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🏈 Five things to know Wednesday

1. The Cardinals will release Kyler Murray. The seven-year Murray era in Arizona will come to an end March 11 when the release becomes official. The former No. 1 overall pick bolsters a weak free agent quarterback class and could have his pick of multiple teams with the Jets, Vikings and Dolphins opening as betting favorites to land his services.
2. Two more NFL players received franchise and transition tags at Tuesday's deadline. The Jets tagged Breece Hall to make him the NFL's fourth-highest-paid running back in 2026, and the Colts used a transition tag on Daniel Jones amid their search for a long-term deal. With the deadline passed, tag candidate Trey Hendrickson will enter free agency and Kenneth Walker III will also be on the market. Those two are among the biggest winners of the deadline.
3. Jurickson Profar and Johan Rojas will serve PED suspensions. Profar will not play this season with the Braves after failing a PED test for the second straight year. He is banned for 162 games plus the 2026 postseason and is ineligible to participate in the World Baseball Classic, although the MLBPA plans to challenge the suspension. Rojas, a potential platoon option for the Phillies, will also reportedly appeal his suspension. He must sit out 80 games and is also barred from postseason play.
4. Drew Dalman will retire on the heels of his Pro Bowl season. The Bears need a new center after Dalman reportedly informed the team that he is retiring. It is a surprising move that comes after the 27-year-old signed a three-year, $42 million deal last offseason and enjoyed the best campaign of his career. Dalman, formerly of the Falcons, played every offensive snap and allowed just one sack of Caleb Williams in 2025.
5. Five-star recruit Bruce Branch III committed to BYU. The Cougars' basketball program is on a recruiting tear. One year after landing AJ Dybantsa and two years after signing Egor Dëmin, coach Kevin Young secured a pledge from another five-star player in Branch -- the No. 6 prospect in the 2026 class. Branch was initially the top recruit in the 2027 class but moved up a year and picked BYU over USC.

⚾ Do not miss this: World Baseball Classic preview

Three years after Japan defeated the United States in an absolute gem of a championship game, the World Baseball Classic is back for its 2026 edition. If this year's tournament offers anything close to those theatrics, we're in for another treat. Matt Snyder set the stage with an ode to the 2023 WBC.

• Snyder: "How about Kyle Schwarber going deep in the finals to cut the Japan lead to one … setting up the tournament ending with Mike Trout vs. Shohei Ohtani, MLB teammates at the time. What an absolute blast. I can't wait for this year's iteration."

Yeah, it's going to be epic. And it starts tonight. Australia and Chinese Taipei get things rolling with the first game of pool play at 10 p.m. in Tokyo.

The United States will hit the diamond for the first time Friday at 8 p.m. against Brazil. Logan Webb is scheduled to toe the rubber for the Americans after manager Mark DeRosa announced his pitching rotation for pool play. Team USA boasts a loaded roster, which it will need if it meets defending champion Japan again. Clayton Kershaw is hopeful it doesn't come to that.

The Americans will likely be favored in every game they play, even a potential rematch with Japan. They stand atop our WBC Power Rankings, just ahead of a few legitimate challengers. Here are the top five teams in the tournament:

1. United States
2. Dominican Republic
3. Japan
4. Venezuela
5. Mexico

🏆 100 days to the World Cup, 100 things to know

Yesterday marked the start of the 100-day countdown to the 2026 World Cup. As we inch closer to the tournament, this would be an ideal time to freshen up on your soccer knowledge. Our Chuck Booth shared 100 things you need to know about this World Cup, which will be unlike any other.

Here are a few of the basics:

• Supersize me: This will be the first men's World Cup with 48 teams, expanding from the 32-team era (1998-2022)
• More teams mean more games: 104 games to be exact, which is 40 more than the previous 32-team editions.
• Three's company: The tournament is hosted by three countries: Canada, Mexico and the United States.

Brazil received some tough news 100 days out from the tournament. Real Madrid striker Rodrygo, who was set to represent his home country in the World Cup, will miss this summer's competition after sustaining a torn ACL and meniscus in his right leg.

For the USMNT, coach Mauricio Pochettino will announce his roster in 84 days, and Yunus Musah is pushing to get back into the picture after last appearing on the squad last March.

OK, so there are 48 teams in this behemoth of a tournament. Who are the favorites? We ranked every single one of them -- minus the six that have yet to qualify. Here are the top five:

1. Spain
2. Argentina
3. France
4. Brazil
5. England

👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest

• Kentucky's Mitch Barnhart will retire in June, ending his run as the longest-tenured athletic director in the FBS.
• Breanna Stewart and Kelsey Plum have been critical of the players' union in its labor negotiation with the WNBA.
• Devin Booker returned from his hip injury, brightening the Suns' playoff outlook. Giannis Antetokounmpo's return may not have the same impact for the Bucks, though.
• Oklahoma boosted its top-ranked recruiting class with a commitment from Cooper Witten, the son of NFL great Jason Witten.
• Jonathan Kuminga is off to a hot start with the Hawks, but is it sustainable?
• Luke Kornet did his best to try to get the Hawks to cancel their "Magic City" promotion.
• Even with a 3-0 loss, Atletico Madrid beat Barcelona on aggregate to clinch a spot in the Copa del Rey final.
• College basketball conference tournaments are underway. Here are the five most intriguing women's tournaments and a bold prediction for each high-major league.
• Not all NBA stars are fans of the second apron, but Kevin Durant has a different perspective.
• These five NFL Draft prospects might have earned their way into the first round. And many of the top prospects cemented their cases for early selections.
• Von Miller wants "closure" with the Broncos. Is he a good fit for Denver in free agency, though?
• Washington's Hannes Steinbach is the Freshman of the Week for the second time.
• AJ Dybantsa said he "might not leave" BYU at the end of the season. But as the potential No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft, he can't possibly be serious.
• Speaking of the No. 1 pick, the Mavericks might be on their way to the top of the draft board again.
• Raheem Mostert put Mike McDaniel's coaching style on blast.
• Arch Manning and Trinidad Chambliss stand atop our spring SEC quarterback rankings.
• Jon Rahm said that he will not sign the DP World Tour's conditional release because it is "extorting players."

📺 What we're watching Wednesday

⚾ Spring training: Yankees at Red Sox, 1 p.m. on ESPN⚽ Chelsea at Aston Villa, 2:30 p.m. on USA Network⚽ Coppa de Italia, semifinal: Atalanta at Lazio, 3 p.m. on Paramount+⚽ Copa del Rey, semifinal: Athletic Bilbao at Real Sociedad, 3 p.m. on ESPN+⚽ SheBelieves Cup: United States vs. Canada, 6:45 p.m. on TNT🏀 Thunder at Knicks, 7 p.m. on ESPN🏀 Baylor at No. 7 Houston (M), 9 p.m. on ESPN2🏀 Hawks at Bucks, 9:30 p.m. on ESPN🏀 Unrivaled championship: Phantom vs. Mist, 9:30 p.m. on TNT⚾ WBC pool play: Chinese Taipei vs. Australia, 10 p.m. on FS1

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