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Chargers signing former Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott

Sports / Football /

LOS ANGELES — Former Dallas Cowboys star running back Ezekiel Elliott will be signed to the Chargers’ practice squad, according to a person with knowledge of the deal not authorized to speak publicly.

Elliott played 15 games for the Cowboys this season, rushing for 226 yards and three touchdowns before he asked to be released. With Rico ...Read more

Jason Getz/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution/TNS

Ken Sugiura: Grady Jarrett deserves more from Falcons leadership and so do fans

Sports / Football /

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons owe Grady Jarrett.

He is well compensated for his labors as a defensive lineman. But the man has put all of himself into making this franchise a winner. He has done nothing but represent the Falcons with professionalism, passion and a heart for the community. He has earned two Pro Bowl berths and this...Read more

Carlos Gonzalez/The Minnesota Star Tribune/TNS

Sean McVay vs. Kevin O'Connell: Familiar foes, unfamiliar territory

Sports / Football /

LOS ANGELES — Sean McVay and Kevin O'Connell worked closely on the Rams staff for two seasons, molding an offensive scheme that helped the 2021 team make a playoff run that it capped with a victory in Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium.

Now McVay and O'Connell, the third-year coach of the Minnesota Vikings, will face each other in the postseason ...Read more

Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Bill Plaschke: Bring it on! Rams bench stars, lose game, but send a powerful playoff message.

Sports / Football /

LOS ANGELES — The Rams took the field needing arguably their most impactful win of the season.

The Rams took the field with scrubs.

Say what? A competitive fireball such as Sean McVay and a Super Bowl champion such as the Rams just laying down in a game that meant something?

It was weird. It was wild. It was the scene at SoFi Stadium early ...Read more

Mike Carlson/Getty Images North America/TNS

Davante Adams says Aaron Rodgers' status with Jets will impact his future

Sports / Football /

NEW YORK — After Sunday night’s season finale victory against the Miami Dolphins, Davante Adams and Aaron Rodgers walked off the field together, possibly for the final time as teammates.

On Monday, Adams told reporters Rodgers’ status will impact the 32-year-old’s future with the team.

“Yeah, for sure,” Adams said. “I don’t ...Read more

Jennifer Buchanan/The Seattle Times/TNS

Matt Calkins: Here's why Seahawks may have Geno Smith back under center next season

Sports / Football /

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — As far as money goes, Sunday's 30-25 win over the Los Angeles Rams may end up being the most lucrative of Geno Smith's career. The Seattle Seahawks quarterback hit three escalators — all worth $2 million — that he will pocket if he is still under contract with the team in mid-March.

The first was to finish the season ...Read more

Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/TNS

Brad Biggs: The Bears need some big men to fix the big issues on the offensive line

Sports / Football /

CHICAGO — Large cardboard boxes filled the locker room at Halas Hall on Monday morning as players gathered belongings and prepared to spread to parts far, wide and, in many cases, warmer.

The makeup of the Chicago Bears will be considerably different in 2025. General manager Ryan Poles will probably touch on a few goals when he speaks to the ...Read more

Madeline Carter/Las Vegas Review-Journal/TNS

Dylan Hernández: These aren't your daddy's Chargers. Jim Harbaugh has team primed for playoff run.

Sports / Football /

LOS ANGELES — Watching Justin Herbert scramble for 41 yards in the Chargers' regular-season finale against the Las Vegas Raiders, how could you not think it?

Watching Quentin Johnston catch everything Herbert threw in his vicinity, how could you not feel it?

This will be the season Justin Herbert finally wins his first playoff game — and ...Read more

Jerry Holt/The Minnesota Star Tribune/Jerry Holt

Vikings' Kevin O'Connell on trade rumors: 'This is where I want to be'

Sports / Football /

MINNEAPOLIS — Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said his complete focus is on his team’s upcoming wild-card matchup with the Rams when asked Monday about rumors that teams would like to acquire him via trade.

Fox Sports NFL insider Jay Glazer said on-air during “Fox NFL Sunday” that “multiple teams” have interest in trading ...Read more

Kevin Clark/Seattle Times/TNS

Seahawks fire offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb

Sports / Football /

SEATTLE — Ryan Grubb, hired to much fanfare as the Seahawks offensive coordinator last February, has been fired after less than a year with the team, according to multiple reports Monday morning.

Grubb came to the Seahawks following a successful two-year run at the University of Washington and a brief stint at Alabama, entrusted to run the ...Read more

Heidi Fang @HeidiFang/Las Vegas Review-Journal/TNS

Raiders coach still awaiting clarity on job status for 2025

Sports / Football /

LAS VEGAS — Raiders coach Antonio Pierce is still waiting for clarity on his job status.

“I haven’t been told anything different,” Pierce said Monday in regards to whether he’ll remain in charge.

The former NFL linebacker led the Raiders to a 4-13 record his first full season, putting his future in question. Pierce, 46, was also the ...Read more

Nancy Lane/Boston Herald/TNS

Robert Kraft details 'very hard' decision to fire Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo

Sports / Football /

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Robert Kraft stepped up to the podium and took accountability for Jerod Mayo’s blink-and-you’ll-miss-it tenure as New England Patriots head coach that lasted just under one year.

“I’m going to be very brief here and say this whole situation is on me,” Kraft said Monday to begin his opening statement about firing ...Read more

Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images North America/TNS

Rex Ryan on Jets coaching job: 'I'm the best guy and it ain't close.'

Sports / Football /

NEW YORK — On Tuesday, the Jets will interview Rex Ryan for their vacant coaching position.

A day before the scheduled meeting with Jets owner Woody Johnson, Ryan believes he’s the best candidate for the job and that he will get his old job back.

“Oh, 100%. Absolutely I do,” Ryan said on ESPN New York. “And the reason I think I’m ...Read more

Do cheerleaders need to wear helmets? Ball hits Cowboys cheerleader in head, knocks her down.

Sports / Football /

Michelle Siemienowski's first season as a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader came to an exciting conclusion Sunday — so exciting that she deemed it necessary to provide an update on her well-being later that day on social media.

"I'm alright everyone," the San Diego native posted on her Instagram Stories, along with a video clip that showed her ...Read more

Amanda McCoy/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/TNS

Mac Engel: Mike McCarthy wants to remain the Dallas Cowboys coach. Here is why he should leave.

Sports / Football /

The head coach of the Dallas Cowboys has finished his five-year contract. And if Sunday’s game against the Washington Whatevers is indeed Mike McCarthy’s final act with the team, he was basically Jason Garrett 2.0.

The Cowboys under McCarthy were not that much different than they were under Garrett, a small data point better. McCarthy’s ...Read more

Eric Lutzens/The Denver Post/TNS

Amid nationwide stadium boom, will Broncos build new home to land what Rockies have and what Nuggets, Avs are getting?

Sports / Football /

DENVER — The Colorado Rockies have had 23 losing seasons since they arrived in Denver in the summer of 1993. The Nuggets have had 12, the Broncos 11, and the Avalanche five.

But from a business perspective, Denver’s Major League Baseball franchise has something the Broncos, Nuggets and Avalanche all envy — a destination stadium with an ...Read more

Joe Sargent/Getty Images North America/TNS

Jason Mackey: Steelers don't have much right now -- outside of their delusions if they think this is OK

Sports / Football /

PITTSBURGH — Who knows when the next win will come for these Steelers, if at all?

But the level of delusion or head-scratching stuff we've seen with this team sure has started to accumulate.

The latest example came Saturday at Acrisure Stadium, when the Steelers actually slowed down the Cincinnati Bengals — holding them to their fewest ...Read more

Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Chargers open playoffs and Rams close wild-card weekend as NFL announces schedule

Sports / Football /

LOS ANGELES — The Chargers will open the NFL's wild-card weekend, and the Rams will close it.

The Chargers will play at Houston at 1:30 p.m. PST Saturday, and the Rams will play host to the loser of Sunday night's Minnesota-Detroit game on "Monday Night Football" at 5 p.m.

The rest of the playoff schedule, times Pacific, is as follows:

...Read more

Yong Kim/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS

David Murphy: Eagles are better than they have ever been. The road to the Super Bowl is tougher than ever. Up first, the Packers.

Sports / Football /

PHILADELPHIA — Danny Dimes ain't walking through that door. Neither is Josh Johnson nor Case Keenum.

But, hey, Malik Willis might be.

Now that Week 18 is in the books, we can say two things about the Eagles' pursuit of another Super Bowl ring:

— They are a much better team than they were the last two times they advanced to the NFL's ...Read more

Daniel Mears/The Detroit News/TNS

Sonic Boom: Gibbs, Lions' defense dispatch Vikings, take No. 1 seed, North title

Sports / Football /

DETROIT — The Minnesota Vikings came at the king.

And missed.

For the second straight year, the Detroit Lions are NFC North champions, and for the first time since the 1970 merger, they’re NFC regular-season champions, too. The Lions secured a first-round bye and the No. 1 seed at Ford Field Sunday night, winning one of the most highly ...Read more