New England Patriots
Might the Patriots’ turnaround season finish with a visit to Tremendous Bowl LX in February?
It was one other eventful 12 months in Boston sports activities in 2025 — headlined by the Patriots’ miraculous turnaround, Jayson Tatum’s devastating damage, Roman Anthony’s arrival, and Brad Marchand’s exit.
So what’s in retailer for 2026? Right here’s a have a look at a few of our daring predictions for 2026.
Drake Maye wins NFL MVP
Unsure how “daring” this take is anymore, especially given the recent odds.
Nonetheless, it’s an achievement in and of itself that Drake Maye — who entered the season as a promising teenager with loads of room to develop — might be properly in line to grow to be the seventh second-year professional to win league NFL, becoming a member of elite firm that features Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Kurt Warner, Dan Marino, Earl Campbell, and Jim Brown.
After placing a neat bow on his breakout marketing campaign with a three-TD night towards the Dolphins on Sunday, Drake “Drake Maye” Maye takes house the honors later this winter — narrowly beating out Matthew Stafford.
Jayson Tatum returns to parquet ground in March
As Jayson Tatum crumpled to the hardwood at Madison Sq. Backyard in Could, Celtics followers anticipated the worst.
These fears have been realized when Tatum was quickly diagnosed with a ruptured Achilles tendon — mapping out a state of affairs the place a contending Celtics crew was set to mire in purgatory as Tatum spent the complete 2025-26 marketing campaign on the mend.
A lot for that.
Whereas an overhauled Celtics crew — spearheaded by Jaylen Brown — have exceeded expectations in a wide-open Japanese Convention in 2025-26, Boston will obtain one other enhance in March when Tatum makes his return to the court docket at TD Backyard on Sunday, March 1 towards the 76ers.
As anticipated, Tatum goes to have loads of rust to shake off this spring. Nonetheless, it’s a terrific signal for the way forward for this Celtics crew that their franchise star will already be again on the court docket this season, and may have a full invoice of well being come 2026-27.
Alex Bregman walks, however Purple Sox pivot
After clearing out a spot at third base for Alex Bregman final February — sparking a drama-filled couple of months with Rafael Devers that resulted in his commerce to the Bay Space — the Purple Sox finally don’t retain their veteran third baseman this offseason.
Bregman finally indicators a six-year, $180 million contract with the Detroit Tigers, however the Purple Sox pivot — inking Bo Bichette to a five-year, $165 million deal as a substitute.
By signing Bichette to play at second, the Purple Sox keep away from having to cough up a number of blue-chip prospects to amass star second baseman Ketel Marte — with Marcelo Mayer finally changing Bregman on the sizzling nook.
Bruins promote once more at commerce deadline
Marco Sturm and the Boston Bruins have largely punched above their weight this season as a stingy, scrappy membership that has hovered across the playoff image.
It wouldn’t come as a lot of a shock if the Bruins proceed to function a number of factors across the wild-card threshold within the Japanese Convention, particularly if their prime stars like David Pastrnak and Jeremy Swayman — and a potent energy play — preserve touchdown punches.
However with so many groups bunched up within the Japanese Convention standings, the Bruins — who’ve already seen the fruits of final 12 months’s sell-off pay dividends — choose to make the most of a vendor’s market as soon as once more and determine to maneuver items once more at March’s commerce deadline.
It received’t be as extreme as final 12 months’s firesale that includes the likes of Brad Marchand, Charlie Coyle, Brandon Carlo, and others. However, pending free brokers like Viktor Arvidsson and Andrew Peeke might be on the transfer, whereas a top-six ahead with time period in Casey Mittelstadt may additionally fetch a stable return.
The largest query for the Bruins is whether or not or to not entertain provides on Pavel Zacha, a participant who may internet a major haul again — however may conceivably be a long-term contributor for this crew alongside different ancillary items like Morgan Geekie and Nikita Zadorov.
Purple Sox commerce Jarren Duran
One thing’s received to offer with the Purple Sox’s logjam of their outfield.
Positive, the Purple Sox may conceivable attempt to rotate one in all Roman Anthony, Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Wilyer Abreu by way of the DH spot in 2026, however the writing is on the wall that Boston must make a name on one in all these gamers this winter — particularly if they are often flipped for a powerful return.
After months of hypothesis, the Purple Sox finally get a deal throughout with the Royals — sending Duran and Jake Bennett to Kansas Metropolis in change for southpaw Cole Ragans.
Invoice Belichick leaves UNC … to teach the Payments
After a disastrous first season in Chapel Hill marred by petty pictures on the Patriots, distractions courtesy of Jordon Hudson, and — most significantly to the boosters — 4 whole wins, Invoice Belichick is already working on skinny ice.
Fortunately for Belichick, Mike Lombardi, and the remainder of his crew, they obtain a bailout courtesy of the Buffalo Payments — who fireplace Sean McDermott after one other disappointing playoff run that ends with Josh Allen and Co. falling to New England within the postseason.
The case may be made that Belichick’s days as an elite soccer coach are properly behind him. However a determined Payments trying to profit from Allen’s prime and counter New England choose to offer Belichick yet one more shot within the teaching ranks.
It makes for unbelievable theater within the AFC East.
The Bruins have two top-10 picks in 2026 NHL Draft
Very similar to the Islanders final season, the Bruins — who miss the playoffs as soon as once more however don’t plummet to the underside of the standings — obtain some luck from the draft lottery.
Boston’s personal first-round choose finally ends up at No. 5 general, whereas Toronto’s first-round choice (acquired within the Brandon Carlo commerce) is retained by the Bruins at No. 8 general.
No, the Bruins don’t win the Gavin McKenna sweepstakes. However, an already burgeoning Bruins prospect pipeline receives one other main elevate after Boston takes dynamic right-shot defenseman Chase Reid at No. 5 general and 6-foot-5 winger Ethan Belchetz at No. 8.
Garrett Crochet wins Cy Younger Award
Purple Sox followers are nonetheless wanting extra from their crew this offseason, particularly after the membership punched its ticket again to the postseason for a short stint within the Wild Card spherical in October.
Boston nonetheless has loads of work to do as a way to construct off the promise of final season. However, the Purple Sox are not less than anchored by a number of skills throughout a number of positions — together with Roman Anthony and Garrett Crochet.
Whereas Anthony closes out his first full season within the massive leagues ending sixth general in AL MVP voting, it’s Crochet who takes house some {hardware} along with his first AL Cy Younger Award — going 19-6 with a 2.26 ERA and a league-leading 267 strikeouts.
Behind Crochet and Ragans, the Purple Sox make all of it the way in which to the ALCS — however an absence of pop within the coronary heart of the lineup as soon as once more dooms Boston as they fall to the Mariners and their loaded pitching workers. Elsewhere, Pete Alonso slugs 46 house runs for the Orioles.
Celtics shed wage on the commerce deadline
As tempting because it may be for the Celtics to try to purchase on the commerce deadline to additional assist an overachieving crew, it appears reasonably evident that Brad Stevens and his workers ought to put extra of an emphasis on 2026-27 — the place a wholesome Tatum and Brown must be primed to steer Boston again atop the Japanese Convention.
As such, Stevens and Co. determine to shed wage on the commerce deadline as a substitute of including on items, transferring Anfernee Simons and his $27.6 million expiring contract. With Boston presently about $12 million over the posh tax, transferring Simons would give Boston a bit extra flexibility this offseason — even when a number of repeater tax penalties will nonetheless be a thorn within the facet of this membership.
The Celtics finally fall within the second spherical of the playoffs for the second 12 months in a row, however followers have much more to look ahead to in 2026-27 as Stevens and his workers attempt to rework a wholesome roster that instantly has an inflow of reasonably priced, efficient wings like Jordan Walsh and Hugo Gonzalez.
David Pastrnak is called Bruins captain
Forward of the 2026-27 season, David Pastrnak is called the twenty eighth captain in Bruins historical past, with the Czech celebrity ahead tasked with ushering in an inflow of prime expertise within the subsequent few seasons.
His first recreation as captain begins off with a bang, as Pastrnak opens the brand new 12 months with a hat trick — all three tallies generated off saucer feeds from new linemate James Hagens.
Patriots go to Tremendous Bowl LX
A lot for a rebuilding 12 months in New England.
Sparked by Maye’s MVP marketing campaign and a crew absolutely bought-in to Mike Vrabel’s teaching, the Patriots’ Cinderella run goes all the way in which to the Bay Space — the place New England takes on the Seattle Seahawks in Tremendous Bowl LX.
Seattle finally doles out revenge for Tremendous Bowl XLIX by profitable a nail-biter at Levi’s Stadium. Regardless of that heartbreak, the long run is vivid in Foxborough as a brand new rivalry window opens sooner than anybody may have imagined.
Patriots commerce for AJ Brown
After years of hypothesis, the Patriots lastly get their man in Eagles star receiver AJ Brown.
After years of discontent in Philly, the Eagles finally transfer a disgruntled Brown to the Patriots for a second-round choose earlier than the 2026 NFL Draft.
Brown — a longtime Patriots fan rising up who performed for Mike Vrabel in Tennessee — offers Drake Maye one other prime weapon to work with in 2026 and past.
It’s the beginning of an aggressive offseason for New England, who additionally add Georgia LB CJ Allen with their first-round choose and signal tight finish Isaiah Doubtless and edge rusher Jaelan Phillips.
The Patriots are now not underdogs in 2026, however they’re poised to orchestrate a revenge tour on the street again to Tremendous Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium.
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