The Union have added another major signing to what has already been a busy winter transfer window for the club.
The team announced Tuesday that it had acquired Agustín Anello, a 23-year old forward who spent last season with Uruguayan team Boston River.
The Union paid a transfer fee of around $2 million to acquire Anello, a source with knowledge of the deal told The Inquirer. He has been with the team at its preseason camp in Clearwater, Fla., for a few days, and could debut in Tuesday’s final preseason game against CF Montréal (6 p.m., livestreaming on the Union’s website and YouTube).
“Agustín is a versatile, dynamic attacker,” Union manager Bradley Carnell said in the team’s release. “His development in Europe, combined with his recent breakout in Uruguay, reflects a clear upward trajectory. As a domestic player with U.S. youth national team experience, he fits our profile well.”
The Athletic reported that the Union were in talks to sign Anello in January and reported that a deal was being finalized on Feb. 2. Anello let a poorly kept secret further out when he posted a picture from Clearwater on his Instagram story on Monday afternoon. The Union’s logo was visible on Anello’s shorts in the post.
Anello grew up in south Florida and moved with his family to Spain at age 10. He hasn’t lived in the United States since. At 17, he turned pro in Belgium, and played for a range of clubs there, in Croatia, and the Netherlands before moving to Uruguay in the summer of 2024.
Although it has been a long time since he last formally called America home, Anello is not a total stranger to the Union. In November 2023, he was teammates with Nathan Harriel and Jack McGlynn on a U.S. under-23 national team squad that surveyed candidates for the 2024 Olympics.
Anello scored 10 goals across all competitions for Boston River in 2025.
After their preseason finale, the Union’s next match will be a Concacaf Champions Cup game in Trinidad against Defence Force F.C. on Feb. 18.
The Union will open their MLS schedule with a trip to D.C. United on Feb. 21.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren, a former Roman Catholic star, was among four players ejected Monday night after a fight broke out in the team’s game with the Charlotte Hornets.
Charlotte’s Moussa Diabate and Miles Bridges were tossed along with Detroit’s Isaiah Stewart and Duren. Hornets coach Charles Lee was ejected in the fourth quarter after he had to be restrained from going after an official while arguing a call.
The Pistons won, 110-104. The loss ended the Hornets’ bid to match a franchise record with 10 straight wins.
Duren had the ball and was driving toward the basket with just over seven minutes left in the third period when he was fouled by Diabate. Duren turned around to get face-to-face with Diabate and the two appeared to butt heads. Duren then hit Diabate in the face with his open right hand, starting a confrontation that lasted more than 30 seconds and ultimately ended with a brief police presence on the floor.
While Pistons forward Tobias Harris was holding Diabate back, Diabate threw a punch at Duren. Duren walked away and Bridges charged at him, throwing a left-handed punch. Duren retaliated with a punch. Diabate attempted to charge again at Duren and had to be held back.
Charlotte Hornets forward Moussa Diabate is held back by Detroit’s Tobias Harris as he fights with Pistons center Jalen Duren (0).
Stewart left the bench to confront Bridges, who responded with a punch, and the players tussled. At one point, Stewart got Bridges in a headlock and delivered multiple left-handed blows to his head.
Duren called it an “overly competitive game.”
“Emotions were flaring,” Duren said. “At the end of the day, we would love to keep it basketball, but things happen. Everybody was just playing hard.”
Duren said that opposing NBA teams have been trying to “get in our head” all season.
“This isn’t the first time that people have tried to be like extra aggressive with us and talk to us, whatever the case may be,” Duren said. “But as a group we have done an OK job of handling that energy and intensity. At the end of the day, emotions got high with everybody being competitive. Things happen.”
Duren did not say how the fight started, referring reporters instead to the video replays.
The Hornets did not make Bridges and Diabate available for interviews after the game.
However, Bridges took to Instagram late Monday night to say: “Sorry Hornets nation! Sorry Hornets Organization.! Always gonna protect my teammates forever.”
“It looked like two guys got into a heated conversation and it just kind of spiraled from there,” Lee said.
Crew chief John Goble said in a pool report after the game that the players were ejected because they “engaged in fighting activity during the dead ball. After review, we assessed fighting fouls and by rule they were ejected from the game.”
Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff defended his players after the game.
“Our guys deal with a lot, but they’re not the ones that initiated, they’re not the ones who crossed the line tonight,” Bickerstaff said. “It was clear, through frustration, because of what J.D. [Duren] was doing, that they crossed the line. I hate that it got as ugly as it got.
“That’s not something that you ever want to see,” Bickerstaff added, “but if a guy throws a punch at you, you have a responsibility to protect yourself. That’s what happened tonight. If you go back and watch the film, they’re the ones who initiated crossing the line and our guy had to defend himself.”
Tensions continued to mount at the Spectrum Center after the fight.
Midway through the fourth quarter, Lee was ejected and had to be restrained by Hornets guard Brandon Miller while yelling at officials for a no-call after Charlotte’s Grant Williams collided with Detroit’s Paul Reed.
“Grant was walking down the paint and barely touched somebody and the guy fell over and that is what we are going to call a foul,” Lee said. “They have a hard job to make these calls, but I don’t think that was the consistency with which that had been called the rest of the game.”
Philadelphia will play a starring role in this summer’s celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The Union will have a jersey fit for the party.
The club’s new home kit, unveiled Tuesday, is a navy blue jersey with an all-over pattern that features illustrations of some of Philly’s most recognizable landmarks and script from the Declaration of Independence.
Included in the pattern are illustrations of the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, and even a portrait of Benjamin Franklin near the shoulder. A fragment of the Declaration of Independence, including the date of July 4, 1776, is printed just below the jersey’s collar, between the Adidas logo and the club’s crest.
“Being here in Philadelphia, the birthplace of the country, we just thought there was a really incredible opportunity to create something that represents the Philadelphia Union, that represents our city, and represents the country,” said Amanda Young Curtis, the Union’s senior vice president of marketing and communications. “This is, hopefully, a jersey that people think they can wear to a Union game, to a semiquincentennial celebration, or to a U.S. men’s national team game or watch party.”
The Union should have their first opportunity to play in their new uniform when the club hosts Trinidad’s Defence Force FC in the second leg of their first-round Concacaf Champions Cup matchup on Feb. 26. The Union’s MLS home opener is scheduled for March 1 against New York City FC.
Union midfielder Alejandro Bedoya showcases the new jersey for the season at the WSFS SportsPlex in Chester on Jan. 14.
The 1776 script also appears in the bottom corner of the jersey in gold. The jersey will be paired with dark blue shorts and socks to complete the Union’s home uniform.
The Union hope their bold new home kit can be a staple for this summer’s Independence Day festivities and fans at the FIFA World Cup, which will return to American soil for the first time since 1994.
This year, kits across MLS will feature a special nod to this summer’s World Cup, co-hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. On jerseys for American teams, the team logo will feature a holographic star pattern. For the three Canadian clubs, the holographic pattern will be maple leaves.
Union forward Milan Iloski shows off the new kit ahead of the Union’s 2026 season, which features various historical Philadelphia landmarks.
The kit, designed in partnership between the Union and Adidas, MLS’s jersey provider, will replace the navy kit that the club debuted in 2024. The team’s away jersey, a light blue shirt that features a yellow lightning pattern, will continue to be used.
Milan Iloski had high praise for the creative team behind the jersey’s design, calling it “a beautiful kit.” The Union midfielder also pointed out the kit’s versatility for this summer’s slate of festivities.
“I think it’ll be a kit that can be worn anywhere,” Iloski said. “I mean, you could wear it to a game, you can wear it to a party, you could wear it anywhere. With the World Cup coming here in America and the 250th anniversary, it felt like the perfect opportunity to do a big kit, to do something different, and I think they nailed it.”
Alejandro Bedoya has played in a lot of Union jerseys over the span of his career. But he says this year’s kit is among the best he’s seen, calling it a “work of art.”
Union midfielder Alejandro Bedoya, who shows off the raised crest on the Union’s new home kit, described it as a “work of art.”
“As a player, you’re often told [to] play for the badge, play for the shirt,” he said. “There’s no better representation of what that actually means than putting it on this jersey. You’re literally rocking Philadelphia here, and the history, and everybody who’s come through here. … Now we have even more of a reason to go out there on the field and really rep our city proudly.”
The Union wanted the kit to tell a story while representing the history and culture of Philadelphia. Fortunately for the club, the timing of its release made it easy to determine what story should be told.
“In soccer culture, not just with the Union, the jersey represents way more than just the team,” Curtis said. “It tells a story. In a way, the story was pretty clear for 2026.”
A first look at the new kit for Union’s 2026 season features various historical Philadelphia landmarks and documents depicted in the jersey to represent club, city, and country.
The Union are scheduled to host a number of pop-up retail locations in Philadelphia this weekend for fans interested in buying the new kit. They will set up at the Independence Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Friday. Saturday’s pop-up is scheduled from noon to 2 p.m. at the Independence Visitor Center, and the club will be at Dilworth Park from noon to 2 p.m. on Sunday.
The team’s retail location at Subaru Park also will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
However, it appeared that fans could purchase the jerseys over the weekend, as a fan noted that the kit was on the shelves at the Mount Laurel location of Dick’s Sporting Goods on Sunday. Repeated attempts for comment from both the store’s location and from Dick’s corporate office went unreturned.
The post and others like it caused a social media storm of reactions, mostly positive from fans and style aficionados trying to determine if the leak was the team’s new primary uniform or a special third kit.
Now they have their answer.
Inquirer staff writer Kerith Gabriel contributed to this article.
PORTLAND, Ore. — As Jabari Walker worked his way around the three-point arc during Monday’s pregame warmup, a member of the Trail Blazers’ cheer team exclaimed, “Jabari’s back!”
Yes and no.
Walker, the 76ers reserve forward who spent his first three seasons with the Trail Blazers, was unable to play in his former NBA home. He has exhausted the maximum 50 games for which he is allowed to be active for the Sixers while on a two-way contract, leaving him ineligible since Thursday’s loss at the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Sixers could have used Walker in their 135-118 blowout loss in Portland, when starting wing Paul George was suspended, starting forward Dominick Barlow was a late scratch because of illness, and the team was in its final matchup of a grueling five-game Western Conference road trip. And though president of basketball operations Daryl Morey on Friday did not commit to converting Walker to a standard contract, Walker remains optimistic that such a deal will be “figured out” soon.
“It’s a good problem to have,” Walker told The Inquirer from his locker before the Sixers’ victory at the Phoenix Suns on Saturday. “It puts pressure on the organization or whoever is making the decision, which is all you can do as a player. …
“The energy from management is all positive, and it’s just a matter of time, it feels like.”
Jabari Walker (left, with Dominick Barlow) has contributed this season but has also had to find other ways to chip in via a bench role.
Sixers coach Nick Nurse also implied before Monday’s loss in Portland that he expects Walker to be converted “fairly soon … and [we will] get him back out there when all that stuff gets taken care of.”
Walker respectfully shrugged off periodic questions throughout the season about his dwindling NBA game days, as he is a rare two-way player who has consistently been in the Sixers’ rotation. Many players on this type of deal split time between the NBA and G League and/or regularly are inactive because they are less experienced and still developing.
Walker’s reality did not fully hit until he (and the Sixers) reached Game 50 last Tuesday at the Golden State Warriors. He received a phone call reminder that he was out of NBA eligibility but was assured of his value to the front office and “how important it is to try and keep me around,” he said.
“He’s been a tremendous next-man-up contributor, and we hope to have his services,” Morey said of Walker following the trade deadline. “But we do have to weigh optimal use of our scarce two roster spots and against the other opportunities, as well.
“So that will be written over time, whether or not we do that conversion.”
Jabari Walker is beloved by Sixers teammates and also brings energy when he cracks the lineup.
Walker has averaged 3.7 points and 3.1 rebounds in 12.1 minutes this season. He brings what teammate Kelly Oubre Jr. on Monday described as “unmatched” energy as a rebounder and physical defender, with spotty success as a three-point shooter (27% on 1.4 attempts per game). And Walker is well-liked inside the locker room, with Oubre sharing that teammates have nicknamed him “Mr. Rah-Rah” because he is “the sweetest dude. He’s friends with everybody.”
“Pretty reliable,” Nurse said Monday of Walker. “At this point, we know who he is and what he’s done for us. So it’s a guy we can kind of count on to do the same things every night.”
Added Walker: “I haven’t overstepped my role. I’ve been impactful. It’s validating to know that you play a solid role on a winning team.”
Walker has relished being immersed in the “completely different vibe” of a Sixers team vying for playoff positioning, with star teammates who he said have “an answer for every situation.” As the Sixers roster temporarily got healthier, however, Walker more often got squeezed out of the rotation.
Now, George still has 19 games remaining on his suspension after violating the NBA’s antidrug policy. His absence on Monday, plus Barlow’s illness and Walker’s ineligibility, thrust fellow two-way player MarJon Beauchamp into his first action as a Sixer.
Walker, though, is attempting to best maximize the time he is prohibited to play in NBA games. He has jumped into the five-on-five and three-on-three scrimmages with “low-minute” players on off days and can shoulder more strenuous weightlifting sessions. He is working on improving his lateral quickness on defense and becoming “more bouncy overall.” He also has focused on the fluidity of his three-point shot and “not overcomplicating it” while maintaining the confidence to launch when open.
Jabari Walker is averaging 3.7 points this season.
And Walker has taken mental notes on where his presence could have been felt in the three games he has missed. Watching Thursday’s loss at the Lakers, when the Sixers surrendered a 14-point second-half lead, was rough because he believed his playing style could have slowed the Lakers’ momentum. Walker thinks the Sixers staff feels similarly, which he recognizes is better than those coaches concluding that he “really would not have helped” in such a game.
After Monday’s matchup between Walker’s current and former teams, he greeted Portland All-Star Deni Avdija with a quick dance move and then chatted with Jerami Grant near midcourt. A few minutes later, Walker was spotted catching up with a Trail Blazers staffer in the hallway outside the visitors’ locker room. Walker then continued to linger with Avdija near the Moda Center’s loading dock, from where the Sixers team buses eventually departed for the airport.
Perhaps all of those reconnections were enough to create a fulfilling NBA homecoming. But Walker could not boost the shorthanded Sixers on the floor Monday because he is still waiting for his contract to be converted.
“It’s ‘free Bari’ until he’s back with us,” Oubre said. “Can’t wait for him to suit up and get out there.”
Philadelphia sports fans will soon be presented with a first — a chance to actually save money during the streaming wars.
Beginning this week, YouTube TV is rolling out a sports-specific plan featuring channels with major sports rights that will cost $64.99 a month, $18 less than what it currently charges for a subscription.
New subscribers can nab the deal for $54.99 a month for a year.
The plan will include all the major broadcast networks — ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox — and cable channels that hold sports rights, including ESPN’s networks (and full access to ESPN Unlimited beginning in the fall), FS1, TNT, TBS, TruTV (for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament), CBS Sports Network, Golf Channel, and USA Network, the U.S. home of Premier League games.
NBC Sports Philadelphia also will be included in the slimmed-down sports bundle for those who live in the Philadelphia TV market, a YouTube spokesperson confirmed. So will NBC’s other three regional sports networks in their respective areas: Boston, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Northern California. NBC Sports Philadelphia also still will be available to stream without a cable subscription through Peacock and MLB.TV.
YouTubeTV’s sports bundle will also include league-centric channels like the NFL Network (now owned by ESPN), the Big Ten Network, and NBA TV, which this season basically just airs a whip-around show called The Association and a handful of NBA games.
While the plan gets sports fans the bulk of NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL games, there are a few omissions. Amazon’s Prime Video, which features Thursday Night Football, weekly NBA games, and playoff games in both leagues, isn’t included. It also doesn’t include the handful of NFL and MLB games streamed by Netflix, or Apple TV+’s Friday Night Baseball or MLS games.
Another notable omission is MLB Network, which hasn’t been available on YouTube TV since 2023 because of a carriage dispute.
YouTube TV is also rolling out slimmed-down subscription offerings for entertainment fans ($54.99 a month), a sports-plus-news package ($71.99 a month), and a family-focused plan ($69.99 a month).
Why now? Growth. YouTubeTV is the third-largest cable TV provider in the country and growing, with over 10 million subscribers, trailing just Charter (12.6 million) and Comcast (11.3 million). While Comcast has been shedding video customers, Charter has been able to stem its losses by offering its own skinny bundle, something fans and non-fans alike have been complaining about for years.
YouTube, the free older brother of YouTube TV, hasn’t been quiet about wanting to stream more NFL games in the near future. It could get its wish as soon as next season.
As part of its purchase of NFL Media and the NFL Network, ESPN agreed to give the league back the TV rights to four games. Those will now head to the marketplace, where YouTube is expected be among the bidders. It’s no surprise that YouTube CEO Neal Mohan was among the big names sitting with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in his Super Bowl box on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium.
“We really value our partnership with the NFL,” Christian Oestlien, YouTube’s vice president of subscription product, told Bloomberg.com in a recent interview. “Everything we’ve done with them so far has been really successful. And so we’re very excited about the idea that we could be doing more with them.”
YouTube’s biggest competitor for those four games likely will be Netflix, which is entering the last year of its three-season deal to stream NFL Christmas games. Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s co-CEO, was also in Goodell’s booth.
YouTube streamed its first NFL game last season, the Week 1 matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers played in São Paulo, Brazil. The game drew 17.3 million global viewers, including 16.2 million in the United States, a big number boosting the streamer’s chances of landing more games.
More sports media news
ESPN will broadcast next year’s Super Bowl in Los Angeles, and you’re going to hear a lot over the next year about it being the network’s first. But it has aired on sister network, ABC. As pointed out by Sports Media Watch’s Jon Lewis, ABC has broadcast three Super Bowls since being purchased by ESPN’s parent company, Disney, in 1996 — in 2000, 2003, and 2006, with coverage featuring Chris Berman and a number of ESPN personalities. The Super Bowl also has aired in Spanish on ESPN Deportes.
Happy trails to the laptop of The Athletic’s Tony Jones, which was destroyed after it was hit by a T-shirt shot by a cannon during the fourth quarter of Sunday’s Super Bowl. Jones said the rolled-up T-shirt hit his computer, which then hit him in the face, cracking the screen and preventing him from filing a story.
NBC will air MLB games this season for the first time since 1989 and is filling out its broadcast bench, adding studio analysts (and recent MLBers) Clayton Kershaw, Anthony Rizzo, and Joey Votto. You might not see much of them during the regular season, but all three will be part of NBC’s coverage of the wild-card series, which it’s taking over from ESPN.
Super Bowl viewership numbers will be out later Tuesday. If you care about such things and have seen numbers on social media, ignore them. The Eagles’ blowout win last year against the Chiefs averaged over 127 million viewers, peaking with Kendrick Lamar’s halftime show, with over 133 million people tuning in. We’ll see how Bad Bunny and Sunday’s boring Super Bowl can match that.
The undefeated U.S. women’s hockey team, led by Hilary Knight, will take on rival Canada on Tuesday in its final preliminary game of the Milan Cortina Olympics. The game is scheduled to begin at 2:10 p.m. Philadelphia time on USA Network.
The U.S. women’s team has faced Canada in the gold medal game in six of the seven Olympics that featured women’s hockey, with Team USA winning twice — 2018 in Pyeongchang, South Korea, and 1998 in Nagano, Japan. So there’s a good chance this will be a preview of things to come at Milan Cortina.
Team USA is a perfect 3-0 in Group A play after defeating Switzerland on Monday, which followed wins against Czechia and Finland. Tuesday’s game against Canada will decide the No. 1 seed in the quarterfinals, which take place Friday.
And if you’re wondering, the U.S. men’s hockey team will play its first game Thursday against Latvia, followed by Denmark on Saturday and Germany on Sunday.
In other Tuesday action:
The U.S. will be competing for a gold medal in curling, with mixed doubles duo Korey Dropkin and Cory Thiesse taking on siblings Isabella and Rasmus Wranå of Sweden. The final is scheduled to begin at noon on USA Network, and win or lose, it will be the Americans’ first medal in mixed doubles curling since its debut in 2018.
Mikaela Shiffrin, the two-time Olympic gold medalist and the winningest Alpine skier of all time, is expected to make her Milan Cortina debut in the team combined slalom. The event begins at 8 a.m. on USA Network.
Team USA freestyle skier Alex Hall will be going for his second straight gold medal in the men’s slopestyle final at 6:30 a.m. on USA Network, with a rebroadcast on NBC at noon. Konnor Ralph and Mac Forehand will also represent the U.S. in the event.
U.S. figure skater Ilia Malinin will make his individual debut in the Games in the men’s short program, which will start at 12:30 p.m. on USA Network before moving to NBC.
How to watch the Olympics on TV and stream online
NBC’s TV coverage will have live events from noon to 5 p.m. Philadelphia time on weekdays and starting in the mornings on the weekends. There’s a six-hour time difference from Italy and here. The traditional prime-time coverage will have highlights of the day and storytelling features.
As far as the TV channels, the Olympics are airing on NBC, USA, CNBC, and NBCSN. Spanish coverage can be found on Telemundo and Universo.
NBCSN is carrying the Gold Zone whip-around show that was so popular during the Summer Olympics in 2024, with hosts including Scott Hanson of NFL RedZone. It used to be just on Peacock, NBC’s online streaming service, but now is on TV, too.
Every event is available to stream live on NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports app. You’ll have to log in with your pay-TV provider, whether cable, satellite, or streaming platforms including YouTube TV, FuboTV, and Sling TV.
On Peacock, the events are on the platform’s premium subscription tier, which starts at $10.99 per month or $109.99 per year.
As a general rule, our schedules include all live broadcasts on TV, but not tape-delayed broadcasts on cable channels. We’ll let you know what’s on NBC’s broadcasts, whether they’re live or not.
NBC
11 a.m.: Luge — women’s singles
noon: Freestyle skiing — men’s slopestyle final (tape-delayed)
1:15 p.m.: Cross-country skiing — women’s and men’s spring classic final (taped delayed)
1:45 p.m.: Figure skating — men’s short program
8 p.m.: Prime time in Milan, with replays including Alpine skiing and figure skating
11:35 p.m.: Late show replays including freestyle skiing and luge
USA Network
3:15 a.m.: Cross-country skiing — women’s and men’s spring classic qualification
4:30 a.m.: Alpine skiing — women’s team combined downhill
CLEARWATER, Fla. — Say this for the 2026 Phillies: They’re recognizable without a program.
Kyle Schwarber is back. So is J.T. Realmuto. And although team officials cite a new right fielder, a remade bullpen, and a commitment to two top prospects as a rebuttal to the claim that they are running back the roster, there was a week in January when they nearly put the darned thing in a blender.
If the Phillies signed Bo Bichette — and they agreed to offer what he asked for (seven years, $200 million, according to a major-league source) — it would have set off a chain reaction. They’d have moved on from Realmuto to a less-expensive catcher (they talked with Victor Caratini) and probably have traded Alec Bohm to open third base.
Instead, Bichette took a higher-salary, shorter-term offer from the New York Mets, and the Phillies turned back to Realmuto. Re-signing two foundational players — also, the best DH and catcher in free agency — was Plan A anyway. And keeping together the guts of a roster that won … checks standings … 96 games last season is sensible, even if fans are restless after back-to-back divisional-round knockouts.
That’s the backdrop as spring training begins. Let’s dive in with our annual Starting 9 — a lineup of Phillies questions for the next six weeks in Florida.
Rob Thomson is set to begin his fifth season as manager of the Phillies.
“I think it’s to be determined,” the manager said recently on The Inquirer’s Phillies Extra podcast. “But I feel better about it.”
It’s a high bar. And the Phillies did lose mainstay starter Ranger Suárez and trade-deadline spark Harrison Bader in free agency. But Thomson’s optimism stems from a belief that rookies Andrew Painter and Justin Crawford can fill those spots. Having star closer Jhoan Duran for a full season helps, too. Adolis García is, at minimum, a defensive upgrade over Nick Castellanos in right field.
It’s reasonable to call for change, and the flirtation with Bichette signaled management’s interest in a different look. But different isn’t always good, and BetMGM set the Same Old Phillies’ over/under win total at 90.5, a reminder that they’re still very good.
Are they better? Not yet, but check back.
Bryce Harper was still productive in 2025, but he wasn’t patient at the plate or particularly clutch either.
Perspective is important. Harper missed most of June with an inflamed right wrist, leaving his counting stats — homers (27), RBIs (75), doubles (32) — short of his career norms. But by OPS (.844), he ranked 22nd among 145 hitters who qualified for the batting title. Based on OPS-plus, he was 29% better than league average.
Here’s what Harper wasn’t: patient. He swung at 35.6% of pitches out of the strike zone, well above his career average (29.3%). He wasn’t clutch, either. Only one of the Phillies’ biggest 43 hits by Win Probability Added belonged to MV3; he batted .233 with a .762 OPS with runners in scoring position.
The first thing seems fixable. Maybe it will help if Harper bats in front of Schwarber rather than behind him. The second? The Phillies are betting on it being aberrational, not the start of a decline at age 33.
Phillies ace Zack Wheeler is attempting to come back from major surgery in September.
To recap: In August, Wheeler developed a blood clot near his right shoulder and was diagnosed with a condition in which a vein is compressed between the collarbone and rib cage. He had surgery to remove the clot, then a second procedure in September to relieve the vein by removing the first rib.
Wheeler spent the offseason in Philadelphia, rehabbing under the supervision of team doctors and trainers. He got back on a mound last week. He will turn 36 in May. It’s unlikely he will be ready for opening day, Thomson said Monday, but the Phillies don’t expect him to be far behind.
“He’s wants to be an All-Star,” Thomson said. “He’s got a carrot out there that he’s after. We’re not going to push him because we want a healthy Zack Wheeler. We want him back to normal, and I believe he’s going to get there.”
Normal, for Wheeler, is among the best two or three pitchers in baseball, dominant and durable. It’s a long way back to that level. It’ll be fascinating to watch him try to get there.
Alec Bohm is a candidate to return to the cleanup spot for the Phillies.
4. Batting cleanup …?
This is where Bichette came in. Maybe not in the cleanup spot, per se. But the two-time American League hit king surely would have joined Trea Turner, Harper, and Schwarber — in some order — in the top half of the lineup.
So, now what?
“I’ve got some ideas,” Thomson said. “I’ve got to talk to the players about it, but you could see a change.”
The implication is that Schwarber and Harper will be flip-flopped in the Nos. 2 and 3 spots behind Turner as a way of getting Harper to see more strikes. But then who bats behind Schwarber?
Bohm may be the first choice. He batted .216 with a .571 OPS in 26 starts in the cleanup spot last year, but excelled there (.283, .769) in 2024. García is another option after batting cleanup in 71% of his starts for the Rangers since 2022. But Thomson believes García put too much pressure on himself last year in Texas and might prefer to ease him in.
Either way, the Phillies must get more production out of the cleanup spot. They ranked 20th last season with a .720 OPS.
The Phillies are expected to trade or release Nick Castellanos before the first full-squad workout in spring training.
5. Will anyone trade for Castellanos?
Think of Castellanos as a car on the side of the road. It’s running, with the keys in the ignition. The Phillies just haven’t gotten anyone to drive it away.
They have a few more days.
“We continue to talk to clubs about [a trade],” president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Monday.
And if they don’t find a taker before Monday’s first full-squad workout?
“At this point, we’re doing everything we can to make a move by that time period,” Dombrowski said. “I’ll leave it at that right now.“
OK, so everyone knows that Castellanos’ relationship with the organization soured last season when he clashed with Thomson over playing time, including an incident in the dugout in Miami that led to a one-game benching.
In November, Dombrowski said “change of sceneries can be beneficial for people.” Nothing has changed. But before the Phillies release Castellanos and swallow his entire $20 million salary, they will exhaust all trade options. The San Diego Padres have a need after ranking 27th in the majors with a .630 OPS from the DH spot. The Colorado Rockies need a lot, including a DH (.613 OPS last season).
In any case, it would be a stunner if Castellanos walks into the clubhouse next week.
Rookie Justin Crawford is the Phillies’ presumptive opening-day center fielder.
6. What’s reasonable to expect from Crawford and Painter?
Nobody expects them to carry the team.
Crawford turned 22 last month; Painter will be 23 in April. Besides, Harper & Friends (Turner, Schwarber, Realmuto, Wheeler, and Aaron Nola) are still near enough to their primes to do the heaviest lifting.
But if the organization is to transition from this core to the next without a rebuilding gap in between, Crawford, Painter, and eventually top prospect Aidan Miller must light the way.
The projection models are promising. Crawford is pegged to bat .286/.337/.390 with seven homers, 29 steals, a 103 wRC+ (weighted runs created plus; 100 is league average), and 2.0 wins above replacement, based on the ZiPS forecasting system. Steamer, another system used by FanGraphs, has Painter for a 4.69 ERA in 133 innings.
Those would be solid numbers for a rookie No. 9 hitter and debutant No. 5 starter, with room to grow.
Phillies top prospect Aidan Miller has a chance to make his major-league debut later this season.
7. When will it be Miller’s time?
Of all the reasons to be bullish on Miller — extra-base power, a high contact rate, and stolen-base aptitude — here’s one more: He’s a quick study.
To wit: After getting promoted to high-A Jersey Shore in 2024, Miller batted .169 and slugged .268 through his first 71 at-bats. He made adjustments and got on a .299/.526 roll over his final 154 at-bats.
Exhibit B: Last year, the Phillies challenged Miller by starting him at double-A Reading, where he was among the youngest players in the league. He batted .234 and slugged .355 through the All-Star break, then went on a .302/.550 kick before going 9-for-27 (.333) with a 1.032 OPS in a weeklong triple-A cameo to end the season.
It wouldn’t be surprising, then, if the Phillies punch the accelerator on Miller. He’s blocked at shortstop by Turner, but the plan is to get him reps at third base in spring training.
If Miller gets off to a blazing start in triple A and Bohm struggles again in April, well, it could get interesting.
Phillies ace Cristopher Sánchez will pitch for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic next month.
8. Will the WBC be a disruption?
Eleven players — more than one-quarter of the 40-man roster — will leave camp at the end of the month to compete for their respective countries in the World Baseball Classic. It’s not ideal.
But the Phillies aren’t unique, either. The Boston Red Sox also will have 11 players leaving major league camp; the Seattle Mariners will have 10. The Mets, Milwaukee Brewers, and Chicago Cubs will have eight apiece.
“I played for Team Canada a couple of times, and to play for your country is quite an honor,” Thomson said. “You’re holding your breath when the guys go. But at the end of it, if they come out of it clean, I think it’s really good.”
Specifically, the Phillies will cross their fingers and toes for the health of five pitchers: Cristopher Sánchez (Dominican Republic), Nola (Italy), Taijuan Walker (Mexico), and relievers Brad Keller (U.S.) and José Alvarado (Venezuela). Harper and Schwarber will join Keller on Team USA. Edmundo Sosa (Panama), Johan Rojas (D.R.), and Garrett Stubbs and Max Lazar (Israel) are also competing.
Veteran major-league outfielder Bryan De La Cruz will be a nonroster invitee to Phillies camp after signing a minor-league contract in November.
9. Is there a sleeper to watch?
Don’t mistake passing on a handful of righty-hitting free-agent outfielders as an indication that the Phillies are still holding out hope for Brandon Marsh to hit left-handed pitching. Maybe he’ll turn into a latter-day Schwarber, but the Phillies aren’t under any illusions.
In that case, why not sign Rob Refsnyder, Lane Thomas, Austin Hays, Miguel Andújar, or at least so far, Randal Grichuk?
Two words: Otto Kemp.
Dombrowski and Thomson have talked up Kemp throughout the winter. Kemp slugged .558 with four homers in 57 plate appearances after getting called back up in September despite playing through shoulder and knee injuries that required offseason surgeries. He’s healthy now and will get the first shot at platooning with Marsh in left field.
But there’s another option. Maybe you remember Bryan De La Cruz from his years with the Miami Marlins. He bats from the right side and has 58 career homers, seven against the Phillies. The 29-year-old signed a minor-league deal in November, then batted .301 with eight homers and an .888 OPS en route to being named MVP of the Dominican Winter League.
Could he be the surprise of camp? There’s always one.
The Eagles are no longer the defending champions, and their early exit from the playoffs one month ago has already ushered in major changes. Out is offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo, in is new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion, and with him more changes to the offensive coaching staff.
The Eagles are facing a key offseason as they aim to make changes and improvements to make sure their Super Bowl window remains open in 2026 and beyond.
Stoutland’s departure is a big one, as he has long been regarded as the best offensive line coach in the NFL. The Eagles hired his replacement on Monday by bringing in former Vikings offensive line coach Chris Kuper, who was with Minnesota as the line coach for the last four seasons before his contract expired. Kuper crossed paths with Mannion in 2023, when Mannion was a quarterback on the Vikings’ roster. He also worked under Vic Fangio as an assistant offensive line coach when Fangio was the head coach of the Denver Broncos (2019-21).
The new hires also indicate that Parks Frazier, the pass game coordinator this season, and Jason Michael, the tight ends coach, could be on their way out with the Eagles as the team revamps its offensive scheme under a new coordinator.
On the defensive side, there was a brief scare when Fangio was mulling retirement, but the defensive coordinator made the decision to return to the Eagles for the 2026 season. Fangio’s exit would have been a big blow, especially considering that the Dallas Cowboys plucked Eagles defensive backs coach Christian Parker, a highly regarded, 34-year-old up-and-comer, to be their new defensive coordinator. It had always seemed like a matter of time until Parker, who was also the defensive pass game coordinator, was lured to a better job with another team, and that time came.
Parker, of course, has been instrumental in helping the Eagles develop their two young All-Pro defensive backs, Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. Those young players will now be under the tutelage of Joe Kasper, who will assume the role of defensive backs coach after being promoted from safeties coach, a position the Eagles need to backfill.
Did Jaelan Phillips show the Eagles enough to get a new contract from them this offseason?
Roster decisions
Scheduled free agents
The Eagles have 20 pending free agents — 10 on offense, nine on defense, and punter Braden Mann.
Offense
TE Dallas Goedert: Goedert reworked his deal last offseason to stay with the Eagles and scored a career-best 11 touchdowns, a tight end record for the team. Considering the Eagles don’t have any tight ends on the roster, they may look to bring the 31-year-old back after he got through the season relatively healthy.
WR Jahan Dotson: The little-used third receiver could find a new home this offseason. WR3 is a tough position on this team behind A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, and it seems unlikely the Eagles will find it worth bringing Dotson back.
OT Fred Johnson: Johnson left for free agency after last season, but the Eagles traded for him before the season for some insurance at tackle, and they needed it. It remains to be seen how the Eagles approach the draft and free agency, but Johnson’s return would put an experienced body on the depth chart.
TE Grant Calcaterra: As mentioned, the Eagles don’t have any tight ends. Calcaterra has been productive when the Eagles use him as a pass catcher, but he’s not a great blocker, and the Eagles need their tight ends to block.
OL Brett Toth: The do-it-all lineman has been a valuable asset in the offensive line room. He can fill in at any position.
TE Kylen Granson: Granson was a big part of the Eagles’ special teams, despite having a limited role in the offense. The tight end position is in flux, but Granson could return as a depth piece.
OL Matt Pryor: The Eagles brought back a familiar and experienced face in the offseason for some depth. Pryor gave that and provided positional versatility. But he wasn’t all that great in relief.
RB AJ Dillon: Dillon started the season in the mix to get snaps behind Saquon Barkley, but he fell out of favor after the Eagles traded for Tank Bigsby. Dillon was inactive for most of the second half of the season and logged just 12 carries. The Eagles are pretty set at running back with Barkley, Bigsby, and Will Shipley.
QB Sam Howell: The Eagles weren’t comfortable with Kyle McCord as QB3, so they acquired Howell before the season. McCord has since landed with Green Bay.
FB Ben VanSumeren: VanSumeren changed positions from linebacker to fullback and made the 53-man roster, but his season ended with an injury on the opening kickoff in Week 1. The Eagles signed Kansas City’s Carson Steele to a futures contract. Will they bring back VanSumeren and have a fullback competition?
Defense
Edge rusher Jaelan Phillips: The deadline acquisition stepped in right away and was a difference-maker along the defensive line. The Eagles need a top-end edge rusher to add to a unit that has Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith under contract. Phillips would make sense.
LB Nakobe Dean: Dean returned from patellar tendon surgery in the middle of the season and looked like he didn’t miss a beat. But the Eagles drafted his replacement last season in Jihaad Campbell.
S Reed Blankenship: Blankenship has been a big part of the defense for the last four years. He has started 50 games and is a leader. The Eagles are thin at safety, but it remains to be seen what Blankenship’s market looks like and if the Eagles will be in the mix.
CB Adoree’ Jackson: Jackson was up and down in training camp and to start the season, but he played his way into a starting job opposite Mitchell. He’ll be 31 next season, and the Eagles probably want to get better at CB2.
S Marcus Epps: Epps stepped in as a starter after Drew Mukuba went down. He just turned 30, although he could find his way back to the Eagles and compete for a job.
Edge rusher Brandon Graham: Graham came out of retirement and briefly changed positions when Jalen Carter went down and the interior needed a boost. Will he go back into retirement?
Edge rusher Joshua Uche: Uche seemed to be playing his way into a bigger role when the Eagles brought Graham out of retirement, which forced Uche to a lesser role. The Eagles are thin on the edge, though Uche seems to be more of a depth piece right now.
Edge rusher Azeez Ojulari: Ojulari ended up behind Uche on the depth chart and then missed most of the season after being placed on injured reserve.
Edge rusher Ogbo Okoronkwo: Okoronkwo made the team out of training camp as a depth edge rusher but suffered a season-ending injury in Week 4, the only game in which he played.
Special teams
P Braden Mann: Mann had a great season. He ranked fifth in the NFL in punt average (49.9 yards). It would make sense for the Eagles to want to bring him back.
New deals?
There are a few players under contract who could be in the running for a new contract with the Eagles.
DT Jordan Davis: The Eagles picked up Davis’ fifth-year option last offseason and he remains under contract for the 2026 season. But after a breakout 2025 season, he likely earned himself a lot of money.
DT Jalen Carter: The Eagles likely will do what they did with Davis and pick up Carter’s fifth year, but it might be time for an extension now. Carter didn’t have his best season after a dominant 2024. The Eagles may be able to sign him to a more team-friendly deal, though Carter and his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, may opt to play 2026 on his current deal and revisit the big-money deal next offseason.
DT Moro Ojomo: Ojomo is set to play the final year of his four-year rookie deal in 2026. The seventh-round pick has been a major success story. Will the Eagles look to lock him up beyond 2026? Will they be able to afford all of these defensive linemen with big contracts coming in the future for other defensive stars like Mitchell and DeJean?
Contracted players who could be on the way out
The Eagles have some players on the 2026 roster who may not be here when training camp starts.
K Jake Elliott: Elliott has had two consecutive seasons in which he didn’t perform well enough. His 2025 field goal conversion rate was just 74.1%, the lowest of any kicker who played a full season.
WR A.J. Brown: Will his frustrations with the offense cause him to ask for a trade? It would be a costly move for the Eagles, but they’ve willingly taken on dead cap in the past. The Eagles would have a big hole to fill if it came to that.
RT Lane Johnson: Johnson remains one of the best tackles in football, but his availability was an issue this season. He missed the final eight games after suffering a Lisfranc injury in his right foot. The Eagles probably would love him back, but Johnson will be 36 in May and won’t play forever.
LG Landon Dickerson: The Inquirer’s Jeff McLane reported in a podcast during Super Bowl week that Dickerson’s return was no sure thing. The 27-year-old played through a lot of pain in 2025 and his body has taken a toll with multiple injuries since his college football playing days. An early retirement would leave the Eagles with a big hole.
QB Tanner McKee: Will the Eagles look to ship McKee to another team for a draft pick? McKee’s Week 18 performance didn’t help their cause.
CB Kelee Ringo: Ringo remains under contract on his rookie deal, but he seems like a change-of-scenery candidate. He has struggled to get on the field with the Eagles, though he has been great on special teams.
2026 free agency targets
What do the Eagles need most? What kind of players will be on the market?
First, the Eagles need to know what happens with the futures of key offensive players like A.J. Brown, Lane Johnson, and Landon Dickerson.
At the moment, they have just over $20 million in cap space, according to Over the Cap. That’s not a lot, but Howie Roseman has shown the creativity to use void years and spread cap hits out over multiple seasons.
Free agency begins March 11.
Jordan Mailata (left) will be back, but what will become of tackle Lane Johnson (center) and guard Landon Dickerson (right)?
Position groups and players to target
Offensive line: Will Johnson return? Will Dickerson ever be fully healthy again? Can Cam Jurgens bounce back? Those are big questions facing the Eagles, who need to restore their offensive line this offseason. Reinforcements likely will come via the draft, but free agency offers some options.
Indianapolis Colts right tackle Braden Smith, for example, has dealt with injuries but could provide insurance for Johnson and help the Eagles bridge their way to the next young tackle. Old friend Isaac Seumalo fits that bill, too, at guard. Same with Cleveland Browns guard Joel Bitonio.
Wide receiver: Regardless of what happens with Brown, the Eagles could use some more help at receiver. They won’t be playing in the George Pickens pool, and probably not Alec Pierce, either, but what about Romeo Doubs, Kendrick Bourne, or Van Jefferson at WR3?
EDGE: Jaelan Phillips should be at the top of the Eagles’ wish list. Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith are the only two edge rushers under contract. The Eagles will draft at least one rusher, but they need a top-end talent like Phillips. If not Phillips, other top options would be Trey Hendrickson, Odafe Oweh, Boye Mafe, Joey Bosa, and Khalil Mack. There’s always the possibility of Roseman figuring out a way to trade for Maxx Crosby, too.
Tight end: Dallas Goedert may be in the running to return. But if not, the Eagles could eye someone like Atlanta’s Kyle Pitts, who finally played to his potential this season. Pitts attended Abington and Archbishop Wood before playing at Florida in college. Other free agents include Isaiah Likely, David Njoku, and Tyler Higbee. The Eagles probably will use a draft pick on one, too.
Cornerback: Quinyon Mitchell eventually will re-sign at the top of the market, and you don’t see many teams spending that type of money on two players at this position. But there are some options the Eagles could target, like Tariq Woolen, Roger McCreary, and Jamel Dean. Will those players be too costly? We’ll see.
Safety: Reed Blankenship has been solid for the Eagles, but he’s not great in coverage. The Eagles could be looking to pair Drew Mukuba with a better player on the back line, and they could look to do that via free agency. Old friend Kevin Byard has been really productive with the Chicago Bears, though he could command a bigger contract than the Eagles are willing to give out. Los Angeles Rams safety Kamren Curl could be an option.
The 2026 NFL draft will be held April 23-25 in Pittsburgh.
The 2026 NFL draft
The Eagles’ needs here will become clearer after free agency, though our Devin Jackson released his first mock draft Monday morning and has the Eagles making a key addition to their offense at a position of need.
The draft will take place beginning on Thursday, April 23, in Pittsburgh.
The yearly NFL Scouting Combine begins on Feb. 23; and teams have until April 15 to conduct visits, tests, and interviews with prospective draft picks.
League meetings (updated Jan. 17)
The annual league meeting is from March 29 to April 1 in Arizona. It is there that the Tush Push likely will be another big topic of conversation and could meet its demise.
But the Eagles’ lack of success using their signature play this season could result in some teams backing off a little bit. We’ll see.
There’s also another league meeting May 19 and 20 in Orlando.
2026 Eagles schedule (updated Jan. 17)
The Eagles’ opponents are known. They play home games vs. their three divisional opponents (Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, and New York Giants), as well as other games vs. the Indianapolis Colts, Carolina Panthers, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Houston Texans.
Besides their three NFC East road games, the Eagles also travel to play the San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Bears, Arizona Cardinals, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Tennessee Titans.
It remains to be seen if the Eagles will get an international game.
The schedule is due out in May, but international dates will likely be released before that.
For the first time in a 12-year career that has been as sporadic as it has been incandescent, Joel Embiid is performing to the level of his potential.
If that sounds demeaning for a player who won the NBA MVP award in 2023, then you didn’t appreciate his unprecedented potential then and you don’t appreciate his diminished potential now.
Embiid had a chance to be the best big man in NBA history. However, a lack of professionalism rooted in indifference to discipline both on and off the court, combined with a cascade of injuries rooted in bad conditioning and bad luck, always limited his performance. He has missed almost half of the Sixers’ games in his career. This time last year, a lingering knee injury brought him to the brink of irrelevance.
Now, though, he seems to be the best possible version of himself. His new self. And he’s only getting better.
“I continue to see improvement,” Sixers president Daryl Morey said last week. “He feels like he’s improving still.”
How?
He listened to his doctors. He lost weight. He adjusted his game and is more deferential. He became a better teammate. He might not be going to the All-Star Game this weekend, but he’s playing at an All-Star level.
Sixers coach Nick Nurse will not play Joel Embiid on the second night of a back-to-back.
Embiid said last week he doesn’t care about what would be an eighth All-Star appearance: “I don’t need validation from anybody. I’m just excited to be playing every night.”
Everything is a bonus.
“Coming into this year, I thought it was going to be more of a tryout year,” he said.
He’s played in only 31 games, which is probably why he was not elected as an All-Star by the fans, media, and players, who vote on the starters; nor by the coaches, who vote on the reserves.
After all, Embiid missed 14 of the 76ers’ first 22 games as he grew accustomed to a new body and a new mindset and committed more fully to his rehab regimen.
That commitment has borne fruit. Embiid has played in 23 of the last 30 games, averaging 29.4 points and 8.2 rebounds in 33.8 minutes in that span. The Sixers were 14-9 in those games entering Monday. They held the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference, which is vulnerable due to the absence of stars in Boston and Indiana.
Given the intermittent nature of a playoff schedule, there’s no reason to think that Embiid couldn’t be similarly productive throughout a postseason run. He doesn’t play in back-to-back games, and he probably never will again, but there are no back-to-backs in the postseason. He did not play Monday in Portland due to right knee soreness, another enduring issue, but missing just seven of 30 games on 31-year-old knees that have undergone a total of four procedures has been a best-case scenario.
“We thought that Joel could still get to this level and play to this level,” Morey said. “I think there was a lot of very reasonable skepticism. But all I ever had was talking to our medical staff and doctors, and there was a lot of confidence that he could get to this place if he put in the time.”
That was a big “if.”
“He has,” Morey said.
Clearly.
Sixers center Joel Embiid shoots over New Orleans Pelicans guard Micah Peavy on Jan. 31.
Embiid underwent meniscus surgery in February 2024. He returned in April for the Sixers’ failed playoff run, then foolishly participated in the Paris Olympics with Team USA (he’s a naturalized citizen).
He showed up for training camp on Sept. 30 both out of shape and far behind on his rehab, and missed the first three weeks of the season. He was hopeless when he returned. The Sixers insisted the knee was fit for play and there was no further injury, but Embiid could not endure the pain and swelling. Doctors said the process of recovery involved strengthening the muscles that surround the knee; weight loss, to reduce the stress on the joint; and overall body strength to better distribute the load. He just got worse.
Embiid played in just 19 games last season, and, after the 16th one, suggested to a television reporter that he needed another surgery. To that end, Embiid eventually visited Dr. Jonathan Glashow, a Manhattan-based orthopedic surgeon and NBA specialist. Glashow performed an arthroscopic procedure on April 9.
This, of course, undermined the medical advice Embiid received from at least six other doctors.
So what, exactly, did Glashow do? Nobody will say. The Sixers, who since 2013 have been cursed by injuries like no other NBA team, are relatively transparent regarding significant medical procedures, at least eventually. Not this time.
Glashow last month posted on social media, but only to offer thanks to a grateful Sixers community and to offer vague praise of Embiid’s “dedication and hard work.”
The surgeon did not, however, reply for comment for this story.
Dr. Jonathan Glashow, who has received recent praise from Sixers fans as Joel Embiid’s progression continues, posted this video on Instagram earlier today: https://t.co/RcbQqMGp3hpic.twitter.com/pCNMnXnLGO
So, the question remains: What did Glashow do? Did he discover an injury other doctors missed?
About a year ago I wrote a column interviewing orthopedic surgeons who detailed options open to Embiid, many of which might have cost Embiid this season. When presented with the options, the Sixers acknowledged that the list was complete.
League sources indicate that Glashow did not perform any of the more radical procedures. According to the sources’ knowledge, Embiid underwent the most minor possible procedure on the list: putting the arthroscope into the knee, making sure there was nothing new causing irritation, and getting out.
After the visit to Glashow, sources say, everything improved. Maybe the big guy got scared straight. Embiid got better rest, he ate smarter, he was even more focused in his rehab sessions. He lost weight. His pain tolerance increased.
Maybe it just took more time than expected. Everybody heals at a different rate. Everybody’s commitment to rehabilitation is different. Doctors can project typical timelines, but returning to play seldom follows a straight line. There are setbacks. There are plateaus. The body has to develop compensatory strength and stability for strength and stability that has been lost forever.
At any rate, less than a calendar year later, Embiid is back — at least, he’s more “back” than anyone expected.
Can it last?
Joel Embiid’s $188 million contract extension will kick in next season.
Sustainability
The Sixers will have 28 games left after the Knicks visit Wednesday and the All-Star break begins, with six back-to-backs. Can Embiid play in, say, 22 games? After this season, the Sixers owe Embiid $188 million over the next three years. How much will he be able to give them when he’s 34?
“We do think it’s sustainable,” Morey said.
He’s in good hands. Embiid singled out Simon Rice, the team’s vice president of athlete care, as the main reason for his comeback. But it’s not as if the Sixers hired Rice and then Embiid got better. Rice has been with the Sixers since 2020.
No: This is less about the doctors than it is about the patient. Since last spring, Embiid simply has been more professional. More mature.
Sixers sources say that, after Tyrese Maxey called him out last year for chronic tardiness, Embiid has not been as late as often for the team bus or the team plane. He is more present in the locker room during the team’s downtime. He has been more engaging with young players like rookie VJ Edgecombe, with new players like Dominick Barlow, and with fringe players like Quentin Grimes.
Maybe Maxey’s emergence as the team’s MVP and spokesperson relieved from Embiid the pressure of a role for which he was never equipped.
“He’s like the fun-loving uncle now,” said one Sixers insider.
That’s something.
He’s not MVP-level Embiid, and he never again will be. His defensive movement will never return to the all-defensive levels of his youth, but his positioning is good, and he occasionally blocks a shot. He’s even started dunking again. Gently.
“I think, from now on, every single day … keep stacking them up, it’s only going to get better. With the hope that, whether it’s by the playoffs or next year, I’m really, really back to being myself. I’m on my way there,” Embiid told the Inquirer during the team’s West Coast trip.
That’s a pipe dream, of course. But Embiid is so gifted that this new version certainly should be an annual All-Star contender.
It’s always been hard to quantify Embiid’s intangible value. You can say he’s ninth in “DARKO” or seventh in “PER” or whatever composite metric you like, but the eye test will tell you that Embiid once again is among the NBA’s best players, night in and night out.
Dan Vladař joked that he told Travis Sanheim that once they land in Italy, the Flyers teammates will no longer be buddies, and that he’s blocking his number.
At least … we think he’s joking.
The Flyers goalie and native of Czechia, formerly the Czech Republic, will face Sanheim, Flyers coach Rick Tocchet, and Canada in the opening Group A game for both teams at the Milan Cortina Olympics on Thursday (10:40 a.m., USA, Peacock). Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen will be suiting up for Finland, which is in Group B and plays Slovakia on Wednesday (10:40 a.m., USA, Peacock).
“That’s going to be a fun one,” Vladař told The Inquirer about playing the Canadians. “You know, I think I know more of his weaknesses than, hopefully, they know about my weaknesses, so I’m going use that power against them.”
And the chatty goalie will 100% throw some chirps Sanheim’s way — maybe even in Czech — if he’s in net. Of course, there are no guarantees that he will be the starter at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena, but there’s a good chance.
His teammate Karel Vejmelka has more games (44) and wins (27) this season than Vladař (17 wins in 33 games), but the Flyers netminder has a better goals-against average (2.47) and save percentage (.905) than the Utah Mammoth goalie and Lukáš Dostál of the Anaheim Ducks.
Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim is ready to take on Czechia with Team Canada.
“Obviously, you don’t really want to share too much, but he’s been awesome for us this year,” said Sanheim when asked what he’ll tell his Canadian teammates about Vladař.
“He’s a big reason why we’ve been in a lot of games and [I’m] not really looking too forward to going up against him. He’s been playing great — and I don’t score on him too much in practice.”
Prague proud
After toiling behind Tuukka Rask in Boston and Jacob Markström and Dustin Wolf in Calgary, Vladař is getting a chance to be a No. 1 goalie in Philly. And now he’ll get a chance to show his talents on the world stage as he tries to help his country win its first Olympic medal since the 2006 Torino Olympics and its first gold since the 1998 Nagano Games. In the final of that tournament, Dominik Hašek pitched a shutout against Russia, almost six months to the day after Vladař was born in Prague.
“I was too little to remember anything,” Vladař said, “but just watching the highlights, and basically, I think that’s one of the reasons why I’m even playing hockey, is because, you know, obviously, my parents were watching, and the whole country was watching.
“So I’m pretty sure a whole new generation of players are coming from that era. So, obviously, it’s going to be a great time for me, and I’m really proud.”
Vladař is proud of Czechia and his hometown, Prague, and it shines through on his goalie mask. Working with Langhorne’s Franny Drummond of Paint Zoo Studios, who also designed his NHL game mask and worked with the Flyers’ goalies and children on their Hockey Fight Cancer masks, he brought his vision to life — with a twist.
After having to scrap his original mask plan because the International Ice Hockey Federation and the International Olympic Committee did not approve it — Drummond told the Snow The Goalie podcast at the Flyers Charities Carnival that they originally had lions and lightning on the side — Vladař went simple with a tribute to home.
On the sides are the national crest with the skyline of Prague, including Prague Castle and Prašná brána or the Powder Tower — “It’s a piece of my heart, back home, and I’m proud that I can be from the beautiful city like that,” he said — underneath each crest.
Dan Vladař worked with Langhorne’s Franny Drummond of Paint Zoo to design his Olympic goalie mask.
The checker pattern pulled from the team’s jerseys is intermixed, and the back plate sports the names of equipment managers, athletic trainers, and team service members.
“I think they deserve it,” Vladař said.
“Overall, in hockey, they don’t really get enough credit for the time they spend around us, and whatever they do for us. … So this is just a little something that I think I can do for them to get their names out there and just maybe people start recognizing them a little bit more.”
Although he has the Flyers staff on his mask in Philly, there’s a chance he may need to cover the names in Italy based on IIHF and IOC guidelines.
“We couldn’t really go wild with that because they’re pretty strict with the Olympics. But at the same time, I think, it’s simple, but simple is power,” he said.
“I think it turned out to be a pretty cool, simple mask … and I’m always going to look up to it with hopefully a bunch of really good memories.”
Mettle to Medal
Like his friend Michal Krčmář, a Czech biathlete who won silver in the 10 kilometer sprint at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics and is competing on Tuesday, there’s a good chance the Czechs will make some noise.
David Pastrňák (Boston Bruins), Martin Nečas (Colorado Avalanche), Tomáš Hertl (Vegas Golden Knights), and former Flyers Radko Gudas (Anaheim Ducks) and Lukáš Sedlák (HC Dynamo Pardubice) will play in front of Vladař as he goes for his first medal since the 2014 IIHF Under-18 World Junior Championship.
At that tournament, he was the backup to Vítek Vaněček when the Czechs lost to the United States in the gold medal game. That same year, he earned another silver as the starter against Canada in the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, giving up four goals, with one scored by his Flyers teammate Travis Konecny.
Flyers goaltender Dan Vladař uses his stick to stop the puck against the Ottawa Senators on Feb. 5.
The netminder last played for Czechia at the 2025 IIHF World Championship — his first appearance since the 2017 World Juniors — posting a 3-0-0 record in four games with a 1.09 GAA and a .951 save percentage; Vladař relieved Vejmelka in the Czechs’ quarterfinal loss to Sweden.
“I’m just proud I can be there,” he said of being in Milan. “Obviously, we have a lot of goalies that are successful, whether they are playing in NHL or in the top leagues in Europe.
“So for me, it’s a big honor that I can be part of that group. And, obviously, I’m probably going to have a little tattoo on my body, too, because after 12 years, you just don’t know if you’re going to ever have the opportunity to go.”
