🐺 Wolf Sports Weekly

Good morning! We’ll have a game picks article later this week on Wolf Sports, a YouTube video preview this morning, and more leading up to Super Bowl Sunday. But what do you all think? Who do you have in Super Bowl LX?

😡 Bill Belichick not a first-ballot HOF

We’re just one month into the year, but it might be difficult to top a more ridiculous story in 2026 than legendary coach Bill Belichick not being named a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

• This news was broken by ESPN, and there was immediate universal uproar over it from just about everyone in the football world—with fellow Super Bowl winning HC Jimmy Johnson among very vocal critics of the HOF voters.

• Yet, voters led by media members didn’t vote for Belichick, with reporting that rival executive Bill Polian brought up “Spygate” (which Johnson, among others, says was totally overblown) and “Deflategate” (obviously a hoax) as the case against Belichick.

• The longtime HC of the Patriots understandably was described as disappointed and puzzled, reportedly saying: “What does a guy have to do?”

• Patriots owner Robert Kraft also didn’t make it.

Bottom line: The eight-time Super Bowl champion not being named a first-ballot Hall of Famer exemplifies a lot of what’s going across industry—not just sports—where many things seem to be getting worse with merit mattering less and less.

✅ All 10 HC openings filled

The 2026 NFL head coaching carousel has come to an end after four more hires in the past week, starting with the Bills promoting OC Joe Brady to the lead role.

• This was somewhat of a surprise decision after moving on from HC Sean McDermott to simply promote Brady, and many Buffalo fans remain displeased.

• However, it does sound like Brady is set to take a different approach—including a change in defensive scheme to be more aggressive (perhaps thinking if over-aggressiveness leads to a quick score for the opposing offense, at least Josh Allen gets the ball back).

• The young offensive mind also is said to have crushed the interview process.

Brady is filling out his staff with longtime Sean Payton assistant OC Pete Carmichael and a guy we’re surprised hasn’t gotten a DC role sooner—Jim Leonhard.

Meanwhile, the Browns hired former Ravens OC Todd Monken (who looks eager to work with QB Shedeur Sanders); the Cardinals hired Rams OC Mike LaFleur (the brother of Packers HC Matt LaFleur); and the Raiders are set to hire Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak after the Super Bowl.

As for assistant hires, former Giants HC Brian Daboll took the Titans OC job while former Falcons HC Raheem Morris is taking over as the DC for Robert Saleh in San Francisco. More hires include Titans DC Gus Bradley, Ravens OC Declan Doyle and Ravens DC Anthony Weaver, Eagles OC Sean Mannion, Steelers DC Patrick Graham, and Chargers DC Chris O’Leary.

The Broncos promoted Davis Webb to OC after moving on from Joe Lombardi.

The Jets fired OC Tanner Engstrand and continue to search for a new OC.

💼 NFL front office news

In somewhat of a shocker due simply to the late timing, the Vikings fired GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah after four seasons. In terms of results, this wasn’t surprising if you look at what Minnesota has done in the draft under Adofo-Mensah. But the final two straws might have been Sam Darnold helping Seattle get to the Super Bowl and Kwesi—in true analytics fashion—discussing the correct “process” of making the QB decision.

The Falcons hired Bears executive Ian Cunningham as their GM, and he’ll work with president of football Matt Ryan. With Ryan being Atlanta’s top decision-maker, Chicago won’t get draft picks despite Cunningham being a minority hire.

And the Rams extended HC Sean McVay and GM Les Snead ahead of their 10th season together.

📰 More NFL news and notes

Report: The Seahawks are expected to go for sale following Super Bowl LX and is set to break a record at $7-8 billion.

NFL International Games: The Saints will host (reportedly facing the Browns) the NFL’s first-ever game in Paris next season, and the league is officially returning to Spain in 2026 as part of a multi-year series.

2026 salary cap: The NFL informed teams that the salary cap for next year is projected to be in the range of $301.2 million to $305.7 million—up from $279.2 million this season.

Bills star QB Josh Allen was playing through a broken foot since Week 16 and had surgery following the season.

Broncos HC Sean Payton and Patriots HC Mike Vrabel are joining the NFL’s Competition Committee.

Funny stuff: 49ers All-Pro LB Fred Warner says the Cardinals are a meme in the NFC West; Chargers OC Mike McDaniel made it clear he’s not much of an opening statement guy; and Cardinals defenders L.J. Collier and Dalvin Tomlinson went viral while in Japan.

Other Sports Updates

🎾 Carlos Alcaraz won the Australian Open to become the youngest Career Grand Slam winner at 22 years old.

🫡 Former Auburn HC and Florida State OC Guz Malzahn has announced his retirement after 35 years in coaching.

❄️ The Lightning came back to defeat the Bruins in a shootout to win an epic 2026 Stadium Series.

🏒 Patrick Kane passed Mike Modano for most points by an American-born player in NHL history.

🎮 Yankees star Aaron Judge is on the cover of MLB The Show for the second time.

🐺 Found on wolfsports.com

• Super Bowl LX power rankings

• Ohio State S Caleb Downs scouting report (🔒)

• Miami EDGE Rueben Bain Jr. scouting report (🔒)

• Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love scouting report (🔒)