Dolphins are benching Tua Tagovailoa for rookie Quinn Ewers against the Bengals
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The Miami Dolphins are benching quarterback Tua Tagovailoa for rookie seventh-round pick Quinn Ewers. Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel says his decision to start Ewers on Sunday against the Bengals came down to who he felt gave the Dolphins the best chance to win. The decision came after Tagovailoa struggled in a 28-15 loss to Pittsburgh on Monday night that eliminated Miami from playoff contention. Tagovailoa leads the NFL with 15 interceptions and hasn’t played up to his contract after signing a four-year, $212.4 million extension in July 2024. He said he was disappointed by the benching and unsure what his future with the team will look like.
Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes begins rehab after knee surgery with eye on Week 1 return in 2026
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has started rehab after surgery to repair two torn knee ligaments. The team is optimistic he could return early next season. The surgery was performed Monday night in Dallas, a day after Mahomes was injured in a game against the Chargers. Recovery typically takes about nine months, but it varies. The Chiefs are out of playoff contention after losing to the Chargers. Backup Gardner Minshew will lead the team for the final three games. Several other key players are also dealing with injuries, including Rashee Rice, who is in the concussion protocol. Mahomes plans to continue his rehab in Kansas City.
Rockets coach Ime Udoka fined for slamming refs after overtime loss to Denver
NEW YORK (AP) — Rockets coach Ime Udoka has been fined $25,000 for criticizing officiating after Houston’s overtime loss to the Nuggets on Monday. The NBA announced the fine Wednesday. Udoka expressed frustration in a postgame press conference, calling it “the most poorly officiated” game he’s seen in a long time. The NBA’s Last Two Minute Report revealed three incorrect calls in overtime, all favoring Denver. Those calls resulted in free throws that helped Denver secure a 128-125 win.
Add expectant father to Allen’s list of achievements in Buffalo, after Steinfeld announces pregnancy
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Bills quarterback Josh Allen didn’t know what to envision when he first arrived in Buffalo as a raw but promising prospect in 2018. Eight seasons later, he’s the NFL’s reigning MVP, a newlywed and expectant father after he and wife Hailee Steinfeld announced their pregnancy last week. The 29-year-old Allen said he’s overjoyed about becoming a father and noted he’s come a long way since his rookie season. What’s been key is Allen balancing his private life and professional career amid the distractions that come with stardom. Allen has the Bills closing in on clinching their seventh straight playoff berth while working his way back into the MVP discussion.
Ani Kilambi, 31, is joining the Washington Nationals as their general manager, AP source says
WASHINGTON (AP) — A person with knowledge of the move tells The Associated Press that Ani Kilambi is joining the Washington Nationals as their new general manager. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity on Wednesday because Kilambi’s hiring had not been announced yet. The 31-year-old had been an assistant GM with the Philadelphia Phillies. Kilambi is the latest young face to join president of baseball operations Paul Toboni in Washington. Kilambi takes over a job that was held for more than a decade and a half by Mike Rizzo, who was the GM in Washington since 2009 and added the title of president of baseball operations in 2013. Rizzo was fired in July during Washington’s sixth consecutive losing season.
Bears mull move to Indiana with effort to secure public funding for stadium in Illinois stalled
CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Bears say they’re mulling a move to Northwest Indiana with their efforts to secure public funding they say they need to build an enclosed stadium in Illinois stalled. Team president Kevin Warren insisted in an open letter to fans that the team still prefers to build a new home on a tract of land it owns in suburban Arlington Heights, Illinois. He also said the Bears are not using the threat to cross state lines as leverage. Warren did not say where in Northwest Indiana the Bears would look to move. The Bears’ focus for a new home has fluctuated between a tract of land they own in Arlington Heights to the Chicago lakefront, and then back to the suburb.
Olivia Miles part of another transfer-replenished roster for undefeated No. 9 TCU
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Graduate transfers Olivia Miles and Marta Suarez have helped No. 9 TCU get off to a 12-0 start. Miles and Suarez also just became only the second NCAA Division I teammates with triple-doubles in the same game. They are part of another transfer-replenished roster for the defending Big 12 champion Frogs, who play their conference opener Saturday against Kansas State. Miles has had three consecutive triple-doubles to go with the six she had while at Notre Dame. Suarez, who also played at California and Tennessee, had her first career triple-double Tuesday.
Pro Picks: Rams, Bears and Panthers will win in first-place showdowns
So much for home-field advantage in December. Nine road teams are favorites in Week 16, including two playing in matchups for first place in three of the four NFC divisions. The Los Angeles Rams face off against the Seattle Seahawks in a battle for first place in the NFC West on Thursday night. The Green Bay Packers take on the Chicago Bears for the second time in three weeks to determine first in the NFC North on Saturday night. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers go head-to-head in the first of two meetings over the final three weeks that will settle the NFC South. The Packers and Buccaneers each are road favorites on BetMGM Sportsbook while the Rams started as a favorite and now are a 1-point underdog.
College Football Playoff picks: Sooners, Aggies, Rebels and Ducks should advance to quarterfinals
Unlike last year’s debut of the 12-team College Football Playoff, weather should not be a factor in any of the first-round games Friday and Saturday. SEC teams Oklahoma, Mississippi and Texas A&M and Oregon of the Big Ten are hosting and conditions will be far different from the brutal cold at 2024 northern hosts Notre Dame, Penn State and Ohio State. The Associated Press picks Oklahoma over Alabama, Texas A&M over Miami, Mississippi over Tulane and Oregon over James Madison.
World Cup winner to get $50M from richer prize pool, half of Chelsea’s payday at Club World Cup
MANCHESTER, England (AP) — The winner of the 2026 World Cup will receive $50 million from a $655 million prize pool, FIFA said in announcing record financial rewards for teams in a tournament with ticket prices that have sparked outcries. The champion’s figure is up from $42 million won by Argentina in 2022 and $38 million gained by France in 2018 but less than half of what Chelsea earned for winning the much less-hyped Club World Cup this year. The total prize fund for the World Cup, up 48.9% from the $440 million for 2022 and nearly six times the $110 million in prize money for the 2023 Women’s World Cup.