Football fans turned Lambeau Field into a sea of sweater vests, sunglasses and mustaches on Sunday, paying tribute to Chicago Bears legend Mike Ditka just two days after the Hall of Famer died at 86.

Ditka’s family announced his death on Oct. 9. In a statement, they noted that while the world knew him as a Hall of Fame player and the coach who led the Bears to a Super Bowl title, “we knew him as the heart of our family. No cause of death was announced.

>SPORTS LEGENDS WHO DIED IN 2026 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW!

The tributes were front and center when the Bears visited the rival Green Bay Packers on Sunday. Bears players wore No. 89 stickers on the backs of their helmets in honor of Ditka’s jersey number from his playing days, and both teams observed a moment of silence before kickoff.

Over the Lambeau Field public address system, fans heard that the Packers and the NFL community were “saddened to learn of the passing of Pro Football Hall of Famer Mike Ditka,” Fox News reported.

In the stands, fans came dressed as the coach, donning his trademark sweaters, mustaches and cigars. Others wore replicas of the blue Bears sweater vest Ditka famously sported on the sideline during Chicago’s Super Bowl XX rout of the New England Patriots.

Bears head coach Ben Johnson said Friday that Ditka remained “the gold standard in terms of this place” and that his influence on the franchise was still being felt.

The emotional day did not end the way Bears fans had hoped. Green Bay routed Chicago 31-7, dropping the Bears to 3-2. Quarterback Caleb Williams missed his third straight game.

The tributes extended well beyond Green Bay. In Chicago, fans gathered at Ditka’s restaurant in Oak Brook, and the Chicago Bulls held a moment of silence in his honor. All networks broadcasting Sunday’s NFL games also paid tribute to Ditka.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement that “Mike Ditka epitomized football over so many years,” ABC7 Chicago reported. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and former President Barack Obama also issued statements honoring him.

Online, fans shared clips of Ditka’s famously fiery press conference rants from his years coaching the Bears and the New Orleans Saints.

Nicknamed “Iron Mike,” Ditka played tight end for the Bears in the 1960s and became the first tight end inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988. He returned to Chicago as head coach from 1982 to 1992, transforming the franchise into one of the NFL’s most dominant teams.

His 1985 Bears, led by a ferocious defense, went 15-1 in the regular season and crushed the Patriots 46-10 in Super Bowl XX. Ditka was named NFL Coach of the Year twice. He later coached the Saints for three seasons and became a longtime television analyst.

Ditka and Tom Flores are the only people to win an NFL title as a player, an assistant coach and a head coach.

Following the retirement of Lane Johnson, the Philadelphia Eagles traded center Cam Jurgens to the Baltimore Ravens.

In a span of two days, 40 percent of the Eagles’ offensive line was no longer on the roster, raising questions about their plans for the rest of the season.

“We weren’t looking to move Cam,” Eagles G.M. Howie Roseman said. “Obviously, the Ravens have been looking for a center. Kind of told them wasn’t anything we were looking to do. Over the last 24 hours, it got to the point where we felt like it could be a win-win for them. Obviously, getting a player who’s been a two-time Pro Bowl center and obviously for us, being able to get the picks we’re able to get, and use that money also to sign players. Had a chance to watch Drew Kendall here play center is doing a nice job. Have a young player there.” 

The Eagles sent Jurgens and a 2027 seventh-round pick to the Ravens for a 2027 fifth-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick.

“I think for us, when you talk about the two and the five, moving from the seventh to the fifth,” Roseman said. “We’ve had success in the fifth round, plus the money, plus you have Drew playing, we felt like we were getting four players for one, and just felt like for us, you know, with all these guys that we got coming up, a lot on the defensive side of the ball that we want to re-sign and want to extend, felt like that that was a good situation.” 

While the Eagles are not tanking, they have begun to look past the 2026 season with plans to begin building for the years to come. Moving Jurgens, who could have been traded after the season, they offloaded the player to keep themselves in a position to extend players like cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean.

Manny Machado struck the ball in what everyone in attendance thought would be a game-tying run, but Christian Yeilich didn’t watch it fly.

He looked at Machado, who barely moved after the ball left his bat, signaling that it would sail over the fence and tie Game 4.

“He’s hit about 400 homers in this league,” Yelich said. “He kind of knows what it feels like when he gets one.” 

Brewers center fielder Garret Mitchell fenced off a couple of fans and made a catch that helped Milwaukee win 3-1 and return to the NLCS for a rematch against the back-to-back defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

“I was just trying to get back to the ball,” Mitchell said. “The ball was hit really well. I don’t know, it just happened. Instinctually just do what I do, make a good jump and see what happens.” 

Mitchell catch on a ball that traveled 406 feet and 106.7 mph helped snap the Brewers’ 12-game postseason road losing streak, tied for the longest in major league history. Home run robberies have been tracked since 2004. According to ESPN Insights, Machado’s home run marked the first time a player had been robbed of a potential game-tying or go-ahead homer in the eighth inning or later of a playoff game.

“I was really worried,” Brewers president of baseball operations Matt Arnold said. “But like Garrett Mitchell just vanished into the crowd and pulled it out. It was awesome.” 

The Brewers won a major league best 103 regular-season games behind a dominant bullpen, an airtight defense, and an offense that excels at the little things. Still, the question remains whether this team is good enough to take down a Dodgers team that outscored them 15-4 in a four-game sweep in last year’s NLCS.

Mitchell, who drove in the game’s first run and scored the second, believes there’s a “different type of confidence and belief in ourselves” that will make the difference.

 “Coming into the postseason, you have a feeling that you’re gonna have to go through L.A.,” Yelich said. “They’re back-to-back champs, and they’re a great team. We have a lot of respect for those guys. But at the same time, we feel like we can play with everybody. And when we play our game and our brand of baseball, we’re a really hard team to beat.” 

“A lot of people have said we’re not built for the postseason because we’ve done so well in the regular season,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “We just have a dearth of players, no stars, not many stars, where I think we’re proving that, no, we still can win in the postseason because good baseball is good baseball.” 

The New York Yankees have exited the postseason in the ALDS for the second straight season. The team has now gone 17 straight seasons without winning the World Series.

The Yankees were swept in the divisional series by their AL East rival Tampa Bay Rays. They have now tied their franchise record for longest title drought.

The team struggled for most of the series before a heartbreaking Game 3 loss after a tying two-run home run was overmatched in the sixth inning. Without star Aaron Judge, New York couldn’t force a Game 4.

“Just hating every single moment of it,” Judge said. “Thinking about the whole year, thinking about missed opportunities in the season, in that series. Things that can be improved on, things I can improve on. Just hating every single moment of it so I don’t forget.” 

“There’s a standard to win a championship,” Judge said. “It’s black and white. There’s no gray area. It’s every day you show up to work. Every little thing you do is, ‘Are you working towards a championship or are you not?’

“So I think that’s the biggest thing: everybody in the room understanding you got to bring it every single day. Especially here in New York, you got to bring it every single day. There’s no days off and, yeah, it just comes down to the little things. Preparing every single day like you’re preparing for a championship game.”

Manager Aaron Boone can find himself on the hot seat after nine seasons. Under Boone, the team has struggled to beat higher-seeded teams in the postseason. The Yankees are 7-0 in postseason series against teams with worse regular-season records and 1-8 against teams with better regular-season records.

“Those conversations and things are for another day,” Boone said after the team’s elimination when asked about his job status.

While Boone may be in the hot seat, the Yankees haven’t fired a manager mid-contract since 1991. Boone has a year remaining on his contract.

The Los Angeles Lakers revealed their new defensive identity in their preseason opener against the Sacramento Kings.

From tip-off, the Lakers pressed, switched, and pressured the Kings, forcing a shot-clock violation on the first possession. Luka Doncic raised his fist toward the Lakers’ bench with a grin, showing that the team is all in on this new defensive approach.

The Lakers kept that momentum from the first possession to win 127-103, showcasing their deep wing rotation to compensate for a small bench.

Walker Kessler and Austin Reaves were out for the Lakers with injuries; without his two supporting teammates, Doncic led the Lakers with 21 points before sitting out the second half.

“We all had fun out there,” Doncic said, relishing the chance to play in his first competitive game in six months, one of the longest breaks of his career. “Especially with Matisse Thybulle and Ziaire Williams, just that beginning of the game, the start, that’s contagious for everybody, and how they start the game, it was inspirational.” 

Doncic didn’t have his best shooting night, going three-for-nine from three-point range; his teammates combined for nine of their first 13 three-pointers. Williams shot a perfect three-for-three beyond the arc with 13 points and one steal, acting as the team’s top on-ball defender. Thybulle, who was another key defensive offseason addition, recorded two steals and made two threes.

“You don’t wanna be the only guy out there that’s not being physical, not picking up full, not being a pest,” Williams said. “Coming in, I knew that I saw that the team could use that, someone who could pick up full and could guard the main ballhandler and really set the tone on that end. I try to just focus on that every possession.”

Coach JJ Redick, in his third season with the Lakers, said it was the first time in his tenure he felt the team had multiple players capable of handling that defensive responsibility. The Lakers call it their “line of confrontation.” Williams, Thybulle, second-year forward Adou Thiero and guard Quentin Grimes were among the players who guarded the ball full court. The Lakers forced four steals in the first quarter and 15 in total. They averaged 8.5 per game last season.

Five minutes into the preseason opener against the New York Knicks, 76ers backup center Ariel Hukporti suffered an Achilles tear.

The noncontact injury occurred with 7:06 remaining in the first quarter. Hukporti fell and immediately grabbed his lower right leg.

The big man signed a one-year, $3.4 million free agent contract in July after winning the finals with the Knicks.

Sixers coach Nick Nurse said after the win that Hukporti would get imaging on his right Achilles the following day.

Hukporti’s new teammates offered support and concern for the 24-year-old German.

“Huk has been a joy to have,” Jaylen Brown said. “He’s been great in the locker room, so it sucks to see a guy like that go down.” 

Jabari Walker came off the bench to fill in for Hukporti as a stretch big, finishing with 11 points (3-for-5 on 3-pointers) and 11 rebounds in 19 minutes. Walker feels that he has already grown close with Hukporti in a short amount of time.

“He’s like my brother,” Walker said. “It’s especially hard for me because I see the work he puts in. He just came to training camp and his energy has been great. He’s a great locker room guy. Man … that messed me up, honestly.” 

 “I just saw him for a little bit during the game. Gave him a big hug. He’s been a joy to coach in the short time he’s been here. Really a good dude. So, we’ll just hope for the best,” Nurse added.

The injury has put the 76ers in a tough spot with no healthy backup for Joel Embiid. Adem Bona and Tacko Fall are currently out with injuries, with Bona who has yet to participate in training camp after an injury with the Turkish national team.

The New Orleans Saints were booed at home after a huge defeat to rivals, the Atlanta Falcons. On a night celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Superdome’s return after Hurricane Katrina, the Falcons won 45-24.

Saints fans were not happy with the performance on a special night for the team and the city. The fans made their feelings known, with boos coming down from the stands.

“Fans understandably are upset,” quarterback Tyler Shough said postgame. “We had some opportunities that we didn’t take advantage of, and you’re playing the Falcons, and you lose like that. I mean, I’d boo, too. That sucks.”

From the opening drive, the Falcons ran away with the game, jumping to a 14-0 first-quarter lead. The Falcons carried that momentum into the second half, leading 24-7 at the half.

Cam Jordan said that New Orleans got “punched in the mouth early” and the Falcons “had their way today.”

The loss drops the Saints to 1-3, leaving them in third place as the Panthers and Falcons jump to 2-2 and take the top two spots in the division.

“I’m disappointed. More than anything, you lose to the Falcons like that, and especially on a Monday night game, it sucks,” said Sough. “There’s nothing you can say, like, ‘Ah man, it doesn’t suck.’ It definitely does. But I do know as a team that we’re extremely close, and we’re going to keep going and keep our eyes forward.”

“We have really good leadership, and our leadership on the team admits that we got to get better… There’s no hiding that. But at the same time, it is a long season, and there’s a lot of games yet to be played to where we can do that.”

Saints’ coach Kellen Moore agreed, calling the game “disappointing” for several reasons. One was that it was a Monday night matchup with an energetic crowd.

“The dome was an incredible night, incredible energy,” Moore said. “Didn’t coach well enough; didn’t play well enough. Obviously, it wasn’t good enough.

“It’s just disappointing for us, and I know there’s frustration for everyone.”

The Oklahoma City Thunder dropped their first preseason game to the New Orleans Pelicans, 116-110, and the result was encouraging for Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who wasn’t even suited up.

Of course, wins and losses don’t matter in the preseason, which makes this an overall win for the team, because one of the Thunder’s biggest problems is that Gilgeous-Alexander’s impact is limited, even with the stats he puts up, because he’s always double-teamed.

The fix is to add good catch-and-shoot shooters off the ball to complement his game, so when he drives through the paint, someone has to be covered around the perimeter. This aspect of the new Thunder team was very encouraging against the Pelicans.

The Thunder shot 48.5% from three in the loss. Bennett Stirtz went 3-for-6, Kendrich Williams went 3-for-4, and Jared McCain went 4-for-8. If these shooters keep this up for the Thunder, Gilgeous-Alexander will become even more lethal, and defenses will have to address the perimeter threat.

The San Antonio Spurs and Thunder are both co-favorites to win the NBA Championship, with a rematch in the Western Conference Finals to be expected.

The pieces around Gilgeous-Alexander this year, compared to last year, could be the difference in whether they win or lose that matchup, their toughest opponent yet again on the way to another title.

Dustin May was named the starter for the Milwaukee Brewers after their Game 2 win, and he is excited to prove himself in the playoffs after a rough second half of the season.

In Game 3, the Brewers had a chance to sweep the San Diego Padres when May got the call to start.

After the All-Star Break, May went 2-3 with very short outings, averaging a 4.96 ERA in just 52.2 innings pitched.

“Everyone knows when the postseason starts that everything is kind of a blank slate,” he said about the opportunity.

May is a hard-throwing right-hander who pitches well against the Padres, with a 1.23 ERA this year against them and at least six innings in each appearance. Manager Pat Murphy said he trusted May’s experience when making the decision. However, May hasn’t appeared in the playoffs since 2020.

May hadn’t pitched a long outing since September 11, and when he stepped on the mound, he started well before giving up 2 earned runs in just three innings, facing 14 batters. Pitch count wasn’t an issue for May, but Murphy pulled him after just 3.0 innings pitched.

The idea is that the plan was for May to always have a short leash in Game 3, and utilize the bullpen for the majority of the game. If May had kept his strong start going, he might have been given the chance to go deeper into the game, but it’s very possible he wouldn’t have been given that chance anyway.

Regardless, the Brewers couldn’t take advantage of May’s experience and strong history against the Padres and will have to close out the series in Game 4 or Game 5 to return to the NLCS.

In a battle between two of the sport’s best pitchers, Yoshinobu Yamamoto threw an absolute gem to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers past Chris Sale and the Atlanta Braves 3-1 in a critical Game 3.

Yamamoto pitched seven innings, giving up just one earned run in the win, which was crucial compared to Sale, who, though he didn’t pitch badly, struggled to keep his pitch count down and hung two costly pitches to Freddie Freeman and Kike Hernandez.

Sale started his first two innings with six strikeouts, but a few long at-bats and baserunners put him way behind pace on pitch count. This led to Sale only getting to finish five innings before being pulled, leaving the Braves behind the eight ball for the rest of the game.

Yamamoto’s outing was stellar, not just because he got quick outs. He gave up just four hits and one walk while striking out 10 batters.

Freeman and Hernandez’s home runs were all the Dodgers needed, and they accounted for all three runs. Hernandez’s two-run home run was immediately followed by Freeman’s solo shot, both coming in the fourth inning to break the scoreless tie.

The Dodgers are now one win away from another NLCS appearance under manager Dave Roberts, who is second all time in playoff wins.

Game 4 will be in Atlanta on Wednesday, with a starting-pitcher duel between two right-handers. Tyler Glasnow will throw for the Dodgers, and Tyler Mahle will start for Atlanta.

The Braves will need to take care of business at home tonight and then go to Los Angeles and win there to take the series, making last night’s game three all that much more of a stinger for Atlanta, who had their number one man on the mound.

At the end of this summer, Lionel Messi announced his retirement from international soccer after over 20 years with the Argentine national team.

Messi will live on in soccer history for his play, especially in his home country, Argentina. He is a god-like figure throughout the entire nation, having brought years of international success to the team, even though he struggled to win trophies until the latter half of his international career.

In his last game, he scored a penalty in Argentina’s 3-0 win over Benin in an international friendly.

It was Messi’s 208th appearance for the team, and it was an emotional night for everyone involved. Messi was visibly overcome, calling it the “saddest day of my career.”

He wasn’t the only one, though; fans and players couldn’t hold back tears as the night became a full “celebration” of his time with the team.

They paused the game in the 10th minute to honor the legend, and held a ceremony after that included a drone tribute and speeches.

The game comes a few months after the team’s World Cup Final loss to Spain, which ended in a nasty scuffle between the teams. That night was filled with passion for winning, whereas this night was all for Messi.

Messi will retire with two Copa América titles and a coveted 2022 World Cup victory, which he describes as the peak of his career and the day he completed the sport.

He won all three trophies after his first retirement in 2016, when he felt he was letting the international team down.

This retirement from international soccer will likely be his last, and it marks the end of his time on the Argentinian national team, though he will likely still play club for a little while longer.

His impact on not just the sport but his home country will live on forever in Argentinian history.

Florida Panthers winger Brad Marchand left the game last night against the Los Angeles Kings following an awkward run-in with the goalpost.

Marchand, 38, dealt with an injury last season that required surgery and kept him out of the start of this young season as well. Marchand was a key addition to the Panthers’ 2024-2025 Stanley Cup run and spent most of his career with the Boston Bruins.

At first glance, the veteran went down awkwardly in a rush to the net before sliding to the back boards, but on review, a high stick caused the fall, which was penalized as a double-minor penalty that gave the Panthers a four-minute power play. The stick ripped him backward as he came full-speed toward the crease, which is why the fall and run into the net looked so awkward.

Marchand is known as a tough player, and he played through a grueling groin injury during the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs for the Boston Bruins.

The slowed-down replay from above didn’t look good. An awkward twist and release were visible as Marchand immediately grabbed his left knee.

The Panthers have had one of the league’s best rosters for the last handful of NHL seasons, and injuries last year took them from Stanley Cup favorites to missing the playoffs. Head Coach Paul Maurice essentially shut down the season to protect the remaining players.

This season already looks troubling, with their biggest asset, Sascha Barkov, going down with a lower-body injury that will keep him out six to eight weeks. He missed all of last season, the biggest blow to the 2025-2026 campaign, with an ACL and MCL tear on the first day of training camp.

Maurice has yet to give an update on Marchand, saying he will be looked at Thursday. The Panthers added depth in the offseason, but two quick-turnaround injuries already hit two of the team’s biggest leaders.

The Panthers will hope for good news in the coming days, even though they managed a 2-1 win over the Kings last night.

Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman Lane Johnson announced before the season that 2026 would be his last, but after four weeks, the veteran called it quits and immediately retired from the NFL.

Johnson spent his entire 14-year career with the Eagles and became good friends with longtime teammate Zach Ertz.

Johnson’s Instagram announcement drew a flurry of support from Eagles fans and his teammates. He had become beloved in Philadelphia.

The tackle decided to leave the team because his heart could not be 100% committed anymore, citing prioritizing family and his mental health as the reason. He was surprisingly inactive in Week 4 after playing 181 total snaps the first three weeks. “I wanted to gut it out for one more year… but after a lot of reflection, I’ve realized that my personal and family priorities have changed. Right now it is critical that I focus on my mental health,” said Johnson in his official announcement on social media.

Among the many comments filled with love and gratitude, Eagles veteran TE Zach Ertz wrote, “every step of the way,” and shared pictures of the two during their time together on the team.

The two Eagles legends won the 2017 Super Bowl together, though Ertz wasn’t part of their most recent win, as he left the Eagles in 2021 before returning this offseason, playing two games so far and currently listed on the practice squad.

Both will go down as legends in Philadelphia. Johnson’s retirement came first, with Ertz still having time left and expected to keep getting reps amid the injury problems at the TE position.

Johnson closed his statement with “Philadelphia will always be home, and I will forever be an Eagle. Thank you for the love and enduring support.”

The San Francisco 49ers FB Kyle Juszczyk suffered an apparent leg injury in their Week 4 win over the Denver Broncos.

He was ruled out in the fourth quarter after awkwardly getting hit in the knee with a helmet and being left in pain on the field.

Injuries are nothing new for San Francisco, who seem to be plagued by injuries every year.

Juszczyk was diagnosed with a knee sprain and bone bruise, which would be considered serious to some but maybe not 49ers fans, who will be happy to learn he shouldn’t be out more than a few weeks barring any setbacks.

The game that will be crucial for him to be suited up for and is looking unlikely is next week’s division matchup with the defending Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks.

The 49ers picked up some other injuries last week, including losing safety Marques Sigle on a kickoff return. He refused the cart when it came onto the field and walked to the locker room with no further update.

Cornerback Upton Stout also suffered a shoulder sprain in the victory over Denver.

The hope is that this season is not like the last few, when they were top contenders before injuries made the hurdle too high to clear in the playoffs.

RB Christian McCaffrey is always someone 49ers fans should watch on the injury report, and he has avoided any trouble so far this season.

If the 49ers stay healthy, this core, led by McCaffrey and Brock Purdy, will reach the playoffs with as good a chance as they have had.

Seattle Seahawks Head Coach Mike Macdonald didn’t mince words when it was his turn to speak after the team’s 30-23 win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.

Macdonald was furious about the penalties, which totaled a franchise-record 150 penalty yards on 14 fouls. The coach was still upset even after getting the result they wanted at home.

The previous record of 148 yards happened in an overtime loss to the San Francisco 49ers in 2018.

The Seahawks’ penalty problems were thankfully overshadowed, to an extent, by their opponent. The Chargers had 16 penalties for 130 yards, and even though their total was lower than the Seahawks’, those penalties came in bigger moments and ultimately helped Seattle get away with their disciplinary issues.

The Seahawks franchise record for most penalties in a game is still 17.

Macdonald stressed that the entire team was pissed, citing how multiple drives were done and finished before penalties kept the Chargers alive. “We were off the field many times,” the coach said.

Multiple players cited their frustration after the game. Players like Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Ernest Jones IV made it clear they would address it and fix it for next week. The locker room took responsibility after the game.

“This is going to be a through-not-around type of next 24 to 48 hours on how we address the penalties,” said Macdonald.

The team is looking to fix its mistakes and said in interviews that it’s glad it did enough to get the win, so it can fix it without costing it on its record.

The Seahawks play their division rival, the 49ers, next week. The 49ers were the team that held the previous franchise record, as noted above.

The Green Bay Packers beat the New York Jets in overtime on Sunday, but the win will feel like a loss in some ways, especially if the injuries are as serious as head coach Matt LaFleur believes.

“That could be a season-ender potentially,” the head coach said about Zach Bako-Bewele’s injury.

The offensive lineman left the game with a right leg injury and was in a cast when the cart drove him off the field.

Bako-Bewele is the star of the Packers’ O-line and is making $88 million on a four-year deal, but is not the only hit the team took.

Another offensive lineman, Aaron Banks, left the game with a toe injury. There is no timetable for his return, but it is not being treated as seriously as the Bako-Bewele situation. The Packers will have to plan for the worst-case scenario with Bako-Bewele, which means looking to free agency.

Former All-American Taylor Decker has been linked to the team as a good fit. Decker was released by the Lions before the season and has also been briefly linked to the Saints as a good destination for his return.

That isn’t all for the Packers’ injury woes. Receiver Jayden Reed also left the game on a cart with a scary-looking neck injury. Reed was hit and fell motionless to the ground before he eventually was seen moving a few seconds later. The entire team gathered around him before he left the field. His head was stabilized.

Reed is returning to Green Bay for further evaluation, with no further updates on the exact details of the injury. LaFleur said he had full use of all extremities, but he stayed overnight before returning home soon.

The Packers take on the Falcons on Thursday Night Football this week.

The Dallas Cowboys have traded for cornerback Joey Porter Jr. from the Pittsburgh Steelers for a 2027 sixth-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick. Per conditions on the 2027 pick, Porter needs to be on the Cowboys’ game-day roster for two games this season, a source told ESPN.

Porter has been inactive for all three games this season for the Steelers. Listed with a back injury, tensions between Porter and the Steelers have been building throughout the offseason through Week 4. 

Porter, with one year left on his contract, sought a contract extension, but with both parties in a stalemate, a trade seemed likely.

Dallas’s defense, ranked dead last in the league with the most points allowed per game, has now added Porter, who has allowed only one touchdown in his career and zero during man coverage.

Arriving in Dallas, Porter spoke with the media when asked about his back; he smiled and said his back was “feeling better.”

“We’re just trying to take things day by day, and if everything looks good, then we should be out there,” Porter said.

Days after being traded, Porter will suit up for the Cowboys in Week 4 against the Houston Texans. Porter last played in the AFC Wild Card game against the Texans, losing 30-6.

“I think it really just gave me the utmost confidence because I feel like I played well last time I played them in the playoffs,” Porter said. “So now the first time I’m suiting up, hopeful suit up, it’ll be against them. I mean that would be ideal. I’m pretty used to their scheme, and what they want to do with C.J. Stroud, I think I could be a matchup for that.”

The Cowboys’ pass defense has improved so far this season, ranked 13th compared to 32nd last season. With the addition of Porter, this pass defense could leap into the top 10.

Cameras and microphones captured a heated exchange between Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike McCarthy and quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

The Steelers faced their division rival, the Cleveland Browns, on Thursday Night Football. The Steelers have not won a road game on Thursday nights against division opponents and have lost five straight against the Browns.

With a new coach and a reunion of the duo that brought a Super Bowl to Green Bay, many expected McCarthy and Rodgers to bring success to a Steelers franchise that hasn’t advanced past the Wild Card round since 2016.

Midway through the first quarter, a hot mic caught a frustrated Rodgers who was gesturing and yelling towards the sideline, “What the f—? Call it!” The cameras then cut to McCarthy, who looked upset and used profanity; what looked like he said under his breath was directed at Rodgers.

The Steelers lost a close game after trailing 21-10 at halftime, with a final score of 27-24. 

“Communication sometimes is not the best choice of words, but everybody’s competing on the field,” McCarthy said. “I think what’s said on the field, the way I grew up in this game, usually stays on the field. That’s not the case today. I understand that. But any negative communication on my part, I wish I wouldn’t use those words.” 

After the game, Rodgers said the crowd in Cleveland made it very hard to hear some play calls, saying, “It was loud,” Rodgers said. “It was definitely a good crowd tonight. It was loud. So some of the calls, it was hard to hear for sure.”

While it may have seemed like tensions between the coach and quarterback would explode during the game, this duo has been together for 13 seasons before 2026 and will focus on their Week 5 game against the Indianapolis Colts.

The New York Yankees advance to the ALDS after sweeping their rivals, the Boston Red Sox, in the wild card. Both teams met in the wild card last year, when the Yankees won the series 2-1.

The Yankees celebrated their win in the clubhouse with champagne. Aaron Judge, who did not play in the series because of a calf strain, smiled in the clubhouse during the celebration. He said that the team was motivated by the New York Knicks, who won the NBA Finals in the summer.

“We’re definitely inspired by the Knicks, gotta keep the winning goin in New York,” Judge said.

Cody Bellinger put the game away after scoring a three-run homer in the sixth inning; he said the atmosphere in The Bronx was “special” for the home players.

“Honestly, this place is such an amazing place to play in the postseason. Fans are so into the game; it’s just an electric atmosphere. It’s really special.” Bellinger said.

While the Yankees were ecstatic about advancing to the ALDS, the Red Sox were disappointed to see their season end after a summer push that got them over .500 and into playoff contention.

Garret Crochet, who returned for the first time since April after dealing with left shoulder inflammation, allowed three runs on four hits without recording an out in relief.

Speaking to the media post-game, he did not hide how he felt about how the season had ended.

“I feel healthy, but I feel like s–-,” Crochet said after Boston’s loss. “For our season to end the same way it did last year, against what the media would probably portray, and I think a lot of the guys in this clubhouse would say, is our biggest rival, it sucks. We made ’em earn it — that’s part of it. They’re a good team.

“It just sucks that’s how it ends for us.”

The Yankees will continue their quest to win the World Series for the first time since 2009, but before that, they will need to advance past the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS. 

Deshaun Watson, for the third consecutive game, has led a winning drive for the Cleveland Browns.

The quarterback led a game-winning drive in Cleveland’s Week 3 win over the Carolina Panthers, setting up a field goal for Andre Szmyt. On Thursday Night Football, Watson again led the Browns downfield to set up a winning kick against rivals the Pittsburgh Steelers.

According to ESPN Research, Watson is the second Browns quarterback since the 1970 merger to lead a winning drive in the fourth quarter or overtime in three straight games.

“It was electric. It was amazing,” Watson said. “From the time we came out pregame, it was super dope to be called out, hear the crowd and feel the energy. From start to finish, the crowd was in it; we fed off the stadium’s energy. To get a big victory against a divisional rival on primetime, this is what you dream about. This is what you work for. These are the things you grind for during the summertime and training camp, for nights like this. It was amazing.” 

After a 24-point loss in Week 1, the Browns have won three straight for the first time since 2021 and moved into first in the AFC North for the first time since November 2024.

Watson had one of his best halves for the Browns, throwing for 181 yards, his most in a first half in Cleveland. The offense scored touchdowns on three consecutive second-quarter drives. The Browns led 21-10 at halftime; their 21 second-quarter points were the most in any quarter since the 2020 wild-card round against the Steelers.

The intermission didn’t carry over their electrifying offense; after a pair of turnovers, the Browns’ lead fell to 5 with 10:10 remaining.

The Steelers eventually tied it at 24-24 with 1:42 remaining. Watson quickly drove the Browns downfield with four straight completions, setting up Szmyt in range to drill a 56-yard game-winning field goal.

“That was money,” Watson said of Szmyt’s kick. “I just knew, I knew it was money. He told me the landmark, which was like the 42-yard line. He was like, ‘Man, you got me a little extra,’ so he would just line it up, and we see it all the time. He’s just going to be money.” 

The Browns have won their fifth consecutive home game against the Steelers since 2022 and extended their winning streak to eight games on Thursday night, the longest active streak in the NFL.

“That was a complete, maybe disaster is a little bit strong, but that’s a tough opening game in every phase, other than maybe kickoff return, maybe other than that. But the guys trusted the process,” coach Todd Monken said. “We got stung a little bit, and our guys responded to that. And, man, that locker room is fun, right there celebrating those guys. Big, big, big divisional win.” 

Watson has won over the Cleveland crowd after home fans booed him when he struggled in the second half of a preseason game and later lashed out at them.

Through four games, Watson has completed 69.6% of his passes, his best single-season mark with the Browns. He has thrown for 855 yards with six touchdowns and two interceptions.