Sports
Report: NFL salary cap rising to as much as $305.7M in 2026
Nov 23, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; The NFL shield logo on the field at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images NFL teams were informed on Friday that the 2026 salary cap is projected to increase from 2025’s record ceiling to between $301.2 million and $305.7 million, NFL Network reported.
This season, clubs each had a limit of $279.2 million, a $23.8 million increase from 2024. The projected number for next season is a boost of more than $20 million and almost $100 million more than the cap of $208.2 million in 2022, when it first crossed the $200 million barrier.
The league’s rise in prosperity and popularity has been reflected in TV rights deals with its broadcast partners and impacted the annual salary cap, which was $120.37 million in 2011.
The cap has risen yearly since 2011, except for 2021 when the league prioritized recovery from the pandemic, including loss of live attendance gate and concessions profits.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Three-run 10th-inning rally sends Brewers past Marlins
Apr 17, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Milwaukee Brewers right fielder Sal Frelick (10) hits a single against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Garrett Mitchell stroked a two-run double in the top of the 10th inning as the Milwaukee Brewers defeated the host Miami Marlins 7-5 on Friday night.
Milwaukee, which has won three straight games, scored three times in the 10th against Calvin Faucher (1-2). Abner Uribe (1-0) earned the win with one scoreless inning. Trevor Megill handled the bottom of the 10th, yielding one run, for his fourth save.
The Marlins, who have lost three in a row, did not play a clean game, making two errors and getting three runners picked off or thrown out on the bases.
Brewers starter Coleman Crow made his major league debut, and he took a no-decision despite leaving the game with a lead.
Crow, 25, lasted 5 1/3 innings, allowing four hits, one walk and two runs. He fanned four. The right-hander was the Los Angeles Angels’ 28th-round pick in 2019 and had 34 supporters in the stands, including his wife and parents.
Miami’s Janson Junk avoided the loss. The former Brewers pitcher permitted four runs (three earned) on six hits and two walks in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out three.
Otto Lopez had a big night for Miami, banging a two-run homer and scoring after slugging a triple. He finished 3-for-5. Agustin Ramirez added a game-tying double in the eighth.
In the top of the 10th, Gary Sanchez walked and Jake Bauers singled to move automatic runner Brice Turang to third, loading the bases. The go-ahead run scored on a throwing error by Miami second baseman Xavier Edwards, and Mitchell followed with his two-run double.
The Marlins got a run back in the bottom of the frame on a wild pitch, but Lopez struck out to end the game with a runner on second.
Milwaukee opened the scoring in the fourth with three “small ball” runs. The Brewers loaded the bases with one out on a walk, single and hit by pitch. Mitchell got the first RBI on an infield single. Greg Jones added a run-scoring groundout when Lopez tried to turn two but threw high to first after stepping on second.
The final run of the inning came on an error by Ramirez, who threw high and into left field on a steal attempt.
Miami got on the board in the bottom of the fourth as Lopez hit an opposite-field triple to right-center and scored on Owen Caissie’s sacrifice fly to left-center. On the triple, center fielder Mitchell nearly caught it, but he slowed down a bit before he got to the wall, and the ball deflected off the tip of his glove.
Milwaukee extended its lead to 4-1 in the sixth as Bauers drew a one-out walk and scored from first on Luis Rengifo’s double.
Miami muscled up in the bottom of the sixth as Xavier Edwards hit a double of the wall in center, and Lopez followed three batters later with a 401-foot homer, making it 4-3.
The Marlins tied the score in the eighth against reliever Angel Zerpa. Edwards drew a one-out walk, and Ramirez bashed an 0-2 slider off the wall in left for an RBI double.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Reds on winning end of pitchers' duel against Twins
Apr 17, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Brandon Williamson (55) delivers a pitch against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Nick Wosika-Imagn Images Eugenio Suarez hit a two-run double and Brandon Williamson pitched into the sixth inning to lead the Cincinnati Reds to a 2-1 win over the Minnesota Twins on Friday night in Minneapolis.
Williamson (2-1), a Fairmont, Minn., native, earned the win in the opener of a three-game set. He threw 5 1/3 innings, allowed three hits, one run, four walks and struck out two in his homecoming start. Suarez had two of Cincinnati’s four hits.
Minnesota starter Joe Ryan (2-2) gave up three hits, two runs (one earned) and struck out six in a solid six-inning outing. Josh Bell was 2-for-4 for the Twins, who only had five hits.
Emilio Pagan tossed a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth to register his sixth save for the Reds.
Elly De La Cruz got the Reds going in the fourth when he hammered a double to deep right field. Sal Stewart reached on an error and stole second. Suarez knocked them in with a double that landed in the left-center gap as the Reds took a 2-0 lead.
A bout of wildness from Williamson led to three straight walks as the Twins loaded the bases in the fifth with no outs. Austin Martin’s sacrifice fly was caught by a sliding Will Benson in right field as Minnesota pulled within 2-1. Williamson escaped a big inning by inducing Luke Keaschall to ground into a double play.
Through three innings, Ryan was cruising. The Reds only hit was a Stewart’s blooper to shallow right field in the second.
The first bases-loaded jam of the game challenged Williamson in the third. Matt Wallner led off with a hit by pitch that he took in the right elbow guard. After two flyouts, Byron Buxton lined a single to left field and Martin walked to load the bases. But Keaschall struck out looking to end the threat.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Kennedy Wesley's first goal, assist lead USWNT past Japan
Apr 17, 2026; Commerce City, CO, USA; United States defender Naomi Girma (4) kicks the ball in the middle of the field during the first half against Japan at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images Kennedy Wesley scored and had an assist during a 17-minute, second half eruption when the U.S. women’s national team scored all its goals for a 3-0 victory over Japan in Commerce City, Colo., on Friday.
The U.S. won two of three in the series vs. Japan over the past week, prevailing in the finale on goals by Naomi Girma (47th minute), Rose Lavelle (56th) and Wesley (64th).
Wesley, who entered at halftime, got her first U.S. goal contribution in her sixth match on the opening score. She headed a corner kick by Lavelle to Girma in front of the goal for another header and Girma’s third career goal.
Lavelle stretched the lead to 2-0 after a pass by Trinity Rodman split the defense to send her on a break. Lavelle calmly scored from the top of the box to the left corner. She has 29 goals in 120 appearances for the USWNT.
Another corner kick, this one by Jaedyn Shaw, found the right foot of Wesley to extend the lead.
Several inches of snow were cleared from the field hours before the match and the kickoff temperature was 36 degrees.
Claire Hutton was the lone holdover starter from the United States’ 1-0 loss to Japan in Seattle on Tuesday. However, nine starters for this match also started in the 2-1 U.S. victory on April 11.
The U.S. outplayed but couldn’t outscore Japan in the first half with 70% possession, nine shots with two on goal while Japan’s one attempt was a comfortable for goalkeeper Claudia Dickey in the 5th minute.
There were three prime chances for the U.S. beginning with Colorado native Sophia Wilson’s try in the 20th minute. Tierna Davidson headed a pass to her in the center of the box, and Wilson put the shot on target, but goalie Chika Hirao parried it over the crossbar.
Nearly 20 minutes later on a break, Hutton took a setup in stride from Alyssa Thompson and ripped a shot off the bar from outside the box. In fourth minute of first-half stoppage time, Girma forced a close-range save.
–Field Level Media
