Jarrett Stidham finally reacts to a social media trend before game vs. Patriots
It’s going to be showtime soon for Jarrett Stidham, and Denver Broncos fans are doing their part to help him get in the right mindset for Sunday’s huge matchup against the New England Patriots, including spreading a certain LeBron James–inspired meme online.
Stidham, who has taken over the QB1 role for the Broncos following the season-ending injury of Bo Nix, acknowledged the proliferation of an edited photo that has his face over the four-time NBA Most Valuable Player during the 2016 NBA Finals.
James led the Cleveland Cavaliers to a historic come-from-behind NBA Finals win against the Golden State Warriors that year. In a way, Broncos fans believe Stidham can do the same—surprise everyone by leading Denver past the Patriots and, hopefully, to a Super Bowl victory.
On Wednesday, Stidham acknowledged the online trend heading into the AFC Championship game at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colo.
“I’m not on social media at the moment, but I have had multiple people with the LeBron meme with the headphones, the sunglasses, it’s pretty funny,” Stidham told reporters, via Jeff Legwold of ESPN.
While they are the home team in the meeting with New England, Stidham and the Broncos are viewed as the underdog, largely because of Nix’s absence. Nix suffered a season-ending ankle injury late in Denver’s win in the AFC Wild Card Round against the Buffalo Bills.
Stidham appeared in just one game in the 2025 regular season and did not attempt a pass in that contest, but he’ll need to be solid under center if the Broncos are to book a ticket to Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.
Shohei Ohtani and Kyle Tucker grab attention during an unbelievable Dodgers moment
It may be hard to believe for many, but Kyle Tucker is indeed now officially a member of the juggernaut Los Angeles Dodgers.
On Wednesday, the Dodgers brandished their newest MVP-caliber weapon during an introductory news conference for Tucker at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif., to the delight of every LA baseball fan.
Also in the building was two-time National League MVP Shohei Ohtani, who welcomed Tucker in the Dodgers’ locker room with a smile and a hug.
Shohei Ohtani greeted his new teammate Kyle Tucker in the Dodgers clubhouse after his introductory press conference today 🔥
— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) January 21, 2026
LA just keeps stacking elite talent around Ohtani
Via @sportsnetla pic.twitter.com/oRNoVM1V9C
That moment amplified the reality Los Angeles rivals hoped wouldn’t come true.
Tucker decided to take his talents to Hollywood by signing a massive 5-year, $240 million contract with the Dodgers, joining a loaded team that was already stacked with top-tier talent before he inked that deal. Seeing him interact with Ohtani for the first time since he became a Dodger drew lots of reactions from people online.
That’s awesome! 🔥
— 日田野 (@hwani1589802) January 21, 2026
Shohei Ohtani greeting Kyle Tucker in the Dodgers clubhouse shows great chemistry right from the start.
LA is clearly stacking elite talent around Ohtani, making the Dodgers even more dangerous and exciting to watch this season. ⚾💥
these two are going to be on the same team competing for national league mvp BASEBALL IS AWESOME
— ⊹ (@lindordefender) January 22, 2026
this reunion reminded me of what happened back in the time they were playing for different teams.
— abc (@tdog64037871) January 22, 2026
shohei getting in kyles way to the first base.
so happy they are now trying to compete for the championship together
Ohtani is the Ultimate teammate🙏
— JA Gonzo (@ChefJag) January 21, 2026
A four-time All-Star, Tucker hit .266/.377/.464 with 22 home runs and 73 RBIs in 136 games and 597 plate appearances for the Chicago Cubs in the 2025 season. With Tucker, the Dodgers’ batting order that features Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts becomes an even bigger problem for the rest of the big leagues.
Fans can expect the two stars to have many more moments like that on the field, beginning in the 2026 MLB season, as the Dodgers look to defend their World Series title and win another one for the third year in a row.
Alijah Arenas pulls off a wild 360-layup during his USC debut
After a long wait, Alijah Arenas finally made his debut for the USC Trojans on Wednesday against the visiting Northwestern Wildcats at Galen Center in Los Angeles, Calif.
Many in attendance were there not just to show support for the Trojans but to get a glimpse of the son of former three-time NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas. The freshman gave the crowd something to go crazy over early when he attacked the basket and finished at the rim with an incredible 360-layup minutes into the game.
Just take a look at this spectacular aerial maneuver by the 18-year-old guard.
This is gonna be fun 😈
— USC Men's Basketball (@USC_Hoops) January 22, 2026
📺: @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/mp0Jy6ZFSu
That was the second basket of Arenas in the contest, but he also made just one more after that, the rest of the way. He finished with just 8 points on a salty 3-for-15 shooting from the field to go with a 2-for-6 shooting from the foul line.
Still, just seeing action on the court can be considered a huge success for Arenas. He had to recover from a serious knee injury in July, which he sustained just months after he was involved in a car accident that left him hospitalized.
The Trojans got 19 points off the bench from Jordan Marsh and 17 points from Ezra Ausar, but the Trojans ended up suffering a 74-68 loss to Chris Collins’ Wildcats.
Mets making a blockbuster trade for a 2-time All-Star pitcher
The New York Mets have gotten some revenge of sorts on the Los Angeles Dodgers for Kyle Tucker.
New York is in talks to acquire two-time All-Star pitcher Freddy Peralta from the Milwaukee Brewers, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported on Wednesday. Peralta, who had been a trade candidate for much of the offseason, will now be headed to the NL East to join the Mets’ rotation.
Jeff Passan of ESPN adds that infielder Jett Williams and RHP Brandon Sproat are going back to Milwaukee in the trade while RHP Tobias Myers will be headed to the Mets along with Peralta.
The righty Peralta, 29, led the NL last season with 17 wins. He also posted a 2.70 ERA, a 1.08 WHIP, and 204 strikeouts (Peralta’s third straight season of 200 K’s or more) over 33 starts spanning 176.2 total innings pitched.
But the Brewers were looking to move Peralta this winter, in large part because of his contract situation. Peralta is entering the final year of his contract in 2026 at a modest $8 million, so he could soon be getting very expensive.
The Mets clearly don’t mind forking over cash though as they have consistently ranked among MLB’s top spenders under owner Steve Cohen. Now Peralta is coming aboard as the possible ace of a very deep Mets staff that already features high-quality veterans such as Clay Holmes and David Peterson as well as young phenoms like Jonah Tong and Nolan McLean.
New York was having a disaster offseason after losing the likes of Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz in free agency and trading away veteran mainstays such as Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil as well. But they have quickly righted the ship in a major way, adding the one-time Dodgers target Peralta to a winter haul that already includes Bo Bichette, Marcus Semien, Luke Weaver, Devin Williams, Jorge Polanco, and this other former All-Star whom the Mets just traded for earlier this week.
Giants’ Jung Hoo Lee gets detained at airport by Customs and Border Protection
Jung Hoo Lee got himself into some trouble while returning from his native South Korea this week.
The San Francisco Giants outfielder Lee was detained on Wednesday evening by U.S. Customs and Border Protection while at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in Los Angeles, Calif., per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Lee’s agent Scott Boras called the situation a matter of “just paperwork” and added that they were “attempting to resolve it.”
Lee was reportedly arriving back in the United States before a scheduled appearance at Giants’ Fan Fest in San Ramon, Calif. on Saturday. A spokesperson for the office of U.S. Representative Nancy Pelosi also said that they were “actively” working to get the Lee situation resolved.
You can read Slusser’s full report on the matter here.
The 27-year-old Lee signed with the Giants before the 2024 season after spending the previous seven seasons with the Nexen / Kiwoom Heroes of the KBO League in South Korea. During his time with the Heroes, Lee was a six-time All-Star, a five-time Golden Glove winner, a two-time batting champion, and the KBO League MVP in 2022.
Lee, who signed a six-year, $113 million deal with San Francisco, lost almost his entire first season due to injury. Last season though, Lee fared much better, batting .266 with eight homers, 55 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases through 150 games (even adding some impressive defense in the outfield as well).
Notable update surfaces about Mike Tomlin’s plans
Mike Tomlin may indeed be taking off his headset for good.
The former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Tomlin is completely “done” with coaching, Jay Glazer of FOX Sports said this week. Glazer made the claim during an appearance on the “Wake Up Barstool” podcast.
“I know people also say, ‘Well, now could Mike Tomlin come out [for one of the current head coach openings]?’” said Glazer, per Awful Announcing. “No, that’s not happening. Mike T’s done. He’s done. He’s been done.”
This lines up perfectly with some comments made last week by retired ex-NFL All-Pro Ronde Barber, a close friend of Tomlin. Barber also expressed his personal belief that Tomlin may never return to coaching in the NFL again.
The former Super Bowl champion Tomlin was the NFL’s longest-tenured head coach and had been in charge of the Steelers since the 2007 season. But while Tomlin was famous for his streak of never producing a losing season in Pittsburgh, the Steelers had also failed to win even a single playoff game under Tomlin since the 2016 campaign. When that streak continued this year with Pittsburgh’s loss to the Houston Texans during the Wild Card round, Tomlin and the Steelers finally decided to part ways.
Tomlin is still only 53 years old and would have several quality options to choose from if he wanted to coach again (notably, the last two NFL MVPs, Buffalo’s Josh Allen and Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson, are both currently without head coaches). But all signs are pointing to the likelihood of Tomlin being done as a head coach in the NFL after nearly two decades. That would, in turn, pave the way for Tomlin to possibly go into a television career (with one notable network currently being predicted to land him).
Big news emerges about Brian Flores’ future
Brian Flores is going … absolutely nowhere.
The Minnesota Vikings announced on Wednesday that they have signed their defensive coordinator Flores to a new contract extension. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network adds that Flores is set to stay put in Minnesota, barring a head coaching offer from either the Pittsburgh Steelers or the Baltimore Ravens.
Flores, still only 44 years old, took over as DC of the Vikings before the 2023 season. Prior to that, Flores was a four-time Super Bowl champion as an assistant coach for the New England Patriots and later went on to serve as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins from 2019-21.
Minnesota had some major issues on the offensive side of the ball this season and missed the playoffs with an overall record of just 9-8. But their defense under Flores was fairly elite, ranking seventh in the NFL in points allowed per game (19.6) and third in the NFL in yards allowed per game (282.6).
Flores coached out the 2025 season under the final year of his contract with the Vikings. That led to speculation that he could potentially leave Minnesota for an NFC rival instead.
There was even talk that Tom Brady was seriously eyeing Flores for the head coach job of the Las Vegas Raiders. But in the end, Flores (barring a late miracle head coaching offer from one of his two preferred NFL teams) will be staying put in Minnesota after all.
Kyle Tucker picks an interesting new jersey number with the Dodgers
Kyle Tucker will no longer be No. 30 in Los Angeles.
The four-time All-Star outfielder Tucker was officially introduced by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday. During his introductory press conference, Tucker was sporting a jersey with his new number for the team — No. 23.
Kyle Tucker’s jersey number is #23 pic.twitter.com/ix5VBLhvDE
— Jack Harris (@ByJackHarris) January 21, 2026
Tucker explained to reporters why he decided on the No. 23. He said that it was a tribute to Michael Brantley, the retired former All-Star. Brantley was Tucker’s mentor with the Houston Astros and himself used to wear No. 23.
The 29-year-old Tucker had worn the No. 30 throughout his entire MLB career thus far. But that number is currently taken by a very prominent member of the Dodgers organization — manager Dave Roberts.
As for the No. 23, it has been worn by 39 total Dodgers players over the years. Most recently, it was worn by Michael Conforto last season, and (perhaps most successfully) it was worn by Eric Karros from 1991-2002.
Fans will probably need a long time to get used to seeing Tucker in a Dodgers jersey. Adding to the adjustment will be the fact that Tucker has a new jersey number in Los Angeles (along with his absolutely immense new contract).
Report: Steve Kerr is facing an uncertain future with the Warriors
The longest-tenured head coach in the Western Conference may soon be on his way out of town.
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr’s future with the team is up in the air, Logan Murdock of The Ringer reported on Wednesday. Murdock notes that Kerr still has yet to sign a contract extension with the Warriors and that “multiple assistant coaches” on Kerr’s staff are operating under the premise that Kerr will not be back with the team next season.
Kerr, now 60 years old, has coached Golden State ever since 2014 and has led them to four NBA championships as well as six NBA Finals berths. On top of that, Kerr owns a career head coaching record of 592-328 (.643) and was the NBA’s Coach of the Year in 2016.
But Kerr is currently in his final season under contract with the Warriors and apparently has not made very much progress on extension talks with the team. Back in September, Kerr also spoke out about his uncertain contract situation with Golden State.
Though they are still a top-eight team in the West this season at 25-20, the Warriors are very much at a fork in the road right now. Jimmy Butler just suffered a torn right ACL earlier this week (see the video here), and that may have just wiped out the last best chance for Golden State to compete for a title with their current team iteration.
Even Warriors fans seem to be turning on Kerr at this point, and some have even been calling for Kerr’s firing as it appears that he is beginning to lose touch. If Golden State’s fortunes do not drastically improve in between now and the end of the season, perhaps those fans will ultimately end up getting their wish with Kerr.
Bo Nix shares his first post after his season-ending injury
Bo Nix is finally speaking out some 100 hours after suffering his devastating ankle injury.
The Denver Broncos quarterback Nix took to his Instagram page on Wednesday to share his very first post ever since his season-ending injury over the weekend. Nix called the injury “the most devastating football news I have ever received” but added that he “couldn’t be more confident” in backup QB Jarrett Stidham and his teammates to finish off the job from here.
Take a look at Nix’s full post.
Bo Nix’s message on IG:
— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevensDNVR) January 21, 2026
Called his injury “some of the most devastating football news I’ve ever received”
“I couldn’t be more confident in Jarrett” pic.twitter.com/EDctysMNCQ
Nix, 25, helped lead the Broncos to a thrilling 33-30 overtime victory over the Buffalo Bills during their divisional round playoff game at Empower Field at Mile High Stadium in Denver, Colo. on Saturday. But the shocking news emerged after the final whistle that Nix had suffered a broken bone in his right ankle on the second-to-last play of the game.
With Nix, who has already undergone surgery on the ankle, now out of commission, Stidham is set to draw the start during Sunday’s AFC title game against the New England Patriots. Sam Ehlinger will also now serve as Denver’s QB2, and the Broncos also just added another notable quarterback to their practice squad a few days ago.
While the Patriots are now the heavy favorites to win on Sunday in the wake of Nix’s injury, Nix himself sounds very confident that the Broncos will be able to pull off the upset without him. New England quarterback Drake Maye also went viral earlier this week over his very classy message for Nix.
Charles Barkley had unexpected complaint about moving to ESPN
Charles Barkley was very vocal when moving to ESPN about not wanting to appear on all their programs. Now he is unhappy that the network is not working him enough.
In an appearance on “The Dan Le Batard Show” Wednesday, Barkley said his experience with ESPN has been “great,” but he voiced some frustration that the network has not made enough use of the “Inside the NBA” crew during the first half of the regular season.
“We’ve complained. We’ve only been on ESPN four times in three months,” Barkley said. “We did the first two weeks. We were off all of December until Christmas, and we’re off all of January until the 24th. I don’t like that at all.
“What I was talking about working all the time, I’m not going to do all these damn shows. I’m not going to be on ESPN 1, 2, 3, Deportes, Nacho, Echo, whatever they call it. I’m not going to be doing all that. But I wish we’d have been on more during the first half of the season.”
One can understand Barkley’s frustration. Perhaps ESPN took his warnings about not being asked to do too much literally and went easy on him for the first half of the season. What he simply seems to want is a more even distribution of broadcasts.
Barkley did note that things are about to get a lot busier for “Inside the NBA,” including three shows in the next week. They will also be on nightly during the NBA Playoffs, so the recent inactivity will definitely be short-lived.
Kevin Stefanski brings ex-QB to Falcons as his offensive coordinator
New Atlanta Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski is sticking with a familiar face as his offensive coordinator.
Former Notre Dame quarterback Tommy Rees is expected to become the new offensive coordinator in Atlanta, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Rees served under Stefanski in the same role last season with the Cleveland Browns.
The #Falcons are expected to hire former #Browns OC Tommy Rees as the new OC for coach Kevin Stefanski, sources say.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 21, 2026
The favorite all along, Rees now lands in Atlanta. pic.twitter.com/06VrkKGxGJ
The Browns’ offense left a lot to be desired last season, but Stefanski clearly is not holding Rees responsible for it. The former Fighting Irish quarterback has impressive credentials, having worked for Notre Dame and then Alabama as offensive coordinator before making the jump to the NFL.
Rees oversaw the development of Jalen Milroe at Alabama and also spent a year with Ian Book at Notre Dame. He will presumably be tasked with helping get the most out of Michael Penix Jr. in Atlanta after Penix regressed slightly in his second NFL season.
Stefanski was regarded as one of the better candidates on the head coaching market this offseason, and the Falcons moved quickly to hire him. Clearly they are letting him have a huge say in his top staff hires as well.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had telling quote about being traded
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo certainly seems to be less opposed to a trade now than he has been in the past.
After Milwaukee’s 112-110 win over Atlanta on Monday, Antetokounmpo had a telling answer to a question about whether he expects to remain with the Bucks for the rest of the season.
“I don’t know. I take it day-by-day,” Antetokounmpo responded.
“I don’t know. I don’t know, I take it day-by-day”
— Hoop Quotes (@Quote_Forum) January 21, 2026
— Giannis on if he’ll finish the season with Milwaukeepic.twitter.com/3B7Pka61zi
An answer that vague is inevitably going to ramp up speculation, especially when he has been keen to push trade rumors aside earlier in the season. Sure, the ultimate outcome may not be up to him, but the Bucks would not trade Antetokounmpo unless he wanted a move. It is quite noteworthy that he is leaving the door open slightly.
The Bucks are 18-24 entering play Wednesday, a far cry from where Antetokounmpo would want the team to be. He expects to be contending for championships, but Milwaukee does not look like they will be doing so this season. At that point, it is reasonable that he would consider his options.
An in-season trade of Antetokounmpo would be difficult, but not impossible. With comments like that one, it makes sense that some teams want to wait and see if he actually gets moved before looking into alternatives.
49ers are looking into wild conspiracy theory about their injuries
The San Francisco 49ers admitted Wednesday that they are at least looking into an online conspiracy theory that is meant to explain their slew of injuries.
49ers general manager John Lynch admitted that the team is at least checking into claims that an electrical substation located next to the team’s practice facility has something to do with the team’s injury issues. Conspiracy theories spread online claiming that the substation is somehow responsible for weakening soft tissue and muscle, and could explain the rash of injuries.
Lynch would not go that far, but he did say the organization would at least do some homework on it.
“Allegedly, the health and safety of our players, I think you have to look into everything,” Lynch said. “Our guys have been. We’ve been reaching out to anyone and everyone to see, does a study exist other than a guy sticking an apparatus underneath a fence and coming up with a number that I have no idea what that means? Yes, we will look into it. We have.”
About that viral video blaming 49ers injuries on an electrical substation…
— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) January 21, 2026
John Lynch says they’ll look into it. pic.twitter.com/dX5NMuFSgQ
Lynch probably had to say something about the theory after it went viral following George Kittle’s Achilles injury. Niners wide receiver Kendrick Bourne even jokingly referenced it after Kittle’s injury.
Even Kendrick Bourne is playing into the power plant conspiracy theory pic.twitter.com/T6cmf6sXQ0 https://t.co/ykZwED4KwJ
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) January 12, 2026
To be clear, there is no real evidence suggesting that the substation has anything to do with the 49ers’ injury issues. While the current training facility opened in 2014, the team has practiced at the site since 1988. The theory went viral mostly because some fans are desperate for any explanation for the 49ers’ slew of injuries beyond them just being bad luck.
In addition to Kittle, the team lost linebacker Fred Warner for most of the season, and have had consistent injury troubles for a few years running. Even before this year, they had fallen victim to some fluke injuries that turned out to be severe. That was enough to convince some that the Niners had something weird going on, but the team will apparently be getting to the bottom of it.
Abella Danger defends Miami Hurricanes after championship loss
Abella Danger defended her Miami Hurricanes following the team’s loss to the Indiana Hoosiers in the College Football Playoff national championship game on Monday night.
Miami lost 27-21 to Indiana, which ended up going a perfect 16-0 during the season. Danger, who is an adult film performer, was in attendance for the game and was shown on TV by ESPN. Danger later complained about being shown on TV while attending the game as a fan.
Danger is now a student in the school’s law school and defended how she became a fan of the Hurricanes.
“I was born and raised in Miami. I went to South Miami Middle School five minutes from UM, where we all wore orange and green just like UM,” she wrote on social media.
Danger also defended Miami following their loss to IU.
“They’re still winners. I don’t care.”
Miami had a heck of a season. Though they finished 13-3, they went on a great run in the College Football Playoff. As the No. 10 seed, Miami beat Texas A&M, Ohio State and Ole Miss before losing to Indiana.
Danger, and many other fans of the Hurricanes, are proud of their team. Coach Mario Cristobal was proud of his team too despite their loss.
Travis Kelce may have dropped a hint about his playing future
Some fans believe Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce dropped a hint about his NFL future during his new podcast episode.
On the “New Heights” podcast, Kelce reacted to the Chiefs bringing back Eric Bieniemy as their offensive coordinator. Bieniemy had previously worked with Kelce and the Chiefs, and the tight end was enthusiastic about the coach’s return.
“I can’t wait to see him back in the building, man,” Kelce said, via Pete Grathoff of the Kansas City Star. “He’s one of my favorite coaches of all-time, one of my favorite people of all time. I’ve had so many unbelievable, growing moments under him as a player, as a person, and I just love the guy, and it’s gonna be awesome to see him back in the building and see him back wearing the Chiefs logo, baby.”
For Kelce to see Bieniemy around the building, he would also have to be in the building. That led some to take that as a hint that Kelce will spurn retirement for one more year and play another season.
Kelce has hinted at retirement before, and his last home game this season certainly felt like a farewell. At least some of his teammates are lobbying him to come back, though. Maybe hiring Bieniemy will actually help with that.
This was not exactly the season Kelce would have wanted to go out on. He caught 76 passes for 851 yards and five touchdowns, but the Chiefs missed the playoffs and he did not personally go out on a high note. There is no guarantee that coming back next year will ensure a better farewell, but it has not been ruled out.
Brian Daboll is targeting 1 specific head coach job
Brian Daboll appears to have two jobs lined up for 2026. The only question is which one he winds up getting.
Daboll is targeting the Buffalo Bills’ head coach job, according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic. If he fails to land it, he is expected to become Robert Saleh’s offensive coordinator with the Tennessee Titans.
The Eagles are conducting their offensive coordinator search with the understanding that Brian Daboll wants the Bills’ head coaching job. If he doesn’t land it, Daboll is expected to wind up in Tennessee as the offensive coordinator for Cam Ward and the Titans, per sources.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) January 21, 2026
Daboll’s attraction to the Buffalo job makes plenty of sense. Before he took over the New York Giants, he was the offensive coordinator there, and was known to have a very close relationship with quarterback Josh Allen. Daboll presumably thinks he can be the one to push Allen and the Bills over the top based on their past success and relationship together.
The question is whether the Bills would want to go back to that or take the risk of going with someone new. Allen’s preferences will certainly weigh heavily on the choice, and that is why a different young coach has been linked to the job. Daboll, however, would be able to point to past results as evidence that he can get it done.
The Philadelphia Eagles are known to be in pursuit of Daboll for their offensive coordinator job. At this point, however, that does not seem likely to happen.
Cody Bellinger has finally signed in free agency
Cody Bellinger’s free agency saga has finally come to a close.
Bellinger has agreed to a contract with the New York Yankees, allowing him to remain with the team with whom he had success last season. ESPN’s Jeff Passan says Bellinger is getting a 5-year, $162.5 million deal that includes a $20 million signing bonus.
Bellinger will have the right to terminate his contract after both the second and third years of the deal. He also will have a full no-trade clause, meaning the Yankees will be unable to trade him without his approval.
Bellinger, 30, will now be under contract with the Yankees through his Age 34 season. He began his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers and won NL Rookie of the Year in 2019, as well as NL MVP in 2021.
Bellinger batted .272 with 29 home runs, 98 RBIs, and 13 stolen bases over 152 total games for the Yankees last season — his first with the team. Prior to that, he spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons with the Chicago Cubs.
Bellinger’s batting averages had taken a big dip during his later years with the Dodgers. He batted .165 in a putrid 2021 season while dealing with injuries. The following season, he batted .210.
Bellinger has turned things around since then, batting .307, .266 and .272 over the past three seasons.
Yankees fans may be looking at the Kyle Tucker deal and feeling like they got a steal with Bellinger’s contract.
Bills owner threw Keon Coleman under the bus
The Buffalo Bills went out of their way to throw former coach Sean McDermott and wide receiver Keon Coleman under the bus in a wild press conference on Wednesday.
Bills owner Terry Pegula jumped in to defend general manager Brandon Beane during a press conference after Beane was questioned about drafting Coleman in the second round of the 2024 draft. Pegula blamed the Coleman pick on the coaching staff and said Beane was being a “team player” by making it.
“The coaching staff pushed to draft Keon,” Pegula told reporters. “I’m not saying Brandon wouldn’t have drafted him, but he wasn’t his next choice. That was Brandon being a team player and taking advice of his coaching staff who felt strongly about the player. For some reason, he’s taken heat over it and not saying a word about it, but I’m here to tell you the true story.”
Wow. #Bills owner Terry Pegula says the coaching staff pushed to draft WR Keon Coleman and that was never GM Brandon Beane's top choice in that situation.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 21, 2026
"That was Brandon being a team player. … He's taken heat over it. I'm here to tell you the true story."
Wowza. I've never… pic.twitter.com/mimTgT9zc9
This is a wild intervention by Pegula, especially considering Coleman is still on the team. It does not exactly speak well of the organizational structure if he is telling the truth, and certainly suggests that Beane and McDermott were not in alignment on some key decisions.
McDermott was fired on Monday, a move that was criticized by some who felt Beane deserved to go as well. The Bills have struggled to draft well in recent seasons and have become increasingly reliant on quarterback Josh Allen to carry them as far as he can. The lack of weapons for Allen was especially evident this season, with Khalil Shakir’s 719 receiving yards leading the team. Coleman was supposed to help fix that, but fell out of favor and wound up benched amid questions about his effort.
Coleman remains on the roster, but with the way he was talked about in this press conference, his time in Buffalo might well be coming to an end.
Jeanie Buss reportedly grew fed up with LeBron James
Los Angeles Lakers controlling owner Jeanie Buss may not feel as warmly about LeBron James as she has publicly let on.
A new article by Baxter Holmes of ESPN revealed how infighting among the Buss siblings helped lead to the team’s $10 billion sale to Mark Walter. It also claims Jeanie has spent several years privately criticizing James, and did not like that he was credited as saving the Laker franchise when she was the one who landed him. She also complained about his “outsized ego” and the control he exerted over the franchise.
Buss felt that James refused to take accountability for driving the Lakers to acquire Russell Westbrook in 2021, a move made to placate him. Perhaps most notably, she felt that James was not grateful enough to the Lakers for drafting his son Bronny in 2024.
If Buss does feel that way about James, she has done a fine job hiding it from the public. There have been no suggestions that the two sides are not on the same page. At times, there is a sense that the Lakers can be frustrated with how demanding James can be, but that is hardly a problem that has been unique to the Lakers during his career.
On the other hand, there does seem to be some distance between James and the Lakers that has developed since the team acquired Luka Doncic. Perhaps that is driven partly by ownership, and it has not led to James trying to find his way to a new team. In the context of this new reporting, however, it might bear watching if James decides to play again next season.
