Category: Newsletters

As the Dodgers prepare to open defense of their World Series title on Friday against the Blue Jays, Phillies fans are forced to look ahead to next season. (Unless they want to see more of the all-time greatness that is Shohei Ohtani, who is certainly worth watching.)

There will be changes next season, for sure. Nick Castellanos is not expected to be back, and there’s a chance the Phillies could have an entirely new outfield. Alec Bohm is sure to hear more trade rumors. Also, it is unlikely that the team will bring back both Kyle Schwarber and Ranger Suárez, two free agents.

So who will stay and who will be gone by the time the Phillies open the 2026 season on March 26 against the Texas Rangers? Phillies beat writers Scott Lauber and Lochlahn March have made their decisions and now it’s time to make your picks. Join us for a round of Stay or Go. Finding it hard to decide? We’ll show you how other Inquirer readers have voted so far and what we think the team will do.

(To those Sports Daily readers who thought Rob Thomson should move on: The Phillies brass voted Stay on that one, as you know.)

— Jim Swan, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

❓Should the Phillies follow through on an Alec Bohm trade this offseason? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

A dodging Dart

Mobile quarterbacks have given the Eagles problems this season. Patrick Mahomes scrambled for 66 yards against them in September and even Carson Wentz escaped for 28 yards on two scrambles on Sunday. Which brings us to Jaxson Dart. The Giants rookie scrambled five times for 42 yards and a touchdown in a 34-17 upset of the Birds on Oct. 9 and now the Eagles get to face him again.

Jalen Carter will be back in lineup Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field after he sat out the last meeting with the Giants, which should help. But the Eagles simply have to tackle better, writes Olivia Reiner, who examines other keys to the game as well. The Birds might have something cooking with play-action passes, but they need to keep Giants edge rusher Brian Burns in check.

Some help at edge rusher will be coming down the road for the Eagles with the addition of Brandon Graham. The veteran defensive end will come out of retirement to rejoin the team, league sources told The Inquirer.

The Eagles opened as seven-point favorites against the Giants.

In case you missed it, Saquon Barkley and the running game stayed stuck in the mud, but Jalen Hurts, DeVonta Smith, and A.J. Brown made sure that didn’t matter, Jeff McLane writes.

A changed Embiid?

Joel Embiid has been the focal point of the Sixers’ offense for years, but the big man was singing a different tune after his preseason debut on Friday. “I’m here to help,” Embiid said after he finished with 14 points, seven rebounds, eight assists, and three steals against the Timberwolves. “According to a lot of your peers [in the media], I’m not even a top-100 basketball player in the league. So I guess I’ve just got to fit in and see where I can help the team win basketball games. So, if that’s playing defense and stretching the floor, that’s what I’m going to do.”

Embiid, 31, has had two knee surgeries in the last 14 months, so maybe a different approach makes sense, Keith Pompey writes.

The Sixers seem to be getting healthier heading into the season opener Wednesday at Boston. Nearly every player on the roster practiced Monday, including Embiid and Paul George.

Goals aplenty

Owen Tippett and Tyson Foerster each scored two goals in the Flyers’ 5-2 victory over the Kraken, handing Seattle its first regulation loss of the season.

Coach Rick Tocchet gave Egor Zamula another chance to play against the Kraken.

‘The real deal’

Villanova offered a sneak peek at new coach Kevin Willard’s Wildcats in a 70-51 exhibition win against Virginia Commonwealth. VCU coach Phil Martelli Jr., a guy with some Big 5 chops, was impressed.

“That Lewis kid is the real deal,” Martelli said of freshman guard Acaden Lewis, who scored 15 points. “He’s going to be a problem for a lot of people.”

Sports snapshot

• Women’s World Cup: The U.S. launched a bid for the 2031 edition along with Jamaica, Costa Rica, and Mexico. Philadelphia is in the mix as a host city.
• Turning a corner: “We’re a good football team,” Temple coach K.C. Keeler says, and now the Owls believe it.
• Season over: Cheltenham High’s football season is canceled amid an investigation into hazing.

🧠 Trivia time

Who is the Phillies’ career leader in postseason RBIs with 33? First with the correct answer here will be featured in the newsletter.

A) Shane Victorino

B) Ryan Howard

C) Bryce Harper

D) Chase Utley

What you’re saying about Brandon Graham

We asked: Do you think Brandon Graham should come out of retirement and join the Eagles? Among your responses:

No Brandon, don’t do it. You’re enjoying retirement and have several opportunities you’re capitalizing on. Not worth the risk of another injury. You had your time, did a great job, enjoy retirement. — Tom G.

Hard NO! Graham is an Eagles Legand who is now past his prime and was holding on faintly to make the team in the last 3 years. His health, wealth and mental capacity is in a good place. Sometimes players don’t know how to walk away and enjoy the fruits of their labor. Take the blessings you have been given and use your talents to help others throughout the community in other tangible ways. Good luck in your retirement! — William M.

Brandon Graham one of our most popular Eagles ever and 37 years old probably should not, but if the team and the medical team think he is physically fit to do so and he is truly committed then OK. Vic’s defense that is certainly not the one that made Mahomes look like a high school QB could probably use him. — Everett S.

I do not. I miss his spirit with the team, but he has had more than his share of injuries and is probably not in shape for football. He needs to enjoy his retirement in one piece. — Kathy T.

Absolutely! He and JK were invaluable in the locker room as well as on the field. — Ray G.

Yes — Richard V., Glenn P.

No — Bob L.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Scott Lauber, Lochlahn March, Jeff McLane, Jeff Neiburg, Olivia Reiner, Ariel Simpson, Jonathan Tannenwald, Keith Pompey, Jackie Spiegel, Dylan Johnson, Colin Schofield, and Kristen A. Graham.

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

How many of our readers got the Dodge Dart reference? That’s all for today in Sports Daily. Thank you for reading. Bella will be at the newsletter controls on Wednesday. — Jim

Once again, the Eagles could not get their running game going yesterday against the Minnesota Vikings. Jalen Hurts and his wide receivers made sure that did not matter. Hurts threw for 326 yards, compiled a perfect passer rating of 158.3, and threw three long touchdown passes in a 28-22 victory.

DeVonta Smith caught nine passes for a career-high 183 yards and a touchdown. And we likely will get no complaints this week from A.J. Brown, who had 121 receiving yards and two scores. Saquon Barkley managed only 44 yards on 18 carries, but the passing game picked up the slack.

“Saquon is the best,” Hurts said. “I don’t want him to feel like he’s carrying that by himself. It is a group effort. Everyone is involved in that. Everyone has to look inward and say, ‘Well, how can we help get something going the way it needs to go?’ Offensively as a unit, as a team, it doesn’t matter how it looks. In hindsight, it’s about finding ways to win games. But we want to make sure all areas of our yard are green and in a good place.” Jeff McLane has his grades on the game.

Whatever the Eagles needed against the Vikings, Hurts gave it to them, Mike Sielski writes. And they needed a lot.

In a bit of concerning news for the offense, center Cam Jurgens left the game in the first quarter with a right knee injury.

Against a Vikings offense that seemed to keep shooting itself in the foot, Vic Fangio’s defense bent but did not break. It helped to get a huge play from linebacker Jalyx Hunt, who picked off Carson Wentz and returned the ball 42 yards for a touchdown. Moro Ojomo and Joshua Uche sacked Wentz in two more big plays for the Birds.

The Vikings had a unique way of trying to stop the Tush Push, which came to light during Fox’s broadcast.

More coverage from Sunday’s Eagles win can be found here

— Jim Swan, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

❓Do you think Brandon Graham should come out of retirement and join the Eagles? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

Back for more?

The Eagles’ corps of edge rushers took another hit Sunday when Azeez Ojulari went down with a hamstring injury in the first half and never returned. Perhaps help is on the way, though. Defensive end Brandon Graham, 37, is considering ending his retirement after seven months and rejoining the Eagles, league sources told The Inquirer. An ESPN report said Graham was “strongly considering” it.

He can handle it

The 76ers figured they were getting an athletic wing with elite defensive skills when they drafted VJ Edgecombe third overall in the NBA draft. Turns out, they might have picked up a more complete package.

The Sixers entrusted Edgecombe with handling the ball Friday in a preseason victory against Minnesota and the rookie looked good in that role. “He makes good decisions,” says Tyrese Maxey, who was freed up to score with Edgecombe on the ball.

Maybe Paul George will be in the mix for the Sixers soon, too. Coming back from knee surgery in July, George “looked good” in a full practice yesterday, coach Nick Nurse said.

Tippett’s flying start

Noah Cates scored the decisive goal for the Flyers on Saturday in a 2-1 overtime victory against the Minnesota Wild. Afterward, Cates raved about teammate Owen Tippett. “He can be a one-man show with his speed,” Cates said. Tippett showed his speed and more as he scored his third goal of the season. Goalie Dan Vladař also made a big impression, Jackie Spiegel writes in her takeaways from the game.

Meanwhile, 20-year-old star Matvei Michkov played only 12 minutes, 7 seconds against the Wild, sitting out the end of regulation and all of overtime. Coach Rick Tocchet explains why Michkov wound up on the bench.

Starting over

Penn State’s comeback effort ran out of gas Saturday in a 25-24 loss to Iowa, dropping the Nittany Lions to 0-4 in the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions showed fight under interim coach Terry Smith, though.

“I think our guys played hard. I think our guys left it out there,” Smith said. “They gave everything they had. There was no one who didn’t give great effort. We just have to execute.”

Meanwhile, in a 49-14 rout of Charlotte, Temple posted its first conference road win since 2019.

Penn remained unbeaten in the Ivy League by beating Columbia, 35-21.

Sports snapshot

• Playoff time: The Union will open the postseason Sunday against the Chicago-Orlando City winner.
• Regular-season finale: A 2-0 loss to Charlotte was not costly for the Union.

On this date

Oct. 20, 1985: Kenny Jackson scored on a 36-yard touchdown pass from Ron Jaworski in the fourth quarter to lift the Eagles past the Dallas Cowboys, 16-14, at Veterans Stadium.

Who said it?

Brandon Graham is weighing a possible return to the Eagles after a seven-month retirement. One member of the Eagles defense talked about how much he misses the veteran defensive end. Can you tell who said the above? Check your answer here.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Olivia Reiner, Jeff McLane, Jeff Neiburg, Gabriela Carroll, Mike Sielski, Keith Pompey, Jackie Spiegel, Jonathan Tannenwald, Sean McKeown, Greg Finberg, and Ryan Mack.

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

Thank you for reading, as always. I’ll see you in Tuesday’s newsletter. — Jim Swan