This is the editorial version of the CBS Sports HQ AM Newsletter, your ultimate guide to sports every day. Sign up here to receive an email in your inbox every weekday morning.
🏈 5 things you need to know on Friday
- Here is the 2026 NFL schedule. The official release of the football schedule is always a little nerve-wracking due to the leaks that precede it, but the excitement builds after the league completes all 272 games. The season begins with a Super Bowl rematch between the two teams. seahawks and patriots And then there are the 18 weeks, with countless high-profile games and some “firsts” like the NFL’s first game in Australia. One of our favorite games is the Bears-Lions matchup on Thanksgiving, which airs on CBS.
- There are seven teams at the top of the PGA Championship leaderboard. What is the biggest name in the group? Scotty Schefflerhe made a statement and joined one of the amazing co-leaders through 18 holes at Aronimink Golf Club. you won’t find it Rory McIlroy He shot a 74 and was near the top after the first round was ruled an “s—“. Also missing from the upper echelons are: bryson dechambeau After scoring a 76 in an even more disastrous round. Here are the brackets and schedule for Friday’s Round 2: Also, be sure to follow us for live updates throughout the day’s activities.
- Kris Knoblausch is stepping down as Oilers coach. How quickly things change! Knoblauch led Edmonton to the Stanley Cup Final in his first two seasons, but the Oilers announced his firing on Thursday after a disappointing third season, losing to Knoblauch in the first round. duck. But Edmonton’s problems probably run deeper than the coaching staff, with the general manager Stan Bowman A series of costly roster moves has drawn scrutiny.
- Madonna, Shakira and BTS will headline the World Cup halftime show. Everything about the 2026 World Cup is bigger than usual, from the geography to the tournament to the halftime show. Three legendary artists bring three different flavors in a performance curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin. Our own James Benge (a well-known opponent of the idea of a World Cup halftime show) scored the line-up for the three acts.
- The NBA conference semifinals conclude this weekend. of cavaliers and spurs They will advance with a win tonight, but if a seventh game is needed to decide either series, those finals will be played on Sunday. of knicks and thunder Wait for the winner of each match. Who would you like to see in New York: Cavaliers and piston?We analyzed possible matchup scenarios in the Eastern Conference Finals.
📅 Don’t miss this: NFL Schedule Essentials
Getty Images
Before we decide which teams have the toughest schedules, which teams have the most favorable schedules, which games are causing the biggest headaches for schedulers, and which social media departments enjoyed schedule release videos the most, let’s check out the latest updates on the games themselves. We’ve compiled every team, network, and day of the week schedule into a few articles that are easier to understand than a 272-game grid.
Let’s move on to analysis.
One downside to competing in the Super Bowl is a tough schedule next year. The Patriots learned that the hard way. The first four games will be the toughest season opener since 1986, and will be the first team since 2019 to start the season by playing three division champions in back-to-back games. That’s why New England is the biggest loser in terms of strength of schedule.
Creating a schedule is a thankless task, as there will always be teams that have a tougher draw than others. Han Schroeder, NFL vice president of media distribution, spoke with Jonathan Jones about the challenges of building the matrix and revealed some of this year’s peculiarities.
Finally, it wouldn’t be a scheduled release date without a few laughs. The social media departments of NFL teams are living on the occasion and delivering results year after year. We’ve ranked the 10 most creative schedule release videos. charger “Halo” theme rams He plays a sweet spin on the intro to “Napoleon Dynamite.”
⚾ Kevin McGonigle tops this month’s MLB rookie rankings
Getty Images
Two months into their major league careers, the rookies are already looking like stars after performing at the highest level. Subsequent swing-and-miss concerns Munetaka Murakami The home runs from Japan are nothing compared to the 15 home runs he hit in his first 42 games. Parker Messick Incredibly, he maintained a WHIP under 1.00 in 53.2 innings with 58 strikeouts.
Neither was that impressive Kevin McGonigleBut. of tigers The shortstop is our new favorite rookie, moving up seven spots from the first batch of rankings just over a month ago. Our Dane Perry laid out McGonigle’s resume.
- Perry: “The youngest player on our list is in his 41st major league career and boasts a slash line of .301/.409/.444 with 26 walks and 22 strikeouts. Does he need more? He’s 7-for-7 with seven stolen bases, gets on base an impressive 62 percent of the time, and hasn’t hit a double play yet.”
Here are the new top five in the MLB Rookie Rankings.
- Kevin McGonigle, Tigers (Previously: 7)
- White Sox Munetaka Murakami (9)
- JJ Weatherholt, Cardinals (10)
- Chase DeLauter, Guardians (2)
- Parker Messick, Guardians (4)
👍👎 The best (and not the best) of the rest
Getty Images
📺 Highlights this weekend
Friday
⛳ PGA Championship, Round 2, ESPN at noon
⚽ Liverpool at Aston Villa, Peacock’s 3 p.m.
⚾ Orioles at Nationals, Peacock 6:45 p.m.
⚾ Blue Jays vs. Tigers, 6:45pm on Apple TV
🏀 NBA Playoffs: Pistons vs. Cavaliers, Game 6; 7pm on Prime Video
⚾ Marlins vs. Rays, 7:10 p.m. on ESPN Unlimited
⚾ Red Sox vs. Braves, 7:15 p.m. on MLB Network
⚾ Yankees vs. Mets, 7:15pm on Apple TV
🏀 Mystic in fever, 7:30pm at Aeon
⚽ Current dash, 8pm on Prime Video
🤼 Friday Night SmackDown, 8pm on USA Network
🏀 NBA Playoffs: Spurs vs. Timberwolves, Game 6; 9:30pm on Prime Video
⚾ Giants Padres, 9:40 p.m. on MLB Network
🏀 Mercury’s sky, or Sparks’ tempo, 10pm at Aeon
⚽ Spirit at Wave, 10pm on Victory+
Saturday
⚽ FA Cup Final: Chelsea vs. Manchester City, 10am on ESPN2
⛳ PGA Championship, 3rd round, 1 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
⚾ Blue Jays vs. Tigers, 1:10pm on ESPN Unlimited
⚾ Royals vs. Cardinals, Peacock 2:15 p.m.
🏇 Preakness Stakes, 4pm on NBC
⚾ Orioles at Nationals, 4:05pm on FS1
⚽ Montreal fire, 4:30pm on Apple TV
⚽ Courageous Star, 6:30pm at Aeon
⚾ Yankees to Mets, or Padres to Mariners, 7:15 p.m. on Fox
⚽ NYCFC at Red Bulls, 7:30pm on Apple TV
🏒 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Sabers vs. Canadiens, Game 6; 8pm on ABC
⚽ Dynamo Whitecaps, 8:30pm on Apple TV
⚽ Pride at the summit, 8:45pm at Aeon
🤼 UFC Fight Night: Allen vs. Costa, 9pm on Paramount+
⚽ Galaxy of Sounders, 9pm on FS1
⚽ Salt Lake Rapids, 9:30pm on Apple TV
⚾ Dodgers vs. Angels, 9:38 p.m. on MLB Network
⚽ Dallas during the earthquake, 10:30pm on Apple TV
Sunday
🏀 NBA Playoffs: Cavaliers vs. Pistons, Game 7 (if needed); Not available on Prime Video
🏀 NBA Playoffs: Timberwolves vs. Spurs, Game 7 (if needed); TBA on NBC
⚽ Lazio vs Roma, 6 a.m. on Paramount+
⚽ Manchester United, Nottingham Forest, 7:30 a.m. on USA Network
⚽ Hellas Verona of Inter Milan, 9 a.m. on Paramount+
⚽Brighton & Hove Albion @Leeds United, 10am on USA Network
⚽ Bologna and Atalanta, Noon on Paramount+
⚾ Marlins vs. Rays, 12:15pm Peacock
⛳ PGA Championship, final round, 1 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
🏀 Ace at Dream, 1:30pm on NBC
⚽Turin, Cagliari, 2:45 p.m. on Paramount+
🏁 NASCAR All-Star Race, 3pm on FS1
⚾ Diamondbacks at Rockies, 3:10 p.m. on ESPN Unlimited
⚾ Giants in Athletics, 4:05 p.m. on MLB Network
⚾ Dodgers vs. Angels, Peacock 4:07 p.m.
🏀 Storm of fever, on NBC Sports Network starting at 6 p.m.
⚽ Miami Timbers, Starting at 6pm on Apple TV
⚽ Angel City of Thorns, 6 p.m. on ESPN2
⚾ Mariners Padres, Peacock 7:20 p.m.
⚽ LAFC in Nashville, Starting at 8pm on Apple TV
⚽ Louisville at Royals, 8pm on Victory+
