The Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Hornets got into a huge brawl Monday night that included four player ejections.

The altercation happened in the third quarter after Hornets’ forward Moussa Diabate had a hard foul on Pistons’ center Jalen Duren as he was going up for a shot. This led to the two meeting face-to-face and exchanging words before Duren shoved Diabate, triggering chaos. Diabate charged at Duren before swinging a punch as he was held back by assistant coaches. This prompted Hornets’ Miles Bridges to get involved and throw a punch at Duren. Pistons’ Isaiah Stewart, who was on the bench, sprinted onto the court to get into it with Miles Bridges, exchanging blows.

After a lengthy review, the referees ejected Duren, Stewart, Bridges and Diabate. There will almost certainly be suspensions as the league begins to look into the altercation. Stewart will most likely face a heavy punishment, as coming off the bench to get into a scuffle usually leads to a multiple-game suspension and hefty fines.

Hornets coach Charles Lee was also ejected later in the contest for rushing at an official.

Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff spoke to the media after the game about the altercation, saying, “I hate that it got as ugly as it got. That’s not something that you ever want to see. But if a guy throws a punch at you, you have a responsibility to protect yourself, and that’s what happened tonight. If you go back and watch the film, they’re the ones that initiated crossing the line, and our guy had to defend himself,” Bickerstaff said, placing the blame on the Hornets.

The Pistons led 70-62 at the time of the ejections and went on to win 110-104, ending the Hornets’ nine-game win streak.

Mack Hollins’ Super Bowl entrance turned the heads of many NFL fans.

Hollins wore a face mask meant to resemble Hannibal Lecter, handcuffs, shackles and was barefoot. 

It’s unclear whether Hollins was trying to send a political or sports message, or was just having fun with his clothes. In the 2025 playoffs, when he was with the Buffalo Bills, he wore sunglasses, a straw hat, swimming shorts and a floral shirt. This was all during a game where temperatures reached as low as 2 degrees. Hollins is also known for not wearing shoes unless he’s playing football.

Hollins won the Super Bowl in his rookie season with the Philadelphia Eagles. He got 22 targets in the regular season and two in the playoffs. He signed with the New England Patriots this offseason to give them depth at wide receiver. He had 65 targets during the regular season, the second-highest mark of his career. 

Hollins did not play in the wild-card game against the Los Angeles Chargers or in the divisional round game against the Houston Texans. He got in his first playoff game of the season against the Denver Broncos in the conference championship and had 51 receiving yards. In the Super Bowl against the Seattle Seahawks, he had 78 receiving yards to lead all receivers. This was nearly as much as the Patriots had in their entire rushing game.  

Hollins is under contract next season for his age-33 season. He is projected to make $2.9 million. The Patriots are unlikely to cut him, but if they did, it would only cost them $750,000. 

His teammate Stefon Diggs will be getting a big pay increase in the second year of his three-year contract, going from $2.9 million to $20.6 million. The Patriots will need to manage their cap situation carefully to try to get back to the Super Bowl next season.

Kenneth Walker III established his name in NFL history after winning the Super Bowl MVP award.

Walker III had 135 yards on 27 carries. Walker III had the most carries in a Super Bowl game since Michael Pittman ran 28 times for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl XXXVII. 

Walker III started the game off with a 10-yard rush. Toward the start of the second quarter, he rushed for 30 yards on a play. This was his longest rush of the game. The drive eventually ended in a field goal. 

Walker III had 27 yards on a single drive late in the fourth quarter. This put the Seattle Seahawks in field-goal range and helped extend the lead to 22-7. The Seahawks won 29-13. 

Walker III was one of 17 running backs to rush for 1,000 or more yards during the regular season. During the regular season, he shared carries with his backup, Zach Charbonnet. Charbonnet got injured during the divisional round game against the San Francisco 49ers. Walker III led all running backs with more than 20 carries in the playoffs in yards per carry with 4.8. 

The Seahawks will need to decide whether to keep Walker III. He was on the final season of his rookie contract. His cap hit was just 0.96%. Most Super Bowl-winning teams tend to have running backs with small cap hits. However, the Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl last season, with Saquon Barkley accounting for a notable portion of the salary cap. 

Walker III is eligible for the franchise tag, which would bring him back for a one-year, $14 million contract. The Seahawks have until March 4 to give a franchise tag to Walker III. They can work on an extension at any time as well.

The New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks are set to have an amazing matchup in Super Bowl LX. 

This was one of the most improbable Super Bowl matchups based on preseason odds. Both the Seahawks and the Patriots missed the playoffs the previous season. The Seahawks were led by quarterback Sam Darnold, who, despite a strong 2024 season with the Minnesota Vikings, remained unproven. Meanwhile, the Patriots had one of the youngest rosters in the league, led by QB Drake Maye. 

The Seahawks have the best defense in the league and the third-best offense. Darnold has put together another Pro Bowl season to lead the Seahawks offense. Meanwhile, Jaxon Smith- Njigba has made Darnold’s life a lot easier. On defense, they have a balanced attack thanks to pass rushers DeMarcus Lawrence and Leonard Williams, along with cornerback Devon Witherspoon.

The Patriots ranked second in offense and fourth in defense. The Patriots have a deep roster, but don’t have the star power that a lot of other rosters have. Despite this, Maye and CB Christian Gonzalez have helped elevate the Patriots’ play to the next level. 

The Seahawks and Patriots matched up against each other during Super Bowl XLIX. The Patriots won the game on a game-winning interception from Malcolm Butler. The Seahawks have won the next three matchups against the Patriots. The last time they matched up was in 2024, when Jacoby Brissett was playing QB for the Patriots. 

The Seahawks’ key to victory is for them to overwhelm the Patriots with their depth. The Seahawks roster has a lot of good pieces and very few, if any, teams can match that depth.

Meanwhile, the Patriots will need their stars to shine bright. Maye has made some big plays but has yet to take over as he did in the regular season.

Out 57 experts polled by ESPN, 47 picked the Seahawks to win.

Just a year after being traded for Luka Doncic, Anthony Davis has been sent to the Washington Wizards for Khris Middleton.

The Wizards got Davis along with Jaden Hardy, D’Angelo Russell and Dante Exum. Meanwhile, the Dallas Mavericks got Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley III, two first-round picks and three second-round picks. The two first-round picks are the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 2026 pick and the Golden State Warriors’ 2030 pick. The Warriors’ pick is top-20 protected.

Earlier this season, the Wizards traded for Trae Young. The Wizards will have the veteran duo of Davis and Young surrounding their young core. 

The Mavericks have disappointed this season, finishing as a No. 12 seed. Along with Davis missing games to injury, Kyrie Irving is likely out for the season with a torn ACL he suffered last season. The Mavericks are looking to rebuild around their young star Cooper Flagg. 

Both the Wizards and Mavericks are on the outside looking in of the playoffs. Both teams are looking toward the future with this trade.

The Wizards haven’t made the playoffs since the 2021 season. This is the third-longest playoff drought behind the Charlotte Hornets and San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs hold the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, meaning their drought is very likely to end. Missing the playoffs this many seasons in a row is bad for team and fan chemistry. 2026-27 presents a prime opportunity for the Wizards to make the playoffs. 

The Mavericks, meanwhile, are just looking to develop Flagg. Flagg’s points per game go up three points when Davis isn’t playing. The two struggled to form consistent chemistry. Irving and Middleton are more likely to fit with Flagg as they provide spacing. Middleton will get a chance to revive his career in a smaller but still important role. 

A future Basketball Hall of Fame member has been traded for the fifth time in his career.

On Feb. 3, James Harden was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Darius Garland. 

Harden played three seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers. In the 2024-25 season, he made the All-Star team with a 22.8 points per game average. Garland had played his whole career with the Cavaliers before this trade. He made two All-Star appearances with the team.

Harden was drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2009 NBA draft. He became a star after being traded to the Houston Rockets. He requested a trade from them during the 2020-21 season. Since then, he’s played short stints with the Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers and Clippers. 

Harden won an MVP in 2018 and has made 11 All-Star appearances. Despite not being an All-Star this season, he’s averaging 25 points per game, his most since the 2019-20 season. 

Harden said that he didn’t request a trade from the Clippers. Meanwhile, ESPN reported that he did. 

Even in his older age, Harden is a clear upgrade over Garland. Harden is a better scorer, passer, rebounder and defender. Even if none of that was true, he’s more durable than Garland.

Garland gives the Clippers a young piece to rebuild around long-term. The Clippers don’t have control over most of their future first-round draft picks due to a trade with the Thunder. 

The Cavaliers are desperate to win before Donovan Mitchell’s team option after the 2026-27 season. Harden may be the biggest move they can make to help Mitchell. The Cavaliers may need to take more shots to truly be competitive. Meanwhile, the Clippers likely don’t have any more moves they can make due to salary restrictions and a lack of draft assets.

One of the last major dominoes of the MLB offseason has fallen.

On February 1, the Cincinnati Reds signed Eugenio Suarez to a one-year, $15 million contract. 

Suarez started the 2025 season with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He hit 36 home runs with them and made his second career All-Star appearance. At the trade deadline, he was traded to the Seattle Mariners. Although his play wasn’t as good with them, he still provided important veteran experience that helped them make the American League Championship Series. 

Suarez was one of the most coveted players both at the trade deadline and during the offseason. Other teams interested in Suarez include the New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, and Boston Red Sox.

Suarez played with the Reds from 2015 to 2021. He made the All-Star team in 2018 when he hit 34 home runs. 

The Reds were a surprise playoff team last season, posting an 83-79 record. Although they benefited from an all-time collapse from the New York Mets, they also played better than anyone could’ve expected.

The Reds were a bottom-10 team in home runs in 2025. Signing Suarez is a perfect move to boost their power numbers. During the trade deadline, they traded for Ke’Bryan Hayes from the Pittsburgh Pirates. This will allow Suarez to play DH, maximizing his value by keeping him off the defensive side of the ball. 

Having the DH spot filled means the Reds will likely not bring back Miguel Andujar. Andujar had a .359 batting average with the Reds in 34 games.  

Spring training will begin on February 20. Although the Reds’ lineup is pretty much set, they will need to figure out the bullpen hierarchy. They added Brock Burke, Pierce Johnson and Caleb Ferguson during the offseason. 

While everyone was asleep, the Australian Open just produced one of the greatest semi-finals of all time, capped off by the 24-time major champion, Novak Djokovic, defeating reigning champion and World number two Jannik Sinner in a five-set instant classic.

The 38-year-old lasted four hours and nine minutes to defeat Sinner 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4. Djokovic kept the Aussie crowd awake until 1:30 a.m. local time as he punched his ticket for a chance at the illustrious 25th Grand Slam title. “I think you guys got the value for the ticket,” Djokovic says jokingly to the crowd after the match. Sinner continues to struggle in matches over three hours and 50 minutes, falling to 0-9 in his career.

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Despite going the distance, that wasn’t even the longest match of the day, as the match before between Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev lasted five hours and 27 minutes, being the longest semifinal in Australian Open history. World number one Alcaraz seemed to be starting to cramp during the third set, as he was up two sets to none. The cramping affected Alcaraz, letting Zverev battle all the way back before Alcaraz won the fifth set 7-5, punching his ticket to his first Australian Open Final.

This sets up arguably the biggest Australian Open Final of all time as Djokovic aims for his record-breaking 25th major, and Alcaraz is looking to complete the career grand slam at just 22 years old. Alcaraz is hoping to join the elite company of Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams by winning every Grand Slam title. If Alcaraz wins on Sunday, he will pass Nadal as the youngest player ever to complete this feat.

Before the semifinal match, Djokovic was asked by a media member if he feels like he is chasing Alcaraz & Sinner. The Serbian thought it was “disrespectful,” given the domination he has exerted throughout his career and the fact that the players have been chasing him.

It was evident how much this match meant for Djokovic as he was tearing up post-match. “I’m lost for words right now,” Djokovic said with tears in his eyes.

The 10-time Australian Open winner has dominated Rod Laver Arena and looks to keep the young superstar Alcaraz from completing the career Grand Slam in what will be an epic conclusion to the first major of the season.

Early vote indications for the Pro Football Hall of Fame aren’t looking good for former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning.

Early voting counts suggest Manning will not have enough votes to enter the Hall of Fame. This is his second year of eligibility. Although votes aren’t required to be public, it was reported that Manning didn’t come close in his first year on the ballot.

Manning’s Hall of Fame candidacy has long been the center of sports debates.

He has two main arguments in his favor. The first is his ability to raise his level of play in the playoffs. Manning is one of 13 QBs who have won multiple Super Bowls. Manning is one of six players with multiple Super Bowl MVPs. His 1,219 yards in the 2011 playoffs are a record that stands to this day.

The second argument would be his longevity. Manning retired top 10 in passing yards and passing TDs, and is currently ranked 11th in both. In 2018, at the age of 37, he threw 21 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and 4,299 passing yards. Few QBs have managed to keep this level of play for that long, let alone with an offensive line as bad as the 2018 Giants’ offensive line. 

The two things holding his candidacy back are his interceptions and his lack of regular-season consistency. Manning led the league in interceptions three times. Although Hall of Famer Brett Favre did this as well, he’s also a three-time MVP. Manning, meanwhile, has a pretty empty regular-season resume. He made four Pro Bowls and never got an MVP vote. 

Manning can be on the Pro Football Hall of Fame ballot up to 25 years after his retirement. In 2025, Manning said he was “at peace” with not being in the Hall of Fame, acknowledging that he played in a strong era and that the selection process is tough.

On Tuesday evening, it was reported that eight-time Super Bowl-winning coach Bill Belichick would not make it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame during his first year on the ballot.

Belichick failed to receive the 40 of 50 votes he needed to make it, in a puzzling and confusing result.

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With 333 career wins and hoisting the Lombardi trophy more than any other coach in the history of the sport, Bill Belichick is somehow not a first ballot Hall of Famer. Former players under Belichick have been extremely vocal about this bizarre decision. Former New England Patriot Damien Woody took to X to voice his frustrations, saying whoever didn’t vote for Belichick “should never have a vote again.” Belichick won 17 division titles and nine conference championships, the most by any coach in the Super Bowl era.

Patrick Mahomes also took to X to voice his thoughts on the situation, posting, “Insane… don’t even understand how this could be possible.”

Some wonder whether the reason the legendary coach was left out was politics and his off-field behavior. Belichick was considered a sure-fire first-ballot Hall of Famer, and some would argue that the Hall of Fame is even what it is without arguably the best coach of all time.

The Hall of Fame voting committee is made up of veteran NFL reporters and former football figures. The committee will have to answer for this decision as the entire football world seems stunned.

Belichick, 73, is currently the head coach at the University of North Carolina and is heading into his second season with the university.

Matthew Stafford is coming off a career year, but still faces questions about a possible retirement.

His Los Angeles Rams lost to the Seattle Seahawks in the conference championship game. Stafford was asked about his future with the team after the game, but he refused to comment. 

“I can’t generalize six months of my life 10 minutes after a loss,” Stafford said.

Stafford is still under contract for the 2026 season. If he retires after this season, he’d leave $40 million on the table. 

Stafford is coming off a season where he threw 46 touchdowns and eight interceptions. This earned him his third Pro Bowl appearance. 

In the playoffs, he threw six touchdowns and one interception. He threw three touchdowns against the Panthers and three touchdowns against the Seahawks. Despite his struggles in the divisional round against the Bears, the Rams still advanced.

In theory, it makes almost no sense for Stafford to retire. He’s playing some of his best football ever, he’s on one of the best rosters in football, and he’d lose out on a lot of money if he didn’t play next season.

The only reason he’d consider retirement is if he just didn’t want to go through the physical and mental grind again. Getting yourself into NFL-level shape is difficult. Not to mention all the hits a quarterback takes during the season.

Stafford was sacked 23 times last season. That only ranks 23rd in the NFL, but those hits add up. This, of course, doesn’t even count all the time he takes a hit while throwing. 

Stafford and Puka Nakua helped lead the Rams to the best offense during the regular season. They also had a top-10 defense, thanks to Jared Verse and Byron Young. 

Overall, it seems like Stafford will likely play at least one more season; it’s just a matter of when he makes it official.

Many around the league knew Ja Morant’s relationship with the Memphis Grizzlies was rocky, but it may be worse than anyone thought.

Amid the turmoil, word comes that Morant will be out for three weeks with a UCL sprain.

The timing couldn’t be worse for him. A clip from the Grizzlies’ January 14 practice was leaked on X. Morant had gotten into an argument with his teammate Vince Williams Jr. The argument is as follows.

Morant: “I don’t f— with y’all, I’m with whatever!”

Williams Jr.: “Let’s go to the back.”

Morant: “Why? I’m right here.”

Williams Jr.: “Let’s go to the back.”

Morant: “You’ve been here for five minutes! You’re not like that.”

The user who leaked this argument has gone viral several times for his lip-reading of NBA games and practices.

The exact cause of the argument is unknown. It could be that Morant is airing out his frustrations, or that Williams Jr. was pushing his buttons, maybe a mix of both.

Many have speculated that the Grizzlies are looking for a trade partner. 

Morant is a two-time All-Star who has shown lots of potential. However, Morant has gotten in his own way. Morant received a 25-game suspension in the 2023-24 season due to a string of violent behavior, including allegedly pulling a gun on a minor during a pick-up basketball game. Since the suspension, he’s dealt with a string of injuries.

The trade market for Morant is unclear at the moment. Teams like the Rockets, Timberwolves and Bucks have clear needs at point guard, but may be hesitant to go for Morant. 

There may still be some bad feelings between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ starting quarterback and the Atlanta Falcons’ new head coach.

Kevin Stefanski was hired by the Falcons on January 17. Stefanski previously coached the Cleveland Browns, who started 13 QBs during his tenure, including current Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield.

Falcons beat writer D. Orlando Ledbetter wrote an article where he called Mayfield and Deshaun Watson “failed QBs.” He received a community note on X. Fans noted that Mayfield led the team to the playoffs in 2020 with an 11-5 record.

This article managed to reach Mayfield’s feed. He was obviously not happy with the writer, but had more to say as well.

“Failed is quite the reach, pal,” Mayfield said, “Still waiting on a text/call from him after I got shipped off like a piece of garbage. Can’t wait to see you twice a year, Coach.” 

The Buccaneers and Falcons have competed for a playoff spot the past couple of seasons. In 2024, the Buccaneers won in Week 18 to secure a playoff spot. Meanwhile, in 2025, the Buccaneers, Falcons, and Carolina Panthers all finished with an 8-9 record. The Panthers got the tie-breaker, but it’s clear the NFC South is hyper-competitive right now. 

Mayfield’s stint in Cleveland ended after 2021 when he was traded to the Panthers. He didn’t find much success in Carolina and requested a release. He was signed by the Los Angeles Rams. Although his numbers didn’t jump out, with just four touchdowns and two interceptions, he showed some positive signs and growth.

The Buccaneers signed him for the 2023 season. He was given the near-impossible task of replacing Tom Brady. Mayfield led the Buccaneers to the playoffs in the next two seasons. He also made the Pro Bowl in those seasons. 

The Los Angeles Rams will advance to the conference championship and are one step closer to being the first wild-card team to win the Super Bowl since the 2020 Buccaneers. 

The Bears had a surprisingly good regular season that ended with them obtaining the No. 2 seed. Meanwhile, the Rams narrowly lost the division to the Seahawks. Despite the seeding, the Rams finished with a better record. 

The Rams got on the board first with a Kyren Williams rushing touchdown. That was to be the only scoring of the first quarter. On the first play of the second quarter, D.J. Moore caught a touchdown pass to tie the game. With a little more than a minute left in the first half, Cairo Santos hit a 48-yard field goal to give the Bears a lead. However, the Rams quickly tied the game thanks to Harrison Mevis’ 32-yard field goal at the buzzer.

The third quarter was a defensive bloodbath, with neither team scoring. Rams running back Williams got another rushing TD in the fourth quarter to give the Rams the lead back. The Bears got the football with less than two minutes left. Caleb Williams completed a pass to Cole Kmet for a touchdown to tie the game and force overtime.

The Bears’ defense forced the Rams into a three-and-out in the first overtime possession. However, Williams threw an interception on the tenth play of the drive. The Rams had to march down the field as they were only at their own 22-yard line. Ten plays later, Mevis hit the game-winning field goal from 42 yards. 

Despite not winning their division, the Rams are among the most experienced and talented teams in football. They will take on the No. 1-seeded Seahawks for a chance to make it to the Super Bowl.

The New York Knicks had an injury scare in their game on January 15 against the Sacramento Kings.

Star point guard Jalen Brunson left the game in the first quarter with a right ankle sprain and didn’t return. He is questionable for the upcoming games. 

The Knicks struggled to get consistent offense going after Brunson left. Josh Hart, who recently returned from injury, had a solid stat line of 10 points, five rebounds and five assists. Meanwhile, Jordan Clarkson provided some scoring punch off the bench with 11 points.

The Kings got 20-point games from DeMar DeRozan, Precious Achiuwa and Zach LaVine. Achiuwa also grabbed 14 rebounds.

The Knicks have dealt with some defense and depth issues, but that hasn’t stopped them from having the No. 2 seed in the East. A big reason for that is Brunson’s production, who is averaging 28 points per game.

If the Knicks lose Brunson for an extended period of time, they’d need to rely on Karl-Anthony Towns for production. Towns has made the All-Star team five times in his career. Towns is currently averaging 21 points and 11 rebounds. Despite this, his efficiency this season is somewhat worrying. His field goal percentage is the worst of his career, and his three-point percentage is the worst since his rookie season. 

Meanwhile, at the point guard position, they’d have to rely on Miles “Deuce” McBride. He’s already having a career season, averaging 12 points per game. He’s started 40 games in his career, including 12 this season.

However, Brunson left the game against the Kings without needing a boot or crutches. A mild ankle sprain generally heals in about one to two weeks and only requires minor stretching exercises. A more severe ankle sprain can take up to three months to heal, but nothing points to that for Brunson as of now. 

The Houston Texans picked up a massive round one playoff win on the road, but not all is good, as Pro Bowl wide receiver Nico Collins got carted off the field due to a concussion.

Collins sustained the injury at the end of the third quarter when he landed on top of his head after a slant route. He immediately pointed toward his head as the receiver was visibly in pain. The Texans’ training staff checked him out in the blue medical tent before carting him back to the locker room for further examination. Collins was quickly ruled out after totaling three catches for 21 yards on seven targets.

This was the second concussion Collins has suffered this season, the first one on October 21 vs the Seattle Seahawks, which forced him to miss one game. This almost certainly puts the 1,000-yard receiver’s availability for the divisional round in doubt.

Head coach DeMeco Ryans said in his post-game press conference, “We’ll see how this week goes” regarding Collins’ status for their matchup against the New England Patriots on a short week.

Collins is an irreplaceable player as the fifth-year wideout led the team with 1,117 yards and six touchdowns. If Collins is unable to go on Sunday, it will be a massive blow for C.J. Stroud and the Texans’ offense, who have struggled this season to consistently put up points.

Stroud will have to rely on veteran wide receiver Christian Kirk, who stepped up in a big way with 144 yards and a touchdown on Monday. Expect to see an increase in targets for Xavier Hutchinson and rookie Jayden Higgins if Collins is sidelined this Sunday.

In the one game without Collins, the Texans beat the San Francisco 49ers 26-15, with Hutchinson leading the receiver room for 69 yards and a touchdown.

Collins signed a three-year, $72.75 million contract extension in May 2024.

Aaron Rodgers abruptly ended his postgame press conference after being asked about Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and his future with the organization.

Rodgers said explicitly, “I’ve talked extensively about how I feel about Mike [Tomlin]… and I just did in that f—ing answer” before leaving the press conference.

The four-time MVP is no stranger to showing his emotions on or off the field, especially after a frustrating 30-6 wildcard loss at home versus the Houston Texans, in what could potentially be his last game ever.

The Steelers’ offense had no answers for the suffocating Texans defense, which sacked Rodgers four times and forced two turnovers, both returned for touchdowns.

With Tomlin stepping down as head coach, a new voice will be the leader of the Pittsburgh Steelers for the first time in 19 years. This is a major shakeup around the league as Tomlin never posted a losing record in his career. Although Tomlin has won a Super Bowl, the last time he and the Steelers won a playoff game was all the way back in January 2017, when they beat the Alex Smith-led Kansas City Chiefs 19-13 in the AFC divisional round. This marks just the fourth time the Steelers will be looking for a new head coach since 1969.

However, Rodgers and Tomlin saw success in their one season together. The pair went 10-7 and won the AFC North, while Rodgers had a much-improved year coming off what was a disappointing two-year stint with the New York Jets. The 42-year-old quarterback posted 3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns and just 7 interceptions in his 21st season under center.

Another offseason decision looms large for Rodgers, as he decides whether to end a storied career or continue playing. If he were to continue playing, Rodgers would be on the open market, and a return to Pittsburgh is certainly up in the air with Tomlin out of the picture.

The Green Bay Packers’ last three seasons have all looked the same, with them having the no. 7 seed. Now it seems like they will be keeping things more or less the same heading into 2026.

ESPN reported that the Packers will be looking to reach an extension with head coach Matt LaFleur. This is despite him blowing an 18-point lead to the Bears in the playoffs. He has just one year remaining on his contract, and expressed his desire to stay with the team during post-game interviews.

LaFleur started out as an offensive assistant for the Division II Saginaw Valley State Cardinals in 2003. A season later, he would get a Division I job as the graduate assistant for Central Michigan. 

LaFleur got his first NFL job in 2008 as the Texans’ offensive assistant. There, he would learn under offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, who would later become the 49ers’ head coach. The Texans had the 10th-best offense in the 2009 season. 

After this, his role changed to quarterbacks coach. He worked with the Redskins from 2010 to 2013, Notre Dame in 2014 and the Falcons from 2015-2016 in this role. In 2016, Falcons QB Matt Ryan had an MVP season, and the team made the Super Bowl. He was once again working with Shanahan.

After helping Ryan have an elite season, he was hired by the Rams to be their offensive coordinator. The Rams have their first winning season since 2003. They lost in the Wild Card game to LeFleur’s former team, the Falcons. The Titans also hired him as an offensive coordinator in 2018, but that wouldn’t net the same results.

Still, the Packers saw potential in him and hired him in 2019 to replace their long-time coach, Mike McCarthy. He won 13 games in each of his first three seasons and helped Aaron Rodgers get two more MVPs on his resume. In 2022, Rodgers showed a decline, which led the Packers to miss the playoffs. The Packers would move on from Rodgers and switch to Jordan Love at QB. The duo of Love and LaFleur has made the playoffs for three straight seasons.  

If you’re an NFL team looking for a new head coach, Matt Nagy may just be your guy.

Nagy is currently the offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs. He started coaching high school football in 2001 and became an NFL coach in 2008. 

He started off as a coaching intern for the Eagles. In 2010, he was promoted to coaching assistant. He became the offense quality control coach in 2011. 

In 2013, the Chiefs signed him to be their quarterbacks coach. There, he worked with Alex Smith and helped him make the Pro Bowl in 2013. In 2016, he got his first chance to be the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator. He coached Patrick Mahomes for one game, the final game of the 2017 season. 

The Chiefs made the playoffs in both of Nagy’s seasons as offensive coordinator. Several teams looked to him as a possible head coach, and he’d ultimately sign with the Bears. He made the playoffs two of his four seasons with the Bears, including a 12-win season in 2018. Nagy’s offensive coaching skills had Mitch Trubisky playing like a star. 

The Bears missed the playoffs in 2021, leading to Nagy’s firing. Some fans argued that Nagy’s offensive coaching skills actually cost him his job. This is because he made Trubisky look better than he actually was, which led the Bears to overestimate the roster’s long-term viability.

The Chiefs brought him on in 2022 as the senior assistant and QB coach. A lot had changed for Mahomes since Nagy coached him last. However, the Chiefs had recently traded Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins, leaving Mahomes without an important weapon. Nagy and Mahomes both made sure the Chiefs didn’t miss a beat, leading to a Mahomes MVP and Chiefs Super Bowl championship. 

Nagy was promoted to offensive coordinator the next season. Although they won the Super Bowl again in 2023, the next two seasons would see a decline on the offensive end. Despite some concerns, Nagy has extensive experience. 

The Pittsburgh Steelers are a franchise known for their consistency. However, the 2026 season will bring a rapid shake-up in leadership at the head coaching position.

Mike Tomlin announced on Jan. 13 that he would step down as the Steelers’ head coach after 19 seasons. Tomlin never finished below .500 in his tenure. His shining achievement was his Super Bowl XLIII win. 

Tomlin was a wide receiver at William & Mary from 1990 to 1994. After his graduation, he was given a chance to be a wide receivers coach for the Virginia Military Institute Kaydets. They are a Division 1 FCS team. 

Tomlin got his shot in the NFL in 2001, serving as the Buccaneers’ defensive backs coach. He worked for one year as the Vikings’ defensive coordinator before being hired by the Steelers as head coach.

The Steelers reached the Super Bowl twice in Tomlin’s first four seasons. They won Super Bowl XLIII and lost Super Bowl XLV to the Packers. In the 2016 playoffs, they lost to the Patriots in the conference championship game. This would be the last playoff win of Tomlin’s Steelers tenure.

The Steelers may look to Tomlin’s coaching tree for a replacement. Bruce Arians, the Super Bowl-winning coach of the Buccaneers, is his most notable trainee. Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith brings head coaching experience, having coached the Falcons from 2021 to 2023. 

Any team that has an opening at head coach is likely to contact Tomlin. The Ravens would give him a chance to join a team that can contend for the Super Bowl. Meanwhile, the Giants have a good young core that Tomlin can help develop. It’s important to note that no Super Bowl-winning coach has ever won the game with another team. Some legendary coaches like Andy Reid and Bill Parcells have made it with multiple teams, but never won with more than one.