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Johnny Manziel replaced as ‘GameDay’ picker after night out in Miami

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Johnny Manziel is still partying a little bit too hard for his own good at times.

Manziel had been announced as the celebrity guest picker for ESPN’s “College GameDay” on Friday. Manziel was a logical choice, as his former school, Texas A&M, was making its College Football Playoff debut on Saturday.

Based on his Instagram story, however, Manziel did not have that obligation on his mind. Videos he posted to his Instagram reel showed him in Miami attending the Anthony Joshua vs. Jake Paul fight and partying at Miami Beach.

Manziel was not even in the right city. The Aggies’ playoff game was in College Station, Tex.

As a result of Manziel’s lack of availability, ESPN quietly drafted in Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso, another Texas A&M alum, as their guest picker instead. A TikTok video from Caruso’s wife Haleigh indicated that Caruso was very much brought in at the last minute.

Some things never change. Manziel partying a bit too hard and forsaking his obligations would be one of them.

It is a shame, since we know Manziel does still pay attention to college football. Seeing him at Saturday’s playoff game on campus would have been quite the scene, but ultimately, we did not get it. To make matters worse, Texas A&M lost the game 10-3, ending their season with a whimper.

DJ Moore had the most fitting reaction to his touchdown catch

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D.J. Moore caught the winning touchdown pass for his Chicago Bears on Saturday night and had the most fitting reaction afterwards.

The Bears beat the Green Bay Packers 22-16 in overtime of their Week 16 game at Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill. Caleb Williams found Moore in the end zone for a 46-yard score to win the game. That came after the Packers had a 4th-and-1 at the Chicago 36 but botched their handoff exchange and turned the ball over on downs.

After Moore made his catch, he laid in the end zone, completely exhausted both physically and emotionally.

That reaction said it all.

The Bears won the game in overtime, beating the rival Packers to solidify their spot in first place in the NFC North. This is all for a team that has finished last in the division three straight years.

It’s one heck of a turnaround, and Moore taking a minute to lay in the end zone captured the feelings in Chicago. Bears fans have been waiting a long time to be back in first place in the NFC North. This is the team’s first winning season since 2018.

Moore had 5 catches for 97 yards and a touchdown in the win. That gives him 48 catches for 664 yards and 6 touchdowns on the season.

Caleb Williams pulled a Steph Curry with icy reaction to his game-winning TD

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Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams knew he walked off the Green Bay Packers the moment the game-winning pass came off his fingertips.

The Bears mounted a miraculous comeback against the Packers that had fans on the edge of their seats at Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill. The home team trailed 16-6 with just over two minutes left.

A wild series of events — chief among them a successful onside kick — allowed the Bears to force overtime, setting the stage for Williams’ game-winning touchdown pass to DJ Moore to seal a stunning 22-16 comeback victory.

One angle of the play showed Williams putting his hands in his pockets instantly after releasing the 46-yard bomb to Moore. Even announcer Tony Romo noticed that Williams seemingly “knew it when he let it go.”

Romo compared Williams to Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry, who is known for celebrating a shot or turning around prior to seeing the ball to go through the net. The difference is that Williams’ rendition came on a game-winner. He celebrated even further after Moore came up with the catch.

Williams finished 19/34 for 250 yards with 2 touchdowns. He also pulled off what will be the crown jewel of Caleb Williams highlight reels for years to come.

Bears stun Packers with ridiculous game-winning touchdown in overtime

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The Chicago Bears pulled off one of the most improbable comebacks in regular-season history Saturday against the Green Bay Packers in front of an incredulous crowd at Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill.

The Bears were all but dead in the closing minutes of the Week 16 matchup, trailing 16-6 with just over two minutes left. A field goal from Bears kicker Cairo Santos cut the deficit to seven right at the two-minute warning.

With time trickling away, Chicago opted for an onside kick. Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs had the ball fall right into his lap, but failed to grab it, allowing Bears cornerback Josh Blackwell to secure possession for the Bears near midfield.

Bears quarterback forced overtime with a game-tying touchdown to Jahdae Walker in the closing seconds, then sealed the deal with an unreal walk-off TD to DJ Moore in the extra period. Chicago sealed the comeback for a 22-16 win.

“That’s one of those plays where we’re sitting in [Bears head coach Ben Johnson’s] office in one of those meetings, talking about that play,” Williams said of his pass to Moore during his postgame interview. “And we knew we could make that play.”

Williams finished 19/34 for 250 yards with a pair of touchdowns. Packers QB Jordan Love left the game after a hard hit in the second quarter and was later ruled out due to a concussion.

After years of getting tormented by the Aaron Rodgers-led Packers in the regular season, the Bears finally got a little taste of revenge on Saturday night.

Alex Bregman linked to 1 new AL contender

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Alex Bregman may potentially be taking his talents elsewhere in the division.

The Toronto Blue Jays have emerged as a new suitor for the free agent third baseman Bregman, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported on Saturday. Rosenthal adds that Blue Jays officials have recently been in contact with Bregman’s agent Scott Boras and notes that Bregman would be a fit for Toronto’s defensive alignment.

Bregman, the 31-year-old three-time All-Star, remains a free agent this winter after spending last season in the AL East with the Boston Red Sox. He batted .273 with 18 home runs and 62 RBIs but appeared in just 114 games due to a midseason quad strain.

The righty-hitting Bregman would hypothetically remain at third base for the Blue Jays, Rosenthal adds. That would then result in Ernie Clement shifting to second base and Addison Barger moving into right field.

After falling in seven tightly-contested games to the Los Angeles Dodgers during the 2025 World Series, the Blue Jays are shooting for the stars this offseason. They signed Dylan Cease to a $210 million deal last month and have added fellow pitchers Cody Ponce ($30 million) and Tyler Rogers ($37 million) on sizable contracts as well.

Earlier this month, we heard that Toronto was also in the mix for free agent big fish Kyle Tucker. Even if the Blue Jays have to worry about Bo Bichette’s continued free agency too, now you can count them in on the two-time World Series champion Bregman (who had another surprise team join his sweepstakes a few days ago).

Packers’ Romeo Doubs commits huge blunder in final minutes vs. Bears

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The Chicago Bears stayed alive on Saturday thanks to an ill-timed error from Green Bay Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs.

The Bears kicked a field goal to get within 16-9 of the Packers with under two minutes to play at Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill. The home team took a gamble with an onside kick, and it paid off big time.

Bears kicker Cairo Santos squibbed the ball right into the hands of Doubs, who could have virtually sealed the game with a safe grab. But the ball took an awkward bounce and eluded Doubs. Chicago cornerback Josh Blackwell secured the ball in the dogpile, which gave the Bears possession right at midfield.

Doubs had been having a terrific game up to that point. He had caught the Packers’ only touchdown of the contest, tallying five catches for 84 yards.

The Bears made sure not to waste the blessing from the football gods. Facing 4th-and-4 with about 30 seconds left, Caleb Williams found undrafted rookie receiver Jahdae Walker for a touchdown in the corner of the end zone.

Santos converted on the extra point to tie the score at 16 and send the game into overtime.

Doubs’ miscue proved to be the beginning of the end for the Packers. The Bears walked them off in overtime via an incredible touchdown grab made by wide receiver DJ Moore.

Bruce Brown accuses Kevin Durant of disrespecting him

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There was no love lost between two former Brooklyn Nets teammates over the weekend.

Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets faced off on Saturday against Bruce Brown and the Denver Nuggets. In the third quarter at Ball Arena in Denver, Colo., Brown hit a floater to cut the Houston lead to seven points.

Immediately after making the shot, Brown went up to Durant and started talking trash in his face. Durant then returned fire at Brown, causing teammates and referees to get between the two as the situation gradually escalated.

After the game, which the Rockets went on to win 115-101, Brown accused Durant of disrespecting him.

“As a man, there are certain things you don’t say to another man,” Brown said in his postgame press conference.

Durant then responded to that remark from Brown during his own media session. The former NBA MVP said that he said “no respect” and “no love” for Brown and added that, “Some people can talk and play. Some people can’t.”

For context, Durant and Brown were teammates on the Nets for two seasons from 2020-22. But the two players had a complicated relationship as Durant once even openly called out Brown over some public remarks Brown made. There were also rumors that Durant supposedly did not want Brown back in Brooklyn.

Jordan Love leaves game after taking controversial helmet-to-helmet hit

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Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love exited Saturday’s game in the second quarter after taking a vicious hit from Chicago Bears defensive end Austin Booker.

Love entered concussion protocol after a helmet-to-helmet hit from Booker sent him to the ground at Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill. Love winced as he fell to the grass, grabbing his helmet in apparent discomfort.

Booker was flagged for unnecessary roughness on the play, which cost the Bears 15 yards. The ruling drew controversy as Love appeared to lower his helmet as Booker came rushing toward him.

Some fans argued that Booker should not have been penalized, given Love arguably placed himself in a vulnerable position with his lowered helmet.

Love was soon ruled out of the game with a concussion. The team announced the news at the beginning of the second half. His night ended with an 8/13 passing clip for 77 yards. Backup quarterback Malik Willis came in to replace him.

Draymond Green gets ejected after shoving Collin Gillespie

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Draymond Green has found himself back in the principal’s office once again.

The Golden State Warriors forward Green was thrown out of Saturday’s game against the Phoenix Suns. During the second quarter at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., Green was running back up the floor and shoved Phoenix guard Collin Gillespie, who had stopped in front of him.

Green then started arguing with referee Pat Fraher, dropping profanities along the way. For that, Fraher issued Green two technical fouls and ejected him.

The former Defensive Player of the Year Green was also seen seemingly yelling, “White boy!” at Gillespie after being ejected.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr was also issued a technical foul for arguing with the officials during the sequence. That resulted in three total free throws being awarded to the Suns, two of which Gillespie went on to make.

Surprisingly enough, that was actually Green’s first ejection of the season (some 29 games in). While those kinds of antics are not at all surprising for the notoriously combative Green, the Warriors did just have a heated game against the Suns on Thursday (featuring Dillon Brooks hitting Steph Curry with a dangerous flagrant foul).

Terry Bradshaw faces calls to retire after slip-up on Packers

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Terry Bradshaw might want to take back something he said prior to the start of Saturday’s game between the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears.

Just before the start of the game at Soldier Field in Chicago, Ill., 77-year-old Bradshaw was asked by fellow NFL on FOX analyst Howie Long about how the Packers should handle the absence of star pass rusher Micah Parsons.

Bradshaw, however, confused which team Parsons’ absence affects. He said it would benefit Packers quarterback Jordan Love rather than Bears quarterback Caleb Williams.

“If I’m [Jordan] Love, I’m going, ‘No [Micah] Parsons, ‘Yes!’” Bradshaw said with conviction.

You can watch Bradshaw’s confusing statement here:

Meanwhile, several fans took the opportunity to express their desire to see Bradshaw call it a career.

Bradshaw may have been so excited about the crucial Packers-Bears showdown that he couldn’t organize his thoughts before sharing his take.

As a refresher, Parsons was traded by the Dallas Cowboys to Green Bay just before the start of the 2025 season in exchange for defensive tackle Kenny Clark and a couple of future draft picks. He is also done for the remainder of the campaign after suffering a devastating knee injury in a Week 15 Packers loss to the Denver Broncos.  

The winner of this Packers-Bears matchup could very likely determine who ends up taking the NFC North title.

Cowboys get meme treatment after finally getting eliminated from playoffs

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The Dallas Cowboys are mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, and fans are not staying quiet about it.

The Cowboys entered Week 16 with less than a 1% chance of sneaking into the postseason. Dallas needed to win each of its last three games, while the Philadelphia Eagles had to lose out the rest of the way for it to happen.

Cowboys fans dreaming of such a miraculous finish were disappointed Saturday when the Eagles clinched the NFC East division crown via a chippy win over the Washington Commanders.

The roasting of the Cowboys finally began in earnest, with several fans clowning “American’s Team” for not even getting a chance to end their conference championship game drought.

The Cowboys have not made the NFC Conference Championship Game since the franchise last won the Super Bowl in 1995. That’s a full three decades of postseason futility for Dallas, while every other NFC team has made the conference title game at least once since 2010.

Most fans — and even Dak Prescott himself — accepted that the Cowboys were already virtually out of playoff contention as of last week. If anything, the swift elimination kept fans from holding out any false hope for any longer.

Report: Dolphins offered four 1st-round picks in trade for Joe Burrow

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The Cincinnati Bengals will not be playing playoff football for the third season in a row, but that doesn’t mean there is nothing to be discussed about the AFC North franchise.

With rumors swirling about the future of quarterback Joe Burrow in Cincinnati, the Bengals have found themselves in the headlines, just as playoff races across the league get more intense.

One team that could potentially make a run for Burrow in the offseason is the Miami Dolphins. The belief that Miami is setting its sights on another attempt to pursue Burrow has gotten stronger of late — especially after the team decided to bench Tua Tagovailoa following a Week 15 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

Furthermore, Adam Schefter of ESPN reminded everyone of the interest the Dolphins had in Burrow before the quarterback even turned pro. 

“Before the 2020 NFL draft, the Dolphins offered the Bengals four first-round picks in exchange for the No. 1 selection and the ability to draft Burrow, league sources told ESPN,” Schefter shared on Saturday.

This is not exactly fresh information, but it is worth revisiting, considering recent news concerning Burrow and Tagovailoa.

Within just two years of drafting Burrow, the Bengals won the AFC title and represented the conference in the Super Bowl in 2022, while the Dolphins, who took Tagovailoa fifth overall in the same draft class, have appeared in only two playoff games since.

Fans concerned after Brandon Aiyuk posted bizarre video of him speeding past Levi’s Stadium

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Fans are growing concerned over the recent behavior exhibited by Brandon Aiyuk.

The San Francisco 49ers wide receiver on Saturday uploaded a strange YouTube video of himself taking his Cadillac CT5 V Blackwing out for a spin. Aiyuk went over 100 mph several times and made sure to do the same once he went past Levi’s Stadium, the 49ers’ home venue in Santa Clara, Calif.

With the stadium in his view, Aiyuk turned up his music and started singing along.

Several fans expressed their unease about the clip, with many believing Aiyuk was showing signs of dealing with mental health issues.

The San Francisco 49ers wide receiver suffered a torn ACL and MCL last October and has not played since. The Niners were previously targeting a Week 5 return for their star wideout.

However, Aiyuk’s rehab did not go as smoothly as planned. 49ers general manager John Lynch confirmed in September that Aiyuk damaged more than just his ACL and MCL. Aiyuk and the 49ers reportedly did not see eye-to-eye on his recovery process, with the Arizona State alum missing several rehab appointments with the team.

The 49ers used Aiyuk’s insubordination to void the $25 million guarantee in his contract for next season, likely sealing his exit from the team in the offseason. San Francisco also added him to the reserve/left squad list last week, which makes him ineligible to return this season.

Tyler Steen, Javon Kinlaw, Quan Martin ejected for fighting during Eagles-Commanders game

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Three players were ejected from Saturday’s Week 16 game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Md., for fighting.

The Eagles had just scored a touchdown to make it 27-10 with 4:26 left, and they decided to go for two. Saquon Barkley took a handoff and rushed to the left for the points to make it 29-10. A fight broke out during the play, with Eagles offensive lineman Tyler Steen exchanging shoves with multiple Commanders players, including Quan Martin. Javon Kinlaw appeared to punch Steen too.

Steen, Martin and Kinlaw were all ejected from the game.

The Commanders responded with a touchdown after getting the ball back, and they added a two-point conversion to make it 29-18. They were trying to keep the final score respectable as they finish out the season. The Commanders are now 4-11, a year after going 12-5 and making the playoffs.

The Eagles improved to 10-5 with the win and clinched the NFC East. They are the first repeat division winners since they did it from 2001-2004.

Jaylen Brown comes clean on ‘negative’ Scottie Barnes description

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Jaylen Brown finally set the record straight on a comment he made about Scottie Barnes following a Dec. 7 encounter between the Boston Celtics and the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

It can be recalled that Brown praised Barnes after that contest, saying that the Toronto forward “got that extra chromosome.” 

Although Brown meant that positively, many fans thought it was not the best way to describe Barnes.

During an appearance on an episode of “White Noise Podcast w/Derrick & Welsh” podcast that was uploaded on Saturday, Brown took time to clarify what he said. 

“For Scottie, I didn’t know people were teasing him about it, as transcribed by X account @MrBuckBuckNBA. 

“So I apologize. I was trying to give him a compliment on how strong he was. When I said extra chr*mosome people looked at it as negative, but I was thinking Superman, Incredible Hulk… An extra chr*mosome would be a benefit.”

Brown is widely considered one of the smartest players in the league, on and off the court, so he likely knew what he was talking about when he expressed his admiration for Barnes, who had 18 points on 6-for-12 shooting and 11 rebounds in the Raptors’ 121–113 win in the first meeting of the 2025–26 campaign between Toronto and Boston.

He probably just did not expect his comment to go viral.

Eagles hit with unfortunate news on key defender during Commanders game

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The Philadelphia Eagles just lost a key piece of their defense to injury in Saturday night’s Week 16 game against the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Md.

Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean left the field amid the team’s second defensive drive of the contest with an apparent lower-body injury. Philadelphia initially labeled him questionable to return with a hamstring issue before announcing that he would be done for the rest of the evening.

Dean concluded his night with a total of 2 tackles (1 solo), as he leaves the rest of Philadelphia’s stop unit to weather Washington’s attack.

Losing Dean is a big blow for the Eagles, considering what he’s capable of when healthy. He entered Week 16 with a 92.3 pass rush grade, good for second-best overall in the league among 88 linebackers. 

The former Georgia Bulldogs star had a delayed start to his 2025 season, as he missed the Eagles’ first five games, as he recovered from a torn patellar tendon in his left knee that he suffered in a playoff game against the Green Bay Packers in a 2025 NFL playoff game against the Green Bay Packers.

The Eagles can clinch a playoff spot with a win over Washington, though they will still have to hope for the best regarding Dean’s status.

Eagles fans all said the same thing about kicker Jake Elliott

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The Philadelphia Eagles had another rough first half on offense during Saturday’s game against the Washington Commanders, but nobody had it worse than kicker Jake Elliott.

Elliott missed three field goals in the first half of the game at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Md., all of them off to the left. One of the misses was nullified by a penalty, but Elliott missed the kick again from even closer.

With his two official misses on Saturday, Elliott has now missed six of his last ten field goal attempts. That had Eagles fans ready to say farewell to him despite his status as a franchise legend.

Elliott has spent his entire career with the Eagles and was part of both of the franchise’s Super Bowl wins. He is also one of the most highly-paid kickers in the NFL at $6 million a year, which might present a significant issue if the Eagles decide it is time to move on.

This is not the first time Elliott has gone through a spell of bad kicking. In the past, he has managed to stabilize himself, but the Eagles have to be at least a little concerned about what has happened to him over the last few weeks.

North Carolina beats Ohio State on stunning lucky play

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The No. 12 North Carolina Tar Heels can thank Henri Veesaar for escaping Saturday’s game against the Ohio State Buckeyes with a 71-70 victory at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Ga.

With the Tar Heels down by a point with just seconds left in the second half, North Carolina star guard Seth Trimble tried to attack the basket but lost possession of the ball while trying to execute a spin move.

Fortunately for North Carolina, junior center Veesaar was there to recover the leather before seeing a wide-open opportunity to score. Veesaar rose for an uncontested and emphatic two-handed throwdown to give the Tar Heels a one-point lead, with 7.2 ticks left in regulation.

You can watch Veesaar’s heroic bucket here:

Although Ohio State still had ample time to find a way to get the lead back, the Buckeyes failed to capitalize on the opportunity, as they missed both desperation shots down the stretch.

Veesaar finished the game with 17 points on 7-for-12 shooting with 10 rebounds, 5 assists and a block. The Tar Heels were led on offense by Caleb Wilson, who came up with 20 points on 9-for-16 shooting to go along with 15 boards, 3 blocks and 2 assists in an all-around performance that helped North Carolina notch its 11th win against a loss in the 2025-26 college basketball season.

Looking ahead, North Carolina will face the East Carolina Pirates on Monday at Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill, N.C.

Report: Dolphins plan to move on from Tua Tagovailoa

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Tua Tagovailoa’s time with the Miami Dolphins appears to be over.

The Dolphins decided to bench the former Alabama Crimson Tide star quarterback for the remainder of the 2025 NFL season, following Miami’s 28-15 loss in Week 15 to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The loss eliminated Miami from NFL playoff contention and was seemingly the final straw for the Fins on Tagovailoa, who threw his 15th interception of the season in that contest.

It will be rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers handling the QB1 chores for the Dolphins the rest of the way, as the team looks to address their situation with Tagovailoa.

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Dolphins “are prepared to move on” from Tagovailoa in the coming offseason.

However, getting rid of Tagovailoa is going to be easier said than done.

As noted by Schefter, the Dolphins still owe Tagovailoa $54 million guaranteed in the 2026 NFL season. In addition, $3 million of the signal-caller’s salary in 2026 will become guaranteed money on March 15.

If the Dolphins cut Tagovailoa, that would incur a historic dead money salary cap charge of $99 million for the team. Meanwhile, trading Tagovailoa would also require Miami to find a team willing to take on his salary, while also likely parting ways with significant draft capital.

Whatever the Dolphins end up doing with Tagovailoa, it will surely send shockwaves across the league.

Top candidate emerges for Titans head coach job

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The Tennessee Titans have had a head coach opening for months now, and their list of targets appears to be made up already.

Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy is seen as a “serious candidate” to land the job, according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic. Nagy previously spent four seasons coaching the Chicago Bears.

Nagy is far from the Titans’ only choice. They also plan to speak to a number of defensive coordinators, including Lou Anarumo of the Colts, Jeff Hafley of the Packers, and Jesse Minter of the Chargers.

Russini notes that the Titans are hopeful of hiring a coach who can rebuild the team’s culture and identity. That may be a big reason for the attraction to Nagy, who won plaudits for his leadership while coaching the Bears. He went 12-4 in his first season with Chicago, but never reached those same heights again.

Another thing working in Nagy’s favor could be Titans GM Mike Borgonzi. Borgonzi was previously part of the Chiefs’ front office and knows Nagy well from their shared time there.

Nagy’s name has consistently come up in relation to the Titans since Brian Callahan was fired in October, though there are some other names to watch as well.

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