Category: Sport

CHICAGO — It’s not the cheese grater foam hats that have suddenly become a new staple of the Chicago Bears’ wardrobe. It’s not the Bears’ leaders swiping back at Green Bay Packers players for saying they would have “chosen” Saturday’s playoff game, just for the chance to end Chicago’s season. It’s not even the postgame locker room speech of Bears head coach Ben Johnson, who made sure to scream “F*** the Packers” in a snippet that was ultimately posted on Chicago’s social media channels.

It’s not the words. It’s not the payback taunts. It’s the competitive arrogance that runs under all of it.

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That’s what really makes it feel like these Bears are changing in a meaningful way.

You saw it late in the fourth quarter Saturday on the Packers’ 25-yard line, on a first-and-10 play with 1:48 left. Trailing 27-24 but with the Packers on their heels, Johnson called a play into quarterback Caleb Williams that Chicago had been practicing and patiently saving for nearly a month. Having set the table earlier in the game with a screen to the flat out of the same alignment, the Bears suddenly felt the Green Bay defense on tilt. A mistake was at hand.

The ball snapped. Williams pump-faked another screen to wideout Luther Burden III in the flat. And Packers cornerback Carrington Valentine bit hard, believing that his responsibility — Bears wide receiver DJ Moore — was about to set up a block on the play. Rather than stopping and planting himself in front of Burden to throw a block, Moore streaked past Valentine down the sideline.

Johnson saw it in a microsecond. His quarterback saw it faster than that, halfway into his throwing motion by the time Valentine understood what had just happened. Now all that mattered was Williams doing the one thing that had frustratingly eluded him at various times in his brief NFL career: Hitting the easiest of easy. A no-contact route that had Moore looking like a man running down Lake Shore Drive in a one-man marathon. The kind of thing you practice for a month and then deploy when your opponent has professed wanting to end you in the postseason.

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The kind of thing that is Ben Johnson, Caleb Williams and the fourth quarter comebacks that have become these Chicago Bears. The competitiveness to believe you can do it. The arrogance to execute it. And the 25-yard touchdown portrait that unfolds, propelling Chicago past an opponent in a comeback during the game’s final two minutes of regulation or overtime for the seventh time this season — and the second time against these Packers — to a 31-27 wild-card win at Soldier Field.

Williams later called it the “perfect play call.”

“When the lights are bright, he’s brighter than them lights out there today,” Moore said of Williams, whose final pass completed a stat line of 24-of-48 for 361 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

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And Williams? He punctuated it with something a little more personal.

“They wanted us,” he said. “That’s what I heard. They wanted it and they got it.”

Yes, the Packers did. After a week when cornerback Keisean Nixon and wideout Christian Watson told media this was the playoff game they wanted. A get-even opportunity after Moore, Williams and the Bears had sniped the Packers, 22-16, in overtime in Week 16, with a walk-off 46-yard touchdown. It was a moment that hurt Green Bay and emboldened Chicago, which had all but lost that game in regulation but recovered an onside kick and tied the game in the final minutes of regulation with a 10-point fourth quarter.

That moment was dwarfed Saturday, with the Bears coming back from a 21-3 halftime deficit and scoring an absurd 25 points in the fourth quarter to send Green Bay spiraling into the offseason. The Packers lost their final four games of the regular season and then their fifth straight Saturday, raising questions about whether Matt LaFleur — who has one year left on his contract — might become the ninth NFL head coach fired this season.

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Twice, LaFleur was asked about his future in Green Bay. Twice he declined to talk about it.

Instead, he spoke about his team looking “disheveled” in the second half, struggling to deal with Bears pressure on quarterback Jordan Love in the third and fourth quarters. Love threw three of his four TD passes in the first half and went 9-of-15 passing for 139 yards as Green Bay raced to a 21-3 lead at halftime. In the second half, he completed only 15 of 31 attempts.

Asked if there was a lack of composure on the team, he called it “a great question.” Asked about the team’s maturity, he called it “a great question.”

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“Certainly it’s my job to find the answers to those,” LaFleur said.

In arguably the NFL’s greatest historic rivalry, this is what the Bears have suddenly become. A team that the Packers not only have to think about, but actually wanted to get even with in these playoffs. A franchise that has a head coach in Johnson who began his tenure by declaring how much he liked to beat Green Bay when he was the offensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions, then punctuated his latest chapter by pumping battery acid into the veins of the rivalry with a “F*** the Packers” postgame speech. And for good measure Johnson told reporters after the game that he helped prepare his Bears for a moment like this during training camp by showing film of the New England Patriots’ historic rally from a 28-3 deficit in Super Bowl LI against the Atlanta Falcons.

As Johnson put it later, “There was probably a little bit more noise coming out of their building up north to start the week, which we heard loud and clear — players and coaches alike. So this one meant something to us.”

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If it meant something to Johnson, it meant everything to the Bears fan base, which had Soldier Field on its feet and quaking for virtually the entire fourth quarter, reaching a new feverish pitch with every missed field goal, missed receiver and missed defensive assignment. They stayed a while after the franchise’s greatest playoff comeback too, serenading Johnson, Williams, Moore and any Bears player within earshot.

All with the belief that this is a ride that’s real and lasting and really just starting. Filled with the belief that when it’s fourth-and-8 and the Bears are down 27-16 late in the fourth quarter, Williams can roll to his left and evade fingernails of a defender and complete an arcing downfield pass to wideout Rome Odunze that he has no business or body mechanics throwing. That this roster is young and growing and getting better with its quarterback, whether it’s Burden or running back Kyle Monangai, or a still-finding-his-way Odunze. Or maybe the best of all the finds — rookie Colston Loveland who looks like he could eventually be a league-shaper at the tight end spot. He finished with a career-high 137 receiving yards on eight receptions, including a critical 2-point conversion grab that brought the Bears within a 27-24 deficit with 4:18 remaining in the ballgame.

All of these players put their fingerprints on Saturday night. And all of them planted that imprint with an arrogance that smacks of how these Packers used to carry themselves in this rivalry. A kind of Aaron Rodgers swagger that suggests ownership. That belonged to Green Bay before, but the balance of power felt like it shifted Saturday night.

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Asked what message he wanted Saturday night to convey, Williams spoke with definitive clarity.

“We’re here,” he said. “And I’m gonna be here for a while, [that] is my plan. I’m gonna be here with coach, win a bunch of games and be in these moments and come out victorious. That’s the mindset for right now, this year. That’s also the mindset of the future.”

If there’s a space where being competitive and being arrogant finds balance, this is what it looks like. And the Chicago Bears aren’t afraid to talk it — and play it.

The NFC East champion Philadelphia Eagles will host the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday in a rematch of the NFC championship game from a few seasons ago. The 49ers had a chance to win the NFC’s No. 1 seed, but lost 13-3 to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 18 and fell to No. 6 instead.

Here is insight from oddsmakers for the game and our team of NFL handicappers provides its favorite wagers on the game.

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Other playoff games

Rams-Panthers | Packers-Bears | Bills-Jaguars | Chargers-Patriots | Texans-Steelers

Odds courtesy of BetMGM.

What oddsmakers are saying

“As expected, all Eagles money here. We opened -3, up to Philadelphia -5. While the injuries continue to plague the 49ers and the defense leaves something to be desired, I can’t remember the last time the Eagles played four great quarters on offense. Total has dropped from 46.5 down to 44.5.” — Thomas Gable, sportsbook director at The Borgata

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“This is the game where we’ve seen some sharp action on Eagles. We opened at -3.5, up to -5.5, total has moved down from 46.5 down to 44.5. For the 49ers, this might be the time where the wheels fall off. They played an easy schedule, but there are so many injuries on defense. Brock Purdy & Co. have been able to outscore lesser teams, but they also got beat up in the Seahawks game.” — Joey Feazel, head of NFL trading at Caesars Sportsbook

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Best bets

Matt Russell: It’s been five games since Jalen Hurts scored a rushing touchdown, but it’s been longer than that since the Eagles found themselves in a must-win game. So, while the odds for Hurts to score have crept up as his rushing activity has dipped down, it’s go-time for the fresh-legged Eagles, who took last week off for the sole purpose of having all hands on deck for the playoffs.

What that should mean is Hurts’ legs are also on deck, and the page of the playbook that says “tush push” should be open again. That was the case when Hurts scored 14 times last season, plus five more times in the playoffs. The Eagles turned his legs off after eight rushing touchdowns in the first two-thirds of the season, but at plus-money instead of his usual odds-on listing, let’s take a shot with Hurts to get back into the end zone now that the games are important to Philly again.

Bet: Jalen Hurts anytime TD (+125)

Michael Fiddle: Spotting sharp action is a principle part of my NFL betting approach. The NFL market is remarkably efficient, which means digesting the line moves and understanding direction throughout the week is a significant value add when placing bets.

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In this game, the Eagles and the under have clearly been bet, as the odds have moved from Eagles -3 to -5.5 and the total has dropped from 46.5 to 44.5. When a number moves off the 3, it becomes hard to chase the favorite at a bigger number. However, the key numbers chart still signals a viable bet on the game total.

Over the last three NFL seasons, 43 and 44 are both among the most common NFL scoring outcomes. On the other end, the move from 46.5 down to 44.5 means the number moved through 45 and 46, neither of which are key numbers or inside the top 15 most common NFL scoring outcomes. From a football perspective, both of these teams are run-heavy teams and will lean on their superstar running backs in Saquon Barkley and Christian McCaffrey.

In an outdoor playoff environment, the best bet on this game is the under.

Bet: Under 44.5

The AFC South champion Jacksonville Jaguars will host the Buffalo Bills this Sunday, the first time that the Bills will be headed on the road in the playoffs since 2020.

Josh Allen has a road to a Super Bowl appearance in the AFC that doesn’t include Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow or Patrick Mahomes for the first time in his career. Is this finally the season that the Bills break through?

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Ben Fawkes gathers quotes from oddsmakers for all the games and our team of NFL handicappers provides their favorite wagers on the game.

Odds courtesy of BetMGM.

Other playoff games

49ers-Eagles | Chargers-Patriots | Texans-Steelers

What oddsmakers are saying

“Not much movement on the spread on this one. Bills opened -1.5, still sitting -1. Advance wagering has been relatively split. We’ve seen most of the money come in on the over, as we opened 51.5, and it’s now 52.5. Jaguars first half taking the half-point, we’ve seen some respected money come in there.” — Thomas Gable, sportsbook director at The Borgata

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“Jaguars are one of the most surprising teams this year. We’re going to see one-way traffic on this one on the Bills. Expectations are high for Buffalo. This is the highest total on the board. Pretty much two-way action on the total, public on the over and sharps on under. No weather implications in this one. I don’t see the Bills support changing.” — Joey Feazel, head of NFL trading at Caesars Sportsbook

Best bets

Jacob: The Bills finished the regular season 12-5 on the field, 8-9 at the betting window and had the NFL’s 28th-ranked rushing defense.

The Jaguars finished 13-4 straight-up, 12-5 against the spread (tied for best in the league) and fielded the NFL’s top-ranked rushing defense.

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What’s more, the Jaguars come into wild-card weekend riding an eight-game SU and ATS winning streak. They went 7-1 SU and ATS in Jacksonville (while Buffalo went 5-3 SU and 4-4 ATS on the road). And quarterback Trevor Lawrence put up better raw passing numbers (4,007 yards, 29 touchdowns) than reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen (3,668 yards, 25 touchdowns).

Given all these facts, one can’t help but ask: Why is Jacksonville a home underdog against the Bills on Saturday? Answer: perception.

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Buffalo has been an NFL juggernaut throughout this decade, posting 11-plus victories in five straight seasons, winning seven playoff games and reaching the AFC championship game twice.

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The Jags, on the other hand, have been a perennial NFL punching bag. Prior to this year, they had recorded double-digit losses in 11 of the previous 14 seasons and registered just three playoff victories since 2008.

Ah, but perception and reality are not synonymous. The fact is the Jaguars — who averaged 33 points over their last 11 games and have held six straight opponents under 21 points — are the better, more complete team. They’re also healthier (especially at quarterback, as Allen has been banged up all season).

Toss in the fact that favorites of three points or less are 6-14 SU since the NFL playoffs expanded in 2020 — including 2-9 the last two years — and I’m all over the home side in this one.

Bet: Jaguars money line (+100)

Matt Russell: Jacob beat me to the Jaguars’ money line, and I’m tempted to take the BetMGM slider over as far as it can go, to an alternative line of Jaguars -9.5 (+360). So, officially speaking, let’s use a player prop symbolic of the Bills’ organizational failures.

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That it got to the point that Brandin Cooks — a 32-year-old on his seventh team — had to be brought in for Josh Allen to rely on, and Cooks is being relied on, is an indictment on many levels. Before sitting out Week 18, Cooks played a season-high 51% of the offensive snaps, catching four passes on six targets for 101 yards in a trailing game-state against the Eagles. Two weeks after getting three targets in a similar scenario in New England.

If the Jags, a team capable and willing of running up the score, get enough of a lead where Allen has to throw, Cooks will be one of his primary targets in an effort to save the day yet again.

Bet: Brandin Cooks over 19.5 receiving yards

The AFC East champion New England Patriots will host the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, the first time that the Patriots will host a playoff game since 2020.

Patriots QB Drake Maye could be the 2025-26 NFL MVP, and he’ll face a banged-up Justin Herbert and a Chargers team without its top two tackles on the offensive line. However, Los Angeles does have a better defense than New England. Will it be enough to upset the Patriots?

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Here is insight from oddsmakers for the game, and our team of NFL handicappers provides its favorite wagers.

Odds courtesy of BetMGM.

Other playoff games

Rams-Panthers | Packers-Bears | Bills-Jags | 49ers-Eagles | Texans-Steelers

What oddsmakers are saying

“No line movement in this one. We’ve seen very good two-way action at Patriots -3.5. Total has ticked up from 45.5 to 46. With this game being the final game on Sunday night, they’ll be plenty of parlays tied to the Patriots.” — Thomas Gable, sportsbook director at The Borgata

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“Chargers made their own bye week last week in anticipation for this game. We opened Patriots -4, now sitting -3.5. Seeing a little more Chargers money on spread and moneyline at this point, as well a little bit of under money. A little surprising to see the Chargers getting the action going into a cold-weather scenario. We’ll see a little more Patriots money come game day.” — Joey Feazel, head of NFL trading at Caesars Sportsbook

Best bets

Matt Russell: It’s the playoffs, where the operative term is “figure it out.” The Chargers’ ceiling for advancement is likely capped due to an offensive line that is two steps away from having slightly more resistance than a turnstile to get on the “T,” but they don’t have to face the defensive front of the Broncos or Texans this week. Instead, it’s the Patriots — without top-50 pass-rusher by PFF grade — whom the Chargers can work around to buy time for Justin Herbert.

[Yahoo Sports TV is here! Watch live shows and highlights 24/7]

Against the Eagles and Chiefs (and maybe the Texans, if Cameron Dicker converted kicks at his usual rate), L.A. did just enough offensively. If they can do a little more than that against a New England defense that hasn’t faced much in the way of top, in-their-prime quarterbacks (Josh Allen twice, and a half-game of Lamar Jackson), then that should put some rare game-script pressure on Drake Maye. The Chargers’ pass defense, operated by Jesse Minter, has vexed even the best, turnover-averse quarterbacks this season.

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Mike Vrabel ended the regular season as the favorite for Coach of the Year, but Jim Harbaugh and his staff is every bit as capable of matching wits in what should be a close game.

Bet: Chargers +3.5

Matt Jacob: A year ago at this time, Chargers QB Justin Herbert had just completed a sensational regular season in which he threw 23 touchdowns and a league-low three interceptions.

Then Herbert traveled to Houston for a wild-card game and, well, let’s just say it didn’t go well. Of the 32 passes he launched, four landed in the hands of the Texans.

Indeed, Herbert threw more interceptions against Houston than he did in 17 regular-season games (and 504 attempts).

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To Herbert’s credit, he put that debacle behind him and played error-free in the Chargers’ first two games of 2025. In fact, Herbert threw 74 passes to start the season before getting picked off.

Since then, however, the 2020 first-round selection has been firing the football to the opposition with regularity. From Week 3 until his final start in Week 17, Herbert threw 13 picks, including at least one in 11 of 14 games.

Which brings me to Sunday night’s clash in New England. Granted, the Patriots only had 10 interceptions (tied for 11th-fewest in the NFL). But because of what happened to Herbert in Houston a year ago — and because the Chargers’ offensive line continues to be in shambles — I have no doubt Patriots coach (and former linebacker) Mike Vrabel will bring the house early and often.

Eventually, that pressure will lead Herbert to do what he’s done most of this season — throw a ball he shouldn’t. And I’m betting the Patriots get their hands on it.

Bet: Justin Herbert over 0.5 INTs (-125)

The Chicago Bears flipped the script on the Green Bay Packers for the second time in three weeks on Saturday night, completing another comeback win over their NFC North rivals, this time in a 31-27 wild-card thriller.

After the game, Packers safety Javon Bullard was focused on how Green Bay (figuratively) dropped the ball, not necessarily how Chicago managed to pull off yet another comeback.

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“No disrespect to them,” Bullard said, “but it ain’t s*** that they did. It’s us. We gotta finish. You know we whoopin’ they ass the whole game, but that’s us. We gotta finish. They (didn’t) do s*** special. We gotta finish. We ain’t finish last time, we ain’t finish this time. So that’s some s*** we gotta work on within us. Chicago ain’t do s*** special. They ran what they did, they did what they did, they made plays, OK cool, but a lot of this stuff is on us.”

Comments like Bullard’s apparently just add fuel to the Bears’ fire, as head coach Ben Johnson said after Saturday night’s win.

“There was probably a little bit more noise coming out of their building up north to start the week, which we heard loud and clear, players and coaches alike,” Johnson said. “So this one meant something to us.”

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That was evident in Johnson’s postgame locker room speech, where he put things more succinctly: “F*** the Packers! F*** them!”

Just moments earlier, Johnson had met Packers head coach Matt LaFleur at midfield for a very quick, fly-by handshake that raised some eyebrows.

The two have a little bit of history. When Johnson was hired as Bears coach, he mentioned LaFleur by name when talking about staying in the NFC North.

“And to be quite frank with you,” Johnson said, “I kind of enjoyed beating Matt LaFleur twice a year.”

And after the Packers’ win over the Bears in early December, the pair shared another quick, businesslike handshake, which LaFleur downplayed afterward.

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No matter the true nature of the relationship between the two, their paths now diverge — Johnson will shift his focus to the divisional round next weekend, while LaFleur will meet with Packers leadership to discuss his future with the team.

When John Harbaugh was fired by the Baltimore Ravens on Tuesday, the dismissal carried the air of Andy Reid to it.

Famously, Reid was fired by Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie on Dec. 31, 2012. The dismissal followed an impressive 14-year run that took the franchise to the playoffs nine times and featured 10 postseason wins and one Super Bowl appearance. Eventually, Reid was cut loose by the Eagles after missing the postseason in back-to-back years, instantly becoming the cornerstone candidate in a field of head coaching searches that included, among others, then-Oregon head man Chip Kelly (arguably the hottest name in college football) and a feisty Indianapolis Colts interim by the name of Bruce Arians. But even in a field that had some intriguing options, Reid’s résumé, accomplishments and demeanor instantly elevated him.

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He was out of work for four days.

Setting aside multiple interview requests, Reid had a nine-hour meeting with the Kansas City Chiefs’ top brass inside a Philadelphia airport conference room. When he exited, Reid had his next job. He canceled his other flights and would be announced within days, providing the quintessential snapshot of how quickly NFL teams swoop in when a coach of great magnitude hits the open market.

John Harbaugh — who coached under Reid with the Eagles for eight years — is that kind of coach, touting 180 wins in his 18 seasons with the Baltimore Ravens. He also has one Super Bowl victory with Joe Flacco at quarterback, 12 playoff appearances, 11 seasons with double-digit wins and four AFC title game appearances. He was also AP Coach of the Year in 2019.

This collective track record, including a team culture capable of weathering a damning Ray Rice domestic violence investigation in 2015, is coveted by NFL ownership circles. A coaching and leadership reputation like this is what made Reid unemployed for all of four days. And it’s what Harbaugh could have seized upon quickly following his Tuesday dismissal, maybe even having another job by as early as Friday.

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Curiously, he has paused.

One day after his departure from the Ravens, Harbaugh’s agent Bryan Harlan had already received calls from more teams than actual head coaching openings — which meant that at least one or two franchises with head coaches still in place were peeking in on Harbaugh’s potential interest in their team. But rather than immediately hit the road and get himself in front of NFL team owners or their search groups, Harbaugh’s camp put out the message that official interviews wouldn’t commence until the following week at the earliest.

What is the motivation behind the patience?

I spoke to two agents with coaching candidates who have already drawn their own interview interest this cycle and each suggested an obvious design was in play: Harbaugh doesn’t yet know the entire field of opportunity in front of him. That point was never more salient than when the Miami Dolphins reversed course on head coach Mike McDaniel, suddenly firing him after Harbaugh became available despite McDaniel having met with team owner Stephen Ross about his return, conducting a season-closing news conference with media, and completing exit interviews with his players.

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When Harbaugh became available, McDaniel’s job suddenly and curiously wasn’t anymore with the Dolphins.

The same fate could be in play for some current playoff coaches.

“I’m sure they’re waiting to see what happens with [the] Buffalo [Bills],” one coaching agent said.

“You’re leaving out the [Green Bay] Packers,” added another.

Questions now swirl about the future of Packers head coach Matt LaFleur after the team suffered another stunning playoff defeat — this time after they surrendered an 18-point lead in a 31-27 loss to the rival Chicago Bears during Saturday’s wild-card game.

LaFleur has just one year remaining on his Green Bay contract after not getting his deal extended by new president Ed Policy last offseason. The extension issue initially seemed to be a matter of hard negotiation, with LaFleur’s current $5 million salary lagging badly behind some far less successful contemporaries. Pegged as the 19th-highest head coaching salary in the league by Front Office Sports, LaFleur reportedly earned less in 2025 than three first-year (and first time) head coaches: the Jacksonville Jaguars’ Liam Coen ($10 million per season); the New York Jets’ Aaron Glenn ($12 million) and the Chicago Bears’ Ben Johnson ($13 million), who he lost to on Saturday. He’s also last in the NFC North, behind Johnson, the Minnesota Vikings’ Kevin O’Connell ($13 million) and the Detroit Lions’ Dan Campbell ($11 million).

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That wide financial disparity was already setting up a difficult extension negotiation coming into this season — and that was before the Packers spent their offseason making some all-in moves to push Green Bay into the Super Bowl favorite conversation. Chief among them, the acquisition of defensive end Micah Parsons. Now, in the wake of Saturday’s loss, there are once again on-field questions about LaFleur’s ability to overcome adversity. In the macro, his 76-40-1 record is impressive, but in the micro of the past four seasons, he’s 37-30-1 and has one playoff win. Here’s another way to say it: his best years with Aaron Rodgers have faded.

That doesn’t make Green Bay an automatic to move on from LaFleur, but it creates room for the conversation.

There also would be two fairly significant caveats for a Harbaugh pursuit that would seem to make him a distant candidate for the Packers: Harbaugh could command a salary in the range of $20 million per season at his next stop, and it’s believed he wants control of the 53-man roster and influence in the personnel department, too. It seems highly unlikely Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst would surrender that kind of power to anyone at this point — provided Gutekunst, who also is entering the final season of his contract, is back.

The Bills are a different animal, especially after they pulled out a victory Sunday afternoon on the road against the No. 3-seeded Jacksonville Jaguars. Head coach Sean McDermott carried a hefty red flag, entering Sunday’s wild-card game with an 0-5 road playoff record, with three of them coming at the hands of the Chiefs, and the other two against the Houston Texans and Jaguars. Should the Bills lose in the divisional round, it’s going to represent another burned season of Josh Allen’s prime heading into an offseason when he turns 30. It also won’t be forgotten that even with the Bills not fielding their strongest team historically, they’re staring at an AFC playoff field that lacks Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow. While the Bills are hardly perfect, there’s little question the opportunity is there for the veteran coach and still MVP-level quarterback to seize, particularly with the Bills fielding a strong running game and an offensive coordinator in Joe Brady who is getting calls about head coaching interviews.

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Buffalo could arguably represent the best landing spot in the market heading into the 2026 season, with a new stadium opening and a win-now group of veterans surrounding Allen on offense. Buffalo’s salary cap is hardly perfect, with the Bills existing in the league’s lower-third in space, but that can be adjusted through work on a few big deals on the roster. The Bills also have most of the vast majority of their most important draft capital in hand, giving the team flexibility to invest into a defensive unit that needs it.

The Bills job has hurdles for ownership. General manager Brandon Beane and McDermott have contracts through the 2027 season. Beane also has full control over personnel and the 53-man roster. It’s highly unlikely he’d willingly surrender part of that control to Harbaugh. But that could also change depending on precisely how the Bills look the rest of these playoffs.

For now, the conditions with other franchises continue to line up best for teams like the New York Giants and Miami Dolphins, even with Miami having hired Jon-Eric Sullivan as its general manager Friday. Both the Giants and Dolphins would be willing to pay a hefty salary to draw in Harbaugh, and both have some upside as jobs although Miami is a significantly heavier lift in terms of cleaning up the roster than New York. Ironically, the best head coaching job that’s open in the NFL is likely Harbaugh’s old seat with the Ravens. And one that might have more potential than many realize is the team Harbaugh grew up rooting for in the Cleveland Browns.

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Whatever path he chooses, the point is that for now, Harbaugh has the leverage. He could choose virtually any open destination. Or he could go the Sean Payton route and take a year off and do highly paid and highly visible analyst work, while being patient for the perfect landing spot. He has the cards.

He knows it. NFL teams know it. Next week, we’ll see how he plays them.

The 2026 NFL playoffs are here with wild-card weekend, which kicked off Saturday with the first two of six games.

The Los Angeles Rams ousted the Carolina Panthers, while the Chicago Bears again vanquished their division rivals, the Green Bay Packers in prime time. Sunday will see the AFC South champion Jacksonville Jaguars take on the Buffalo Bills; the San Francisco 49ers will visit the Philadelphia Eagles; and the upstart New England Patriots host the Los Angeles Chargers. On Monday night, the Houston Texans go on the road to face the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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Here are the notable injury updates and the injury reports for this weekend.

[NFL injury updates live]

49ers LT Trent Williams hopeful to play

San Francisco 49ers left tackle Trent Williams was a limited participant during practice on Thursday and Friday, after sitting out on Wednesday with a hamstring injury he suffered in Week 17.

Williams usually rests on the first day of practice during a game week, but head coach Kyle Shanahan clarified that wasn’t the case, saying the All-Pro was still hurt. Williams said Friday he’s confident he can play on Sunday.

“Honestly, I’m kind of pushing the limits on how much [time] is required for it,” Williams said Friday. “So it will probably be in the back of my mind for a little bit. But once I get out there and get the juices flowing and the adrenaline going, I don’t think it should be a big problem.”

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Receiver Ricky Pearsall did not practice Friday, but was spotted on a side field this week. Shanahan said Wednesday that Pearsall aggravated the PCL injury that has limited him this season during Week 17.

Lane Johnson questionable for Eagles

Lane Johnson (foot) has been listed as questionable for the Philadelphia Eagles’ Sunday meeting with the San Francisco 49ers. Johnson was limited in practice this week after being out since Week 11 with a Lisfranc injury.

“Lane’s a big difference maker, and I know he is working crazy to get himself back, and we will see where that is this week,” head coach Nick Sirianni said this week. “But he’s a difference maker. … He’s one of the best that’s ever done it. I think I kind of get too much into scheme with that. But yeah, he allows you to do some different things.”

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NFL wild-card schedule and injury reports

Sunday, Jan. 11

Buffalo Bills at Jacksonville Jaguars
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Location: EverBank Stadium | Jacksonville, Fla.
TV: CBS
Tickets: Gametime

Bills
OUT: LB Terrel Bernard (calf), WR Joshua Palmer (ankle), S Damar Hamlin (pec), CB Maxwell Hairston (calf)
QUESTIONABLE: RB Ty Johnson (ankle), K Matt Prater (right quad), LB Shaq Thompson (neck)

Jaguars
OUT: No players reported
QUESTIONABLE: OL Cole Van Lanen (knee)

San Francisco 49ers at Philadelphia Eagles
Time: 4:30 p.m. ET
Location: Lincoln Financial Field | Philadelphia
TV: Fox
Tickets: Gametime

49ers
OUT:
QUESTIONABLE: WR Jacob Cowing (hamstring), LB Luke Gifford (quad), CB Renardo Green (ankle), WR Ricky Pearsall (knee, ankle), DL Keion White (groin, hamstring), T Trent Williams (hamstring), LB Dee Winters (ankle)

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Eagles
OUT: OL Brett Toth (concussion),
QUESTIONABLE: G Lane Johnson (foot), OLB Azeez Ojulari (hamstring)

Los Angeles Chargers at New England Patriots
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Location: Gillette Stadium | Foxborough, Mass.
TV: NBC
Tickets: Gametime

Chargers
OUT: WR KeAndre Lambert-Smith (hamstring), S Kendall Williamson (ankle)
QUESTIONABLE: T Austin Deculus (oblique), OLB Bud Dupree (hamstring), TE Tucker Fisk (ankle), RB Omarion Hampton (ankle), DB Elijah Molden (hamstring), LB Del’Shawn Phillips (hamstring)

Patriots
OUT: DL Khyiris Tonga (foot)
QUESTIONABLE: WR Kayshon Boutte (hamstring), OLB/DE Harold Landry III (knee), OT/TE Thayer Munford Jr. (knee), CB Alex Austin (wrist)

Monday, Jan. 12

Houston Texans at Pittsburgh Steelers
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Location: Acrisure Stadium | Pittsburgh
TV: ESPN/ABC
Tickets: Gametime

Texans
OUT: RB Jawhar Jordan (ankle)
QUESTIONABLE: S Jaylen Reed (forearm), CB Ajani Carter (hamstring)

Steelers
OUT: DT Isaiahh Loudermilk (ankle)
QUESTIONABLE:

NFL injury updates live

Former five-star recruit Deuce Knight is staying in the SEC.

The ex-Auburn QB committed to Ole Miss on Sunday, according to On3. The Rebels are set to need a new starting QB in 2026 unless Trinidad Chambliss can successfully challenge an NCAA ruling that denied him a sixth season of eligibility.

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Knight appeared in two games across the 2025 season as Auburn made sure he was able to keep his redshirt. He appeared in the Tigers’ Week 2 win over Ball State and started the Tigers’ penultimate game of the season against FCS opponent Mercer.

[Get more Rebels football news: Ole Miss team feed]

Knight was 15-of-20 passing for 239 yards and two scores against Mercer while also rushing nine times for 162 yards and four scores.

He’s one of many Auburn offensive players who have entered the transfer portal after the season. The Tigers fired Hugh Freeze with three games remaining in the 2025 season and hired South Florida coach Alex Golesh at the end of the season. Former USF QB Byrum Brown has committed to Auburn for his final season of eligibility.

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Chambliss finished eighth in the Heisman voting as Ole Miss went 11-1 and made the College Football Playoff. The Rebels lost 31-27 to Miami in the Fiesta Bowl on Thursday night. Friday, Chambliss found out that the NCAA would not give him a sixth year of eligibility, though it appears he will legally challenge the ruling.

The former Ferris State QB took over at QB in Week 2 after Week 1 starter Austin Simmons suffered an ankle injury. Simmons is also transferring from Ole Miss and is heading to Missouri.

Knight was the No. 25 recruit in the country in 2025 and is a Mississippi native. He was the No. 1 player in the state and the No. 5 QB in the country when he signed with Auburn.