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  • Bo Nix injury update: Broncos starting quarterback sidelined 12 weeks due to broken ankle

    The Denver Broncos will play in the AFC championship on Sunday for the first time since 2015. But the man who got them there won’t be able to take part in the contest. Bo Nix was ruled out for the rest of the season after sustaining a broken ankle on one of the final plays during the team’s divisional round win over the Buffalo Bills.

    Nix, 25, was ruled out shortly after that win, with head coach Sean Payton announcing the quarterback was injured on the second-to-last play in the team’s overtime victory. Nix was slated to have season-ending surgery a few days later, but his injury timeline wasn’t revealed until Sunday.

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    [Get more Broncos news: Denver team feed]

    After undergoing that surgery, the quarterback is expected to miss 12 weeks, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Nix reportedly will not be allowed to put any weight on his ankle for four weeks. If he recovers well, the earliest he can begin activity would be right around the 12-week mark.

    Though it’s going to be a lengthy recovery, Nix is expected to be “largely recovered” in time for the team’s offseason workouts, per Schefter.

    Nix has reportedly broken his ankle three times during his football career, though this break is in a different area and should not affect the quarterback long term. Nix has gotten off to a promising start in his career. He threw for 3,931 yards with 25 touchdowns and 11 interceptions during his second season in the NFL. His performance, combined with the Broncos’ excellent defense, resulted in Denver earning the No. 1 seed in the AFC.

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    With Nix sidelined, backup Jarrett Stidham will get the start against the New England Patriots on Sunday. Stidham will make his fifth-ever start in the contest. In 20 NFL games, the 29-year-old Stidham has eight touchdowns against eight interceptions.

  • Who is Jarrett Stidham? What to know about Broncos starting quarterback after Bo Nix injury

    The Denver Broncos’ win over the Buffalo Bills last weekend came with a significant cost. Shortly after the victory, head coach Sean Payton announced that Broncos starting quarterback Bo Nix sustained a fracture in his ankle on the second-to-last play of the game. He was ruled out for the rest of the postseason.

    The injury paves the way for backup Jarrett Stidham to get the start in the AFC championship game. Given his status as a backup, and the surprising nature in which he’ll make his first playoff start, some NFL fans may be unaware of Stidham’s football journey.

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    Here’s everything you need to know about Stidham, including his stats, college and journey to the Broncos.

    Where did Jarrett Stidham go to college?

    Stidham initially played at Baylor, where he showed promise during his freshman season. After seeing time early in his college career, Stidham eventually took over as Baylor’s starter after Seth Russell went down with an injury. Stidham finished his freshman year with 12 touchdowns against two interceptions in 10 games.

    Stidham wasn’t guaranteed the starting role the next season with Russell back. As a result, Stidham decided to transfer. After spending a semester at a community college, Stidham landed at Auburn. He started for the team as both a junior and senior, and combined to throw for 5,952 yards, 36 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in his two seasons with the team. Auburn went 10-4 and 8-5 in Stidham’s two seasons as a starter.

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    Jarrett Stidham NFL Draft

    Following two strong years at Auburn, Stidham heard his name called in the 2019 NFL Draft. The quarterback was selected by the New England Patriots in the fourth round and was the seventh quarterback off the board.

    Given Stidham’s status as a rookie and the fact that Patriots starter Tom Brady was about to enter his age-42 season, there were some who believed Stidham was drafted to be Brady’s replacement once he left the team or retired.

    Jarrett Stidham NFL stats

    Being Brady’s backup meant Stidham didn’t see much time as a rookie. He appeared in three games, throwing just four passes in mop-up duty. One of those passes, however, was intercepted and returned for a touchdown.

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    Brady left the Patriots after the season, but Stidham was not named the team’s starter. Instead, the Patriots signed Cam Newton, who started 15 games. Stidham spent portions of the 2020 NFL season as the team’s third-string quarterback, behind veteran Brian Hoyer. While Stidham eventually worked his way up the depth chart and appeared in five games, he did not register a start in 2020.

    The Patriots selected Mac Jones in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Stidham missed time with an injury and did not appear in a game once he returned to action.

    That offseason, Stidham was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders, reuniting with former Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who was hired as the Raiders’ head coach that offseason. Stidham served as Derek Carr’s backup, but was named the starter late in the season. He made his first two NFL starts, throwing four touchdowns against three interceptions in two losses.

    Stidham left the Raiders in the offseason to join the Broncos on a two-year, $10 million deal. He served as a backup throughout most of the 2023 NFL season, though he started two games down the stretch after Russell Wilson was benched. Stidham threw two touchdowns and one interception in those games, going 1-1 to close out the season.

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    The Broncos selected Bo Nix in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, pushing Stidham back into a reserve role. Since 2024, Stidham has appeared in just four games, though has not thrown a single pass.

    Over his six-year NFL career, Stidham has appeared in 20 games, including four starts. He’s completed 60.6 percent of his passes while throwing for 1,422 yards. Stidham has eight touchdowns against eight interceptions in the NFL.

    His four NFL starts are the fewest of any player to start in the AFC championship game.

    Stidham’s AFC championship start will mark his first of the season. It’s the first time since 1972 that a quarterback’s first start of the year came in the AFC championship game.

    Only six quarterbacks since 1950 have made their first start of the season in the playoffs. Only one of those players, former head coach Frank Reich, came away from his start with a win.

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    Jarrett Stidham career earnings

    Stidham has made roughly $25 million since being drafted in 2019. His rookie deal with the Patriots totaled roughly $3 million over four seasons. Once he hit free agency in 2023, Stidham earned a two-year, $10 million deal from the Broncos.

    That contract ran out last offseason, but the team brought Stidham back on another two-year deal. This one was worth $12 million. Stidham made just under $2 million in 2025 and is set to make close to $6 million in 2026.

    Broncos QB depth chart

    With Stidham set to take over, Sam Ehlinger is expected to serve as the team’s backup quarterback behind Stidham. Ehlinger was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He spent three years with the team before joining the Broncos on a one-year deal in 2025.

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    Over his career, Ehlinger has appeared in eight NFL games — including three starts. He has three touchdowns against three interceptions in those appearances.

  • Sam Darnold injury update: Seahawks quarterback expected to start Sunday despite being limited with oblique

    Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold wasn’t able to “let it rip” during practices, but will play against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. Darnold will reportedly get the start despite dealing with an oblique injury, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

    Darnold’s availability for the contest was never really in question after he was listed as limited in practice all week and was not given an injury designation before the game. But his level of participation in practices suggests the issue may be more serious than it appears.

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    Darnold reportedly split time with backup Drew Lock in practice during the week. The Seahawks were careful with the starter, not allowing Darnold to throw it deep in practices. The quarterback is reportedly saving those types of throws for Sunday’s game, per Schefter.

    Darnold attempted only short and medium throws at practice and did not, as one source described, “let it rip.” He is saving that level of throwing effort for Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams.

    [Get more Seahawks news: Seattle team feed]

    The 28-year-old Darnold initially sustained the injury ahead of the team’s divisional round game against the San Francisco 49ers. Despite the injury, Darnold was able to play against the 49ers, where he helped lead the team to a dominant 41-6 win.

    Darnold wasn’t asked to do much in the victory. With the Seahawks jumping out to a 17-0 lead in the first quarter, Darnold threw the ball only 17 times throughout the contest. After the Seahawks essentially clinched the game, Lock came on in relief of Darnold. Lock, however, did not throw a pass during the contest.

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    While it’s unclear how Darnold will respond if pushed into more action against the Rams on Sunday, the quarterback plans to take a pain-killing injection prior to the game, per Schefter. He did the same thing before the team’s divisional round game and it helped.

    After a breakout season with the Minnesota Vikings last year, Darnold signed with the Seahawks in free agency and mostly repeated his strong numbers. Through 17 games, Darnold threw for 4,048 yards, 25 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.

  • ‘Skyscraper Live’: Alex Honnold successfully climbs Taipei 101, reaching the top of the tower in 90 minutes

    ‘Skyscraper Live’: Alex Honnold successfully climbs Taipei 101, reaching the top of the tower in 90 minutes

    Climber Alex Honnold successfully completed a “free solo” ascent up the Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taiwan on Saturday, doing so without a rope or harness in an event that streamed live on Netflix for a worldwide audience.

    Honnold reached the very top of the tower in 1:31:40, less than the alloted two-hour time created for the Netflix stream. Standing at the very top of the structure, he took a selfie to note an accomplishment no other climber will likely achieve. (Perhaps he’s saving that exact photograph for himself.)

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    In climbing Taipei 101, Honnold finished the highest “free solo” climb of an urban structure in history. It topped Alain Robert’s climb of the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, done in 2009. (Robert scaled the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, in 2011 but was required to use a rope.)

    Battling steel and glass surfaces that were much smoother and provided less grip than the rock walls he typically climbs, Honnold demonstrated the impressive strength in his hands, feet and upper body, creating grip where none really exists and pulling himself up to scale the curved features of the building’s outer architecture and its 101 floors.

    Additionally, the wind became stronger as Honnold climbed higher and higher. Windy conditions were one of the factors that could compel organizers to call off the event had they become too dangerous, engineer and “CrunchLabs” personality Mark Rober said on the Netflix telecast.

    Yet as an experienced climber accustomed to letting his feet or hands go from the surface — either to swing his legs to a higher foothold or giving his hands a rest — Honnold had no issue dangling the parts of his body seemingly vital to prevent from falling.

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    Seeing those feet and hands let go and hang free elicited gasps from the spectators watching in Taipei, both down on the street and through windows inside the structure.

    One more factor adding to the difficulty and unusual circumstances of the climb was the dirt that typically collects on the outside of a large building. That may have been increased by rain which postponed the event originally scheduled for Friday. The exterior grime created grease on the bottoms of Honnold’s shoes, which he would wipe off while taking a break after reaching one of the skyscraper’s ledges.

    After reaching the very top of the spire and taking in his achievement, Honnold donned a harness and used a rope that he went without during his “free solo” climb, descending the tower to meet his wife, Sanni McCandless, for a celebration and photo. Honnold said before the event that he would take an elevator down to the ground. The climbing part was over for him.

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    For the feat, Honnold was reportedly paid in the “mid-six figures,” which he called “an embarrassing amount.” (He may have meant embarrassingly small, based on his interview with the New York Times.)

    Honnold, 40, gained notoriety after the 2018 Oscar-winning documentary, “Free Solo,” and has conquered his latest test. Taipei 101 stands at 1,667 feet, making it the 11th-tallest building in the world. Because of the structure of the building, the climb involved three phases, as the building juts inward and outward at various points.

    He didn’t sound too daunted, though, On a recent podcast with Robert, Honnold said: “I don’t think it’ll be that extreme … We’ll see. I think it’s the perfect sweet spot where it’s hard enough to be engaging for me and obviously an interesting climb.”

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    Follow the progression of the 1,600-foot climb with updates from Yahoo Sports’ live blog of the event.

    Live coverage is over30 updates
    • Ian Casselberry

      Ian Casselberry

    • Ian Casselberry

      Ian Casselberry

      Alex Honnold may have climbed without ropes or other safety equipment, but he’s putting a harness on to get down from the very top of the spire. He’s using a rope to descend and get to an elevator.

    • Ian Casselberry

      Ian Casselberry

      Alex Honnold reached the very top of the tower in 1:31:40, less than the alloted two-hour time created for the Netflix stream.

      Standing at the very top of the structure, he took a selfie to note an accomplishment no other climber will likely achieve.

      Will the Netflix stream follow Honnold getting down from the top to get inside the building and take a ride down in an elevator?

    • Ian Casselberry

      Ian Casselberry

      Upon reaching the upper portion of the tower with rings, Alex Honnold hung on solely with his legs, letting his hands go.

      He had a strong grip with his legs and as Emily Harrington pointed out, it was actually an opportunity to rest. But letting go and letting his arms hang put a scare into everyone, maybe a bit of a show-off move.

    • Ian Casselberry

      Ian Casselberry

      Navigating the overhangs is a harrowing visual as Alex Honnold has to let his feet go and let them hang as he swings them up to get a foothold on the edge, a technique referred to in climbing as “canvassing.”

      But he’s hanging on solely by his hands without his feet underneath them. Every time Honnold lets his feet hang, the crowd gasps.

    • Ian Casselberry

      Ian Casselberry

      Something Alex Honnold doesn’t typically encounter while climbing mountains is spectators taking pictures and recording video of him from inside the structure as he climbs.

    • Ian Casselberry

      Ian Casselberry

      Alex Honnold has climbed past the bamboo boxes, Ruyi and dragon features that created some of the curved obstacles on Taipei 101. However, he now approaches the overhangs on the higher stages of the building that jut out from the facade.

      Perhaps those features are more similar to the mountains Honnold is accustomed to scaling. He seemingly had no difficulty in freeing his legs to swing up and pull himself up on the edge of each overhang.

    • Ian Casselberry

      Ian Casselberry

      Alex Honnold’s incredible hand strength is one of the talents that allows him to climb, especially on the smoother surfaces of the Taipei 101 facade.

      During a break, he could be seen stretching those hands to work out any soreness or cramping that may develop as he has to squeeze constantly to maintain grip.

    • Ian Casselberry

      Ian Casselberry

      “See you at the elevator.”

    • Ian Casselberry

      Ian Casselberry

      On the telecast, Emily Harrington said that Alex Honnold noted that the outside of Taipei 101 is naturally dirty. That can get grease on his shoes, which he stopped to wipe off while taking a break on a ledge.

      Meanwhile, Honnold complained a bit that the music he was listening to cut out.

    • Ian Casselberry

      Ian Casselberry

      Sanni McCandless, Alex Honnold’s wife, watches him climb by from a nearby window.

      Almost like watching from the side of a course during a marathon, right?

    • Ian Casselberry

      Ian Casselberry

      Just a morning climb in Taipei…

    • Ian Casselberry

      Ian Casselberry

      Alex Honnold stood way too close to the edge of one of the ledges while talking to broadcasters Elle Duncan and Seth Rollins, also waiving to the spectators surrounding the building.

      Honnold is obviously conditioned to deal with heights, but his brain may truly lack a fear impulse. That was something explored in “Free Solo.”

    • Ian Casselberry

      Ian Casselberry

      As Mark Rober pointed out on the telecast, the steel and glass surface of Taipei 101 doesn’t have the nooks and crannies, nor the give, that rock would on a mountain. That doesn’t appear to be a problem for Alex Honnold, however.

    • Ian Casselberry

      Ian Casselberry

      Alex Honnold is 33 minutes into his climb and wife Sanni McCandless said on the Netflix telecast that she thinks he might be going too fast.

    • Ian Casselberry

      Ian Casselberry

      Spectators gasped in admiration at Honnold’s upper body strength, appearing to easily pull himself up to climb up the curved Ruyi features on the Taipei 101 facade.

    • Ian Casselberry

      Ian Casselberry

      Another feature of the Taipei 101 facade are ornamental dragon heads that are more difficult to navigate without obvious footholds or grips.

      Honnold climbed the features with no apparent difficulty, as if tipping his cap to the traditional Chinese architectural flourishes.

    • Ian Casselberry

      Ian Casselberry

      Taipei 101 is a public building and people are inside the building taking pictures of Alex Honnold as he climbs past them.

      “Kids with their phones,” joked Honnold, who is wearing a microphone during the climb.

    • Ian Casselberry

      Ian Casselberry

      One of the tricky parts of the climb was navigated rather easily by Honnold. Taipei 101 includes some curved decorative features called Ruyi on its facade.

      There are no obvious footholds or grips on the Ruyi, but Honnold stretched his right leg out to push up on the structure and pulled himself up to gain a hold on the upper part of the feature.

      He was able to stand on top of the Ruyi and took a brief break.

    • Ian Casselberry

      Ian Casselberry

      There is some wind. Alex Honnold’s shirt is visibly moving.

      Engineer Mark Rober is part of the Netflix streaming telecast and he explained to viewers that wind is one of the things that could call off the climb if conditions are perceived to be unsafe.

  • Sean McDermott could take a year off from coaching after surprising Bills firing

    Given his success with the Buffalo Bills, it might come as a surprise that Sean McDermott hasn’t been mentioned for any of the vacant head-coaching jobs around the league. That might be by design, as McDermott is reportedly “likely” to take a year off of coaching, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

    While McDermott’s plans are unclear, the people he’s talked to have reportedly told McDermott it was “beneficial” and “worth it” to take a year off following a long coaching stint with a team, per Rapoport.

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    McDermott’s track record should have made him one of the more desirable head coaches on the market. In nine seasons with the Bills, McDermott led the team to a 98-50 record, making the playoffs in eight of those seasons. He reached the AFC championship game twice, where he fell to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs both times.

    But McDermott’s firing came at an awkward time in the coaching cycle. Both John Harbaugh and Kevin Stefanski were already off the market, going to the New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons, respectively. The same day McDermott was fired, the Miami Dolphins filled their opening with Jeff Hafley. Twenty-four hours later, the Tennessee Titans agreed to a deal with Robert Saleh. McDermott didn’t have a shot at any of those jobs.

    While the Baltimore Ravens’ job was still open — and among the more desirable landing spots for McDermott — it didn’t stay that way for long. Three days after McDermott was fired, the team named Jesse Minter as its next head coach.

    As of Sunday, only four jobs remain open. The Bills remain the most desirable landing spot, though McDermott isn’t going back there. The three other options are the Las Vegas Raiders, Cleveland Browns and the Arizona Cardinals. All three teams look to be in desperate need of a rebuild, and it’s unclear whether McDermott wants to take that on. He’s been successful enough over his career that he could wait a season and see if a more desirable landing spot opens up. McDermott would likely be among the biggest names on the market if he takes a year off and interviews for jobs again next offseason.

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    Given the state of the teams still looking for a new head coach, that might be McDermott’s best play at this point. By sitting out a year, McDermott should have his pick of the head-coaching jobs next offseason. And he could wind up with a team in a much better position to win games compared to the options on the table right now.

  • Warriors F Jonathan Kuminga out indefinitely with bone bruise in knee as NBA’s trade deadline approaches

    Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga suffered a bone bruise in his left knee during Thursday’s loss to the Dallas Mavericks and is sidelined without a timetable to return.

    The Warriors announced his diagnosis on Sunday. “A re-evaluation date will be determined in the coming days,” the Warriors announced.

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    The injury arrives at a critical juncture for the Warriors in terms of their relationship with Kuminga. Kuminga was believed to be on the trade block ahead of the NBA’s Feb. 5 trade deadline, but he’d recently returned to the rotation due to an injury to Jimmy Butler.

    Kuminga left Thursday’s game with the injury. He was then listed as out for Saturday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves that got postponed until Sunday with what the team initially listed as knee soreness.

    An MRI on Friday confirmed that Kuminga sustained a bone bruise due to a hyperextension in his knee. The Warriors did not announce the injury until Sunday.

    Jonathan Kuminga is out with a brone bruise in his left knee and has no timetable to return.

    Jonathan Kuminga is out with a brone bruise in his left knee and has no timetable to return.

    (Thearon W. Henderson via Getty Images)

    What will Warriors do with Kuminga?

    Kuminga recently rejoined head coach Steve Kerr’s rotation due to the season-ending ACL tear to Butler. He’d previously issued a trade demand after Kerr opted not to play him in several games this season. The injury to Butler opened up a chance for Kuminga to re-establish himself in Golden State’s rotation. His future with the franchise remains unclear ahead of the upcoming trade deadline.

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    Kuminga played well in his brief return to the lineup. He tallied 20 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists in 21 minutes in a loss to the Raptors on Tuesday. He had 10 points in nine minutes against the Mavericks before leaving the game with his injury.

    The Warriors, meanwhile, are at a crossroads with Butler’s injury projected to knock them out of any realistic chance of competing in the Western Conference.

  • AFC championship: Patriots robbed of defensive TD off Jarrett Stidham turnover, then Drake Maye scores one anyway

    An officiating mistake cost the New England Patriots a defensive touchdown against the Denver Broncos on Sunday.

    But Drake Maye deemed the error moot by running for a touchdown two plays later to get the Patriots on the scoreboard and cap a pivotal sequence in the AFC championship game that New England eventually won, 10-7.

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    The sequence started late in the second quarter as the Broncos held a 7-0 lead. Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham, who was playing for injured starter Bo Nix, faced pressure on third-and-3 and carelessly released the ball near Denver’s 14-yard line.

    Patriots linebacker Elijah Ponder picked the ball up and ran into the end zone for what looked like a New England touchdown. But officials blew the whistle as Ponder picked up the ball, killing the play.

    Officials initially ruled that Stidham had committed intentional grounding, setting Denver up with what would have been fourth-and-24. But they reviewed the play and determined that Stidham had thrown a backward pass, which meant a fumble and a live ball.

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    Ponder had a clear path to the end zone for what should have been a touchdown after he recovered it. But because officials blew the whistle, the play was dead at the time of his recovery. Instead of scoring a touchdown, the Patriots faced first-and-10 at the Denver 12-yard line.

    Maye ensured that the officials’ mistake did not hurt the Patriots. After a 6-yard completion on first down, Maye took it in himself on a 6-yard touchdown draw to tie the game at 7 with 2:10 remaining before halftime.

    And momentum swung in New England’s favor just before halftime.

    Denver came into Sunday’s game needing Stidham to limit his mistakes against an aggressive Patriots defense. This was the exact type of play the Broncos were seeking to avoid with their starting quarterback watching the game in street clothes.

  • 2026 NFL offseason preview: Denver Broncos need to build out offense to maximize Bo Nix and complement defense

    The NFL offseason has begun, and Yahoo Sports is previewing the coming months for all 32 teams, from free agency through the draft and more.

    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 | Panthers | Saints | Buccaneers
    NFC West: Cardinals | Rams | 49ers | Seahawks

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    2025 season record: 14-3 (o 9.5 wins), first in AFC West, lost to Patriots in AFC championship game, seventh in DVOA

    Overview

    The Broncos took advantage of a down Chiefs season and not only capitalized with a first-place finish in the AFC West for the first time since 2015, but they also came away with the No. 1 seed in the conference. Denver somewhat mimicked Kansas City’s run last season with a collection of one-score wins to fuel a league-best record. The Broncos played 11 regular-season games that were decided by seven points or fewer and went 9-2. That happened with a -2 turnover margin in those games. Overall, Denver had the second-best point differential in the fourth quarter.

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    Denver’s defense led the way again, with a unit that ranked seventh in EPA per play thanks to its pass rush that was third in pressure rate and another All-Pro season from Pat Surtain II behind it. The offense was inconsistent, but found enough big plays to take advantage of the opportunities presented. Bo Nix was 11th among quarterbacks in EPA per play, but just 21st in success rate. The Broncos missed Nix in the AFC championship game, losing a tight one to the Patriots, but with another year of experience under his belt, there’s a lot to like about Denver’s future. Perhaps he’ll be helped by the promotion of QB coach Davis Webb to offensive coordinator, replacing the fired Joe Lombardi.

    [Get more Broncos news: Denver team feed]

    Playing in so many close games and winning so many of them will typically suggest some regression in that area the following season. But with Sean Payton and the defensive talent on board, it’s not difficult to imagine the Broncos continuing to stay highly competitive in most games they play.

    Cap/cuts outlook

    Per Over The Cap, the Broncos have just under $29 million in effective salary cap space. That’s the 14th-most among teams. The Broncos could make a few small moves to open up some more cap space. Releasing TE Evan Engram would save just under $4 million and QB Jarrett Stidham would save $5 million. The biggest cap savings would come from safety Brandon Jones, who would open up about $8 million in space. Jones suffered a pec injury in Week 15, but had been a big part of the Denver secondary until the injury. The Broncos don’t need to make any of those cuts, so if they want to open up space, it’s more likely from players who will be on the roster. Restructuring offensive linemen Mike McGlinchey and Quinn Meinerz would open nearly $22 million.

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    Key pending free agents

    LB Alex Singleton
    IDL John Franklin-Myers
    RB J.K. Dobbins
    LB Justin Strnad

    Singleton was diagnosed with testicular cancer during the season, but missed only one game. He finished 13th in tackles and 58% of those produced a positive play for the defense, which was the fifth-highest rate among linebackers with at least 100 tackles. Franklin-Meyers came over in a trade from the Jets before the 2024 season for a sixth-round draft pick. He put up 14.5 sacks over those two years and was eighth among interior linemen in ESPN’s pass rush win rate in 2025. Among 33 running backs with at least 150 carries, Dobbins was 10th in success rate and fourth in yards before contact per carry.

    Positional needs

    Wide receiver
    Tight end
    Linebacker
    Safety

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    The Broncos have a wide range of pass-catching options, but could use a more reliable top option, either at wide receiver or tight end. Courtland Sutton has been a good receiver, but among 24 wide receivers who had at least a 20% target share in 2025, Sutton ranked 25th in yards per route run. Denver was reportedly interested in Miami wide receiver Jaylen Waddle at the trade deadline, but balked at the asking price. It’s possible the Broncos could revisit a receiver trade in the offseason.

    Defensive needs will come down to how free agency plays out. If Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad are re-signed, then a trio with Dre Greenlaw should be enough for 2026, though some depth could be added behind them. Greenlaw played only eight games, missing time with multiple injuries and a one-game suspension. The same goes for safety if Brandon Jones isn’t on the roster. It is a fairly interesting safety class in free agency and that position is still being undervalued on the open market.

    2026 NFL Draft picks

    1st round, pick No. 30
    2nd round, pick No. 62
    3rd round, pick No. 94
    4th round
    4th round
    5th round
    7th round
    7th round (projected compensatory)
    7th round (projected compensatory)

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    What could move the fantasy needle in 2026?

    Continue to develop young talent

    Denver finished the regular season ranked 15th in EPA per play and 19th in success rate. That was right in line with its 16th and 18th finishes in 2024. This time last year, my recommendation for the Broncos after losing in the Wild Card round was to “hone the offense around Bo Nix.” This season was a start but not the end of that pursuit. The team took RJ Harvey and Pat Bryant in the 2025 NFL Draft on Day 2, saw second-year receiver Troy Franklin take a step forward and added J.K. Dobbins and Evan Engram in free agency.

    Dobbins was a big win as a free agent add and was missed once he went down. The young players look like contributors and could be even better in 2026 but I’m not sure Denver should rest on its laurels with Bryant, Franklin or even Harvey.

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    If there are playmakers available at wide receiver for this team, they would be welcome additions. Even No. 1 receiver Courtland Sutton was inconsistent this season and will turn 31 in 2026. Franklin and Bryant don’t look like future WR1s at this stage, so don’t rule out a big swing at receiver. — Matt Harmon

    Good draft fit

    KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M

    The Broncos could really expand their passing attack with Concepcion, who will bring a big-play element and plays bigger than his size (5-foot-11, 190 pounds). Concepcion can do damage from the slot and has good after-catch ability, which will complement Courtland Sutton on the outside and give Bo Nix a solid option in the passing attack.

    Betting nugget

    Bo Nix went 8-0 against the spread as a favorite his rookie season, but he was only 3-9 ATS as a favorite this season, even though the Broncos won 14 regular-season games. — Ben Fawkes

  • AFC championship: CBS abandons poorly executed digital yard lines that made Patriots players in white disappear on broadcast

    CBS had a good idea on Sunday for its broadcast of snowy conditions in the AFC championship game.

    But the network quickly and wisely abandoned it as the execution caused more problems than it solved.

    New England’s 10-7 win over the Broncos in Denver started in clear conditions with yard markers clearly standing out from the green field on the broadcast. But as snow and hazy conditions took over after halftime, the yard lines and hash marks were covered and indistinguishable on the broadcast.

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    CBS attempted to solve this problem with digitally imposed yard lines overlayed on the field. But the digitized markers caused players from both teams to appear transparent when they interacted, particularly Patriots players who were wearing white.

    This drew immediate complaints on social media …

    .. and another on-point tweet from the ArtButMakeItSports account.

    By early in the fourth quarter, CBS had gotten the memo. This wasn’t working.

    CBS abandoned the digital lines at the expense of confusion for viewers and even broadcasters Jim Nantz and Tony Romo over where the ball actually was on the field. Nantz and Romo had this to say after a fourth-quarter Patriots punt:

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    Romo: “You couldn’t even see the ball from up here.”
    Nantz: “It’s low visibility. … I’d love to tell you exactly where they marked the football. But folks, it would just be a wild guess.”

    It wasn’t optimal. But it was better than the alternative for a game of this magnitude. The digital lines were a failure, and CBS made the correct decision to remove them shortly after it realized they weren’t working.

  • Steelers owner and president Art Rooney II on hiring Mike McCarthy and the next chapter in franchise history

    The Pittsburgh Steelers hired Mike McCarthy as the fourth head coach in the franchise’s history on Saturday as Mike Tomlin’s successor.

    Now the hard work begins in attempting to restore the Steelers’ brand to the top of the NFL, where many feel such a prestigious organization belongs. Owner and team president Art Rooney sounded optimistic about McCarthy’s hiring when speaking with Steelers.com about their new head coach.

    “He is someone who has a longer track record than many of the other candidates, a winning track record,” Rooney told Bob Labriola of Steelers.com. “He’s been a winner everywhere he’s been. Probably just as important for our purposes, the quarterbacks that he’s worked with have all been very successful. So he has a proven track record of developing top-flight quarterbacks. Those are the things that maybe stick out the most.”

    McCarthy has a long history of working with and helping develop young quarterbacks in the NFL. He arrived in Green Bay as head coach in 2006, which was Aaron Rodgers’ second year in the NFL. Rodgers would sit behind veteran quarterback Brett Favre before taking over the starting role in 2008. McCarthy played a big part in Rodgers’ development, having been an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach prior to joining the Packers. He also played a major role in Dak Prescott’s progression in Dallas for five years.

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    That experience and track record as a quarterback guy and Super Bowl-winning head coach is what pushed McCarthy to the forefront ahead of other candidates. Being a Pittsburgh native didn’t hurt McCarthy’s candidacy, either. However, McCarthy’s hire in Pittsburgh is a change from the norm and precedent this franchise had set. Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin were all defensive coaches who approached the game as such. For the first time, Pittsburgh is going in the opposite direction at the head coach position and likely overall team philosophy.

    Rodgers’ history with McCarthy is also interesting, with the former’s future up in the air. They won Super Bowl XLV together, beating the Steelers for the Packers’ fourth Lombardi trophy. While that wasn’t the main reason for McCarthy’s hiring, again, it didn’t hurt. Whether Rodgers returns may not be known for a few months, but that familiarity will mean something if he’s back in Pittsburgh for the 2026 campaign.

    “I hesitate to say that’s No. 1. I think No. 1 is we want a coach who’s going to lead the team to win a championship,” Rooney said. “But maybe high on the list after that is someone who can develop a quarterback. And since sooner or later we’re going to be working with a young quarterback here, I think Mike’s ability to develop the next quarterback is something that certainly is important to us.”

    Rooney also mentioned how McCarthy feels about some of the other quarterbacks aside from Rodgers on the roster, and working with them. Obviously, if Rodgers is back next season, he’ll be the starter, but McCarthy will be working with a young quarterback like Will Howard who was drafted just last year. It also wouldn’t be a shock to see the Steelers take another quarterback somewhere in this year’s draft.

    “He likes Will Howard, thinks Will has tremendous upside and is looking forward to working with him,” Rooney said. “Obviously feels like Mason can be a contributor. We’ll have to sit down and discuss where Aaron is, if he decides to come back, and whether that all makes sense. I think Mike was very comfortable with the quarterback room and the possibilities with the quarterback room. In particular, the fact we have a young quarterback on the roster in whom he sees some upside.”

    In 18 years as an NFL head coach, McCarthy’s Green Bay and Dallas teams won nearly 61% of their games with a 174-112 record in the regular season. The Packers made the postseason in nine of McCarthy’s 13 seasons there, winning the Super Bowl to close out the 2010 campaign. During his five years leading the Cowboys, Dallas made the playoffs three times, including three consecutive 12-win seasons.