NFL

7:58 PM ET SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Barring a setback in the next few days, the San Francisco 49ers are expected to welcome back one of their biggest and most important players in time for Sunday’s NFC wildcard showdown against the Dallas Cowboys. Left tackle Trent Williams, who has been recovering from a sprained right

3:16 PM ET Associated Press LAS VEGAS — A lawyer for ex-Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs’ girlfriend said Thursday he’ll appeal a Las Vegas judge’s decision to grant prosecutors access to the woman’s medical records after a fatal high-speed crash that cost Ruggs his spot on the team. Attorney Peter Christiansen’s appeal on behalf of

5:46 PM ET HOUSTON — When the Houston Texans hired David Culley, team chairman and CEO Cal McNair said the head coach’s “vision and ability to bring people together” was the reason the organization felt Culley was “our guy.” Not once in that news conference did McNair or general manager Nick Caserio speak about building

3:56 PM ET FRISCO, Texas — Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Amari Cooper has been fined $14,650 by the NFL for violating the COVID-19 protocols for unvaccinated players by attending a Dallas Mavericks game last week and not wearing a mask, a source told ESPN. Prior to attending the Mavericks game, Cooper was on the sidelines

5:36 PM ET Associated Press INGLEWOOD, Calif. — With the Super Bowl just one month away, preparations are in full swing for the return of the NFL’s premier event to the place where it all started. And both NFL officials and local organizers say the championship game isn’t leaving the Los Angeles area. The NFL

3:17 PM ET HOUSTON — The Texans have fired head coach David Culley, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Offensive coordinator Tim Kelly also was fired, a source told Schefter. On Sunday, after the Texans completed a 4-13 season, Culley said he expected to return for a second season. However, the Texans’ ownership and front

2:59 PM ET TAMPA, Fla. — The Philadelphia Eagles‘ Super Bowl LII victory over the New England Patriots may have been four years ago, Tom Brady may be now a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Doug Pederson and Nick Foles are no longer with the Eagles. But that hasn’t kept Eagles fans from

2:51 PM ET INDIANAPOLIS — Colts general manager Chris Ballard is not ready to fully commit to quarterback Carson Wentz as his starter for the 2022 season. Ballard made those comments during his season-ending news conference just days after the Colts didn’t make the playoffs and Wentz played two of his worst games to end

1:08 PM ET PITTSBURGH — JuJu Smith-Schuster is back. Kind of. The Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver returned to practice Thursday after the team designated the fifth-year receiver to return from injured reserve. The Steelers now have 21 days to activate him to the active roster. The team also activated wide receiver James Washington from the

6:00 AM ET FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The football had yet to be kicked off in the New England Patriots‘ regular-season finale against the Miami Dolphins when CBS analyst Jay Feely shared his viewpoint of the unexpected position the team found itself in — with 10 wins and having already clinched a playoff berth. “This is

7:00 AM ET PHILADELPHIA — When the railing near the visiting tunnel at FedEx Field collapsed earlier this month, sending about eight fans crashing to the ground in front of Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, the first thought Andrew Collins had was: “I just blew out my franchise quarterback’s ACL.” Collins, a 26-year-old Eagles fan

8:40 PM ET Cordarrelle Patterson had the best season of his career with the Atlanta Falcons in 2021, and heading into NFL free agency in a couple of months, Patterson has made his preference clear: He’d like to stay in Atlanta. And he’s going about sharing his desire for a new deal in a different

8:36 PM ET ESPN News Services LAKE FOREST, Ill. — The Chicago Bears interviewed former Philadelphia Eagles coach Doug Pederson and Cleveland Browns executive Glenn Cook for their vacant coach and general manager jobs Wednesday. The positions opened Monday when the Bears fired former coach Matt Nagy and general manager Ryan Pace on the heels

6:07 PM ET HENDERSON, Nev. — Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller, who returned to action in Sunday night’s playoff clincher after missing five games due to left knee and back injuries and then a positive test for COVID-19, acknowledged the time off was tougher than usual due to his daily battle for sobriety.

3:59 PM ET TEMPE, Ariz. — Arizona Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury has high expectations for quarterback Kyler Murray heading into their first NFL playoff game Monday night against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. “I think this is what he’s been waiting for for three years,” Kingsbury said Wednesday. “He’s a guy who wants

4:59 PM ET INDIANAPOLIS — Colts owner Jim Irsay released a statement Wednesday in which he apologized to the fans after the team ended its season “in perhaps the worst way possible and missed our chance to compete for history.” Irsay issued the statement just days after the Colts missed the playoffs for the fifth

3:43 PM ET EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The New York Giants keep hitting new lows. It has reached a point where co-owner John Mara admitted he has never been this embarrassed by the state of his franchise. “Yes. Yes it is [the most embarrassed I’ve been],” Mara said. “I kept thinking during the season we

3:00 PM ET GREEN BAY, Wis. — This might be the last anyone hears of Aaron Rodgers‘ toe. The Green Bay Packers quarterback made it sound like his toe injury won’t be an issue in the playoffs. One sign of that came on Wednesday, when Rodgers took part in the first of two practices the