Knicks benchwarmers had the best reaction after team cashed in on NBA Cup prize money
New York Knicks reserves celebrated like kids on Christmas morning after the team won the 2025 NBA Cup at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev.
The Knicks outlasted the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday in a 124-113 title game clash that was much closer than the final score suggests. The win earned the Knicks franchise its first piece of hardware since 1973. The victory also secured prize money for every Knicks player on the roster, which is undoubtedly what had the bench jumping for joy more than any historical significance.
As the final buzzer sounded, Karl-Anthony Towns beckoned for the bench mob to storm the court. Several Knicks players who never took the floor during the actual game cheered as if the team had just been a part of an NBA championship run.
The New York Knicks just won their first trophy in 52 years.pic.twitter.com/qiGCtO3Ngz
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) December 17, 2025
Knicks head coach Mike Brown and every player on the main roster each earned $530,000 in prize money from winning this year’s NBA Cup. Two-way players also got blessed with a fraction of the prize.
According to The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III, Jalen Brunson and some of the Knicks players also have an internal arrangement to share some of their newfound wealth with other staff members and employees.
For max players like Towns or Brunson, the money won’t have much impact on their net worth. But for end-of-the-bench guys like Ariel Hukporti and Mohamed Diawara, or two-way players Trey Jemison III, Tosan Evbuomwan, and Kevin McCullar Jr., that money will be life-changing.
Second-year guard Tyler Kolek gained an NBA Cup bonus worth about a fourth of his $2.2 million salary for the 2025-26 season. Kolek was the lowest-salaried player to make the biggest impact during Tuesday’s game. He finished with 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists off the bench.
When the Knicks made the NBA Cup quarterfinals last season and earned each player $50,000, Kolek bought his mom a new car. Kolek vowed to get his dad something this time around. With 10 times the budget he had last year, Papa Kolek is probably dreaming big this holiday season.
Jalen Brunson misses out on unanimous NBA Cup MVP by 1 voter
Jalen Brunson now has his own Fred Hickman.
The New York Knicks star Brunson helped lead his team to victory in Tuesday’s NBA Cup final against the San Antonio Spurs. Brunson finished with 25 points on 11/27 shooting to go along with four rebounds and eight assists as the Knicks won at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. by a 124-113 final score.
As a result of the victory, Brunson ended up taking home the NBA Cup MVP Award. Brunson earned 19 total votes for the award … but was unable to win unanimously because one voter had cast his ballot for Knicks forward OG Anunoby instead.
That voter was Steve McGehee of News 9 in Oklahoma. Here are the full voting results.
The voting results, leading to Jalen Brunson almost unanimously winning the NBA Cup MVP award. pic.twitter.com/vmCYWYPsoT
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) December 17, 2025
Anunoby actually outscored Brunson and was more efficient in doing so as well, finishing Tuesday’s final with a game-high 28 points on 10/17 shooting. But the NBA Cup MVP Award weighed performance in all seven NBA Cup games that the Knicks played this season (including during the group stage). That swung the needle in Brunson’s favor for 19 of the 20 voters.
A unanimous award win isn’t worth much more than a regular award win besides the bragging rights and the future trivia question material. As such, the tournament MVP win was a very nice bow on top for the two-time All-Star Brunson, who had some very animated moments over the course of NBA Cup play this season.
Report: Athletics got stiffed by ex-Gold Glove winner in free agency
One MLB free agent was apparently willing to turn down longer-term financial security in favor of not having to play for the Athletics.
Veteran infielder Ha-Seong Kim signed a new deal with the Atlanta Braves this earlier this week (after already finishing out the last month of the 2025 season with Atlanta). Kim’s new contract with the Braves is for one year and $20 million.
On Tuesday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic made an interesting revelation about Kim’s free agency. Rosenthal reports that the Athletics offered Kim a four-year, $48 million contract (with “room to grow” as well). However, Kim turned that deal down in order to re-sign with Atlanta on a smaller and shorter contract.
Kim, 30, is a righty hitter who won a Gold Glove Award with the San Diego Padres in 2023. He then left to sign with the Tampa Bay Rays before the 2025 season but had a down year after getting a late start thanks to offseason shoulder surgery. Overall last season, Kim hit .234 with five homers, 17 RBIs, and six stolen bases through just 48 total games.
It is very possible that Kim is simply betting on himself to have a big year in 2026 and wants to give himself an opportunity to return to free agency next winter for a shot at even more money. But the Athletics were offering him a lot of money already (an extra $28 million in total, albeit on an average annual value of just $12 million), and Kim turned it down.
The Athletics do not exactly have the best reputation these days either as a franchise with an unpopular and tight-fisted owner in John Fisher running the show. While the team has been spending on free agents over the last couple of offseasons, that has seemingly been motivated by revenue sharing considerations and has not extended to other areas of franchise infrastructure.
Even the Athletics’ temporary home of Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, Calif. (a minor league ballpark which is housing the team until their new stadium in Las Vegas is ready to open) is looking extremely inadequate. Apparently, Kim did not want have to deal with any of that and chose instead to re-up with the Braves for far less guaranteed money.
LSU interim head coach Frank Wilson is joining Ole Miss staff
Ole Miss is getting a little revenge on LSU for poaching away Lane Kiffin.
LSU interim head coach Frank Wilson is reportedly set to join Pete Golding’s staff at Ole Miss. According to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz and Chris Hummer, Wilson is expected to depart the team following the Tigers’ bowl game against Houston on December 27.
Pete Golding is expected to hire LSU interim head coach Frank Wilson to the Ole Miss staff following LSU's bowl game, sources tell me and @chris_hummer.
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) December 17, 2025
Upon Wilson taking the UTSA head coaching job in 2016, Wilson's first hire was Golding as DC. Wilson will return to Oxford,… pic.twitter.com/moFBS4uuyR
Wilson reportedly informed LSU players and staff of the decision during a meeting held on Tuesday.
The move adds even more tension between LSU and Ole Miss. While some may assume that the Wilson hiring was out of spite, the departing LSU associate head coach has ties to both Golding and the Rebels’ football program.
Ole Miss provided Wilson with his major gig as a college football coach. He was the Rebels’ running backs coach from 2005 to 2007 under another very familiar name to LSU fans, Ed Orgeron.
When Wilson was hired as UTSA’s head coach in 2016, he called upon Golding to serve as his defensive coordinator. The two spent two seasons together before Nick Saban hired Golding as a defensive assistant at Alabama. Golding was named Kiffin’s successor last month after two seasons as Lane’s defensive coordinator.
Giants make a decision on kicker Younghoe Koo after blunder
Younghoe Koo did not even make it three weeks after his “Monday Night Football” foul-up.
The New York Giants announced on Tuesday that they have decided to waive the veteran kicker Koo. New York has claimed linebacker Caleb Murphy off waivers from the New England Patriots, and they are thus parting ways with Koo to make room for Murphy on their roster.
Koo, the 30-year-old former Pro Bowler, signed with the Giants’ practice squad in September and became their No. 1 kicker by Week 10 after an injury to starter Graham Gano. But Koo had an all-time blooper in Week 13 against the New England Patriots when he humiliatingly missed the football entirely on a field goal attempt and instead ended up slamming his foot into the turf (see the video here).
After that game, Koo offered an extremely lame excuse for his awful whiff. Now the Giants, who have long been eliminated from the playoff race at a fetid 2-12, are moving on from Koo. That now puts undrafted rookie Ben Sauls in line to finish out the year as the team’s starting placekicker.
Koo finishes his Giants tenure having gone 4/6 (66.7 percent) on field goals and 11/12 (91.7 percent) on extra points through five total games. He also missed two field goals on Sunday in a 29-21 loss to the Washington Commanders, which may have really sealed Koo’s fate.
Interestingly enough, Koo’s doozy against the Patriots didn’t actually count as a field goal attempt since he missed the ball altogether. But just 15 days after that gaffe, Koo now finds himself off the Giants’ roster entirely.
Spike Lee talks trash to De’Aaron Fox during NBA Cup final
Spike Lee went Spike Lee during Tuesday’s NBA Cup final.
The famous film director and longtime New York Knicks fanatic Lee was sitting courtside for Tuesday’s final between the Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. During the second quarter of the contest, Spurs star De’Aaron Fox picked up a non-shooting foul for pushing Knicks counterpart Jalen Brunson.
The foul by Fox happened right in front of Lee’s seat. In response, Lee started talking trash to Fox.
“You can’t do that,” Lee was seen saying to Fox while making a shoving motion with his arms. Here is the video.
Spike Lee telling D fox "You cant do that!" after his foul call pic.twitter.com/TWbFotjPrQ
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) December 17, 2025
Fox did not exactly pay Lee much attention there. But you can’t blame the “Do The Right Thing” director for trying everything that he could to get into Fox’s head.
The former All-Star Fox led the way for the Spurs in the first half of Tuesday’s game, producing nine points and eight assists by halftime as San Antonio took a narrow 61-59 lead into the break. As for Lee, now 68 years old, he continues to be a fixture at Knicks games and has also gotten into it with other rival stars in recent years (including Denver’s Nikola Jokic).
1 frontrunner emerging to trade for Ketel Marte
Ketel Marte might potentially be headed back to the American League.
The Boston Red Sox have emerged as the frontrunners to trade for the Arizona Diamondbacks star second baseman Marte, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reported Tuesday during an MLB Network appearance. Feinsand characterized the Red Sox as the “No. 1 team in” on Marte right now.
Marte, 32, is a three-time MLB All-Star who has been with the Diamondbacks since 2017, making him their longest-tenured player. But Arizona sold heavy at the 2025 trade deadline, and Marte was also reported to have caused some issues within the clubhouse last season. As such, the talented switch-hitter has emerged as one of the top MLB trade candidates this offseason.
When it comes to the Red Sox, they won 89 games last season and earned a playoff berth but lost in the AL Wild Card series to the hated New York Yankees. Now it appears that Boston intends to be a major player on the market this offseason. They did already swing a big trade for a well-known pitcher a few weeks ago too.
At the same time, the Red Sox badly need to upgrade at second base as 23-year-old Kristian Campbell was a negative WAR player at the position in 2025 and David Hamilton was almost as bad as a .198 batter overall on the year. This is not the first time either that they have been linked to Marte, who hit .283 with 28 home runs and 72 RBIs in 2025 and is also a strong defender.
We recently learned that Marte, who is signed through at least 2030, had a Red Sox rival on his no-trade list this offseason. That might really endear him to the Boston fanbase, especially if the Red Sox do end up swinging a move for Marte.
Angels land 2-time All-Star pitcher
The Los Angeles Angels are shoring up their bullpen with a former All-Star closer.
The Angels have agreed to sign right-handed relief pitcher Jordan Romano in free agency. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the contract is a one-year deal worth $2 million.
Passan himself labeled the move as a “reclamation project” for the Angels. Romano was once the lights-off closer for the Toronto Blue Jays from 2021 to 2023. He maintained a stellar 2.37 ERA throughout that span and recorded 95 saves across 186.0 innings pitched. Romano earned All-Star nods in both 2022 and 2023.
The Angels signed both Romano and fellow former All-Star Drew Pomeranz on the same day. The team announced the pair of moves on social media.
OFFICIAL: The Angels have agreed to one-year contracts with LHP Drew Pomeranz and RHP Jordan Romano. pic.twitter.com/glo1e0RA7L
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) December 17, 2025
Romano’s performance on the mound tanked in 2024 as he dealt with a right elbow injury that limited him to just 15 games. He had a bloated ERA of 6.59 across 13.2 innings pitched, which eventually pushed the Blue Jays to part ways with Romano.
The Philadelphia Phillies signed Romano last offseason with the intent of helping him regain his All-Star form. However, his play regressed even further. He had an 8.23 ERA in 49 games played for the Phillies.
Taking a flier on a former stud like Romano makes sense for the Angels, who had the worst bullpen in the American League last season. The team’s 4.86 ERA among relievers was the highest in the AL.
Anthony Davis linked to 2 new teams in trade rumors
Anthony Davis trade rumors are not going away any time soon, and now two interesting new teams may be trying to get in on the fun.
The Toronto Raptors are expected to show interest in the Dallas Mavericks star big man Davis ahead of the trade deadline, veteran NBA writer Jake Fischer reported to Substack on Tuesday. Fischer notes that the Raptors might also be interested in Sacramento Kings big man Domantas Sabonis.
Fischer then reported on a Bleacher Report video stream later in the day Tuesday that the Miami Heat could pursue Davis as well. Noting that Davis paired well with Heat big man Bam Adebayo for Team USA during the 2024 Paris Olympics, Fischer suggested that Miami could be in on Davis if they are unable to land Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo via trade instead.
Both the 16-11 Raptors and the 14-12 Heat are on the fringe of legitimate contention, especially in a wide-open Eastern Conference. Though Davis is 32 years old now and is very often injured, that means he may be had for a more reasonable price than Antetokounmpo and other marquee NBA trade targets.
Davis is averaging 20.0 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game for Dallas this season but has been limited to 11 total games played, in large part due to a lingering calf injury. He is making $54.1 million this season and $58.5 million next season and also has a monster $62.8 million player option for 2027-28.
With the Mavericks still steadily sinking this year at 10-17, they will have a big decision to make on their veteran pieces before the Feb. 5 trade deadline. Davis is arguably drawing the most interest on the trade market right now and has already been linked to multiple contenders over the last several weeks.
Bill Self gives unfortunate update on Kansas Jayhawks star
Kansas head coach Bill Self gave some unfortunate news on Tuesday regarding the status of freshman Darryn Peterson.
The Kansas Jayhawks finally Peterson back on the floor for two straight games after he missed seven in a row with a hamstring injury. The star freshman scored 43 points with 7 rebounds and 6 assists combined in his first two college games before suffering the injury in November.
On Saturday against North Carolina State, Peterson scored 17 points with 5 rebounds and 4 assists, giving everyone a glimpse of the potential No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. It marked the second straight game where he had scored 17 points.
However, just before the Jayhawks’ game against Towson on Tuesday, Self gave some unfortunate news regarding Peterson’s status.
“Darryn experienced cramping in his quad against NC State on Saturday and felt similar in practice yesterday. He is not able to compete at full strength. He will not play tonight against Towson. He will continue to work tirelessly and prepare to compete with his teammates and represent Kansas in the very near future,” Self said in a statement posted on the Kansas X page.
Peterson sat out the end of the NC State game on Saturday due to cramping.
In four games, Peterson is averaging 19.3 points with 3.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists while shooting 52% from the field and 42% from 3-point range.
Some fans were wondering if Peterson’s previous injury absence was intentional, although Self said that the layoff “frustrates” Peterson.
Kansas has an 8-3 record this season, with their losses coming against North Carolina, Duke and UConn.
Peterson is ranked No. 2 in the SC Next 100 behind BYU star AJ Dybansta. In November, Jeremy Woo of ESPN had Peterson going No. 1 overall to the Brooklyn Nets in a 2026 NBA mock draft.
For now, Peterson will work on getting healthy again. Kansas faces Towson and then Davidson before beginning Big 12 Conference play against UCF on January 3.
Terence Crawford shares reason behind his sudden retirement from boxing
Five-division world champion Terence Crawford is hanging up his boxing gloves.
The 38-year-old boxing superstar announced his retirement from the sport on Tuesday through various posts on social media.
The Omaha, Nebraska, native uploaded a video montage on Instagram and YouTube showing various highlights throughout his career. The thumbnail of the video was a pair of his signature gloves dangling from the side of a ring.
“Walking away as a great with nothing else left to prove,” Crawford captioned the post.
Crawford shed light into his decision in the five-minute clip.
“Every fighter knows this moment would come,” Crawford narrated. “You just never know when. … This sport gave me everything. I fought for my family. I fought for my city. I fought for the kid I used to be, the one who had nothing but a dream and a pair of gloves, and I did it all my way.
“I gave this sport every breath I had, every scar, every triumph, every ounce of my heart, and I’ve made peace with what’s next. And now, it’s time.
“… I’m stepping away from competition not because I’m done fighting, but because I’ve won a different kind of battle: The one where you walk away on your own terms.”
Crawford expressed his gratitude to his boxing team, his promoters, his fans, and his friends and family. He even extended thanks to his haters and the various opponents who pushed him “to places I didn’t know I could go.”
The southpaw finished his career with a spotless 42-0 record, recording signature wins over Errol Spence Jr. and, most recently, Canelo Alvarez.
The five-division world champion earned a unanimous decision victory over Alvarez in September to become the undisputed super middleweight champion. Crawford famously dominated the previously undefeated Spence in their July 2023 bout, earning a technical knockout win after the referee called the fight in the ninth round.
Crawford was never knocked down once throughout his professional career, nor did a single judge ever score a fight in favor of one of his opponents.
Rangers bringing back former World Series champion
The Texas Rangers are coming off an 81-81 record and a third-place finish in the American League West. Bruce Bochy stepped down as the manager, and Skip Schumaker got the job in Texas.
This offseason, the Rangers have made a couple of moves already. They traded Marcus Semien to the New York Mets in exchange for Brandon Nimmo and watched Adolis Garcia leave for a deal with the Philadelphia Phillies.
On Tuesday, the Rangers agreed to a reunion with pitcher Chris Martin, bringing him back on a one-year deal, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
Martin, 39, pitched in 49 games for the Rangers in 2025, going 2-6 with a 2.98 ERA in 42.1 innings. Before coming to Texas, Martin was with the Boston Red Sox for two seasons and spent the 2022 season between the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers. He pitched for Atlanta from 2019-2021 and was part of the Braves’ 2021 World Series-winning team.
Martin has also pitched for the Colorado Rockies and New York Yankees, with another two-year stint with the Rangers from 2018-2019. He spent the 2016 and 2017 seasons playing in Japan, but Martin played high school baseball in Arlington, Texas, just a few miles from Globe Life Stadium.
At the end of the 2024 season, Martin said that 2025 might be his “last year,” but now he is returning to the Rangers for another season.
Martin turns 40 years old in June, but he saw plenty of opportunities for a Rangers staff that had the best ERA in MLB this past season.
Mets ‘very in’ on former NL MVP after Pete Alonso departure
The New York Mets watched slugger Pete Alonso go to the Baltimore Orioles in free agency. The Mets also saw All-Star closer Edwin Diaz leave for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The NL East team is quickly trying to add talent after losing some big pieces. They began the process by signing former Seattle Mariners infielder Jorge Polanco to a two-year, $40 million deal.
Now, the Mets are “very in” on New York Yankees slugger and former National League MVP Cody Bellinger, as Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reported on Tuesday.
The Yankees are also reportedly interested in bringing Bellinger back, but the Mets emerging as an option makes sense after the departure of Alonso.
Belliner spent the first six seasons of his MLB career with the Dodgers, including winning the NL MVP award in 2019 and the World Series in 2020. The Chicago Cubs signed Bellinger to a three-year, $80 million contract in 2023, only to trade him to the Yankees before the 2024 season in a cost-saving move.
With stars such as Alonso and Kyle Schwarber already signing new contracts, Bellinger, Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman are viewed by many people as the biggest hitters on the market.
The Mets traded away Brandon Nimmo earlier in the offseason in a deal with the Texas Rangers, and Bellinger could come in and take over the right field position.
Bellinger hit 28 home runs with 98 RBIs in 152 games for the Yankees this past season, and it would be an easy move going from the Bronx to Queens.
Steve Kerr responds to leaked Joe Lacob email
Steve Kerr responded on Tuesday to the leaked email from Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob.
A Warriors fan had emailed Lacob to vent about the state of the team, which entered play on Tuesday eighth in the Western Conference with a 13-14 record. The fan emailed Lacob with a subject line “please read.”
Here is the text of the email:
“Dear Joe,
Please do something about this team. What [does] Steph [Curry] need to do every night to win? Drop 50 points? Team is [in] need [of] a real second option. Jimmy [Butler’s] tools are being underutilized because he is playing as a power forward due to the small position players. We have no true center.
I am so frustrated.
Thanks,
Justin.”
The fan sent the email on Sunday night, and soon received a reply from Lacob.
“You can’t be as frustrated as me,” Lacob wrote back. “I am working on it. It’s complicated. Style of play. Coaches desires regarding players. League trends. Jimmy is not the problem.”
An angry Warriors fan emailed Warriors owner Joe Lacob, and he actually responded 😅
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) December 16, 2025
(h/t @NBCSWarriors ) pic.twitter.com/pjF368kE4k
The fan posted a screenshot of the entire exchange to Reddit, which is how the story began to receive attention.
Emailed Joe Lacob
byu/Justdutari inwarriors
It’s pretty cool that Lacob responded to the fan, but the fan publishing the contents of a personal email might erode some trust. This is exactly why high-level people typically would not respond to an email like that.
Kerr was asked about the email Tuesday when talking with the media. He tried to brush it aside even though Lacob was critical of the coaches, noting that private comments are not intended to be made public.
“Not a big deal,” Kerr said of the email. “Joe supports me 100 percent. I support him. We have a great connection.”
Kerr also said that the Warriors’ stable organization is one of their strengths.
Steve Kerr on the Joe Lacob email leak about his current frustrations (included “coaches desires regarding players”)
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) December 16, 2025
“Not a big deal.”
“Imagine if everyone’s emails were posted publicly, how tough that would be to live.”
“Joe supports me. I support him.” pic.twitter.com/8FzyRIXyV8
Surprise MLB team joins Alex Bregman sweepstakes
With Pete Alonso and Kyle Schwarber signing new deals during the MLB Winter Meetings, a lot of attention has shifted towards Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker.
Bregman opted out of his contract after just one year with the Boston Red Sox. The Chicago Cubs reportedly showed “renewed interest” in Bregman with Tucker expected to leave, but now a surprising team has joined in on the Bregman discussions.
The Arizona Diamondbacks are “kicking the tires” on a possible Bregman deal, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
The Diamondbacks have floated All-Star second baseman Ketel Marte in trade talks, which would open the way for Jordan Lawlar to move to second and Bregman to slot in at third base if he were to come to Arizona. Arizona having some interest in Bregman is surprising considering they went a middling 80-82 last season, but they are looking to improve.
Bregman signed a three-year, $120 million deal with the Red Sox last offseason, but he is in free agency again and could command an even bigger deal this time around, with ESPN projecting a five-year, $170 million contract for Bregman.
Bregman hit .273 with 18 home runs and 62 RBIs this past season, and he had three-straight 20-home run seasons with the Houston Astros before that. Bregman is a three-time All-Star, two-time World Series winner with the Astros, and has a Gold Glove, Silver Slugger and World Series MVP on his resume.
Last offseason, the Diamondbacks spent big by signing pitcher Corbin Burnes to a six-year, $210 million deal. Now, Arizona is reportedly exploring a Bregman move that could shake things up in the desert.
ESPN analyst makes bold statement about Tua Tagovailoa
Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel hinted at a quarterback change just a day after the 28-15 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa, on Monday night. McDaniel said that “everything is on the table” while admitting the “quarterback play last night was not good enough.”
After the comments surfaced from the Dolphins coach, ESPN analyst and former NFL QB Dan Orlovsky called for Miami to bench Tua Tagovailoa and start former Texas Longhorns star Quinn Ewers.
“I would for the final three start Quinn Ewers,” Orlovsky said during an episode of “NFL Live.” “I’ve seen enough from Tua this year. I don’t know what the future’s going to hold.
“I think it’s time for Miami to bench Tua and see if there’s something those other two guys can bring as a glimmer of hope for their future,” Orlovsky added.
Tagovailoa has thrown for 2,660 yards with 20 touchdowns and a career-worst 15 interceptions this season. He has 4 interceptions in the last five games, and he had two straight games with 3 interceptions in October.
The other QBs on the roster are Ewers and Zach Wilson, but Orlovsky wants to see Ewers get a chance. The former Longhorns star led Texas to a College Football Playoff and was selected in the 7th round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Ewers started the year as the QB3 in Miami, and he has played in just one game, going 5-of-8 for 53 yards against the Cleveland Browns on October 19.
The Dolphins are 6-8 and end the year with games against the Cincinnati Bengals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New England Patriots.
After the struggles with Tagovailoa, it might be time for the Dolphins to see if Ewers has what it takes to be a capable starting QB in the NFL.
Jim Harbaugh opens up about the Sherrone Moore situation
Jim Harbaugh opened up on Tuesday about the firing and ensuing legal troubles of former Michigan coach Sherrone Moore, who was a member of Harbaugh’s Wolverines staff for seven seasons.
In an appearance on “The Dan Patrick Show” Tuesday, Harbaugh was asked about Moore’s firing at Michigan and ensuing personal crisis. While the Los Angeles Chargers coach did not offer too many details, he did say it was a “tragedy.”
“I still don’t have my head wrapped around it,” Harbaugh said. “It’s a tragedy, and just praying for all concerned. I love my alma mater. I love Michigan. But I love the Chargers too, and I’d be doing a disservice if I wasn’t putting all my focus on this game.”
Harbaugh added he and Moore have texted since Moore’s firing and arrest.
“It’s a tragedy. It’s the worst days of his life,” Harbaugh said. “Keep it together and take care of your family. That’s the message.”
Jim Harbaugh shares that he has been in contact with Sherrone Moore since his arrest. pic.twitter.com/vBc8jENFBB
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) December 16, 2025
Harbaugh also said he is playing no part in Michigan’s coaching search.
These comments are a bit more than Harbaugh offered when first asked about the situation last week. He is clearly still close to Moore, but also does not want to make the situation any worse for Michigan, either.
Moore succeeded Harbaugh as Michigan head coach, and had Harbaugh’s endorsement in doing so. He was fired last Wednesday for his involvement in an inappropriate relationship with a staffer. He was then arrested for threatening that staffer, who had allegedly ended the relationship earlier that week and informed school leadership about it.
Jayden Daniels addresses Commanders’ ‘disappointing’ decision
Jayden Daniels’ season is over after seven games after he reaggravated an elbow injury in a Week 14 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, and he is not thrilled about that.
The Washington Commanders quarterback admitted he understood the team’s “disappointing” decision to shut him down for the remainder of the season. He added, however, that it only compounds his frustration after what has already been an abbreviated season.
“I don’t want to miss games at all. I have been frustrated all season missing games,” Daniels said. “I want to be out there and help my teammates as much as possible. It’s been a frustrating year at this point of the year, but you learn from it moving forward.”
Jayden Daniels on how tough it was to be told his season was over: pic.twitter.com/LcjCjaFWYT
— John Keim (@john_keim) December 16, 2025
Daniels has made it clear that he wants to play as long as he is healthy enough to do so. The Commanders are just 4-10, and he has already aggravated his injury once, however. There is no good reason for the franchise to put him at any further risk in what is already a lost season.
Daniels failed to follow up on his elite rookie season, thanks largely to those injuries. In seven games, he threw for 1,262 yards with eight touchdowns and three interceptions. Despite his contributions, the Commanders still only went 2-5 in his starts, the exact same record they have in games he did not play in.
Kirk Herbstreit deletes X post after getting called out by Navy
Kirk Herbstreit found himself in hot water this week over an inaccurate post about the lack of college football action over the weekend.
Herbstreit promoted his “Nonstop” podcast on Monday by posting a clip from the show accompanied by the caption “Saturday not having college football threw us for a loop.” The since-deleted post drew backlash on X, and even a community note pointing out the fact that several games were played that day.
You can delete the tweet @KirkHerbstreit but screenshots are forever pic.twitter.com/B5sliGfode
— JewkboxHero – BE47SZN (@LanceJewkes) December 16, 2025
In addition to the annual Army-Navy game, both the Cricket Celebration Bowl and the Bucked Up LA Bowl were played on Saturday. The Navy football X account wasted no time in roasting Herbstreit for his comment in light of that.
https://t.co/X8sMYwVEx9 pic.twitter.com/Urzos77Osg
— Navy Athletics (@NavyAthletics) December 15, 2025
Herbstreit was quick to delete his post after that.
Obviously, Herbstreit was alluding to the fact that there was a much lighter diet of college football on Saturday than normal. By painting with such a broad brush, however, there was no way he was not going to invite a backlash.
In the past, Herbstreit has indicated that he does not even run his own X account. He might want to have a word with whoever does after that post.
Nick Saban purchases a stake in an NHL team
Nick Saban is officially a professional sports owner.
Saban has purchased a minority stake in the NHL’s Nashville Predators, the team announced Tuesday. Saban is making the purchase along with Joe Agresti, his business partner.
Smashville just got that much better 👏
— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) December 16, 2025
Nick Saban and partner Joe Agresti have joined the #Preds ownership group via Dream Sports Ventures LLC with a minority stake in the franchise!
📝 » https://t.co/6Y5EK0I6qA pic.twitter.com/1FXqW4O5tx
“Although I am now retired as a coach, I still possess a competitive nature and a great passion for sports,” Saban said in a statement. “Being involved in a sports team in Nashville has always been a goal and the opportunity to partner in the Predators with a class act like Bill Haslam created the perfect scenario for us. The Preds are a great organization with a fantastic brand, and we are excited to be part of the future success of the franchise.”
This is Saban’s first venture into professional sports ownership. The expectation certainly might have been that he would invest in an NFL team, but the cost of investing in an NHL franchise is much lower. It also lessens the risk of him running into a conflict of interest, which is something he has had to deal with lately.
The Predators are one of the NHL’s rare southern success stories. Though they have missed the playoffs in two of the last three seasons, they developed into one of the sport’s more successful franchises of the 2010s, and even made the Stanley Cup Finals in 2017.
