Category: Sport

In a surprising twist as Thursday’s NBA trade deadline draws closer, former MVP James Harden is now on the market.

The 36-year-old is averaging 25.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 8.1 assists on the season, and is reportedly looking for a chance to do what he’s yet to achieve in his otherwise illustrious career: win a championship.

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While the Cleveland Cavaliers have been thoroughly mentioned as a team that will make a play for his services, the fit appears odd and will likely require relinquishing younger players, which could prove to be a long-term problem if the organization wishes to hang on to Evan Mobley.

Additionally, the Cavs (30-21) simply haven’t played that well this season, which should beg the question: Are they even a realistic bet to make a Finals push with Harden?

In fact, there might be a team that’s further along than the Cavs in that regard — one that’s also looking to make a play for a star before Thursday’s deadline.

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Why the Pistons make sense for Harden

The Pistons sit atop the Eastern Conference with a 36-12 record, are in full control of their future draft picks and can dangle Tobias Harris’ expiring contract plus additional assets to make a deal work.

As Harden will turn 37 this year, it’s unlikely the Clippers will get a package for him that includes a bundle of unprotected first-round selections. But that doesn’t mean they won’t get one, plus a young player. And that’s where Detroit can offer something that makes sense for both sides.

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Harris, Jaden Ivey and the Clippers’ choice of an unprotected pick this year or next, for Harden and Kobe Brown, is a trade that works. That package offers the Clippers financial flexibility, a prospect with upside, and a first-round selection, which should aid them as they move forward.

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If push comes to shove, the deal could be expanded to include Ron Holland, but in that case it’s likely the Pistons would negotiate some protection on the outgoing pick.

Do note that Harden has a no-trade clause due to the contractual status of his deal, meaning he can veto any trade. This move hinges on him not using that right.

The fit with Harden in Detroit

First off, Harden and Cade Cunningham are both big guards, and the duo should immediately become interchangeable. Both can function on the ball and score in bunches, giving Detroit’s coaching staff plenty of options in how to trigger actions between them, or to stagger them.

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Harden’s 3-point shot, which he still takes at the high volume of 8.8 per game, will be a weapon the Pistons could use, as they don’t exactly dominate in that department, hitting just 34.8% on the season.

While neither Cunningham nor Harden are natural off-ball movers, they’re both intuitive passers. Regardless of who is on the ball, the court will open up further for Detroit, as the presence of two elite playmakers will keep defenses constantly scrambling.

Newly minted All-Star center Jalen Duren would especially feast off of lobs from the guard duo, and Isaiah Stewart and Ausar Thompson would stand to benefit by being fed more frequently.

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There’s risk involved

Of course, whenever the name James Harden pops up, you will have to make a mental note of starting a clock, as he’s notorious for wanting out of situations that may irk him.

While the Pistons can offer him an enormous role and a chance to win, there are simply no guarantees with Harden, who has asked out of virtually every single situation he’s been in, and sometimes just a few years into a project.

Therefore, the Pistons would have to make the move for the present. Specifically this year, with the hope of reaching the Finals.

Harden has a player option worth $42.7 million for next season, which he could technically not pick up, and that too should factor into Detroit’s offer and approach to such an acquisition.

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Is that a gamble the Pistons feel comfortable with? Or are they better served using more assets to trade for Lauri Markkanen or someone closer to Cunningham’s timeline?

That’s going to be up for discussion. But if Harden is gettable — and interested — the cheaper cost will be viewed as an asset for the Pistons.

After spending the last three years with the Kansas City Chiefs, Matt Nagy will take on a new challenge in 2026. Nagy was reportedly hired to be the New York Giants’ next offensive coordinator, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Nagy, 47, brings plenty of experience to the role. In addition to being an offensive coordinator with the Chiefs, Nagy also spent four years as a head coach with the Chicago Bears.

Nagy rose to prominence with the Chiefs, where he was originally the team’s quarterbacks coach before being promoted to its offensive coordinator for the 2017 NFL season. The team ranked sixth in points scored that season, leading to Nagy getting head-coaching interviews in the offseason.

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The Bears liked what they heard from Nagy, and hired him as the team’s head coach ahead of the 2018 season. Nagy’s tenure in Chicago started strong, as the team went 12-4 in his first season, making the playoffs. But the Bears fell in the wild-card round against the Philadelphia Eagles thanks to the now infamous “double doink.”

Still, it was a successful debut. The Bears ranked ninth in points scored that season and had a promising, young quarterback in Mitch Trubisky at the helm.

But things quickly fell apart. While the Bears went 8-8 in each of the next two seasons, making the playoffs again in 2020, Trubisky failed to develop and the offense sputtered. After that ninth-place finish in 2018, the Bears dropped to 29th and 22nd in points scored in Nagy’s next two years.

That led to the team jettisoning Trubisky in favor of veteran Andy Dalton. The team then drafted Justin Fields with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

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Neither player performed well. The Bears went 6-11 that season, leading to Nagy’s firing. He put together a 34-31 record with the franchise.

The Chiefs quickly re-hired Nagy as their offensive coordinator following his exit from Chicago. In his three years back on the job, Nagy’s Chiefs ranked 15th, 15th and 21st in points scored.

With his contract up at the end of the 2025 season, Nagy was expected to once again receive head-coaching interviews. While he did speak with teams, Nagy failed to get any of the open head-coaching roles. Curiously, the Chiefs did not wait on Nagy, instead bringing back Eric Bieniemy to replace Nagy as the team’s offensive coordinator.

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With his old job no longer available, Nagy will head to New York as part of John Harbaugh’s staff. The Giants do have promise on offense, with second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart, star wideout Malik Nabers and bruising running back Cam Skattebo all looking like key pieces moving forward.

[Get more Giants news: New York team feed]

It will be up to Nagy to draw out the best in each of those players and develop an offense that can take advantage of Dart’s dual-threat ability. Nagy showed he was capable of as much during his first season with Chicago, but that success didn’t last.

This time around, Nagy will have to build an offense that lasts. If he can manage that in New York, it won’t be long before he’s once again one of the more desirable names on the head-coaching market.

Lindsey Vonn’s extraordinary comeback after nearly six years away from ski racing will not be derailed by a fall suffered last week in Switzerland. Vonn announced Tuesday that she had ruptured her left ACL, but after some pre-Olympics practice runs, she will continue to ski at Cortina d’Ampezzo in the 2026 Winter Olympics.

“This is not, obviously, what I had hoped for,” Vonn said in a news conference Tuesday. “I’ve been working really hard to come into these Games in a much different position. I know what my chances were before the crash, and I know my chances aren’t the same as it stands today, but I know there’s still a chance, and as long as there’s a chance, I will try.”

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The 41-year-old American also announced that she suffered bone bruising and meniscal damage in the fall that occurred one week before the Opening Ceremony of these Games.

“Considering how my knee feels,” Vonn said, “I feel stable, I feel strong, my knee is not swollen, and with the help of a knee brace, I am confident that I can compete on Sunday.”

Sunday would be the women’s downhill, an event Vonn won at the 2010 Olympics.

Vonn got off-balance coming out of a jump in the upper section of the World Cup downhill race in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, on Jan. 30. She was unable to recover and fell at high speed, skidding across the snow before careening into the orange safety netting on the side of the course.

While Vonn was able to get to her feet, and slowly and gingerly make her down the rest of the course, she stopped several times to grasp at her left knee and appeared to avoid putting any weight on it. Vonn was airlifted from the race area as a precaution.

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Later on Jan. 30, Vonn expressed optimism via Instagram that her “Olympic dream is not over.” She wrote that she was “discussing the situation” with doctors and “will continue to undergo further exams.”

“This is a very difficult outcome one week before the Olympics … but if there’s one thing I know how to do, it’s a comeback,” Vonn added.

Now, she’ll attempt to come back from yet another injury, this time just days before the Olympics are set to begin.

Vonn wasn’t the only skier to crash amid adverse conditions and poor visibility in Crans-Montana. Austria’s Nina Ortlieb and Norway’s Marte Monsen, two of the five skiers who started before Vonn, also failed to complete their runs, prompting organizers to cancel the rest of the competition.

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“The main reason is the safety of the athletes,” Women’s World Cup race director Peter Gerdol explained. “The visibility was getting worse and worse, they couldn’t see the race line properly and it caused mistakes. We saw six athletes starting and all six had some mistakes. This was a sign that it was a high-risk situation.”

Vonn was poised to be one of the faces of the Milan Cortina Games thanks to a comeback story that defied all reasonable expectations. Now that story will only gain momentum if she makes it to the starting gate.

The four-time overall World Cup champion and 2010 Olympic downhill gold medalist retired in 2019 because the physical toll of her many injuries had become too much to bear. When she underwent right knee surgery in April 2024, her goal was nothing more than to be able to live a normal, pain-free life.

Vonn felt so much better after her partial knee replacement surgery that she made a stunning announcement in November 2024 that she was un-retiring. She has been dominant in downhill races this World Cup season and finished on the podium in two of her first three super-G races, raising hopes that she can contend for medals in both disciplines in Cortina.

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The women’s downhill competition is scheduled for Feb. 8 and the women’s super-G will take place four days later. Vonn said her plan is still to compete in both.

Vonn could have skipped the notoriously treacherous Crans-Montana downhill, but she chose to race in hopes of accumulating more World Cup points. She entered the race leading the downhill standings and sixth in the overall competition.

Rather than playing it safe in poor conditions with the Olympics just days away, Vonn went all-out. She roared out of the start house and registered the fastest time through the first checkpoint.

For better or worse, Vonn was always going to go for it.

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“Unfortunately, in my career, I’ve had a lot of challenges,” Vonn said. “I’ve always pushed the limits, and in downhill, it’s a very dangerous sport, and anything can happen. Because I’ve pushed the limits, I crash, and I’ve been injured more times than I would like to … As many times as I crash, I’ve always gotten back up, as many times as I’ve failed, I’ve always won.”

That’s how her remarkable comeback made it this far. The question now is, will the injured left allow her to compete at her best.

“I’m not letting this slip through my fingers,” Vonn said. “I’m going to do it. End of story.”

Super Bowls are legacy games. How we remember some players, coaches and others involved in the NFL’s championship game is dictated by how many rings they end up with.

The New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks met 11 years ago in one of the greatest Super Bowls ever, and think about how the legacies of those involved in that game changed based on one Malcolm Butler interception. This Patriots-Seahawks Super Bowl will also shape how we think about some of the key figures involved.

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Here are the 10 people involved in Super Bowl LX with the most on the line, in terms of their legacies within the sport:

10. Seahawks defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence

Remember when DeMarcus Ware left the Cowboys, won a Super Bowl with the Broncos and ended up making the Hall of Fame? Lawrence doesn’t have anywhere near the Hall of Fame case that Ware had, but winning a title after his “I know for sure I’m not gonna win a Super Bowl there” comment about the Cowboys on his way out of town would be a pretty impressive called shot.

9. Former Patriots coach Bill Belichick

This seems like a stretch, but a Patriots Super Bowl title only two years after Belichick left New England wouldn’t enhance his legacy. Fair or not, it took a hit when Tom Brady won a Super Bowl without him in Tampa Bay. (And clearly voters are reticent to keep him from being a first-ballot Hall of Famer already.) If the Patriots rebuild quickly after Belichick left and win another Super Bowl, the impressive nature of building a formerly sad-sack franchise into a dynasty will fade just a touch more. Or, it could also be argued that a championship led by Mike Vrabel (Belichick’s former player) and Josh McDaniels (his longtime offensive coordinator) would actually look good on Belichick. Either way, Belichick does loom over this Super Bowl a bit even if he’s not there.

8. Patriots WR Stefon Diggs

Diggs had a run as one of the elite receivers in the NFL, including leading the league in receptions and receiving yards in 2020. He made one of the iconic plays in postseason history with the “Minneapolis Miracle” for the Vikings. He’ll be remembered no matter what happens on Super Bowl Sunday. But a Super Bowl ring, as the leading receiver for the Patriots this season, would boost his career even more.

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7. Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald

In this exercise, every Super Bowl coach and quarterback will make the list. More than any other position in the NFL, head coach and quarterback are judged on titles. Macdonald already has an impressive start to his head-coaching career, having led Seattle to a Super Bowl in his second Seahawks season at age 38. He’s an unquestioned defensive wizard. He presumably has a lot of time to win a Super Bowl if this opportunity passes him by. But getting a first title would cement him as one of the NFL’s best coaches, especially considering his age.

6. Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels

One of the questions from last year’s Super Bowl was whether Steve Spagnuolo was building the type of résumé that would get consideration for him to be the first coach to make the Hall of Fame based on his work as a coordinator. Is it time to have the same conversation about McDaniels? McDaniels was bad as the head coach of the Broncos and Raiders, but he is one of the most successful coordinators ever. He can tie Spagnuolo’s record by winning his fourth Super Bowl ring as a coordinator (he has six rings overall as an assistant). He hasn’t even turned 50 years old yet. Winning a ring without Bill Belichick and Tom Brady would be a great look for him.

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5. Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Smith-Njigba had a monster season that is likely to include an NFL Offensive Player of the Year award. There’s not much argument about his ability after he led the NFL in receiving yards. But if he adds a Super Bowl ring to that, he would start to have an argument as the NFL’s best receiver over Ja’Marr Chase, Puka Nacua, Justin Jefferson and others who don’t have a title on their résumé. And JSN is just three years into his career. It’s also worth mentioning that if the Seahawks win, Smith-Njigba has a pretty good shot of being Super Bowl MVP.

4. Patriots QB Drake Maye

You will hear that Maye, in his second season, will have other opportunities to win a Super Bowl. He will be the second-youngest quarterback to start a Super Bowl. The youngest on that list is Dan Marino, who started once and never made it back. So nothing is guaranteed. Being the youngest quarterback to ever win a Super Bowl, at the end of a season in which he’ll finish in the top two of the NFL MVP voting, would put Maye on a fast track to be one of the faces of the league for the next decade. He might be on that path already, but you never know when a Super Bowl opportunity will be your last.

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3. Patriots coach Mike Vrabel

Only four men have won a Super Bowl as a player and head coach: Mike Ditka, Tony Dungy, Tom Flores and Doug Pederson. Vrabel can be the fifth on that list, and the first to win as a player and coach for the same franchise. Vrabel is already widely respected, though his time with the Tennessee Titans ended without a Super Bowl appearance and in a messy firing. Winning a Super Bowl in his first season coaching the Patriots would push Vrabel even higher on the ranking of current NFL coaches (and bring more shame to the Titans in firing him).

2. Patriots owner Robert Kraft

Kraft is already a Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist in the contributor category this year. While it can be argued if team owners belong in the Hall, others have made it and Kraft’s Patriots have had more success than the other recent inductees. If Kraft’s Patriots win a Super Bowl without Tom Brady or Bill Belichick, he’d be the main figure connected to all seven New England championships. And his decision to fire Jerod Mayo and hire Mike Vrabel this past offseason already is a good look for him. Owners generally get too much credit, but Kraft’s reputation would grow with another Super Bowl.

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1. Seahawks QB Sam Darnold

Darnold still gets scorn every time he makes a mistake. Presumably, people just don’t want to admit they were wrong about him and give him credit. A Super Bowl win makes it very hard to keep piling on Darnold for not playing well enough in big games. Darnold is a rare case, a quarterback who was drafted high, labeled a bust, then rebounded to become a productive quarterback and a potential Super Bowl winner. Super Bowl championships for any starting quarterback cements a legacy. We remember each one. For Darnold, who is just 28 years old, it might not be a one-off like Nick Foles, Trent Dilfer or Jeff Hostetler winning it all. It could be the start of him building an entirely new, unique and unexpected legacy.

Olympic speed skating gold medalist Erin Jackson and bobsledder Frank Del Duca will serve as flag bearers for Team USA at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics, the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee announced Tuesday.

It marks the second time two athletes have been chosen to share the honor of being Team USA’s flag bearers. In 2022, bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor and curler John Shuster served as Team USA’s flag bearers.

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Jackson, 33, enters the 2026 Olympics with big expectations. After taking the gold in the 500-meter speed skating event at the 2022 Olympics, Jackson will look to repeat in 2026. Jackson will also look to pick up a medal in another event, as she’ll also participate in the 1,000.

She called it a “tremendous honor” to be chosen as one of Team USA’s flag bearers.

“Being chosen to represent the United States on the world stage is a tremendous honor,” Jackson said. “It’s a moment that reflects far more than one individual — it represents my family, my teammates, my hometown, and everyone across the country who believes in the power of sport. The Olympics remind us of the power of sport to connect and inspire, and I’m proud to carry that forward on the Olympic stage.”

Del Duca, 34, participated in the 2022 Olympics in both the four-man and two-man bobsled events, finishing 13th in both events. Del Duca — a sergeant in the U.S. Army — said he was surprised by being chosen, but called it an “incredible honor.”

“Being flag bearer for Team USA is an incredible honor,” Del Duca said. “It was also quite the surprise. I’m grateful for the support from my teammates, coaches and staff, Team USA, U.S. Army WCAP, family and friends, and everyone who has helped me on this journey. With the Olympic Games being held in Italy, it means even more. Nearly everyone in my family is of Italian descent. There is no greater honor than leading Team USA into the Opening Ceremony in Italy. It feels like a bridge between my family’s heritage, and the country I’m so proud to serve. I know my grandfather is watching over me saying, ‘Hey, Frangesch, way to go kid,’ and would be so proud.”

With the honor, Jackson will be the eighth U.S. speed skater chosen as a flag bearer. Del Duca will be the sixth bobsledder to serve in the role.

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Del Duca and Jackson will take part in the Milan Cortina Olympics Opening Ceremony, which will air live on NBC and Peacock at 2 p.m. ET on Friday.

With NFL offseason and 2026 NFL Draft chatter ramping up, it’s time to start discussing which wide receiver prospects have the most appeal for fantasy football. Ohio State WR Carnell Tate figures to be in that group and is expected go in the first round of the draft in April. Matt Harmon was joined by Nate Tice to discuss Tate’s NFL player comps and outlook on the latest episode of the Yahoo Fantasy Forecast.

The two analysts start by rattling off plenty of lofty player comparisons for Tate, who just wrapped up his junior season for the Buckeyes. It’s easy to point to other former Ohio State wide receivers who have found success in the NFL and Chris Olave is the first name that came to mind when looking at Tate.

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Other names that have been thrown around include George Pickens, Calvin Ridley and DeVonta Smith. Pretty good company. Harmon points out that if you’re getting all these great comps, you’re probably good at a bunch of different things. But while Tate has plenty of appeal as an NFL receiver, is he a true No. 1 at the next level?

Tice doesn’t really see it that way. He views Tate as more of a high-end No. 2 wide receiver. Tate is very good against zone because of his catch range and his QB, Julian Sayin, didn’t do him any favors in 2025. Tice still views Tate as “friendly” to him as a prospect and thinks the wideout will go in the first round.

Harmon really likes Tate as a perimeter receiver and would like to see him land with the New Orleans Saints alongside Olave and QB Tyler Shough, with Kellen Moore calling plays. Tate is a guy Harmon would comfortably take in the top-10 in the draft.

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Tate was solid in his junior season at Ohio State despite the Buckeyes losing in the College Football Playoff. He finished with 51 catches for 875 yards and nine touchdowns, operating as the No. 2 option behind fellow wideout Jeremiah Smith.

You know the old line about sports, and about life — it’s not how many times you fall, it’s how many times you get back up. Lindsey Vonn has fallen more times than most — that tends to happen when your career involves hurtling headlong down ski slopes at 85 miles an hour — and she’s gotten up more times than almost anyone ever has, too.

Vonn, on the eve of her fifth Olympics, announced Tuesday that she had ruptured her ACL in a crash one week before the Milano Cortina Opening Ceremony. With one agonizing, heartbreaking wreck on a Swiss ski slope, all of Vonn’s work to get back to this point — a knee replacement, lengthy rehab, retirement, then un-retirement followed by race after race to qualify for these Olympic Games — seemed to evaporate.

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Just a few minutes before 4 p.m. Milan time Tuesday, Vonn sat down before a podium and began by revealing the extent of the extensive damage to her left knee. No one would have blamed her had she declared her magical Olympic run over.

But this is Lindsey Vonn we’re talking about, one of the toughest, most determined, most relentless athletes America has ever produced. Vonn metaphorically tightened her straps and clicked back into her skis.

“This is not, obviously, what I had hoped for,” Vonn said. “I know there’s still a chance, and as long as there’s a chance, I will try.”

Damn right. That is the true Olympic spirit.

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For all the Olympics’ many sins — corruption, petty nationalism, doping controversies, political gamesmanship, endless grifting — there’s a deeper truth that surges above them all. The Olympics showcases the very best athletes in the world, and the finest elements of the human spirit, as well.

Consider, for a second, what Vonn endured these last eight years since winning a bronze in the Pyeongchang Games. She had to come to terms with the end of her career, which many athletes describe in terms of grief and mourning. She suffered pain even on routine hikes. She underwent partial knee replacement surgery. She found hope in her newly healthy knee. She began the long climb back upward to the pinnacle of her sport, and — against all odds, in defiance of the calendar — she made it, winning races and earning her way back onto the Olympic team. She saw all her dreams laid before her … and suddenly, they all crashed down around her.

Even now, with waning hopes of winning, with her chances of even finishing a run at speed in doubt, she’s determined to challenge one more mountain, to end her Olympic dreams on her terms. That’s as impressive and inspiring as it gets.

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“Maybe I can’t do this with no ACL, but I still believe in myself, and that makes me smile. That makes me confident. That makes me happy,” Vonn said. “No matter what, I’m going to try my best, so what is there to be sad about? I’m still able to be here. I’m still skiing. I’m still living the dream at 41. And that makes me happy that I have that chance.”

Vonn knows that every Olympian faces so many opponents. There are the other competitors, of course, but then there are other nations. There’s history looming out there, an Olympic legacy waiting to be written. There’s the battle with one’s own self, the doubts and the fears that hound every Olympian. And then, of course, there’s the clock, the inexorable march of time that ends Olympic careers earlier than any Olympian would want.

Vonn has triumphed over all of these. She has nothing left to prove, no reason to go back up that hill other than the fact that she simply couldn’t imagine doing anything else. That’s how you go from being a darling of NBC’s Winter Olympic promos to a legitimate national hero, by embodying the best of what we all strive to be.

“This whole comeback has really just been about always believing in yourself. It doesn’t matter how old or how young you are. If you believe and you work hard, anything is possible,” Vonn said. “A lot of times, people’s minds are closed. They don’t see what’s possible because they don’t look. I’ve always had my head up and my eyes open and my heart open for any opportunity that lies in front of me. And I hope that everyone realizes that they can do it too.”

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Vonn will continue to test her knee before the downhill competition begins on Sunday. Regardless of how she feels leading up to then, regardless of what happens on the slopes of Cortina d’Ampezzo, she plans on being in that starting gate. She’ll push off. She’ll fire down the mountain for one more Olympic run.

She’ll have the eyes of the world on her, and the hearts of the world behind her. Who could ask for anything more?

The NFL’s Pro Bowl is being played Tuesday night in San Francisco ahead of Super Bowl LX this weekend.

But why?

Yahoo Sports first reported on the move in New York at the fall owners meetings. Here’s a guide to what you need to know about the game.

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When and where is the Pro Bowl?

8 p.m. ET Tuesday, at Moscone Center in San Francisco

How can I watch the Pro Bowl?

It will be televised on ESPN.

What is the Pro Bowl format?

Flag football, 50-yard playing field, two 10-yard end zones, touchdowns worth 6 points, with teams allowed to try for 1 point after from the 5-yard line or 2 points after from the 10

Who is playing in the Pro Bowl, and why are some stars skipping it?

Shedeur Sanders, Joe Burrow and other big names. Fans voted on the initial rosters, but for various reasons several high-profile replacements have been selected.

Sanders was selected as a replacement for Drake Maye, who will lead the Patriots in Sunday’s Super Bowl against the Seahawks. Burrow is replacing injured Bills quarterback Josh Allen. Joe Flacco, the AFC’s third QB, is also replacing an injured Justin Herbert of the Chargers.

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The NFC quarterbacks include Detroit’s Jared Goff, Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts and Dallas’ Dak Prescott. Here are the full Pro Bowl rosters for the NFC and AFC.

The coaches are two 49ers legends, with Steve Young coaching the AFC and Jerry Rice leading the NFC.

The answers to these questions are intertwined, so we’ll lump them together. The format of the Pro Bowl shifted to include flag football and skills competitions starting with the 2023 event, in response to feedback from coaches, players and others involved. This was in part to minimize the risk of injury and to refresh an event that had become stagnant overall.

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The focus has now moved toward the flag football element with the Olympics in mind. As reported by Yahoo Sports’ Jori Epstein this past fall at the annual league meetings in New York, the NFL is committed to spotlighting flag football on a global stage ahead of the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, when the sport will be introduced into competition for the first time and NFL players will have opportunities to participate.

“We’re committed to this flag football format,” NFL executive vice president Peter O’Reilly said in the fall. “This is clearly rooted in our commitment to flag and making sure we’re honoring players in the right way. There’s a broader strategic play here, and that’s one of the main reasons we brought it into Super Bowl week.”

Why are they playing the Pro Bowl in a convention center?

NFL executive vice president Peter O’Reilly addressed this too in the fall. He acknowledged the Moscone Center’s capacity will be smaller than recent Pro Bowl venues, but the game will nonetheless be ticketed. It’s a necessary evil, if you will, of the Pro Bowl being spotlighted during Super Week.

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What is the future of the Pro Bowl?

Per Yahoo Sports’ Jori Epstein, expect this flag football-in-the-Super-Bowl-host-city format to continue to the Super Bowl’s 2027 stage in Los Angeles, which will also host the Olympics in 2028.

There could be, however, a growing issue with player participation. New York Jets QB Justin Fields reportedly declined to participate this year to focus on his offseason training, and that might become a more common thing as there isn’t a ton of upside to taking part.

Players on the winning team will reportedly get $96,000 each, while players on the losing team will reportedly receive $48,000 each. That’s a great chunk of change to you and me and a lot of NFL players who line the middle and back ends of rosters — but not to the stars people will pay and watch to see.

Still, there figures to be enough participation from players and backing from the NFL to continue through the target year of the 2028 Olympics. After that, who knows.

Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes, San Antonio Spurs wing Carter Bryant and Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren accepted invitations to compete in the 2026 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. The contest will take place Feb. 14 during All-Star Weekend.

Three-time defending champion Mac McClung has already announced he will not participate in the dunk contest this year.

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Hayes, 25, is averaging 6.4 points and 3.9 rebounds while shooting 77.3% from the field in his seventh NBA season. He has spent the last three years with the Lakers after beginning his career with the New Orleans Pelicans. Hayes and Lakers starting center Deandre Ayton have frequently been on the receiving end of lob dunks created by passes from Luka Dončić and LeBron James.

Hayes’ most recent highlight-reel dunk came on a fast break against the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday. After getting a steal, Hayes finished with an Eastbay dunk.

Following the game, Lakers guard Jake LaRavia told reporters he wasn’t sure Hayes got high enough for the between-the-legs finish.

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“He didn’t get that high,” LaRavia said. “The only player that does it in the league is Obi Toppin.”

While Dončić did not question Hayes’ dunk, he noted that he was only 13 years old when he first completed the move himself.

Bryant, 20, is averaging 2.5 points and 1.7 rebounds in 8.1 minutes per game during his rookie season. He posted a career-high 11 points, two blocks and a steal on 4-of-5 shooting in the Spurs’ Jan. 19 win over the Utah Jazz.

Bryant was selected with the 14th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft out of the University of Arizona. Bryant participated in the 2024 Powerade Jam Fest before the McDonald’s All American Game.

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Duren was selected as an All-Star Game reserve, averaging 18 points, 10.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game for the 36-12 Pistons this year.

Curling, that sport that features teams of four gliding polished granite stones across a sheet of ice, has been an official sport at the Olympics since 1998, and it’s back at the 2026 Winter Games. This year’s curling competition begins ahead of the Opening Ceremony, with the first events taking place on Feb. 4, and running all the way through the final day of the Olympics on Feb. 22. The action will be split into three competitions, men’s, women’s and mixed doubles.

Here’s a complete schedule of all Team USA Curling events at this year’s games, along with a rundown of who is competing. While every event will stream on Peacock, you can also find most on USA and CNBC, too. (To see specific air times, check out the official NBC Olympics broadcast schedule, and toggle your search to “TV Only.”) If you can’t tune into every individual match, CNBC will also broadcast a Best of Curling show airing most days of the competition at 5 p.m. ET on CNBC. A rundown of how to watch Team USA at the Winter Games is below.

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And if you want to learn even more about every event at this year’s Winter Games, here’s a guide to everything you need to know about the Milan-Cortina Games.

How to watch Curling at the 2026 Winter Olympics

Dates: Feb. 4 – 22

Location: Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium

TV channels: CNBC, USA, NBC

Streaming: Peacock, DirecTV, and more

Where can I stream Curling at the 2026 Winter Olympics?

Parks and Recreation and The Office, every Bravo show and much more.

For $17 monthly you can upgrade to an ad-free subscription which includes live access to your local NBC affiliate (not just during designated sports and events) and the ability to download select titles to watch offline.

Where to watch Curling on TV:

Team USA men’s and women’s curling coverage will be split between CNBC and USA, and the women’s final will also air on NBC. (To see specific air times, check out the official NBC Olympics broadcast schedule, and toggle your search to “TV Only.”) You can stream all of these channels on DirecTV, Hulu + Live TV and more.

How to watch Olympic Curling without cable:

Parks and Recreation and The Office, every Bravo show and much more.

For $17 monthly you can upgrade to an ad-free subscription which includes live access to your local NBC affiliate (not just during designated sports and events) and the ability to download select titles to watch offline.

Who is on the Team USA Curling team?

These are the athletes on Team USA’s curling team:

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2026 Team USA Olympic Curling Schedule:

Thursday, February 5

• Norway vs. USA (Mixed Doubles Round Robin): 4:05 a.m. (Peacock), re-air at 5 p.m. (CNBC)

• Switzerland vs. USA (Mixed Doubles Round Robin): 8:35 a.m. (USA, Peacock), re-air at 6:30 p.m. (CNBC)

• Best of Curling: 5 p.m. (CNBC)

Friday, February 6

• USA vs. Canada (Mixed Doubles Round Robin): 4:05 a.m. (Peacock)

• Czechia vs. USA (Mixed Doubles Round Robin): 8:35 a.m. (Peacock, USA)

Saturday, February 7

• Great Britain vs. USA (Mixed Doubles Round Robin): 8:35 a.m. (Peacock), re-air at 9:30 a.m. (USA)

• South Korea vs. USA: 1:05 p.m. (Peacock), re-air at 7 p.m. (CNBC)

• Best of Curling: 5 p.m. (CNBC)

Sunday, February 8

• Mixed Doubles Round Robin: 4:55 a.m. (USA, Peacock)

• USA vs. Estonia (Mixed Doubles Round Robin): 8:30 a.m. (USA, Peacock)

• USA. vs. Sweden (Mixed Doubles Round Robin): 1:05 p.m. (Peacock), re-air at 7 p.m. (CNBC)

• Best of Curling: 5 p.m. (CNBC)

Monday, February 9

• Italy vs. USA: 4:05 a.m. (Peacock), re-air at 9 a.m. (USA)

• Mixed Doubles Semifinal: 12:05 p.m. (Peacock), re-air at 6:30 p.m. (CNBC), re-air at 8:45 p.m. (USA)

• Best of Curling: 5 p.m. (CNBC)

Tuesday, February 10

• Mixed Doubles Bronze Final: 8:05 a.m. (Peacock), re-air at 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. (USA), re-air at 5 p.m. (CNBC)

• Mixed Doubles Gold Final: 12 p.m. (USA, Peacock), re-air at 8 p.m. (CNBC), re-air at 9 p.m. (USA)

• Best of Curling: 5 p.m. (CNBC)

Wednesday, February 11

• Czechia vs. USA (Men’s Round Robin): 1:05 p.m. (Peacock)

• Best of Curling: 5 p.m. (CNBC)

Thursday, February 12

• South Korea vs. USA (Men’s Round Robin): 3:05 a.m. (Peacock), re-air at 9:15 (USA)

• USA vs. Switzerland (Men’s Round Robin): 8:05 a.m. (Peacock)

• Sweden vs. USA (Men’s Round Robin): 1:05 p.m. (Peacock), re-air at 9:30 p.m. (USA)

• Best of Curling: 5 p.m. (CNBC)

Friday, February 13

• Canada vs. USA (Men’s Round Robin): 3 a.m. (USA, Peacock), re-air at 8 a.m.

• Best of Curling: 5 p.m. (CNBC)

Saturday, February 14

• Germany vs. USA (Men’s Round Robin): 8:05 p.m. (Peacock), re-air at 1 p.m. (CNBC)

• Japan vs. USA (Women’s Round Robin): 1:05 p.m. (Peacock), re-air at 5:30 p.m. (CNBC)

• Best of Curling: 5 p.m. (CNBC)

Sunday, February 15

• USA vs. Sweden (Men’s Round Robin): 3:05 a.m. (Peacock), re-air at 11 a.m. (CNBC)

• USA vs. China (Women’s Round Robin: 8:05 a.m. (Peacock, CNBC)

• Norway vs. USA (Men’s Round Robin): 1:05 p.m. (Peacock), re-air at 8 p.m. (CNBC)

Monday, February 16

• USA vs. Italy (Women’s Round Robin): 1:05 p.m. (Peacock)

• Best of Curling: 5 p.m. (CNBC)

Tuesday, February 17

• USA vs. China (Men’s Round Robin): 3:05 a.m. (Peacock), re-air at 8 a.m. (USA)

• Denmark vs. USA (Women’s Round Robin): 8:05 a.m. (Peacock)

• USA vs. Italy (Men’s Round Robin): 1:05 p.m. (Peacock), re-air at 9:30 p.m. (USA)

• Best of Curling: 5 p.m. (CNBC)

Wednesday, February 18

• USA vs. Great Britain (Women’s Round Robin): 3:05 a.m. (Peacock), re-air at 9:15 a.m. (USA)

• USA vs. Great Britain (Men’s Round Robin): 8:05 a.m. (Peacock)

• Best of Curling: 5 p.m. (CNBC)

Thursday, February 19

• Switzerland vs. USA (Women’s Round Robin): 8:05 a.m. (Peacock)

• Men’s Semifinal: 1:05 p.m. (Peacock), re-air at 8 p.m. (USA)

• Best of Curling: 5 p.m. (CNBC)

Friday, February 20

• Switzerland vs. USA (Women’s Round Robin): 5 a.m. (USA)

• Women’s Semifinal: 8:05 a.m. (Peacock), re-air at 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. (USA)

• Men’s Bronze Final: 1:05 p.m. (Peacock), re-air at 1 a.m. (USA)

• Best of Curling: 5 p.m. (CNBC)

Saturday, February 21

• Women’s Bronze Final: 8:05 a.m. (Peacock), re-air at 10:20 a.m. (USA), re-air at 4 p.m. (CNBC)

• Best of Curling: 1 p.m. (CNBC)

• Men’s Gold Final: 1 p.m. (Peacock, CNBC)

Sunday, February 22

• Women’s Gold Final: 5:05 a.m. (Peacock), re-air at 7 a.m. (NBC, USA), re-air at 1:30 (USA)

More ways to watch the 2026 Winter Olympics

February 22, 2026