The 2026 NFL Draft opens April 23 in Pittsburgh with the Las Vegas Raiders widely expected to take Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza at No. 1. First-round coverage begins at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, ESPN and NFL Network; rounds 2-3 follow Friday and rounds 4-7 on Saturday. The New York Jets hold the No. 2 pick and five selections in the top 103, leaving open the prospect of staying put or trading. Oddsmakers and sportsbooks have shifted attention to edge rusher David Bailey — who tied for the NCAA lead with 14.5 sacks last season — overtaking Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese as the favorite to go No. 2 after rapid betting-market moves. Other top prospects include Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr., Ohio State’s Sonny Styles and Spencer Fano. The league shortened first-round pick windows to eight minutes this year, tightening trade and negotiation timelines. Pittsburgh is hosting large fan festivities near Acrisure Stadium and Point State Park, with heightened security, road closures and expanded transit as hundreds of thousands of visitors are expected.

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel said on April 22 he will begin counseling this weekend and will not be with the team for Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft after photographs surfaced showing him with former NFL reporter Dianna Russini. The images, first published by the New York Post and Page Six, reportedly show Vrabel and Russini together at a Sedona, Arizona resort; additional photos from 2020 published later this week depict the pair at a New York City bar. Russini resigned from The Athletic following an internal review and media scrutiny. Vrabel, the 2025 NFL Coach of the Year, addressed players and reporters this week, saying he has had “difficult conversations” with family and the organization and that seeking counseling is intended to help him be “the best husband, father and coach.” The NFL has said it is not investigating Vrabel under the league’s personal conduct policy. The Patriots confirmed Vrabel will handle draft duties on the first two days and that Eliot Wolf and other executives will lead the team on Day 3 while Vrabel is away.

A top U.S. special envoy, Paolo Zampolli, told the Financial Times he suggested to President Donald Trump and FIFA president Gianni Infantino that four-time champions Italy should replace Iran at the 2026 World Cup. The proposal, reported on April 22-23, 2026, was framed as a bid to repair relations between Washington and Rome after a spat between Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Italian sports officials and politicians rejected the idea as impractical and offensive: Sports Minister Andrea Abodi said qualification must be earned on the pitch, and Olympic Committee president Luciano Buonfiglio said Italy would feel “offended.” FIFA has repeatedly indicated Iran will participate and Infantino said the team is “coming, for sure.” Iran’s football federation and government say the squad is preparing for “proud and successful participation.” FIFA regulations grant the organisation wide discretion to replace a withdrawn team, but continental bodies would likely lobby for an Asian replacement (the UAE was cited as a possible candidate). The tournament begins June 11 in the United States, Canada and Mexico; Iran is scheduled to play group games in U.S. cities in mid-June.

Atlanta Falcons edge rusher James Pearce Jr. agreed on April 23, 2026, to enter a six-month pretrial intervention/diversion program in Miami‑Dade County that his lawyers say will result in dismissal of three felony counts and related misdemeanor charges if he completes the program without violation. The charges stem from a Feb. 7 incident in Doral, Florida, involving WNBA player Rickea Jackson; authorities charged Pearce with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, fleeing and eluding police, resisting an officer and a misdemeanor stalking count. Attorney statements say the program includes therapy and a no‑contact condition with Jackson; Pearce is due in court May 7 to finalize details and a permanent injunction hearing related to a protective order is set for May 21. Pearce, the Falcons’ 2025 first‑round pick (26th overall), led Atlanta with 10.5 sacks as a rookie but has been absent from voluntary offseason work amid the legal matter. The NFL is reviewing the case under its personal conduct policy and the Falcons have declined comment.

Tensions between the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves escalated as the Western Conference first-round series shifts to Minneapolis for Game 3 on April 23. Minnesota erased a 19-point deficit to win Game 2, 119-114, evening the series 1-1; Anthony Edwards delivered a 30-point, 10-rebound double-double but is listed as “questionable” for Game 3 as the Timberwolves manage right-knee maintenance. Timberwolves wing Jaden McDaniels added spice by publicly calling several Nuggets players “all bad defenders,” naming Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Cam Johnson. Denver largely brushed off the remarks — coach David Adelman deadpanned “I can’t wait for his podcast” and players described the comments as part of the rivalry — while identifying rebounding (Minnesota held a 20-3 second-chance advantage in Game 2) and loose-ball play as areas to correct. Nuggets stars also struggled late in Game 2, and Denver will be without wing Peyton Watson (hamstring) for now. Game 3 tips at 9:30 p.m. ET from Target Center and streams on Prime Video.