How Bryce Young's benching could change the NFL, plus Deion's latest tirade

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Good morning! Advance toward the playoffs today.

Tentpole moments in the NFL largely come in the form of Super Bowl wins, radical new schemes or daring coaching hires.

So on and so forth.

Bryce Young s benching this week feels like one of those canon events, and not just for the Panthers or Young but for how teams evaluate and treat rookie quarterbacks.

There are stunning levels of failure here, on every account.

Lets start up close: If Young, 23, never starts another game for the Panthers, it is one of the largest organizational failures in NFL history.

Panthers coach Dave Canales says Young can still be a franchise quarterback , but I doubt thats anytime soon.

I am morbidly fascinated to see if Youngs fall impacts how teams treat rookie QBs going forward.

Yes, every set of circumstances is different, but take note of New England having yet to play Drake Maye .

This years No.

1 pick, Caleb Williams, is struggling in Chicago , for what its worth.

In todays column, Mike expanded on whether NFL QB treatment is at a tipping point.

Read it here .

Brewers clinch The Milwaukee Brewers became this years first MLB team to clinch a division title, a development few saw coming before the season.

Think back to winter, when manager Craig Counsell bolted for the division-rival Chicago Cubs, leaving a stable, above-average team for a situation with a supposed higher ceiling.

With 10 games to play, the Brew Crew clinched last night after, fittingly, a Cubs loss.

Read more on the incredible season here .

Also clinching a postseason berth last night: the Yankees .

Advertisement A final Woj bomb NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski shocked the basketball world yesterday by announcing his retirement from ESPN to take the basketball GM job at St.

Bonaventures, his alma mater.

Wojnarowski and The Athletic s Shams Charania have become vital parts of the NBA ecosystem, with fans, executives, agents and players alike living and dying by every tweet.

Andrew Marchand reports Wojnarowski is walking away from around $20 million , but is completely burned out by the incessant news-breaking his job required.

Its a fitting end to his career .

Also: His new role at St.

Bonaventures could actually have a profound impact on college basketball.

WNBA picks Portland The league announced yesterday its 15th franchise will be in Portland, led by Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal, the owners of the NWSL s Portland Thorns.

For the WNBA, its a return to where the Portland Fire played from 2000 to 2002 before folding.

The new expansion marks incredible growth for the league, which also has two other expansion franchises in San Francisco and Toronto on the way.

Read our full report here .

More news Deion Sanders is polarizing for fans and media members alike, which made his comments in a Tuesday news conference stand out to me.

Heres the relevant quote: Once upon a time, you guys never attacked college players.

Now theyre making more money than yall, and some of yall are envious and jealous about that, so youre on the attack.

Hes talking about media criticism of college players, and while I have plenty of thoughts on the matter, I want to make sure Im seeing the field clearly on Deion right now.

Todays Pulse Poll question is simple: Do you think Deions right? Your choices: Make your voice heard here .

WNBA: Dream at Liberty 7 p.m.

ET on NBA TV Final night of the WNBA regular season.

An Atlanta win clinches a playoff berth.

A loss opens the door for Chicago or Washington who also both play tonight to swoop in for the No.

8 seed.

Winner gets New York , so ...

good luck.

Playoff projections here .

MLB: Phillies at Mets 7:15 p.m.

ET on Fox New York is tied for a wild-card spot, while Philly is on the road to clinching the NL East shortly.

Plus these two big fanbases having good teams at the same time is great for the sport.

NFL: Patriots at Jets 8:15 p.m.

ET on Prime Video New England could easily be 2-0, and I still dont know what the Jets are.

We will learn things here.

Mainly, Im curious to see Aaron Rodgers comfort level now that hes played two full games in his Jets tenure.

If the Jets start 1-2 this year, the finger is already hovering over the panic button.

Stream games like these here and get tickets here .

The Athletic Hockey Show is ready for NHL training camp, starting with the best seven goalie competitions heading into the season.

Listen here .

Fran Tarkenton hasnt played an NFL game in 46 years.

Yet, as Alec Lewis writes, hes still scrambling .

Make time for Chris Vanninis in-depth report about where conference realignment in college sports goes next .

We might have to draw some more maps.

I thought Ken Rosenthals column on the Detroit Tigers was interesting.

This is a team finally emerging from the cellar so why does everything feel more stressful? An incredible story from Dennis Lin, who figured out the identity of the player on a 2021 Jackson Merrill baseball card .

(Hint: Its not Merrill.) A darkly funny thing to read in light of Manchester Citys possible financial charges: a fantasy draft to redistribute Man Citys superstars across the Premier League .

Haaland to Everton? Oh buddy.

Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday : The Zillow for Michael Jordans house .

Most-read on the website yesterday : Juan Soto hit his 200th home run Tuesday, but the biggest news was his telling comment on free agency afterward .

Sign up for our other newsletters: The Bounce | The Windup | Full Time | The Athletic FC | Prime Tire | Until Saturday | Scoop City (Top photo: Grant Halverson / Getty Images).

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