Jim Harbaugh’s major decision will make Broncos fans happy
Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh made a decision Monday that Denver Broncos fans will be very pleased with.
Harbaugh revealed Monday that starting quarterback Justin Herbert will not play against the Broncos in Week 18. Other starters will rest too, though Harbaugh did not divulge which ones.
Jim Harbaugh said QB Justin Herbert won’t play Sunday against the Broncos.
— Kris Rhim (@krisrhim1) December 29, 2025
Said other starters with “the most bruises” and need “the most healing” won’t play.
Trey Lance will start at quarterback for the Chargers instead.
The Chargers’ playoff seeding is still to be determined, but they have clinched a spot and cannot move any higher than fifth. As such, they will be going on the road for the Wild Card round no matter what. With Herbert already banged up, Harbaugh has little incentive to risk him in a game that has minimal upside for his team.
The Broncos will host an under-strength Chargers team on Sunday. If they win, they will clinch the No. 1 seed in the AFC and a first-round bye. Harbaugh’s decision on Monday should make that a lot easier for them.
The Chargers are likely headed for the No. 7 seed unless they find a way to upset the Broncos. If they lose, they would need the lowly New York Jets to defeat the Buffalo Bills to bump them up to No. 6.
Sean Payton is not impressed with the Broncos’ division champs merchandise
Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos are not terribly enthusiastic about the apparel they received as AFC West champions.
The Broncos officially clinched the division when the Los Angeles Chargers lost to the Houston Texans on Saturday night. As such, they did not get a full celebration, having already played on Thursday.
What they did get were the traditional team apparel that comes with winning a division title. Payton was not all that interested in it, in part because he heard it was a bit of an eyesore.
“I haven’t seen the hats or the shirts. My understanding is they are pretty ugly,” Payton said Monday, via Zac Stevens of DNVR.
The shirts also bear the slogan “Been There, Won That,” which tight end Adam Trautman admitted he did not understand.
Adam Trautman said he didn't get the "Been there, won that" slogan that's also on the gear available in the #Broncos team store.
— Parker Gabriel (@ParkerJGabriel) December 29, 2025
So, "pretty ugly" as Sean Payton says? pic.twitter.com/1PVPXAUJxX
The slogan is evidently meant to convey that the Broncos have wrapped up the division and are on to other things. The problem, of course, is that they very much have not been there and won that, as this was their first AFC West title since 2015.
The Broncos will not worry about this too much, as they have bigger goals and can still land the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Payton will not need to wear any of the “ugly” shirts. Frankly, his focus might be on avoiding bulletin board material for his opponents.
Booger McFarland reveals how he spent so much LSU money at Magic City strip club
Booger McFarland offered up some fascinating information on Saturday about how his first bowl game experience as a player led to a visit to one of the world’s most famous strip clubs.
McFarland was part of ESPN’s halftime coverage of Saturday’s Pop-Tarts Bowl between BYU and Georgia Tech when he was asked by host Kevin Neghandi if he had any memories of his first bowl game experience. As it turns out, McFarland had a very specific memory.
“My first experience in the Peach Bowl in Atlanta. First time getting per diem, $987, went to one nice establishment and I gave it all away,” McFarland said. “They had some good wings though. Lemon pepper wings. Me and Lou Williams have something in common.
🚨🚨THIS IS WILD🚨🚨
— MLFootball (@MLFootball) December 28, 2025
ESPN’S BOOGER MCFARLAND TALKING ABOUT MAGIC CITY💀
“Peach Bowl in Atlanta. 1st time getting per diem $987, went to one nice establishment and I gave it all away. They had some good wings tho. Me. Lou Williams have something in common”pic.twitter.com/lsOW753GBy
McFarland is making reference to Atlanta’s famous Magic City strip club. It became a story in 2020, when then-Clippers guard Lou Williams visited the club while away from the NBA’s Orlando bubble. Williams later defended himself and said he had gone for the wings, which are apparently top-notch.
Those wings now have a second high-profile endorsement, so they must be pretty good.
McFarland might not be remembering things perfectly, because the Peach Bowl was actually his second trip to a bowl game as a sophomore in 1996. He actually went on to receive Peach Bowl SEC Defensive MVP honors in LSU’s 10-7 victory, so clearly, his partying did not hinder his play.
McFarland has shown he is willing to go a little bit off-script while on the air and this was no exception. He is almost certainly not the only player who has spent per diem money at a bowl game in a way that his school might not necessarily have liked.
Philip Rivers had amazing moment with Jags’ Josh Hines-Allen
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers shared a pretty ridiculous moment with Jacksonville Jaguars edge rusher Josh Hines-Allen on Sunday.
Rivers was sacked by Jacksonville’s Travon Walker to end the third quarter of Sunday’s game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, In. As he got up, Rivers flipped the football toward Hines-Allen, who was standing in the area after the sack celebration.
Hines-Allen quickly saw a chance to draw a flag and went to the ground as if he’d been hit by a brick.
Suspend Philip Rivers. This is disgusting how he assaulted Josh Hines-Allen. Assault. pic.twitter.com/qtEmSFlO0D
— Bengal (@BengalYouTube) December 28, 2025
An umpire was right there and saw the whole incident and did not fall for it. Hines-Allen proceeded to refuse Rivers’ attempt to help him up.
This might be the silliest flop attempt of the year. It is not the first, but at least in some of the others, the player flopping actually did get hit.
Rivers has certainly won some plaudits for how he has conducted himself during his NFL comeback, even toward opponents. Give him credit for trying to help a guy up right after that guy tried to draw a stupid penalty against him.
Ben Johnson admits to screwing up Bears’ final play
Chicago Bears coach Ben Johnson admitted that he erred on the team’s final play in their loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
The Bears had one chance to get a game-winning touchdown on 2nd and goal with five seconds left in Sunday’s 42-38 loss at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Ca. Quarterback Caleb Williams was forced outside of the pocket almost immediately and was unable to find a target in the end zone as time ran out.
THE NINERS WIN. WHAT A GAME. pic.twitter.com/3ndM5VUnSq
— NFL (@NFL) December 29, 2025
On Monday, Johnson took the blame for not getting the playcall to Williams quickly enough to allow him to have success.
“We didn’t quite get aligned in the formation we wanted to,” Johnson said. “It’s on me. I didn’t give him the call fast enough, and so he’s trying to piecemeal it together. I gotta do a better job on that.”
Ben Johnson on the Bears' final play: "We didn't quite get aligned in the formation we wanted to. It's on me. I didn't give (Caleb Williams) the call fast enough, and so he's trying to piecemeal it together. I gotta do a better job on that."
— CHGO Bears (@CHGO_Bears) December 29, 2025
The Bears also received some criticism for their clock management late in the game. Johnson did not use his timeouts until the final minute of the fourth quarter, and the Bears may have been able to take more shots at the end zone had he used them earlier. In addition, the play that set up first and goal ran 16 seconds off the clock before Williams could spike the ball.
This is not the first time Johnson’s clock management in a late-game situation has been questioned this year. It is good that these lessons are being learned before the playoffs, but the important thing is that he does not keep making the same mistakes.
Chicago’s loss on Sunday eliminated them from the race for the NFC’s top seed. They can still lock down the No. 2 seed if they beat the Detroit Lions in Week 18.
Giants can rule out 1 target for head coach job
The New York Giants can apparently rule out one rumored target for their head coach position.
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman essentially confirmed Monday that he will remain with the Fighting Irish for 2026. He posted a message to X promising to “run it back” next season.
2026…run it back
— Marcus Freeman (@Marcus_Freeman1) December 29, 2025
Go Irish ☘️
Freeman had been linked to NFL openings even before the offseason started, most prominently the Giants job. It was never clear if he was actually interested, and the school was very vocal about the lengths to which they would go in order to keep him.
For Notre Dame, this will come as a major relief. At this point in the offseason, they likely would have had a difficult time finding a quality coach to replace Freeman had he left. Plus, the simple fact is that he has been very successful with the Fighting Irish, having posted a 43-12 record with the school in his four seasons as head coach.
While Freeman may have been on the Giants’ list, he was likely always seen as a long-shot option. The team has also been linked to some more attainable candidates as they look to replace the fired Brian Daboll.
Aaron Glenn backtracks after questioning Jets’ effort
New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn attempted to walk back comments he made about his team’s effort on Monday.
Glenn on Sunday suggested his team did not put in enough effort during their 42-10 loss to the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Glenn said he was “upset with the effort” in the game, but pointed the finger at himself and his coaching staff for that shortcoming.
"I'm upset with the effort but I'm also upset with us as coaches too"
— Jets Videos (@snyjets) December 28, 2025
– Aaron Glenn pic.twitter.com/ZLIHO7KKsv
Glenn seemingly backed down a day later, however, saying he did not see an effort issue in the loss.
One day after criticizing the team’s effort, Aaron Glenn backtracks. After watching the film, he says, he didn’t see an effort issue: “Our guys did not quit.”
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) December 29, 2025
Hard to put the toothpaste back in the tube on something like this. #Jets
Publicly questioning a team’s effort is always a bold and risky step for any coach. Trying to walk it back is only liable to make it worse. It sends mixed signals and will probably make players wonder if the coach has their back.
Glenn’s frustration is at least understandable. His team is 3-13 and has become less competitive as the year has gone on. They have lost four consecutive games, all of them by 23 points or more. For someone who talked such a big game upon taking the job, it’s not a great look.
By all accounts, Glenn will be back next year. This is not the first time he has been publicly critical, but one might wonder if he might need to adjust slightly next year until his team starts winning on his watch.
Anthony Joshua injured in fatal car crash
Anthony Joshua suffered minor injuries in a fatal car crash in Nigeria on Monday.
Joshua was a passenger in a Lexus SUV on the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway in Nigeria when the vehicle struck a stationary truck while overtaking, according to Nigeria’s Federal Road Safety Corps. The SUV is believed to have been traveling above the speed limit when the crash took place.
The department shared several photos of the aftermath of the crash. Videos also circulated on social media showing Joshua apparently being helped from the vehicle and wincing in pain after the crash.
Joshua sustained minor injuries, according to authorities. Two died in the crash, and two others were unhurt. Their identities were not officially shared, but social media posts and tributes indicated that one of them was his personal trainer and close friend known commonly as Latz.
🚨 Badou Jack confirms on Instagram that one of the people killed in the crash was Anthony Joshua’s best friend, Latif AKA “Latz”
— ACD MMA (@acdmma_) December 29, 2025
RIP 💔 https://t.co/Uah0Ce28qy pic.twitter.com/HKEBin9dod
Joshua, 36, is fresh off a defeat of Jake Paul in a high-profile boxing match on Dec. 19. The expectation was that he would fight again at some point in 2026, though it remains to be seen if this incident will disrupt that timeline.
Dennis Schroder had words for Luka Doncic
If there’s someone Luka Doncic is afraid of on the basketball court, it certainly isn’t Sacramento Kings guard Dennis Schroder.
During Sunday night’s game between the Kings and the Doncic-led Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Calif., Schroder tried to talk some smack to the Slovenian superstar while Sacramento guard Nique Clifford was at the free-throw line. You can watch the clip of the exchange here.
Doncic, however, did not seem intimidated by Schroder’s antics, responding with a hand gesture that appeared to mock the German guard. Jarred Vanderbilt was also there to pacify Schroder, as the Lakers forward got in between the two players.
Doncic simply let his game do the talking.
He torched Schroder and the Kings for 34 points on 11-for-23 shooting from the floor, while hitting five 3-pointers and adding 7 assists, 5 rebounds, 3 steals and 1 block in 33 minutes of action, as the Lakers handily beat Sacramento, 125-101.
Like Doncic, LeBron James had his way against the Kings, with the future Basketball Hall of Famer producing 24 points, 5 assists and 2 steals in 29 minutes.
Schroder, meanwhile, only had 11 points off the bench for the Kings, who dropped to 8-24.
The win over Sacramento snapped the Lakers’ three-game losing skid and improved the team’s record to 20-10.
Nikki Bella wore her Cooper DeJean jersey to Eagles game
Let the romantic rumors involving WWE superstar Nikki Bella and Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean continue to swirl.
The 42-year-old Bella did little to squash rumors that she and DeJean are dating when she shared a video on Sunday wearing a Cooper DeJean No. 33 Eagles jersey. The clip was posted on her official Instagram account for all 10.4 million of her followers to see.
She captioned the video with “Walking into Sunday like…“Been there, WON that.”
The rumors appear to have gained serious traction earlier this December, when Bella attended a Week 15 game between the Eagles and the Las Vegas Raiders at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pa., where she posed for a photo in front of DeJean’s locker.
The Eagles won the game 31-0, but DeJean seemed like an even bigger winner in the eyes of wrestling fans for simply capturing the attention of the pro wrestling superstar. Becoming Bella’s love interest only adds to DeJean’s aura.
What makes this seemingly brewing romance between Bella and DeJean even more intriguing is their age gap. Bella is 42 years old, while the former Iowa Hawkeyes standout defensive back is only 22 years old.
Hopefully for the Eagles, this doesn’t turn into a major distraction for DeJean, who is one of their best weapons on defense.
So far in the 2025 NFL season, he has 93 total tackles, 16 passes defended and 2 interceptions through 16 games.
Jalen Carter caught pulling dirty move on Spencer Brown
Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter was back at it again.
On Sunday, the former Georgia Bulldogs star returned to action, facing the Buffalo Bills’ offensive line at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y., after missing three games due to injuries in both shoulders. He made his presence felt in the game, even making one of the most crucial plays of the contest.
Carter blocked Buffalo kicker Michael Badgley’s extra-point attempt following a Bills touchdown in the fourth quarter and finished with a sack and a quarterback hit in the Eagles’ 13-12 victory.
But for Buffalo offensive lineman Spencer Brown, Carter did more to earn his ire.
After the game, Brown told reporters that Carter “took a strong right hook” to his eye, via Jonathan Acosta of WGRZ-TV. Brown said he did not believe Carter’s move was accidental.
The incident was apparently caught on video.
eye gouge & throat slash pic.twitter.com/9VG3LHS8kg
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) December 29, 2025
That helps explain why Brown was spotted having a seemingly heated moment with some Eagles players while heading into the tunnel following the contest.
Spencer Brown and a few Eagles were jawing off field and up the tunnel to #Bills locker.
— Thad Brown (@thadbrown7) December 29, 2025
Cooler heads kept control.
Spencer said he took right hook to eye.
He didn't think it was accident. That's what boiled over.
He added eye is bit foggy and he needed to get it checked. pic.twitter.com/RqtsEtTKSy
A first-round pick by the Eagles at the 2023 NFL Draft, Carter has developed quite a reputation as a dirty player. It can be recalled that he was tossed out of Week 1’s game against the Dallas Cowboys for spitting at quarterback Dak Prescott.
In any case, Carter remains a key piece of Philadelphia’s defense, which shone anew in Week 17 by holding Josh Allen and the Bills scoreless through the first three quarters.
Shedeur Sanders criticized for his odd celebration
Cleveland Browns rookie Shedeur Sanders will always be under the microscope of social media.
He found himself in the middle of fans’ crosshairs again on Sunday during the Browns’ Week 17 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland, Ohio, particularly after a play in the second quarter.
On a 3rd-and-17 with a little over 11 minutes left in the second period, Sanders decided to get out of the pocket and use his feet to gain yards. He picked up several yards, but not enough for a fresh set of downs, as he was taken to the ground by the much bigger Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward at Pittsburgh’s 33-yard line.
Despite falling short of getting a first down and absorbing a big hit from the Steelers veteran, Sanders got up quickly and appeared to celebrate.
Here is the video of Sanders’ scramble and his celly afterward:
🚨🚨THIS IS REALLY WEIRD🚨🚨
— MLFootball (@MLFootball) December 28, 2025
Cleveland #Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders is under heavy criticism for celebrating like he won the Super Bowl after he ran for 10 yards and was stopped on 3rd down.
Very weird celebration for a failed conversion 😬 pic.twitter.com/Dh46jn1tZV
In doing so, the former Colorado Buffaloes star signal-caller got the internet’s attention, with many calling him out for celebrating something that didn’t result in anything meaningful for the Browns.
Did he not realize he was far short of the first down?
— ₿randon (@TheDazzleNovak) December 28, 2025
His IQ doesn’t allow him to count higher than 10 so he thought he did okay
— Coach Tmarr (@temarr25) December 28, 2025
Bro celebrated a 10-yard run on 3rd & 17 like he just found the cure for the common cold. That's the confidence I need in my life
— Jiggy Marv (@Richestmarvels) December 28, 2025
Give him credit for thinking he done something …..
— Coocheeboy (@Coocheeboy1) December 28, 2025
He ain’t the brightest candle
— Sean Spicier – Former Tango Dancer (Parody) (@sean_spicier) December 28, 2025
But at the end of the day, Sanders and the Browns got the win, topping Pittsburgh to the tune of a 13-6 score.
He passed for 186 yards and a touchdown with 2 interceptions on 17-of-23 completions.
If anything, Sanders was more productive than Steelers quarterback and future Pro Football Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers, who went 21-of-39 for 168 passing yards and 0 touchdowns.
Sam Darnold joins elite company with latest Seahawks win
Sam Darnold is having quite a career rejuvenation in the NFL.
The former No. 3 overall NFL draft pick struggled in his early years in the pros, particularly during his time with the New York Jets before taking his talents to the Carolina Panthers for two seasons. He appeared to be on the way out of the NFL after a short stint with the San Francisco 49ers as a backup, but a one-year stay with the Minnesota Vikings in 2024 turned his fortunes around.
With the Vikings, Darnold earned his first Pro Bowl nod, led Minnesota to the NFL playoffs and posted a 14-3 record as their starting quarterback. Even after changing teams in the offseason, he has continued to thrive as a QB1, helping the Seattle Seahawks clinch a playoff spot while going 13-3 in 16 starts so far in the 2025 NFL season.
To further highlight the remarkable turnaround in Darnold’s NFL career, CBS Sports shared a trivia nugget on Sunday that might give Seahawks fans even more reason to believe in their team’s Super Bowl chances this February.
.QBs with consecutive 13-win seasons in NFL history
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) December 28, 2025
Tom Brady
Peyton Manning
Aaron Rodgers
Brett Favre
Sam Darnold pic.twitter.com/n9lk3J2BIA
The 28-year-old Darnold achieved that feat following the Seahawks’ 27-10 win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.
He didn’t have the cleanest performance, throwing an interception and losing a fumble while passing for just 147 yards and a single touchdown on 18-of-27 completions—but it was enough for Seattle to secure its 13th victory with one game remaining in the 2025 regular season.
Hawks open to trading Trae Young
Is the Trae Young era coming to an end in Atlanta?
Young is once again being mentioned in NBA trade rumors, with the Hawks said to be taking a hard look at a potential deal that would land them Dallas Mavericks star big man Anthony Davis.
NBA insider Marc Stein raised a concern about the Hawks’ outlook amid their interest in Davis and Young’s leverage. That leverage, of course, is Young’s massive $48.9 million player option for the 2026-27 NBA season.
Here’s what Stein wrote about Young and the Hawks’ possibility of trading the talented point guard:
“There is a growing belief leaguewide that the Hawks are more open to trading him away than they’ve ever been, but what happens to their payroll if no such trade materializes and Young winds up exercising that option? Can the Hawks dare to find out by trading for Davis this winter without Young exiting at the same time?”
You can read Stein’s entire article here.
Although the Hawks are showing increased interest in trading away Young as they pursue Davis, the Mavericks are not keen on including Young in such a deal, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes.
For the Hawks to get Davis and let go of Young in one mega transaction, they may need at least another team to join the fray.
Young has been with the Hawks since he entered the NBA in 2018, and while he’s become one of the brightest stars in the league, he’s led Atlanta to the playoffs just three times, including two first-round exits.
Fans all noticed the same thing after Kawhi Leonard dropped 55 on Pistons
Fans noticed a common denominator in Kawhi Leonard’s scoring outbursts over the past week.
The Los Angeles Clippers star went off for a career-high 55 points Sunday in a 112-99 drubbing of the Detroit Pistons at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif. The game wasn’t nearly as close as the score made it seem, with the Clippers leading by as many as 26 points in a wire-to-wire win.
Leonard’s offensive eruption buried the East’s No. 1 seed, whose defenders could do nothing to slow down the man known as “The Klaw.” Aside from the double nickel, Leonard also tallied 11 rebounds, 5 steals, and 3 blocks in an all-around performance.
Kawhi Leonard CAREER NIGHT 😤
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 29, 2025
55 PTS
11 REB
5 STL
3 BLK
17-26 FG
Clippers have won 4 straight 👀 pic.twitter.com/ZvfzKfHnB5
While the Pistons threw multiple defenders at Leonard, Ausar Thompson was Detroit’s best bet at guarding the Clippers star. The hyper-athletic Thompson entered the game widely considered as a defensive stalwart, but could do nothing to stop Kawhi.
Leonard’s 55-point game came just days after he scored 41 points on the Houston Rockets. Astute fans began to notice that Leonard’s scoring explosions both occurred against a Thompson twin. The Rockets deployed Ausar’s brother, Amen Thompson, against Leonard, but to no avail.
Kawhi Leonard in the last two weeks:
— APHoops (@APH00PS) December 29, 2025
41 points on 69.6% shooting vs. Amen Thompson
55 points on 65.4% shooting vs. Ausar Thompson pic.twitter.com/1oQ53le7N6
Kawhi just gave the Thompson twins 96 points this week #damn
— Ash ™️ (@ash4nd1021) December 29, 2025
It’s only fair that Kawhi cooked Ausar Thompson liked this after he did Amen Thompson the same way the other day.
— Marcus Richardson (@MarcusRich99) December 29, 2025
Leonard’s scoring display Sunday was his first time eclipsing the 50-point mark, and the 10th time in his career scoring at least 40 points.
A fifth of those 40+ performances have now come against at least one Thompson twin.
Ausar and Amen Thompson are considered among the best perimeter defenders in the league since prime Leonard was lurking on the wing for the Spurs. But neither twin can put points on the board like Kawhi can on the other end.
Mike Tirico called out Cris Collinsworth for somehow bringing up Patrick Mahomes on ‘SNF’
Cris Collinsworth was not going to let a prime time game slip away without finding a way to mention Patrick Mahomes.
The NBC announcer snuck in a Mahomes reference while on the mic for the “Sunday Night Football” game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Chicago Bears at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. Collinsworth did it while commentating on an electric Brock Purdy touchdown pass with the Niners facing 1st-and-goal at the Bears’ 6.
Purdy danced around two Chicago defenders before throwing a TD pass on the run to fullback Kyle Juszczyk.
“Brock Purdy was drafted when they were cleaning up the joint. But here he goes, he’s cleaning up the Bears so far tonight. I mean, if this were Patrick Mahomes, we’d be screaming ‘Oh, Patrick Mahomes!’ I know I would be.”
“Honestly, what I love about you is, you still have your speed. Because you beat the internet to beat you up, mentioning Mahomes,” Tirico said in response. “You’re just jumping right there, going to it.”
Cris Collinsworth is aware he's obsessed with Mahomes pic.twitter.com/0OijCqhAvI
— Rate the Refs (@Rate_the_Refs) December 29, 2025
The internet has called Collinsworth out for years now over how excited he gets about Mahomes. It’s gotten to the point that fans have started to suspect Collinsworth secretly roots for the Chiefs despite being a neutral announcer for NBC.
At the very least, Collinsworth is self-aware about his broadcast love affair with Mahomes, who was hundreds of miles away from where Sunday’s game took place.
Ex-Rangers champion announces his retirement from MLB
The Heandog Millionaire has thrown his final pitch in Major League Baseball.
Veteran left-hander Andrew Heaney announced in a lengthy post to social media on Sunday that he is retiring from baseball. Heaney took to his Instagram page to share that “I am now ready to return my focus and energy to being a husband, father, family man, and active member of my community.”
You can read Heaney’s full post here.
The 34-year-old Heaney debuted for the Miami Marlins in 2014 and went on to pitch 12 big-league seasons. Over the course of his MLB career, Heaney pitched for the Marlins, the Los Angeles Angels, the New York Yankees, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Texas Rangers, and the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Most notably, Heaney was a member of the Rangers’ World Series-winning team in 2023 (going 10-6 with a 4.15 ERA and 151 strikeouts over 28 starts that year). He split time last season between the Pirates and the Dodgers, going 5-10 with a 5.52 ERA over 23 big-league starts (also seeing some time in the minor leagues).
Heaney retires with a career MLB record of 56-72 with a 4.57 ERA, a 1.28 WHIP, and 1,156 strikeouts over 230 total appearances. Now that he is officially hanging up his cleats, Heaney may just have a future in comedy as he also showed off his unique way with words over the course of his career.
Ole Miss DB arrested on drug charges
Ole Miss defensive back Dante Core was arrested on drug charges just an hour after Christmas Day.
Andalusia Police in Alabama reportedly arrested Core in the wee hours of Friday morning on possession charges for marijuana and drug paraphernalia. According to a report from the Clarion Ledger’s Sam Sklar, Core was booked in the Covington County Jail and released hours later at around 10:46 a.m.
Per the report, Ole Miss players had a few days off to enjoy the holiday season before they were expected back at practice on Dec. 26.
The news of the arrest comes just days before No. 6 Ole Miss takes on No. 3 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, La. The 20-year-old’s absence in the contest does not impact Ole Miss all that much. Core, a 6’0″ freshman cornerback, has yet to play in a game this season.
Core was a three-star recruit who served as a two-way player for Choctawhatchee High School at Fort Walton Beach, Fla. 247 Sports ranked him the 67th best cornerback in the 2025 recruiting class.
NBA drops hammer on Jose Alvarado, Mark Williams after fight
The NBA has reportedly decided on punishments for New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado and Phoenix Suns center Mark Williams.
The league is suspending Alvarado for two games and Williams for one game after the two got into a fight during Saturday’s Pelicans-Suns contest, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The NBA is suspending New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado for two games and Phoenix Suns center Mark Williams for one game after their fight Saturday night, sources tell ESPN.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 29, 2025
The two got into a heated altercation in the third quarter that led to Alvarado punching Williams squarely in the jaw. Both were ejected from Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, La.
Alvarado will miss the Pelicans’ final two games of the calendar year: Dec. 29 at home against the New York Knicks and Dec. 31 on the road against the Chicago Bulls. Williams the Suns’ Dec. 30 contest against the Washington Wizards, which is the front end of a back-to-back set.
With Alvarado out of the lineup, New Orleans will need to rely more heavily on Jordan Poole, who had an amazing live reaction to the punch being thrown.
Myles Garrett throws shade at Aaron Rodgers, Steelers after failing to break sack record
Myles Garrett felt like the Pittsburgh Steelers won the sack battle Sunday, but ended up losing the war in the process.
The Cleveland Browns defensive end entered Sunday’s game against the Steelers just one sack shy of setting the single-season sack record. With 22 sacks through his first 15 games, Garrett was just half a sack behind Michael Strahan and Steelers linebacker TJ Watt for the all-time record.
Before the game, Garrett admitted how iconic it would be to break the sack record with a backfield hit on Rodgers. Garrett failed to get a sack in the Week 17 matchup, but helped Cleveland score a 13-6 upset over Pittsburgh.
“I mean, to an extent. I feel like they were more worried about keeping me away from Aaron [Rodgers] than getting the win, and I think that’s what came back to bite him,” Garrett said, via ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi. “So, they’ll have to fight it out with Baltimore next week. But I’m just proud of the guys for fighting and getting this one. That’s the main thing. And I’m always going to keep it that.”
Rodgers went 21/39 for 168 yards and got sacked twice in the contest by safety Grant Delpit and defensive end Alex Wright. Garrett finished with one tackle and a QB hit.
While the Steelers staved off Garrett, the surprising loss to the Browns sets up an all-important Week 18 clash against the Baltimore Ravens. The winner wears the AFC North crown and moves on to the postseason.
