NFL

6:00 AM ET PITTSBURGH — An hour and a half before the Steelers’ penultimate regular-season home game on Dec. 19, Ryan Smith held a glass bottle of Redd’s Angry Ale in a parking lot outside Heinz Field. With yellow, black and gray camouflage pants, a white No. 7 Ben Roethlisberger jersey and a gold beanie

6:00 AM ET BALTIMORE — On Sept. 19, 2004, a lean, clean-shaven Ben Roethlisberger came off the Pittsburgh Steelers bench at M&T Bank Stadium, making an impromptu NFL debut with no idea of what his future held. Eighteen years later, a more rugged and grizzled Roethlisberger is set to play his final game at quarterback

6:04 PM ET TAMPA, Fla. — Fresh off his release from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, wide receiver Antonio Brown had a lot to say Friday, airing out his frustrations on everything from how the Buccaneers handled his ankle injury last Sunday to his relationship with Tom Brady not being one he felt was genuine, but

6:29 PM ET SANTA CLARA, Calif. — True to his word, San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan declined to name a starting quarterback for Sunday’s win-and-in regular-season finale against the Los Angeles Rams. The past three days, a variety of comments from Shanahan and other 49ers and Friday’s injury report at least made clear that

6:39 PM ET Brady HendersonESPN SEATTLE — The Seattle Seahawks have ruled out All-Pro middle linebacker Bobby Wagner for their season finale Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals. Wagner did not practice this week because of the knee sprain he suffered on the first play of Seattle’s blowout win over the Detroit Lions last week. “He’s

5:08 PM ET JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Georgia roofing company is suing the Jacksonville Jaguars, claiming a breach of contract because the team wouldn’t allow it to pull its sponsorship deal after head coach Urban Meyer was fired. The company, RoofClaim.com, also claims that it doesn’t want its brand associated with being the primary sponsor

3:46 PM ET HOUSTON — The Houston Texans have signed running back Rex Burkhead to a contract extension through the 2022 season, sources told ESPN on Friday. Burkhead, 31, was playing on a one-year, $1.5 million deal after joining Houston in June. In 15 games this season, Burkhead has run for 403 yards and three

4:05 PM ET GREEN BAY, Wis. — Don’t tell Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur that Sunday’s regular-season finale at the Detroit Lions is a meaningless game even though his team wrapped up the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs last week. His decision to play quarterback Aaron Rodgers confirms as much. While it’s

3:31 PM ET PITTSBURGH — Just one day after he was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson was activated off it Friday. Johnson, who leads the team with 1,100 receiving yards and eight touchdown catches on 100 receptions, is a key piece of the offense for the Steelers’ regular-season finale

1:05 PM ET OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Baltimore Ravens quarterback Tyler Huntley will start Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers, coach John Harbaugh said Friday. Huntley will fill in for Lamar Jackson, who will miss his fourth straight game with a right ankle injury. This marks Huntley’s third start in the past four weeks.

10:44 AM ET HENDERSON. Nev. — The scenario that has the Las Vegas Raiders (9-7) and Los Angeles Chargers (9-7) needing only to tie in Sunday night’s season finale at Allegiant Stadium for both AFC West rivals to clinch a playoff spot has the Raiders quizzical and bemused. “I don’t think I ever passed math,

10:34 AM ET JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Jaguars are interviewing Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich on Friday, sources told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Leftwich is in his third season with the Bucs and head coach Bruce Arians and in his second season working with quarterback Tom Brady. Leftwich also was Arians’ offensive coordinator

7:00 AM ET ESPN staff Week 18 of the 2021 NFL season is upon us. The playoff picture is quite a bit clearer than it was even one week ago — with a number of spots clinched in Week 17 — but there are many questions to be answered as the postseason bracket is filled

7:00 AM ET ESPN staff The Week 18 NFL schedule for the 2021 season is stacked with great matchups, and we got you covered with what you need to know heading into the weekend. Our NFL Nation reporters bring us the biggest keys to every game, a bold prediction for each matchup and, of course,

7:31 AM ET The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have an incentive to finish the regular season strong, both as a team and for at least a couple of individuals. The Bucs, who host Carolina on Sunday (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS), can win the No. 2 seed in the NFC, and quarterback Tom Brady is one of

8:12 PM ET Associated Press GREEN BAY, Wis. — Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett said he plans to interview with the Jacksonville Jaguars about their head-coaching vacancy next week. The Packers (13-3) have clinched the NFC’s No. 1 seed and lone first-round playoff bye, so they won’t be playing when the postseason begins

3:15 PM ET ASHBURN, Va. — Former Washington and Denver Broncos running back Clinton Portis has been sentenced to six months in federal prison and six months of home confinement for his part in defrauding a health care benefit program for retired NFL veterans. Portis pleaded guilty to fraud in September following charges that he

6:34 PM ET Michigan safety Daxton Hill declared for the NFL draft on Thursday. Hill is ranked as the second-best safety prospect in the draft, according to ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr., behind Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton. He is the younger brother of Baltimore Ravens running back Justice Hill and a former five-star recruit in