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Sam McDowell: There is one party most responsible for the Chiefs' move to Kansas
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — On an early February morning in 2020, hundreds of thousands of people flocked to downtown Kansas City, single-digit wind chills be damned, to converge on a celebration they’d been waiting a lifetime to enjoy.
They arrived from all walks of life, those young and those old, those rich and those poor, those Black and those ...Read more
Inside the Harbaugh way: What it's like to play for Jim and John
BALTIMORE — When Alohi Gilman learned that he was being traded to the Ravens in early October, his phone buzzed with a message that made him pause amid the expected chaos from an in-season, cross-country move from Los Angeles to Baltimore.
Jim Harbaugh, a coach who trusted him and pushed the Chargers toward a tougher identity over the past ...Read more
Lions look to stave off elimination against Vikings: 'We still got a chance'
ALLEN PARK, Mich. — It's been three years since the Detroit Lions have found themselves in the position that they're in entering Week 17, on the outside looking in of the NFC playoffs and searching for answers.
Technically, the Lions still have much to play for in Thursday's divisional game against the Minnesota Vikings. To make the playoffs,...Read more
Mike Sielski: Hey Eagles fans, show some sympathy to Buffalo Bills lifers. You were just like them once.
PHILADELPHIA — For a long time when it came to sports, Buffalo was Diet Philadelphia. Similar, but with a little less. A smaller city, yes. Half as many major pro franchises, yes. But those teams — the Bills in the NFL, the Sabres in the NHL — have always occupied an outsized importance within the culture of the region. They mattered to ...Read more
Steelers get T.J. Watt back at Christmas Eve practice for first time since lung incident
PITTSBURGH — T.J. Watt returned to practice for the Steelers on Christmas Eve, two weeks from the day he sustained a collapsed lung while receiving treatment at the team facility.
Watt was listed as a limited participant Wednesday, and he was with the other outside linebackers and defensive linemen for their individual position drills at the ...Read more
Jalen Carter's shoulder fix may be temporary, but he's ready to help the Eagles down the stretch
PHILADELPHIA — The Chicago Bears game was a breaking point for Jalen Carter.
His shoulders had bothered him since training camp, and on the day the Eagles’ defense was gashed for 281 rushing yards in a Black Friday blackout, Carter’s deficiencies showed on the film, he said. The Eagles even took him off the field on early downs.
There’...Read more
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford not concerned about Pro Bowl selections
LOS ANGELES — Matthew Stafford was voted to the Pro Bowl this season, but the Rams veteran quarterback stopped concerning himself about the recognition more than a decade ago.
In 2011, the then third-year pro passed for more than 5,000 yards and 41 touchdowns for the Detroit Lions.
Stafford thought he had a chance to make the NFC roster, but...Read more
Bears DE Austin Booker says NFL fined him $5K apiece for 2 roughing-the-passer penalties on Jordan Love
CHICAGO — Chicago Bears defensive end Austin Booker said he has been fined $5,000 apiece for two roughing-the-passer penalties he was issued during Saturday’s 22-16 overtime win over the Green Bay Packers.
“I did get a fine, but we’ll see what they say on the appeal,” Booker told the Chicago Tribune on Wednesday.
He said he believes ...Read more
Don't expect 49ers DC Robert Saleh to jump at first head coaching job that comes his way
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — It’s not worth fretting over the possible loss of 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh during the next NFL head coaching cycle.
Saleh certainly isn’t. He has been through the process twice: once when he got the Jets job, and last offseason when he spoke with Jacksonville, Las Vegas and Dallas. With the 49ers at ...Read more
Chris Perkins: Would Dolphins QB Zach Wilson really buy the Jets if he won Powerball?
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The Powerball jackpot heading into Wednesday night’s drawing is $1.7 billion. To me, that’s “go” time. One of my favorite things to do in the Miami Dolphins locker room when a lottery jackpot is around the $1 billion mark is casually ask well-paid NFL players if they’re planning to buy tickets, whether they’d ...Read more
Sam Farmer's Week 17 NFL picks
Los Angeles Times NFL writer Sam Farmer examines the matchups and makes his predictions for Week 17 of the NFL season.
All lines and over/under numbers are according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Last week, Farmer posted a 9-7 (.563) record. Through the first 16 weeks of the season, he is 154-86 (.642).
Using point spreads with the scores Farmer ...Read more
Greg Cote's Week 17 NFL picks
After a great week, a bit of a downturn last week. We’ll begrudgingly take 10-6 straight-up (if we must), but net-losing three more games vs. the betting line won’t cut it. Some good news: Nailed our Upset of the Week with Chargers winning in Dallas (”Aawwk!”), had another outright upset with Seahawks beating Rams, and also had Patriots ...Read more
Chiefs place two starting cornerbacks, two primary receivers on injured reserve
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Several veteran Chiefs players will not finish the season, the club announced Wednesday.
Cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson and wide receivers Rashee Rice and Tyquan Thornton have been placed on injured reserve.
All had missed practice this week with injuries, and now they’ll be out for Thursday’s home game ...Read more
Ravens' Lamar Jackson absent from practice again, casting doubt vs. Packers
BALTIMORE — With the Ravens’ season on the thinnest of ice, the status of quarterback Lamar Jackson for Saturday night’s crucial game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field remains uncertain.
Jackson missed practice for a second straight day Wednesday. The only player not in attendance, he has been dealing with a back injury that ...Read more
Mike Preston: Ravens, Lamar Jackson are at a crossroads
BALTIMORE — Quarterback Lamar Jackson’s career has hit a crossroads in Baltimore.
The team has been in negotiations with Jackson, 28, about an extension to the five-year agreement worth $260 million he signed in April 2023, but there have been no specific updates, even though those discussions are ongoing.
I wouldn’t offer him another ...Read more
Paul Zeise: The NFL got it right with a two-game suspension for Steelers receiver DK Metcalf
PITTSBURGH — The fan with the fake blue hair who got into a confrontation with DK Metcalf is clearly lonely and in search of whatever validation comes from acting the fool at a football game and getting a reaction from a player.
He is what most of us would refer to as a loser, and it is beyond ridiculous that we have spent this much time and ...Read more
Matt Calkins: Seahawks made right call choosing John Schneider over Pete Carroll
SEATTLE — This column would be coming regardless of the swing DK Metcalf took at a Detroit Lions fan Sunday. The former Seahawks receiver's altercation — which led to a suspension — is not the linchpin in this argument.
But that incident with a blue-wigged spectator in Detroit does highlight what's become undeniably true: Every week that ...Read more
DK Metcalf's suspension upheld by NFL, leaving the Steelers without their No. 1 wide receiver
PITTSBURGH — DK Metcalf’s appeal of his two-game suspension has been upheld, and he will not be eligible to play in the final two regular-season games against the Cleveland Browns and the Baltimore Ravens.
Metcalf had a hearing on Tuesday, one day after the NFL suspended him for an altercation with a fan during Sunday’s game against the ...Read more
Jets place Justin Fields on injured reserve, ending disappointing season
NEW YORK — Justin Fields‘ disastrous first season with the New York Jets has officially come to an end.
On Tuesday, Jets head coach Aaron Glenn announced that the team is placing Fields on injured reserve for the final two games, thus ending his season.
Fields has been suffering from knee soreness since the beginning of the month. He hasn�...Read more
Injured WR Rome Odunze will 'be able to help us this year,' Bears coach Ben Johnson says
CHICAGO — While Chicago Bears wide receivers Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III weren’t on the field Tuesday afternoon when practice at Halas Hall was open to reporters, coach Ben Johnson offered up some holiday hope.
It’s possible the Bears will be short-handed again Sunday night against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium, but a ...Read more
