Veteran safety Eric Weddle rejoining LA Rams for playoffsVideo
LOS ANGELES — Safety Eric Weddle is coming out of retirement to rejoin the Los Angeles Rams for the playoffs. Weddle turned 37 last week, and he hasn’t played in the NFL since the 2019 season, but the Rams signed him to their practice squad Wednesday to address their glaring...
Raiders coach Rich Bisaccia making case to remove interim tagVideo
HENDERSON, Nev. — Rich Bisaccia had just completed his first game as interim coach of the Las Vegas Raiders in mid-October, a 34-24 road win over the Broncos, and star running back Josh Jacobs described the atmosphere on the sideline. “It was like (there was no) anxiety. It was weird....
Busy, crucial offseason begins for Jets’ Zach WilsonVideo
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Zach Wilson is heading into the offseason armed with a lengthy list. The New York Jets quarterback intends to work on his weaknesses and solidify his strengths after a down-and-up rookie season. Wilson is keeping the specific to-do items on the list to himself, hoping the...
49ers-Cowboys playoff rivalry resumes after long waitVideo
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Kyle Shanahan was a teenager watching on the sideline when the heated playoff rivalry between the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers reached a fever pitch with three straight NFC title game matchups. Now Shanahan will take a starring role when one of the NFL’s great...
Speeding, erratic driving led to Geno Smith DUI arrestVideo
BELLEVUE, Wash. — Seattle Seahawks backup quarterback Geno Smith’s arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence came after the Washington State Patrol pulled him over for going 96 mph in a 60 mph zone and driving erratically across several lanes of traffic, according to an arrest report released Tuesday....
Giants fire Joe Judge as coach after 10-23 record in 2 yearsVideo
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The New York Giants have cleaned house, firing coach Joe Judge a day after general manager Dave Gettleman retired. The Giants announced the move late Tuesday afternoon, ending some brief speculation that the owners planned to hire a new general manager and let him determine the...
Browns bringing Mayfield back as starter after poor season
CLEVELAND — Baker Mayfield didn’t lose his starting job after a losing season. Browns general manager Andrew Berry said Tuesday the team expects the quarterback to return as its starter next season and rebound after an injury-filled, sub-par 2021 that raised questions about Mayfield’s future with Cleveland. Mayfield tore a...
Injury-plagued Ravens couldn’t hold on after strong start
BALTIMORE — Lamar Jackson described his ankle problem as day to day, even though there are no more games for the Baltimore Ravens to prepare for. At least the weekly injury reports can stop now. From start to finish this season, the Ravens practiced and played under a cloud of...
After regulars rest, playoff-bound Bengals prep for Raiders
CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Bengals wanted to be rested and ready for the first round of the playoffs so they didn’t play many of their key starters in the regular-season finale against the Cleveland Browns. Star quarterback Joe Burrow watched Sunday’s game from home, and many starters either got a...
Hall of Fame receiver Don Maynard dead at age 86
Don Maynard, a Hall of Fame receiver who made his biggest impact catching passes from Joe Namath in the wide-open AFL, has died. He was 86. The Pro Football Hall of Fame confirmed Maynard’s death on Monday through his family. Maynard was the main target for Namath with the New...
Jaguars earn top overall selection for April’s NFL draft
The Jacksonville Jaguars’ 3-14 record this season earned them the top spot in April’s NFL draft, the second consecutive year they will pick first. The tentative order of the first round, not including teams in the playoffs, was announced Monday by the NFL. Playoff results will determine where the 14...
Dave Gettleman out as New York Giants GM, says he is retiring
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Dave Gettleman has retired as general manager of the New York Giants after a fourth straight double-digit losing season. The Giants announced the 70-year-old Gettleman retired Monday, a day after New York (4-13) dropped its season finale 22-7 to Washington. It was the sixth straight loss...
Raiders vs. Chargers: Raiders were this close to settling for a tie and bumping Steelers from playoffs
Just how close were the Las Vegas Raiders to settling for a tie against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday night, which would have kept the Steelers out of the postseason? Really close, according to their coach, Rich Bisaccia. But a timeout by Chargers coach Brandon Staley with 38 seconds...
Vikings fire GM Rick Spielman, coach Mike Zimmer
MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Vikings fired general manager Rick Spielman and coach Mike Zimmer on Monday, after a second straight absence from the playoffs for a 61-year-old franchise still seeking a title. The move came a day after the 45th anniversary of Minnesota’s last Super Bowl appearance, after owners Zygi...
Bears opt to make sweeping changes, fire GM Ryan Pace, coach Matt Nagy
CHICAGO — The Chicago Bears fired general manager Ryan Pace and coach Matt Nagy on Monday, hoping new leadership in the front office and on the sideline will lift a struggling franchise. Nagy’s fate seemed sealed as the Bears struggled through a 6-11 season that ended with a loss at...
Dolphins fire coach Brian Flores after 3 seasons
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Back-to-back winning seasons were not enough for Brian Flores to keep his job as coach of the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins fired Flores on Monday, a somewhat surprising move that came less than 24 hours after the team finished a 9-8 season. Flores went 24-25 in...
Daniel Carlson’s FG as OT expires sends Raiders into postseason
LAS VEGAS — It seemed only fitting the Las Vegas Raiders needed every second of an overtime game to earn their first playoff berth since 2016, a microcosm of their roller coaster season. And as they’ve done five other times this season, the Raiders won on the final play of...
Denver Broncos fire coach Vic Fangio after 3 losing seasonsVideo
DENVER — The Denver Broncos are looking for a new head coach to lead them out of a six-year playoff drought and a half decade of losing seasons that marks the most protracted plunge by a Super Bowl champion in NFL history. The Broncos fired Vic Fangio after he went...
Baker Mayfield’s season ends on sideline, surgery awaits Browns QBVideo
CLEVELAND — At least Baker Mayfield’s exit meeting went well. Just about everything else this season for the Browns quarterback was off the mark. And while the season is over, his time in Cleveland isn’t as defined. Mayfield watched Sunday’s home finale wearing a stocking cap on the sideline as...
NFL Week 18 roundup: Titans clinch AFC’s top seed with win over TexansVideo
HOUSTON — The Tennessee Titans clinched the top seed in the AFC for the first time in 14 years, beating the Houston Texans 28-25 on Sunday behind Ryan Tannehill’s career-high-tying four touchdown passes. The 12-5 Titans, who secured their second straight AFC South title last week, have the No. 1...
Jags down Colts 26-11, keep Indy from playoffsVideo
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Indianapolis Colts got clowned in Jacksonville. This one was more embarrassing than any other loss to the Jaguars, too. Indy badly botched a chance to secure an AFC wild-card spot with a 26-11 loss to Jacksonville on Sunday in the “clown game,” the team’s seventh consecutive...
Browns close season with 21-16 win over Burrow-less BengalsVideo
CLEVELAND — Joe Burrow skipped Cincinnati’s last trip of the regular season. He and the Bengals have reservations to go somewhere more special — the playoffs. Case Keenum got his second win while filling in for Baker Mayfield on Sunday as the Cleveland Browns ended their dismal season with a...
Dak Prescott throws 5 TD passes in Cowboys’ romp over Eagles
PHILADELPHIA — Dak Prescott ran into Dallas’ locker room with a message for any NFC team he’ll play next week in the playoffs. “The real (stuff) starts,” he said. It starts with finding out the Cowboys’ wild-card opponent, and Prescott will be like millions of football fans every Sunday and...
Nick Bolton’s fumble return sparks Chiefs’ win over Broncos
DENVER — Linebacker Nick Bolton’s 86-yard fumble return after Melvin Ingram III darted into Denver’s backfield untouched and stripped Melvin Gordon powered the Kansas City Chiefs to a 28-24 victory over the Denver Broncos on Saturday. With their 13th consecutive win over the Broncos, the Chiefs (12-5) kept alive their...
Myles Garrett pushing DE Jadeveon Clowney to re-sign with BrownsVideo
CLEVELAND — Myles Garrett has enjoyed chasing quarterbacks and trying to wreck games alongside Jadeveon Clowney this season. He’d love to do it again. “I want him here,” Garrett said. And what Garrett wants, he usually gets. For all that went wrong with the Browns during a disappointing season, one...
