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There is an old trope in the NFL that bettors shouldn’t place wagers on the opposite sides of key numbers early in the week. The thought is that there is a chance a line moves onto a crucial number and the value of the bet could be significantly better by waiting to see if the key number emerges.

Sure, if one doesn’t have a good understanding of line movement, an idea on how to price games and evaluate a betting market, I kind of agree. However, all betting rules are meant to be broken in certain situations. There are smart ways to parlay. There are prices where bettors should buy the hook on a point and lay the extra vig. There are reasons to execute teasers that are not specifically “Wong Teaser” legs. I am a firm believer in the concept that all rules are meant to be broken in the right situations. I have never shied away from betting a +2.5, a -7.5, an over 41.5 or an under 43.5 early in the week.

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That leads us to three early Week 15 NFL bets. Here are some spots I already bet.

Odds courtesy of BetMGM.

The weather report in Denver is shaping up to be really nice this coming weekend. The early signs for beautiful weather are a foundational reason why the first move on this total was toward the over.

The opening total on Sunday night was around 42 consensus in the market, which is now up to 43.5. Green Bay is a team in which explosive plays are a fundamental part of the offense as well. However, both of these defenses are top units, and 44 is a very key number for betting NFL totals (as is 43). A line moving from 42 up toward the over almost never sees a shift through both the 43 and the 44. The rare cases we see this is when a bad weather forecast has artificially driven a line down and the weather report changes.

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Here we have a good early-week weather report driving up the total, but this is December in Colorado — things could change and possibly for the worse. Given the strong defensive units and the perceived asymmetric line movement at the current price, there is a much stronger chance this line stays at 43.5 or goes down as opposed to going up. The NFL market is sharp and efficient, especially when relative to key numbers, and therefore I like buying any side or total at what I deem to be the best number we will see all week.

Bet: Under 43.5 (-110), good to -115

Here is another spot to fade early line movement. The Rams have asserted their dominance over the NFL and remain the top team in market-based power rankings. They are 6.3-point favorites over an average team on a neutral field. The Lions have slipped to seventh, being priced as a 4.4-point favorite against an average team on a neutral field. If we compare the differences between these two ratings, the Rams remain 1.9 points ahead. Factor in the 1.5 points for home-field advantage and we are at a price of Los Angeles -3.4.

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Beyond the simple market ratings, which are formulated based on closing-line data in previous weeks and weighs more recent games heavier, we need to factor in the injuries on the Lions side. Brian Branch suffered a season-ending injury in Week 14, and he joins the laundry list of players reeling for the Lions. Kerby Joseph, Sam LaPorta (and his backup Brock Wright), and Kalif Raymond are other notable names all out for Detroit. However, the new injuries being priced in — mainly Branch — aren’t a big enough weight for this line to move to Lions +6.

We saw some flashes of a Rams -6.5 emerge and those were quickly taken out. I suspect Lions +6 also leaves the board sooner rather than later. This is closing around 5/5.5 — a proper account of market ratings and manual adjustments for injury pricing and sharp action.

Bet: Detroit Lions +6

The final place to attack early bets for Week 15 is in the player prop market.

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Tampa Bay is in a near must-win game against the Falcons after losing to the New Orleans Saints last week. The Bucs are still atop the NFC South, but are tied with the Carolina Panthers. The key for Tampa Bay is they are just starting to get fully healthy, as it has been a season of turmoil and injuries. Fortunately, the skill-position players were not lost to season-ending causes.

Baker Mayfield should be steadily healing from his shoulder joint injury, Bucky Irving is back and dominating again, Chris Godwin has returned to the lineup — and his snap count is steadily rising — and most recent reports from Todd Bowles suggest star WR Mike Evans might be coming back Thursday as well. The Bucs have their core back offensively, which means I think they can sustain long drives.

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On the other side of the ball, the Falcons are a run-first team with a two-headed monster in Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier. That duo will be going up against a very strong nose tackle in Vita Vea. Assuming Vea and Tampa Bay’s front seven can cause the Falcons’ rushing offense to lack efficiency, I think we can assume Atlanta is going to lose the time of possession battle here. Drake London is also hurt for the Falcons, hindering their passing attack.

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The best way to target sustained drives for the Buccaneers and for them to win the time-of-possession battle is to play Kirk Cousins under 31.5 pass attempts. Surpassing 32 means some key third-down conversions, some key defensive spots and relying on the short passing game as much as the strong run game. I will fade Cousins and the Falcons at least one more time.

Bet: Kirk Cousins under 31.5 pass attempts (-105)

In its next-to-last test before the World Cup, the U.S. national soccer team is planning to play a May 31 friendly against Senegal in Charlotte, North Carolina, Yahoo Sports has learned.

The date and location of the match were announced early last week. To avoid facing a team in its World Cup group, though, the U.S. Soccer Federation needed to wait until the results of the World Cup draw last Friday in Washington before proceeding with the Charlotte plans.

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From Pot 2, Senegal landed in Group I with top-seeded France and Norway, plus a playoff winner (Iraq, Bolivia or Suriname) to be determined in March. Atop Group D, the United States was drawn with Australia from Pot 2.

Senegal and the United States have only a slight chance of meeting in the Round of 32.

The U.S. team has never played Senegal, which is ranked second in Africa behind 2022 World Cup semifinalist Morocco.

U.S. officials said they didn’t want to comment Tuesday.

Last week, the USSF announced full details of three other World Cup tuneups: Belgium on March 25, Portugal on March 28 in Atlanta and Germany on June 6 in Chicago. At the draw, all three were in Pot 1 and couldn’t land in the same group as the U.S. team.

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Featuring numerous current and former players from Europe’s top-five leagues, Senegal is ranked No. 19 by FIFA, eight slots behind Morocco.

Known as the Lions of Teranga, Senegal is preparing for its third consecutive World Cup after group elimination in 2018 and a round-of-16 appearance in 2022. It raced through qualifying for the 2026 tournament with a 7-0-3 record and 22-3 goal differential.

U.S. games against African opponents are rare: In their 112-year history, the Americans have faced just eight of the continent’s 54 countries for a total of 19 matches, including six at FIFA tournaments. The most common foes have been Ghana (five times) and Morocco (four). The last meeting against an African foe was a 4-0 rout of Ghana in an October 2023 friendly in Nashville.

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With Senegal in place, the U.S. run-up to the summer tournament would include 11 consecutive matches against World Cup teams from five confederations: Mexico, South Korea, Japan, Ecuador, Australia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Belgium, Portugal, Senegal and Germany.

The High Score 100 — the top-100 players in Yahoo’s newest fantasy basketball format — is a running reflection of year-to-date performance and trending production. Each weekly update captures who’s actually delivering value and who’s fading.

Here’s a breakdown of the biggest risers and fallers through the seventh week of fantasy basketball — with the complete High Score 100 at the bottom of the article. I’ll be updating my rankings every Tuesday throughout the fantasy basketball season.

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📈 The Risers: Superstars rising up

Jamal Murray – G, Denver Nuggets: 16th overall (⬆️ 10)

Murray vaults to 16th overall after earning Western Conference Player of the Week honors for Week 7. He’s averaging career highs in points, rebounds and assists while posting the highest PER and true-shooting percentage of his nine NBA seasons.

That balance of efficiency and volume has him supplying 47 High Score fantasy points per game, making him a top-20 staple for High Score and a reliable co-pilot next to Nikola Jokić for Denver’s offense.

Jaylen Brown – G/FC, Boston Celtics: 13th overall (⬆️ 9)

Fresh off winning the Eastern Conference Player of the Week award for Week 7, Brown looks every bit a top-15 fantasy asset in High Score. Over the past two weeks, Brown has ranked fourth overall with 61.4 fantasy points per game, elevating his status from No. 22 to 13th on the latest High Score 100 list.

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Brown is enjoying a career year, averaging 29.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists, and has thrived as the top option for the Celtics with Jayson Tatum out.

[High Score is a new way to play Fantasy Basketball on Yahoo with simple rosters and scoring. It’s not too late to create or join a league]

Jalen Johnson – FC, Atlanta Hawks: 6th overall (⬆️ 3)

The Jalen Johnson breakout is upon us. While he only moved up three spots, he had to be acknowledged because he’s pushing for a top-five asset. Since Nov. 28, he’s logged four 70-plus fantasy point games, including three triple-doubles. He’s doing everything — scoring, rebounding, creating — and his improved shot creation sans Trae Young has pushed him into a legitimate All-NBA conversation.

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Like Brown, he’s one of five players posting at least 60 fantasy points per game over the past two weeks. The late second, early third-round pick is paying dividends for fantasy managers across formats.

📉 The Fallers: Regression meets reality

Ajay Mitchell – G, Oklahoma City Thunder: 116th overall (⬇️ 25)

Mitchell’s dream run ended once Jalen Williams returned. The efficiency is still there, but without steady minutes or usage, Mitchell is no longer a viable High Score stash coming off the bench. Barring a spot start when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or J-Dub miss a game, Mitchell can be dropped.

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Joel Embiid – FC, Philadelphia 76ers: 70th overall (⬇️ 15)

Embiid plummeting 15 spots mirrors his declining availability. The former MVP looks like a shell of himself, shooting 40% from the field, 21% on 3s and averaging 18-5-3 with a block per game. That’s pedestrian numbers considering what Embiid’s peak looked like.

He’s played in just three games since Nov. 9, failing to score more than 35 fantasy points despite playing over 30 minutes in two of those three contests. Health continues to derail his progress and fantasy managers can keep him benched in High Score for the time being.

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Jaren Jackson Jr. – FC, Memphis Grizzlies: 98th overall (⬇️ 13)

Jackson’s freefall to 98th continued after another rough stretch of production. He’s failed to reach 40 fantasy points in two weeks and is averaging 17 points per game this season, his lowest since 2021-22. His 3.3% block rate is the lowest of his career, cutting into the stat that made him worthy of a third- or fourth-round pick. Managers are hoping for a turnaround, but the trends and decline in stats are discouraging.

Complete High Score 100 rankings

The High Score 100 is a running reflection of year-to-date performance and trending production.

Stay tuned for the next look at the High Score 100!

All-Pro Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson underwent season-ending core muscle surgery on Tuesday morning, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports.

Per the report, the surgery is to repair an injury that Hendrickson sustained in Week 6 against the Packers. Hendrickson missed the following week’s game against the Steelers. Per the report, he pushed to play in Week 8 against the Jets and has not played since. The surgery is expected to sideline Hendrickson for the remainder of the regular season.

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Will Hendrickson play for Bengals again?

The surgery spells the potential end to Hendrickson’s tenure with the Bengals. Hendrickson is playing on a one-year contract and he is slated to become a free agent in the offseason.

Hendrickson held out of Bengals training camp this summer before agreeing to a restructured contract with a $14 million raise to $29 million on the final year of his previous deal. Hendrickson signed the new deal coming off his fourth straight Pro Bowl campaign and first All-Pro selection after leading the NFL with 17.5 sacks.

Hendrickson, 31, has been limited by injuries to seven games this season and has four sacks. His season will come to an end as the 4-9 Bengals have fallen out of playoff contention. Hendrickson will surely seek a lucrative multi-year deal in the offseason as he hits free agency.

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Hendrickson will also be eligible for the franchise tag if the Bengals choose to exercise it. Following contentious offseason negotiations, it’s not clear if the Bengals would entertain offering Hendrickson a long-term deal or consider using the tag.

It was a typically warm day on June 24 in Arizona, when one bettor strolled into BetMGM sportsbook at State Farm Stadium in Glendale and decided to place a staggering $615,000 on three college football futures wagers.

The likely line of thinking: Bet on three highly-ranked college football powerhouses (excluding Ohio State) to win the national title, and at worst have an opportunity to hedge off of one (or more) of them in the College Football Playoff. Potentially, two of the teams could even end up playing each other in the CFP semifinals or title game.

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Unfortunately, the season didn’t quite go as planned for the bettor.

The first bet was $300,000 on the preseason AP No. 1 Texas Longhorns to win the CFP at +500 odds. The Longhorns, led by then-preseason Heisman Trophy favorite Arch Manning, were the co-favorites with Ohio State at BetMGM to win the national championship.

The Longhorns went 9-3 in the regular season — losses at Ohio State (14-7), at Florida (29-21) and at Georgia (35-10) — but missed out on the CFP, finishing 13th in the final ranking.

The second wager was $200,000 on the preseason AP No. 2 Penn State Nittany Lions to win the CFP at +750 odds. Penn State had its best preseason title odds since at least 2001, but shocking back-to-back losses as a 25-point favorite at UCLA and 21-point favorite against Northwestern led to the firing of head coach James Franklin. Starting QB Drew Allar also suffered a season-ending ankle injury in the Northwestern game. The 6-6 Nittany Lions weren’t a serious contender to make the CFP this season after those early upsets.

The third wager was $115,000 on the preseason AP No. 4 Clemson Tigers to win the CFP at 13-1 odds. Clemson was a popular futures bet this offseason at several books. Head coach Dabo Sweeney had won at least nine games in every season since 2011 at Clemson, but fell short of that number this campaign. The 7-5 Tigers lost three of their first games (including as 17.5-point home favorites against Syracuse) to quickly fall out of the CFP conversation.

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Any of the three bets would have won roughly $1.5 million on its own — instead, they are all part of a donation to BetMGM.

As we get ready to begin the fantasy football playoffs, let’s jot down a few strategy tips. Most of this will be review, and stuff we’ve written and talked about in years past. Some of these things are specific to December; other tips are more universal. As usual, many of these tips are common sense — common sense is the most important club in your bag.

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It all boils down to good decisions. That’s what probably led you to this point, and that’s the key to giving yourself the best chance in the next few weeks. Keep making those good decisions, amigos.

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Here’s what you need to know and consider before your fantasy football postseason begins.

Fantasy Roster Composition Changes In December

The bye weeks are long gone and forgotten. Depth isn’t nearly as important as it once was. If you run into a bunch of injuries in September, you rally, you make the best of it. If the wrong guys get hurt at this time of year, you probably lose. That’s just how it goes.

I’m willing to consider player types now that I wouldn’t care for in August or September. An understudy running back doesn’t matter to me when the season starts — I’m trying to hit home runs then, assemble a team with theoretical upside — but the insurance probably makes sense at this time of year. Usually that’s a running back thing, but even positions you generally don’t insure could be worth a look. Maybe the CeeDee Lamb manager looks to Ryan Flournoy, or the Mark Andrews manager targets Isaiah Likely. It’s also a key time to consider more than one fantasy defense. And that’s because of the next point.

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Looking Ahead is Critical

I’m a firm believer that fantasy football is best played with a microscope, not a telescope — let’s focus on what’s in front of us and not kid ourselves with our ability to tell the future, months in advance. Summer strength of schedule? I’ve always considered it a fool’s errand; a low-end piece of info that’s sometimes pushed into the wrong ratio of importance.

But this late in the season, I’m going to start looking ahead. We have a much better sense of what good and bad matchups look like. And heck, maybe you scored a Week 15 bye — in that sense, you start planning for Week 16 and Week 17 right now, with casual indifference to what happens this week.

I favor having at least two fantasy defenses at this time of year because fantasy defenses, while maddeningly erratic at times, are heavily dependent on matchup and opponent. You always want to play a D/ST that’s a favorite in its game, and it’s not easy to latch onto a defensive team that will have pristine matchups for 2-3 weeks. Sure, the fluidity of the league will kick in and some matchups will gain or lose luster when the week eventually arrives. But I’m comfortable doing some speculating now. (There are some lousy offenses out there, let’s pick on a few!)

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Know your FAB Neighborhood By Heart

Free-agent bidding is always a league-contextual exercise, but the task at hand becomes more specific at this time of year, with less teams still eligible to bid (or engaged in the league) and not all teams having ample resources. When I’m making early-season bids, I’ll loosely consider where the rest of the room stands with needs and leverage. But at this time of year, I will make sure I know exactly what the other teams need and what they can and can’t do.

With less rosters to worry about, there’s no excuse to ignore the narrow context. Bidding is a lot looser and inexact in September, much more specific (and projectable) now.

Don’t Fret Over Week 17 Sitdowns

Fantasy football is a better game now that Week 18 is commonly ignored in head-to-head leagues (though I do not mind continuing to play on through Week 18 in hybrid formats). Many playoff-bound NFL teams have little to play for in the final week, and will approach the game as nothing more than a glorified exhibition.

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But sometimes I hear fantasy managers working themselves into a tizzy over Week 17, concerned that a clinching team might blow off their penultimate game. While this is possible in theory and has occasionally been an issue historically, it’s a very rare occurrence. Most teams realize it’s foolish to go into shutdown mode a full three weeks in advance of its playoff schedule. From where we sit today, I’m going to fully expect all teams to play with usual motivations in Week 17.

Consider All You Respect, but Make Your Own Decisions

You’re the CEO, the general manager, the marketing director. You win, you get the spoils. I don’t blame you for seeking out information and other opinions — I’m going to do the same thing — but at the end of the day, you want to be responsible for your choices. You know your league better than we ever could.

There are no shortcuts or golden tickets, even as we want to believe in those things sometimes. This would be a rather boring game if the answers were easy. No analyst is worth your blind devotion, nor is anyone so dense that they’re worth an automatic fade (that would be just as valuable as the omniscient analyst, but neither exists). Consider the reasonable opinions you normally seek out, but condense everything down to your own sound decision-making process.

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Don’t Play For Friendliest Loss

This note isn’t for everyone, because I understand that many managers want simple rules of thumb to follow as they struggle with the Paradox of Choice. “Always Start Your Stars” has always struck me as a crutch, not an answer to anything — because the definition of a star is too fluid. Is Justin Jefferson still a fantasy star? Look what the Houston defense did to Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce last week. What about an injured star, or a player coming off a multi-game layoff? Do they fit this dated “start your stars” maxim?

Most coaches in professional sports still manage by the book (though that’s starting to change), and often they flush expected value in the process. It’s understandable that they’re pushed in this direction — they need to keep their jobs, answer to the media and the public, keep favor in the locker room. Very few decision-makers are tenured in a way that they can do unorthodox things without significant risk.

But fantasy managers don’t have that invisible hand guiding us. We don’t have to please ownership, or win the media, or placate the players. We just want our best chance of winning.

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I am not going to pick my starting lineups by name-brand value, or by August ADP, or by how I viewed my depth chart a month ago. I will try to make all of my key decisions in the sole objective of scoring the most points. I do not care which potential losing scenario would hurt the least (that’s why it’s so hard for some to bench a name player; it’s human nature to try to cushion the blow before it even comes). Never forget, it’s a game about numbers, not a game about names.

Think Like a DFS Player

Keep in mind your head-to-head game and your starting lineup are constantly-evolving entities, both before the games start and while the games are in action. If you find yourself shifting from clear favorite to obvious underdog after a few results filter in, it might make sense to embrace volatility in the later part of the slate. Optimum decision making is a dynamic process; like a card counter at the blackjack table, the variables are constantly in flux. Don’t throw common sense out the window as your game progresses, but at least consider how the picture is changing, and if you need to take a different strategy as your winning odds are improving or decreasing.

A key hack that ties into this — realize what your flex spots are for. If you’re going to play anyone in the early games, make sure they’re occupying a static position (RB, WR, etc.) rather than a flex spot.

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Quick Hits

This article could be a non-stop entity; eventually we have to hit publish. A few other bite-size thoughts:

• Weather is worth considering but as a low-end priority; heavy wind is generally the only thing to be proactive about.

• If you can get an indoor or warm-weather kicker, that’s nice, though mostly I just want a kicker tied to a team expected to win.

• The skill of fantasy football is what you do over the long run, the balance of the season. See the playoffs for what they are, a tournament. We all get bitten by variance sometimes.

• Take as much time as possible before you commit to decisions. The walk-up days are for collecting information.

• Make sure you’re regularly auditing your league transactions, especially players cut. It’s not unusual for a playoff team to release a useful player because they have immediate needs, and can’t wait for a later benefit. That’s where you might want to swoop in.

I’m sure I left out some tips that are prominent on your clipboard. Catch me on social media and share your thoughts.

Get ready hoop fans, Yahoo Fantasy and Arena Club are teaming up once again, this time to bring the thrill of fantasy basketball straight into your card collection. Introducing: Yahoo Fantasy Basketball Slab Packs, a brand-new weekly drop featuring real, graded trading cards of the hottest fantasy performers in the NBA.

If you’re new to Arena Club, here’s the lowdown. Arena Club is the premier online marketplace for sports cards, giving collectors a way to rip packs virtually, buy and sell graded cards and track their entire collection — all in one place. Whether you’re in it for the hobby, the thrill or the chase, Arena Club brings the excitement directly to your screen.

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[Rip your exclusive Yahoo Fantasy + Arena Club slab pack here]

Each week, Arena Club curates real, graded NBA cards and builds two types of Yahoo Fantasy Slab Packs:

Every pack contains a graded card of an active NBA player — but the real treasure is the weekly Chase Cards, featuring some of the top fantasy basketball performers from the past week. These limited-edition hits can reach values up to 20x the cost of the pack.

Weekly NBA Slab Packs go live every Tuesday at 1 p.m. ET and remain available through Thursday at 8 p.m. ET (or until they’re gone). It’s the ultimate mid-week boost for fantasy hoopers and collectors alike.

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To top it off, use promo code YAHOO at checkout for 20% off your first slab pack or card purchase on ArenaClub.com or the Arena Club app.

This Week’s Featured Players

Rip a slab pack today for a chance to pull one of the week’s biggest fantasy basketball stars:

Tyrese Maxey, 76ers – Gold Only

Maxey has transformed into one of the most prolific scorers in the NBA. The Sixers guard ranks third in the NBA in scoring at 31.5 points per game, in the hunt for the scoring title.

Nikola Jokić, Nugget

To no one’s surprise, the Nuggets center is in the thick of the MVP race again, going for his fourth this season.

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Cade Cunningham, Pistons – Silver Only

Cunningham has Detroit on top of the Eastern Conference standings as one of the biggest surprises of the early season.

Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves

Ant Man missed time early in the season due to injury but is back and filling it up again. The star guard has dropped 40+ points in two of the past four games.

Scottie Barnes, Raptors

A nine-game winning streak in November has Barnes and the Raptors in the thick of the playoff chase in the East. The swingman is one of the top fantasy assets given his category coverage night in and night out.

Weekly Drops. Real Cards. Real Value. Real Thrill.

With new cards releasing every week based on real fantasy performance, the Yahoo Fantasy x Arena Club partnership delivers a constantly refreshing lineup of NBA stars — and the chase cards you’ll be talking about all season.

Don’t miss this week’s release.

Rip your slab pack, hit a chase card, and upgrade your collection today!

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Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua continues to express anger and frustration over the team being snubbed from the College Football Playoff. A day after Bevacqua called out the ACC, the AD continued to lament Notre Dame’s snub, saying the team went on “one of the most dominant 10-game runs in the history of college football” leading up to the selection committee’s final decision.

Bevacqua made those comments during a season-end press conference. He echoed many of the same sentiments he’s shared in recent days, calling the snub a “gut punch” and continuing to attack the ACC over its decision to go to bat for Miami.

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Calling Notre Dame’s 10-game run “one of the most dominant” ever, though, was a new talking point for the AD.

After falling to Miami and Texas A&M to kick off the season, the Fighting Irish rallied to win their final 10 games, putting them in position to make the CFP bracket. The team beat two top-25 opponents during its streak, taking down both USC and Pitt down the stretch. Both teams ranked in the 20s at the time Notre Dame beat them.

In between those wins, Notre Dame beat up on a lot of teams that ultimately posted poor records.

In Bevacqua’s defense, the Fighting Irish seemed poised to get into the CFP bracket despite that. Though the team lost to Miami earlier in the season, Notre Dame was ranked higher in the weekly CFP polls. It appeared the selection committee thought Notre Dame was the better team despite the early loss.

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But that changed at the absolute last moment. Miami leaped Notre Dame in the bracket, earning a spot in the CFP over the Fighting Irish. That decision, along with the selection committee’s unwillingness to punish Alabama for a blowout loss to Georgia in the SEC title game, resulted in Notre Dame getting axed from the bracket.

Following that snub, Notre Dame opted to take itself out of bowl consideration this season. On Monday, Bevacqua said that was a decision made by the team’s captains.

Following the initial snub, Notre Dame appeared to have public sentiment on its side. Many criticized the selection committee’s decision and process, justifying Notre Dame’s anger. Bevacqua continued to stoke those fires with his repeated attacks in the ensuing days.

After a five-year absence, Philip Rivers is back in the NFL. The 44-year-old reportedly agreed to join the Indianapolis Colts’ practice squad on Tuesday, days after the team lost starter Daniel Jones to an Achilles injury, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Despite not playing since the 2020 NFL season, Rivers’ name popped up in rumors Monday, as it was reported the Colts brought in the veteran passer for a workout. That workout apparently went well enough that the Colts decided to sign Rivers to the practice squad despite his age and lack of recent experience in the NFL.

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While the move comes as a massive shock considering Rivers’ NFL career looked to be long over, the Colts had a few reasons for bringing back the soon-to-be 18-year pro. Rivers has a history playing with Colts head coach Shane Steichen, who served as the Los Angeles Chargers’ offensive coordinator when Rivers was with the team. Rivers also has familiarity with the Colts, as his final NFL season came with the team.

Because of that, the Colts believe Rivers’ familiarity with Steichen’s offense would allow him to quickly get re-acclimated to the NFL.

[Get more Colts news: Indianapolis team feed]

The Colts are desperate for help at the position after Jones went down in Week 14 with a season-ending injury. Jones’ backup, rookie Riley Leonard, also came out of the team’s 36-19 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars with an injury, and is uncertain to play in Week 15 due to the issue. Anthony Richardson, the team’s former first-round pick, remains sidelined after sustaining an eye injury during a “fluke accident” in pregame warmups in October.

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It’s unclear whether Richardson or Leonard would be the team’s preferred starter over Rivers if all three players are healthy. That could be a decision the Colts have to make down the stretch depending on how things shake out in the coming weeks.

If Leonard is unable to go in Week 15, the Colts would essentially need to start a quarterback off the street on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. Given Rivers’ knowledge of the offense, he might be the best option the team has on short notice. The team also has veteran Brett Rypien on its practice squad, so he’s an option to start Week 15 as well.

If Leonard can play in Week 15, Rivers would provide support for the sixth-round rookie, per Rapoport.

While there’s logic in bringing Rivers back, the move also comes with significant risks. Rivers’ ability and playing shape are massive question marks after the quarterback has been away from the game for five years.

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He still proved to be effective in his final NFL season, completing 68 percent of his passes and throwing 24 touchdowns against 11 interceptions with the Colts. That performance was good enough to lead Indianapolis to an 11-5 record and a playoff berth. The team, however, lost its first playoff game, falling 27-24 to the Buffalo Bills in the wild-card round.

But that was five years ago, when Rivers was already considered an old quarterback at age 39. If Rivers is activated, he would become one of the oldest quarterbacks ever to play in the NFL. Only five other quarterbacks — Tom Brady, Warren Moon, Vinny Testaverde, Steve DeBerg and George Blanda — played at age 44 or older.

To really stress the unprecedented nature of Rivers’ return, the move adds an interesting wrinkle to his Hall of Fame case. Rivers is currently among the 26 semifinalists for the class of 2026. If Rivers is activated from the practice squad, it would reset his Hall of Fame clock, meaning he wouldn’t be eligible for the honor for another five years. Rivers has the numbers and longevity to warrant a lengthy Hall of Fame debate. While he may not have gotten in this year, his return could take him out of the running for now. If he remains on the practice squad, however, Rivers would keep his 2026 Hall of Fame eligibility.

At 8-5, the Colts are among the biggest surprises and best stories in the NFL this season. Led by a resurgent Jones and a dominant run game led by Jonathan Taylor, the Colts looked like an early contender for the Super Bowl in the AFC. But after a 7-1 start, the Colts have lost four of their last five and now trail the 9-4 Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC South.

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With Jones down, the team doesn’t want to waste that opportunity. Bringing back Rivers after a five-year absence is a massive risk, but one that could keep the Colts in contention down the stretch.

It could also end in disaster, even if it’s the best move the Colts can make right now.

Indiana Pacers fans don’t have to wait until next season to see Tyrese Haliburton make his season debut … as a broadcaster, that is.

Haliburton will make his debut as a player contributor on “NBA on Prime” with an appearance on “NBA Nightcap” following Tuesday night’s NBA Cup quarterfinals matchups — the first of five such appearances this season. On “NBA Nightcap,” Haliburton is expected to offer commentary on his rehab and game insights for the 2025-26 season.

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The postgame analysis show is in its first season, hosted by broadcaster Taylor Rooks, featuring former NBA legends Dirk Nowitzki, Dwyane Wade, Steve Nash and Udonis Haslem, discussing the evening’s NBA action.

When discussing the opportunity with The Athletic, Haliburton spoke highly of the positivity of the broadcast’s coverage and its ability to reach the casual fan:

“I think just being able to talk about the game with people, and not always having to be so critical of players, but just how we can talk about the game and put today’s players in the right limelight. I think it is important.”

“I think that our league, arguably, is one of the only leagues where people are so critical of players that sometimes it can create opinions from the casual fan that they don’t even know what they’re talking about.”

“It’s just what they’re hearing on television. I think that Prime is doing a great job of just allowing former players to come on and celebrate our game, which I think is better just overall for everybody.”

Last season, Haliburton averaged 18.6 points, 9.2 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game. His late-game heroics in the playoffs helped lead the Pacers to beat the Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers and the New York Knicks to advance to their first NBA Finals since 2000. Haliburton tore his Achilles early in Game 7 of the Finals, which the Pacers eventually lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

This year, the Pacers have struggled to fill Haliburton’s void as a scorer and playmaker. The Pacers are 6-18, currently 14th in the Eastern Conference, while ranking 29th in points per game and last in field goal percentage. Last season, they were seventh and third in those categories, respectively.

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Pascal Siakam is the team’s leading scorer this season, averaging 24.5 points, 7 rebounds and 4.1 assists. Fourth-year guard Bennedict Mathurin is also having a career campaign, averaging 21.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game.

The Pacers have struggled to create assists without their leading playmaker, giving Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell expanded playmaking roles. The Pacers are last in assists, averaging 23.5 per game. Last season, they were third in assists per game, averaging 29.2 per game.

Injuries have also taken a toll on this team, with Mathurin, Nembhard and Obi Toppin all missing a significant portion of the early season. The Pacers are currently on a two-game winning streak and play the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday.