The Lead

Two Sundays ago, Cam Newton made his dramatic return for the Carolina Panthers, and helped lead them to a win over the Arizona Cardinals. Then, this past Sunday, in his much-anticipated first game back in Carolina, Newton and the Panthers came up short against the Washington Football Team. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Joe Person to look at why the Panthers made the decision to bring him back now, and the impact that his larger-than-life personality could have on the rest of the team. Follow Joe Person’s coverage of the Panthers: https://theathletic.com/author/joseph-person/?source=theleadpodcast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

During a chaotic 2020 college football season, Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud spent most of his time on the bench as an understudy to Justin Fields. Now the redshirt freshman has not only stepped into the starting position, but has guided the Buckeyes to one of their best offensive seasons in school history -- and made a strong case for himself as a Heisman Trophy candidate. In the wake of the Buckeyes' destruction of Michigan State on Saturday, The Athletic's Bill Landis joins us to discuss what exactly makes Stroud so special as a passer, the unique bond he has formed with his star wide receiver trio, and what stands between Ohio State and a 2021 national championship.More from Bill Landis:https://theathletic.com/author/bill-landis/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Johnny Juzang exploded onto the college basketball scene during the 2021 NCAA Tournament after he led the eleventh seeded UCLA Bruins on a surprising run all the way to the Final Four. Now he's looking to get to the next level and take his team all the way to the championship. Today, The Athletic's Seth Davis, who recently spent time with Juzang and his family, tells us how the sharpshooting junior from Tarzana made his way back to Los Angeles after a short stint in Kentucky and how his childhood vision boards helped guide him toward college basketball stardom.Read Seth Davis' story about UCLA guard Johnny Juzang: https://theathletic.com/2915025/2021/10/28/hes-always-had-a-different-brain-inside-johnny-juzangs-vision-quest-for-ucla/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In just his second NFL season, Jonathan Taylor is already one of the NFL's best running backs. But before he turned his attention to the gridiron, the Colts star was far more fascinated with Outer Space than he was with scoring touchdowns. Today, The Athletic's Zak Keefer tells us how the NFL's leading rusher went from aspiring astronaut to one of the most unstoppable players in football.Read Zak Keefer's story about Jonathan Taylor: https://theathletic.com/2936512/2021/11/09/gaze-at-the-stars-reject-harvard-embrace-the-suck-colts-jonathan-taylor-is-blasting-off/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Four years ago, Bruce Arena's reputation as a miracle-working soccer coach took a bit of a hit when the U.S. Men's National Team failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. A year and a half later, he took the reins of the New England Revolution -- a team with a long history of success that had fallen on hard times. And now, Arena has just finished guiding the Revolution to the most successful regular season in MLS history. The Athletic's Jeff Rueter joins us to explain how Arena rebuilt the Revolution in just two years, what exactly has made the Revs so good, and why this latest coaching achievement might be Arena's most impressive yet.More from Jeff Rueter:https://theathletic.com/author/jeff-rueter/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

An NFL team's success often comes down to the guy lining up under center. If your signal caller is a star then the playoffs are probably calling. If he's not ... well, you might be in trouble. The Athletic's Mike Sando polled insiders from around the league to rank every team's starting quarterback and today he tells us how the rankings have shifted after 10 weeks of action. Read Mike Sando's Revisited Quarterback Tiers: https://theathletic.com/2942184/2021/11/11/qb-tiers-revisited-puzzling-patrick-mahomes-determined-derek-carr-cresting-kyler-murray-and-more/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

After a couple of years mostly out of the spotlight, watching other teams reach the NBA Finals, the Golden State Warriors have come roaring back to start the 2021-22 season. Today, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Tim Kawakami to look at three key reasons why Steph Curry and the Warriors are back among the best teams in the league, and whether this team has the look of a bona fide title contender. Follow Tim Kawakami’s coverage of all things Warriors and Bay Area: https://theathletic.com/author/tim-kawakami/?source=theleadpodcast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mark Borowiecki is best known as a hard-hitting defenseman with the NHL's Nashville Predators -- a guy who has doled out plenty of bone-crunching checks and who has dropped the gloves more than a few times. He's also earned the nickname "Boro-Cop" for his tendency to stand up for justice on and off the ice, and to defend people who need protecting. But the hardest battle of his 11-year NHL career has been the one going on inside his own mind. Borowiecki recently opened up to The Athletic's Adam Vingan about his being diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder, the dark thoughts that consumed him for years, and why, after finally getting the help he needed, he wants other athletes to know what he's gone through.Read Adam Vingan's full story about Mark Borowiecki:https://theathletic.com/2787492/2021/10/04/it-became-borderline-dangerous-predators-mark-borowiecki-details-his-mental-health-journey/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Carli Lloyd officially retired on Sunday as one of America's most decorated and celebrated soccer players. She's won everything from the World Cup to Olympic Gold Medals to FIFA World Player of the Year. Perhaps more than the achievements on the pitch, Lloyd was known for her maniacal drive and singular focus to become one of the best players to ever lace up a pair of cleats. But that approach also had its downsides – during her career the iconoclastic midfielder clashed with coaches, the media, and even her own family. Today, The Athletic's Meg Linehan tells us how Lloyd is processing the end of her sometimes tumultuous career and whether or not, at the end of it all, the USWNT legend is finally at peace.Read Meg Linehan's story about Carli Lloyd: https://theathletic.com/2909879/2021/10/25/im-at-peace-carli-lloyd-seeks-a-special-ending-to-a-career-long-chase-for-greatness/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The last time the Boston Celtics took the floor, on Saturday night, they watched Luka Doncic hit a game-winning dagger to drop their record to 4-6 — the latest setback in a season that has already seen a lot of turbulence. Today, The Athletic’s Jared Weiss breaks down all the turmoil that Boston has faced (including the semi-public dispute between Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum), and whether the team can turn things around from here. Follow Jared Weiss’s coverage of the Celtics: https://theathletic.com/author/jared-weiss/?source=theleadpodcast See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.