Category: Sport

The PGA Tour-LIV Golf war had been quiet for nearly two years, but it just roared back to life … and the Saudi-backed Tour is now on the receiving end of the existential poaching threat it once dished out.

The Tour has effectively welcomed back Brooks Koepka immediately, albeit at a potential eight-figure cost, but the bigger play here is what new PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp calls the “Returning Member Program.” On its face, it’s an olive branch to reinstatement designed to lure the three most notable remaining members of LIV Golf — Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau and Cam Smith. But what this really is, is a direct shot at LIV’s flank.

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While LIV has always preached the gospel of worldwide international golf, its identity was built (read: paid for) on the star power of its most prominent, major-winning players, starting with Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson, and later, Koepka, Rahm and DeChambeau. But now, by providing them with a path back to the PGA Tour with a hard deadline, Rolapp is threatening to cut the one thread of potential relevancy LIV Golf has here in America.

“Eligible players interested in seeking PGA Tour reinstatement must do so by the time the Returning Member Program closes Monday, February 2,” Rolapp wrote in an open letter to fans. “This is a one-time, defined window and does not set a precedent for future situations. Once the door closes, there is no promise that this path will be available again.”

Koepka took the deal, and now the question is if Rahm, DeChambeau and/or Smith will follow.

If all three were to leave LIV — or perhaps just DeChambeau — the tour would still certainly continue. It’s built up enough equity on the international circuit, and added enough international players of note, to remain a viable entity. And its financial backer — the Saudi Public Investment Fund — will never lack for cash.

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But golf is built on star power, and despite handing out nine-figure checks, Rahm (who joined LIV in 2023) remains the most recent significant addition to LIV. The breakaway tour has achieved some successes, most notably with its Adelaide event in Smith’s home base of Australia, but it’s struggled to find ratings and narrative traction in America since Rahm’s much-heralded arrival.

The question for DeChambeau, Smith and Rahm now is whether their contractual situations would permit them to leave LIV without paying a prohibitive penalty. LIV contracts aren’t public, but it’s believed all three, in addition to Koepka, signed nine-figure deals. DeChambeau’s contract, like Koepka’s did, has one more year remaining, and DeChambeau has indicated that he could theoretically become a YouTube-and-majors golfer for the foreseeable future. At the very least, the Tour’s move just gave DeChambeau a mountain’s worth of new leverage.

Equally important to who’s invited to return is who isn’t. “Eligibility is limited to players who have been away for at least two years and who won The Players Championship, Masters Tournament, PGA Championship, U.S. Open or The Open Championship between 2022 and 2025 and who can comply with the PGA Tour Regulations,” Rolapp said Monday in a letter to current Tour players.

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In other words, the gates aren’t open for every LIV player to come back to the Tour. The only LIV players who meet those very specific qualifications are Koepka (2023 PGA Championship winner), Smith (2022 British Open), DeChambeau (2024 U.S. Open) and Rahm (2023 Masters). Notably ineligible: Masters winners like Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed and Phil Mickelson … whose last major win was the PGA Championship in 2021.

Worth noting: Returning Member Program players will suffer significant financial penalties. Koepka personally will be paying a $5 million charitable donation, and will be unable to access as much as $50 to $85 million in potential earnings through various penalty stipulations set by the PGA Tour.

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“As the world’s golf league, LIV Golf continues to offer the best professional golfers the most competitive, challenging, and lucrative environment in which to pursue greatness on a global scale,” LIV said in a statement Monday. (The phrasing is an almost word-for-word parallel of the PGA Tour’s own December statement noting Koepka’s return.)

Clearly Koepka doesn’t agree, and was willing to pay handsomely to say goodbye to LIV and hello again to the PGA Tour. Will DeChambeau, Rahm and Smith follow?

Rolapp has put them on the clock, and maybe LIV, too.

The Buffalo Bills have lost Gabe Davis to a torn ACL, but may be getting back another receiver and a key defender ahead of Saturday’s divisional-round tilt against the top-seeded Denver Broncos.

Head coach Sean McDermott announced Davis’ diagnosis on Monday, a day after Davis was carted off the field with the knee injury in Buffalo’s wild-card win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

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The Bills also announced Monday that they’ve opened the practice windows for wide receiver Curtis Samuel and defensive tackle Ed Oliver from injured reserve as they prepare for Saturday’s game. Their designations open the door for either or both to play on Saturday.

[Get more Bills news: Buffalo team feed]

Neither Davis nor Samuel played significant roles in Buffalo’s offense this season. Davis tallied 12 catches for 129 yards and 1 touchdown in six games. Samuel posted 7 catches for 81 yards and 1 touchdown in six games, none of them starts. He’s been sidelined since Week 12 with elbow and neck injuries.

Oliver’s return would be big for Bills’ defense

The news of Oliver’s potential return could be the most impactful of the bunch. Ankle and biceps injuries have limited Oliver to just three games this season. Without their starting defensive tackle, the Bills have surrendered 136.2 rushing yards per game, good for 28th in the NFL. A return this week would provide a salve for Buffalo’s beleaguered run defense.

The injury news arrives as pressure mounts on quarterback Josh Allen and the Bills to deliver in a postseason that doesn’t feature frequent playoff foil Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.

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The Bills failed this season to win the AFC East for the first time since 2019. And they’re entering Saturday’s game with arguably their worst defense in that time frame. But they won 12 games in the regular season and feature Allen, the reigning MVP who many consider the best quarterback in the playoffs.

And without the Chiefs or Ravens in the playoffs, the road to the Super Bowl is viewed by many as wide open, ramping up pressure on Allen to play in and win his first. That may or may not be fair to the sixth-seeded Bills as they hit the road to face the No. 1 seed Broncos and their elite defense.

But it’s the reality Allen faces as he plays in his seventh postseason still in search of a trip to the Super Bowl.

To understand what brought the Memphis Grizzlies to this juncture where they are eager to trade point guard Ja Morant after years of refusal, it’s pertinent to examine the starting point of detachment.

Not even 24 hours after Memphis was swept in the first round of the playoffs last April, Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman offered a candid postmortem on a less-than-stellar campaign.

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“Disappointing season,” Kleiman told reporters. “A lot to sort through here. Forty-eight wins. Good for an eighth seed, but who cares? It’s not good enough. … There’s a level that I think everyone has to embrace and be willing to get to reach the ultimate goal here. We’re not close. There’s a lot of work to be done. I need to be open-minded in multiple respects.”

Five months later, Kleiman’s tone had changed. During his media day availability, he still leaned on buzzwords like discipline and consistency in outlining organizational goals, but between the lines it was apparent his priorities had shifted. Kleiman spoke enthusiastically about youth, assets and flexibility. Morant was almost mentioned as an afterthought.

In layman’s terms, Kleiman was giving it one final push with a roster led by Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. Trading Desmond Bane earlier in the summer, breaking up a core that had spent five years together but with only nine playoff wins to show for it, was a bold admittance that the group as constructed had run its course. Jackson, in response to a productive All-Star campaign in which he played 74 games, was rewarded with a five-year, $240 million max extension in the offseason. Morant, who was also eligible for an extension, did not receive one, but was given a new head coach in Tuomas Iisalo, who was expected to empower the 26-year-old in ways Taylor Jenkins didn’t.

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What has happened in the three months since Kleiman’s last public appearance, with the Grizzlies essentially at the halfway point of the 2025-26 season, is a multi-faceted realization: a reminder of the difficulties of enacting a two-timeline approach, an understanding of where Memphis resides in the Western Conference hierarchy, an urge to lean on youth and, as a result, a willingness to part ways with Morant.

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To be clear, it is not solely the fault of Morant that the Grizzlies sit in 10th place in the West, eight games under .500, having lost six of their last eight games. At the same time, given that so much of Memphis’ success — or the mere hope of the franchise — aligned with how Morant performed under Iisalo, the frostiness between both parties when juxtaposed with how the team’s young players have developed makes the removal of Morant more palatable.

The former Rookie of the Year and Most Improved Player of the Year has appeared in just 18 games this season, having been sidelined with nagging calf and ankle injuries. When he has suited up, however, the results have been poor, with the Grizzlies just 6-12 in those games. Morant’s dip in offensive efficiency, despite being paired with a coach indoctrinated in a heavy pick-and-roll scheme — in addition to public displays of dissatisfaction and an eventual team-sanctioned suspension — have been impossible to ignore.

There’s also the issue of internal order of operations as it pertains to the roster. In an ideal world, Morant — as the quarterback with a new offensive coordinator — would be the Grizzlies’ emotional leader on and off the floor. But since his multiple suspensions in Memphis — a point of contention between Morant and management, sources say — Jackson has emerged as a go-to voice, and Morant’s relationship with the organization has never been the same.

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Still, nothing from this point forward will come as a surprise to either Morant or Memphis. A number of conversations have been had in recent months pertaining to the team’s direction and Morant’s subsequent future. In the past, the Grizzlies have adamantly shut down external inquiries for their starting point guard, a channel that is now wide open with both parties clear of the different direction Memphis is heading in.

[Get more Grizzlies news: Memphis team feed]

So what happens now? Because of the murky state of the point guard market, the question of what Morant could actually fetch, which teams could be interested, and what the Grizzlies hope to achieve comes into play. Memphis’ goals in a Morant trade differ slightly from those of the Atlanta Hawks, who recently moved Trae Young to Washington with CJ McCollum’s expiring $30.6 million contract as the focal point in return.

Given the level of production Memphis has seen from the likes of Cedric Coward, Zach Edey, Jaylen Wells and Cam Spencer, the organization desires a pivot to youth, sources say. In speaking with rival executives, there’s a growing thought that Jackson — while a stark contrast to Morant and despite Memphis’ insistence on him being a key part of its future — could be the next domino to fall at some point assuming a Morant trade is realized.

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Earlier in the season, Minnesota made a number of inquiries to Memphis about Morant’s potential availability, with Miami also monitoring the situation as well given the absence of Terry Rozier. But financial flexibility is limited around the league, especially with playoff hopefuls, putting Morant’s $39.4 million owed this season and $86 million over the next two years as a sizable roadblock. For example, a combination of Naz Reid (who can’t be traded until Jan. 15), Mike Conley (whom the city of Memphis would welcome back with open arms), Rob Dillingham and Terrence Shannon Jr. works under the CBA. But are the Wolves — a first-apron team — a better group having gutted their depth for an oft-injured guard, as tantalizing as the pairing with Anthony Edwards might be?

One possible dark-horse team that executives continue to paint as a hypothetical is Toronto, which is currently eight games over .500 and fourth in the East. The whispers of buyer’s remorse on Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett, making a combined $60 million, has placed the Raptors in a purgatory of sorts. They should be the type of team that explores roster upgrades (which explains their previous Anthony Davis interest) and could benefit from Morant’s aggression and gravity. But is Quickley, Collin-Murray Boyles and Ochai Agbaji enough to get Kleiman to pull the trigger? And to further the exercise, is Morant even worth that much?

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Between now and the Feb. 5 trade deadline, these aforementioned Morant-centric themes will rise to the surface repeatedly. The Grizzlies today are not a good team and probably won’t be a great one for some time. But moving on from Morant, allowing both parties to get a fresh start, seems to be the most logical and needful path forward.

Just as he was hitting his stride ahead of the World Cup, scoring goals at a torrid pace and cementing his starting role for Dutch frontrunner PSV Eindhoven, American striker Ricardo Pepi suffered the cruelest of setbacks: a fractured left forearm as he was scoring another goal.

It occurred in the 23rd minute of a 5-1 victory over Excelsior on Saturday, with Pepi falling awkwardly as he steered the ball into the net.

“It didn’t look good right away and at such a moment you would prefer to look the other way,” PSV coach Peter Bosz said.

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After being helped off the field, Pepi was taken to the hospital. He underwent surgery Sunday and will miss two months, the club announced.

On his Instagram page, Pepi posted, “All part of the game … … BRB” with an hourglass emoji.

“Pepi was on a good run, had a strong training camp and was all the way back” from a knee injury that sidelined him the second half of last season, Bosz said. “He became more confident … and was in that good flow again. All signs were green for a strong second half of the season, so this is incredibly disappointing. First and foremost for him and obviously for us as well.”

Pepi had scored in six of seven matches in all competitions while also increasing his league total to eight. He has 11 goals in 21 matches overall.

With his minutes and production rising, Pepi had a strong case for a place on U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino’s World Cup squad. The injury certainly does not preclude him from making the 26-man roster but does jeopardize his availability for the friendlies against Belgium and Portugal in late March in Atlanta — the last U.S. camp before Pochettino selects his World Cup team in late May.

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Because of the long layoff, Pepi is going to need to not only work his way back into Bosz’s starting rotation but regain his scoring touch.

American right back Sergiño Dest went 90 minutes for the 10th consecutive Eredivisie match as PSV extended its lead over Feyenoord to 13 points.

England

Center back Chris Richards and Crystal Palace have had a rough go of it since mid-December, failing to win over nine matches across all competitions. Things continued to descend Saturday, when the Eagles lost to sixth-division Macclesfield 2-1 in the FA Cup’s third round.

The hosts — sitting 117 league places below Palace in the English pyramid — were the first non-league team to eliminate the FA Cup defending champions since Palace bounced Wolverhampton in the 1908-09 first round. Their coach is John Rooney, younger brother of former superstar Wayne Rooney. (John played for the New York Red Bulls and Orlando City, among many clubs.)

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“Honestly, I have no explanation for what I have seen today,” Palace coach Oliver Glasner said.

Two cup matches featured Americans on opposing sides: After falling behind in the first half, wing back Antonee Robinson and Fulham got the best of midfielder Aidan Morris and second-tier Middlesbrough 3-1. Robinson entered in the 66th minute, while Morris (90 minutes) had the secondary assist on the goal with a clever touch.

Midfielder Brenden Aaronson (a late-game sub) and Leeds claimed a 3-1 victory at second-division Derby County, which inserted forward Patrick Agyemang in the 73rd minute.

Forward Haji Wright played 73 minutes for second-division leader Coventry City in a 1-0 loss at second-tier Stoke City. Since scoring twice for the national team against Australia in October, Wright has gone scoreless in 14 consecutive Coventry appearances.

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Forward Josh Sargent refused to play in second-tier Norwich City’s 5-1 cup triumph against fourth-flight Walsall, coach Philippe Clement said.

“Josh sent me a message saying he would not be available because of transfer things in his head,” Clement said. “This is obviously not something we want, and will have consequences. It is something we need to speak about inside the club, but the club has made it really clear to Josh and his agent that he will not be leaving during this transfer window.”

Toronto FC reportedly is interested in Sargent, 25, who joined Norwich in August 2021.

Italy

Forward Christian Pulisic (90 minutes) went scoreless for the third consecutive appearance — and in five of six — as AC Milan remained second in Serie A behind Inter Milan following a 1-1 draw at Fiorentina.

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Midfielder Yunus Musah entered in the 67th minute of Atalanta’s 2-0 victory over Torino, its third consecutive shutout victory.

On Monday, midfielder Weston McKennie scored a goal and forced an own goal as Juventus extended its unbeaten streak across all competitions to seven with a 5-0 rout of Cremonese.

Goalkeeper Jonathan Klinsmann and Cesena ran their Serie B winless rut to three matches with a 1-0 loss to Empoli, leaving the club in sixth place.

Germany

Wing back Joe Scally scored his first goal for Mönchengladbach since October 2023, an eighth-minute strike that began a 4-0 romp over Augsburg.

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Since joining the Bundesliga side from New York City FC in 2021, he has scored three league goals and four overall. Gio Reyna replaced him in the 85th minute. Defender Noahkai Banks played 90 minutes for Augsburg.

Midfielder Malik Tillman (90 minutes) drew a second-half penalty kick for Bayer Leverkusen in a 4-1 home loss to Stuttgart, which scored four times before halftime and drew even with its foe for fourth place.

On loan from Southampton, forward Damion Downs made an inauspicious debut for Hamburg, logging 78 quiet minutes in a 2-1 loss at Freiburg.

St. Pauli’s match against RB Leipzig was postponed because of heavy snow in Hamburg, leaving U.S. midfielder James Sands inactive.

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Winger Kevin Paredes, a 2024 Olympian, returned from a five-month injury absence, entering in the 77th minute of Wolfsburg’s 8-1 loss at Bayern Munich.

Left wing John Tolkin and Holstein Kiel remained on the second-division’s winter break, with play resuming next weekend.

France

In the French Cup round of 32, forward Folarin Balogun (86 minutes) scored the opening goal in Monaco’s 3-1 victory at third-division Orleans. He has eight goals across all competitions this season.

Center back Mark McKenzie captained Toulouse’s 6-5 shootout victory at Angers following a 1-1 cup draw. McKenzie failed to convert with his club’s first attempt in the shootout.

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In another cup showdown between top-flight clubs, midfielder Tanner Tessmann (90 minutes) helped Olympique Lyonnais win at Lille 2-1.

Winger Tim Weah and Olympique Marseille will seek to avoid cup embarrassment Tuesday when they visit sixth-division Bayeux.

Others

Center back Auston Trusty played 90 minutes as Celtic, in Martin O’Neill’s coaching return, roared to a 4-0 victory over Dundee United.

Midfielder Johnny Cardoso and Atletico Madrid were off after losing to Real Madrid in a Spanish Super Cup semifinal Thursday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Winger Alex Zendejas was a surprise omission, apparently because of injury, from Club America’s 0-0 draw at Tijuana on the opening day of Liga MX’s Clausura season.

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Xabi Alonso’s stunning exit from Real Madrid has sent shockwaves through the soccer world. Christian Polanco and Alexis Guerreros break down why the club pulled the trigger and whether former Spain boss Luis Enrique would be the perfect revenge hire. Is this another chapter in Madrid’s ruthless managerial history, or a necessary reset for a struggling giant?

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NBA star and die-hard Arsenal supporter Josh Richardson joins the Cooligans to talk all things soccer fandom. From becoming a Gunners fan through FIFA to soaking in the football culture of Miami, Josh explains how the city shaped his love for the game. Plus, the ultimate South Florida debate: Who’s the bigger celebrity in Miami — LeBron James or Lionel Messi?

The boys also discuss two major storylines shaping American soccer. With soccer officially overtaking baseball as the third most popular sport in the U.S., how can MLS and U.S. Soccer capitalize on this momentum? And with Ricardo Pepi suffering a broken arm, could this injury impact his chances of making the 2026 World Cup squad?

Timestamps:

(6:30) – Xabi Alonso leaves Real Madrid! Who should replace him?

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(21:40) – NBA veteran Josh Richardson joins The Cooligans

(50:30) – Soccer overtakes Baseball in America: now what?

(1:01:00) – Does Ricardo Pepi’s newest injury endanger his World Cup chances?

🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at yahoosports.tv

Jaylen Brown got what he asked for.

The NBA fined Brown $35,000 on Monday over comments he made both in person and on social media about the officiating following the Boston Celtics’ loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday.

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Brown went off after the Celtics fell 100-95 to the Spurs at TD Garden on Saturday. He dropped 27 points and added 8 rebounds and 7 assists. But Brown did not shoot a single free throw in the contest. The Celtics had only four free throw attempts as a team in the game, compared to the 20 the Spurs received.

“I’ll accept the fine at this point. I thought it was some bulls*** tonight,” Brown said. “I think they’re a good defensive team, but they ain’t that damn good. I hope somebody can just pull up the clips, because it’s the same s*** every time we play a good team. It’s, like, they refuse to make a call, then they call touch fouls on the other end, and that’s just extremely frustrating, bro.

“We play hard. We are outplaying our expectations, we compete hard on the defensive end and they reward the other team with touch fouls and we go down there and guys are allowed to get away with — somebody please pull it up. Every time we play a good team the inconsistency is crazy. I’ll take the f***ing fine. Curtis, all them dudes, was terrible tonight. I don’t care, they can fine me whatever they want.”

While free throw attempts aren’t a direct representation of a well-officiated game, the Celtics entered Saturday night having received 4.4 fewer free throw attempts than their opponents. That’s the lowest mark in the league. The Spurs had the second-highest with 4.7 more than their opponents, behind only the Los Angeles Lakers.

Brown’s rant on Saturday night came with the acknowledgement that he would be receiving a letter from the league in the coming days. He clearly didn’t care what it would cost him. He even posted about it on social media.

“I’m irate at how they officiated the game today,” Brown said. “If we can’t get to the free throw line, and teams are allowed to be physical and bump us off our spots, it’s hard to win games like that. We shot four free throws tonight and lost the game by four.

“Not to say that’s the whole game, the whole story. We’ve got to be better in spots, I’ve got to be better in spots, but goddamn. I’m driving to the basket, I’m physical, I don’t flop, I don’t shy away from contact. I go up strong, I’m athletic, and nothing. I had zero free throws tonight. The inconsistency is f***ing crazy. Give me the fine.”

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Brown has averaged a career-high 29.5 points this season while adding 6.4 rebounds and 5 assists per game. The 29-year-old, who has picked up All-Star nods in each of the past three seasons, has spent his entire career with the Celtics after they selected him with the No. 3 overall pick out of Cal in 2016. Brown is in the second year of a five-year, $285.4 million deal with the team.

The Celtics will enter Monday night’s game with the Indiana Pacers with a 24-14 record. They’ve won five of their last seven, though Saturday’s loss to the Spurs was their second in a three-game stretch. Brown had been considered doubtful for the contest at Gainbridge Fieldhouse due to back spasms.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell made a few pitstops in the Chicago suburbs before arriving at Soldier Field on Saturday night.

Goodell visited the 326-acre piece of land that the Bears are considering building a new stadium on in Arlington Heights, Illinois, on Saturday before he attended the team’s wild-card playoff win over the Green Bay Packers, according to Front Office Sports. Goodell visited the site with Bears chairman George McCaskey and team president and CEO Kevin Warren.

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The trip, per the report, was part of “ongoing due diligence” that the team is conducting as part of its quest for a new stadium.

[Get more Bears news: Chicago team feed]

The Bears first purchased the land in Arlington Heights — which sits about 30 miles northwest of Soldier Field — in 2023 and have been pushing to build a $5 billion domed venue to replace Soldier Field. There have been other proposals that have been floated, including a new lakefront stadium near Soldier Field that would have cost taxpayers about $2 billion. There have been other efforts to try and renovate Soldier Field, too.

The Bears played their first games at Soldier Field back in 1926 and have been full-time tenants at the venue for more than 50 years. The stadium is the smallest in the league by capacity, at 62,500.

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Last month, Warren sent a letter to season-ticket holders telling them that he’s been told by Illinois state leaders that their stadium project won’t be a priority in 2026. So, the Bears expanded their search for a stadium in the greater Chicago area. Remarkably, that included Northwest Indiana. While that wouldn’t be completely out of the ordinary — the New York Giants and New York Jets share a stadium in New Jersey, for example — the idea of the Bears leaving the state was met with plenty of criticism, and humor.

Goodell also visited “multiple proposed sites” in Northwest Indiana before the game according to both Front Office Sports and Fox’s Paris Schutz.

While it’s unknown how real the threat of the Bears moving to Indiana actually is, it’s apparently real enough that Warren and the team’s leadership are willing to take Goodell on a tour of the region.

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When the Bears end up moving to a new stadium, or where that ends up being, is still anybody’s guess. But clearly, Warren is still focused on finally getting a new stadium deal done and in motion.

After a truly wild and close Week 18 game against the Baltimore Ravens, the Pittsburgh Steelers made it into the playoffs as the top seed in the AFC North. The team will now face the Houston Texans for a Monday night game, the last game of Wild Card Weekend. The game also marks the return of wideout DK Metcalf who has been reinstated after his one-game suspension, but the question is, will he and the Steelers be able to break the Texans nine-game winning streak?

You can tune into the Houston Texans vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Monday Night Football game on ESPN and ABC, which are available on streaming platforms like ESPN Unlimited and DirecTV. Here’s what you need to know to tune in to this week’s game.

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How to watch the Houston Texans vs. Pittsburgh Steelers:

Date: Monday, Jan. 12, 2026

Time: 8:15 p.m. ET

TV channels: ESPN, ABC

Streaming: Fubo, DirecTV, ESPN Unlimited, NFL+ and more

Houston Texans vs. Pittsburgh Steelers game time:

The Houston Texans vs. Pittsburgh Steelers game kicks off at 8:15 p.m. ET/5:15 p.m. PT this Monday, Jan. 12, 2026.

Houston Texans vs. Pittsburgh Steelers game channel:

The Wild Card Weekend game between the Steelers and Texans will air on ESPN and ABC.

How to watch the Houston Texans vs. Pittsburgh Steelers game without cable:

You can tune in to ESPN and ABC through your cable provider, or on streaming platforms like DirecTV, Fubo and more. You can also stream the game on the ESPN App with ESPN Unlimited, or with NFL+ (via phone or tablet only).

Sling Orange, which includes ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, Disney Channel, and 30 more with no other subscriptions or commitment necessary. No strings attached. 

NFL Wild Card Weekend schedule:

All times Eastern.

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Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026

• L.A. Rams vs. Carolina Panthers: 4:30 p.m. (FOX)

• Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears: 8:00 p.m. (Prime Video)

Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026

• Buffalo Bills vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: 1:00 p.m.(CBS)

• San Francisco 49ers vs. Philadelphia Eagles: 4:30 p.m. (FOX)

• Los Angeles Chargers vs. New England Patriots: 8:00 p.m. (NBC)

Monday, Jan. 12, 2026

How to watch NFL games in 2025:

Many NFL games are broadcast on local channels, so if you’re looking to catch an in-market game, it may be as simple as turning on your TV (or setting up a digital TV antenna) or finding a live TV streaming service that carries the correct RSN (Regional Sports Network). If you want to watch out-of-market games, a $7 monthly subscription to NFL+ will let you watch every out-of-market local and primetime game in the season on your phone — but only a select few regular-season games on your TV. You could also spring for the uber-expensive NFL Sunday Ticket package to get every out-of-market Sunday game of the season.

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When it comes to nationally broadcast games, NFL games typically air across ESPN, NBC, CBS, Fox, ABC and NFL Network. Thursday Night Football games stream exclusively on Amazon Prime Video, select football games will stream exclusively on Peacock, games on CBS will stream live on Paramount+, and Monday Night Football games will air on ESPN or ABC and stream on the newly revamped ESPN+ this season. That’s six channels and four streaming platforms to keep up with this season — and that’s not counting your local RSN’s for in-market games and an NFL+ or NFL Sunday Ticket subscription for out-of-market games. Plus, Netflix is once again hosting at least two Christmas Day matches, so add that subscription into the mix. And we can’t forget about Fox One, Fox’s first streaming service, a place where you can also stream games airing on FOX (if you don’t already have access to it).

Confused? You’re not alone. Here’s a breakdown of the platforms we recommend checking out during the 2025 NFL season, so that come game time, tuning into your favorite team’s games will be as easy as simply turning on the TV.

Pros

• Full package free trial available
• Many local RSNs included
• Free ESPN unlimited
• Unlimited Cloud DVR

Cons

• Cost
• Regional Sports Network fee

Pros

• Free trial available
• Unlimited cloud DVR storage
• Free ESPN unlimited

Cons

• Entirely sports-focused
• No NBC

Pros

• You probably already have access to Prime Video

Cons

• Only Thursday Night Football games

Cons

• Can only watch MOST live games on your phone

Pros

• All ESPN content in one place
• Content from NFL Network and NFL RedZone
• Bundle option with NFL+

Cons

• Only ESPN games available with the base service

Every way to watch NFL games this season:

To recap, here are all the ways you can watch NFL games in 2025.

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February 22, 2026

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What will the Philadelphia Eagles do this offseason after losing in the Wild Card round to the San Francisco 49ers? Yahoo Sports’ Andrew Siciliano, Jori Epstein and Frank Schwab break down the incredible games from the weekend, including a wild ending in Chicago as well as a thriller in Duval. The crew also looks back at Justin Herbert’s struggles in New England and what it could mean going forward for the Los Angeles Chargers before closing things out with their “One More Thing.”

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(3:20) – 49ers beat Eagles

(24:35) – Bears beat Packers

(36:55) – Bills beat Jaguars

(45:50) – Patriots beat Chargers

(54:35) – Rams beat Panthers

(59:45) – One More Thing

🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

Two of the transfer portal’s top defenders are leaving one blue-blood school for another.

Former Alabama defensive lineman James Smith and edge rusher Qua Russaw are transferring to Ohio State. Both players confirmed the news Monday night on their respective Instagram pages.

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Per On3, both players were 5-star recruits coming out of high school. Neither produced at that level at Alabama, but both carry upside as they head to an Ohio State team that will again seek to compete for a national championship next season.

Per ESPN, Smith is the 30th-ranked player in the transfer portal. Russaw is ranked 38th.

A rising senior, Smith tallied 28 total tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks in 15 games last season. Russaw, a rising junior, posted 14 tackles, 1 tackle for loss and 1 sack in nine games in 2025.

They’ll both join an Ohio State program that finished the regular season ranked No. 1 in the nation, but lost its last two games to Indiana in the Big Ten championship and then Miami in the College Football Playoff.

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Despite the disappointment, Ohio State projects as a top-five team next season and is on the short list of favorites to compete for a second national championship in three seasons. Smith and Russaw project to bolster that case along with the Buckeyes’ defense.