Author: rb809rb

Daniel Jones is recovering from a season-ending Achilles tear. He’ll be a free agent in the spring. But Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard sees Jones as the near and long-term answer at quarterback for a franchise that’s been spinning the wheel at the position since Andrew Luck retired ahead of the 2019 campaign.

Ballard, who will be in the final year of his contract next season, is confident the Colts can work something out with Jones and his agent, and that Jones will eventually return to form, even noting that the 28-year-old Duke product “rehabs like a wild man.”

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Jones, whom the New York Giants drafted No. 6 overall in 2019, signed what was reported as a one-year, $14 million deal with the Colts this past offseason. Then, in training camp, he beat out Anthony Richardson Sr., the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 draft who started 11 games for the Colts last season.

Richardson backed up Jones this season until he fractured his orbital bone during pregame warmups at Lucas Oil Stadium leading up to a Week 6 game against the Arizona Cardinals. Head coach Shane Steichen described the latest of Richardson’s injuries as a “fluke accident,” which occurred while he was working with a stretching band in the locker room.

The Colts placed Richardson on injured reserve, and he didn’t appear in another game the rest of the way, including as Indianapolis scrambled down the stretch to find a replacement for Jones. They famously brought a 44-year-old Philip Rivers out of retirement. Rivers played admirably after close to five seasons without an NFL snap, but the 8-9 Colts went 0-3 in his three starts and were eliminated from postseason contention after starting the season 8-2.

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[Get more Colts news: Indianapolis team feed]

Ballard took a wait-and-see approach when he was asked about Richardson on Thursday.

“I’ll tell you this about Anthony,” said Ballard, who is going on his 10th season as Colts GM. “He’s a great teammate. He’s a great teammate and never sulked, never complained, was doing a great job as a backup quarterback and then he has a freak accident in the locker room.”

Ballard added:

“But he’s got to still work through the vision [issue] he has, and we’ll see what the future holds there. A little bit of bad luck. We’ll kind of see going forward how that ends up playing out. A lot of it’s going to deal with his health, too.”

Ballard also talked about how he was encouraged by what rookie quarterback Riley Leonard showed in his two extensive appearances. He left the door open to Leonard potentially serving as the Colts’ QB2 if Richardson can’t get to where the Colts hope he can.

It’s clear, however, that Ballard’s focus is on Jones.

“I mean I’ve been very stated about when you’re chasing the quarterback all the time, it’s hard,” he said.

“Your margin for error really shrinks down. And I feel very good about Daniel Jones and where he’s at, where he’s going. Yes, he’s got the Achilles, but I think Daniel Jones has got a really bright future here in Indianapolis. And look, there is some comfort knowing that, OK, we know we’ve got a guy that’s proven, that’s done it and done some really good things. So that does give you some confidence.”

Jones piloted an Indianapolis offense that got off to a historic start this season. He completed a career-high 68% of his passes while averaging a personal-best 8.1 yards per attempt.

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Jones was more accurate and decisive under Steichen.

Ballard believes that performance is replicable and that so is the team’s success over the first 10 games.

“When we got back from Germany, I’d have told you we had a top-four team in the league,” Ballard said. “I believed that. I still believe that. But losing seven in a row is losing seven in a row. That’s not what top-four teams do, and that’s reality. That’s the facts.”

Ballard once again took accountability Thursday. He knows the stakes are higher than ever after another year without playoff football in Indianapolis.

“It starts with me, and until we win — until we win big, win a division, go far into the playoffs, there’s going to be doubt,” Ballard said. “That’s real. I don’t run away from that. I don’t shy away from that.”

Ballard later added: “Words are words, actions speak louder than words, and wins speak a lot louder than losses.”

ST. LOUIS — They glided through their pairs routine, expertly if not effortlessly, as in sync on the ice as they are off it. And when they finished their short program Wednesday night at the 2026 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov beamed, for they stood atop the pairs’ rankings after the first day of competition.

And these national championships may be as far as they’ll go. Because while Efimova and Mitrofanov are indisputably two of America’s best skaters, with a viable chance to medal next month at the Winter Olympics in Milan, they are — at the moment — ineligible to compete for the United States. And the clock is ticking.

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Efimova, who previously competed for Germany, is not a U.S. citizen. Unless she is granted citizenship by the time the United States figure skating contingent is named Saturday, she — and by association, Mitrofanov — will not be able to compete for the United States in the Olympics.

“We’re still not eligible for the Olympics,” a still-smiling Mitrofanov said Wednesday night after the first round of competition. “We are hoping that maybe a last-minute miracle might happen.”

‘This has always been the law’

A Finnish citizen, Efimova obtained her green card in July 2024. Although the citizenship process is complex and highly bureaucratic, the primary obstacle for Efimova is the mandatory three-year waiting period for citizenship after obtaining a green card through marriage. (Mitrofanov, born in Wisconsin, is a U.S. citizen.)

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The Skating Club of Boston, the home rink of the duo — who have been married since February 2024 — has launched a PR effort on their behalf. On the club’s website, Efimova tells their story: how she and Mitrofanov are both children of Russian immigrants, how they began skating together in 2023 and later took their on-ice relationship to the next level, and how she continues to immerse herself in all elements of American life.

“The sincere striving in the attitude and approach of the Americans to be the best in the world …. has really impressed me from living here,” Efimova wrote. “I see it in the skating club, within U.S. Figure Skating, my fellow Team USA athletes and among the many fans of figure skating.”

The International Skating Union requires a one-year lay-out period for skaters competing for a new nation, but does not require those skaters to be citizens of their new country. That allowed Efimova and Mitrofanov to compete in virtually all international competitions except one: the Olympics, where the International Olympic Committee requires competitors to be citizens of the nation whose flag they wear.

Efimov and Mitrofanov won the U.S. figure skating’s nationals last year, and based on their success since then, including a stellar performance this week in St. Louis, the duo would appear to be directly on track for selection to the U.S. Olympic team. The website SkatingScores.com, which tracks competitors based on the U.S. Figure Skating’s criteria for Olympic selection, lists Efimov and Mitrofanov as the top-ranked pair among all U.S. competitors.

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Unfortunately for Efimova, the prospects of a last-second citizenship reprieve appear dim at best. “In short, she is attempting something that is, to my knowledge — and I’ve been practicing immigration law since 2002 — impossible,” says immigration attorney Ken Levine of the Atlanta firm Levine and Eskandari, LLC.

Levine points out that this cut-and-dried stance on citizenship is not a new directive of the Trump administration, noting that there is generally only one realistic way of accelerating the timetable. “This has always been the law,” Levine says. “If someone got their green card through marriage, and they want to file for citizenship earlier than the three years, the only way to do that is to join the military, because they fast-track that.”

Efimova’s status as a potential Olympian doesn’t affect her status in the eyes of U.S. citizenship officials. “George Clooney was just given fast-track citizenship in France. In their legal system, there is a provision for someone that has contributed mightily to the country, has reflected honor, helped the economy,” Levine says. “But there’s nothing analogous like that in the United States.”

U.S. Figure Skating, the sport’s organizing body, notes that other skaters have applied for, and received, citizenship following the receipt of a green card. Both Vadym Kolesnik (originally from Ukraine) and Christina Carreira (Canada) received U.S. citizenship in recent months, though neither petition was expedited and both had to wait several years for resolution.

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A U.S. Figure Skating official confirmed to Yahoo Sports that the governing body is working with the USOPC and The Skating Club of Boston to attempt to expedite the citizenship process.  However, in response to an inquiry from Yahoo Sports, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services noted that the agency does not comment on individual cases, and that all individuals must follow established U.S. law.

“To be honest, the last few weeks, it has been more difficult than normal,” Mitrofanov said Wednesday night. “We had to do a little bit more paperwork and everything like that. There has been a great push for it. Hopefully things happen, but it is out of our control. All we do is focus on our skating, focus on what we’re able to do, which is on the ice.”

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If the duo are not able to skate in Milan, it’s unlikely they will continue to compete for a shot at the 2030 Games. Efimov wants to follow in the footsteps of her father and become a doctor, and plans to start medical school soon to follow that dream.

U.S. Figure Skating will announce its teams starting at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday. That’s the deadline for Efimov and Mitrofanov, and there will be no extensions.

Nate Tice & Charles McDonald join forces to preview ALL six NFL Wild Card games. After reacting to the Miami Dolphins firing Head Coach Mike McDaniel and where he could potentially land as one of the better playcallers in the NFL, the duo dive into Wild Card Weekend. Nate & Charles start off by discussing whether the Carolina Panthers have a chance to keep it close against the Los Angeles Rams, if the Chicago Bears can get the upper hand on the Green Bay Packers in their rubber match and if the Buffalo Bills really deserve to be road favorites against the red-hot Jacksonville Jaguars.

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Later, Nate & Charles discuss the San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles battling to see who can get the good vibes going again, the Los Angeles Chargers trying to overcome their injuries against the New England Patriots (and MVP Drake Maye) and the Pittsburgh Steelers walking into a buzzsaw Houston Texans defense on Monday night. The two hosts wrap things up with their Hail Mary bold predictions, including some pessimism surrounding Bryce Young and Aaron Rodgers.

(2:45) – Dolphins fire Mike McDaniel

(13:30) – Rams @ Panthers

(23:20) – Packers @ Bears

(40:35) – Bills @ Jaguars

(1:00:05) – 49ers @ Eagles

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(1:16:30) – Chargers @ Patriots

(1:41:20) – Texans @ Steelers

(1:49:50) – Hail Mary predictions

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Christian Polanco and Alexis Guerreros kick things off with reports that Weston McKennie could leave Juventus this summer. Where should the USMNT midfielder go next, and what kind of club best suits his skill set ahead of 2026? The guys also reveal their USMNT “secret weapon” players who could surprise their way onto the World Cup roster, with Alexis highlighting James Sands and Sebastian Berhalter, while Christian makes the case for Max Arfsten and Brenden Aaronson.

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Next, Christian and Alexis are joined by Lawrence Cann, founder of Street Soccer USA, for a powerful and emotional interview about how the game can change lives. Lawrence shares the personal story of losing his home as a child — and how soccer, community, and the support of a coach helped put him on a new path. The conversation dives into grassroots soccer, access, and why building opportunity at the community level matters now more than ever.

Finally, the boys close out with Rapido Reactions from across the soccer world: their thoughts on a leaked USMNT jersey, a bizarre viral moment featuring an Algerian fan standing frozen like a statue, Gabon canceling their entire national team, a wild goal celebration that nearly ended in disaster, and their AFCON quarterfinal predictions.

Timestamps:

(8:00) – Where should Weston Mckennie go this summer?

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(18:30) – USMNT’s secret weapons for the 2026 World Cup

(28:30) – Founder of Street Soccer USA joins The Cooligans

(52:00) – Rapido Reactions: USMNT jersey leak, AFCON headlines & more

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Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese announced on Thursday that he is forgoing his senior year with the Buckeyes and entering the 2026 NFL Draft. Following a breakout 2025 campaign at Ohio State, Reese is one of the top prospects in the class of 2026.

Yahoo Sports’ Nate Tice and Charles McDonald have Reese being selected third by the Arizona Cardinals in his latest mock draft.

The All-American linebacker burst onto the scene in 2025, becoming one of the biggest disruptors in college football. Reese recorded 69 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks in 14 games during his junior season. He was also named first-team All-Big Ten and won the Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year award.

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[Get more Buckeyes football news: Ohio State team feed]

Standing at 6-foot-4, 243 pounds, Reese went from a rotational linebacker his sophomore year to an impact player on the Buckeyes’ defense his junior campaign. Reese became the ultimate hybrid defensive weapon, splitting time between playing in coverage and rushing the passer off the edge. His high level of versatility is what makes Reese such a coveted prospect in the 2026 draft.

While the season may not have ended how Ohio State expected after being bounced in the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff by Miami, Reese built his individual résumé and has set himself up to become a high draft pick in April. All that’s left for Reese on his road to the NFL Draft is to perform well at the scouting combine next month in Indianapolis.

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This year’s NFL scouting combine will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium, running from, Feb. 23 through Mar. 2.

The Philadelphia Eagles are the reigning Super Bowl champions, but it hasn’t seemed that way for most of the season.

This season has been frustrating for the Eagles, particularly on offense. They have had long stretches of poor play, whether it’s Jalen Hurts generating little in the passing game or Saquon Barkley going from 2,005 rushing yards last season to 1,140 this season. There has been never-ending drama with the Eagles as they have struggled to replicate their success of last season.

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The San Francisco 49ers haven’t exactly had the easiest season either. Injuries have been a constant story, even though the 49ers overcame them to finish with 12 wins. They had a shot at the No. 1 seed in the NFC in Week 18, which is remarkable even though they lost that game to the Seahawks.

Both teams have had their challenges this season, but can start anew in the postseason.

Previous meeting this season

The Eagles and 49ers haven’t faced off since the 2023 season. The 49ers won the regular-season meeting that year but the Eagles won a rematch in the NFC championship game when San Francisco suffered multiple quarterback injuries.

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Health update

The 49ers got some rare good news on the injury front when offensive tackle Trent Williams returned to practice Thursday. He missed almost all of a Week 17 game and all of Week 18 with a hamstring injury. The Eagles are expected to get their star offensive tackle back, too, as Lane Johnson has returned to practice from a foot injury. The 49ers’ news wasn’t all good though; linebacker Tatum Bethune will miss the rest of the season with a groin injury. Linebacker Dee Winters and receiver Ricky Pearsall also missed the first two practices of the week.

The head coaches

Nick Sirianni is the coach in this game with a Super Bowl ring, but he’s under a lot more heat than his opponent this week. The Eagles have had an uneven season and Sirianni has been criticized plenty during it. Kyle Shanahan has done a remarkable job keeping the 49ers afloat through injuries. His offense was particularly strong in December when it averaged 42.3 points per game.

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Key player for the 49ers

In Week 16, tight end George Kittle suffered an ankle injury. He missed the following game and had just 29 yards in Week 18. The Seahawks’ defense played a role in that, but it’s worth wondering how healthy Kittle is. The 49ers need him. Christian McCaffrey will have as many touches as he wants, Brock Purdy needs to rebound from a poor Week 18, Jauan Jennings has had a good season, but it’s Kittle who makes a huge difference in the offense. The Eagles’ defense is good against tight ends (and practically everyone else) but Kittle is a special player. If he can have a big game it increases San Francisco’s shot at an upset.

Key player for the Eagles

Jalen Carter might be the most disruptive defensive tackle in the NFL. But he hasn’t been healthy for a while. He had a procedure on his shoulder in December. Carter has played just once since Nov. 28, but maybe a week off in the regular-season finale will help. He was limited in practice this week with a hip injury. If Carter is healthy, or close, he can tip the game in Philadelphia’s favor.

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Prediction

The 49ers have had a great season considering their injuries. A 13-3 loss to the Seahawks, however, might have been a warning sign. The 49ers were overmatched in that game. Now they go on the road and face an Eagles team that rested in Week 18 and despite its flaws, still has a talented roster and a top-end defense. Philadelphia also might get more offense than usual against a 49ers defense that has been susceptible ever since losing Nick Bosa and Fred Warner to injuries. This seems like a tough matchup for the 49ers.

Eagles 20, 49ers 14

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Wild Card Weekend is almost here and we have Matt Harmon and Joel Smyth here to get you ready. The two preview each game and provide their favorite matchups and prop bets along the way. Smyth also shares his favorite DFS lineup for wild card weekend.

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(3:00) #5 Rams @ #4 Panthers

(15:00) #7 Packers @ #2 Bears

(27:30) #6 Bills @ #3 Jaguars

(35:00) #6 49ers @ #3 Eagles

(46:30) #7 Chargers @ #2 Patriots

(52:00) #5 Texans @ #4 Steelers

(55:00) Joel’s Wild Card Weekend DFS Lineup

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Demond Williams is not leaving Washington after all.

The Huskies QB announced Thursday night that he would be returning to Washington for his junior year after “thoughtful reflection with his family.” Williams had started to explore leaving Washington earlier in the week despite signing a new NIL deal with the school after the start of the new year. LSU and new coach Lane Kiffin were heavily rumored to be courting Williams.

“After thoughtful reflection with my family, I am excited to announce that I will continue my football journey at the University of Washington,” Williams wrote in a social media post. “I am deeply grateful to my coaches, teammates and everyone in the program for fostering an environment where I can thrive both as an athlete and as an individual.

“I am fully committed and focused on contributing to what we are building.

“Additionally, I apologize that the timing of these events coincided with the celebration of life for Mia Hamant, a beloved member of our university community. I never intended to call attention away from such an important moment.

“I am excited to reunite with my teammates and to lead the University of Washington to success in the 2026 season and beyond.”

Hamant, a goalkeeper on the Washington soccer team, died in November. She had been diagnosed with Stage 4 kidney cancer earlier in 2025. Her celebration of life was held Tuesday.

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Williams’ announcement came after Washington immediately pushed back after reports emerged he could leave and hours after his agent, Doug Hendrickson, said that he was parting ways with Williams.

[Get more Huskies football news: Washington team feed]

Hendrickson also represents Washington coach Jedd Fisch.

“Over the last few days, Demond and I have engaged in very honest and heartfelt conversations about his present and future,” Fisch said in a statement. “We both agree that the University of Washington is the best place for him to continue his academic, athletic, and social development.

“I appreciate Demond’s statement. I support him, and we will work together to begin the process of repairing relationships and regaining the trust of the Husky community.”

Per Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger, Williams signed an NIL deal worth approximately $4 million earlier in January. The deal prohibited him from entering the transfer portal and, if he left the team, his new school would also suffer a financial penalty.

When news emerged Monday that Williams was looking to transfer, Washington indicated that it would do what it could to keep him at the school via the provisions in his contract and that it wanted to investigate if a team or teams had been in contact with Williams.

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Had he entered the transfer portal, Williams would have been the most coveted player available. He was 246-of-354 passing for 3,065 yards and 25 TDs across 13 games while also rushing 143 times for 611 yards and 6 scores.

That excellence was obviously a big reason why Washington wanted to keep him around any way that it could.

John Henry Daley, one of the the top havoc-wreaking players in the transfer portal, is changing schools but not head coaches.

After starring at Utah, Daley is following Kyle Whittingham to Michigan, according to On3’s Pete Nakos. Whittingham stepped down after 21 seasons of leading the Utes and is now replacing Sherrone Moore as the Wolverines’ head coach. He’ll get an immediate boost with Daley’s arrival.

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Daley has two seasons of eligibility remaining. The 6-foot-4, 255-pound edge rusher stacked 11.5 sacks during the 2025 campaign, tied for the sixth most in the country this season.

He announced on Dec. 30 that he was entering the portal.

“I’d like to thank my teammates, coaches and Ute nation for the incredible support these past two seasons,” said Daley, an Alpine, Utah native, in a statement he posted to social media at the time.

“The experiences I’ve had here will last a lifetime. Who I consider to be family has grown significantly, and I will always cherish those relationships.”

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Daley broke out as a redshirt sophomore for an 11-2 Utah team while earning All-America honors. His 17.5 TFLs are tied for the fifth most of any FBS player this season. He put up those numbers in just 11 games, too.

He suffered a season-ending lower-body injury during a 51-47 win over Kansas State on Nov. 22. Daley recorded a pair of sacks and 3.5 TFLs in that game.

When declaring for the portal, Daley said in his statement that he will be “fully healthy” by the spring.

This season, Daley was a semifinalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award, which is given annually to the best defensive player in college football, and that was as a first-time starter. He’ll have big expectations waiting for him in Ann Arbor, where he’ll once again play under Whittingham.

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Who will be the next head coach of the Miami Dolphins? Yahoo Sports’ Andrew Siciliano, Charles Robinson and Ben Fawkes break down where Mike McDaniel will go next and question the coincidental timing of the firing before previewing the NFL Wild Card weekend slate of games that includes a juicy rematch between the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears. The trio also analyzes the Buffalo Bills’ tough road test as they face the Jacksonville Jaguars and the rest of the game slate before closing things out with their “One More Thing.”

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(1:35) – Dolphins fire Mike McDaniel

(11:13) – Bucs clean house

(18:25) – Rams @ Panthers

(28:55 ) – Packers @ Bears

(39:27) – Bills @ Jaguars

(47:23) – 49ers @ Eagles

(56:40) – Chargers @ Patriots

(1:04:25) – Texans @ Steelers

(1:12:10) – One More Thing

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