NFL combine's Day 1 standouts; Max Scherzer re-signs with Blue Jays; NBA Concern Meter

This is an article version of the CBS Sports HQ AM Newsletter, the ultimate guide to every day in sports. You can sign up to get it in your inbox every weekday morning here.

Good morning and happy Friday! Just like that, the shortest month of the year is almost done. Carter Bahns with you to close out February and look ahead to the start of March in the world of sports. If one thing comes to mind when I think of March, it's the NCAA Tournament. We have an absolutely massive weekend of college basketball ahead of us to help set the stage for the Big Dance, which is right around the corner.

The NFL combine is also highly deserving of our attention over the next few days, and the push to the NBA playoffs is really heating up.

Let's talk about it.

🏋️ Five things to know Friday

1. The NFL Scouting Combine is underway in Indianapolis. The first batch of players checked into the combine on Thursday with edge rushers, defensive linemen and linebackers taking the stage first. Miami's Rueben Bain Jr. was the talk of the day as arm length once again became a point of concern. Bain's sub-31-inch arms are among the shortest for an edge rusher in recent combine history. It was a good day to be Sonny Styles, though. The Ohio State product ran the fastest 40-yard dash (4.46) of any linebacker and led the position with a 43.50" vertical jump en route to our only "A+" grade of the day. And on the defensive line, we gave Caleb Banks and Lee Hunter "B+" grades as top performers.
2. Max Scherzer will spend his 19th MLB season in Toronto. "Mad Max" has at least one more year in him, and he will return to the Blue Jays after agreeing to re-sign with the reigning American League champions. The 41-year-old pitcher reportedly agreed to a one-year, $3 million contract that is rich with incentives, and Scherzer is likely to climb into the top 10 in career strikeouts this season.
3. The Jets and Titans pulled off a trade. It's a player-for-player deal as New York will send Jermaine Johnson II to Tennessee in exchange for nose tackle T'Vondre Sweat. The trade will process in March when the new league year begins. We graded the transaction and determined that the Jets came out ahead, but only slightly.
4. More moves could be on the horizon as Anthony Richardson and Kayvon Thibodeaux are on the trade block. The Colts reportedly gave Richardson permission to seek a trade, which opens the door for him to potentially compete for a starting job outside of Indianapolis. The question is which team is willing to take a shot on the oft-injured former first-rounder who has yet to latch on as a starter. In New York, the Giants appear ready to move on from Thibodeaux and are reportedly listening to offers for the edge rusher. Also a former first-round pick, he has struggled over the last two years to replicate his stellar rookie production.
5. Changes to college football's targeting rule could take effect in 2026. The NCAA Rules Subcommittee proposed a one-year trial rule that would no longer force players flagged for targeting in the second half of one game to miss the first half of the next contest. Instead, if the FBS and FCS Oversight Committees approve, players will only be disqualified through the end of their current game. Once rule changes make it this far in the process, they generally pass, so it is fair to assume that targeting will look different during the 2026 season. Numerous coaches have called for this exact adjustment.

😬 Do not miss this: Clippers break the NBA Concern Meter

The final full month of the NBA season arrives on Sunday, so opportunities to shore up playoff positioning are dwindling. For those in full tank mode, that's not so much of a problem as it is a relief. But for teams actively trying to win, all have at least some sense of desperation as they seek to attain their respective goals. John Gonzalez placed a handful of teams on the Concern Meter and measured the amount of panic warranted for each situation.

For the 10th-place Clippers in particular, the Concern Meter doesn't go high enough to measure how dire things are in Los Angeles.

• Gonzalez: "They're 13-18 away from the Ballmer Bowl™️, their point differential is minus-0.5, and they're 14-22 against teams .500 or better. They're also 19-29 when opponents score 100 or more. Reader, this is the NBA. Good chance that any given team goes for more than 100 on any given night."

In the Eastern Conference, the Knicks are in third place and five games clear of the play-in, but a few eyebrow-raising losses of late are not so easy on the nerves. That's why John assigned them a 6.5 out of 10 on the Concern Meter.

🏀 Buckle up for six top 25 men's college basketball showdowns

We've reached the penultimate weekend of the men's college basketball regular season, and it is a doozy. There are a whopping six top 25 battles on the slate, and they begin tonight with a top-10 Big Ten clash between No. 3 Michigan and No. 10 Illinois, wherein the Wolverines can clinch sole possession of the conference title.

If you only have the bandwidth to watch six games this weekend, these better top your list:

• No. 3 Michigan at No. 10 Illinois
• No. 11 Virginia at No. 1 Duke
• No. 14 Kansas at No. 2 Arizona
• No. 16 Texas Tech at No. 4 Iowa State
• No. 17 Alabama at No. 22 Tennessee
• No. 20 Arkansas at No. 7 Florida

Other storylines to note include the fallout of this week's UConn-over-St. John's demolition. Are the No. 6 Huskies poised to roll their way to a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament? How will The No. 15 Red Storm respond when they host Villanova on Saturday? And in the Big 12, No. 5 Houston has some soul-searching to do amid a three-game losing streak.

👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest

• While the NFLPA will not publicly release its team report card results, the Steelers' last-place standing is among the reported findings from the annual survey.
• Basketball Hall of Famer Chris Bosh said he is "lucky to be alive" after a terrifying health scare.
• Team USA and Ottawa Senators star Brady Tkachuk took exception to the White House's AI-altered video in which he is made to make disparaging remarks toward Canadians.
• A four-game losing streak sent Tennessee plummeting out of our weekly women's college basketball power rankings.
• Ahead of the Pac-12's rebirth, Oregon State fired longtime basketball coach Wayne Tinkle.
• Austin Smotherman leads after the first round of the Cognizant Classic.
• Despite nagging elbow injuries that will plague him in 2026 and beyond, Giancarlo Stanton will retain a significant role with the Yankees.
• Najee Harris appears ready to make a comeback from his season-ending Achilles injury. We came up with a few potential landing spots for the free agent running back.
• Because of the 49ers' demanding international schedule next season, the NFL could give them a lighter slate on the back end of the campaign.
• While he will not participate in the NFL Scouting Combine, top cornerback prospect Jermod McCoy has "no limits" after his ACL recovery.
• Who will clinch a world championship match at WrestleMania? Two spots are on the line in the Elimination Chamber. Check out our picks for Saturday's event.
• Which NWSL team has the best new jerseys for 2026? We ranked them.
• Two Omaha women's basketball players came to the rescue when a sinkhole swallowed two cars at an intersection.
• The Big Ten and SEC are urging Congress to reject a proposal that would consolidate college sports media rights.
• Cristiano Ronaldo purchased a 25% stake in the Spanish club Almeria.
• Dominance or parity? Annika Sörenstam and Lexi Thompson weighed in on which is better for the LPGA Tour.
• Executives from the Premier League and Professional Footballers' Association warned about the risk of expanding the soccer calendar.

📺 What we're watching this weekend

Friday

⚾ Spring training: Marlins at Phillies, 1:05 p.m. on MLB Network
⛳ Cognizant Classic, second round, 2 p.m. on Golf Channel
🏈 NFL Scouting Combine (DBs, TEs), 3 p.m. on NFL Network
⚽ Aston Villa at Wolverhampton Wanderers, 3 p.m. on USA Network
⚾ Spring training: Dodgers at Giants, 3:05 p.m. on MLB Network
🏀 Cavaliers at Pistons, 7 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 No. 3 Michigan at No. 10 Illinois (M), 8 p.m. on Fox
🏀 Nuggets at Thunder, 9:30 p.m. on ESPN

Saturday

⚽ Lecce at Como, 9 a.m. on Paramount+
⚽ West Ham United at Liverpool, 10 a.m. on USA Network
🏀 Colorado at No. 5 Houston (M), Noon on ESPN2
🏀 No. 11 Virginia at No. 1 Duke (M), Noon on ESPN
🏀 Seton Hall at No. 6 UConn (M), Noon on FS1
🏒 Penguins at Rangers, 12:30 p.m. on ABC
⚽ Manchester City at Leeds United, 12:30 p.m. on NBC
🏈 NFL Scouting Combine (QBs, WRs, RBs), 1 p.m. on NFL Network
⚾ Spring training: Twins at Red Sox, 1:05 p.m. on MLB Network
🏀 No. 14 Maryland at No. 8 Michigan (W), 2:30 p.m. on Fox
⚽ Chicago Fire FC at CF Montreal, 2:30 p.m. on Apple TV
⚽ Genoa at Inter Milan, 2:45 p.m. on CBS Sports Golazo Network/Paramount+
🏒 Bruins at Flyers, 3 p.m. on ABC
⛳ Cognizant Classic, third round, 3 p.m. on NBC
🏀 Rockets at Heat, 3:30 p.m. on Prime Video
🏀 No. 14 Kansas at No. 2 Arizona (M), 4 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 No. 16 Texas Tech at No. 4 Iowa State (M), 4 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
⚽ Minnesota United FC at FC Cincinnati, 4:30 p.m. on Apple TV
🏀 No. 17 Alabama at No. 22 Tennessee (M), 6:30 p.m. on ESPN
🏒 Flames at Kings, 7 p.m. on NHL Network
⚽ Real Salt Lake at Seattle Sounders FC, 7:30 p.m. on Apple TV
🏀 Lakers at Warriors, 8:30 p.m. on ABC
🏀 No. 20 Arkansas at No. 7 Florida (M), 8:30 p.m. on ESPN
⚽ FC Dallas at Nashville SC, 8:30 p.m. on Apple TV
🏀 No. 9 Gonzaga at Saint Mary's (M), 10:30 p.m. on ESPN
⚽ LA Galaxy at Charlotte FC, 10:30 p.m. on Apple TV

Sunday

⚽ AC Milan at Cremonese, 6:30 a.m. on Paramount+
⚽ Crystal Palace at Manchester United, 9 a.m. on NBC Sports Network
⚽ Chelsea at Arsenal, 11:30 a.m. on NBC Sports Network
🏀 No. 12 Duke at No. 21 North Carolina (W), Noon on ESPN
🏀 No. 13 Ohio State at No. 15 Michigan State (W), Noon on Big Ten Network
🏀 No. 4 Texas at No. 24 Alabama (W), Noon on SEC Network
🏀 Spurs at Knicks, 1 p.m. on ABC
🏒 Golden Knights at Penguins, 1 p.m. on TNT
🏈 NFL Scouting Combine (OL), 1 p.m. on NFL Network
⚾ Spring training: Braves at Twins, 1:05 p.m. on MLB Network
🏀 No. 8 Purdue at Ohio State (M), 1:30 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
🏀 No. 3 South Carolina at No. 16 Kentucky (W), 2 p.m. on SEC Network+
🏀 No. 5 Vanderbilt at Tennessee (W), 2 p.m. on ESPN
⚽ Austin FC at D.C. United, 2:30 p.m. on Apple TV
⚽ Juventus at Roma, 2:45 p.m. on Paramount+
🏀 No. 9 Iowa at Wisconsin (W), 3 p.m. on B1G+
🏀 No. 7 Oklahoma at Missouri (W), 3 p.m. on SEC Network+
⛳ Cognizant Classic, final round, 3 p.m. on NBC
🏀 Timberwolves at Nuggets, 3:30 p.m. on ABC
🏁 NASCAR: Texas Grand Prix, 3:30 p.m. on Fox
🏀 No. 13 Michigan State at Indiana (M), 3:45 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
🏀 No. 18 Baylor at No. 11 TCU (W), 4 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 No. 6 LSU at Mississippi State (W), 4 p.m. on SEC Network
🏀 Notre Dame at No. 10 Louisville (W), 4 p.m. on ESPN2
⚽ Philadelphia Union at New York City FC, 4:30 p.m. on Apple TV
⚽ SheBelieves Cup: United States vs. Argentina, 5 p.m. on TNT/truTV
🏒 Panthers at Islanders, 6:30 p.m. on ESPN
⚽ Orlando City at Inter Miami CF, 7 p.m. on Apple TV
🏀 No. 1 UConn at St. John's (W), 7:30 p.m. on TNT/truTV
🏀 76ers at Celtics, 8 p.m. on NBC
⛳  Jupiter Links Golf Club vs. Boston Common Golf, 9 p.m. on ESPN
⚽ San Diego FC at St. Louis City SC, 9:15 p.m. on FS1/Apple TV