Author: rb809rb

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold wasn’t able to “let it rip” during practices, but will play against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. Darnold will reportedly get the start despite dealing with an oblique injury, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Darnold’s availability for the contest was never really in question after he was listed as limited in practice all week and was not given an injury designation before the game. But his level of participation in practices suggests the issue may be more serious than it appears.

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Darnold reportedly split time with backup Drew Lock in practice during the week. The Seahawks were careful with the starter, not allowing Darnold to throw it deep in practices. The quarterback is reportedly saving those types of throws for Sunday’s game, per Schefter.

Darnold attempted only short and medium throws at practice and did not, as one source described, “let it rip.” He is saving that level of throwing effort for Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams.

[Get more Seahawks news: Seattle team feed]

The 28-year-old Darnold initially sustained the injury ahead of the team’s divisional round game against the San Francisco 49ers. Despite the injury, Darnold was able to play against the 49ers, where he helped lead the team to a dominant 41-6 win.

Darnold wasn’t asked to do much in the victory. With the Seahawks jumping out to a 17-0 lead in the first quarter, Darnold threw the ball only 17 times throughout the contest. After the Seahawks essentially clinched the game, Lock came on in relief of Darnold. Lock, however, did not throw a pass during the contest.

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While it’s unclear how Darnold will respond if pushed into more action against the Rams on Sunday, the quarterback plans to take a pain-killing injection prior to the game, per Schefter. He did the same thing before the team’s divisional round game and it helped.

After a breakout season with the Minnesota Vikings last year, Darnold signed with the Seahawks in free agency and mostly repeated his strong numbers. Through 17 games, Darnold threw for 4,048 yards, 25 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.

Given his success with the Buffalo Bills, it might come as a surprise that Sean McDermott hasn’t been mentioned for any of the vacant head-coaching jobs around the league. That might be by design, as McDermott is reportedly “likely” to take a year off of coaching, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

While McDermott’s plans are unclear, the people he’s talked to have reportedly told McDermott it was “beneficial” and “worth it” to take a year off following a long coaching stint with a team, per Rapoport.

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McDermott’s track record should have made him one of the more desirable head coaches on the market. In nine seasons with the Bills, McDermott led the team to a 98-50 record, making the playoffs in eight of those seasons. He reached the AFC championship game twice, where he fell to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs both times.

But McDermott’s firing came at an awkward time in the coaching cycle. Both John Harbaugh and Kevin Stefanski were already off the market, going to the New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons, respectively. The same day McDermott was fired, the Miami Dolphins filled their opening with Jeff Hafley. Twenty-four hours later, the Tennessee Titans agreed to a deal with Robert Saleh. McDermott didn’t have a shot at any of those jobs.

While the Baltimore Ravens’ job was still open — and among the more desirable landing spots for McDermott — it didn’t stay that way for long. Three days after McDermott was fired, the team named Jesse Minter as its next head coach.

As of Sunday, only four jobs remain open. The Bills remain the most desirable landing spot, though McDermott isn’t going back there. The three other options are the Las Vegas Raiders, Cleveland Browns and the Arizona Cardinals. All three teams look to be in desperate need of a rebuild, and it’s unclear whether McDermott wants to take that on. He’s been successful enough over his career that he could wait a season and see if a more desirable landing spot opens up. McDermott would likely be among the biggest names on the market if he takes a year off and interviews for jobs again next offseason.

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Given the state of the teams still looking for a new head coach, that might be McDermott’s best play at this point. By sitting out a year, McDermott should have his pick of the head-coaching jobs next offseason. And he could wind up with a team in a much better position to win games compared to the options on the table right now.

Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga suffered a bone bruise in his left knee during Thursday’s loss to the Dallas Mavericks and is sidelined without a timetable to return.

The Warriors announced his diagnosis on Sunday. “A re-evaluation date will be determined in the coming days,” the Warriors announced.

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The injury arrives at a critical juncture for the Warriors in terms of their relationship with Kuminga. Kuminga was believed to be on the trade block ahead of the NBA’s Feb. 5 trade deadline, but he’d recently returned to the rotation due to an injury to Jimmy Butler.

Kuminga left Thursday’s game with the injury. He was then listed as out for Saturday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves that got postponed until Sunday with what the team initially listed as knee soreness.

An MRI on Friday confirmed that Kuminga sustained a bone bruise due to a hyperextension in his knee. The Warriors did not announce the injury until Sunday.

What will Warriors do with Kuminga?

Kuminga recently rejoined head coach Steve Kerr’s rotation due to the season-ending ACL tear to Butler. He’d previously issued a trade demand after Kerr opted not to play him in several games this season. The injury to Butler opened up a chance for Kuminga to re-establish himself in Golden State’s rotation. His future with the franchise remains unclear ahead of the upcoming trade deadline.

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Kuminga played well in his brief return to the lineup. He tallied 20 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists in 21 minutes in a loss to the Raptors on Tuesday. He had 10 points in nine minutes against the Mavericks before leaving the game with his injury.

The Warriors, meanwhile, are at a crossroads with Butler’s injury projected to knock them out of any realistic chance of competing in the Western Conference.

An officiating mistake cost the New England Patriots a defensive touchdown against the Denver Broncos on Sunday.

But Drake Maye deemed the error moot by running for a touchdown two plays later to get the Patriots on the scoreboard and cap a pivotal sequence in the AFC championship game that New England eventually won, 10-7.

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The sequence started late in the second quarter as the Broncos held a 7-0 lead. Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham, who was playing for injured starter Bo Nix, faced pressure on third-and-3 and carelessly released the ball near Denver’s 14-yard line.

Patriots linebacker Elijah Ponder picked the ball up and ran into the end zone for what looked like a New England touchdown. But officials blew the whistle as Ponder picked up the ball, killing the play.

Officials initially ruled that Stidham had committed intentional grounding, setting Denver up with what would have been fourth-and-24. But they reviewed the play and determined that Stidham had thrown a backward pass, which meant a fumble and a live ball.

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Ponder had a clear path to the end zone for what should have been a touchdown after he recovered it. But because officials blew the whistle, the play was dead at the time of his recovery. Instead of scoring a touchdown, the Patriots faced first-and-10 at the Denver 12-yard line.

Maye ensured that the officials’ mistake did not hurt the Patriots. After a 6-yard completion on first down, Maye took it in himself on a 6-yard touchdown draw to tie the game at 7 with 2:10 remaining before halftime.

And momentum swung in New England’s favor just before halftime.

Denver came into Sunday’s game needing Stidham to limit his mistakes against an aggressive Patriots defense. This was the exact type of play the Broncos were seeking to avoid with their starting quarterback watching the game in street clothes.

The NFL offseason has begun, and Yahoo Sports is previewing the coming months for all 32 teams, from free agency through the draft and more.

AFC East: Bills | Dolphins | Patriots | Jets
AFC North: Ravens | Bengals | Browns | Steelers
AFC South: Texans | Colts | Jaguars | Titans
AFC West: Broncos | Chiefs | Raiders | Chargers
NFC East: Cowboys | Giants | Eagles | Commanders
NFC North: Bears | Lions | Packers | Vikings
NFC South: Falcons | Panthers | Saints | Buccaneers
NFC West: Cardinals | Rams | 49ers | Seahawks

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2025 season record: 14-3 (o 9.5 wins), first in AFC West, lost to Patriots in AFC championship game, seventh in DVOA

Overview

The Broncos took advantage of a down Chiefs season and not only capitalized with a first-place finish in the AFC West for the first time since 2015, but they also came away with the No. 1 seed in the conference. Denver somewhat mimicked Kansas City’s run last season with a collection of one-score wins to fuel a league-best record. The Broncos played 11 regular-season games that were decided by seven points or fewer and went 9-2. That happened with a -2 turnover margin in those games. Overall, Denver had the second-best point differential in the fourth quarter.

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Denver’s defense led the way again, with a unit that ranked seventh in EPA per play thanks to its pass rush that was third in pressure rate and another All-Pro season from Pat Surtain II behind it. The offense was inconsistent, but found enough big plays to take advantage of the opportunities presented. Bo Nix was 11th among quarterbacks in EPA per play, but just 21st in success rate. The Broncos missed Nix in the AFC championship game, losing a tight one to the Patriots, but with another year of experience under his belt, there’s a lot to like about Denver’s future. Perhaps he’ll be helped by the promotion of QB coach Davis Webb to offensive coordinator, replacing the fired Joe Lombardi.

[Get more Broncos news: Denver team feed]

Playing in so many close games and winning so many of them will typically suggest some regression in that area the following season. But with Sean Payton and the defensive talent on board, it’s not difficult to imagine the Broncos continuing to stay highly competitive in most games they play.

Cap/cuts outlook

Per Over The Cap, the Broncos have just under $29 million in effective salary cap space. That’s the 14th-most among teams. The Broncos could make a few small moves to open up some more cap space. Releasing TE Evan Engram would save just under $4 million and QB Jarrett Stidham would save $5 million. The biggest cap savings would come from safety Brandon Jones, who would open up about $8 million in space. Jones suffered a pec injury in Week 15, but had been a big part of the Denver secondary until the injury. The Broncos don’t need to make any of those cuts, so if they want to open up space, it’s more likely from players who will be on the roster. Restructuring offensive linemen Mike McGlinchey and Quinn Meinerz would open nearly $22 million.

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Key pending free agents

LB Alex Singleton
IDL John Franklin-Myers
RB J.K. Dobbins
LB Justin Strnad

Singleton was diagnosed with testicular cancer during the season, but missed only one game. He finished 13th in tackles and 58% of those produced a positive play for the defense, which was the fifth-highest rate among linebackers with at least 100 tackles. Franklin-Meyers came over in a trade from the Jets before the 2024 season for a sixth-round draft pick. He put up 14.5 sacks over those two years and was eighth among interior linemen in ESPN’s pass rush win rate in 2025. Among 33 running backs with at least 150 carries, Dobbins was 10th in success rate and fourth in yards before contact per carry.

Positional needs

Wide receiver
Tight end
Linebacker
Safety

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The Broncos have a wide range of pass-catching options, but could use a more reliable top option, either at wide receiver or tight end. Courtland Sutton has been a good receiver, but among 24 wide receivers who had at least a 20% target share in 2025, Sutton ranked 25th in yards per route run. Denver was reportedly interested in Miami wide receiver Jaylen Waddle at the trade deadline, but balked at the asking price. It’s possible the Broncos could revisit a receiver trade in the offseason.

Defensive needs will come down to how free agency plays out. If Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad are re-signed, then a trio with Dre Greenlaw should be enough for 2026, though some depth could be added behind them. Greenlaw played only eight games, missing time with multiple injuries and a one-game suspension. The same goes for safety if Brandon Jones isn’t on the roster. It is a fairly interesting safety class in free agency and that position is still being undervalued on the open market.

2026 NFL Draft picks

1st round, pick No. 30
2nd round, pick No. 62
3rd round, pick No. 94
4th round
4th round
5th round
7th round
7th round (projected compensatory)
7th round (projected compensatory)

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What could move the fantasy needle in 2026?

Continue to develop young talent

Denver finished the regular season ranked 15th in EPA per play and 19th in success rate. That was right in line with its 16th and 18th finishes in 2024. This time last year, my recommendation for the Broncos after losing in the Wild Card round was to “hone the offense around Bo Nix.” This season was a start but not the end of that pursuit. The team took RJ Harvey and Pat Bryant in the 2025 NFL Draft on Day 2, saw second-year receiver Troy Franklin take a step forward and added J.K. Dobbins and Evan Engram in free agency.

Dobbins was a big win as a free agent add and was missed once he went down. The young players look like contributors and could be even better in 2026 but I’m not sure Denver should rest on its laurels with Bryant, Franklin or even Harvey.

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If there are playmakers available at wide receiver for this team, they would be welcome additions. Even No. 1 receiver Courtland Sutton was inconsistent this season and will turn 31 in 2026. Franklin and Bryant don’t look like future WR1s at this stage, so don’t rule out a big swing at receiver. — Matt Harmon

Good draft fit

KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M

The Broncos could really expand their passing attack with Concepcion, who will bring a big-play element and plays bigger than his size (5-foot-11, 190 pounds). Concepcion can do damage from the slot and has good after-catch ability, which will complement Courtland Sutton on the outside and give Bo Nix a solid option in the passing attack.

Betting nugget

Bo Nix went 8-0 against the spread as a favorite his rookie season, but he was only 3-9 ATS as a favorite this season, even though the Broncos won 14 regular-season games. — Ben Fawkes

CBS had a good idea on Sunday for its broadcast of snowy conditions in the AFC championship game.

But the network quickly and wisely abandoned it as the execution caused more problems than it solved.

New England’s 10-7 win over the Broncos in Denver started in clear conditions with yard markers clearly standing out from the green field on the broadcast. But as snow and hazy conditions took over after halftime, the yard lines and hash marks were covered and indistinguishable on the broadcast.

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CBS attempted to solve this problem with digitally imposed yard lines overlayed on the field. But the digitized markers caused players from both teams to appear transparent when they interacted, particularly Patriots players who were wearing white.

This drew immediate complaints on social media …

.. and another on-point tweet from the ArtButMakeItSports account.

By early in the fourth quarter, CBS had gotten the memo. This wasn’t working.

CBS abandoned the digital lines at the expense of confusion for viewers and even broadcasters Jim Nantz and Tony Romo over where the ball actually was on the field. Nantz and Romo had this to say after a fourth-quarter Patriots punt:

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Romo: “You couldn’t even see the ball from up here.”
Nantz: “It’s low visibility. … I’d love to tell you exactly where they marked the football. But folks, it would just be a wild guess.”

It wasn’t optimal. But it was better than the alternative for a game of this magnitude. The digital lines were a failure, and CBS made the correct decision to remove them shortly after it realized they weren’t working.

The Pittsburgh Steelers hired Mike McCarthy as the fourth head coach in the franchise’s history on Saturday as Mike Tomlin’s successor.

Now the hard work begins in attempting to restore the Steelers’ brand to the top of the NFL, where many feel such a prestigious organization belongs. Owner and team president Art Rooney sounded optimistic about McCarthy’s hiring when speaking with Steelers.com about their new head coach.

“He is someone who has a longer track record than many of the other candidates, a winning track record,” Rooney told Bob Labriola of Steelers.com. “He’s been a winner everywhere he’s been. Probably just as important for our purposes, the quarterbacks that he’s worked with have all been very successful. So he has a proven track record of developing top-flight quarterbacks. Those are the things that maybe stick out the most.”

McCarthy has a long history of working with and helping develop young quarterbacks in the NFL. He arrived in Green Bay as head coach in 2006, which was Aaron Rodgers’ second year in the NFL. Rodgers would sit behind veteran quarterback Brett Favre before taking over the starting role in 2008. McCarthy played a big part in Rodgers’ development, having been an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach prior to joining the Packers. He also played a major role in Dak Prescott’s progression in Dallas for five years.

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That experience and track record as a quarterback guy and Super Bowl-winning head coach is what pushed McCarthy to the forefront ahead of other candidates. Being a Pittsburgh native didn’t hurt McCarthy’s candidacy, either. However, McCarthy’s hire in Pittsburgh is a change from the norm and precedent this franchise had set. Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin were all defensive coaches who approached the game as such. For the first time, Pittsburgh is going in the opposite direction at the head coach position and likely overall team philosophy.

Rodgers’ history with McCarthy is also interesting, with the former’s future up in the air. They won Super Bowl XLV together, beating the Steelers for the Packers’ fourth Lombardi trophy. While that wasn’t the main reason for McCarthy’s hiring, again, it didn’t hurt. Whether Rodgers returns may not be known for a few months, but that familiarity will mean something if he’s back in Pittsburgh for the 2026 campaign.

“I hesitate to say that’s No. 1. I think No. 1 is we want a coach who’s going to lead the team to win a championship,” Rooney said. “But maybe high on the list after that is someone who can develop a quarterback. And since sooner or later we’re going to be working with a young quarterback here, I think Mike’s ability to develop the next quarterback is something that certainly is important to us.”

Rooney also mentioned how McCarthy feels about some of the other quarterbacks aside from Rodgers on the roster, and working with them. Obviously, if Rodgers is back next season, he’ll be the starter, but McCarthy will be working with a young quarterback like Will Howard who was drafted just last year. It also wouldn’t be a shock to see the Steelers take another quarterback somewhere in this year’s draft.

“He likes Will Howard, thinks Will has tremendous upside and is looking forward to working with him,” Rooney said. “Obviously feels like Mason can be a contributor. We’ll have to sit down and discuss where Aaron is, if he decides to come back, and whether that all makes sense. I think Mike was very comfortable with the quarterback room and the possibilities with the quarterback room. In particular, the fact we have a young quarterback on the roster in whom he sees some upside.”

In 18 years as an NFL head coach, McCarthy’s Green Bay and Dallas teams won nearly 61% of their games with a 174-112 record in the regular season. The Packers made the postseason in nine of McCarthy’s 13 seasons there, winning the Super Bowl to close out the 2010 campaign. During his five years leading the Cowboys, Dallas made the playoffs three times, including three consecutive 12-win seasons.

Points were at a premium in the New England Patriots’ 10-7 win over the Broncos in Sunday’s AFC championship game — even more so after halftime as frigid, snowy conditions took over in Denver.

And the game swung on a handful of plays — and decisions — that ultimately led to the Patriots advancing to their first Super Bowl of the post-Tom Brady era. Here’s a look at the key plays that ultimately decided the outcome of Sunday’s game.

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Patriots get fourth-and-1 stop after Broncos pass on FG

This will likely stand as the most scrutinized decision from Sunday’s game.

Conditions were poor in the first half even before the snow settled in. And the Broncos were playing with a backup quarterback in Jarrett Stidham, who hadn’t thrown an NFL pass since the 2023 since due to a season-ending fractured ankle for starter Bo Nix.

With two elite defenses on the field, points were going to be at a premium. The Broncos struck first and had a chance take a 10-0 lead with what would have been a 42-yard field goal attempt from kicker Wil Lutz. But instead of kicking for a two-score lead, the Broncos opted to go for it on fourth-and-1 at the New England 14-yard line.

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Stidham faced pressure and threw incomplete into traffic, and the Patriots took over on downs.

The Broncos didn’t score again. And the potential field goal proved to be the final margin of New England’s 10-7 win.

Stidham mistake sets up only Patriots TD

The game plan for the Broncos was clear on Sunday. They needed Stidham to play a clean game and avoid catastrophic mistakes to allow Denver’s defense to control the game against an opposing quarterback in Drake Maye playing in his first road playoff game.

Stidham threw that game plan out the window late in the second quarter. With Denver holding a 7-0 lead and facing third-and-4 in its own territory, Stidham faced immediate pressure again from the Patriots pass rush on a dropback.

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He ran backward. And then he panicked. Stidham threw a two-handed sideways shove that appeared to be an effort to get rid of the ball. Officials initially and incorrectly ruled the play a forward pass and intentional grounding on the field, negating what would have been a defensive touchdown by Patriots linebacker Elijah Ponder.

After consulting, they correctly determined that Stidham’s pass did not travel forward, and that it was a fumble. New England was awarded possession due to Ponder’s recovery, but the touchdown didn’t count because they blew the whistle.

No matter for New England. Maye ran the ball in for a 6-yard touchdown two plays later to tie the game at 6-6.

Patriots block game-tying FG attempt

By the second half, wintry conditions had taken over, and points became even harder to come by. With the clock ticking under 5 minutes in the fourth quarter, the Broncos faced what would normally be a reliable look at a game-tying 46-yard field goal from kicker Wil Lutz.

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But Lutz’s attempt came off like a knuckleball and sailed wide left to maintain New England’s 10-7 lead.

Slow-motion replay explained Luzt’s apparent knuckleball. New England’s Leonard Taylor got a hand on the ball to alter the kick and keep Denver from tying the game.

Jarrett Stidham throws fourth-quarter interception

With 2:19 remaining, the Broncos had the ball and a chance for a game-tying field goal or go-ahead touchdown. Instead, Stidham made his second big mistake of the game.

On second-and-9, Stidham targeted Marvin Mims Jr. on a deep ball. Stidham’s ball was well underthrown, and Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez ran under it for an easy interception.

This all but slammed the door on Denver’s Super Bowl hopes.

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Drake Maye runs for game-clinching first down

New England still had work to do after Gonzalez’s interception of Stidham. Maye ensured that it got done.

On third-and-6 with 1:57 remaining, the Patriots called for a run by Maye. Maye faked a handoff, then rolled out to his left, targeting the line to gain on the left sideline. Broncos defenders weren’t ready for the play, and Maye gained just enough to secure the first down.

The play allowed the Patriots run out the clock on a win in the AFC championship. And it capped a sensational day from Maye on the ground, who powered New England’s offense with his legs.

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Maye ran 10 times for 65 yards, gaining multiple first downs along the way. And he scored New England’s only touchdown of the game on his 6-yard draw in the first half.

In the end, Sunday’s game was one that was won in the margins, and the Patriots executed their critical plays as the Broncos did not.

Scottie Scheffler wasted no time picking up a win in 2026.

The top-ranked golfer in the world ran away from the rest of the field at The American Express on Sunday afternoon to pick up a win in his first start of the new PGA Tour season. Scheffler posted a 6-under 66 in the final round to get to 27-under on the week, which secured the four-shot win.

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The win gave Scheffler a $1.656 million check — which pushed him past the career $100-million mark. Only two other golfers, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, have earned more on the PGA Tour. Woods is the Tour’s money list leader with just shy of $121 million earned.

Jason Day posted an 8-under 64 on Sunday to join the group at 23-under to tie for second. He matched Ryan Gerard, Matt McCarty and Andrew Putnam there. Blades Brown, the 18-year-old who nearly shot a 59 in the second round, finished in T18 at 19-under.

Scheffler has now won 20 times in his career, 14 of which have come in the last three seasons alone.

Here’s a look at how much Scheffler and the rest of the field earned at The American Express this weekend.

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2026 The American Express Payouts

1. Scottie Scheffler — $1.656 million
T2. Jason Day, Ryan Gerard, Matt McCarty, Andrew Putnam — $616,450
T6. Sam Stevens, Si Woo Kim — $322,000
T8. Sahith Theegala, Haotong Li, Russell Henley, Austin Smotherman, Tom Hoge — $250,700
T13. David Ford, Zach Bauchou, Jacob Bridgeman, Patrick Cantlay, Windham Clark — $169,740
T18. S.H. Kim, Karl Vilips, Pierceson Coody, Rickie Fowler, Will Zalatoris, Blades Brown — $117,607
T24. Adam Scott, Ben Griffin, Harry Hall — $81,420
T27. Max Homa, Jordan Smith, Matthieu Pavon, Harris English, Nick Taylor, Johnny Keefer, Sam Ryder, Max McGreevy, Sam Burns, Billy Horschel, Eric Cole — $57,918
T38. Min Woo Lee, Robert MacIntyre, Joel Dahmen, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Tom Kim, J.T. Poston — $39,100
T44. Dylan Wu, Rasmus Højgaard, Ryo Hisatsune, A.J. Ewart, David Lipsky, Keith Mitchell, Alex Smalley, Matt Kuchar, Carson Young, Ricky Castillo, Patrick Rodgers, Rafael Campos — $25,377
T56. Davis Riley, Max Greyserman Daniel Berger, Taylor Moore, John Parry, Denny McCarthy, Michel Brennan — $20,884
T63. Chad Ramey, Seamus Power, Chandler Phillips, Matt Fitzpatrick, Davis Chatfield, Mac Meissner — $19,694
69. Adrien Dumont de Chassart — $19,048
T70. Zach Johnson, Adrien Saddier — $18,775
72. Gary Woodland — $18,502
73. Zecheng Dou — $18,320