Kevin O’Connor and Tom Haberstroh discuss who is on the NBA ‘Naughty’ and ‘Nice’ lists. The duo breaks down how the Celtics’ rookies have made a splash without Jayson Tatum, how the Detroit Pistons can raise their ceiling and how the Warriors can maximize their opportunity with Steph Curry. Plus, should Anthony Edwards be the new face of the league for the next generation? Is Maxime Raynaud the steal of the draft? Are the Pacers tanking??
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Next, they discuss why the New York Knicks opting out of raising the NBA Cup banner landed them on the naughty list, Evan Mobley taking a step back this season and why referee and player relations are spiraling. Later, does Giannis truly want out of the Bucks? Is it time for the Lakers to trade Austin Reaves?
(0:13) NBA Naughty & Nice List
(0:49) Nice: Boston Celtics
(4:52) Nice: Detroit Pistons
(8:47) Nice: Steph Curry
(14:32) Nice: Minnesota Timberwolves
(17:51) Nice: Maxime Raynaud
(21:05) Nice: Indiana Pacers
(22:51) Stocking Stuffers
(26:21) Naughty: New York Knicks
(30:59) Naughty: Evan Mobley
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(36:03) Naughty: Referee relations
(50:06) Naughty: Giannis
(56:24) Naughty: Los Angeles Lakers
(1:03:43) Naughty: Nico Harrison
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) drives to the basket against the Milwaukee Bucks in the second half at Target Center. Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
CLEVELAND — Josh Allen looked like he was turning two while securing a three-point win Sunday against the Browns. The superstar Buffalo Bills quarterback flipped the ball 10 yards downfield to rookie tight end Jackson Hawes as if he was a shortstop setting up a double play.
By the time the pitch reached Hawes for an 8-yard completion that set up a clock-draining and game-winning tush push, Allen was on his way to the ground. Browns defensive end Alex Wright delivered the hit, the latest the reigning NFL MVP took on a day when he needed X-rays on his right foot at halftime.
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Those were negative, and the vibes in the Bills’ locker room were positive after they survived that injury scare and a Cleveland comeback to escape a blustery Huntington Bank Field with a 23-20 win.
“His willingness, his will to win, it reminds me of somebody,” Bills receiver Brandin Cooks told Yahoo Sports, when asked about Allen postgame.
Cooks, who played with Tom Brady for the New England Patriots during the 2017 season, added: “It reminds me of who a lot of people say is the greatest quarterback of all time.”
Allen completed only 12 passes for 130 yards against the Browns, but, in his words, the Bills found a way to win. Allen didn’t turn the ball over, and Buffalo neutralized pass rushing great Myles Garrett, who is a sack away from breaking the NFL’s official single-season sack record. James Cook ran for 100 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries in the first half. Buffalo intercepted Shedeur Sanders twice, and defensive end Greg Rousseau dominated late, earning credit for 2.5 sacks as he exploited an injury-riddled Browns offensive line and uprooted two potential game-winning drives.
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With the win, Buffalo improved to 21-3 in December since the 2020 season, when the Allen rocket ship lifted off and the Bills started their streak of five consecutive AFC East titles.
They’re 3-0 in December this year, on track for an undefeated record in the month for the fourth time in that span. Hawes, a fifth-round rookie, theorizes it’s because of Buffalo’s affinity for the elements. Veteran safety Jordan Poyer attributes the success to his teammates’ sticking together.
“It’s December football. It’s totally different than the beginning of the year, right? Everybody’s looking for an edge. Everybody’s playing hard. It’s cold, wet. Fans are in it. It’s holiday season,” said the 34-year-old Poyer, who reunited with the Bills this summer after playing for them from 2017-23.
Sunday, Poyer recorded his first interception since the 2022 season, and he teamed up with Rousseau for one of those critical fourth-quarter sacks.
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“This is the time in football where you want to be playing for something,” Poyer said. “And it’s really cool that we still have that opportunity in front of us.”
Bills quarterback Josh Allen celebrates a touchdown against the Browns on Sunday in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Richard)
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Riding a four-game win streak, Buffalo still has paths to the division title. Perhaps the most direct calls for the Bills to win out and for the New England Patriots (12-3) to lose to the New York Jets (3-12) or the Miami Dolphins (6-9).
They have a hodgepodge of wide receivers and an imperfect defense that was gashed for 160 rushing yards by a Browns team that entered averaging a fourth-worst 92.4 rushing yards over the previous 14 games. But that same defense is incredibly opportunistic, as evidenced by its five takeaways across the past three outings. And the offense, although streaky, is fueled by the league-leading rusher in Cook and a superhero in Allen whose playoff kryptonite won’t zap his Bills of their powers this season.
“Yeah, again, we feel like we’re in playoff mode now,” said Allen, who noted that the pain he felt in his tweaked foot had subsided.
“We’ve got some stuff to clean up. But we’ll take a victory.”
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Captain America, Ted Lasso and a flu game
The Bills’ defense is malleable. It’s shapeshifted as the season has progressed, and as Buffalo has navigated poor injury luck by repeatedly using its maximum weekly allotment of two practice squad elevations. Poyer was one of those.
As safeties Damar Hamlin and Taylor Rapp went on injured reserve in October, Poyer was thrust back into the spotlight. After signing with the Bills again in late August, he spent the beginning of the season helping out the scout team, a stark contrast from his first seven-year run with the Bills when he started 107 games.
Since, the 2021 first-team All-Pro has proven he still has some gas left in the tank. Two weeks ago against the Bengals, he stacked six solo tackles. Last week against the Patriots, he dropped what would have been an interception. This week against the Browns, he snagged a pick after a Sanders pass ricocheted off the shoulder pad of running back Quinshon Judkins and popped up in the air late in the first quarter.
But Poyer hasn’t just filled a gaping hole at safety. He’s also provided inspiration, Bills do-it-all nickel Cam Lewis told Yahoo Sports in the locker room.
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“Every time we go out there, he got a good speech,” Lewis said. “Like he got us a Captain America speech before we go out. We be like, ‘Oh, yeah, bet, say no more.’ We be ready to go.”
It must have worked on Rousseau, who teamed up with Poyer for a sack that dropped Sanders for a loss of 8 yards, setting the Browns way behind schedule on their final drive.
Rousseau, who went five games in a row without a sack earlier this season, has accounted for 3.5 over the past two games. One of those resulted from the 2021 first-rounder forcing an intentional grounding penalty on the very next play of that fateful Browns series.
“Those are big-time plays that Greg made for us, and we need that every week,” Bills head coach Sean McDermott said postgame.
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Tight end Dawson Knox had the opportunity to make one as well. Gripping to its 23-20 lead with less than three minutes left in the fourth quarter, Buffalo rolled the dice on fourth-and-1 from the Cleveland 11-yard line. Allen then rolled right and located a wide-open Knox.
An insurance touchdown was there for the taking. Knox dropped it.
He hated that it happened. He said he apologized to Allen afterward.
“The leader he is, he’s like, ‘Don’t sweat it. Move on. Play the next play. We’re going to be good,’” Knox recounted. “And thankfully we came out with a win.”
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Knox continued: “If you let one play get in your head and beat you twice, then it just starts a downhill slide that’s hard to recover from. So you really got to have a short-term memory in this game. There’s a great Ted Lasso quote: ‘Be a goldfish, have a short memory.’ It’s one of those things. You just kind of gotta learn from it, move on and don’t let it affect the next one.”
That’s usually the approach to blocking Garrett, who came into Sunday with 17.5 of his now-22 sacks in his past eight games.
But Bills left tackle Dion Dawkins more than held his own against the future Pro Football Hall of Famer. Dawkins, a four-time Pro Bowler himself, was the biggest reason why Garrett finished with one pressure on 22 pass rushes, according to Next Gen Stats.
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Dawkins faced Garrett on 18 of his 22 pass rushes, per NGS, and made him wait another week for a record-breaking performance.
Allen’s blind-side protector did so after battling the flu this past week. The 6-foot-5 Dawkins said he lost 14 pounds while feeling the effects of the illness.
“I mean, that’s a hell of a flu game,” Knox said.
It is December, after all. That’s flu season. And it’s also when Allen’s Bills consistently find a way to win.
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson left Sunday night’s loss to the New England Patriots early, and did not return.
The precise nature and severity of the injury weren’t initially clear, though Jackson left the field at M&T Bank Stadium in pain after sliding late in the second quarter.
“It doesn’t look like it’s more than that,” Harbaugh said. “He’s in there getting treatment now.”
Jackson walked to the locker room in clear pain with trainers before the end of the half with 1:03 remaining.
Backup Tyler Huntley took over for Jackson just before the Ravens kicked a second-quarter field goal to tie the game at 10-10.
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Though Huntley and the Ravens built up an 11-point lead in the fourth quarter, Drake Maye and the Patriots came storming back to grab a 28-24 win late in the game. That officially secured their spot in the playoffs. Drake Maye threw for a career-high 380 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in the win for New England.
Huntley finished throwing 9-of-10 for 65 yards in the loss for Baltimore, which now sits at 7-8 on the season and is all but eliminated from playoff contention.
Another injury for Jackson
The ailment is the latest in a season that’s been filled with injuries for the two-time MVP. Jackson missed three games after Week 5 with a hamstring injury. Since his return in Week 9 against the Dolphins, Jackson has been sidelined in practices and limited by what the Ravens have announced as knee, toe and ankle injuries.
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Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said after the game that he has no idea how long Jackson will be out, if at all. Huntley said that Jackson was “bummed” and could “barely move” when he saw him, via The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec.
The Ravens, meanwhile, now sit at 7-8 and are fighting for their playoff lives. The Steelers beat the Lions earlier Sunday to improve to 9-6 and widen the gap in the AFC North. Another injury to Jackson — especially if it sidelines him beyond Week 16 — further stunts Baltimore’s long-shot hopes of making the postseason.
It’s not initially clear what sparked the altercation. CBS cameras captured Metcalf clearly taking a swing at the fan and appearing to make contact.
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The incident happened late in the the second quarter as the Lions’ offense was on the field. Metcalf got into an exchange with a fan wearing Lions colors in the first row of the stands. Metcalf stood with his hand balled in a fist as the two appeared to exchange words. Metcalf then swung at the fan and appeared to make a glancing blow with the fan’s head before walking away.
Per the Lions, via the Detroit Free Press, the fan was ejected from the game. The NFL, meanwhile, released a statement that it cannot intervene for an ejection of Metcalf during the game.
“There was no flag on the field, so New York cannot weigh in with regard to a potential disqualification,” the NFL statement reads, per the Free Press.
Officials didn’t appear to see the incident. Metcalf took the field with the Steelers on their next offensive possession.
Rules analyst Gene Steratore weighed in on the incident on the CBS broadcast.
“On this situation, because the officials did not see this, and you wouldn’t expect them to there where DK Metcalf was, it’s not something they can weigh into from an officiating standpoint,” Steratore said.
“I have been notified though, that that will be delivered to compliance with the NFL, and they’ll address it at that point.”
Metcalf and the fan reportedly have history. Per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Metcalf reported the same fan to NFL security in 2024 when Metcalf was still a member of the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks played the Lions in Week 4 last season.
A source identified as close to Metcalf told Pelissero the fan called Metcalf’s mother a derogatory word and referred to Metcalf as “something we both know you don’t call a Black man” on Sunday.
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Fan denies use of racist language
The Free Press interviewed the fan on Sunday and identified him as Ryan Kennedy. On Monday, an attorney for Kennedy released as statement calling allegations that Kennedy used racist or derogatory language toward Metcalf “completely false.”
“Ryan Kennedy categorically denies using the “N-word,” the “C-word,” or any racial, misogynistic or hate-based slur during the incident that occurred on December 21, 2025 at Ford Field during the Pittsburgh Steelers-Detroit Lions game,” the statement reads. … “At no point before, during or after the incident did Mr. Kennedy use racial slurs or hate speech of any kind.”
In return, the Mets will receive an unnamed rookie-ball pitcher, per the report. The Mets will also send cash to the A’s to help cover McNeil’s $15.75 million salary and $2 million buyout on a team option for next season.
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McNeil, 33, has played his entire eight-season MLB career with the Mets. He received Rookie of the Year votes in his first season in 2018 and was named to the All-Star team in 2019. He was named an All-Star again in 2022, when he led the National League with a .326 batting average.
Jeff McNeil will join the A’s following eight seasons with the Mets.
(Megan Briggs via Getty Images)
In his career, McNeil is a .284/.351/.428 hitter. He has averaged 10 home runs, 46 RBI and 4.6 stolen bases per season.
His production at the plate has dropped since 2023, as he hit .238 and .243 the past two seasons. He slashed .243/.355/.411 with 12 home runs, 54 RBI and 3 stolen bases in 2025.
The trade of McNeil continues significant roster turnover in New York. So far this offseason, the Mets lost All-Star slugger Pete Alonso to the Orioles and All-Star closer Edwin Díaz to the Dodgers via free agency, in addition to the trades of Nimmo and McNeil.
The Mets have signed infielder Jorge Polanco and relievers Devin Williams and Luke Weaver to help offset the departures.
For most of the baseball prognostication industry, what a massive swing-and-miss.
Since breaking the NPB’s domestic home run record in 2022, Munetaka Murakami was hailed as the next Japanese phenom expected to make his mark stateside. That hype only intensified over the past few months, as it became clear that the Yakult Swallows, Murakami’s NPB club, were going to make him available to MLB teams via the posting system this winter.
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And because Murakami’s was a very unique profile to hit the open market — still just 25 years old, with top-shelf raw power — the overwhelming assumption was that the Japanese slugger, between the contract and the posting fee paid to the Swallows, would incur a nine-figure cost for an MLB organization. Ben Clemens of FanGraphs projected a seven-year, $154 million deal. FanGraphs’ crowdsource project was a touch lower, at 6/132. Kiley McDaniel of ESPN was the low man with a relatively meager 5/80. The good folks at MLB Trade Rumors were the most bullish, tying an eight-year, $180 million deal to the corner infielder. Here at Yahoo, we didn’t put out contract projections, but if we had, we certainly would’ve eclipsed the $100 million mark.
But as exciting as the signing might be for Sox fans, Murakami’s story revolves around the underwhelming contract he ended up with. So what the heck happened here? How did a player projected for $100 million end up with a smaller deal than Joc Pederson got last winter?
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Well, it turns out that for all of Murakami’s game-changing power, no team truly believed he was likely to become a game-changing force in the bigs. That is mostly to do with the slugger’s extremely concerning swing-and-miss numbers. Murakami’s in-zone contact rate was consistently in the low-70s for the Swallows. The MLB league average is usually around 82%. Just six qualified big leaguers were under 80% last season, and only one (Rafael Devers) was under 75%. Relatedly, Murakami’s strikeout rate over the past three seasons was a whopping 28.8%, the fourth-highest mark in NPB over that span.
Given those significant contact struggles against NPB pitching, MLB clubs were understandably doubtful that Murakami would make enough contact against elite arms to be an impact bat.
As one team official simply put it: “Like, can he actually hit?”
And that’s where Murakami’s actual market diverged sharply from industry expectations. When push came to shove, clubs were generally scared off by the in-zone whiff. That’s also true for the White Sox, who should still be thrilled about the signing. The market for Murakami simply never actualized, and no team was willing to commit long-term to a hitter with such significant questions.
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That Murakami’s defensive future was shrouded in a similar haze made teams only more wary of making a significant investment. On the public side, Murakami was discussed as a third baseman, though talent evaluators have always considered him a first baseman — and not a particularly good one. He lacks lateral agility, and though his arm is comfortably plus, the fielding hands are not. There were teams that would have immediately moved him to DH. Had there been anything resembling a defensive floor, Murakami’s immense offensive risk might have been easier for teams to swallow. That’s obviously not how it played out.
In retrospect, it’s interesting that Murakami’s journey through free agency was so quiet, so devoid of rumors or connections or buzz. That dynamic was thought to be related to his agency, the Casey Close-led Excel Sports Management, which has a track record of playing things close to the chest. Murakami was the agency’s first big Japanese client, and the silence was taken as strategy. It seems clear now, with the final figure so small, that the lack of news was more about a lack of interest.
Murakami’s case presents a fascinating contrast to many of the Japanese pitchers who have hopped the pond in recent years. World Series hero Yoshinobu Yamamoto, for instance, received a 12-year, $325 million deal from the Dodgers before the 2024 season at a similar age to Murakami. But it’s simply a very different dynamic for hitters and pitchers from Japan.
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Thanks to pitching-tracking technology, evaluators had a strong sense for how Yamamoto’s stuff would play against MLB pitching. That’s why the Dodgers and a handful of other clubs were willing to surpass the $300 million mark for somebody who’d never thrown a pitch in The Show. Yamamoto was also an elite athlete with incredible stuff, so folks believed he would be able to make the necessary adjustments against elite hitters. And that’s exactly what happened.
In general, things aren’t as straightforward for Japanese bats. The difference in fastball velocity between NPB and MLB is significant. And hitting is reactive. There’s also a much, much shorter list of players who have made the leap successfully. For every Seiya Suzuki, it seems, there are multiple Yoshitomo Tsutsugos.
Even Shohei Ohtani, the ultimate outlier in every respect, had what appeared to be red-flag whiff rates when he signed with the Angels. And even though the four-time MVP has blossomed into one of the game’s most fearsome hitters, Ohtani hasn’t really fixed that flaw in his game. The Dodgers’ DH ran a fourth-percentile whiff rate in 2025. In that regard, Ohtani’s success serves as an insightful best-case scenario for Murakami; if you’re making quality contact often enough, you can afford to make less contact overall.
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As it stands, Murakami’s exit velocities aren’t quite at Ohtani’s level, but they aren’t that far off. Still, in order for him to make an impact in the world’s best league, Murakami will need to make adjustments, both with his swing mechanics and with his approach. His type of power is a difficult attribute to acquire, particularly at his young age. That’s why people loved this guy to begin with, why people like me were throwing nine figures around and why the White Sox were willing to dole out $34 million.
For Murakami, the final outcome of his free agency is disappointing but far from disastrous. He will reenter the market two years from now ahead of his age-28 season. If he proves his talent between now and then, he will cash in. If he doesn’t, he won’t.
As it turns out, teams wanted to see him do it first.
It’s Week 17 and that means for many of you it’s the fantasy football championship round in your league. Defense is one of the few positions in fantasy that can be a revolving door for managers week-to-week. So streaming is going to be of the most importance in Week 17. Let’s get into some good D/ST streaming options via Justin Boone’s weekly waiver wire column.
Lions D/ST is 55% rostered but would be the No. 1 DST add if available.
Team
Next Up
Rostered
Patriots
at NYJ
49%
Buccaneers
at MIA
40%
Giants
at LV
11%
Titans
vs. NO
18%
Cowboys
at WAS
25%
Patriots at Jets: If New England is still available, get on that add immediately. The Patriots still have a ton to play for (the AFC East title and No. 1 seed in the conference). New York has very little to play for and will continue to start Brady Cook, who has thrown six interceptions over the past three games.
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Bucs at Dolphins: This is another spot with a team playing for everything vs. a team playing for nothing. Quinn Ewers made his first start for Miami in Week 16 and things were #bad. He turned the ball over a few times and finished with a 66 passer rating. Tampa Bay’s defense hasn’t been spectacular for fantasy but that could change in Week 17.
Giants at Raiders: New York’s D/ST was an offside penalty away from posting a lopsided total vs. the Vikings in Week 16. Still, the G-Men finished with 15 fantasy points against Minnesota thanks to plenty of sacks and a defensive score. Las Vegas is allowing the most fantasy points to defenses this season.
Titans vs. Saints: This one is a bit scary but worth considering if you’re desperate. The Titans posted 10 fantasy points this past week vs. Kansas City thanks to four sacks and allowing just nine points. New Orleans’ offense has been clicking lately but the Saints still allow the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing defenses this season.
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Cowboys at Commanders: Washington is down Jayden Daniels and could be without backup Marcus Mariota in Week 17. If that’s the case, Josh Johnson will start at QB for the Commanders. Both teams are out of playoff contention but Dallas will have a good chance at a few turnovers (especially if it’s Johnson starting).
Kickers matter more than anything in Week 17 with a championship on the line. If you’re looking for the best possible option, you may be scouring the waiver wire for someone to add for the title round. Let’s go over some streaming options at kicker via Justin Boone’s weekly waiver wire column.
Player
Next Up
Rostered
Harrison Mevis
at ATL
13%
Charlie Smyth
at TEN
1%
Andy Borregales
at NYJ
15%
Eddy Pineiro
vs. CHI
30%
Harrison Mevis at Falcons: Mevis took over as the kicker for L.A. in Week 10 and has four games of at least nine fantasy points in his past five games. This should be a game in which the Rams offense is in the red zone plenty.
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Charlie Smyth at Titans: Smyth has been the Saints kicker since Week 13 and is averaging 7.75 fantasy points over the past four contests. He’s coming off a 20-point performance vs. the Jets and Tennessee offers a similar matchup against a weak opponent.
Andy Borregales at Jets: Speaking of that weak opponent, Borregales gets the best matchup for fantasy kickers this season in New York. He’s also been pretty consistent with double-digit fantasy points in four of the past five games.
Eddy Pineiro vs. Bears: The 49ers kicker enters MNF vs. the Colts with at least 11 fantasy points in six of the past eight games in which he’s been healthy. Chicago isn’t the best matchup but we could see some stalled drives and kicking chances for Pineiro.
The Chiefs, in conjunction with Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, announced in a statement from owner and chairman Clark Hunt on Monday that the team will move to a domed stadium in Kansas City, Kansas. The announcement came after a meeting of the Kansas Legislative Coordinating Council to discuss the Chiefs’ stadium plans.
“Today we are excited to take another momentous step for the future of the franchise,” Hunt’s announcement reads. “We have entered into an agreement with the State of Kansas to host Chiefs football beginning with the 2031 NFL season.
“In the years ahead, we look forward to designing and building a state-of-the-art domed stadium and mixed-use district in Wyandotte County, and a best-in-class training facility, team headquarters, and mixed-use district in Olathe, totaling a minimum of $4 billion of development in the State of Kansas.”
The Chiefs’ lease at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, goes through the 2030 season. The Chiefs have played at Arrowhead since 1972 and the stadium is currently the oldest in the AFC. Before Arrowhead was built, the Chiefs played at Municipal Stadium and have not been located outside Missouri since the Dallas Texans became the Chiefs in 1963.
Why are the Chiefs moving?
A tug-of-war has unfolded for months between the states of Kansas and Missouri. And the Chiefs are moving because Kansas is willing to foot more of the bill than Missouri.
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The Chiefs said Monday that Kansas’ proposal to use STAR bonds from the state would cover 60% of the project. Missouri, meanwhile, approved a plan during the summer of 2025 that would pay for up to half the cost of new stadiums for both the Chiefs and Kansas City Royals.
The Royals, who are embarking on a stadium location search of their own, were not included in Monday’s announcement.
Kauffman Stadium and Arrowhead Stadium are located next to each other at the Truman Sports Complex. The complex is owned by Jackson County, the most populous county in the Kansas City metro area.
The Truman Sports Complex is located approximately 15 minutes east of downtown Kansas City, Missouri, at the intersection of Interstates 435 and 70. The Chiefs’ new stadium would be approximately 20 minutes west of downtown Kansas City, Missouri, and at the western interchange of 435 and 70.
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Voters in Jackson County rejected an extension of a 3/8-cent sales tax that would have funded improvements to Arrowhead Stadium and helped finance a new stadium for the Royals. After the tax proposal failed, the Royals’ search publicly expanded to sites outside the county and in the state of Kansas and the Chiefs also began to seriously explore their options.
Arrowhead Stadium recently completed a $20 million renovation to host World Cup games in the summer of 2026. The stadium is the site of six games during the upcoming tournament and will host a quarterfinal.
The Chiefs say a domed stadium would allow Kansas City to host a Super Bowl and other events like the men’s Final Four. Kansas City is the former home of the NCAA and has hosted the men’s Final Four 10 times. However, as the NCAA has increasingly searched for larger indoor venues for its marquee event, the Final Four hasn’t been held in Kansas City since 1988.
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The announcement also comes less than a week after the Chicago Bears floated the idea of relocating to Northwest Indiana as they search for a site for their new stadium. The Bears said they had been told by Illinois legislators that financing for their stadium project would not be a priority in 2026.
The NFL has suspended Seattle Seahawks linebacker Derick Hall one game for unnecessarily stepping on the leg of Los Angeles Rams right guard Kevin Dotson while Dotson was on the ground after a play in the first quarter of the teams’ Week 16 “Thursday Night Football” classic.
Although Hall wasn’t penalized in the moment, the league retroactively deems his act one of unnecessary roughness and unsportsmanlike conduct, per multiplereports Friday.
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The Seahawks improved to 12-3 and entered the pole position for the NFC’s top seed with a thrilling 38-37 comeback overtime win. Hall appealed the suspension, but it was upheld officially on Monday. Now he will miss their road game next week against the Carolina Panthers. Hall will be able to return to the active roster on Dec. 29 ahead of their regular season finale with the San Francisco 49ers in Week 18.
The Seahawks edge has accounted for 29 total tackles, one sack and, according to Pro Football Focus, 36 pressures this season.
It appears as if the play in question took place with 2:12 remaining in the first quarter. The Rams were facing a third-and-goal while trailing 7-0 at the time.
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Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford was in an empty set with three targets to his right and two targets to his left. After the snap, Hall rushed off the edge against Rams right tackle Warren McClendon Jr.
Stafford completed a 5-yard pass to star wideout Puka Nacua that set up fourth-and-goal from the Seahawks’ 1-yard line.
While the pass was in the air, Dotson tumbled to the ground, seemingly because of an incidental collision with Rams center Coleman Shelton, who was pushed into Dotson from behind.
With Dotson on the ground and the pass already complete, Hall appeared to step on Dotson’s leg. Shelton can be seen shoving Hall a moment later. After that play, Dotson left the game with an ankle injury.
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He was evaluated on the sideline and then carted to the locker room. He didn’t return to the game.
Adam Grosbard of the OC Register/LA Daily News reported that Dotson was on crutches with a boot on his left foot postgame outside the Rams’ locker room.
Dotson has been a key part of a strong Rams offensive line this season. He’s allowed only three sacks in 15 games, per PFF, and he’s helped the Rams average the eighth-most rushing yards per game (126.3) during the 2025 campaign.
