The NFL is reportedly considering changes to overtime rules in the regular season. Instead of allowing the receiving team to automatically win with a touchdown, the league may adopt the current playoff rules that give both teams a chance to score regardless of the first drive’s outcome.

In addition to adapting the rules, the league is also considering extending the overtime period to 15 minutes. Some combination of these two changes could complete the NFL’s departure from sudden-death regulations.

Controversies over the years concerning overtime rules are countless. Every fanbase has a story about its team getting denied possession at the end of a close game. The 2019 AFC Championship between Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes ended this way, with the Chiefs losing a coin toss and never getting a chance on offense. Three years later, Mahomes beat the Bills and Josh Allen in identical fashion. 

The league has taken many steps over the years to tinker with the longstanding rules, but this prospective change could put the issue to rest forever. Without instituting something as radical as the NCAA’s format with untimed downs, the NFL can still create a system where both teams get a chance to score throughout the season. 

“Should it be the same overtime rules as it is in the postseason?” Troy Vincent, executive vice president of football operations, said this week. “This is one when you think about themes coming out of the season, overtime would be one that I would say is one that universally the committee thought we need to address this.”

In an effort to increase competition within football, changing the overtime rules to promote parity after the coin toss feels like a natural direction for the league. With considerable momentum reportedly behind the movement, it seems like more changes to the existing format are imminent.

Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter is reportedly passing on a surgery to repair a stress fracture in his ankle. Carter is widely projected to be selected early in the first round of this year’s NFL Draft, but this injury casts a shadow over that future.

Carter already announced that he would not do drills at the NFL Combine, and it’s unclear if that decision was made with his injury in mind. After the injury was revealed, he had two options: get the surgery and miss several months on the field, or prove to teams that he doesn’t need it. 

Both moves could have hurt his draft stock. The surgery would have required inserting a screw in order to properly correct the fracture. Trying to play through it could dramatically increase the risk of aggravating the issue at a later point. Either way, injury concerns will be at the forefront of every team’s scouting report before they select him now. It’s another question for the star edge rusher to answer.

Avoiding surgery gives Carter the chance to be selected first overall, which he has repeatedly stated as his goal going into rookie season. Regardless of his choice, he likely would have been selected in the first 10 picks, but avoiding a procedure keeps his lofty ambitions intact.

“You can’t stop GREATNESS!” Carter posted on social media after the announcement. “Y’all thought I was going that easy? This just gonna make the movie more interesting!”

In his third season at Penn State, Carter earned 12 sacks and 68 combined tackles in 16 games. He was a core member of a Penn State team that advanced to the semifinals of the College Football Playoffs and is widely considered the best defensive player in this year’s draft.

Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant addressed his decision to nix a potential trade that would have sent him to the Golden State Warriors. Considering a return to the place where he won two championships “didn’t make sense.”

“Me just getting up and moving in the middle of the season, it’s going to be a big blow to any team I’m going to,” Durant told Draymond Green and Baron Davis on their podcast this week. “From me, looking at it, it just don’t make sense for either side right now.”

Durant also said that he wanted to end his career on his own terms and had no interest in moving, adding lifestyle reasons to potential issues on the court. Golden State and Phoenix are both fighting for the last few playoff spots in the Western Conference with 31-27 and 27-31 records, respectively. 

Though Durant’s most productive days are behind him, the 36-year-old star is still a major contributor for the Suns and would have been an excellent complement to Steph Curry if he chose to rejoin the Warriors. The pair worked incredibly well together to win championships in 2017 and 2018. Instead of reforming part of those dynastic superteams, Golden State pivoted to discussions with the Heat and landed Jimmy Butler, another playmaking veteran who is already helping the Warriors down the stretch.

Throughout his career, Durant has taken considerable criticism for moving to teams in search of championships. His move to Golden State was considered blatant by many, but they accused him of similar motivations when he moved to Brooklyn and Phoenix. Regardless of the veracity of those claims, Durant is painting a very different picture now. In shooting down the Warriors trade, he stood by the Suns as the team he wanted to play for, even as they struggle to get back to .500.

“Man, I want my career to end on my terms,” Durant told Green and Davis. “That’s the only thing I’m worried about, you know? I see a lot of dudes that don’t get that opportunity, so I want to keep putting in that work to make that choice on my own.”

Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin scored his 30th goal of the season Tuesday, continuing his determined march to break Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record. The 39-year-old veteran is now just 11 goals behind, putting him firmly on pace to break the record in the coming weeks.

Still performing at an elite level at the tail end of his career, this is the 19th time in 20 seasons that Ovechkin has scored 30 goals. In order to break Gretzky’s all-time total of 894 goals, Ovechkin has required consistent excellence and exceptional longevity. He is nearly there now, though it would be hard to tell by his typically muted comments to reporters.

“My linemates, teammates do a pretty good job finding me out there and I just have to finish it up,” Ovechkin said after the game Tuesday, a 3-1 loss to the Calgary Flames.

Despite missing five weeks this season to recover from a broken fibula, Ovechkin is still tied for seventh in goals scored across the league. Oilers star Leon Draisaitl’s 43 goals will be tough to catch, but Ovechkin is only three behind second place, a testament to his production when he’s been on the ice this season.

Record chasing has served Washington well this season, as Ovechkin’s hunt coincides with the team’s 38-12-8 record. Though the Capitals aren’t considered a front runner for the Stanley Cup, they’re solidly in the running for the President’s Trophy with a commanding lead in the Eastern Conference.

Barring an injury, Ovechkin’s 20th NHL season could end up being the most important in his career. The next 23 games will be spent breaking Gretzky’s record and further cementing his own. After that, he will lead a talented Capitals team to the playoffs, where he will have the chance to win his second Stanley Cup. For one of the all-time greats, there are countless ways to get to a storybook ending.

The New York Jets and Aaron Rodgers are going their separate ways, with New York bringing in a new staff to find another path forward. Rodgers reportedly still wants to play in the NFL, and his list of suitors seems to be narrowing by the day.

After a lot of supposed discussion about quarterback shuffling, the Los Angeles Rams have emerged as a surprising front runner to sign Rodgers. This seems like a puzzling move for the team on paper, but the rumors have persisted. The Rams have long been reported to be seeking offers for veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford.

Shifting gears from Stafford to Rodgers seems counterintuitive, as Stafford led Los Angeles to the playoffs last year while Rodgers wallowed in New York. The Rams seem intent on avoiding a long-term deal for Stafford, however. Instead of seeking a younger talent, Los Angeles could instead be looking for ways to maximize results for the current roster with someone more experienced like Rodgers.

Beyond the Rams, the Steelers and Raiders remain logical contenders to consider Rodgers. Both teams have very uncertain quarterback situations entering the 2025 season. Pittsburgh is stuck between veteran Russell Wilson and struggling upstart Justin Fields. Las Vegas has no clear path whatsoever. That being said, it would be just as logical for either team to pursue Stafford, a marginally younger passer coming off a better season with less baggage off the field. He would also cost more to sign, which could be a determining factor in Rodgers’ favor.

The Colts and Titans also stand out as struggling teams that would assume the risk of signing Rodgers. The Vikings are the most entertaining on the list of teams in quarterback limbo. If Rodgers went to Minnesota, many have pointed out that his career would closely mirror that of Brett Favre, his mentor on the Green Bay Packers at the start of his career.

From a statistical standpoint, Rodgers did not perform as poorly as the Jets’ record last season suggests. They did lose multiple games as a direct result of his inability to deliver in crunch-time. These struggles, combined with his boisterous persona off the field, make him an extremely volatile option for any team in the league, regardless of their current situation.

With Rafael Devers publicly stating that he does not intend to move from third base in 2025, newly signed Boston Red Sox star Alex Bregman is taking a more malleable approach. The longtime Astros third baseman is willing to move to another position, likely second, in order to help his new team.

“I think everybody here believes in their abilities,” Bregman told MLB.com this week. “I think all of us believe that if we all put together a good effort this season, we have a really good chance of being a winning baseball team. For me, I can only talk for myself, I’ll play wherever it helps the team win.”

Signing Bregman to a short-term deal is a low-risk value acquisition for Boston, but the team did not pick him up to address a need. Devers is one of the top sluggers in baseball and has played third for the Red Sox since 2017. 

On paper, Bregman is generally considered a better defender than Devers, which technically makes him more qualified to keep his position. On the other hand, it also makes him more likely to successfully transition to second base. In any case, Devers isn’t budging for now and Bregman is willing to play nice on his new team, and that’s the determining factor. The Red Sox’s infield is crowded, and perhaps tense, but it could also be one of the best in the American League.

Despite leaving the Astros, Bregman could still have a few years of elite production left. At age 30, he is coming off a season in which he hit .260 with 26 home runs, playing an integral role in the Astros’ turbulent run to the postseason. Houston’s dynasty has been on fumes as of late, but even after the season ended in the Wild Card, many players seemed intent on keeping Bregman for the next step. The two sides could not agree on terms, however, forcing the veteran to consider other offers.

The Red Sox have been largely disappointing since winning the World Series in 2018, but acquiring Bregman is a strong sign that the team is looking to compete in 2025. Devers may not be happy with the perceived competition, but Bregman can help this team thrive in a crowded A.L. East division.

The Jacksonville Jaguars conducted a second interview with Bears assistant General Manager Ian Cunningham this week, bringing the team one step closer to finding its new general manager. Jacksonville parted ways with Trent Baalke last month after four years with the organization. 

Cunningham is one of five finalists for the job in Jacksonville, along with interim GM Ethan Waugh, 49ers director of scouting and football operations Josh Williams, Rams director of scouting strategy James Gladstone, and Packers VP of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan. 

Of the five, Cunningham is rumored to be a frontrunner to lead a Jaguars team kickstarting an organizational rebuild. He has interviewed with several teams for general manager roles in recent off-seasons, including the Titans on two separate occasions. Before arriving in Chicago in 2022, he worked for the Ravens and Eagles, where he was on staff for two Super Bowl victories.

During Baalke’s tenure, the Jaguars earned two winning seasons but only advanced to the playoffs once. Failing to capitalize on a run to the Divisional Round in 2022, the team went 9-8 but missed the postseason in 2023 before losing Trevor Lawrence to injury in 2024. Despite some success, Baalke’s run began with a 3-14 season and ended with an eerily similar 4-13 campaign.

Along with a new general manager, Jacksonville will also enter the 2025 season with new head coach Liam Coen. Coen was the Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator last year and is stepping into his first head coaching role in Jacksonville.

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce’s NFL future remains a matter of speculation, with several reports providing conflicting information regarding his retirement decision. Kelce is in line to receive a $12.5 million roster bonus in March, as well as a $4.5 million base salary with bonuses for the 2025 season.

The Chiefs fell one game short of a three-peat in the Super Bowl earlier this month, losing badly to the Eagles in a dreadful offensive showing. Kelce was a non-factor in the contest, catching just four passes for 39 yards.

“I wasn’t the best that I could be in motivating my guys and keeping my guys calm, cool and collected and I put a lot of that on myself, you know, as the guy that’s been in the building for 12 years and seen a lot of football and seen a situation just like this, in the Super Bowl,” Kelce said on his podcast after the defeat.

Not only did Kelce fail to produce in the Super Bowl, but he also received criticism for a perceived lack of hustle on several plays. While the Chiefs have spent the last three seasons building around quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the Eagles finally conquered them in the most direct way possible: They excelled in all areas. 

As Kansas City reevaluates this failure and moves on from it, Kelce may need to take more of a supporting role if he plans to stay for another year. This shift may not be as difficult as it appears. Wide receiver Xavier Worthy is coming off an incredible rookie season and caught eight passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns in the Super Bowl. Fellow receiver Rashee Rice has to recover from an injury while battling considerable legal trouble, but he could also regain a key role when he returns. 

Despite his struggles coinciding directly with the Chiefs’ Super Bowl collapse, Kelce could still provide value if he chooses to stay for another season. If he makes the selfless decision to leave before the team has to divert any more funds toward him, however, it could give the team the chance to make further adjustments and build for the future. There doesn’t appear to be a wrong answer here, the luxury of being at a low point as the NFL’s runner-up.

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo rejected claims that he would ever request a trade, citing his loyalty to the team and his family’s ties to the city. Trade rumors involving Antetokounmpo were rampant earlier this season after a poor start to the Bucks’ season.

When Milwaukee began the season with a 1-6, Antetokounmpo seemed so indifferent to the idea of a trade that people began to claim that he was on the verge of requesting one himself. Speaking about the idea at All-Star Weekend, the Greek Freak painted a vastly different picture, saying that the team would have to kick him out of the building in the event of a trade.

The Bucks have bounced back from their rocky start, winning the NBA Cup and improving to a 29-24 record. They are now fifth in the Eastern Conference and well on their way to a playoff berth, which naturally makes it easier for Antetokounmpo to speak well of the situation and shoot down previous trade rumors.

On the other hand, the Antetokounmpo’s attitude toward trades has always been consistent. The big man has repeatedly described the NBA as a business, and has always said he would honor a trade and do his best to win on another team. He has also accepted that repeated failure in Milwaukee may force the front office to reevaluate its core group of players.

In the rush to cover a rough stretch for the Bucks, however, many conflated Antetokounmpo’s pragmatism and disappointment. Antetokounmpo and the team are in a much better place now, and he is free to discuss the idea of a trade without the immediate danger of it occurring. In doing so, he has revealed that he was frustrated about losing games but never considered leaving on his own terms.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Javonte Green came to terms on a contract buyout Wednesday that will allow him to go to another team. After he clears waivers, he reportedly plans to sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Cleveland’s plans for Green are clear, as the team is preparing for a prospective playoff matchup with Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Green and the Boston Celtics. Defending the perimeter against the most prodigious three-point shooting team in league history will be necessary if the Cavs plan to make a surprise run to the NBA Finals. Green is the second forward the team has added recently, following De’Andre Hunter’s arrival at the trade deadline.

Green hasn’t lit up box scores in New Orleans this season, scoring 5.8 points per game. He hasn’t been able to significantly help the Pelicans’ defense either, as the team’s larger struggles have outweighed his individual efforts. With Cleveland, however, Green’s role would be more defined, as the team already has one of the best defenses in the league. His paltry offensive contributions won’t be a hindrance either, as the Cavaliers’ offense is already deeply potent.

At this level, small moves can make massive impacts. Cleveland already has Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. The team is 44-10, well on its way to the first seed in the Eastern Conference. With an elite core in place, adding players like Green and Hunter are fine-tuning moves. Mitchell acknowledged their long-term potential while also noting inevitable growing pains.

“Adding Dre and Javonte will be very different for us,” Mitchell said Thursday. “Continue to implement them into what we’ve got going. We have a lot of weapons. But this isn’t 2K. Don’t just plug and play. Gotta get out there and see what things look like.”

Regardless of how many games the Cavaliers win in the regular season, they will enter the playoffs as underdogs. Fans and insiders alike are collectively taking a “wait-and-see” approach as several teams in the East try to build the roster that falls Boston in a series. Cleveland has the record and seeding on its side, but in the hunt to beat the reigning champs, the team is one of many.

The Philadelphia Eagles promoted Kevin Patullo to their offensive coordinator position Wednesday, replacing Kellen Moore. Patullo has been Philadelphia’s passing game coordinator since 2021 and has also served as associate head coach since 2023.

Coming off a Super Bowl victory, the Eagles are dealing with routine staff turnover heading into the 2025 season. Moore, a 36-year-old upstart, took the next natural step and accepted a head coaching job with the New Orleans Saints earlier this month. Philadelphia chose to hire internally to replace him, a clear sign of confidence in the current system. Head coach Nick Sirianni and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio will remain with the team.

Patullo is taking over the Eagles offense with two decades of coaching experience. After short stints as a graduate assistant, he accepted his first NFL job with the Chiefs in 2007 and has been employed in the NFL nearly every season since. Over time, he gained a reputation as a passing game specialist and worked with quarterbacks and wide receivers for the Titans, Jets and Colts before heading to Philadelphia.

The Eagles’ Super Bowl victory was the first major success in Patullo’s career, and many might argue that the passing game was the least potent facet of the Eagles’ game this year. Running back Saquon Barkley and Fangio’s defense played massive roles, with the latter force making the difference against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in the final game.

On the other hand, Patullo’s past contributions only matter so much, as he is inheriting one of the league’s best offenses. Quarterback Jalen Hurts has an embarrassment of options in the passing game, led by wide receivers A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith. Barkley is coming off a 2,000-yard rushing season. Patullo’s advantage is familiarity, as he has already worked with all of these players and should be able to pick up where Moore left off.

The Los Angeles Lakers lost its first game with Luka Doncic, failing to take the second leg of a back-to-back with the lowly Utah Jazz in a 131-119 defeat. Doncic and LeBron James both delivered below-average performances, scoring 16 and 18 points, respectively.

Los Angeles has played Utah exclusively since acquiring Doncic, which doesn’t indicate much about the new roster’s ability to compete at the highest level. It is a good opportunity for Doncic to ease his way into the Lakers’ system, however, as it will inevitably take time for the longtime Mavericks star to adjust to a new system. 

Losing to the Jazz, now 13-40, by double digits is a bad night for any team, regardless of the circumstances. But because of the circumstances surrounding Doncic’s trade from the Mavericks, some critics have begun using the defeat as an affirmation of fitness and defensive concerns surrounding the Slovenian. Rather than feed into any existing drama, Lakers head coach J.J. Redick offered a common-sense explanation for his team’s poor play.

“We weren’t physical,” Redick said after the game. “We didn’t talk, never really got to a place in the game where we were talking and executing.”

Defense and physicality have been issues for the Lakers at times all season, and pointing them out carries far more weight than the vague rumors about Doncic’s off-court attitude. Another wanting aspect of this Lakers team is that it’s incomplete. 

The team tried to trade for Charlotte Hornets big man Mark Williams, only for that trade to be undone by a failed physical. Los Angeles signed seven-footer Alex Len earlier this week to fill the gap, but it will take time to fully replace the size that Anthony Davis provided.

The hype surrounding Doncic’s arrival to Los Angeles, and counter-swinging criticism of the Lakers’ newest star, is being confirmed and denied all the time on the court in these early days. Doncic has had brilliant moments and costly miscues, typical of any talented player making a massive mid-season adjustment. It’s a tough time for the Lakers to be competing for a playoff spot, but if James and Doncic can white-knuckle their way to a postseason, it could be a very dangerous thing for a stacked Western Conference to deal with.

With the Los Angeles Rams opening the trade market for veteran wide receiver Cooper Kupp, some have begun to wonder how far the team will go to part with aging stars. Quarterback Matthew Stafford has very little guaranteed money in the last two years of his current contract, an issue that may require Los Angeles to take action in the next few months.

It is more than likely that the Rams will do what they need to do to hang on to their franchise quarterback, as the 37-year-old continues to perform at an elite level under center. Los Angeles is not in a good position to immediately find a new quarterback.

On the other hand, if the Rams did begin fielding offers for Stafford, it’s hard to imagine that they wouldn’t receive interest. The Steelers and Giants have both been named as potential buyers, as both teams are building young rosters without a definite answer at quarterback. 

Pittsburgh snuck into the playoffs with an aging Russell Wilson and struggling Justin Fields but went no further in 2024, while New York is likely looking toward the upcoming draft to end months of aimlessness under center. Both teams would instantly improve with Stafford on the roster, despite his limited long-term value.

With young stars Kyren Williams and Puka Nacua slowly working into the primes of their careers, Los Angeles must decide now if they’re rebuilding or maintaining the status quo. As things stand, Los Angeles is a perennial playoff contender, and Nacua has come along so quickly as the star wideout that trading away Kupp hardly feels like a loss. 

There’s no one to replace Stafford, however. Keeping him for the final years of his career could cost the team several crucial seasons. Parting with him and entering a misguided rebuild would have the same effect.

Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Shohei Ohtani is recovering slowly from his off-season surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder. The reigning N.L. MVP suffered the injury in Game 2 of the World Series, but he is still expected to be available for the start of the 2025 season.

“I do feel like there’s some discomfort that I have to still overcome, [but] it’s not really debilitating,” Ohtani said through an interpreter, per The Los Angeles Times. “Just a limited range of motion. I’ve gone through it with the elbow before. With the shoulder, it’s a little bit more complicated. I do believe that’s the part that I have to be patient with.”

Not only is Ohtani returning to action as a hitter in 2025, but the Dodgers’ current plan is for him to pitch again this summer. Stepping off the mound for the 2024 season to recover from UCL surgery, a further surgery to repair a torn labrum may complicate that timeline. For now, though, Los Angeles claims that he could be ready to go during the 2025 season. He will not have a rehab assignment, as the team would rather maximize his time as a designated hitter on the 40-man roster. In the meantime, he will reportedly take at-bats in the Cactus League this winter.

In his first season with the Dodgers, Ohtani overcame his inability to pitch by hitting 54 home runs and stealing 59 bases. It was an incredible season that propelled a famously underachieving Los Angeles team to a World Series victory. If he is healthy enough to pitch in 2025, the Dodgers would only further cement their status as prohibitive favorites to defend their title.

The Dodgers did not make the splashiest move of this off-season, missing out on slugging outfielder Juan Soto, but they have done plenty to keep themselves atop the power rankings. Japanese pitching phenom Roki Sasaki is the latest Japanese star to sign with Los Angeles, joining Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. He will join a star-studded list of signees, including Cy Young winner Blake Snell, Korean infield prospect Hyeseong Kim and premium reliever Tanner Scott.

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr had to be held back after getting into an argument with referees during a game against the Mavericks on Wednesday. Draymond Green was among the team members holding Kerr back, providing an ironic twinge to the incident.

Kerr’s frustrations with officiating during the game boiled over early in the third quarter, when he called a timeout following a 5-0 Dallas run. Going all the way to center court, Kerr then engaged in a tirade. Green, known as a highly confrontational player, joined several assistants in trying to get the head coach back into the huddle. Their efforts failed, as Kerr was given a technical foul.

Golden State got back into contention in the fourth quarter but eventually lost 111-107, sending the team back to .500 with a 27-27 record. Steph Curry scored 25 points with eight assists and newly acquired forward Jimmy Butler scored 21 with nine rebounds. 

It was not enough to take down the Mavs, who have been unexpectedly effective since parting ways with Luka Doncic and immediately losing Anthony Davis to an injury. Leaning heavily on Kyrie Irving is working for now, as the new leader scored 42 points in a demanding 40-minute showing. Dallas is 29-26, desperately clinging to a playoff berth in eighth place in the Western Conference. 

As Golden State looks to rediscover its identity, most recently adding Butler to better support Curry, it’s clear that the process is affecting many team members accustomed to dynastic success. Kerr has spent the majority of his coaching career guiding overwhelmingly talented Golden State teams to championship contention. It’s a distinct possibility that the effort to build something new, regardless of its success, is taking a toll and showing itself in the form of increasing tensions. At least Green was there to provide a calming presence to proceedings.

The Boston Red Sox signed third baseman Alex Bregman in a three-year, $120 million deal Wednesday. With slugger Rafael Devers already at third for Boston, Bregman will likely move to second base.

Debuting in 2016, Bregman has won two World Series with the Houston Astros, where he has spent his entire career. When the off-season kicked off in November, many speculated that Houston would work hard to re-sign Bregman. Longtime teammate Jose Altuve was publicly adamant about the idea, propagating the theory. 

“We’re not going to be the same organization without him,” Altuve said at the end of the 2024 season. “In my mind, there’s not a chance this is the last one.”

As the months wore on, however, it became more and more apparent that Bregman and his former team landed in different places in negotiations. The two-time All-Star became the subject of increased speculation, with other teams reportedly entering the fray. Boston won out this week.

Based on the way that the Red Sox’s roster is developing, signing Bregman was clearly a matter of capitalizing on value. It wasn’t to fill a roster need, as Devers seems locked in at third while prospect Kristian Campbell is currently ranked the best second baseman in the minor leagues. Bregman’s contract includes deferred payments, which will soften the impact of what would otherwise be a $40 million annual salary.

Last year, the Red Sox missed the playoffs with an 81-81 record. Since winning the World Series in 2018, they have only earned one postseason berth. Sending away players like Mookie Betts and Chris Sale proved to be brutal errors and the team has wallowed in the AL East trying to regather momentum. At age 30, Bregman remains a strong hitter and capable infielder, and could provide a short-term boost to Boston’s lineup over the next few seasons.

In the aftermath of the Luka Doncic trade, LeBron James could reportedly consider signing another extension with the Los Angeles Lakers. Once thought to be winding down at age 40, the prospect of teaming with Doncic is said to be reigniting his interest in another championship pursuit. 

James’ current deal includes a player option next season, with many suspecting that he will retire when his current contract expires. But with the Lakers seriously pursuing more championships with Doncic on the roster, some reports now claim that the acquisition has the power to “extend James’ career.”

Jokes have been made for years about James’ longevity, which has allowed him to consistently perform at an elite level for more than two decades. Imagining this run extending much further, however, borders on irrational. Yet, James remains a pivotal part of a Lakers team that is suddenly in the hunt for another championship. 

Currently in fifth place in the Western Conference with a 29-19 record, the Lakers are already in a solid position for a playoff berth. But while Anthony Davis managed to get them into contention, adding Doncic could potentially put them over the top. Partially replacing Davis with young big man Mark Williams helps with size issues the team might have had in the wake of the Mavericks deal.

All of these changes in the middle of the season make Los Angeles a contender now, but they also make the team a contender for the foreseeable future. That’s what will likely make the decision to leave difficult for James. He and Davis were both winding down as a unit. Doncic is just getting started.

If James can run from Father Time for a few more seasons, fighting both body and mind, it suddenly feels like a real possibility for him to add a ring or two to his immense resume. It may be too tempting for the multigenerational superstar to pass up.

The Cleveland Browns haven’t budged since defensive star Myles Garrett made his trade request earlier this week. But with Garrett interested in competing with a contender, Cleveland may be stuck as other defensive stars begin to reconsider their own plans. 

“I want to be in Cleveland,” Browns cornerback Denzel Ward told Cleveland.com this week. “I want to win. I’m definitely keeping an eye on what Myles has going on and what he’s doing. I’m just interested in seeing how everything plays out. Like I said, I want to play with Myles Garrett, and we’ve just got to wait and see.”

It’s easy to see Garrett going to any number of teams, as the six-time Pro-Bowler would instantly improve any defense in the NFL. The Lions and Commanders both stand out as win-now contenders looking for defensive upgrades. The Raiders and Patriots, on the other hand, are rebuilding teams with clear paths to imminent improvement. The Browns, by comparison, are in stasis.

Losing Garrett means more than losing him as a player for Cleveland. Giving in to his request to play for a “contender” will mark the end of yet another failed era. Admitting that there isn’t a way forward in the near future and giving away their best player will likely doom the Browns to multiple losing seasons as they stockpile the draft picks necessary to rebuild.

The team’s problems have nothing to do with Garrett and hardly involve the defense at all. Quarterback Deshaun Watson still has plenty of time remaining on one of the worst contracts in NFL history. 

The offense improves each year with the help of short-term quarterbacks stepping in as starters, but these arrangements haven’t allowed the staff to create a cohesive system. A surprise run to the playoffs in 2023 didn’t lead to any momentum at all in 2024. The team seems doomed to gritty mediocrity. Even if Garrett’s trade request is a play at more money, it’s also a sign that he can see the writing on the wall. 

“I needed to relax, decompress and take some time to think about it with my family and allow myself to distance myself from the last game,” Garrett told USA Today. “After conversations with [my family] and still feeling the same way about the trajectory of the team, and also speaking with [the Browns] management about the near future and our success and playoff hopes, I felt like it was time for a transition.”

In Garrett’s rookie season in 2017, the Browns went 0-16. Cleveland bounced back to appear in the playoffs in 2020 and 2023, but they remain the only winning seasons in Garrett’s tenure. In 2024, Cleveland went 3-14.

The Los Angeles Lakers finalized a trade Wednesday night to acquire Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams in exchange for Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, a 2031 first-round pick and a 2030 pick swap. Williams will likely step into the role recently vacated by star big man Anthony Davis.

Williams, standing well above seven feet tall, will give the Lakers much-needed size after they sized down their starting five to acquire Luka Doncic. Many regard the trade for the Slovenian superstar as a supremely wise long-term decision, but it did give Los Angeles gaps to fill in the paint on defense. Williams should do some of the work to make up the difference.

In his third season with the Hornets, Williams has appeared in 23 games and is currently scoring 15.6 points with 9.6 rebounds per game. With his improved scoring, he is on track to have the best season in his short career. He is an ideal replacement for Davis, a young big man slowly but surely finding his way in the NBA. The team has shifted its focus from building around LeBron James to preparing for Doncic to eventually take over. Williams could be an excellent long-term addition.

Adding a lesser-known big man as massive, splashier trades occur around the league this week may diminish the impact of the move. But adding a big man ahead of a presumptive playoff run could easily prove integral to any playoff success the Lakers have. Doncic and James have both proven that it’s immensely hard to carry a team to a championship alone. They’ll need help, particularly in areas where they don’t typically contribute.

While Los Angeles prepares a new system around James and Doncic, the Hornets, currently 12-36, have struggled to build around star point guard LaMelo Ball. This trade could help matters in the long run, however. Reddish has not panned out as a reliable starter over the course of six NBA seasons, but Knecht has shown flashes of potential in his rookie year, scoring 9.4 points per game.

The public has grown tired of Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, fulfilling the most boring, played-out media cycle in sports. In desperate need of a villain in the stories they create in their heads, fans are using Kansas City’s sustained success to transform the team from late-2010s darling to conniving, uninspired cheaters. 

“If winning football games makes you a villain, we’re going to keep going out there and doing it,” Mahomes said this week. “We embrace who we are. We believe we play the game the right way, with a lot of heart and passion for the game.”

We’ve seen this countless times in the modern sports landscape. It seems like too much attention inevitably leads to vitriol. The New York Yankees, never popular due to decades of success, didn’t adopt their “Evil Empire” moniker until 2002, right at the tail end of a four-title dynasty. The New England Patriots went from nobodies to a league-wide scourge when Tom Brady started racking up Super Bowls in the early 2000s. Teaming with Randy Moss in 2007 and Rob Gronkowski later on helped cement that status for another decade.

It comes up in works of fiction, too. WWE star John Cena, the company hero, walked out to raucous, overwhelming boos for most of his career as fans begged for a change in the world title picture. Harvey Dent, shortly before fulfilling his own prophecy in The Dark Knight, announced to Bruce Wayne, “You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.”

On the verge of a historic three-peat, this is where the Chiefs find themselves in the sporting world. More than going out of their way, many fans are practically doing inverted handstands trying to find ways to cheapen Kansas City’s accomplishments. 

The excuses are comprehensive. It’s rigged. The refs are biased. The Chiefs play soft. Mahomes isn’t as exciting anymore. The brand of football is unappealing and bad for the game. Taylor Swift shouldn’t be on my television screen. Andy Reid is carrying Mahomes. Mahomes is carrying Reid. The defense is carrying both of them.

Here are the facts: the Chiefs are a profoundly talented football team worthy of appearing in their third straight Super Bowl, and Mahomes is even more talented now than he was when anyone with a couch and some salsa was drooling over him in 2019. 

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It’s acceptable to root for someone else in the Super Bowl — Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley and the Eagles are just as deserving. It also feels unjust on some cosmic level that Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson have to spend another year watching from home. 

Kansas City is the Goliath, talented from every aspect with a resume of undeniable greatness. If fans need heroes, then the Chiefs can be their foil. Minimizing their accomplishments to do that, however, feels like a small and petty betrayal to the game itself. Without any organic rooting interest, spending a few hours hoping that supremely gifted individuals get exposed as frauds feels like time wasted.

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