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Tag: NFL football

  • Amon-Ra St Brown to play in mother’s home of Germany as Detroit set for NFL Munich game

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    MUNICH — Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown says a long-time dream will come true after his team was confirmed to play in the NFL game in Munch this year.

    St. Brown’s mother was born in Germany and his career has been closely followed by the NFL’s large German fan base.

    “It has been a dream of mine to play a game in my mother’s home country of Germany since coming to the league,” St. Brown said in a league statement on Tuesday.

    “I cannot wait to play in front of the incredible fans that I’ve gotten to know through my visits and football camps in the country. Their support for me and the country’s instant connection to the Lions brand is inspiring, and I’m looking forward to our team getting to showcase Detroit football on an international scale.”

    Detroit’s opponent will be confirmed later. The Munich game is part of a record schedule of nine international games in 2026 including new host cities in France, Australia and Brazil.

    The NFL is heading back to Munich for its third game at a stadium better known as the home of German soccer champion Bayern Munich. The city hosted the NFL’s first game in Germany in 2022 and another in 2024. Frankfurt and Berlin have also hosted games.

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  • NFL wide receiver Rondale Moore found dead in Indiana

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    NEW ALBANY, Ind. — NEW ALBANY, Ind. (AP) — NFL wide receiver Rondale Moore, who suffered a season-ending training camp knee injury in each of the last two years after a standout college career at Purdue and a promising start in the league with the Arizona Cardinals, died of a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound on Saturday in his native Indiana, police said. He was 25.

    Moore was found dead in the garage of a property in New Albany, police chief Todd Bailey said. The death remained under investigation. Floyd County Coroner Matthew Tomlin also confirmed Moore’s death. He said an autopsy would be conducted on Sunday.

    After being traded to the Atlanta Falcons in 2024, Moore dislocated his right knee during training camp and never played for them. He signed with the Minnesota Vikings in 2025, but he blew out his left knee while returning a punt in their first exhibition game and spent another full season on injured reserve. Moore was so distraught after immediately realizing the seriousness of that injury that he slammed his hand down on a cart so hard the sound was audible throughout the stadium.

    The Vikings said they had spoken with Moore’s family to offer condolences and support.

    “I am devastated by the news of Rondale’s death. While Rondale had been a member of the Vikings for a short time, he was someone we came to know well and care about deeply,” coach Kevin O’Connell said in a statement distributed by the team. “He was a humble, soft-spoken, and respectful young man who was proud of his Indiana roots. As a player, he was disciplined, dedicated and resilient despite facing adversity multiple times as injuries sidelined him throughout his career. We are all heartbroken by the fact he won’t continue to live out his NFL dream and we won’t all have a chance to watch him flourish.”

    In a statement, the Cardinals said they were “devastated and heartbroken.”

    “Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with his family, friends, teammates, and everyone who loved him and had the privilege of knowing such a special person,” the team said in a social media post.

    Moore grew up in New Albany, just across the Indiana border from Louisville, Kentucky, and was named a first team All-American as a freshman at Purdue in 2018.

    “Rondale Moore was a complete joy to coach. The ultimate competitor who wouldn’t back down from any challenge. Rondale had a work ethic unmatched by anyone. A great teammate that would come through in any situation. We all loved Rondale; we loved his smile and his competitive edge that always wanted to please everyone he came in contact,” Louisville coach Jeff Brohm said on social media. Brohm was the coach at Purdue when Moore played there.

    Drafted in the second round by the Cardinals in 2021, Moore had 1,201 receiving yards and three touchdowns plus 249 rushing yards and one score over three seasons. He served as their primary returner for kickoffs and punts as a rookie before injuries pushed him away from that role.

    “Can’t even begin to fathom or process this,” former Cardinals teammate J.J. Watt said on social media. “There’s just no way. Way too soon. Way too special. So much left to give. Rest in peace Rondale.”

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  • Nielsen revises Super Bowl final rating to 125.6 million viewers

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    Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald holds the trophy as quarterback Sam Darnold, right, and others look on after the team’s win in the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game against the New England Patriots, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

    The Associated Press

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  • Dolphins releasing star receiver Tyreek Hill in major roster cuts

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    MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The Dolphins released star receiver Tyreek Hill on Monday, ending the All-Pro’s four-year tenure in Miami.

    Hill, who turns 32 on March 1, is recovering from a season-ending injury suffered in a game against the New York Jets on Sept. 29 that required surgery to repair significant damage to his left knee, including a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

    It is one of several major roster cuts the Dolphins made on Monday. Miami also cut offensive lineman James Daniels and receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, and will release two-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Bradley Chubb.

    The Dolphins acquired Hill in a trade with Kansas City ahead of the 2022 season and gave him a $120 million, four-year contract extension that made him the highest-paid player at his position at the time.

    His contract, which runs through 2026, would have represented around $51 million against Miami’s cap.

    “These past few years have been some of the most meaningful of my life and career,” Hill said in an Instagram post Monday afternoon.

    Hill had consecutive 1,700-yard receiving seasons in his first two years with Miami, including a league-leading 1,799 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2023. The five-time All-Pro entered the 2025 season aiming to regain that elite form after a relatively down year in 2024, when he had 81 catches for 959 yards — his lowest totals in both categories since 2019.

    He had 21 receptions for 265 yards before he was hurt while making a catch in Miami’s Week 4 win against the Jets. Hill was running toward the sideline and planted his left foot, and his knee twisted as he was getting pulled down. He was carted off the field and placed on season-ending injured reserve on Oct. 1.

    Hill’s Dolphins tenure was characterized by tremendous production on the field coupled with numerous rocky moments off the field, including an altercation with police outside of Hard Rock Stadium ahead of the 2024 season opener, and pulling himself from that season’s finale and later indicating he wanted to play elsewhere.

    In an October podcast interview, Hill, who has played 10 NFL seasons, said he was undecided on whether he plans to retire when he’s done rehabbing his injury, but on Monday he indicated on social media that he’s not done playing yet.

    “The Cheetah don’t slow down. Ever,” Hill said in the post. “So to everyone wondering what’s next…just wait on it. The Cheetah will be back…Born Again.”

    Chubb spent the past three seasons with the Dolphins after being traded to Miami from Denver in 2022.

    He suffered a gruesome knee injury late in the 2023 season that required surgery to fix a torn anterior cruciate ligament, meniscus and patellar tendon in his right knee and sidelined him all of 2024. Chubb had 11 sacks — the most he had in a season since getting 12 as a rookie in 2018 — in 2023 before the injury.

    Last season, Chubb’s 8 1/2 sacks led the team. He represented a $31 million cap hit for 2026.

    New general manager Jon Eric Sullivan, who was hired by the Dolphins last month along with head coach Jeff Hafley, was expected to begin making moves to overhaul Miami’s roster.

    “We will move with responsible aggression here,” Sullivan said when the Dolphins introduced him on Jan 22. “We will utilize every avenue of player acquisition to bolster this roster.”

    Sullivan still faces the question on whether to move on from 2020 first-round pick Tua Tagovailoa, who was benched by former Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel toward the end of last season because of poor play.

    Tagovailoa signed a four-year, $212.4 million extension in July 2024, but has since shown a decline in accuracy and mobility. Tagovailoa finished 2025 with 15 interceptions, second most in the NFL and a career high.

    He is guaranteed $54 million for 2026, and the Dolphins would incur significant hits to the salary cap by releasing him. Cutting him would result in a $99 million dead cap charge. If the move is designated as a post-June 1 release, those charges are split over two years, with $67.4 million allocated to the 2026 cap and $31.8 million in 2027.

    Sullivan said last week at a fan event that he doesn’t know “what the future holds right now.”

    “And I told Tua that,” Sullivan said. “We’re working through some things. What I can tell you is that we’re going to infuse competition into that room — whether Tua is part of the room, whether he’s not part of the room.”

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  • Patriots’ Stefon Diggs to be arraigned and denies assault allegation

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    BOSTON — New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs is scheduled to be arraigned Friday in Massachusetts on felony strangulation and other criminal charges stemming from an alleged dispute with his personal chef.

    The arraignment at Dedham District Court was postponed until after Super Bowl LX so Diggs could play in the NFL championship game.

    According to court records, the woman told Dedham officers she and Diggs argued about money he owed her for her work as his private chef. During the Dec. 2 encounter at his home, she said, he “smacked her across the face” and then “tried to choke her using the crook of his elbow around her neck,” leaving her feeling short of breath.

    Diggs’ arraignment was originally slated for Jan. 23 but was moved to Feb. 13 — five days after the Patriots’ 29-13 loss to the Seattle Seahawks — to accommodate his playing schedule.

    Diggs’ attorney has said he “categorically denies these allegations,” calling them unsubstantiated and motivated by a financial dispute. The Patriots released a statement saying they support him.

    Investigators allege the woman first reported the incident to police on Dec. 16, two weeks after it occurred; she initially hesitated to file charges but later chose to do so, according to court documents.

    The arraignment Friday will be the first court appearance in the case. The judge is expected to address bail conditions and set future hearing dates.

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  • Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba returns to Super Bowl after concussion evaluation

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    Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) makes a catch during the second half of the NFL Super Bowl 60 football game against the New England Patriots, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

    The Associated Press

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  • Former Jets 1st-round pick Darron Lee charged with 1st-degree murder in Tennessee

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    OOLTEWAH, Tenn. — A former New York Jets first-round draft pick was arrested in Tennessee and charged with first-degree murder in the death of his girlfriend.

    Darron Lee was identified Thursday as the suspect and taken into custody at the scene, according to the Hamilton County sheriff’s office.

    The victim’s identity was not released.

    The 31-year-old Lee played 58 games with the Jets, Kansas City and Buffalo from 2016 through the 2020 seasons. The former Ohio State linebacker was the 20th overall pick in 2016 by the Jets. He was the defensive MVP of the 2015 Sugar Bowl.

    Lee was charged with first-degree murder and tampering with evidence. Additional charges could be pending following the outcome of the investigation, the sheriff’s office said.

    Upon arrival, first responders located a female victim and attempted life-saving measures.

    “Due to the condition of the victim and the residence, HCSO Criminal Investigative Services Detectives responded. Preliminary findings indicate the victim’s death was the result of a homicide,” the Hamilton County sheriff’s office said in a statement.

    Lee has a Feb. 11 court date.

    He was previously arrested for assault and domestic violence in 2023.

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  • Sonny Jurgensen, strong-arm QB and beloved football figure, dies at 91

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    Sonny Jurgensen, the Hall of Fame quarterback whose strong arm, keen wit and affable personality made him one of the most beloved figures in Washington football history, has died. He was 91.

    A Washington Commanders spokesperson confirmed Friday the team learned of Jurgensen’s death that morning from his family, who said he died of natural causes in Naples, Florida, after a brief stay in hospice care.

    “We are enormously proud of his amazing life and accomplishments on the field, marked not only by a golden arm but also a fearless spirit and intellect that earned him a place among the legends in Canton,” his family said in a statement. “He lived with deep appreciation for the teammates, colleagues and friends he met along the way. While he has taken his final snap, his legacy will remain an indelible part of the city he loved and the family he built.”

    Jurgensen arrived in Washington in 1964 in a surprise quarterback swap that sent Norm Snead to the Philadelphia Eagles. Over the next 11 seasons, Jurgensen rewrote the team’s record books.

    He topped 3,000 yards in a season five times, including twice with Philadelphia, in an era before rules changes opened up NFL offenses. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983 and remains the only Washington player to wear the No. 9 jersey in a game.

    “Sonny Jurgensen is, and always will be, one of the defining legends of Washington football,” said controlling owner Josh Harris, who grew up a fan. “For me, Sonny was the embodiment of what it means to don the burgundy and gold: tough, smart and endlessly devoted to this franchise and its fans.”

    Jurgensen’s four-plus decades of association with the franchise in Washington as a quarterback and then as a broadcaster made him a one-name celebrity in the nation’s capital. He was the one and only Sonny, contrary but loyal: the everyman red-headed football player with the out-of-shape belly who kept a connection with fans but could also pull out a cigar and hobnob with the team owner.

    Notorious for breaking curfew, Jurgensen was also known for ignoring coaches and joking about his less-than-ideal physique. He more than compensated with his pinpoint passing from the pocket, helping make the then-Redskins exciting and competitive again, leading the team to more victories in his first three seasons than the club had won in its previous six.

    “All I ask of my blockers is 4 seconds,” he once said. “I try to stay on my feet and not be forced out of the pocket. I beat people by throwing, not running.”

    That’s exactly what he did on Nov. 28, 1965, when he dismissed the crowd’s boos and rallied Washington from a 21-0 deficit to a 34-31 win over the Dallas Cowboys by throwing for 411 yards and three touchdowns. The game was the highlight of coach Bill McPeak’s five losing seasons with the club.

    “I’m glad the crowd let me stay in,” Jurgensen said sarcastically after the game. “It was decent of them, and maybe Bill McPeak appreciates it, too.”

    Jurgensen played through numerous injuries and even won over the notoriously tough Vince Lombardi, who coached Washington to its first winning season in more than a decade in 1969. Lombardi said of Jurgensen, “He is the best I have seen.”

    But Lombardi died the following year, and Jurgensen never really hit it off with defense-minded successor George Allen. Washington acquired Billy Kilmer, generating the great “Sonny vs. Billy” debates that lasted until Jurgensen retired after the 1974 season.

    “Few players could rival Sonny Jurgensen’s genuine love of the game that continued long after his playing days,” Hall of Fame president Jim Porter said. “Watching Sonny throw a football was like watching a master craftsman create a work of art.”

    Jurgensen finished his career with 2,433 completions for 32,224 yards and a 57.1 completion percentage. He threw 255 touchdown passes, 189 interceptions and had a career rating of 82.6. He made the Pro Bowl five times, led the NFL in passing yards five times, and will always be in the record books for an untoppable 99-yard touchdown pass to Gerry Allen in 1968.

    Washingtonians too young to remember Jurgensen as a player came to adore him for his astute observations as part of the radio broadcast trio of “Sonny, Sam and Frank.” Jurgensen, Hall of Fame linebacker Sam Huff and play-by-play man Frank Herzog would fuss and laugh while both rooting for and criticizing the burgundy and gold.

    Jurgensen also became an unofficial confidant-at-large around the organization. He took Gus Frerotte under his wing when the young quarterback was battling Heath Shuler for the starting job in the mid-1990s. He became a member of Daniel Snyder’s inner circle after Snyder bought the team in 1999, arriving in the owner’s helicopter and getting a special sideline seat to watch practices.

    Still, Jurgensen wouldn’t hesitate to question decisions and performances he didn’t like, especially when it came to quarterbacks. He often pined for the days when QBs were allowed to call their own plays.

    Born Christian Adolph Jurgensen III in Wilmington, North Carolina on Aug, 23, 1934, Jurgensen was a two-way star at Duke and was drafted in the fourth round by the Eagles in 1957. He sat behind Norm Van Brocklin until 1961, when he took over the starting job and threw for 3,723 yards, 32 touchdown and 24 interceptions — all league highs.

    Three years later he found himself on the way to Washington on April 1, 1964.

    “Someone came in and said, ‘You were traded to the Redskins,’ ” Jurgensen said in a 2007 interview. “I said ‘No, it’s April Fool’s Day, you’re kidding.’ He said, ‘No, I’m not kidding. I just heard it on the radio.’

    “So I was shocked.”

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    Barry Wilner is a retired Pro Football Writer for The Associated Press. Wilner covered the NFL for the AP for more than 30 years.

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  • E-40 and Too $hort to bring Bay Area hip-hop to NFL Honors stage

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    LOS ANGELES — Rap legends E-40 and Too $hort will bring Bay Area hip-hop flavor to the NFL Honors stage, performing during the league’s annual awards show Thursday night in San Francisco.

    NFL Honors will be held at the Palace of Fine Arts and air at 9 p.m. ET on NBC and NFL Network, with streaming available on Peacock.

    Actor Jon Hamm will host the NFL Honors, which will celebrate the league’s top performances from the 2025 season and announce the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026 and the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.

    Presenters include Tiffany Haddish, Tracy Morgan, Druski, Rich Eisen and Madelyn Cline along with current and former NFL players such as Michael Strahan, Steve Young, Micah Parsons and Kurt Warner.

    Too $hort and E-40’s performance adds a distinct Bay Area presence to Super Bowl week festivities, bringing hometown hip-hop legends to one of the NFL’s most high-profile stages.

    With a three decade-plus career, E-40 is known for his unorthodox rap flow, schooling listeners with life lessons through his street-wise perspective.

    Too $hort has solidified himself as a rap icon with hit songs like “What’s My Favorite Word?,” “Blow the Whistle,” “Shake That Monkey” and “The Ghetto.”

    The Super Bowl, which is being held at Levi’s Stadium in the San Francisco Bay Area on Sunday, features the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots. Bad Bunny is the halftime performer.

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  • Football, politics and protest: This year’s Super Bowl comes at a tinderbox moment in the US

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    WASHINGTON — Don’t tune into the Super Bowl hoping for a break from the tumultuous politics gripping the U.S.

    The NFL is facing pressure ahead of Sunday’s game between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots to take a more explicit stance against the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement. More than 184,000 people have signed a petition calling on the league to denounce the potential presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the Super Bowl, which is being held at Levi’s Stadium in the San Francisco Bay Area. The liberal group MoveOn plans to deliver the petition to the NFL’s New York City headquarters on Tuesday.

    Meanwhile, anticipation is building around how Bad Bunny, the halftime show’s Spanish-speaking headliner, will address the moment. He has criticized President Donald Trump on everything from his hurricane response in his native Puerto Rico to his treatment of immigrants. On Sunday night, he blasted ICE while accepting an award at the Grammys. His latest tour skipped the continental U.S. because of fears that his fans could be targeted by immigration agents.

    Trump has said he doesn’t plan to attend this year’s game, unlike last year, and he has derided Bad Bunny as a “terrible choice.” A Republican senator is calling it “the woke bowl.” And a prominent conservative group plans to hold an alternative show that it hopes will steal attention from the main event.

    The Super Bowl is one of the few remaining cultural touchstones viewed by millions of people in real time and the halftime show is no stranger to controversy, perhaps most notably Janet Jackson’s 2004 performance in which her breast was briefly exposed. But there are few parallels to this year’s game, which has the potential to become an unusual mix of sports, entertainment, politics and protest. And it will unfold at a tinderbox moment for the U.S., just two weeks after Alex Pretti’s killing by federal agents in Minneapolis reignited a national debate over the Trump administration’s hard-line law enforcement tactics.

    “The Super Bowl is supposed to be an escape, right? We’re supposed to go there to not have to talk about the serious things of this country,” said Tiki Barber, a former player for the New York Giants who played in the Super Bowl in 2001 and has since attended several as a commentator. “I hope it doesn’t devolve, because if it does, then I think we’re really losing touch with what’s important in our society.”

    The 31-year-old Bad Bunny, born in Puerto Rico as Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, has elevated Latino music into the mainstream and gained global fame with songs almost entirely in Spanish — something that irks many of his conservative detractors. He has leaned into the controversy, referring to the halftime show when he hosted “Saturday Night Live” in October by joking “everybody is happy about it — even Fox News.”

    He segued into a few sentences in Spanish, expressing Latino pride in the achievement, and finished by saying in English, “If you didn’t understand what I just said, you have four months to learn!”

    Those who follow him closely doubt that he’ll back down now.

    “He has made it very clear what he stands for,” said Vanessa Díaz, a professor at Loyola Marymount University and co-author of “P FKN R: How Bad Bunny Became the Global Voice of Puerto Rican Resistance.” “So I can’t imagine that this would all go away with the Super Bowl.”

    The halftime show is a collaboration between the NFL, Roc Nation and Apple Music. Roc Nation curates the performers and Apple Music distributes the performance while the NFL ultimately controls the stage, broadcast and branding.

    The NFL, which is working to expand its appeal across the world, including into Latin America, said it never considered removing Bad Bunny from the halftime show even after criticism from Trump and some of his supporters.

    NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on Monday described the singer as “one of the great artists in the world,” as well as someone who understands the power of the Super Bowl performance “to unite people and to be able to bring people together.”

    “I think artists in the past have done that. I think Bad Bunny understands that. And I think you’ll have a great performance,” Goodell told reporters during his annual Super Bowl press conference.

    About half of Americans approved of Bad Bunny as the halftime performer, according to an October poll from Quinnipiac University. But there were substantial gaps with about three-quarters of Democrats backing the pick compared to just 16% of Republicans. About 60% of Black and Hispanic adults approved of the selection compared to 41% of whites.

    Republicans are eager to maintain Latino support in their bid to keep control of Congress. But as the Super Bowl draws near, many in the GOP have kept up their Bad Bunny critiques.

    Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, the former head football coach at Auburn University who is now running for governor, derided the “Woke Bowl” on Newsmax last week and said he’ll watch an alternative event hosted by Turning Point USA.

    The group founded by the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk said Monday that Kid Rock, a vocal Trump supporter, would be among the performers at its event.

    In recent days, Department of Homeland Security official Jeff Brannigan hosted a series of private calls with local officials and the NFL in which he indicated that ICE does not plan to conduct any law enforcement actions the week of the Super Bowl or at the game, according to two NFL officials with direct knowledge of the conversations.

    ICE is not expected to be among more than a dozen DHS-related agencies providing security at the game, the officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.

    While that is the plan, some worry that Trump and his MAGA allies who lead DHS can change their minds ahead of Sunday’s game given their recent statements.

    DHS official Corey Lewandowski, a key adviser to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, said in October that ICE agents would be conducting immigration enforcement at the game.

    “There is nowhere that you can provide safe haven to people who are in the country illegally, not the Super Bowl, not anywhere else,” he said at the time.

    Asked to clarify ICE’s role this week, DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin refused to say whether federal immigration agents will be present for the Super Bowl.

    “Those who are here legally and not breaking other laws have nothing to fear,” she said. “We will not disclose future operations or discuss personnel. Super Bowl security will entail a whole-of-government response conducted in line with the U.S. Constitution.”

    The progressive group MoveOn will host a Tuesday rally outside the NFL headquarters in New York to present a petition telling the league, “No ICE at the Super Bowl.”

    “This year’s Super Bowl should be remembered for big plays and Bad Bunny, not masked and armed ICE agents running around the stadium inflicting chaos, violence, and trauma on fans and stadium workers,” MoveOn spokesperson Britt Jacovich said. “The NFL can’t stay on the sidelines, the league has a responsibility to act like adults, protect Super Bowl fans and stadium workers, and keep ICE out of the game.”

    In an interview, San Francisco mayor Daniel Lurie was optimistic that the event would be a success even in a politically tense climate.

    “We are going to keep everybody safe — our residents, our visitors,” he said. “Obviously with everything going on, we’re staying on top of it, monitoring everything. But I expect everything to be safe and fun.”

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    Peoples reported from New York.

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  • British soccer union wants fewer headers for pros to protect players’ brains

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    BOSTON — The union representing British soccer players will announce on Tuesday the first comprehensive protocol for preventing the brain disease CTE, expanding the heightened concern over concussions to include the damage that can be caused by the less forceful blows from heading the ball.

    The guidelines from the Professional Footballers’ Association, which represents current and former players in the Premier League, the FA Women’s Super League and the English Football Leagues, recommend no more than 10 headers per week – including practice – for professionals. Children under 12 shouldn’t head the ball at all, the PFA said, part of a chronic traumatic encephalopathy prevention protocol designed to reduce head impacts across a player’s lifetime.

    “CTE is preventable. Period,” Dr. Adam White, Director of Brain Health at the PFA, said on Monday at the first-ever Global CTE Summit, which was held in San Francisco while the NFL descended on the Bay Area for Sunday’s Super Bowl.

    “It is the principles of less heading, less force, less often and later in life that matter,” White told The Associated Press. “These could apply to any sport and are the best hope we have of stopping current and future players from the same fate as former generations.”

    The degenerative brain disease now known as CTE was studied in boxers more than a century ago as punch drunk syndrome and first diagnosed in American football players in 2005. It has since become a concern in ice hockey, soccer and other contact sports and among combat veterans and others who sustain repeated blows to the head.

    A 2017 study found CTE in 110 of 111 brains donated by former NFL players. The disease can only be identified posthumously through an examination of the brain.

    The NFL, college football and many other sports have instituted protocols that guide teams and athletes on returning to play after sustaining a possible concussion.

    But the British soccer protocol is the first comprehensive plan to combat CTE by addressing the less dramatic, subconcussive blows that can be common in practice, according to Chris Nowinski, the founder of the Concussion and CTE Foundation.

    “For contact sports, CTE prevention protocols are equally important and possibly more important than concussion protocols,” he said.

    Among the more recent concerns are the routine head hits sustained by football lineman, and those from soccer players heading the ball. Research funded by the union and the Football Association found that Scottish pros have a risk of dementia that is 3.5 times greater than the general population; studies of brains from British soccer players found the majority had CTE, including Jeff Astle, Gordon McQueen and Chris Nicholl.

    “With what we know today about the disease, it would be a failure to our players to do nothing,” White said in a statement. “The science and solutions are clear, it just takes willingness from the sporting bodies to put athletes’ long-term health first and I am pleased that we have been able to do that in England. I encourage all sports to put as much, if not more, effort into CTE prevention protocols as they have concussion protocols.”

    The protocol also includes annual education, support for research and care for ex-players who suspect they are living with CTE. It follows the publication of a CTE prevention framework published in 2023 by researchers assembled by the Concussion and CTE Foundation and Boston University’s CTE Center.

    Nowinski called on sports leagues and their medical advisors to adopt CTE prevention protocols.

    “There is now overwhelming evidence that more head impacts in sports will result in more athletes with CTE,” Nowinski said. “Sports administrators aren’t risking CTE themselves, but the policies they set are sentencing some athletes to a life with CTE, a burden that will primarily be carried by their spouses and children. Enough is enough.”

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  • NFL inks new multiyear deal to play regular-season games at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu Stadium

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    MADRID — The NFL will be back in Madrid for 2026 and beyond.

    The league announced Monday it has reached a multiyear deal to keep playing regular-season games at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

    It did not immediately say the length of the new agreement or which teams will play in 2026.

    The Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs and Chicago Bears currently have marketing rights in Spain as part of the league’s Global Markets Program, which awards NFL teams rights in areas outside the U.S. to “build brand awareness and fandom through fan engagement, events and commercial opportunities.”

    The first NFL regular-season game in Spain was played at the Bernabeu last November as the Dolphins defeated the Washington Commanders 16-13 in overtime before a crowd of 78,610 fans.

    It was the seventh — and final — international game of the season, the most ever in one year for the league as it continues to expand globally.

    NFL Spain country manager Rafa De Los Santos said the multiyear agreement to playing games in Madrid “underlines our commitment to the market and enables us to continue to engage fans year-round and invest long-term in initiatives like NFL Flag and youth participation.”

    The NFL said Spain is “an important market globally,” with 11 million fans. It said it will also focus on developing the league’s flag football initiatives across the country.

    After the first game in Madrid last year, there had also been talks of the league also trying to organize a game in Barcelona at some point.

    The NFL played for the first time in Dublin and Berlin in 2025. It also returned for a second straight year to Sao Paulo and played three more games in London.

    The NFL said it planned to increase the number of international games to a point where each team will get to play a game abroad every year. Goodell said last year the NFL also wants to play in Asia.

    This year, it will go to Australia and add a game in Rio de Janeiro. It will also play a game in Munich, Germany, and three in London, with “additional games to be announced.”

    The NFL says it has played 62 regular-season games outside the U.S. so far, with London, Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Madrid, Dublin, Sao Paulo, Mexico City and Toronto as hosts.

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  • Seahawks sale rumors swirl ahead of Super Bowl, Paul Allen’s estate denies report

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    SEATTLE — The Seattle Seahawks will go up for sale after the team’s appearance in the Super Bowl on Feb. 8, ESPN reported Friday night.

    Citing unnamed sources, ESPN said talks between Seahawks ownership and the NFL have been going on over the past week.

    The estate of late Seahawks owner Paul Allen, however, is denying the report, according to a statement released to The Associated Press and other outlets.

    “We don’t comment on rumors or speculation, and the team is not for sale,” a spokesperson for the Paul Allen Estate said. “We’ve already said that will change at some point per Paul’s wishes, but there is no news to share. Our focus right now is winning the Super Bowl and completing the sale of the Portland Trail Blazers in the coming months.”

    The Seahawks — who’ll try for their second Super Bowl title when they play the New England Patriots in Santa Clara, California — have been in the Allen family since 1997, when Paul bought the Seahawks for $194 million from then-owner Ken Behring.

    An NFL spokesman said the league had no comment.

    Since Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, died in 2018 from complications of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma at 65, the Seahawks and NBA’s Trail Blazers have been owned by his sister, Jody. The estate agreed in September to sell the Trail Blazers to an investment group led by Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon.

    In 2022, Jody Allen acknowledged the Seahawks would one day go up for sale, according to the wishes of her late brother.

    “The time will come when that changes given Paul’s plans to dedicate the vast majority of his wealth to philanthropy,” read a statement she released in July of 2022. “But estates of this size and complexity can take 10 to 20 years to wind down. There is no preordained timeline by which the teams must be sold.”

    Before Friday’s practice, Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald discussed Jody Allen’s involvement and noted that they speak after each game.

    “The thing that sticks out to me about Jody was her enthusiasm about where she wanted our team to be, our franchise to be as a vision of the Seattle Seahawks and that was during our interview process,” Macdonald said. “Honestly, that’s really where I was like, ‘OK, this is something I feel really strongly about, that I think that I could help create that.’ So everything, I think, has been through that lens, and it’s very clear of what type of team she wants and she’s been incredibly supportive.

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  • Some blind fans to experience Super Bowl with tactile device that tracks ball

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    Some blind and low-vision fans will have unprecedented access to the Super Bowl thanks to a tactile device that tracks the ball, vibrates on key plays and provides real-time audio.

    The NFL teamed up with OneCourt and Ticketmaster to pilot the game-enhancing experience 15 times during the regular-season during games hosted by the Seattle Seahawks, Jacksonville Jaguars, San Francisco 49ers, Atlanta Falcons and Minnesota Vikings.

    About 10 blind and low-vision fans will have an opportunity to use the same technology at the Super Bowl in Santa Clara, California, where Seattle will play the New England Patriots on Feb. 8. With hands on the device, they will feel the location of the ball and hear what’s happening throughout the game.

    Scott Thornhill can’t wait.

    Thornhill, the executive director of the American Council of the Blind, will be among the fans at Levi’s Stadium with a OneCourt tablet in their lap and Westwood One’s broadcast piped into headphones. He was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa when he was 8, and later lost his sight.

    “It will allow me to engage and enjoy the game as close as possible as people who can see,” Thornhill told The Associated Press. “As someone who grew up playing sports before I lost my vision, I’m getting a big part of my life back that I’ve been missing. To attend a game and not have to wait for someone to tell me what happened, it’s hard to even describe how much that means to me.

    “It’s a game-changer.”

    Clark Roberts experienced it first hand.

    The Seahawks fan was invited by the team to attend its home game against Indianapolis on Dec. 14 to experience the game with the OneCourt device that is the size of a thick iPad with raised lines outlining a football field.

    “The device does two wonderful things,” said Roberts, who lost his sight when he was 24 due to retinitis pigmentosa. “It vibrates in different ways for different plays and through headphones, I was able to hear Seattle’s amazing announcer, Steve Raible. Real-time audio is the real beauty of the device because usually when I’m listening to a game, there can be a delay of up to a minute or more and that can be challenging to constantly ask family and friends what happened.

    “Can you imagine how this can open up everything, not just football?”

    OneCourt is working on it.

    It has partnered with NBA and Major League Baseball teams to provide its devices at games and is in talks to make them available with the NHL, along with other leagues and sports organizations all over the world.

    OneCourt launched in 2023 after founder Jerred Mace saw a blind person attending a soccer match while he was a junior at the University of Washington.

    The startup with headquarters in Seattle uses the NFL’s tracking data from Genius Sports and translates it into feedback for the device to create unique vibrations for plays such as tackles and touchdowns.

    The data is generated from cameras and chips embedded in balls, jerseys and elsewhere. The same technology is used by the NFL’s NextGen Stats for health and player safety, statistics and gambling.

    “It’s a testament to the maturity of the product and our company that we have gone from delivering this to a handful of teams throughout the last year or two to having it at the largest event in American sports,” OneCourt co-founder Antyush Bollini said. “The Super Bowl is such an amazing event and now blind and low-vision fans can use our technology in a way they deserve.”

    Ticketmaster’s funding for the NFL pilot went toward underwriting the device to make it available to fans for free, according to senior client development director Scott Aller.

    “This is a very, very big social impact win,” Aller said. “We hope that we can make an investment like this in every single one of our markets.”

    After some teams approached the league about improving access for all, the NFL has spent the past few months piloting the program and ultimately decided to have the device make its Super Bowl debut.

    “It’s not lost on us that we have blind to low-vision fans and we want to do right by them,” said Belynda Gardner, senior director of diversity equity and inclusion for the NFL.

    Gardner said the league has been very encouraged by the pilot and potential of this technology.

    “We’re reviewing what we learned and evaluating how it can be implemented going forward,” Gardner said. “There aren’t any definitive next steps and we will use the offseason to determine where this technology sits in the NFL’s suite of offerings.”

    Thomas Rice, a Jaguars fans, who is blind, said he had a seamless experience with the OneCourt device at a game in Jacksonville. Rice picked up the tablet at guest services at EverBank Stadium and after settling in at his seat, he felt and heard football in a new way.

    “When Trevor Lawrence threw a touchdown pass to Brian Thomas Jr., I felt the ball travel through the air,” Rice said. “When Travis Etienne ran the ball, I could feel it happen along the sideline.”

    “It was like giving me my own pair of eyes.”

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  • How are the inductees selected for the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

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    Bill Belichick’s reported snub from the Pro Football Hall of Fame after winning a record six Super Bowl titles as a head coach has placed new scrutiny on the process of picking pro football Hall of Famers.

    While the specific reasons that Belichick didn’t get into the Hall in his first year of eligibility are unknown, there are some possible explanations why at least 11 of the 50 voters didn’t vote for one of the sport’s most accomplished coaches.

    Belichick’s role in the “Spygate” scandal in 2007 could have had a similar impact on his candidacy that steroids have had in the baseball Hall of Fame at keeping stars such as Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens out of Cooperstown.

    The rule changes put in place last year by the Hall also could have played a part, including possible frustration from some voters about the decision to eliminate the five-year waiting period for coaches that made Belichick eligible for the ballot after sitting out only one season as an NFL coach.

    The changes also made it more difficult for anyone — Belichick included — to get into the Hall as evidenced by only four people getting voted in last year for the smallest class in 20 years. Coaches are now competing directly with players in the seniors category instead of being judged on their own.

    Here’s a look at how the new rules have impacted the voting:

    Along with eliminating the five-year waiting period, coaches also were separated from contributors in terms of becoming finalists. A blue-ribbon committee whittles the coaches down to one finalist, with Belichick getting the nod this year. The one coach was grouped with one contributor, which was Patriots owner Robert Kraft, and three seniors players who haven’t played in the past 25 seasons. Ken Anderson, Roger Craig and L.C. Greenwood are the finalists this year.

    The biggest group of finalists comes from the modern era category, with 15 players picked after a process of cutting down nominees started with a screening committee that picks 50 nominees. The full 50-person selection committee cuts that down to 25 semifinalists and then 15 finalists, with any player who made it to the final seven and didn’t get in last year guaranteed a spot in the final 15.

    The selection committee consists of 50 voters, with 32 picked as media representatives of each team and the rest consisting of at-large voters, including some Hall of Famers such as Bill Polian, Tony Dungy, Dan Fouts and James Lofton. All the voters got on a video conference earlier this month, with one voter making a presentation and others then allowed to offer their opinions in a debate. The vote is conducted by secret ballot, with the results announced Feb. 5 at “NFL Honors” in San Francisco.

    The threshold to get into the Hall is 80% — 40 of the 50 voters — but it’s not as simple as an up-or-down vote.

    Before the rule changes last year, five modern era finalists were picked to have an up-or-down vote, as well as the senior finalists and any coach or contributor who made it to the final stage. That typically led to five modern era players getting in with most — but not all — of the seniors, coaches and contributors also getting in.

    Now, it’s much more difficult.

    The voters will cut down the list of modern era candidates from 15 to 10 and then seven. A final vote will be held for those seven, with each voter allowed to vote for only five players. If some candidates such as Drew Brees and Larry Fitzgerald get wide support, that would leave fewer available votes for any other potential candidates in the final seven to get to 80%. That led to only three modern era players — Eric Allen, Jared Allen and Antonio Gates — getting in last year.

    It’s a similar process for the seniors, coaches and contributors. Voters can vote for only three of the final finalists, with the top vote-getter and anyone else who gets 80% support getting into the Hall. Sterling Sharpe was the only person to reach that threshold last year from the group of finalists, while players Maxie Baughan and Jim Tyrer, coach Mike Holmgren and contributor Ralph Hay fell short.

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  • Sean Payton says Broncos QB Bo Nix has an ankle condition that made break inevitable

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    ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Sean Payton said at his season-ending news conference Tuesday that Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix had a preexisting ankle condition that make a fracture inevitable.

    Nix broke a bone in his right ankle on Denver’s game-winning drive in the Broncos’ 33-30 overtime victory over the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round of the playoffs.

    Nix flew to Birmingham, Alabama, last week for an operation performed by Dr. Norman E. Waldrop III, a renowned foot and ankle specialist at the Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Center.

    Nix watched from a suite Sunday as backup Jarrett Stidham took his place in Denver’s 10-7 loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC championship game.

    On Tuesday, the Broncos’ brass provided the fullest accounting yet of Nix’s injury, with Payton saying a preexisting issue made the fracture “a matter of when.”

    “What was found was a condition that was predisposed — they always find a little more when they go in,” Payton said. “It wasn’t a matter of if, it was a matter of when. When you look at the play and you’re trying to evaluate it — the operating surgeon said that this was going to happen sooner than later. Now, you go about the rehab, proper orthotics, all those things.”

    Payton said he has no concerns about Nix’s health going forward even though Nix has had several ankle operations going back to high school.

    “So listen, he’ll rehab his tail off and get ready and get back to being healthy,” Payton said. “I think for someone who runs with the ball, I think he’s done a pretty good job of protecting himself, not all the time, but for the most part, he’s done a pretty good job of sliding and understanding playing for another day.”

    General manager George Paton said Nix is tracking to return in May when the Broncos begin organized team activities.

    Just before going to the lectern for his wrapup news conference, Payton said he saw Nix cruising around team headquarters on his medical scooter, which he’ll use until he graduates to crutches and then a walking boot.

    “He was just up above us here,” Payton said from the atrium of the Broncos’ suburban headquarters. “I said, ‘What are you doing? Getting your scooter laps in?’

    “You have to know him. He’s fidgety to begin with,” Payton said. “He might have just been getting his scooter laps. He was up there, like, in an area he’d never be in department-wise. He’s handling it like a pro. Man, I’m sure there’s disappointment for him to have to watch” on Sunday.

    Nix led the Broncos (15-4) to a franchise record-tying 14 wins in the regular season and their first playoff triumph since Super Bowl 50 a decade ago. He’s won 25 games in two seasons and has an NFL-best 11 game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime during that span.

    “It’s difficult to get as far as he brought us, and then also to see one of his contemporaries, someone in his draft class who he would have loved to have competed against, advance,” Payton said of Patriots QB Drake Maye, who was Nix’s predraft training partner.

    “It’s a tough deal.”

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  • Sam Darnold is one win away from a Super Bowl victory that’s eluded fellow QBs in the 2018 draft

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    Sam Darnold will be starting in the Super Bowl before Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen and the rest of the NFL’s Class of 2018 quarterbacks.

    It took Darnold five teams and eight seasons to get here.

    Darnold led the Seattle Seahawks to a 14-3 record, a division title, the No. 1 seed and was at his best in the NFC championship game.

    Despite an oblique injury, Darnold threw for 346 yards and three touchdowns in Seattle’s 31-27 victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. He completed 25 of 36 passes and had no turnovers.

    “He just shut a lot of people up,” Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said. “Really happy for him.”

    Labeled a bust early in his career, Darnold was still doubted by critics following his impressive turnaround.

    Now, he’s one win away from hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy. The Seahawks are 4 1/2-point favorites over the New England Patriots on BetMGM Sportsbook.

    Darnold was picked No. 3 overall by the New York Jets in 2018. Baker Mayfield went first to the Cleveland Browns. Allen went to the Buffalo Bills at No. 7. Josh Rosen was chosen 10th by the Arizona Cardinals. The Baltimore Ravens selected Jackson with the final pick of the first round at No. 32.

    Jackson has won two AP NFL MVP awards and is 0-1 in the AFC championship game. Allen is the reigning NFL MVP and twice lost to the Chiefs in the AFC title game.

    Mayfield led the Browns to their only playoff victory this century and has won two division titles and one playoff game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, his fourth team.

    Rosen was traded by Arizona after going 3-10 as a rookie and is out of the NFL after starting just three more games.

    Darnold’s success doesn’t make others failures. Football is a team sport and there are several reasons why Allen, Jackson and Mayfield have come up short. Both Allen and Jackson saw their coaches fired this month because their teams didn’t live up to expectations.

    Darnold’s story is about perseverance and redemption. It’s another clear example why coaching matters.

    Darnold struggled mightily during three seasons with the Jets playing for coaches Todd Bowles and Adam Gase, and offensive coordinators Jeremy Bates and Dowell Loggains. His 78.2 passer rating during that time ranked third worst among 53 QBs with at least 500 attempts.

    Darnold went to Carolina and played two seasons for coaches Matt Rhule and Steve Wilks, and coordinators Jeff Nixon, Joe Brady and Ben McAdoo.

    None of them could unlock his potential. He didn’t have the right coaching or supporting cast, and his teams lacked stability.

    Then he spent a season with Kyle Shanahan and assistants Klint and Klay Kubiak in San Francisco in 2023. Darnold backed up Brock Purdy on a 49ers team that reached the Super Bowl. He got a chance to watch, learn and study in an environment that fostered growth.

    Shanahan praised Darnold’s arm talent, his ability to read defenses and run the offensive scheme.

    Darnold went to Minnesota and thrived under coach Kevin O’Connell. He had a breakthrough season in 2024, throwing for 4,319 yards and 35 TDs while having a 102.5 passer rating and leading the Vikings to 14 wins.

    But Minnesota chose to stick with J.J. McCarthy, whose injury opened the door for Darnold to play and flourish.

    Based off his success with the Vikings, the Seahawks gave Darnold a three-year, $100.5 million contract to replace Geno Smith. He became the first quarterback in NFL history to lead two different teams to 14 wins in consecutive seasons. Tom Brady did it with the Patriots.

    “We believe in him. The building believes in him. The city believes in him. It’s awesome to run out onto the field with him,” All-Pro wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba said.

    Darnold has come a long way since telling coaches he was “seeing ghosts” during a lopsided loss to the Patriots in his second season.

    “There was a lot that I didn’t know back then, so I’m just going to continue to learn and grow in this great game,” Darnold said. “There is a lot of stuff that I can get better from today even. I feel like I missed some throws out there that I shouldn’t miss. There were some things offensively that I feel like we can do better. So, we’re always looking to get better. I’m always looking to get better. That’s the great part about this game is you win an NFC championship and you win games throughout the season, but there is always ways that you can look to get better.”

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  • Patriots punch ticket to 12th Super Bowl with gritty 10-7 win

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    DENVER — Drake Maye handled the sloppy, snowy conditions better than the home team and he scored New England’s only touchdown on a 6-yard keeper, propelling the Patriots to their 12th Super Bowl with a 10-7 win over the Denver Broncos in the AFC championship game Sunday.

    Maye threw for just 86 yards, but ran for 65 and iced the win with a 7-yard keeper on third-and-5 in the waning minutes to send the Patriots (17-3) to the Super Bowl in Mike Vrabel’s first year as coach.

    The Patriots will play the Seattle Seahawks, who beat the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC championship game, on Feb. 8 in Santa Clara, California.

    “I’m just proud of this team,” said the 23-year-old Maye, who’s the second-youngest starting quarterback to reach the Super Bowl, behind only Miami’s Dan Marino. “Don’t have many words. Just thankful for this team. Love each and every one of them. It took everybody.”

    Christian Gonzalez intercepted Jarrett Stidham, starting in place of an injured Bo Nix, with 2:11 remaining for New England’s second takeaway. The first set up the Patriots with a short field and led to Maye’s touchdown scamper that tied it at 7 heading into halftime.

    With Nix looking on from a suite following ankle surgery Tuesday in Alabama, Stidham made his first start in more than two years. His first completion since the 2023 regular-season finale was a 52-yard dart to Marvin Mims Jr. to the New England 7 that set up Courtland Sutton’s 6-yard touchdown catch.

    That was Stidham’s highlight as he turned the ball over twice and finished 17 of 31 for 133 yards with the TD.

    “I was super excited for the opportunity and just hate that we fell short,” Stidham said.

    New England, which went 4-13 last year under Jerod Mayo, became the third team in the Super Bowl era to win a conference championship with 10 points or less. Buffalo beat Denver 10-7 in the 1991 AFC title game, and Los Angeles beat Tampa Bay 9-0 in the 1979 NFC championship game.

    Vrabel, who won three Super Bowls as a playmaking linebacker for the Patriots, could become the first person in NFL history to also win as a head coach for the same franchise.

    “I won’t win it. It’ll be the players that’ll win the game,” Vrabel said. “I promise you, it won’t be me that’ll win it, and I promise you that I’ll do everything I can, and our staff, to have them ready for the game.”

    The Broncos (15-4) finished one step shy of fulfilling Sean Payton’s preseason prediction of a trip to Super Bowl 60, and he pointed the finger right at himself.

    He said he regretted his call on fourth-and-1 from the New England 14 in the second quarter when a chip-shot field goal before the snow came in would have given Denver a double-digit lead. Stidham’s throw to running back R.J. Harvey was incomplete and the Broncos’ early momentum vanished.

    “There’s always regrets,” Payton said. “Yeah, I mean, look, I felt like here we are, fourth-and-1. We felt close enough … So, yeah, there’ll always be second thoughts.”

    The Broncos were left clinging to a 7-0 lead that was short-lived. Elijah Ponder recovered Stidham’s backward pass at the Denver 12, setting up the tying touchdown two plays later.

    “I thought I threw it forward and obviously the replay said differently,” Stidham said. “Probably should have just eaten the sack and let (Jeremy) Crawshaw punt the ball and flip the field.”

    Both kickers missed two field goals in the frigid conditions with Denver’s Wil Lutz and New England’s Andy Borregales wide on long tries just before the snow came in at halftime. Lutz’s 45-yard attempt late in the fourth quarter was tipped by Leonard Taylor III.

    The Patriots’ victory was their 40th in the playoffs, breaking a tie with the San Francisco 49ers for the most in NFL history.

    It was sunny at kickoff with a temperature of 26 degrees, but by halftime the snowflakes began falling and grounds crews had to use snowblowers to mark the hashmarks and yard lines by the fourth quarter, when it was 16 degrees.

    “It was a lot of fun out there,” Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II said. “Snow game, for the conference, to go to the Super Bowl — it doesn’t get any better than that. I felt like I was a little kid out there just playing in the snow.”

    And the Patriots had the most fun of all.

    “What an atmosphere out here,” said Maye, in his second NFL season. “Battle of the elements. Love this team. How about the defense? I love each and every one of them.”

    The Patriots have allowed 26 points across three playoff games. The only team to allow fewer points over three playoff games before a Super Bowl appearance was the 2000 Ravens, who allowed just 16 points.

    After gaining just 72 yards in the first half, the Patriots opened the second half in swirling snow with a 16-play, 64-yard drive that ate up 9 1/2 minutes and ended with a 23-yard field goal by Borregales that proved the difference.

    Stidham, who was drafted by the Patriots in 2019, made his first start since the 2023 regular-season finale. The Broncos were the only team in the league that didn’t give their backup QB any snaps or handoffs the last two seasons.

    The Patriots have averaged 18 points per game in the playoffs, the fewest by any team to make the Super Bowl since the 1979 Rams, who averaged 15.

    “I’ll take an ugly win before I take a pretty loss,” Diggs said. “Nobody’s satisfied. Happy, but not complacent. We’re blessed to be where we are, but we know there’s more out there for us.”

    Coming up just short of a trip to the Super Bowl will drive Denver, said Surtain, who suggested: “This is not the last time we’re going to be here. We’re going to just keep on building and getting better.”

    Nix, who had 11 game-winning drives in his first two NFL seasons, got hurt on Denver’s final drive in overtime against Buffalo last week, and this title game will always be dogged in Denver by the what-ifs.

    “It (stinks),” linebacker Alex Singleton said. “We’ll remember it for the rest of our lives.”

    Patriots: LB Robert Spillane (ankle) left in the first quarter.

    Broncos: WR Pat Bryant left with a hamstring injury in the second quarter.

    —

    This story has been corrected to show Maye ran for 65 yards and not 68.

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  • In the NFL, winning seasons and playoff appearances don’t always equate to job security

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    Winning isn’t everything. Winning the Super Bowl matters most.

    Sean McDermott became the latest coach to learn that harsh reality when the Buffalo Bills fired him after falling short in the playoffs for the seventh straight season.

    McDermott led the Bills to the playoffs eight times in nine seasons, but they didn’t make it past the AFC championship game, losing twice to Kansas City.

    Now, Buffalo looks for a coach who can help the franchise capture its first Lombardi Trophy.

    McDermott turned the Bills into a perennial contender, but couldn’t secure that elusive Super Bowl victory so he’s out. It happened to Tony Dungy in Tampa Bay, John Fox in Denver, Andy Reid in Philadelphia, among many others.

    John Harbaugh was fired two weeks ago after missing the playoffs despite a successful, 18-year run in Baltimore that included winning one Lombardi. He quickly landed with the New York Giants.

    Doug Pederson was fired by the Eagles following one losing season that came after three straight playoff appearances, including the franchise’s first Super Bowl title.

    Marty Schottenheimer was fired by the Chargers after the team went a league-best 14-2 in 2006 but lost in the divisional round.

    Ultimately, it comes down to winning the biggest prize. There are only 32 head coaches in the NFL and not a lot of job security.

    McDermott’s abrupt dismissal opens an attractive vacancy in Buffalo. The next coach inherits 2024 AP NFL MVP Josh Allen, who is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. Running back James Cook was the NFL’s rushing champion. The defense was No. 1 against the pass.

    There’s plenty of talent on the Bills. But the team needs to find the missing piece. It’s not just the head coach. General manager Brandon Beane, who was also promoted to president, needs to give Allen more playmakers. The Bills lack an elite wide receiver. It’s been their primary need since Stefon Diggs was traded to Houston after the 2023 season.

    C.J. Stroud threw four first-half interceptions in Houston’s 28-16 loss to New England in the divisional round and the Texans failed in their seventh bid to reach the AFC championship game.

    After winning AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2023, Stroud has regressed. Still, he’s led the Texans to playoff wins in each of his first three seasons.

    The Texans need to give Stroud more help. The offensive line struggled and the run game was nonexistent. Stroud was also missing standout receiver Nico Collins against the Patriots and lost tight end Dalton Schultz early in the game.

    “The quarterback position is going to get the most eyes, most attention. We understand that,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “In this league, that’s what it is. C.J. understands that as well. Throughout the season, I thought he did a really nice job of coming in and learning a new offense, new scheme. I thought he picked it up well. We got better as the season went along and he made some plays to allow us to win a lot of football games as well. I’m not going to let the bad plays there in that game (against the Patriots) dictate to me who C.J. is. I know who C.J. is. I know what he’s capable of doing.

    “We just keep looking to get better. No one feels worse about the situation than C.J. He feels bad for the team. He feels like he let the team down, and I just told him, ‘Keep your head up and you keep moving forward.’ We all want it better. We can’t go back in that game right now and run it back and play it again. We just learn from it. What do you learn from it? That’s my main message to him is, what do you learn from that and how do you make that a priority and getting it fixed and improving and getting better?”

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  • Maye throws 3 TD passes, Stroud has 4 INTs as Patriots top Texans 28-16 to advance to AFC title game

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    FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Drake Maye threw three touchdown passes, Marcus Jones returned one of C.J. Stroud’s four interceptions for a score and the New England Patriots defeated the Houston Texans 28-16 on Sunday to advance to the AFC championship game for the first time in seven years.

    In Mike Vrabel’s first season as coach, the Patriots (16-3) will take on the Broncos (15-3) in Denver next Sunday, with the winner advancing to the Super Bowl.

    The Patriots will make their 16th conference championship game appearance and first since their run to their sixth Super Bowl title under Bill Belichick in the 2018 season. New England has won its last nine divisional round games.

    Maye finished 16 of 27 for 179 yards, but had an interception and fumbled four times, losing two in cold conditions in which snow and rain fell throughout the game. One of Maye’s fumbles set up Houston’s first touchdown.

    “Just proud of the guys,” Maye said. “Battled the elements. This is New England. This is what we’re trying to embrace and we want to embrace all season long. Props to our defense, played a hell of a game. We’ve got to protect the football better, but we made enough plays to win it.”

    Carlton Davis III had two interceptions for New England. Craig Woodson added an interception and fumble recovery.

    “They bring it every week,” Maye said of his defense. “It’s fun to watch. And we could help them out some more, but just proud of the guys. Enjoy this one, and we’re back on the road.”

    The eight combined turnovers — Woody Marks also lost a fumble for Houston — were the most in a playoff game since 2015 when the Cardinals and Panthers combined for eight in the NFC championship game.

    The Texans (13-6) have lost in the divisional round in three straight seasons under coach DeMeco Ryans. The franchise is now 0-7 all-time in this round.

    Stroud finished 20 of 47 with a TD pass. All of his interceptions came in the first half as he became the first player with five or more INTs and five or more fumbles in a single postseason. Will Anderson forced two fumbles for the Texans.

    Leading 21-16 in the fourth quarter, the Patriots stretched their lead to 27-16 when Kayshon Boutte got behind Derek Stingley Jr. and pulled in a diving, one-hand catch in the corner of the end zone for a touchdown.

    The Texans had the ball with 5:48 to play, but punted on fourth-and-18 at their own 21 with 4:18 remaining.

    New England’s next drive took the clock under two minutes. But the Texans turned it over on downs when Stroud’s fourth-down pass to Xavier Hutchinson was batted down by Robert Spillane.

    With the Patriots leading 7-3 early, a series of miscues produced the next two scores.

    Maye was strip-sacked by Danielle Hunter deep in Patriots territory, but left tackle Will Campbell fell on the ball and the Patriots punted.

    The Texans gave it right back when Stroud’s deep pass along the sideline was intercepted by Davis III.

    Maye fumbled again when he attempted to run on a busted play and had the ball stripped by Tommy Togiai and recovered by Azeez Al-Shaair. Six plays later, Stroud linked up with Christian Kirk on a 10-yard touchdown pass.

    But on Houston’s next drive, Stroud was rushed up the middle by K’Lavon Chaisson and he lofted a pass that was intercepted by Jones and returned for the score to put New England back in front.

    Later in the quarter, the Patriots’ lead increased to 21-10 when they capped a five-play, 56-yard drive with a 7-yard TD pass from Maye to Stefon Diggs.

    Jones scored on an interception return for the second time this season. It was the first of his career in the playoffs and first for New England in the postseason since Asante Samuel had one vs. Indianapolis on Jan. 21, 2007, in the AFC championship game.

    Texans: TE Dalton Schultz (calf) left in the first quarter and didn’t return. … LG Tytus Howard limped off and RB Woody Marks exited with a shoulder injury in the second quarter. … TE Cade Stover left in the fourth with a knee injury and didn’t return.

    Patriots: LB Robert Spillane left in the first quarter with a thumb injury, but returned. … RB TreVeyon Henderson was shaken up after a second quarter run before jogging off. … S Craig Woodson exited after his INT with a head injury, but returned. … RB Rhamondre Stevenson left in the second quarter with an eye issue. … Davis left in the fourth quarter with a head injury.

    ___

    AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

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