Was the 2026 NFL season just the beginning for Sam Darnold and the defending Super Bowl-champion Seattle Seahawks?

“I’m big on Seattle,” “FOX NFL Kickoff” Analyst Julian Edelman stated on Tuesday’s edition of “The Herd.” “They’re returning 20 of 22 starters. I got to sit and talk with all these guys in a production meeting in the preseason. Sam Darnold was mad about his performance in the Super Bowl, and the week before that he had an unbelievable game performance to beat the Los Angeles Rams. He gets to go into the offseason almost like he lost the Super Bowl with his mindset after winning a Super Bowl. And then they get to hear all the hype on the Rams. I think this is a storm brewing to just wipe out a lot of teams. They’re really good.

“I was so impressed with [Seahawks head coach] Mike Macdonald’s calm, cool and collected demeanor but also his way where he’s big with the connections with the players, but he also has kind of that hard alpha trait to him because he is a defensive guy and his mentality with steering the ship. I’m so impressed with every single guy they have.”

The Seahawks open the 2026 regular season at home against the Patriots on Wednesday night in a rematch of Super Bowl LX.

Seattle is coming off a 14-3 season that saw it win the NFC West for the first time since 2020, with its 14 regular-season wins a franchise record and its Super Bowl triumph the second in franchise history (2013 was the first).

The Seahawks lost offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, who became the new head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, replacing him with former San Francisco 49ers offensive assistant Brian Fleury. With Darnold in his first season under center for Seattle, Kubiak’s offense was third in the NFL in points (28.4 per game) and eighth in total yards (351.4 per game).

Meanwhile, Seattle’s defense, which returns defensive coordinator Aden Durde for a third season, was first in opponent points (17.2 per game) and sixth in total yards (285.6 per game).

As for the “hype” surrounding the Rams, quarterback Matthew Stafford is coming off a 2025 campaign that saw him win NFL MVP honors. On the transactional front, Los Angeles, most notably, acquired superstar defensive end Myles Garrett from the Cleveland Browns and cornerback and 2023 All-Pro Trent McDuffie from the Kansas City Chiefs. And if that wasn’t enough, superstar defensive lineman Aaron Donald recently came out of retirement after two years away from the game to play for the Rams once again.

Seattle’s offseason has primarily been based on retaining its own. The Seahawks extended wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (four-year, $168.6 million deal) and cornerback Devon Witherspoon (four-year, $132 million deal) on deals that make them the highest-paid players at their respective positions.

Seattle also extended defensive lineman Leonard Williams (three-year, $90 million deal), while re-signing wide receiver/returner Rashid Shaheed (three-year, $51 million deal) and cornerback Josh Jobe (three-year, $24 million deal), among other moves. In the draft, the Seahawks selected Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jadarian Price with the No. 32 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, a pick that combats the departure of running back and Super Bowl LX MVP Kenneth Walker III.

“They draft, develop and pay their guys,” Edelman said of the Seahawks. “They got a lot of great things going for them, and the biggest thing is that no one’s even talking about them. It’s the quietest Super Bowl champion team I’ve ever heard of. It’s unreal, and it’s going to play into their favor.”

Week 1 of the college football season is in the books, and what a week it was.

From thrilling and controversial finishes to stunning upsets and incredible individual performances, the opening week delivered plenty of memorable moments.

A pair of Miami superstars delivered record-breaking performances while Jayden Maiava and Jeremiah Smith put their names right into the Heisman conversation. 

With that, let’s dive into the top offensive performances from Week 1 of the CFB season.

Darian Mensah threw for 401 yards and five touchdowns against Stanford (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images).

In his first start with the Hurricanes, Darian Mensah balled out. He finished Friday night’s win over Stanford with 401 passing yards and five touchdowns, becoming just the sixth quarterback since 2000 to complete at least 90% of his passes while throwing for 400-plus yards and five touchdowns in a game. After his dominant Week 1 performance, Mensah is now the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy at +600. No player’s stock went up more than Mensah in Week 1. 

Mason Heintschel threw seven touchdowns against Miami Ohio (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images).

In Week 1 against Miami Ohio, Pittsburgh quarterback Mason Heintschel completed 31 of 41 passes for 453 yards and seven touchdowns. Yes, seven. Heintschel became just the 26th player in college football since 2000 to throw for at least 450 yards and seven touchdowns in a game, leading Pitt to a dominant 59-14 win and a dream start to the 2026 season. Heintschel introduced himself to the college football world on Saturday and immediately put his name on the map.

In Week 1 against Fresno State, Jayden Maiava completed 23 of 25 passes for 349 yards and three touchdowns, leading USC to a dominant 39-0 win. His 92% completion rate was the highest in USC history in a game with at least 25 pass attempts and the second-highest overall with at least 20 attempts, trailing only Matt Barkley’s 95% mark in 2012. Maiava’s performance also tied for the 10th-highest completion percentage in an FBS game with at least 25 attempts and 300 passing yards since 2000. The Trojans’ quarterback has put himself right into the Heisman race as his odds sit at +1750 to win the award. 

Against Northern Illinois, Iowa running back Kamari Moulton rushed 11 times for 183 yards and two touchdowns, averaging a ridiculous 16.64 yards per carry. The senior set an Iowa single-game record for yards per carry with at least 10 attempts, shattering Fred Russell’s previous mark of 12.14 in 2002. Moulton’s 16.64 yards per carry also ranks fifth among Big Ten players since 2000 with at least 10 carries in a game. His 183 rushing yards are tied for the 10th-most by an FBS player on 11 or fewer carries since 2000.

Jaylin Carter rushed for 183 yards against Arkansas State (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images).

Jaylin Carter rushed 19 times for 183 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 9.63 yards per carry, while adding an 18-yard reception to finish with 201 total yards. Carter became just the fifth player in Tigers program history to rush for at least four touchdowns in a single game. Through the first two games of his sophomore season, Carter has already racked up 280 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 34 carries, averaging an impressive 8.24 yards per carry.

Nate Sheppard led the country in rushing yards in Week 1 (Photo by Alex Halloway/Getty Images). 

Against Tulane, Duke running back Nate Sheppard rushed 35 times for 227 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 6.49 yards per carry. His 227 rushing yards were the most by any FBS player in Week 1 of the 2026 season. After earning second-team All-ACC honors and rushing for more than 1,000 yards last season, Sheppard looks poised for another big year in the Blue Devils’ backfield.

Malachi Toney set Miami’s single-game receiving yards record against Stanford (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images).

On Friday night, Malachi Toney hauled in 12 catches for 234 yards and three touchdowns against Stanford, setting Miami’s single-game receiving yards record. The historic performance continued Toney’s incredible start to his college career after he led the FBS with 109 receptions as a true freshman last season and set Miami’s single-season receiving yards record with 1,211, surpassing Charleston Rambo’s previous mark of 1,172 in 2021. Toney hit the Heisman pose three teams as his odds to win the award surged after Week 1 from +4000 to +1250. 

Deuce Alexander had 159 yards and two touchdowns against Louisville (Photo by Roger Wimmer/Getty Images).

In Ole Miss’ 41-38 win over No. 24 Louisville, senior wide receiver Deuce Alexander hauled in five catches for a career-high 159 yards and two touchdowns. Alexander caught two 62-yard touchdown passes in the third quarter, providing a major spark to the Ole Miss offense in the second half. His 31.8 yards per reception are tied for the third-highest single-game average in Ole Miss history among players with at least five catches. After his explosive Week 1 performance, Alexander looks poised for a massive season as Trinidad Chambliss’ No. 1 target.

Jeremiah Smith caught eight passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns in Ohio State’s dominant win over Ball State, with all of his production coming in the first half. His 151 receiving yards were the second-most he’s recorded in a first half, trailing only the 161 he had against Oregon in the 2025 Rose Bowl. Smith now has 29 career receiving touchdowns, six more than any other college football player since 2024. He also recorded his 12th career 100-yard receiving game, passing Chris Olave for the second-most by an Ohio State player since 2000 and trailing only Marvin Harrison Jr. (15). Smith will have a real chance to break that mark in 2026 as he continues to show why he’s the best receiver in the country. Smith currently has the third-best odds to win the Heisman at +1000.

Jose Mourinho‘s Real Madrid secured a narrow 2-1 victory over his former side Inter Milan in a high-octane Champions League opener on Tuesday.

The record 15-time European champions took a two-goal lead through Kylian Mbappe and Fede Valverde thanks to two Inter errors in the first half.

Carlos Augusto smashed home for Cristian Chivu’s team in the second half but they could not find an equaliser at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Madrid coach Mourinho led the Italian side to Champions League glory in 2010 at the same stadium, the last time either they or he managed to lift the trophy, a few days before joining Los Blancos for his first stint at the helm.

After two seasons without a major trophy and enduring early European exits, Madrid president Florentino Perez brought back the Portuguese veteran to try and stop the rot, and Mourinho got the team off to both a triumphant and entertaining start to the league phase.

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Mourinho’s side bounced back from a first defeat of the season at Real Betis in La Liga on Friday, although goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made several smart saves and Inter were wasteful.

The Italians started energetically in attack but were destabilised by two grievous errors at the back. Madrid stopper Courtois denied Marcus Thuram and then Lautaro Martinez as the visitors probed.

However, in the 14th minute Curtis Jones’s poor pass put Yann Bisseck under pressure and Brahim Diaz poked the ball through to Mbappe, who swiftly fired home.

Madrid‘s second was gobbled up by Valverde when Inter goalkeeper Josep Martinez dallied on the ball despite the Uruguay international charging straight for him.

When the Spanish stopper realised, it was too late and as he tried to turn Valverde pried the ball away from him and into the net.

Mourinho’s side should have added another before half-time but Martinez made amends for his mistake with a sensational save to thwart Jude Bellingham.

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Madrid hold on

Mbappe blazed past Inter’s defence and Martinez saved his low shot before somehow blocking Bellingham’s effort from point-blank range.

Bellingham missed another golden chance before the hour mark after Diaz cleverly worked his way into the area and crossed for him.

The England international might have headed home straight away but chose to control the ball and gave goalkeeper Martinez time to fly across his line and save the eventual shot.

Courtois added to his collection of impressive saves by pushing away Alessandro Bastoni’s low drive as Inter tried to find a foothold.

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Madrid carved Inter open but could not put the game to bed, with Martinez saving from Mbappe and Diaz then sliding narrowly wide.

Carlos Augusto blasted past Courtois from Lautaro Martinez’s cross in the 77th minute to give Madrid a nervy ending to the game.

Madrid fans were upset when Alvaro Carreras was made to wait for a minute on the sidelines before he could come on as a substitute, because Vinicius Junior took too long to come off when he was replaced.

Courtois beat away a deflected Henrikh Mkhitaryan effort to ensure his team took all three points.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

Baltimore Orioles first baseman Pete Alonso opened up about the advice he gave to shortstop Gunnar Henderson as the 25-year-old is going through a challenging stretch. Alonso said that he can relate to what the $8.5M Orioles star, who signed a one-year contract to avoid arbitration in January this year, is currently going through.

Gunnar Henderson has already established himself as one of MLB’s top players. However, as he’s dealing with a slump, Alonso, during an interview with ex-MLB’er Ryan Ripken, advised him to focus on the task at hand and not on arbitration, trade-deadline questions, or his long-term contract.

He stressed remaining calm and not getting consumed by the outside noise. Alonso expressed that he knows what it’s like because he’s “been in his (Gunnar Henderson’s) shoes.” However, he warned the rest of the league to “watch out” because even if the situation “s*cks” now, it’ll be a total turnaround when it “clicks.”

“The rest of the league has gotten lucky that you have played this way for this extended period of time… People are still giving you the same amount of attention because they know what you’re capable of. They know what you can do,” Pete Alonso said.

“They know you can totally take over and be a one-man wrecking crew. So they’re doing whatever they can to keep their thumb down on you and keep suppressing you. But I was like, dude, keep working through it.”

Pete Alonso also believes Gunnar Henderson can make a major impact for the Orioles if they reach the postseason. He said that once they get in, Henderson is “going to lead us to the World Series.” Alonso admitted that the current situation “stinks,” but if the young star keeps grinding, things will start to click. “It’s going to be like a beast, like being unleashed from a cage that’s been starved,” he said.

Pete Alonso sends heartfelt message to Orioles fans

Apart from sharing the advice he has given to Gunnar Henderson, Pete Alonso also took a moment to thank the Baltimore Orioles fans for their support. He thanked them for backing him and his wife, Haley, throughout the season. He added that although the season has not gone perfectly, he’s still grateful to the fans for showing up and supporting the team.

Alonso still believes the Orioles can be in the playoff race and vowed to do everything he can to make it happen. He said,

“We have a great opportunity, and we’re playing the right teams that we need to play in order to get into the dance in October. So I’m really excited. I know that playoff baseball means the world to this city, to this organization,” Pete Alonso said.

“And, I mean, you have my word that I’m doing whatever I can to get the boys going and pulling my weight. So I appreciate you guys.”

He said that he’s looking ahead to the special atmosphere when Baltimore reaches the postseason. Alonso is particularly excited to see the sea of “orange towels” throughout the ballpark.