The Denver Broncos were denied a chance at another Super Bowl appearance by the New England Patriots.

The Broncos were the best team in football during the regular season. Despite having to play backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham, their depth gave them a legit chance. Meanwhile, the New England Patriots had plenty of talent but lacked experience. 

The Broncos surprisingly got on the board first thanks to a touchdown pass from Stidham to Courtland Sutton. 

In the second quarter, the Broncos had a chance to take a 10-0 lead. However, coach Sean Payton decided to go for it on fourth down. He admitted to ESPN that he regretted the decision. Later in the quarter, Drake Maye rushed in for a touchdown to tie the game.

Kicker Adam Borregales hit a field goal to give the Patriots a third-quarter lead. As the third quarter progressed, it started to snow more in Denver. What started out as a sunny day quickly turned into an all-out snowstorm. 

The Broncos got a chance to tie the game with a field goal in the fourth quarter. However, the kick was blocked. Later in the quarter Stidham took a deep shot but it was intercepted by Christian Gonzalez. The Patriots were able to seal the game away after a run by Maye ate up significant clock time.

Despite their loss, the Broncos still feel good about their roster. They played a competitive game with a QB who had not played a full game since 2023. 

The Patriots will take on the Seattle Seahawks during Super Bowl LX. Both teams finished with a record of 14-3. The Patriots were designated as the home team. Since the game is played in a neutral location, the only thing that’s really impacted is the choice of which jersey they want to wear.  

Although Drake Maye’s numbers haven’t been eye-popping in the playoffs, he’s still been a vital part of the New England Patriots’ success.

Maye led the team to their first playoff appearance since 2021. He also got the Patriots their first playoff win since Super Bowl LIII, when Tom Brady was their quarterback. Maye was given Pro Bowl honors for his efforts.

In the wild-card round against the Los Angeles Chargers, he threw one touchdown and one interception. That touchdown in the fourth quarter helped extend the Patriots’ lead. Despite his numbers not being the best, he outplayed veteran QB Justin Herbert.

The divisional round matchup against the Houston Texans was Maye’s best performance so far. He threw three touchdowns and one interception. This game was pretty much decided by the turnover battle. Texans QB C.J. Stroud threw four interceptions. Although throwing any interceptions is obviously bad, Maye did a good job of damage control. Not to mention, he was playing against an elite Texans defense.

The conference championship game was one of the hardest games you could ask a young QB to play in. A snowstorm hit during the second half, which made visibility nearly impossible. Although he was limited in the air, he made up for it with his run game. He ran 10 times for 65 yards. The Patriots overall ran 38 times with Maye and the running backs. They defeated the Broncos 10-7 to advance to Super Bowl LX.

Maye will face the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl. He has never played them before in his two-year career. Seahawks QB Sam Darnold does have more snaps, but his experience isn’t that much greater than Maye’s. He’s only been a full-time starter the last two seasons, and he only won his first playoff game this season.

The Buffalo Bills were interested in hiring a former Pro Bowl quarterback as their new head coach, but it seems like the interest isn’t mutual.

Philip Rivers has pulled his name out of contention for the Bills’ head coaching vacancy. He hasn’t given a public reason. Rivers has no college or professional coaching experience. Despite that, he was interviewed for the head coaching role. 

Rivers retired in 2020 to become the head coach of St. Michael’s Catholic High School. He coached them from 2021 to 2025.

After Daniel Jones was injured, the Indianapolis Colts called Rivers out of retirement. He played three games, threw four touchdowns, and recorded three interceptions.

The Bills are currently looking to find a replacement for former head coach Sean McDermott, who they fired after a heartbreaking loss to the Broncos in the divisional round. 

Despite his lack of experience, Rivers has a good relationship with the Bills’ star QB Josh Allen. Allen and Rivers both have the same agent.

Rivers has announced that he is going back to retirement after his brief stint with the Colts. He is intending to return to his coaching duties at St. Michael’s.

The Bills will now need to look elsewhere for their head coaching vacancy. The current favorites to land the job are Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady and former New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll. Daboll was also the Bills’ offensive coordinator before Brady.

Regardless, all of the options they’re looking at right now lean toward offense. This is a departure from McDermott’s defensive background. McDermott was a defensive coordinator before becoming the Bills head coach. This includes being the DC for the 2015 Panthers, who went 15-1.

Although his name hasn’t been officially mentioned, Mike Tomlin would also be another option if he’s interested. Tomlin and McDermott were teammates at William & Mary. 

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.

The Red Sox have made a major move to bolster their starting rotation.

2024 All-Star Ranger Suarez signed a five-year, $130 million contract with the Red Sox. 

Suarez pitched for the Philadelphia Phillies from 2018 to 2025. He started out as a reliever. In 2021, he made 12 starts. In 2022, he was made a full-time starter. Although there were ups and downs at first, by 2024, he was a good starting pitcher, which led to an All-Star appearance. In 2025, he was even better with a 3.20 ERA, but didn’t notch the All-Star nod.

The Red Sox already had Garrett Crochet, who finished second in AL Cy Young award voting. However, they wanted to improve the depth around him. Earlier this offseason, they traded for Johan Oviedo from the Pirates and Sonny Gray from the Cardinals. Gray is a three-time All-Star, most recently with the Twins in 2023.

Suarez is a big loss for the Phillies. They still have a couple of star pitchers in Zack Wheeler and Cristopher Sanchez. However, the depth outside of those guys is questionable. Aaron Nola and Taijuan Walker have had good seasons in the past, but it’s been years since they pitched at that level. They also have top prospect Andrew Painter. Painter will be 23 years old in the 2026 season, so it’s hard to rely on him as more than a fifth starter.

Although the Red Sox’s pitching has gotten better, the same can’t be said for their hitting. They recently let Alex Bregman walk to the Cubs, which will leave a huge hole at both ends at third base.

Meanwhile, the Phillies already achieved their biggest goal of keeping Kyle Schwarber. Now they will need to focus on finding pitching depth and extending J.T. Realmuto or finding a replacement. 

On April 20, longtime play-by-play announcer Mike Patrick, 80, passed away from natural causes.

Dick Vitale, who called many games with Patrick, shared his condolences and memories on X.

“Mike had great energy and a keen knowledge of ACC basketball, and I truly enjoyed sitting next to him and calling so many special games over the years,” Vitale said.

>IN MEMORIAM: 50 GREAT CELEBRITIES WHO DIED IN 2025

Patrick began his broadcasting career in 1966. He started his career in radio and, by 1975, had become the weekend sports anchor for WJLA-TV in Washington, D.C.

He was also the play-by-play announcer for the Maryland Terrapins basketball and football teams, and he called Washington Redskins preseason games.

In 1982, Patrick joined ESPN, where he called many games and events. He was the voice of Sunday Night Football, the NCAA Women’s Final Four, and called play-by-play for the College World Series.

Patrick was also granted the opportunity to call NFL playoff games. One of the games he called was the unforgettable Music City Miracle, which pitted the Tennessee Titans against the Buffalo Bills.

Patrick called his final game in December 2017, and he officially retired in 2018, marking the end of a 35-year career with ESPN.

Fernando Mendoza was just crowned National Champion, and he now has his sights set on the NFL after officially declaring for the NFL Draft on Friday.

The Heisman trophy winner is almost locked in to be the number one overall pick and join the Las Vegas Raiders.

Mendoza, 22, has had one of the greatest seasons of all time, considering what he accomplished and what he will when he hears his name as the number one overall pick. Mendoza looks to join Joe Burrow and Cam Newton as the only players to win the Heisman Trophy, the National Championship, and be the first overall pick.

Mendoza posted stellar numbers this season, throwing for 3,535 yards and 41 touchdowns while leading the Indiana Hoosiers to a perfect 16-0 record. Any doubt about Mendoza being the clear number one pick was put to bed when he scrambled on a crucial fourth-and-five, running for a 12-yard touchdown that ultimately won them the championship.

Mendoza began his career at the University of California, where he played for two seasons before transferring to Indiana to join Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers.

The Raiders are in a prime position to draft a quarterback after going 3-14. After trading for Geno Smith in the offseason, a move that did not work out, the Raiders will finally get their quarterback post Derek Carr. They are also looking for a head coach to replace Pete Carroll, as the franchise decided to move on after just one season.

As for Indiana and its future post-Mendoza, they will be just fine, as they already have his replacement in the TCU transfer quarterback, Josh Hoover. Hoover threw for 3,472 yards and had 29 touchdowns to go along with a 65.9 completion percentage.

The New York Mets traded for a former All-Star in hopes of getting back into the playoffs.

On January 20, the Mets acquired Luis Robert Jr. from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for Luisangel Acuna and Truman Pauley. After trading away Brandon Nimmo earlier in the offseason, the Mets had a hole in the outfield.

Robert made his MLB debut in 2020. He had a strong season in a COVID-19-shortened 2020 season and finished second in American League Rookie of the Year voting. His next couple of seasons were plagued by injuries, limiting him to under 100 games. 

2023 was the year everything came together. He played in 145 games and finished the season with a 5.3 WAR. He was the bright spot on an otherwise bad White Sox team.

2024 was another injury-riddled season for Robert Jr. However, his play also nosedived. He was never known for his walking abilities, but his on-base percentage dipped to just .278. In 2025, his power began to show a decline. The former Home Run Derby contestant had just a .364 slugging percentage. 

His saving grace at this point is his defense. In 2025, he had seven outs above average, which ranked him in the top 12 among center fielders. This is despite him missing 50 games. 

Robert Jr. will be joining superstar Juan Soto and top prospect Carson Benge in the Mets outfield. Benge is talented but has played just 24 games at Triple-A. 

Former Philadelphia Eagles defensive linemen Kevin Johnson died on Wednesday morning due to what is determined to be “blunt head trauma and stab wounds,” according to the medical examiner.

>50 SPORTS GREATS WHO DIED IN 2025 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

Johnson, 55, was found unconscious at a homeless encampment in Los Angeles. His death was later ruled a homicide and is currently being investigated. Johnson was said to be living at the encampment at the time of his death, according to investigators.

According to Johnson’s friends, the lineman struggled with health issues later in his life.

Johnson attended Texas Southern University from 1991 to 1992 and was a fourth-round pick in the 1993 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. He also spent time with the Minnesota Vikings and Oakland Raiders before joining the Philadelphia Eagles. Johnson had 43 tackles and seven sacks, while adding a fumble returned for a touchdown during his two years with the Eagles. After his NFL career, Johnson played arena football for Orlando and Los Angeles.

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. 

After a 112-104 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, LeBron James spoke to the media about recent comments made by Los Angeles Lakers owner Jeanie Buss.

A story came about how Buss felt about James, calling him “ungrateful” and expressing her frustration with him. James was asked about this Thursday night, and he brushed it off, saying “[I] don’t care how somebody feels about me.”

James, 41, is without a doubt one of the most accomplished players of all time, and that includes bringing a championship to the Lakers in 2020. James spoke about why he came to the Lakers, and a major goal of his was “restoring excellence” to the organization. The Lakers are 330-266 with a championship since James signed with the historic franchise. James was a big part of the Anthony Davis trade, as he lobbied for the star big man, and the duo would go on to dominate the league in their first season together.

Before James joined the Lakers, they struggled mightily, missing the playoffs for 6 straight seasons and consistently at the bottom of the Western Conference.

Buss didn’t agree with labeling James the “savior of the franchise.” There was friction ever since the Lakers traded for point guard Russell Westbrook.

James was asked what he thought of their relationship. “I thought it was good, but, you know, somebody could see it another way,” James said. The 21x NBA All-Star has spent eight years with the Lakers, his longest stint with any team.

With James being a free agent after this season, could his time with the Lakers be coming to an end, whether through retirement or a move to a different organization?

Peter Mangione has signed with the Brooklyn FC for the USL Championship roster.

Peter Mangione is the cousin of Luigi Mangione‘s cousin, the accused killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

Peter played four seasons at Penn State. He had six goals in his freshman season, including one on Feb. 23, 2021, against Rutgers. On May 2, he had three assists against UMass.

In his sophomore season, he scored three goals on September 21 against Villanova. He finished the season with four assists. Peter became a starter in his junior season. On September 2, he had two goals against West Virginia. On September 5, he had two assists against George Mason. He had 10 goals and four assists in his senior season.

Peter went undrafted in the 2024 MLS Superdraft. Cincinnati FC would sign him as an undrafted free agent. In 2024, he started 23 games, and in 2025, he started 26. He had four goals and 10 assists between his two seasons. 

Brooklyn FC plays in the USL Super League. The franchise was founded in 2023 and began playing in 2024. They will field a USL Championship roster for the first time this season. 

Brooklyn FC is one of ten teams currently in the USL Super League. The closest team to them is the D.C. Power FC in Washington, D.C. 

The USL Super League was only created in 2024, but the USL Championship has existed since 2011. Their oldest franchise is the Charleston Battery, founded in 1993 and joining the league at its inception. Brooklyn FC is one of two teams joining this season, along with Sporting Club Jacksonville. The closest team to Brooklyn is Hartford Athletic in Connecticut, which joined the Championship in 2019.   

The Dallas Mavericks successfully captured the flag and got the first overall pick in the 2025 draft. What they’ve gotten is even better than anyone could’ve expected.

Cooper Flagg has successfully bounced back from a poor start and is now the Rookie of the Year favorite. He’s second among all rookies in points with 18.9 per game, first in assists with 4.2 per game and third in rebounds with 6.5 per game. 

What may be the most impressive part of his rookie season is his stats in the clutch. The Mavericks have had to play 27 clutch games this season, a game in which the score is within five with less than five minutes left in the game. Flagg has played in 25 of those 27 games. He’s scored 70 total points on 47.7 percent shooting in those moments. He maintains basically the same shooting percentage when the game is close. This isn’t always the case for rookies.

Flagg’s 70 clutch points put him tied for sixth in the league in clutch points. He’s tied with Devin Booker currently. Booker is an experienced NBA veteran who’s played under the brightest lights before. To be tied with him as a rookie is no small feat. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads the league in clutch points with 104. It would be a long shot for Flagg to catch up to him. 

The last time we saw another rookie in this clutch was another Mavericks rookie. Luka Doncic scored 120 points on 44.6 percent shooting in 38 games in the clutch. Doncic made the All-Star team the next season and is currently one of the league’s brightest stars. If Flagg can follow in those footsteps, he’s got a bright future ahead of him.  

The transfer portal is ramping up, with one of the major moves being quarterback Sam Leavitt deciding to join LSU.

Leavitt started his college career in 2023 at Michigan State. He would throw 23 passes and have two touchdowns and two interceptions. Leavitt transferred to Arizona State before the 2024 season. He was named the starting QB and would throw 24 touchdowns in 13 games. His 2025 season would end after seven games due to a foot injury. His record at Arizona State was 16-4.

Leavitt was recruited to help replace senior QB Garrett Nussmeier. Nussmeier threw 12 touchdowns in nine games before being benched for sophomore Michael Van Buren Jr. Van Buren Jr. threw eight touchdowns in seven games. Van Buren Jr. transferred to South Florida, leaving Leavitt as the projected starting QB. 

Leavitt is projected to be fully healthy by the opening night of 2026. Running has never been a huge part of Leavitt’s game. In 2025, he was starting to run a bit more before his foot injury. He may slow down his runs to help prevent further injuries. 

Arizona State will also be losing QB Jeff Sims to graduation. They picked up Cutter Boley from the transfer portal to be their new QB. Boley played the last two seasons in Kentucky. He threw two touchdowns in four games in 2024 and 15 touchdowns in 11 games in 2025. Boley’s biggest issues so far in his career have been interceptions. In 2024, he threw four, and in 2025, he threw 12. 

This transfer could have a mixed impact on his turnover issue. He’ll be working behind a worse offensive line, which could lead to less time to throw and even more mistakes. However, he will also, by and large, be facing worse defenses than he did at Kentucky, which could make his life easier.

The Tennessee Titans are set to bring in former San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh to be the franchise’s next head coach.

Saleh, 46, is getting another shot at being a head coach, this time with the Tennessee Titans. Saleh was previously the head coach for the New York Jets from 2021 to 2024 before being let go. Saleh posted a 20-36 record, but dealt with some quarterback problems as Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles on the first drive of his debut season with the Jets.

This gives Saleh a fresh start with a new franchise that is in the middle of a rebuild, but they have their quarterback in Cam Ward, who had a strong end to his rookie season and showed some promising flashes of excellence.

Saleh was a prime candidate for the Titans, as, unlike his time with the Jets, he will be calling the defensive plays. Saleh had the 49ers defense flying around the field, and that was without All-Pros Nick Bosa and Fred Warner for the majority of the season.

The Titans could potentially have over $100 million in cap space this offseason, which gives Saleh and the front office so much flexibility to build the defense Saleh wants.

The next step for the Titans this offseason is to nail down their offensive coordinator hire. The Titans could look towards Kliff Kingsbury or Brian Daboll as potential options for the job.

Saleh and the Titans also have an important decision to make as they hold the fourth overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. With the Titans lacking weapons for Ward, they could target one of the top wide receivers, Jordyn Tyson, Carnell Tate or Makai Lemon.

The Washington Spirit have re-signed Trinity Rodman to a record three-year, $2 million annually contract.

Rodman, 23, is a part of the U.S. Women’s National Team and was a big piece of the team that won the Olympic gold medal. Rodman is now the highest-paid female soccer player of all time. Aitana Bonmatí of Barcelona was previously the highest-paid player. The deal was negotiated by her agent, Mike Senkowski of Upper Sports Group.

This contract will keep Rodman in Washington until at least 2028 and prevents her from going abroad for a lucrative contract. “I’ve made the DMV my home and the Spirit my family, and I knew this was where I wanted to enter the next chapter of my career,” Rodman said after signing the contract.

NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman vetoed a contract offered by the Spirit, which included a backloaded four-year contract that would have paid Rodman more than $1 million a season. Berman saw it as an attempt to circumvent the salary cap. The NWSL Players Association filed a grievance over the move.

The new “Trinity Rodman Rule,” also known as the “High Impact Player” rule, now allows clubs to go over the salary cap by $1 million to sign high-performing players.

Rodman has played five seasons in the NWSL, scoring 33 goals and adding 21 assists in just 109 games. Rodman won the NWSL championship in 2021 and won the 2021 NWSL Rookie Of The Year award.

Washington Spirit owner Michele Kang had high praise for Rodman, saying, “This agreement reflects our belief that elite talent deserves elite commitment.”

Rodman now has her eyes set on the Australian Open, as her boyfriend, Ben Shelton, ranked the world’s eighth-best tennis player, is in the third round of the tournament.

The New York Yankees have brought back one of their best players from the 2025 team.

Cody Bellinger has agreed to a five-year, $162 million contract. The contract includes a no-trade clause and two opt-outs. The opt-outs are scheduled for after the 2027 and 2028 seasons, but can be moved back in the event of a 2027 lockout.

Bellinger had one of his best seasons ever in 2025. He finished 14th in American League MVP voting with 29 home runs and 98 RBIs. 

Bellinger was drafted by the Dodgers in the 2013 MLB draft. He made his debut in 2017. He made the All-Star team and won National League Rookie of the Year.

2019 was by far the best year of his career. He led the NL with an 8.7 WAR. He was named the National League MVP at the end of the season. 

The next three seasons were riddled with injuries and inconsistency. After the 2022 season, Bellinger was non-tendered by the Dodgers.

The Chicago Cubs picked him up in the offseason. He had a strong bounce-back season with 26 home runs and 97 RBIs. The Cubs signed him to a three-year extension.

After the first season of this new deal, he was traded to the Yankees. He provided them with much-needed lineup protection for Aaron Judge and played great defense at all three outfield spots and first base. 

He opted out of the final year of his contract. After much negotiation, the Yankees and Bellinger came to an agreement.

The Yankees will enter spring training with largely the same roster as last season. Every hitter projected to make the Opening Day roster was on last season’s roster. The Yankees will likely need Bellinger’s versatility since they have several players who deserve playing time. 

The Indiana Hoosiers are national champions for the first time in school history after an unfathomable program turnaround, led by Heisman quarterback Fernando Mendoza.

Mendoza had one of the greatest seasons of all time, accomplishment-wise, but his “why” gives him the strength to go out there and be great every time he steps onto that field. Elsa Mendoza, Fernando’s mother, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 18 years ago. Multiple sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the protective coating of the nerves in the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves.

Elsa’s diagnosis worsened during 2020 when she contracted Covid-19. Traveling has been difficult for the Mendoza family because Elsa uses a wheelchair, but she was, without a doubt, the biggest fan and made sure to never miss a game. With the National Championship in Miami, their hometown, the trip was easier and more special for them.

When Fernando accepted the Heisman, he said, “My love for her is unconditional,” tears running down his face. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room as his mom is truly his rock.

Elsa should be nothing but proud of her son, as he exemplifies excellence on and off the field through how he carries himself and what he has accomplished. The presumptive number one overall pick in the upcoming draft led only the second team ever to go 16-0 in a season.

Fernando has started a fundraiser that has reached over $160,000 for MS research, programs, and services to help fight this disease that affects so many lives.

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 New York Knicks were crowned NBA In-Season Cup Champions on December 16, and ever since then, they have dropped 10 of their last 17 games and are just 2-8 dating back to December 30.

The latest loss came on Monday evening at home against the Dallas Mavericks, a blowout right out of the gate. The Mavericks went on to destroy the Knicks 114-97, giving the Knicks faithful little to cheer about.

Knicks coach Mike Brown had very little to discuss with his teammate at halftime, saying, “There was nothing to be said at halftime except for lock in and do your … do your job,” showing some frustration within the lockerroom.

Brown is in his first year with the Knicks, and during this significant slump, it seems he may have lost his players’ respect. During a timeout, it looked as if Knicks captain Jalen Brunson was having a players-only meeting in the middle of the game, with Brown and his coaches not seen in the huddle during the timeout.

Brunson was named an All-Star starter in the Eastern Conference earlier Monday, but that is not on his mind as the Knicks try to navigate this prolonged slump. Brunson said, “There’s been a lot of things to pinpoint, but I mean as a team we know what we have to do… It’s either we do it, we care enough to do it, or we don’t.”

Forward Josh Hart spoke on the team’s effort, saying, “It was embarrassing.” Hart was cleared to return from injury before the game.

The Knicks decided to move on from coach Tom Thibodeau in the off-season after an Eastern Conference Finals loss to the Indiana Pacers, but did they move on too quickly?

The Knicks are still the three seed in the Eastern Conference, but are only 1.5 games above the play-in. with 39 games remaining.