If Pittsburgh Steelers fans are frustrated with the current state of their team’s quarterback situation, they are not alone.

Former Steelers quarterback and Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw slammed his former team on 103.7 The Buzz’s ‘Morning Mayhem’ show on Tuesday. Bradshaw criticized the team for mishandling the development of quarterback Kenny Pickett in previous years and lambasted their current pursuit of veteran Aaron Rodgers.

‘I liked Kenny Pickett,’ Bradshaw said of the Steelers’ 2022 first-round pick, whom the team traded after two seasons. ‘When they got him to Pittsburgh, they didn’t protect him, they didn’t get him an offensive line. They wanted to run the football, but they didn’t have an offensive line that could protect and they didn’t have weapons. He had no wide receivers to speak of.

‘Then they throw a kid in there for two years and you’ve got an offense that doesn’t fit and doesn’t work, and they can’t run because their offensive line’s not even good enough for a run blocking team. Now, they’re saying Kenny Pickett is a failure. He wasn’t a failure, the Steelers were a failure.’

In 2024, after trading away Pickett, Pittsburgh relied on two veteran starters: former Bears first-rounder Justin Fields and Super Bowl 48 champion Russell Wilson. Both left for New York in free agency – Fields signed with the Jets; Wilson, with the Giants.

Pickett is now with his third team, the Cleveland Browns, after the Philadelphia Eagles traded him earlier this offseason. The former Pitt product holds a 15-10 career record as a starter with a career completion rate of 62.4%, 4,765 passing yards and 15 touchdowns to 14 interceptions.

Terry Bradshaw rips Steelers for Aaron Rodgers pursuit

Bradshaw’s criticism didn’t end at the team’s past fiascos. Bradshaw also tackled Pittsburgh’s current, months-long courtship of Rodgers, who is still a free agent, even as the Steelers began OTAs on Tuesday.

‘That’s a joke. That to me is just a joke,’ Bradshaw said. ‘What are you gonna do? Bring him in for one year, are you kidding me? That guy needs to stay in California. Go somewhere and chew on bark and whisper to the gods out there.’

Team owner Art Rooney II recently told reporters multiple times that he and the team will wait ‘a little while longer’ on Rodgers to make a decision.

In the meantime, the Steelers have three other quarterbacks on their roster: Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson, both of whom signed with the team this offseason, and Will Howard, Pittsburgh’s 2025 NFL Draft sixth-round pick.

Rudolph has the most starting experience between the three (18 games) and played five seasons with the Steelers prior to joining the Tennessee Titans last year. He re-signed with Pittsburgh on a two-year, $8 million deal in March.

In 2024, Rodgers had a completion rate of 63% with 3,897 passing yards, 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. New York let Rodgers know the team planned to go in a different direction in February before releasing him in March.

Time will tell whether the Steelers (or Rodgers) will heed Bradshaw’s words or if they’re destined for another year of regular-season success before an early playoff exit. Pittsburgh has made the playoffs in four of the last five seasons but has not won a postseason game since 2016.

No player’s path to the NFL draft resembles a straight line.

While it’s typical for prospects to enjoy steady and sometimes even exponential growth on their way to the pros, there’s no single way to reach the next level. And with injuries, coaching changes and other challenges now commonplace in the collegiate world, experiencing a setback or two is hardly a death knell for a player’s NFL future, especially in a landscape that has routinely given rise to late bloomers and sixth-year seniors breaking out. And with the likes of Bo Nix and Michael Penix Jr. serving as some of the most prominent examples of players who shook off earlier struggles en route to changing the draft conversation surrounding themselves, there’s still plenty of hope for anyone looking for a career reset.

Here are 10 NFL draft prospects for 2026 who will be looking to bounce back this season in order to boost their stock:

Carson Beck, QB, Miami (Fla.)

At this point last year, there were few established entities among the 2025 draft-eligible quarterbacks. The search for a potential franchise passer pointed some to Beck, whose impressive build (6-4, 220 pounds) and comfort dissecting defenses over the middle suggested the Georgia starter could be the early front-runner to be the first signal-caller selected in his class. But by the middle of last fall, the composure that was a hallmark of his style in 2023 was sorely missing, as Beck regularly melted down under pressure and had four contests with multiple interceptions. Still, his stock is far from unsalvageable. As the successor to Cam Ward after his transfer to Miami, Beck will look to capitalize on his transfer and final collegiate season just as the No. 1 pick did for the Hurricanes last year. His playing style is, of course, markedly different from that of Ward, as Beck’s rhythmic approach often leaves him out of sorts when he’s forced to account for an instant pass rush or operate out of structure. But if he keeps the highest-scoring offense in the Football Bowl Subdivision rolling, Beck could re-enter the first-round conversation.

Conner Weigman, QB, Houston

Between the tools that helped earn him five-star status as a recruit and the promise he showed in four stats the previous season, Weigman stirred plenty of excitement as a new coaching staff took over at Texas A&M in 2024. Then the reality check hit hard. He sustained a shoulder injury in a disastrous outing in a season-opening loss to Notre Dame, with the ailment later sidelining him for nearly a month. Despite engineering an upset of a then-top 10 team in Missouri upon his return, he was later benched for Marcel Reed against LSU and would never resume his starting role. In search of a fresh start, the 6-3, 215-pounder jumped to Houston, where he could boost his profile if he’s able to elevate an offense that ranked ninth-lowest in passing yards in 2024. Though he’s at best a developmental prospect at this point, the junior still has two years to deliver on his considerable upside.

Byrum Brown, QB, South Florida

As a redshirt freshman, Brown was the only other player besides Jayden Daniels to throw for more than 3,000 yards and rush at least 800 in the 2023 season. That’s pretty good company, especially for a redshirt freshman. A leg injury, however, knocked him out for eight games last season and halted his upward trajectory. With two years of eligibility remaining, the 6-3, 225-pounder will have ample time to highlight his substantial arm strength and comfort making plays on the move. While he’ll have to demonstrate he can hold up against stiffer competition after struggling against Alabama and Miami last season, Brown could generate a significant buzz if he fares well in his highly anticipated return.

Jaydn Ott, RB, Oklahoma

For the first two years of his career, Ott powered Cal’s offense with his reliable running, racking up 2,202 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns on the ground from 2022-23. But things fell apart last season when he suffered an ankle injury in the Golden Bears’ opener, as he managed just 385 yards (and 3.5 yards per carry) while dealing with the fallout of the ailment. At Oklahoma, he shouldn’t have to shoulder the same load he did at Cal, which should allow him to re-establish himself as a ball carrier capable of pacing an offense with his interior running.

Deion Burks, WR, Oklahoma

After transferring from Purdue, Burks looked to be in a good spot to stake his claim as the latest diminutive pass catcher worthy of an early-round draft slot. The 5-9, 181-pounder showed early flashes of his promise with three touchdown catches against Temple in his Sooners debut. But he suffered a soft-tissue injury in a September loss to Tennessee and would play in just one game the rest of the year, with a concussion sustained against Missouri knocking him out for the remainder of the campaign. With new offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle and quarterback John Mateer importing the high-flying passing attack they mastered at Washington State, Burks should be in line to showcase his deep speed and impressive tracking ability one year after he averaged just 7.9 yards per catch.

Nic Anderson, WR, LSU

Having hauled in 10 touchdown catches and averaged 21 yards per reception in a breakout 2023 campaign, Anderson entered last season as one of college football’s most formidable big-play receivers. But his follow-up effort never truly launched, with an injury that was sustained in fall camp and later reaggravated limiting him to just one appearance last year. The 6-4, 219-pounder is now starting over with the Tigers, and quarterback Garrett Nussmeier should relish the chance to take advantage of Anderson’s downfield playmaking ability.

Earnest Greene III, OT, Georgia

Despite boasting three players who would end up as Day 2 draft picks this spring, the Bulldogs’ offensive line was not without its fair share of miscues last fall. An insufficient push up front led the rushing attack to rank just second to last in the Southeastern Conference (124.4 yards per game), and the group also surrendered nearly twice as many sacks (25) as it did the previous season (13). Among the letdowns was Greene, an SEC All-Freshman pick in 2023 who was hampered by a shoulder injury for part of his sophomore campaign. The 6-4, 320-pounder is now flipping to right tackle after serving as Beck’s blindside protector for most of the past two seasons. If he exhibits more refinement and help gets Georgia’s offense back on track, Greene could draw teams in thanks to his quickness as both a pass protector and run blocker. But he still has work to do to be considered among the top draft-eligible offensive tackles, and his frame could portend a move to guard.

Patrick Payton, DE, LSU

When the Los Angeles Rams selected Jared Verse and Braden Fiske in the first two rounds of last season’s draft, Payton seemed well-positioned to be Florida State’s next premier pass rusher as he came off a seven-sack season. But the Seminoles’ woes in a 2-10 year extended to seemingly every level, and the 6-5, 255-pounder netted just four sacks. Transferring to LSU as part of a highly touted portal class, however, could help Payton rediscover his early-career form. A spot in the top 50 is entirely within reach for an edge threat with his frame and range of ways to get into the backfield, though he’ll need to bulk up and play stronger at the point of attack to get there.

Bear Alexander, DT, Oregon

A former five-star recruit who began his career at Georgia, Alexander still finds his college career defined by potential more so than production. The 6-3, 315-pounder was one of the few bright spots for a maligned USC defense in 2023, as he generated consistent pressure seldom seen for a player of his build on the interior. But Alexander decided last season to redshirt after just three games amid a clash with the coaching staff over playing time. Now at Oregon, he’ll be looking to take the sizable step from generating a smattering of splash plays to becoming a full-time force.

Harold Perkins Jr., LB, LSU

Perkins is one of three LSU players on this list, and his stock might have the most volatility of any of them. In his breakout freshman season, he quickly established himself as one of college football’s most explosive defenders, racking up 7 ½ sacks and 13 tackles for loss. But his effectiveness waned after moving from an edge rusher role to inside linebacker in 2023, and he then suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament last September. The 6-0, 220-pounder poses a substantial riddle for any team hoping to unlock his full explosiveness and ability to chase down plays in the backfield. While moving to the STAR position in the Tigers’ defense should help underscore his versatility, Perkins also will have to prove that he has an answer for beating the blocks that too often engulfed him in previous years.

‘We’re not expecting him back for the playoffs,’ said coach Kris Knoblauch, who didn’t specify which injury Hyman suffered when he left the game on a hit by the Dallas Stars’ Mason Marchment during the first period.

The Oilers won the game 4-1 to take a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference finals.

Hyman scored 70 goals last season between the regular season and the playoffs. This season, he has 11 points in 15 playoff games and a league-leading 111 hits in the postseason, nearly 30 more than the next player.

‘Zach is going to be a huge hole, but we’re fortunate to have a lot of depth that guys can come in and step up and give us quality minutes,’ Knoblauch said.

Forward Connor Brown will miss a second consecutive game in Thursday’s potential clinching Game 5 in Dallas with an unspecified injury. Viktor Arvidsson came back in the lineup for Game 4 to replace Brown.

It’s uncertain who would come in for Hyman, but offseason acquisition Jeff Skinner has played only one playoff game.

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If the impending NBA Finals matchup of the league’s 23rd and 27th-ranked media markets is supposed to spell doom for the league, it is a doom the NBA’s owners intentionally brought on themselves. 

While two glitz-free Midwestern cities in the Finals might not have the celebrity pull the NBA has largely enjoyed through its historically successful franchises, it was an inevitable outcome once the league designed a collective bargaining agreement that dismantled its traditional cycle of superteams and dynasties. 

Welcome to the new NBA, where championship windows are smaller, the life cycle of a roster is shorter and the number of teams that can win a title in any given year is beyond anything we’ve seen in our lifetimes.

But rather than post memes of Adam Silver shedding tears over the Larry O’Brien Trophy because we are likely getting Indianapolis and Oklahoma City playing for it, consider adjusting your expectations going forward. Because this is the league of relative parity the NBA wanted, and it’s the league they shall have for the foreseeable future. 

We are only in Year 2 of the current CBA, which extends through the 2029-30 season. And it’s working precisely as the majority of league owners intended, flattening the field and making it remarkably difficult to keep a championship contender intact for very long. 

Exhibit A? The Boston Celtics, with a roster that has a projected $197 million committed next season to just five players. In order to avoid the so-called second apron, Boston will have to shed at least $20 million in salary or else face a variety of penalties that aren’t merely financial but would limit their ability to make certain kinds of moves. 

And that’s exactly how the NBA wants it: The more successful your team is, the more expensive its roster becomes, the more difficult the rules make it to continue the same course. 

That day is coming for Indiana as its key players cycle through their current contracts, and it’s certainly coming for Oklahoma City as players like Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren come off their rookie deals, and several other veterans hit free agency in the summer of 2026. 

If anything, it starts to look more like an NFL model, where the teams that tend to do well have a roster oriented toward a few stars making big money and a lot of players contributing early in their careers and performing at a higher level than their contracts would suggest. But when they hit free agency and seek a significantly bigger contract, the decisions become more difficult, and the organization is tested in its ability to fill holes through the draft. 

Does that seem fair? No, but it wasn’t designed to be fair. It was designed to redistribute talent through the league at a greater rate than we had seen previously, and it appears to be working. 

It is perhaps no coincidence that as the NBA will crown its seventh different champion in the last seven years, teams that were as far down as the play-in ranks this year are measuring whether a mega-trade for someone like Giannis Antetokounmpo or Kevin Durant could immediately lift them into the Finals conversation. At least on paper, the league seems that wide open, and it will no longer seem like an anomaly when two of the smaller, less-glamorous markets end up as the last teams standing.  

If you were an owner outside the handful of heavyweight markets that have traditionally attracted the best free agents, wouldn’t you want the same thing? Though we are just a couple of years into this CBA, there’s already proof of concept: If you manage your assets correctly and build elite depth through the draft, you don’t need to recreate the 2010-14 Miami Heat to contend for a title. 

There are certainly drawbacks to this approach. If you’re a good team that made a great draft pick in the teens or 20s and developed them into a quality role player, there’s an argument that you should be able to both keep and reward that player for the long haul without having to fundamentally alter your team. In the old CBA, there were a few more nooks and crannies that allowed teams to work around the edges. 

Also, consider what’s about to happen in Cleveland, where Evan Mobley winning defensive player of the year expanded the contract extension he already signed last summer by roughly $7 million next year and by $45 million over the life of the deal. That margin will directly impact how much Cleveland will be able to improve its team this summer, as the Cavaliers are projected to be in the second apron – and may even cost them a player. 

The real kicker to it is that Victor Wembanyama was running away with the award at the All-Star break but was shut down in February due to a blood clot and finished short of the 65-game minimum requirement for most NBA awards, making Mobley next in line. In other words, the chain reaction of an injury in San Antonio ends up limiting what a championship contender this year can do with its roster – even though nothing really changed from a basketball-value standpoint. 

That may not be the ideal way to run a league, but such absurdities are precisely what NBA owners signed up for with this CBA. What used to be a fairly simple way to build a dynasty – acquire a generational player in the draft, then attract other stars through trades or free agency – is now a much more complex dance with different paths to a title. 

Indiana and Oklahoma City have nailed it – for now. But greatness in this NBA isn’t meant to be forever. So if this likely Finals matchup isn’t your jam, there’s a simple solution. 

Just wait ‘til next year. 

The Indiana Fever are 0-1 without superstar Caitlin Clark.

The Washington Mystics defeated the Fever 83-77 on Wednesday in Indiana’s first game without Clark, who is expected to be sidelined at least two weeks with a left quad strain that dates back to the WNBA preseason.

The Fever’s DeWanna Bonner had a team-high 21 points off the bench. It marked a historic night for her — she’s the first player in WNBA history to reach 7,500 points, 3,000 rebounds and 1,000 assists. But Bonner’s big night was not enough in the end for the win.

Brittney Sykes had 21 points for Washington, nine rebounds and four assists, finishing just one rebound short of a double-double. Mystics rookies Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron added 16 and 13 points, respectively.

The Mystics move to 3-3 on the season and end a three-game skid. (Washington’s three losses have been by a combined 11 points.) The Fever drop to 2-3 following back-to-back losses.

Fever vs. Mystics highlights

End of Q3: Mystics 60, Fever 53

The Mystics have a 60-53 lead over the Fever heading into the fourth quarter, which marks Washington’s largest of the game. Mystics rookie Lucy Olsen dropped back-to-back 3s in the third quarter and is up to six points on the night. Fellow rookie Kiki Iriafen has eight points and five rebounds.

Halftime: Mystics 44, Fever 40

The Mystics outscored the Fever 25-17 in the second quarter to take a four-point lead into the locker room at halftime. Washington’s Shakira Austin leads all scorers with 13 points off the bench, in addition to two rebounds and one steal. Rookie Sonia Citron added nine points, four rebounds and one assist. The Mystics are outscoring the Fever in paint points (30-18) and fast-break points (5-0). Meanwhile, Natasha Howard leads the Fever with 10 points and five rebounds, but has four turnovers. DeWanna Bonner added nine points off the bench for Indiana.

End of Q1: Fever 23, Mystics 19

No Caitlin Clark, no problem so far for the Fever. Indiana has a four-point lead over Washington heading into the second quarter, following a team-high eight points from Natasha Howard. The Fever are collectively shooting 50% from both the field and 3-point line, while the Mystics are only shooting 35% from the field and 25% from 3. Shakira Austin leads Washington with six points off the bench.

What time is Fever vs. Mystics?

The Indiana Fever vs. Washington Mystics game will tip off at 7:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, May 28 at CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore.

The Mystics typically play their home games at CareFirst Arena in Washington, D.C., which seats 4,200, but are playing both of their home games against the Fever at the larger CFG Bank Arena (14,000 capacity).

How to watch Fever vs. Mystics WNBA game: TV, stream

Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore
TV: NBA TV
Stream: Fubo

The Indiana Fever are set to play the Washington Mystics on Wednesday in what will be the franchise’s first game this season without the services of Caitlin Clark.

Clark is dealing with a left quad strain that is expected to sideline her for at least two weeks. She dealt with a left quad injury during the WNBA preseason, notably missing a matchup against the Mystics because of it, but was healthy enough to play in the Fever’s season opener against the Chicago Sky.

Without Clark, the Fever will rely more on Aliyah Boston to carry their offense. Boston is averaging 18.5 points and 10.8 rebounds per game this season and is tied with Kelsey Mitchell for the second-most assists per game (2.3) on the team.

Mitchell is more of an off-ball guard but may be asked to up her playmaking ability with Clark out of the lineup. Veteran guard Sydney Colson is set to take over the starting point guard duties in Clark’s stead while Sophie Cunningham will also be a part of the rotation at the position.

Regardless of who runs the point, Fever coach Stephanie White conceded the offense is ‘going to look different’ with Clark out of the lineup.

Meanwhile, the Mystics will be looking to snap a three-game losing streak after winning back-to-back games to open the season. Washington’s three losses have been by a combined 11 points and the team has gotten strong performances out of its first-round rookie duo of Sonia Citron (15.4 points per game) and Kiki Iriafen (13.8 points, 11.2 rebounds per game).

Here’s what to know about the Fever vs. Mystics game, including how to watch the Wednesday matchup.

Halftime: Mystics 44, Fever 40

The Mystics outscored the Fever 25-17 in the second quarter to take a four-point lead into the locker room at halftime. Washington’s Shakira Austin leads all scorers with 13 points off the bench, in addition to two rebounds and one steal. Rookie Sonia Citron added nine points, four rebounds and one assist. The Mystics are outscoring the Fever in paint points (30-18) and fast break points (5-0). Meanwhile, Natasha Howard leads the Fever with 10 points and five rebounds, but has four turnovers. DeWanna Bonner added nine points off the bench for Indiana.

End of Q1: Fever 23, Mystics 19

No Caitlin Clark, no problem so far for the Fever. Indiana has a four-point lead over Washington heading into the second quarter, following a team-high eight points from Natasha Howard. The Fever is collectively shooting 50% from both the field and three-point line, while the Mystics are only shooting 35% from the field and 25% from three. Shakira Austin leads Washington with six points off the bench.

What time is Fever vs. Mystics?

The Indiana Fever vs. Washington Mystics game will tip off at 7:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, May 28 at CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore.

The Mystics typically play their home games at CareFirst Arena in Washington, D.C., which seats 4,200, but are playing both of their home games against the Fever at the larger CFG Bank Arena (14,000 capacity).

How to watch Fever vs. Mystics WNBA game: TV, stream

Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore
TV: NBA TV
Stream: Fubo

MIRAMAR BEACH, Fla. — Would you look at that. We’re finally talking ball again. 

Not court cases, or revenue sharing, or transfer portal or free player movement. Just football. 

After spending two days holed up in a beachside resort for the league’s annual spring meetings, SEC coaches decided to drastically alter the narrative from this painfully parliamentary offseason. 

The coaches want to play the Big Ten once a season. As soon as possible.

“I think I can speak for the room when I say that’s our first goal as coaches,” said LSU coach Brian Kelly said. “But you gotta get a partner who says we’re in for that, too.”

USA TODAY Sports reported last October that the SEC and Big Ten were talking about a scheduling agreement, one that would significantly increase media rights revenue as a stand alone regular season series. A Big Ten official, speaking in December on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the discussions, said the series may not begin until later this decade or the early 2030s because of logistics.

But in the fluid environment of college sports, where the world revolves around generating revenue to help offset pay for play, what’s concrete one month is mailable the next. Especially for the two super conferences quickly coalescing and gaining further separation from the rest of college football.

The ultimate goal of any scheduling agreement would be a straight 16 vs. 16 format, but there are obstacles. While Kelly said he was speaking for the entire group of coaches, that’s theoretically.

They all want to play a game against the Big Ten, but not all in the same manner. Like everything of late in college football, nothing lives in a vacuum.

There are tentacles and unintended consequences to every decision.  It begins with the SEC schedule debate (eight or nine games?), and includes the College Football Playoff selection committee (do Big Ten games strengthen resumes?). 

If the league sticks with eight games, coaches are full-go on playing a non-conference game against the Big Ten. If the league moves to nine conference games, that could be a problem for the four SEC schools (Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina) with current annual rivalry games against an in-state ACC school. 

Playing nine conference games, an annual rivalry game and a game against the Big Ten would leave those four teams with one flexible game on the schedule. Washington, Oregon, Iowa and Southern California are in similar situations in the Big Ten, which currently plays nine conference games.

In other words, a simple 16 vs. 16 schedule agreement might be difficult to execute. But an agreement that includes a majority of the schools from each conference would still generate significant revenue and attention.

“I’m all for it, but it’d be like the Kansas City Chiefs playing the Green Bay Packers for an 18th regular season game,” South Carolina coach Shane Beamer said. “And the other teams aren’t.”

Any schedule agreement also depends on the most perplexing issue of the moment: the College Football Playoff selection committee. Specifically, metrics used to select teams.

Many in the SEC believe they were unfairly penalized for playing in the most competitive conference in college football. Losses, they said, held more weight than wins — no matter the strength of the conference.

There must be a process, SEC officials say, where the selection committee votes within the subtleties of the season. Case in point: Indiana.

The Hoosiers won 11 games in 2024, but beat one team with a winning record and received an at-large berth. While a rotating Big Ten schedule gave Indiana a favorable draw, the selection committee could have weighed that factor — instead of simply rewarding the Hoosiers for winning games. 

Then there’s SMU, which had two losses in a conference that was 3-8 vs. the SEC in the regular season, and was selected ahead of three-loss Alabama, Ole Miss and South Carolina. 

The 10 Football Bowl Subdivision conferences that make up the CFP already showed a willingness to change formats after only one season of the 12-team structure. The CFP last week eliminated automatic byes for the highest-ranked four conference champions, and instituted a straight-seed process for the 2025 season.

Maybe friction from the offseason will filter into the selection committee room, too, where the human condition typically outweighs other objective and subjective factors.

Or maybe it’s as simple as winning games that matter, and another non-conference win over a Big Ten team would go a long way in the eyes of the committee. Especially against the conference that has won the last two national titles.

“We want to show we have the depth in this league from top to bottom,” Kelly said. “And we are the premier league in the country.”

Finally, a return to football normalcy. 

Until the next legal hurdle, anyway.

Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB. 

The Coca-Cola 600 marked the longest race on the NASCAR Cup Series calendar and the halfway mark of the regular season. Ross Chastain’s impressive comeback win stamped an exciting race following the NASCAR All-Star break.

The action continues this weekend from Lebanon, Tennessee, at the Nashville Superspeedway. The Cracker Barrel 400 kicks off Sunday night for the latest edition of one of the Cup Series’ newer events.

There has been a different winner in each of the four previous runnings of the race: Kyle Larson in 2021, Chase Elliott in 2022, Chastain in 2023 and Joey Logano in 2024. That leaves things wide open this weekend.

With the calendar reaching the halfway point, it’s a good time to take stock of the championship power rankings. So far, only eight drivers have won races through the first 13 championship races. That means half of the playoff field (16 spots) is still up for grabs.

The championship rankings saw lots of change after the Coca-Cola 600. The latest NASCAR odds from BetMGM show a clear favorite ahead of a closely packed second tier.

Here’s how things look by odds for winning the Cup Series title in 2025:

NASCAR power rankings by odds

Odds via BetMGM as of May 28.

T-12. Josh Berry (+5000)

Berry’s earned his spot in the playoffs thanks to his win in Las Vegas in March. Beyond that win, he has a pair of top-eight finishes (fourth in Phoenix, sixth in Kansas). He had a solid finish in Charlotte (12th) ahead of his hometown race in Tennessee.

T-12. Austin Cindric (+5000)

Cindric’s win in Talladega secures him a spot in the playoffs and he’s shown great speed at Superspeedways this season. That form will come in handy in the playoffs with the penultimate round of the Round of 8 in Talladega this season.

T-12. Bubba Wallace (+5000)

Wallace is in a tough stretch of results with three consecutive DNFs following his eighth-place result in Talladega that featured a Stage 2 win. This is his worst string of results since moving to 23XI Racing so he’s more likely than not to bounce back soon.

T-12. Kyle Busch (+5000)

The two-time Cup Series champion notched another top-15 finish in Charlotte. He’s had solid results this season but still has yet to make an appearance in victory lane since June 2023 (Gateway).

T-12. Chris Buescher (+5000)

Buescher has had some tough luck recently with only one top-10 result in the last five races (eighth in Kansas). Luckily, Michigan and Pocono are on the docket for the next four races, both tracks Buescher has won at before.

11. Chase Briscoe (+4000)

Briscoe took pole position for Charlotte but dropped down the order. He worked his way back to third, his fifth top-five finish of the season. He’s yet to win in the regular season but is in good form ahead of Nashville.

T-9. Ross Chastain (+3000)

Chastain had an outstanding drive under the lights after Trackhouse Racing had to build a backup car. He went from 40th to victory lane for his first win of the season. Nashville is one of his better tracks on the calendar and he should perform well.

T-9. Alex Bowman (+3000)

It’s hard to find a more up-and-down season than Bowman’s so far in 2025. He has two top-10 results (Talladega, Kansas) balanced out by DNFs in Bristol and Texas as well as 29th in Charlotte.

8. Joey Logano (+1600)

Logano pushed it for a win in Charlotte but the caution he was waiting for never arrived. The defending Cup Series champion has shown he can get hot at the right time and already has his playoff ticket punched thanks to his win in Texas.

7. Chase Elliott (+1200)

Elliott has yet to win a race in the 2025 season but has been the picture of consistency as usual. He has yet to finish a race lower than 20th with seven top-10 results. More non-oval races are coming up on the Cup Series calendar and that should play to his strengths.

6. Tyler Reddick (+1000)

Reddick has been similarly consistent but a step down from Elliott. He had a season-worst 26th-place finish in Charlotte thanks to a late incident. He hasn’t made the top 10 in the last five races, though, and needs a turn of form to make the Championship 4 once again.

T-4. Denny Hamlin (+650)

Hamlin’s back-to-back wins in Martinsville and Darlington have his playoff spot sealed. He had a disappointing result in Charlotte due to a fueling issue but is still a contender every week.

T-4. Ryan Blaney (+650)

Blaney’s in a tough stretch of the calendar. Top-five finishes in Darlington, Bristol, Texas and Kansas have been balanced by DNFs in Talladega and Charlotte. He’s yet to visit victory lane in 2025 but the 2023 Cup Series champion has the pedigree to make a run.

3. William Byron (+600)

Byron led 283 of the 400 laps in Charlotte but could only manage second behind Chastain. Still, that result gives him the championship lead. His win in the Daytona 500 ensured his playoff spot and he’s been consistent enough in the postseason to be a contender late in the year.

2. Christopher Bell (+500)

Bell’s the only driver to win three races in a row – he did so early on in Atlanta, Austin and Phoenix – and has stayed consistent since then. His six top-10 finishes in the last seven races put him within range of Byron for the championship lead.

1. Kyle Larson (+275)

Larson’s bad luck with trying The Double last week dampened what’s been a great stretch for the Hendrick Motorsports driver. His dominant wins in Kansas and Bristol were balanced out by DNFs in Darlington and Charlotte. He’s the favorite for good reason

2025 Cracker Barrel 400: How to watch, TV, streaming

Here’s how to watch the Cracker Barrel 400 this weekend.

Laps: 300
Distance: 400 miles
Date: Sunday, June 1, 2025
Location: Nashville Superspeedway, Lebanon, Tennessee
Time: 7 p.m. ET
TV: n/a
Streaming:Prime Video, Fubo

Watch the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series with Fubo