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CeeDee Lamb will play in Week 15 against the Minnesota Vikings after clearing concussion protocol on Friday.

The Dallas Cowboys receiver was injured during last week’s loss to the Detroit Lions when he went up for a deep pass in the end zone and was contorting his body trying to make a one-handed catch. He couldn’t make the catch and then landed hard and his head slammed on the ground.

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Lamb returned to practice as a full participant on Thursday as his recovery has gone well enough for him to return for Sunday Night Football.

“Process has been cool. Obviously, it’s been a lot of eye work and eye discipline and trying to, I guess, frustrate myself essentially to see if I have any more residuals of the concussion. And I haven’t had any type of symptoms,” Lamb said. “As for me now, it’s been heavy on rest, to be honest. Doing everything, me knowing my requirements, kind of getting ahead of everything, especially with the extra 2-3 days that we had off. I feel like that was big.”

The San Francisco 49ers added Christian McCaffrey to the injury report on Saturday with a back injury. The running back did not practice Wednesday and was limited Thursday due to an illness before being a full participant on Friday.

There’s no word on the severity of McCaffrey’s back issue ahead of Sunday’s meeting with the Tennessee Titans. Despite the injury report addition, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the 49ers star is expected to be “good to go.”

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[NFL injury updates live]

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt had successful surgery to “stabilize and repair a partially collapsed lung,” according to his brother J.J.

Watt was in a dry needling treatment session at the team’s practice facility on Wednesday when he started to feel discomfort. There is no timeline for a recovery, but was released from the hospital on Friday and will not play Monday night against the Miami Dolphins.

Other notable Week 15 injuries:

• Cincinnati Bengals receiver Tee Higgins has been ruled out for Sunday’s matchup with the Baltimore Ravens due to a concussion. Higgins missed Week 13 with a concussion and found himself back in protocol this week after getting injured last week against the Buffalo Bills. Higgins was evaluated in-game and cleared to return, but Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said Monday that the receiver was back in protocol. He was limited during Thursday’s practice and ultimately ruled out Friday afternoon.

• The Washington Commanders have already ruled quarterback Jayden Daniels out for Week 15 due to aggravating an elbow injury in Week 14’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Daniels had just returned from a three-game absence after dislocating that elbow in Week 9 against the Seattle Seahawks. Marcus Mariota will start his seventh game this season when the Commanders face the New York Giants on Sunday.

• Trey Benson will not return this season after the Arizona Cardinals chose not to activate him from injured reserve during his 21-day practice window. The running back has been out since Week 4 with a knee injury. Head coach Jonathan Gannon said Benson had not progressed enough to warrant a return this season.

• Injuries to his right shoulder and back will sideline Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith for Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Kenny Pickett has been taking first-team reps this week and will start as head coach Pete Carroll called Smith “day-to-day.”

AFC East: Bills | Dolphins | Patriots | Jets
AFC North: Ravens | Bengals | Browns | Steelers
AFC South: Texans | Colts | Jaguars | Titans
AFC West: Broncos | Chiefs | Raiders | Chargers
NFC East: Cowboys | Giants | Eagles | Commanders
NFC North: Bears | Lions | Packers | Vikings
NFC South: Falcons (played Thurs.) | Panthers | Saints | Buccaneers (played Thurs.)
NFC West: Cardinals | Rams | 49ers | Seahawks

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Here’s the rest of the Week 15 injury report:

ARIZONA CARDINALS

• WR Marvin Harrison Jr (heel): OUT

• LT Paris Johnson Jr. (knee): OUT

• S Dadrion Taylor-Demerson (ankle): OUT

• CB Max Melton (heel): OUT

• S Jalen Thompson (hamstring): OUT

• G Evan Brown (personal): OUT

• DT Bilal Nichols (knee): OUT

• WR Xavier Weaver (hamstring): OUT

• DE L.J. Collier (knee): questionable

• RB Emari Demercado (ankle): questionable

• TE Elijah Higgins (illness): questionable

• T Christian Jones (knee): questionable

• DT Walter Nolen (knee): questionable

HOUSTON TEXANS

• WR Justin Watson (calf): OUT

• RB Nick Chubb (ribs): questionable

• LB E.J. Speed (knee): questionable

• TE Harrison Bryant (neck/shoulder): questionable

NEW YORK JETS

• QB Justin Fields (knee): OUT

• QB Tyrod Taylor (groin): OUT

• TE Mason Taylor (neck): OUT

• LB Francisco Mauigoa (neck): OUT

• CB Azareye’h Thomas (shoulder): OUT

• LB Cam Jones (hip): questionable

• TE Stone Smartt (concussion): questionable

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

• WR Parker Washington (hip): questionable

• OL Walker Little (concussion): questionable

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS

• WR Alex Bachman (thumb): OUT

• T Kolton Miller (ankle): OUT

• QB Geno Smith (shoulder, back): OUT

• S Jeremy Chinn (back): questionable

• C/G Jordan Meredith (foot): questionable

• TE Ian Thomas (calf): questionable

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

• DT Jalen Carter (shoulders): OUT

• T Lane Johnson (foot): OUT

• T Cameron Williams (shoulder): questionable

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS

• QB Jayden Daniels (elbow): OUT

• DE Drake Jackson (groin, knee): OUT

• CB Jonathan Jones (rib): OUT

• RB Chris Rodriguez Jr. (groin): questionable

• WR Deebo Samuel Sr. (illness): questionable

NEW YORK GIANTS

• OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (shoulder): OUT

• WR Beaux Collins (neck, concussion): OUT

• OLB Victor Dimukeje (knee): OUT

• CB Nic Jones (shoulder): OUT

• DL Rakeem Nuñez-Roches Sr. (ankle): OUT

• P Jamie Gillan (left knee): doubtful

• DL D.J. Davidson (illness): questionable

• OL Joshua Ezeudu (calf): questionable

• LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (illness, neck, knee): questionable

• CB Art Green (hamstring): questionable

• DL Dexter Lawrence (hamstring): questionable

• LB Darius Muasau (ankle): questionable

• WR Gunner Olszewski (concussion): questionable

BUFFALO BILLS

• WR Josh Palmer (ankle): questionable

• CB Christian Benford (toe): questionable

• LB Terrel Bernard (elbow): questionable

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

• RB Terrell Jennings (concussion): OUT

• LB Robert Spillane (foot): questionable

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

• WR Derius Davis (ankle): OUT

• DB Elijah Molden (hamstring): doubtful

• G/T Trey Pipkins (ankle): doubful

• LB Troy Dye (hip): questionable

• WR Quentin Johnston (groin): questionable

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

• WR Marquise Brown (personal): OUT

• T Wanya Morris (knee): OUT

• G Trey Smith (ankle): OUT

• T Jawaan Taylor (triceps, knee): OUT

• CB Trent McDuffie (knee): questionable

BALTIMORE RAVENS

• WR Rashod Bateman (ankle): questionable

• LB Tavius Robinson (foot): questionable

• S Ar’Darius Washington (Achilles): questionable

CINCINNATI BENGALS

• WR Tee Higgins (concussion): OUT

• DE Shemar Stewart (knee): OUT

• S PJ Jules (ankle): doubtful

CLEVELAND BROWNS

• T Jack Conklin (concussion): OUT

• DT Adin Huntington (quad): OUT

• TE David Njoku (knee): OUT

• RB Dylan Sampson (calf, hand): OUT

• G Wyatt Teller (calf): OUT

• CB Denzel Ward (calf): OUT

• QB Deshaun Watson (Achilles): OUT

• WR Cedric Tillman (concussion, rib): questionable

• DT Mason Graham (rib): questionable

• WR Malachi Corley (concussion): questionable

• G Joel Bitonio (knee, back): questionable

CHICAGO BEARS

• DB Kyler Gordon (groin): OUT

• RB Travis Homer (ankle): OUT

• WR Rome Odunze (foot): questionable

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

• WR Anthony Gould (foot): OUT

• RT Braden Smith (concussion, neck): OUT

• CB Sauce Gardner (calf): OUT

• DT DeForest Buckner (neck): OUT

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

• TE Elijah Arroyo (knee): OUT

• WR Dareke Young (quad): OUT

• DE Rylie Mills (knee): questionable

• TE Eric Saubert (calf): questionable

• C Jalen Sundell (knee): questionable

TENNESSEE TITANS

• CB Jalyn Armour-Davis (achilles): OUT

• C Lloyd Cushenberry III (foot): questionable

• T Dan Moore (neck): questionable

• DL C.J. Ravenell (toe): questionable

• LB James Williams (illness): questionable

• G Kevin Zeitler (NIR-rest): questionable

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

• LB Tatum Bethune (ankle): OUT

• DE Yetur Gross-Matos (hamstring): OUT

• LB Nick Martin (concussion): OUT

• DE Sam Okuayinonu (ankle): OUT

• QB Kurtis Rourke (knee): OUT

• RB Christian McCaffrey (back): questionable

CAROLINA PANTHERS

• DT Tershawn Wharton (hamstring): questionable

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

• RB Alvin Kamara (knee, ankle): OUT

• T Asim Richards (ankle): OUT

• S Justin Reid (knee): questionable

DETROIT LIONS

• S Brian Branch (Achilles): OUT

• S Kerby Joseph (knee): OUT

• S Thomas Harper (concussion): OUT

• G Christian Mahogany (fibula): OUT

• G Kayode Awosika (foot): questionable

• T Taylor Decker (shoulder): questionable

• WR Kalif Raymond (ankle): questionable

• RB Sione Vaki (thumb): questionable

• TE Shane Zylstra (knee): questionable

LOS ANGELES RAMS

• WR Davante Adams (hamstring): questionable

• S Jaylen McCollough (illness): questionable

GREEN BAY PACKERS

• DE Brenton Cox Jr. (groin): OUT

• RB MarShawn Lloyd (calf, hamstring): OUT

• DE Collin Oliver (hamstring): OUT

• RB Emanuel Wilson (illness): questionable

• RB Josh Jacobs (knee): questionable

• DL Lukas Van Ness (foot): questionable

• LB Kristian Welch (concussion): questionable

• WR Savion Williams (foot): questionable

DENVER BRONCOS

• G Ben Powers (biceps): OUT

• WR Pay Bryant (hamstring): OUT

• T Mike McGlinchey (shoulder): questionable

MINNESOTA VIKINGS

• RB Ty Chandler (knee): questionable

• LT Christian Darrisaw (knee): questionable

DALLAS COWBOYS

• T Tyler Guyton (ankle): OUT

• CB Trevon Diggs (knee): OUT

• TE Jake Ferguson (calf): questionable

• DE Jadeveon Clowney (hamstring): questionable

MIAMI DOLPHINS

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

NFL injury updates live

Live coverage is over12 updates

• 

  Sat, December 13, 2025 at 12:59 PM PST

  Sean Leahy

  McCaffrey did not practice Wednesday and was limited Thursday due to an illness before being a full participant on Friday.

  The 49ers announced on Saturday that a back issue has popped up and he will be questionable for Sunday’s meeting with the Titans.
• 

  Sat, December 13, 2025 at 8:57 AM PST

  Sean Leahy

  Achane left last week’s win over the Jets in the second quarter with a rib injury and did not return. The running back said on Thursday he felt good and that he would have returned had the score not been so lopsided against the Jets.

  On Saturday, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said Achane is expected to be good to go Monday night against Pittsburgh.
• 

  Sat, December 13, 2025 at 8:55 AM PST

  Sean Leahy

  Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers will reportedly make his first start since the 2021 playoffs this week against the Seattle Seahawks, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

  The 44-year-old Rivers was signed to the Colts’ practice squad this week following Daniel Jones’ Achilles injury in Week 14. With backup Riley Leonard dealing with a knee injury, the door was opened for a reunion with the veteran quarterback, who spent his final NFL season in Indianapolis in 2020.

  Read more here.

  

• 

  Sat, December 13, 2025 at 7:30 AM PST

  Sean Leahy

  Odunze was back at practice on Friday as he deals with a stress fracture in his foot. Despite not practice for two weeks, the receiver is trending towards playing Sunday against the Browns.

  In 12 games this season Odunze has 44 catches for 661 yards and six touchdowns.

• Fri, December 12, 2025 at 1:48 PM PST
• 

  Fri, December 12, 2025 at 12:55 PM PST

  Sean Leahy

  Injuries to his right shoulder and back will sideline Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith for Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Kenny Pickett has been taking first-team reps this week and will start as head coach Pete Carroll called Smith “day-to-day.”
• 

  Fri, December 12, 2025 at 11:39 AM PST

  Sean Leahy

  Watt underwent surgery to stabilize and repair a partially collapsed lung, according to his brother J.J. Watt.

  T.J. was undergoing a dry needling treatment session at the team’s practice facility on Wednesday when he began to feel discomfort and was sent to a local hospital for testing.

  According to J.J., there is no timeline for recovery at the moment, but T.J. was set to be released from the hospital on Friday and he will not play this wek
• 

  Fri, December 12, 2025 at 10:21 AM PST

  Tarohn Finley

  Steichen said that no decisions have been made on who his starting quarterback will be on Sunday. Daniel Jones ruptured his Achilles tendon last Sunday, ending his season. Rookie quarterback Riley Leonard fully practiced this week.

  The Colts also signed 44-year-old Philip Rivers to the practice squad on Tuesday. Rivers last played for the Colts in 2020, before retiring after the season. Steichen also said Rivers looked good and moved around well. The Colts are 8-5 this season.
• 

  Fri, December 12, 2025 at 9:41 AM PST

  Tarohn Finley

  Harrison will miss his second straight game due to a heel injury. In his place, expect wide receiver Michael Wilson and tight end Trey McBride to get more targets.

  Harrison has 40 receptions for 594 yards and 4 touchdowns in his second season. The Cardinals are 3-10.

• Fri, December 12, 2025 at 8:35 AM PST

  With Tyrod Taylor and Justin Fields out for Sunday, Cook will make his first career NFL start. Cook entered Sunday’s game against Miami, completing 46.7% of his passes and throwing two interceptions.
• 

  Fri, December 12, 2025 at 6:52 AM PST

  Sean Leahy

  Watt was sent to a local hospital after experiencing lung discomfort at the team’s practice facility Wednesday.

  Head coach Mike Tomlin said he spoke with Watt on Wednesday evening, and said the pass rusher was “comfortable.” Tomlin added that Watt was not dealing with an injury coming out of Week 14’s game.

  Watt reportedly sustained the injury while receiving treatment at the team’s facility and has been hospitalized since Wednesday, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Tomlin was he was unaware when or how Watt’s symptoms started.

  The Steelers are set to play the Dolphins on Monday night.
• 

  Fri, December 12, 2025 at 6:50 AM PST

  Sean Leahy

  Lamb has been in concussion protocol since getting injured last week. The receiver was a full participant in practice on Thursday and cleared concussion protocol on Friday.

Michigan is launching another investigation.

Per the Detroit News and ESPN, the school has hired a law firm to begin an investigation into the way numerous things have been handled by the athletic department in recent years. Michigan has been scandal-plagued for years, and that statement was accurate even before head coach Sherrone Moore was fired with cause Wednesday for an inappropriate relationship with a staffer.

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Moore, who was detained by police shortly after his firing, has been charged with felony home invasion, stalking, and breaking and entering or entering without breaking. He allegedly went to the staffer’s residence after he was fired and, per prosecutors, grabbed butter knives and kitchen scissors while threatening to take his own life because the staffer “ruined” Moore’s life.

Prosecutors added that the victim broke up with Moore on Monday and then told the school that they had been in a relationship.

Moore, a 39-year-old married father of three, has been released on bond, and his next hearing is set for January. He recently concluded his second regular season as Michigan’s head coach. The latest UM investigation will be conducted by the law firm Jenner & Block. The firm was hired to investigate Moore’s relationship with the victim. An investigation had been ongoing before the woman went to the school, and the broader investigation will include the way Moore’s firing was handled.

Michigan’s athletic department has been led by athletic director Warde Manuel since 2016. On Thursday, NBC Sports reported that Michigan had known Moore was dealing with mental health issues, yet no one else was present when Manuel fired Moore.

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Moore was promoted from offensive coordinator after the 2023 season following Jim Harbaugh’s departure to the Los Angeles Chargers. Moore served as the team’s interim coach during two different Harbaugh suspensions over the course of that national championship season.

Harbaugh served a self-imposed three-game suspension at the start of the year regarding recruiting violations and was suspended for the final three games of the season by the Big Ten because of the Connor Stalions advance-scouting scheme.

In August 2024, Harbaugh was suspended a year and given a four-year show-cause penalty by the NCAA for the recruiting violations. This past August, Harbaugh got a 10-year show-cause penalty. The show-cause penalties (and the suspension) do not affect Harbaugh’s employment in the NFL in any capacity.

As Harbaugh was hit with a decade-long show-cause, Michigan was fined all its postseason revenue from the 2025 and 2026 football seasons and received additional penalties.

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In March, former Michigan assistant Matt Weiss — who was co-offensive coordinators with Moore in 2022 — was indicted on more than 20 federal charges for allegedly hacking into the accounts of thousands of college athletes and students across the country to access their photos and videos.

Weiss, who was fired in January 2023, allegedly “gained unauthorized access to student-athlete databases of more than 100 colleges and universities that were maintained by a third-party vendor,” U.S. attorneys said. From there, “Weiss was able to obtain access to the social media, email and/or cloud storage accounts of more than 2,000 target athletes” along with 1,300 other students, according to prosecutors.

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Weiss, who worked for John Harbaugh with the Baltimore Ravens before joining Jim Harbaugh’s staff at Michigan, began his alleged hacking while with the Ravens before continuing at Michigan.

In 2024, Michigan fired men’s basketball coach Juwan Howard after an eight-win season. While Howard was recovering from heart surgery in September 2023 and in the midst of his return, he had an altercation with the team’s strength and conditioning coach. Howard was not punished for the incident. In 2022, he was suspended for five games for hitting a Wisconsin assistant in the face after a game.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones will be out for the next 6-8 months and is expected to return for training camp, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Jones underwent surgery Tuesday after rupturing his Achilles tendon in Sunday’s 36-19 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars and was ruled out for the season. Jones was also dealing with a fractured fibula and a calf injury before he suffered the Achilles injury.

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Before going down, Jones was having a career season in his first year with the Colts. He threw for 3,101 yards, 19 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. Jones was just 104 yards short of his career-high for passing yards and six touchdowns away from his personal best in passing touchdowns.

Despite the change in scenario, injuries have continued to plague the 28-year-old quarterback. Jones has not missed an entire season in his career. He played in 16 games in 2022, resting only during the final week to prepare for the playoffs.

Jones spent his first six seasons with the New York Giants before being released and signing with the Minnesota Vikings midway through last season. This offseason, he signed a one-year, $14 million contract and ultimately won the starting job over Anthony Richardson. Jones will be a free agent after this season.

Rookie quarterback Riley Leonard finished the game for the Colts, throwing for 145 yards and one interception. Leonard, who dealt with a knee injury earlier this week in practice, was cleared to play on Sunday.

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With injuries to Jones, Leonard and Richardson, the Colts signed 44-year-old quarterback Philip Rivers to the practice squad on Tuesday. Rivers, who last played in 2020, is set to start against the 10-3 Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.

In Rivers’ last season with the Colts, he threw for 4,169 yards, 24 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He will rely on running back Jonathan Taylor, wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr., rookie tight end Tyler Warren and wide receiver Alec Pierce to ease the burden in his first game in five years.

Taylor leads the NFL with 1,356 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns. The Seahawks’ defense is ranked sixth in fewest yards allowed. The Colts are 8-5 and sit third in the AFC South.

Brandon Aiyuk’s 2025 will officially go down as a lost season. It also appears likely it will go down as his final year with the San Francisco 49ers.

The Niners wide receiver was placed on the reserve/left squad list on Saturday, officially ending his season. He had previously spent the entire campaign on the physically unable to perform list while recovering from a torn ACL he sustained last year.

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The exact circumstances of the move are unclear, but it’s a designation that means what it says on the tin. Aiyuk is no longer with the team, without permission.

It has been nearly 14 months since the Pro Bowler last appeared in a game for the Niners. His 2024 season ended prematurely with the torn ACL, but he was expected to come back this season and provide the downfield threat that earned him his four-year, $120 million contract, which was acquired in its own contentious process.

Aiyuk’s recovery extended into the season, with his progress slow bordering on non-existent. Then reports arrived last month that the relationship between player and team had fallen apart, with head coach Kyle Shanahan confirming that the team had voided the 2026 guarantees for Aiyuk’s contract in July.

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Aiyuk and the NFL Players Association did not file a grievance against the Niners for that move, setting up the 27-year-old wideout to hit free agency after this season. Putting him on the reserve/left squad further removes any possibility of a reconciliation.

The only questions remaining seem to be when the Niners will officially cut ties with the receiver and how much more money of that contract they are going to try to recoup. Aiyuk received a $1.2 million salary with a $22.85 million option bonus, for which the team seems likely to seek a partial refund.

Even if they don’t get it, the team is looking at a cap savings of at least $27 million per year over the next three seasons.

Fernando Mendoza is Indiana’s first Heisman Trophy winner.

The junior quarterback beat Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia, Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love and Ohio State QB Julian Sayin to win the 2025 Heisman on Saturday night. Mendoza won the award as Indiana went undefeated in the regular season, took down Ohio State in the Big Ten title game and is the No. 1 seed for the College Football Playoff.

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“Standing here tonight, holding this bad boy, representing Indiana University still doesn’t feel real,” Mendoza said after winning the award. “If you told me as a kid in Miami, that I’d be here on stage holding this prestigious trophy, I probably would have laughed, cried like I’m doing now or both. Because this moment, it’s an honor, it’s bigger than me. It’s a product of a family, team, community and a whole lot of people who believed in me long before anybody knew my name.”

Mendoza then ended his Heisman speech by noting that he wasn’t the most prized recruit coming out of high school and said that he almost quit football during his first season in the fourth grade.

“I want every kid out there who feels overlooked, underestimated to know I was you,” Mendoza said. “I was that kid too. I was in your shoes. The truth is, you don’t need the most stars, hype, or rankings. You just need discipline, heart and people who believe in you. And you need to believe in your own abilities. I hope this moment shows you that chasing your dreams are worth it, no matter how big or impossible they seem.”

Mendoza finished with a voting tally of 2,362 total points, with 643 first-place votes. Pavia was second with 1,435 points and 189 first-place votes. Jeremiyah Love finished third with 719 points and Sayin was fourth with 432 points.

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The Cal transfer is 226-of-316 passing for 2,980 yards and 33 touchdowns with just six interceptions. Mendoza has thrown the most touchdown passes of any player in college football and ranks second in total touchdowns behind South Florida’s Byrum Brown. Mendoza has the second-best pass efficiency rating in the country (181.4) behind Sayin at 182.1 and he is also one of just 10 quarterbacks who have completed over 70% of their passes this season.

[Get more Hoosier football news: Indiana team feed]

Mendoza is the fourth straight Heisman winner who transferred schools during his college career and the second in that span to win the Heisman in his first year at his school. His win also breaks an odd drought for the Big Ten and a Heisman pattern that dated back to the award’s inception in 1935.

In addition to being Indiana’s first Heisman winner in over 127 seasons of football dating back to 1899, he’s the first Big Ten player to win the Heisman since Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith. And Mendoza is the first quarterback to win the Heisman in a year that ends with a “5.” Over the past nine decades — starting with Jay Berwanger’s inaugural Heisman win in 1935 — a running back has always won the award in a “5” year. In 2015, Alabama RB Derrick Henry won the Heisman. Twenty years ago, USC RB Reggie Bush took home the award.

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Before coming to Indiana, Mendoza played two seasons at Cal and was one of the more efficient passers in the country in 2024 even if the Bears went just 6-7. Across 11 games, he completed 69% of his passes and threw for over 3,000 yards.

As Mendoza was doing that, more than halfway across the country Indiana was in the midst of its best season ever under coach Curt Cignetti. The Hoosiers went 11-1 in the regular season under Cignetti before losing to Notre Dame in the first round of the College Football Playoff. It was the first time Indiana had ever won more than nine games in a single season and just the third time ever that the Hoosiers finished the season in the top 10 of the AP Top 25.

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And Indiana is even better in 2025.

With younger brother Alberto already on the Indiana roster, Mendoza transferred from Cal after the season when Kurtis Rourke, Indiana’s stellar QB in 2024, was out of eligibility. After a slow start to the season — Mendoza completed 18-of-31 passes for 193 yards and no touchdowns in a 13-point win over Old Dominion — he started putting up cartoonish stat lines while sitting out a lot of fourth-quarter football.

Against FCS Indiana State in Week 3, Mendoza threw five touchdowns and had just one incompletion. The next week against Illinois, Mendoza again had more TD passes than incompletions as he was 21-of-23 passing for 267 yards and five scores.

Overall, Mendoza had four games in 2025 where he had as many or more touchdowns than he had incompletions. He also had just three games in which he completed less than 63% of his passes and didn’t have a single game with multiple interceptions.

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Before the Big Ten title game win over Ohio State, Mendoza’s signature moment came on the road at Penn State. After Indiana forced a Penn State punt with 1:51 to go and trailing 24-20, Mendoza led the Hoosiers on a 10-play, 80-yard drive that ended on an incredible throw to Omar Cooper Jr. as he made an even better catch.

The TD kept Indiana’s undefeated season alive as the Hoosiers won 27-24. From there, they beat Wisconsin and Purdue by a combined score of 87-10 before their slugfest 13-10 win over the Buckeyes a week ago.

Fernando Mendoza won the 2025 Heisman Trophy on Saturday night ahead of Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia, Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love and Ohio State’s Julian Sayin.

Mendoza has led Indiana to a 13-0 record, the school’s first Big Ten title since 1967 and the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff. Here are five of the plays that made him the school’s first Heisman winner.

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13-yard TD to Omar Cooper Jr. against Indiana State

Look, we know that games against FCS teams are generally viewed as stat-padding opportunities for players at top schools. But what Mendoza did against Indiana State over the first and second quarters in Week 3 was incredibly impressive

This 13-yard throw to Omar Cooper Jr. was one of four touchdown passes Cooper caught in the 73-0 win over the Sycamores.

While Cooper was open all day — he had 10 catches for 207 yards and four touchdowns — Mendoza threw five times as many touchdowns as he did incompletions. Mendoza was 19-of-20 passing for 270 yards and five scores in the first half.

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The game was so out of hand at halftime that Mendoza sat out the entire second half. His younger brother Alberto took over and threw a 58-yard score to Cooper as the Mendozas combined to throw seven touchdown passes in the rout.

11-yard TD pass to EJ Williams in blowout win over Illinois

It was hard to pick just one play from the Hoosiers’ dominant win over Illinois in Week 4. We went with a second-quarter toss to E.J. Williams, but you can pick any score from the highlight clip below.

Just like he did against Indiana State the week before, Mendoza again threw more touchdowns than incompletions. Indiana beat Illinois 63-10 despite being ranked No. 19 at the time of the game while the Illini was No. 9. Mendoza was 21-of-23 passing for 267 yards and five touchdowns.

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Go-ahead TD pass against Iowa

The Hoosiers didn’t play in many close games during the 2025 season. But when they did, Mendoza came up big. With Indiana’s Week 5 game against Iowa tied 13-13 with less than two minutes to go, Mendoza hit Elijah Sarratt for a 49-yard TD that put the Hoosiers up by seven.

The game wouldn’t be remembered for that play, however. After Iowa turned the ball over on downs with 16 seconds to go, Indiana still needed to run out the clock as the Hawkeyes had timeouts left. With just seconds remaining when the ball was snapped on fourth down, Mendoza sprinted toward his own end zone for a game-ending safety to ensure that Indiana would win 20-15. After the game, Mendoza apologized for the safety affecting the point spread, but the Hoosiers closed as 8.5-point favorites.

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Game-winning TD pass to Omar Cooper Jr. vs. Penn State

The drive Mendoza led to beat Penn State and keep Indiana’s undefeated season alive made him the frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy.

As Indiana trailed 24-20 with less than two minutes to go, the Hoosiers got the ball back at their own 20-yard line. On the first play of the drive, Mendoza took a sack for a 7-yard loss.

He immediately recovered. He found Omar Cooper Jr. for a 22-yard gain and a first down and the Hoosiers were soon inside the Penn State 30-yard line after a 29-yard catch by Riley Nowakowski. On the very next play, Charlie Becker made a fantastic catch for 17 more yards.

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Three plays later, Mendoza found Cooper in the back of the end zone for one of the plays of the year. Mendoza put the ball where only Cooper could catch it and the wide receiver made an incredible catch while also getting his foot down in bounds with 36 seconds to go.

Fourth-quarter pass to Charlie Becker vs. Ohio State

Mendoza’s stat line from the Hoosiers’ Big Ten title game win over Ohio State wasn’t close to being one of his best of the season. But he consistently made big throws when he needed to after a first-quarter interception. And few were bigger than when he found Charlie Becker late in the fourth quarter.

On third down with 2:36 to go, Mendoza had Becker in single coverage and placed the ball perfectly for a 33-yard gain and a first down. An incomplete pass in that situation would have given the Buckeyes the ball back with plenty of time for a game-tying field goal or even a go-ahead touchdown. Instead, with Ohio State down to just one timeout, the completion ran the clock down to the two-minute warning. By the time Ohio State got the ball back, there were just 18 seconds left as Indiana easily held on for a 13-10 victory.

The Boise State Broncos and the Washington Huskies are among the first teams to play a college football bowl game this season. The teams will meet this Saturday, Dec. 13, for the L.A. Bowl at SoFi Stadium, with kickoff scheduled for 8 p.m. ET. (Forgive us for not referring to the game by its officially sponsored name this year, the Bucked Up LA Bowl Hosted By Gronk.) Boise State earned its spot in the bowl as winners of the Mountain West division, and this year marks its second appearance in the 5-year-old bowl game. The Huskies, who have never appeared in the L.A. Bowl, are representing the Big 10. You can find the latest odds and predictions for the bowl game here.

The Boise State vs. Washington game airs on ABC and will stream on ESPN Unlimited. Here’s how to watch the L.A. Bowl game and what to know about how to watch the rest of the NCAA football season.

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How to watch the Boise State vs. Washington L.A. Bowl game

Date: Saturday, Dec. 13

Time: 8 p.m. ET

TV Channel: ABC

Streaming: ESPN Unlimited, DirecTV, Fubo and more

When is the Boise State vs. Washington game?

You can watch coverage of this week’s Boise State vs. Washington game starting at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, Dec. 13.

Where to watch the Boise State vs. Washington game without cable

You can tune in to the Boise State vs. Washington game on ABC as part of ESPN on ABC. ABC is available on streaming platforms, including DirecTV and Sling, but for the most comprehensive college football coverage, you can also watch this game and hundreds more on the ESPN app with an ESPN Unlimited subscription.

The Emirates NBA Cup in-season basketball tournament has been an NBA staple for two seasons now, and the previous two winners, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Milwaukee Bucks, have been shut out. That means we’ll see a first-time winner in next week’s Championship final. This Saturday’s semifinals feature an afternoon Eastern conference matchup between the New York Knicks vs. Orlando Magic at 5:30 p.m. ET, followed by the Western conference semifinal between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs at 9 p.m. ET.

The Spurs picked up a 132-119 victory over the Lakers, the inaugural NBA Cup champs, to advance to the semis, while the Thunder posted their 16th straight win at Wednesday’s quarterfinal, blowing past the Phoenix Suns 138-89 to earn their spot.

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Today’s semifinals and the Championship Final on Tuesday, Dec. 16, will be held at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. You can catch all the NBA Cup action on Prime Video, which holds exclusive rights to the playoffs and Championship Final. Here’s what you need to know to tune in.

How to watch the Thunder vs. Spurs NBA Cup Semifinal:

Date: Dec. 13, 2025

Time: 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT

Streaming: Prime Video

What channel do I need to watch the Oklahoma City Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs?

Tonight’s semifinal between the Thunder and the Spurs will stream exclusively on Prime Video at 9 p.m. ET.

How to stream the Oklahoma City Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs NBA Cup game:

You can catch the Thunder vs. Spurs, and every other playoff game including the Championship final, on Prime Video.

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2025 NBA Cup schedule:

Below is a list of every remaining playoff game in the 2025 NBA Cup.

All times Eastern

Saturday, Dec. 13

5:30 p.m.: East Semifinal, New York Knicks vs. Orlando Magic

9 p.m.: West Semifinal, OKC Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs

Tuesday, Dec. 16

8:30 p.m.: Championship Final, Teams TBD

What channels do I need to watch NBA Cup games live?

While many games in the group stage were televised on broadcast TV, the playoffs are streaming exclusively on Prime Video.

How to stream 2025 NBA Cup games:

You can catch every playoff game as well as the Championship final on Prime Video.

LAS VEGAS — By the time a sweat-drenched Victor Wembanyama took his seat on the Spurs bench, having played the first 3 1/2 minutes of action in a month, a meeting with the champions that previously seemed out of reach suddenly wasn’t.

If the first quarter of Saturday night’s semifinal was a reminder of the reign of terror the Oklahoma City Thunder have enjoyed for months, the second was a reminder of the French force that refuses to bend the knee.

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His introduction to the game — coming off the bench for the first time in his career — changed everything. The friendly skies that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had coasted in since October were now met with 7-foot-4 turbulence. Missed Spurs shots became simple second-chance opportunities for the gangly center. Half-court sequences that Oklahoma City would typically carry out in its sleep were now being second-guessed — with Wembanyama altering, deterring and erasing shots.

His early presence was felt in the box score, too. An 11-point lead was reduced to four. A 16-point lead was reduced to three, both in the span of a few minutes. When the halftime buzzer sounded, Wembanyama, despite playing only seven minutes, was already the leader in plus-minus (+20) by an overwhelming margin.

“I wasn’t really sure what to expect,” Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson said of Wembanyama’s first-half performance. “I thought he did a phenomenal job of impacting the game without having to score. He was aggressive, he wanted to play with the basketball in his hand, but I thought he did a good job of impacting the game without having to score, especially in that second quarter that you referred to.”

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And when the final five minutes of regulation rolled around, behind an emotionally invested crowd at T-Mobile Arena, the Spurs, those feisty, pesky Spurs who weren’t supposed to even be here, understood the assignment. As long as Wembanyama was on the floor, belief and confidence would germinate. His previous 12-game absence had thrust the team into unknown waters, forcing them to survive — and they responded by commanding the waves, winning nine of them.

So despite the fact that Wembanyama’s impact was contained within the confines of a minutes restriction — a combination of calf-strain management and the reality of the new 65-game rule for NBA awards — his teammates were ready to fill in the gaps when he couldn’t. Sixty-seven points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists from the trio of De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Devin Vassell was more than enough to shoulder the load. And when it came time for Wembanyama to send the Thunder off into the night, he did so with aplomb; a 15-point fourth quarter against the reigning champs to push the Spurs to a 111-109 victory and into the NBA Cup final. Twenty-two points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks and a steal in 21 minutes. A 16-game winning streak snapped. A hero returned. A statement made.

“​​It’s just incredible,” Wembanyama said. “I keep asking these guys for the last 12 games, just get better, do some beautiful things. And I just wanted to be a part of it. I’m glad that we can still do it when I’m here, I’m happy with that, of course. But I’m just glad to be a part of something that’s growing to be so beautiful. Pure and ethical basketball.”

For one glorious evening, the now-24-2 Thunder looked less like the most devastating team in the sport and more like a group that forgot just how impactful Wembanyama truly is. So as important as it is for the Spurs to advance to the NBA Cup final, it’s just as critical to understand what San Antonio can actually do with a fully healthy group. Saturday night was the first time all season the Spurs had all of their rotational contributors available, which, given what they were able to accomplish on a national stage, should terrify the rest of the NBA.

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Johnson’s ability to navigate the Wembanyama-less terrain was admirable, an ode to the depth and roster building that general manager Brian Wright oversaw this past summer. But despite guiding the Spurs with the NBA’s No. 9 offense since mid-November, any hopes of sustained success were grim with a defense that ranked fifth-worst in the league, allowing 122.6 points per 100 possessions, according to Cleaning the Glass.

With Wembanyama back manning the middle, San Antonio’s defensive identity established months ago can recalibrate itself. The Spurs allow a stingy 106.5 points per 100 possessions in Wembanyama’s minutes, a mark that would rank second in the NBA behind … the Thunder. But it’s not just what the Spurs do while Wemby is on the floor, it’s how they do it. Opponents take nearly 9% less shots at the rim and 5% less shots underneath the free-throw line, an impact of the 99th and 98th percentile, respectively, according to Cleaning the Glass. Those same opponents see their conversion rates from those areas drop by over 10%, again in the 98th and 99th percentile. A seismic, stylistic shift like that can’t be understated, not in a vaunted Western Conference or in the entire league for that matter. In other words: Welcome back, Wemby.

“I think we’re on the right path,” Wembanyama said. “And for the first time in my career, we’re winning much more than we’re losing. So it’s a lot of pleasure, because — it doesn’t feel normal when we lose, but unfortunately, it’s things we have to go through. And we go through it again in the future if we need to, but we’re winning much more than we’re losing right now, so we are all where we like to be, we’re all where we want to be.”

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The Spurs (18-7) now sit in fourth place in the West, just a half-game behind the second-seeded Denver Nuggets. According to Tankathon, San Antonio possesses the third-toughest remaining schedule, especially with two more meetings with Oklahoma City this month and dates with Cleveland and New York. But there’s an infectious confidence in this group from top to bottom, a youthful ignorance, if you will, that gives them an edge. Wembanyama will surely have increased confidence in his teammates having been able to witness their production from the best seat in the house. Fox, Vassell and Castle have shown they can keep an offense afloat, with the Spurs registering an impressive 117.3 points per 100 possessions when those three share the floor, per NBA.com tracking data — as well as a 105.7 pace rating that would rank tops in the league.

“I think we are very comfortable in recognizing Victor as the face of our franchise and the biggest piece of our puzzle,” Johnson said. “But he’s not the puzzle by himself, and he doesn’t want to be, and we are a team and we’re a group.”

“It’s just experience,” Wembanyama added. “We’re just figuring it out. Because this OKC team, they’re not just first in the league, they’re way ahead of everybody. They’re enjoying the little things that make them win, and this is the next step we have to pass.”