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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Merry Christmas to Christians out there and also to those who just love the holiday for the gift-giving and mostly getting. The NFL has put three lumps of coal in your stocking. Thursday’s three division games probably seemed sure-fire when first scheduled but have turned out to be late-season duds.

Cowboys-Commanders gifts us two hugely ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy will miss the team’s Christmas Day game against the Detroit Lions with a hairline fracture in his right throwing hand, coach Kevin O’Connell announced Tuesday.

Rookie Max Brosmer will start in McCarthy’s place for the second time this season. O’Connell left McCarthy’s status for the ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers are finally playing modern-day football, and the results have spoken for themselves.

Mike Tomlin has generally been the most conservative coach in the NFL and he believes that old adage, “Defense wins championships.” He has been firm in that belief, and his overall philosophy has been molded by the ...Read more

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — How good of a head coach is Mike McDaniel? Not how good is he as an offensive theorist or drawing up plays.

How strong is his leadership gene? How sturdy is his built culture? Does he successfully manage stars, develop young players, build a good coaching staff, manage a game and serve as de facto general manager if ...Read more

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — At this time a year ago, the Kansas City Chiefs were consumed with a quest: to become the first team to win three straight Super Bowls. They arrived at that rendezvous point having won 23 of the last 24 games started by Patrick Mahomes.

You could call that the pinnacle of motivation — even if it was pulped out of them ...Read more

DETROIT– A chaotic finish near the end of a chaotic season, that’s how it had to unfold, of course. It culminated with the Detroit Lions looking bewildered, wondering what happened to the touchdown they thought they’d just scored, what happened to their stirring rally, what happened to their stirring season?

Bewildering and befitting.

...Read more

NEW YORK — The NFL playoffs are poised to look pretty weird.

Patrick Mahomes will not appear in the postseason next month.

Nor will Joe Burrow or Dak Prescott.

Lamar Jackson is dangerously close to joining them, and he may not be healthy enough to play next weekend as his Baltimore Ravens (7-8) attempt to keep their dwindling playoff hopes ...Read more

INDIANAPOLIS –San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy threw a career-high five touchdown passes Monday night, outdueling unretired Indianapolis Colts counterpart Philip Rivers.

By winning Monday night’s final regular-season road game in a 48-27 shootout over the Colts, the 49ers remained in control of their playoff destiny, which could ...Read more