James Harden linked to 1 contender in trade rumors
James Harden may have a lifeline out of Los Angeles if the Clippers continue to plummet.
Harden’s status is being monitored closely by various rivals amid the Clippers’ horrific start to the season, veteran NBA writer Marc Stein reported to Substack on Thursday. Stein further mentions the Minnesota Timberwolves specifically as a team known to be in the market for a true playmaker.
The Clippers have been perhaps the single most disappointing team in the NBA this year at a brutal 6-20, which ranks 14th in the Western Conference. That may not be the fault of Harden, who was an All-Star just last season and is now averaging even better individual numbers this season at 26.0 points per game on 44/38/89 shooting splits. But with Harden now 36 years old and infamous for quickly growing unhappy with teams once the going gets tough, he looks like a very real trade candidate ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline.
As for Minnesota, they are a modest 17-10 this year, which is seventh in the West. But they have earned themselves a reputation as a legitimate contender after making back-to-back trips to the Western Conference Finals over the last two seasons.
With 38-year-old Mike Conley currently injured, the Timberwolves are relying on natural wing Donte DiVincenzo and flawed playmakers like Bones Hyland and Rob Dillingham to carry the load at point guard right now. As such, pairing franchise player Anthony Edwards in the backcourt with Harden might do real wonders for both of their respective workloads.
In order to match salaries with the $39.2 million Harden is making this season (with a $42.3 million player option for next season), Minnesota would likely have to break up their Julius Randle-Rudy Gobert-Naz Reid frontcourt one way or the other. But perhaps the ex-MVP Harden could be a match for a Timberwolves team that has also sniffed around some other big names at point guard in recent weeks.
Angels eyeing an 8-time All-Star to replace Anthony Rendon
The Los Angeles Angels are already plotting how to fully move on from the Anthony Rendon disaster.
St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado is a trade possibility for the Angels, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported on Thursday. While Rosenthal adds that no trade between the two sides is imminent, the Angels are closing to parting ways with the oft-injured and unproductive third baseman Rendon.
Rendon, 35, was an abject nightmare for the Angels after signing a seven-year, $245 million contract with them before the 2020 season. The ex-Silver Slugger Award winner missed 100 or more games in five of his six seasons in Anaheim, hit .242 with a flat .717 OPS even when healthy, and quickly gained a reputation for unprofessionalism and a poor work ethic. Now the Angels are reportedly negotiating a formal end to Rendon’s tenure with them.
As for Arenado, he is an eight-time All-Star and a 10-time Gold Glove winner who was once the premier name at the third base position. Last year though, Arenado batted just .237 with 12 homers and 52 RBIs through 107 games.
We know that the rebuilding Cardinals badly want to trade Arenado, who is set to make $16 million next season and $15 million in 2027. In fact, St. Louis, after going 78-84 in 2025, could also end up trading a much younger and more productive hitter on their roster this offseason.
Meanwhile, the Angels might not have a whole lot to trade since their farm system continues to rank as one of the worst in baseball. But perhaps a willingness to simply take on the remainder of Arenado’s contract will be enough to grease the wheels on a deal, especially since the Angels have become very notorious in recent years for adding washed-up former stars.
Sean McVay was ticked off by stunt Puka Nacua tried to pull at Rams’ facility
Some of Puka Nacua’s recent off-field shenanigans did not sit well with Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay.
Nacua and the Rams have their biggest game of the season Thursday against the Seattle Seahawks in a matchup that could determine who gets the top seed in the NFC. While Nacua and the team were preparing for the clash, Puka also made arrangements to help out two of the biggest Twitch live streamers, Adin Ross and N3on.
During a live stream on Tuesday, Ross and N3on went to the Rams’ training facility in Woodland Hills with the intention of streaming inside the venue. Nacua was supposed to serve as their ticket to getting in.
However, the two streamers were denied entry, leading Nacua to apologize. The Rams wide receiver explained that McVay was not on board with giving the streamers access to the team’s private areas. Nacua promised Ross and N3on that he’d join them on a weekend trip instead.
“I thought my team communicated,” Nacua said on the phone, via Cameron DaSilva of Rams Wire. “I guess there was no communication. Especially when Coach found out, he didn’t f— with that. Just because of the short week. Let me handle business on Thursday then we should be good. Quick turnaround. We can do a whole day, we can go from LA to Vegas for the weekend.”
Nacua has arguably been one of the best wide receivers in the NFL this season, doing so while being the top option on the team tied for the NFC lead entering Week 16. But he’s also garnered some negative headlines of late.
It’s not the first time that a live stream has gotten Nacua in trouble. He recently got into an argument with a few Rams players for going live while inside the Rams’ locker room, which goes against team rules. Nacua also made negative headlines for his antisemitic gesture while appearing on Ross’ stream earlier this week.
There’s no surprise why McVay was upset about Nacua’s most recent stunt.
Fernando Mendoza earns hilarious compliment from former Super Bowl champion
Indiana Hoosiers star quarterback Fernando Mendoza is the Heisman Trophy winner, the potential top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, and the QB for the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff.
It has been a monumental season for Mendoza after transferring from Cal, and the praise continues to pour in. On Thursday, former New York Giants WR Victor Cruz, who won a Super Bowl with Eli Manning as his QB, had a hilarious compliment for Mendoza during an episode of “The Jim Rome Show.”
“He might be the most athletic nerd I’ve ever seen in my entire life,” Cruz said. “As a quarterback, you love nerds…I think he really understands what it takes to be a quarterback, not only at this level, but at the next and I think his intelligence is what’s going to keep this team in it week in and week out.”
"He might be the most athletic nerd I've ever seen in my entire life."@TeamVic breaks down Heisman winner and Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza's game. pic.twitter.com/Jl6uF3N8nL
— Jim Rome (@jimrome) December 18, 2025
While Mendoza’s lone season at Indiana has been fun to watch, he is all about the academics as well.
Mendoza was pledged to Yale for half a year before changing his commitment to go to Cal. He then graduated after just three years at Cal, and is now working on a Master’s degree at Indiana.
But, Cruz said Mendoza’s intelligence is a good thing, and his “nerd” comment sure had Jim Rome a bit surprised. Mendoza has soared up NFL Draft boards and is commonly viewed as the top pick in April.
Mendoza has shown vast improvement this season, throwing for 2,980 yards with 33 touchdowns and only 6 interceptions as Indiana prepares to play in the College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., on January 1.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has clear message amid NBA trade rumors
If the Milwaukee Bucks do open the phones on a potential Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, there could be plenty of teams inquiring about the NBA superstar.
As far as Antetokounmpo is concerned, he admitted he has yet to have any conversations with the Bucks about a trade.
“If my agent is talking to the Bucks about it, he’s his own person,” Antetokounmpo said. “He can have any conversation he wants about it. At the end of the day, I don’t work for my agent. My agent works for me…At the end of the day, I personally have not had the conversation with the Bucks.”
#Bucks Giannis Antetokounmpo:
— Lily Zhao (@LilySZhao) December 18, 2025
"I personally have not had the conversation with the Bucks. I'm still locked in. Locked in on my teammates… locked in on my team…
As a leader, but most importantly as a winner, just gotta be there for them first." @fox6now pic.twitter.com/jDbltyGUsv
Antetokounmpo’s name has commonly come up in trade rumors this season, and NBA insider Chris Haynes even mentioned teams such as the Miami Heat and New York Knicks as teams that would have interest in acquiring him.
On December 3 against the Detroit Pistons, Antetokounmpo suffered a calf strain and has been sidelined ever since.
This season, he is averaging 28.9 points per game with 10.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists, but the Bucks have an 11-16 record entering Thursday.
The NBA trade deadline this season is on February 5, and Antetokounmpo’s name will be one to watch over the next couple of months.
Texas reunites with former SEC head coach after firing DC
The Texas Longhorns football program is shaking up its coaching staff in a big way.
A year after making the College Football Playoff semifinal, head coach Steve Sarkisian is moving on from defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski and defensive backs coach Duane Akina. Texas is bringing back Will Muschamp as the new DC, the school announced.
Texas quickly posted a photo of Muschamp on the social media account in a friendly welcome back to Austin.
Welcome back to the Forty, Will Muschamp 🤘 pic.twitter.com/vD9KGfstHE
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) December 18, 2025
Kwiatkowski was named a Broyles Award finalist last season, which is given to the top assistant coach in the nation.
Muschamp was at Texas from 2008-10 as the DC before taking the Florida Gators head coaching job. Muschamp was also the head coach at South Carolina for five seasons and he has a combined record of 56-51 during those nine years.
After South Carolina parted ways with Muschamp in 2020, he joined Kirby Smart’s coaching staff, where he was most recently a defensive analyst for the Georgia Bulldogs.
Texas finished with a 9-3 record in 2025 and is No. 13 in the final rankings. Sarkisian was adamant that Texas should’ve gotten into the 12-team College Football Playoff field, but they were just on the outside looking in.
Texas QB Arch Manning has reportedly decided to stay with the program, and now the coaching staff is changing a bit with Muschamp returning.
Texas will face the Michigan Wolverines in the Citrus Bowl on New Year’s Eve at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla.
Everyone said the same thing about the Seahawks’ new ‘rivalries’ jersey
The Seattle Seahawks are having a strong year and are on the cusp of a playoff berth going into a “Thursday Night Football” showdown with the Los Angeles Rams at Lumen Field in Seattle, Wash.
As the Seahawks prepare the the NFC West showdown, they are rolling out some brand-new “rivalries” jerseys.
A lot of fans made comparisons, saying that the Seahawks’ jerseys look similar to the Oregon Ducks’ jerseys.
Found our rival. pic.twitter.com/CsdnVMnNzb
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) December 18, 2025
Jersey looks like what Oregon wore against Penn State and Rutgers. pic.twitter.com/UFi0KxuM9S
— Bryan Beban (@bkbeban) December 16, 2025
The Seattle Seahawks are wearing Oregon Ducks uniforms, so the forecasted torrential downpour during tonight’s game is apt.
— Varsity 38 (@CBW556) December 18, 2025
Not the Oregon Ducks unis please for this game. Please for the love of god.
— Bandon Man (@man_bandon) December 15, 2025
It’s six hours before kickoff, so let’s get this out of the way.
— Kevin Jackson (@glove20kj) December 18, 2025
Yes, the Seahawks uniforms tonight look like the Oregon Ducks.
No, you aren’t the first to make this connection.
Please don’t @ me and respect my privacy at this time. pic.twitter.com/7mFxzj7JgF
Oregon, of course, is known for its wild jersey combinations. They are the darling college brand for Nike, and now the Seahawks have a similar look in the NFL.
Over the summer, the NFL and Nike unveiled eight teams that would have the “Rivalries” jerseys this season.
The other teams are the Arizona Cardinals, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers.
This will be the first and only game of the season where the Seahawks wear these jerseys.
The 49ers will debut their jerseys against the Seahawks on January 4 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., in the final week of the NFL regular season.
Nick Saban has great explanation for why JMU, Tulane should not be in CFP
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish finished 10-2 and somehow were left out of the 12-team College Football Playoff field with James Madison and Tulane getting bids.
The exclusion of the Irish has been a massive talking point. Former Alabama coach Nick Saban gave his thoughts on the matter with a baseball analogy during his weekly appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Thursday.
“Would we allow the winner of the Triple-A baseball league, the International League, whatever they call it, would you let them in the World Series playoff?” Saban asked rhetorically.
“That’s the equivalent of what we do when JMU gets into the College Football Playoff and Notre Dame doesn’t,” Saban added.
James Madison is the No. 12 seed in the field and got in after defeating Troy in the Sun Belt Conference title game. Tulane is the No. 11 seed after defeating North Texas in the AAC title game.
Notre Dame was ranked No. 11 in the final rankings, but James Madison and Tulane got into the field due to the rules. Here’s what the College Football Playoff website says:
“The 12 participating teams will be the five conference champions ranked highest by the CFP selection committee, plus the next seven highest-ranked schools.”
This season, Tulane and James Madison won their conference titles and were the highest-ranked champions, meaning they grabbed the final spots. Saban thinks that schools from lesser conferences should have their own playoff, which would allow the schools that are theoretically stronger to face each other in the playoff.
After Notre Dame’s snub, it was revealed that the school signed a Memorandum of Understanding that the Irish would make the CFP if they had a No. 12 ranking beginning next season.
But, for now, they are out, and it’s sparked a giant debate in the college football world.
Colts make decision on their starting QB after Anthony Richardson update
The Indianapolis Colts almost beat the Seattle Seahawks in Week 15 with 44-year-old Philip Rivers playing in his first NFL game since 2020.
Now, it seems the Colts are sticking with Rivers. On Thursday, the Colts opened the practice window for Anthony Richardson, but head coach Shane Steichen made it clear he plans on sticking with Rivers for the time being.
“Right now, Philip’s our starter,” Steichen said.
Richardson suffered an orbital bone fracture after an incident with a resistance band before the Colts’ game on October 11 and has been out ever since.
However, the Colts opened his 21-day practice window, hinting that his return could be imminent.
In regard to Richardson’s return, Steichen admitted the young QB still has vision limitations.
“As I mentioned last week, Anthony returned for physical activity, but he still has some vision limitation in his eye,” Steichen said. “So we’re gonna get him back on the practice field, get him throwing, doing some scout team reps. It’s just something that he’ll have to manage through the process.”
Rivers’ first NFL action since 2020 had its ups and downs. He threw a touchdown pass to Joshua Downs early in the game, but he also had another viral moment where his age clearly showed on a dropback.
Rivers ended the game going 18-of-27 for 120 yards with a touchdown and an interception, but the Colts lost to the Seahawks, 18-16, at Lumen Field in Seattle, Wash.
The Colts are 8-6 and still alive in the AFC playoff race. They face the San Francisco 49ers in Week 16 on “Monday Night Football” before finishing the year against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans in a pair of crucial AFC South games.
Bill Belichick reportedly drawing interest from 2 NFL teams
Bill Belichick’s first season as a college football head coach did not go well by any means. Could Belichick ditch North Carolina and return to the NFL? According to NFL insider Josina Anderson, a pair of teams have had interest in speaking with Belichick on an “exploratory basis.”
While Anderson didn’t explicitly say which teams have shown interest in Belichick, she did say that there are “upper-level personnel still fond of him in Atlanta, New York, Cleveland.”
Belichick spent 24 seasons as the New England Patriots’ head coach, winning six Super Bowls and three AP NFL Coach of the Year awards. Belichick’s 31 playoff wins as a head coach are the most in NFL history.
After leaving the Patriots following the 2023 NFL season, Belichick took a year off from coaching but was hired by the North Carolina Tar Heels in December 2024 in a bit of a surprise move.
North Carolina went 4-8 with a 2-6 record in ACC play. They lost the final three games of the season.
Currently, the Tennessee Titans and New York Giants have head coach openings with Brian Callahan and Brian Daboll being fired during the 2025 season. The Giants are one franchise Anderson mentioned that is “fond” of Belichick.
When the NFL season comes to an end, other jobs will likely open, so even more teams could be considering bringing Belichick back to the NFL.
Belichick has a total of 302 regular-season wins as an NFL head coach and a 31-13 record in the postseason in 29 seasons. He also spent five seasons with the Browns as a head coach before coming to the Patriots.
So, there is a path to Belichick coaching in the NFL in 2026.
Timberwolves will finally retire Kevin Garnett’s jersey
Kevin Garnett is nothing short of a Minnesota Timberwolves legend. He is the franchise’s all-time leader in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks.
Now, the Timberwolves will finally retire Garnett’s jersey over the next two seasons as the legendary big man is reuniting with the franchise in an off-court role, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.
Garrett is reuniting with the Timberwolves and joining the Minnesota Lynx in an “all-encompassing role involving business, community and fan-engagement efforts and content development.”
Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett is reuniting with the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Lynx in a new, all-encompassing role involving business, community efforts and content development, sources told ESPN. His long-awaited No. 21 Wolves jersey retirement will also happen in Minnesota. pic.twitter.com/DedJhDezd3
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 18, 2025
Garnett refused to have his jersey retired due to a fallout with former owner Glen Taylor. However, the new ownership group that includes Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez has decided to bring Garnett back in a new role while also pledging to retire his jersey.
Garnett was the 5th overall pick in the 1995 NBA Draft and spent the first 12 seasons of his career in Minnesota. He was then traded to the Boston Celtics before the 2007-2008 season in a deal that sent all Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair, Theo Ratliff, and two first-round draft picks to the Timberwolves.
Garnett returned to Minnesota for a few games in the 2014-2015 season and played his final NBA season with the Timberwolves in 2015-2016 before retiring from the league.
Garnett is a 15-time All-Star and was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020. Finally, after a long wait, he will have his jersey retired by the Timberwolves.
Dylan Raiola in contact with one program after transfer portal decision
When the college football transfer portal officially opens on January 2, Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Dylan Raiola should have no shortage of suitors.
Raiola revealed his decision to enter the portal, and now he has already been in touch with one school, as Pete Nakos of On3 reported.
“I know that there’s been some communication with Louisville and the idea of Jeff Brohm and how he can help Dylan Raiola,” Nakos said.
Nakos also mentioned Oregon while adding that the Ducks are focusing on trying to hold on to QB Dante Moore for the 2026 season.
“There’s been some communication with Louisville…Oregon has also been mentioned”@PeteNakos has early intel on transfer QB Dylan Raiola. There's also one school he will NOT be heading to 👀
— Josh Newberg (@josh_newberg) December 17, 2025
MORE: https://t.co/UBjyprKAOl pic.twitter.com/SqR1Fvt0ho
Raiola on Monday announced his decision to transfer. His decision comes after a series of noteworthy events with the Raiola family. Dylan’s brother, Dayton, is a QB prospect in the class of 2026, and he decommitted from Nebraska in November.
Donovan Raiola, Dylan’s uncle, was fired as the Nebraska offensive line coach at the beginning of December.
Raiola threw for 4,819 yards with 31 touchdowns and 17 interceptions in his two seasons starting at Nebraska. This past season, he played nine games before suffering a broken fibula against USC on November 1. He missed the rest of the season following that injury.
Raiola was the No. 2 QB in his class coming out of high school behind Florida’s DJ Lagway, who also is entering the transfer portal.
Angels drop hint on Mike Trout’s 2026 outlook
Mike Trout could be back in his old office in 2026.
Moved from the center field to the right field in the 2025 MLB season due to health concerns, Trout reportedly could be doing center field duties again in the next campaign.
While nothing is set in stone yet, Angels general manager Perry Minasian did not rule out the possibility of Trout getting his gig back as a center fielder.
“I’m not ruling anything out,” Minasian said, per Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com. “We’ll see where the team looks like when we get to Spring Training and what’s in place and what gives us the best chance to win games. Might be playing center. One day might be playing left. One day might be DHing. I don’t know.”
The three-time American League Most Valuable Player did not see action as a center fielder at all in 2025. After he returned from a long absence because of a bone bruise in his left knee, Trout never got to play in the outfield, as he instead served as a designated hitter for the Halos the rest of the way.
Managing Trout has become a tricky business for the Angels, given his injury history and age. But if he stays healthy in the offseason and his body holds up in Spring Training, there could be more clamor for Trout to play in the outfield again.
In 2025, Trout hit just .232, but a 15.6% walk rate helped him finish with a still very good 121 OPS+.
Tom Brady leaves fans guessing after post-retirement admission
Tom Brady is 48 years old, but there are people out there who think he could still sling it in the NFL.
Brady is already retired, and as a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, he can’t just unretire like Philip Rivers and give it a go, which probably is music to the ears of the New York Jets and all the other teams he torched during his incredibly long and successful career under center with the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
When asked recently if there was a team that tried to convince him to come back and play after he retired the second time in 2023, the seven-time Super Bowl champion did not deny it, but he stopped short of revealing which franchise it was.
“Yes. When I retired the second time, there was a team that reached out, but I’m not going to tell you,” Brady said in a video shared by FOX Sports on X.
“I’m going to leave you guys guessing on that. But it was actually a little bit intriguing, but at that time, I was pretty certain that I was done done. Not as done done as him [Terry Bradshaw] but I was done.”
Which team do you think reached out to @TomBrady to unretire? 👀🤔 pic.twitter.com/AEY5ACC9I4
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 17, 2025
For a time, Brady felt like an inevitable force in the NFL, which is also why, despite his age at the time of his retirement, teams and fans thought that there was at least one more good year in him.
In his NFL career, Brady threw for 89,214 passing yards and 649 touchdowns against 212 interceptions in 335 games.
Macaulay Culkin names Rams’ ‘unsung hero’
Actor Macaulay Culkin recently got the chance to talk about something close to his heart, and it’s not about setting up traps to catch the bad guys.
Apparently, Culkin knows a thing or two about football.
In an appearance on an episode of “Mythical Kitchen,” which was uploaded to YouTube on Tuesday, the 45-year-old “Home Alone” star talked in depth about one particular Los Angeles Rams player — defensive tackle Poona Ford.
Culkin specifically discussed how important Ford is to the Rams’ defense against the run, which he said had been a vulnerable area of Los Angeles’ defense before the team signed the former Texas Longhorns star in the offseason. He agreed with the notion that Ford was the more important offseason acquisition by the Rams.
“If he was one inch taller, if he was six feet tall, he’d be making bigger bank,” Culkin said of Ford, who signed a 2-year, $44 million contract with Los Angeles in March.
“He’s got this little kind of stigma that, man, we haven’t had a guy plug up the hole like that since [Ndamukong] Suh was on the team, really. That’s what it’s all about. Poona Ford, he’s the quiet MVP of the season because that was a big hole in our defense, was the run, and Poona, man, he just does it. Unsung hero.”
NEWS: Legendary actor Macaulay Culkin was breaking down the #Rams and how important Poona Ford is to the run defense.
— MLFootball (@MLFootball) December 17, 2025
Macaulay made an argument that Ford was a more important off-season acquisition than Davante Adams.
(Via Mythical Kitchen)
pic.twitter.com/euCalCP9JZ
The metrics back up Culkin’s claim. Pro Football Focus gives Ford an 84.0 run defense grade, which is the third-best rating among 129 interior defensive linemen.
With Ford plugging the middle and regularly stuffing opposing players on the run, the Rams are allowing just 3.9 yards per carry, so far in the 2025 season. For comparison, the Rams gave up 4.6 yards per rushing attempt to opponents in 2024.
Patrick Mahomes had unexpected words to Andy Reid after devastating news
After suffering a season-ending torn ACL injury in his left knee in the Kansas City Chiefs’ 16-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 15 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes said in a social media post that he “will be back stronger than ever.”
Even before he shared that message to his supporters, he was already singing the same tune to Kansas City head coach Andy Reid.
“He’s so positive right now,” Reid told reporters on Wednesday about Mahomes’ status.
“He attacked this thing the day of. You wouldn’t expect anything less. ‘Get me up, get me going,’ he’s basically saying, an hour after the game. ‘Brace me up and let me go.’ It’s not one of those injuries, obviously, but that’s his mindset.”
Most people wouldn’t even think of getting back to work just an hour after such a devastating, potentially career-altering injury. But most people also don’t have three Super Bowl rings and three NFL Most Valuable Player awards. Mahomes’ mentality after the injury explains why he’s got all those on his resume.
Mahomes is facing a long journey to recovery. For the 6-8 Chiefs, they are just looking to finish the season with at least some wins to uplift their spirit. They will take on the very beatable 2-12 Tennessee Titans on Sunday in a Week 16 matchup at Nashville, Tenn., with Gardner Minshew expected to start under center in place of Mahomes.
Mahomes, 30, concluded his ninth season in the NFL with 3,587 passing yards and 22 touchdowns against 11 interceptions on a 62.7% completion rate.
Amon-Ra St. Brown seriously questions NFL over wild celebration
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown has a bone to pick with the officiating in the NFL.
In Week 15’s game between the Lions and the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., St. Brown and teammates Jahmyr Gibbs and Jameson Williams were all told by the refs that they couldn’t mimic picking their noses and flicking the booger away when celebrating on the field.
At least that’s what St. Brown said in an episode of the ” St. Brown Podcast.”
“We do it on the first drive. Our receiver coach comes through after the first drive, ‘Hey man, ref said you guys can’t do that no more,’” St. Brown revealed. “I’m like, what the f–k,” he added.
"NFL, why can't I dig in my nose and flick it? What is bad about that?"
— St. Brown Podcast (@StBrownPodcast) December 17, 2025
After Amon-Ra, Jameson Williams and Jahmyr Gibbs all did the booger flicking celebration on the Lions first drive vs. the Rams, the refs told the Lions it would be a penalty if anyone did it again. https://t.co/pDHse20xat pic.twitter.com/83lBqcvYmC
St. Brown then asked the league directly: “NFL, why can’t I dig in my nose and flick it? What is bad about that?”
Flicking imaginary boogers does seem like a pretty harmless gesture, but the refs were not having it that day, apparently.
The NFL has made a clear effort to crack down on some celebratory gestures, including the nose wipe celly. Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield was already fined for doing it back in Week 13. But what St. Brown and his teammates did doesn’t fall under that category.
Perhaps the safest route to take here is to just avoid involving the nose completely when celebrating on the field.
Rick Pitino gets brutally honest about facing Kentucky
The No. 22 St. John’s Red Storm had just defeated the DePaul Demon Deacons at Carnesecca Arena in Queens, N.Y., on Tuesday for their third win in a row, but head coach Rick Pitino has a much bigger challenge ahead.
The Red Storm are scheduled for a marquee matchup against the Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday for a CBS Sports Classic game at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Ga.
The Wildcats haven’t been playing like a blue-blood powerhouse in the 2025-26 college basketball season, but Pitino remains wary of his former team, which is now coached by Mark Pope, one of his former Kentucky players.
“Kentucky is very big,” the 73-year-old Pitino told reporters, via Zack Geoghegan of On3.
“They’re plus 10 on the glass. They rebound the ball great. They’re terrific on defense. It’ll be a hell of a game, it’ll be a tough game. We know that,” Pitino said when asked about the matchup. “When you go to Atlanta, they call it in Lexington: Catlanta.
They’ll have about six, seven thousand of their fans. It’ll be somewhat of a road game (for St. John’s). But that’s okay. We’re playing good defense right now. I think it’ll be a good basketball game.”
Like St. John’s, Kentucky is coming into this contest with some momentum, having won its last two games. The Wildcats defeated North Carolina Central Eagles on Dec. 6, 103-67, before taking down the Indiana Hoosiers, 72-60, on Saturday. Both of those games took place at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky.
The similarities between the two teams don’t end there. St. John’s and Kentucky are both stout defensively, ranking 15th and 16th on KenPom’s adjusted defensive rating, respectively. But they also vary so differently in terms of pace. While the Red Storm are 45th in the nation in adjusted tempo, the Wildcats are 149th.
In any case, this SEC matchup will have the attention of the college basketball world.
Doug Gottlieb makes a major announcement about his radio show
Doug Gottlieb is officially removing one of his hats.
The Green Bay head basketball coach and longtime sports analyst Gottlieb announced on Wednesday that he is stepping away from his radio program “The Doug Gottlieb Show.” Gottlieb made the announcement after coaching Green Bay to a 67-64 victory over UC Santa Barbara at Kress Events Center in Green Bay, Wisc.
“These kids owe a fully dedicated coach,” said Gottlieb, per Awful Announcing. “I know I’m fully dedicated … But you only get one shot at this thing.
“If there is any ounce of lack of preparation or any ounce of fatigue,” Gottlieb added. “This is going to sound crazy, but last week we go down to Indy and because of the timing of my show the bus had to leave without me and I flew. And I don’t think that’s what I want to do as a coach.”
Gottlieb did also note that he would continue to do podcast work moving forward. But Gottlieb’s days of doing his radio show in the afternoons are now on hiatus as he transitions into a full-time head coaching role for Green Bay.
The 49-year-old Gottlieb, a Wisconsin native, is a former college basketball player who went on to make a name for himself in sports broadcasting. Gottlieb has worked for ESPN (including serving as an anchor for “SportsCenter), CBS Sports, and FOX Sports over the years. Meanwhile, “The Doug Gottlieb Show” debuted on ESPN in 2006, moved to CBS Sports along with Gottlieb in 2013, and is now in its third iteration, having been aired by FOX Sports since 2017.
Gottlieb became the head coach at Green Bay in 2024 and controversially decided to continue doing his radio show at the same time. He went on to struggle in his first year at the helm as the Phoenix went a woeful 4-28 and finished dead last in the Horizon League.
Fortunately, things are going better for Gottlieb and Green Bay this season as Wednesday’s victory improved their overall record this season to 6-7. But Gottlieb did recently make the headlines again for throwing a chair after his team blew a big lead and lost earlier this month.
Puka Nacua’s brother Samson arrested for stealing a Lakers player’s car
Los Angeles professional sports are intersecting in a very unfortunate way this week.
Samson Nacua, the older brother of Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua, has been arrested for allegedly stealing a car belonging to Los Angeles Lakers forward Adou Thiero, NBC4 Los Angeles reported on Wednesday. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department says that Samson was one of two men arrested last weekend for supposedly taking Thiero’s SUV without his consent.
The vehicle was tracked to the One Hotel in West Hollywood, Calif., where the two men are said to have valeted the car prior to entering the hotel. After reviewing security footage, sheriff’s deputies identified and located the suspects and took them into custody on suspicion of stealing the SUV.
The suspects were identified as Samson and one Trey Rose, both 27 years old. Now they are each facing a charge of taking a vehicle without consent, and they both reportedly remain in jail. You can read NBC4 Los Angeles’ full report on the situation here.
Samson is himself a pro wide receiver who previously played with his younger brother Puka in college at BYU. After going undrafted in 2022, Samson spent time on the offseason rosters of the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints (once making a crazy play in a preseason game for the Saints). He had most recently played professionally for the Michigan Panthers of the United Football League (UFL) earlier this year.
You may recall that Samson was also recently investigated over a video of him slapping a fan during a UFL game.
As for Theiro, he is a 21-year-old rookie forward for the Lakers who went to them with the No. 36 overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft. Theiro, who played his college ball at Kentucky before transferring over to Arkansas, has averaged just 1.1 points per game over nine appearances for the Lakers this season. After being involved in a notable game-ball controversy earlier this year, Thiero now finds himself as the alleged victim of a criminal situation.
