest his starters during the final week of the regular season.
The Chiefs are coming off a 27-19 win over the Texans on Saturday, where quarterback Patrick Mahomes played well. The star quarterback threw for 260 yards and a touchdown, while rushing for 33 yards and a touchdown despite playing through an ankle sprain.
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Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens breaks through the Bengals defense for a touchdown reception at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Dec. 1, 2024. (IMAGN)
The Steelers, on the other hand, are coming off a tough 34-17 loss against their arch-rival Ravens on Saturday.
It looked like the Steelers were going to have a chance to come back after safety Minkah Fitzpatrick intercepted Lamar Jackson down 24-17 in the fourth quarter.
However, Ravens’ cornerback Marlon Humphrey thwarted any chance of a Steelers’ comeback with a Pick Six off Russell Wilson on the ensuing drive, putting the Ravens up 31-17 and effectively sealing the win.
The Steelers’ defense had a tough time handling running back Derrick Henry, who ran the ball 24 times for 162 yards in the win for Baltimore.
For the Steelers, their game against the Chiefs is crucial to winning the AFC North. Pittsburgh has already clinched a playoff spot, but their loss on Saturday was a big blow to their chances of winning the division, as the Ravens are also 10-5.
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Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey returns an interception for a touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium. (Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images)
Some good news for the Steelers is that wide receiver George Pickens has a “real chance” to play against the Chiefs, coach Mike Tomlin said on Sunday.
Pickens has missed the last three games, and he’s been sorely missed. In the three games without Pickens, the Steelers are averaging just 248.3 yards per game, almost 77 yards less than their season average of 324.9.
As big a blow as the loss was for the Steelers on Saturday, the Ravens win over Pittsburgh was just as big a boost for them.
The Ravens played well on Saturday, outgaining the Steelers 418-315 in terms of yards, with 220 of those yards coming on the ground.
Jackson threw three touchdowns in the win, and will have a chance to make his MVP case with the whole world watching on Wednesday.
The Ravens quarterback is having another fantastic year, as Jackson and Bills’ quarterback Josh Allen are considered the two favorites for the award.
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Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson throws against the Pittsburgh Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium. (Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images)
A win for the Ravens on Christmas would go a long way in their race against the Steelers for the AFC North crown.
The Ravens (10-5) are taking on the Texans (9-6) in the second part of the NFL’s Christmas doubleheader on Netflix.
They are taking on a Texans team that just lost to the Chiefs. In addition to the loss, the Texans also lost second-year wide receiver Tank Dell for the season after he suffered a gruesome leg injury while catching a touchdown in the loss.
The Texans also lost wide receiver Stefon Diggs for the season after the star receiver tore his ACL, leaving what was once a strong wide receiving corps now thin.
A win over the Ravens on Christmas for the Texans would not only clinch them a playoff spot, but also the AFC South title and a home playoff game.
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud scrambles against Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Drue Tranquill at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. (Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images)
The Texans-Ravens matchup will also come with a special halftime performance by Beyoncé.
All four of the teams playing on Wednesday are playing their third game in 11 days.
With so many playoff implications, and a big halftime performance, Netflix will be under a lot of pressure from NFL fans and the “BeyHive” to make sure things go off without a hitch.
Fox News’ Jackson Thompson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Santa Anita Park is opening its 90th season Thursday filled with the kind of cautious optimism that is common in most sports. Make no mistake, this is a big — some might say make-or-break — year for the storied Arcadia track that many consider the most beautiful horse racing facility in the United States.
The track is fighting for its future, struggling to get a foothold in a national racing landscape that is supported by supplemental gaming income. But not in California, at least not now.
This opening day has something the track hasn’t had in a while — the reigning Kentucky Derby champion. running . You have to go back to 1997 when Derby winner Silver Charm ran in the Malibu Stakes after winning the first two legs of the Triple Crown before finishing second in the Belmont. The difference? He was based at Santa Anita.
No doubt about it, Mystik Dan, winner of this year’s Derby, is the centerpiece for what is possibly the best day of racing during the almost six-month season. He’ll be going in the seven-furlong Grade 1 Malibu Stakes, one of six graded stakes on the 11-race card.
Getting Mystik Dan and trainer Kenny McPeek to commit to the race was a lot easier then actually getting the horse to Santa Anita.
Among racing’s many problems is that there are no dedicated air shipping companies that make moving horses around the country easy. Racing uses FedEx — yes that FedEx — which suspends horse shipping in early December so it can more easily move holiday packages.
“The logistics were complicated,” McPeek said. “The last and only plane was going out of Florida on Dec. 9 and we are based in New Orleans. We would have had to ship him to Miami and then Miami to L.A. We didn’t want to go that early and we weren’t committed to the race yet.
“I needed to get a gate workout out of him and needed to make sure he was good and in a routine.”
All of that worked out just fine, and Mystik Dan was headed to California with Santa Anita picking up the shipping costs.
Those who travel during the holidays are used to long trips, but only the hardiest would try a 1,900-mile van ride. Yet that’s how it worked out.
Assistant trainer Dermot Magner and Greg Morehead, director of operations for McPeek, took turns doing the driving for the first two days with a stopover at Zia Park in Hobbs, N.M.
“He got a good night’s rest and then vanned the rest of the way the next day,” McPeek said, making sure to thank officials at Zia Park for their hospitality. “He’s a good traveler. It was easy. He had plenty of room to lay down if he wanted. He could eat, we had buckets and tubs [of food] in there. There was plenty of space. It was uneventful.”
Mystik Dan settled into Barn 54 at Santa Anita last Wednesday and on Sunday the colt did a three-furlong speed workout to ready him for the race. Barn 54 also is occupied by trainer Karen Headley. Her father, the late Bruce Headley, and McPeek were longtime friends and Headley’s barn is where McPeek would stable his horses when running in California.
The Malibu Stakes is an odd choice for the Kentucky Derby winner because of the low purse amount of $300,000, the minimum required for a Grade 1 race.
McPeek is looking at the long game.
“It’s the last Grade 1, 3-year-old race of the year,” McPeek said. “I think as a stallion prospect, a lot of people who breed want to see the horse be a fast sprinter. We’re pretty confident he has that kind of talent. He broke his maiden gong 5½ [furlongs] and he’s perfectly capable of sprinting. It takes a very good horse to do this. I think it’s a good opportunity to prove that he can.”
Mystik Dan hasn’t raced since the Belmont Stakes, the third Triple Crown races in five weeks. He won the Derby in a blanket finish by a nose then came back two weeks later to finish second behind Seize the Grey in the Preakness. Mystik Dan then finished eighth in the Belmont.
“He campaigned pretty steady for almost a year,” McPeek said. “Coming out of the Belmont, Brian [Hernandez Jr., jockey] didn’t think he liked Saratoga’s surface. So, we only had the Travers [at Saratoga] and Pennsylvania Derby to point to. So, I thought let’s give him a break and let him fill out. We’ll regroup and point him to later in the year.”
Mystik Dan has had nine timed workouts since returning to the track.
“I fully expect him to win,” McPeek said. “Absolutely he’s ready to run. He’s had a nice series of breezes. He’s been on a steady routine. He hasn’t missed a step. The hardest part of this trip was getting him there.”
Jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. gets a high-five from trainer Kenny McPeek while aboard Mystik Dan in the Kentucky Derby Winner’s Circle.
(Jeff Roberson / Associated Press)
Crazy as it sounds, Mystik Dan is not the most celebrated 3-year-old in McPeek’s barn. He also has Thorpedo Anna, a filly who won six of seven races this year including the Kentucky Oaks and Breeders’ Cup Distaff. She is a lock to win the Eclipse Award for best 3-year-old filly and certainly has the résumé to win horse of the year.
Mystik Dan, if he wins the Malibu, is likely to make the final three for the Eclipse for 3-year-old male, although Fierceness is the favorite.
There is another Eclipse candidate in the McPeek barn and that is the trainer. The favorite for the award is Chad Brown, who has put up impressive numbers. But McPeek did something that hasn’t been done since 1952, winning the Kentucky Oaks for fillies and the Kentucky Derby on consecutive days.
“It would be a pleasant surprise,” McPeek said. “I certainly don’t have Chad Brown’s depth of talent and quality. What I’m most proud of is we don’t have million-dollar yearlings floating around all the time. We’ve been doing it with working-class horses. Thorpedo Anna was 40 grand and Mystik Dan was a homebred that I actually did the mating on.
“I do a lot of picking my own yearlings and I’m really proud we’ve been able to compete at the highest level.”
Bill Finley, a respected columnist for the Thoroughbred Daily News, even made the case for McPeek to win the Eclipse for top trainer. (The Times does not vote in the Eclipse Awards.)
“While he’ll never equal Brown’s numbers, McPeek had a year that was truly special, one that captivated the sport and reminded us there is more to this than raw numbers,” Finley wrote. “McPeek made every right move, many of which were ‘good for the game.’”
In a sport that retires its stars instead of running them, McPeek is very much looking forward to Mystik Dan’s 4-year-old campaign. The first possibility for Mystik Dan, providing everything works out well in the Malibu, is the Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream, at $3 million the second-richest race in the U.S. behind only the Breeders’ Cup. But that’s chump change, if such a thing can be said of seven-figure purses, compared to the $20-million Saudi Cup and $12-million Dubai World Cup.
“We’re going to consider the Pegasus and the Middle East,” McPeek said. “We’ll let him tell us. He’s not run against older horses yet. We’ll wait and see.”
Mystik Dan’s racing career will end before McPeek’s training career. In fact, McPeek, 62, has a timetable.
“I’ve said all along, I’ll do this until I’m 70 or 72,” he said. “Maybe 10 more years. It’ll be 50 years of training if I do it until I’m 72.”
As for his bucket list before retirement, it’s extensive, with a strong international flavor.
“I’d like to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic, the Dubai World Cup, the Saudi Cup, the Arc de Triomphe, the English (Epsom) Derby and the English Oaks,” he said with a chuckle.
But if he had to pick one?
“I really do want to win the English Derby. I’ll do that before I retire.”
For now, he’ll be happy with a win Thursday.
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