SAN DIEGO — Philip Rivers is an NFL quarterback once again.

This news will spawn all sorts of clumsy jokes and quips.

Will Indianapolis Colts players call him gramps? If the Seahawks sack him Sunday, will the refs flag them 15 yards for elder abuse?

Rivers, 44, is indeed a grandfather. And it’s been almost five years since he played in an...Read more

PITTSBURGH — We could begin this story 21 years ago at the Westin Hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., where Hurricane Jeanne caused a power outage the night before Ben Roethlisberger's first start, or we could begin at the Sheraton Hotel in New York City 42 years ago, where the Steelers famously passed on hometown quarterback Dan Marino in the ...Read more

The College Football Playoffs and bowl season are upon us now that the regular season is over.

Underclassmen have already started declaring their intention to enter the NFL draft.

This class is officially beginning to take shape, but the draft order remains in flux.

With the Tennessee Titans’ upset of the Cleveland Browns, a new team ...Read more

TAMPA, Fla. — The Falcons rallied from a double-digit deficit and overcame 19 penalties to pull out a 29-28 victory over the Bucs on Thursday night at Raymond James Stadium.

Kicker Zane Gonzalez made a 43-yard field goal at the buzzer to finish off the rally, which included a big interception by cornerback Dee Alford.

The Falcons are 5-9 on ...Read more

CHICAGO — Cleveland Browns pass rusher Myles Garrett is in rare territory.

His 20 sacks through 13 games puts him just 2 1/2 shy of the single-season NFL record set by Michael Strahan in 2001 and matched by T.J. Watt in 2021. Garrett has four games to tie or surpass the record. (Unofficially, the Detroit Lions’ Al “Bubba” Baker recorded...Read more

Last week was a bloodbath for many of us in the habit of making public our picks. Not saying I’m happy with 8-6 straight-up and 7-7 vs. the bet line, but relatively speaking I’m OK with it. Nailed our Upset of the Week with Chargers beating Eagles (”Aawwk!”), had two other ‘dogs-with-points on covers by Saints and Steelers, and missed ...Read more

Here's a look back at Week 14's action and fantasy advice for the week ahead:

WEEK 14 RECAP

Lions 44, Cowboys 30: Jahmyr Gibbs finished with 120 total yards and three rushing touchdowns on 19 touches (seven receptions) in a victory over Dallas. Gibbs is on pace to produce 2,009 total yards and 21 total TDs on 321 touches, including 76 ...Read more

BALTIMORE — With around two dozen Ravens players slated to hit free agency this offseason, Baltimore addressed one of its biggest needs on Thursday.

Defensive tackle Travis Jones has agreed to a three-year extension, the team said Thursday. The deal is worth $40.5 million and includes $25 million guaranteed, a source with direct knowledge of ...Read more

Los Angeles Times NFL writer Sam Farmer examines the matchups and makes his predictions for Week 15 of the NFL season.

All lines and over/under numbers are according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

Last week, Farmer posted a 6-8 (.429) record. Through the first 14 weeks of the season, he is 136-72 (.654).

Using point spreads with the scores Farmer ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — Steelers All-Pro outside linebacker T.J. Watt remained in a Pittsburgh hospital on Thursday afternoon as he continued to be evaluated for a lung issue. His availability for Monday night's game against the Miami Dolphins in question.

According to Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, Watt experienced discomfort at the team's practice ...Read more

Sometimes the chaos of the NFL hands you exactly what you need when you’re busy doing absolutely nothing.

The San Francisco 49ers spent last week on their couches, resting and watching RedZone, only to see the football gods — and the Philadelphia Eagles — part the Red Sea for them.

The Eagles lost. The path to the NFC’s No. 1 seed, ...Read more

MIAMI — Mike Tomlin has not only been a pillar of granite for the Pittsburgh Steelers franchise for 19 seasons, but he has also been a painful reminder of one of the Miami Dolphins’ biggest missteps that took place nearly two decades ago.

I’m referring to a mind-set this franchise’s decision makers had back in 2007, right after Nick ...Read more

PITTSBURGH — The Steelers as a collective have come out in defense of Mike Tomlin after they beat the Ravens on Sunday. And many among his legion of national media shills have come to his defense, as well.

Aaron Rodgers said he hopes the win over the Ravens will get everyone criticizing Tomlin to “shut the hell up,” and Ryan Clark went ...Read more

SEATTLE — They say that comparison is the thief of joy, but sometimes it can be the source of it.

Nobody here is arguing that the Seahawks will ever see a three-year draft stretch like the one that spawned the Legion of Boom era, but these past few springs might not rank too far behind.

There was a little lull regarding what this team ...Read more

CHICAGO — The Chicago Bears have not given a clear answer as to cornerback Kyler Gordon’s status moving forward after he injured his groin in pregame warmups Sunday in Green Bay, Wis.

Asked Wednesday if Gordon will return this season, coach Ben Johnson said, “to be determined.”

“I haven’t heard (a status) over the last couple of ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Troy Aikman said he’s “done with NIL” after writing a check to a UCLA football player who never thanked him and went on to leave for another school after one season.

There was a reason for that lack of gratitude, according to one person familiar with the Bruins’ football name, image and likeness operations from that time...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Philip Rivers has never been quick on his feet, but he can make quick decisions. That's what made him such an outstanding NFL quarterback, and it's part of the reason he's a Hall of Fame semifinalist.

So it's not surprising that, even at 44 and a grandfather, he didn't linger long when the Indianapolis Colts called to take his ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The NFL is advocating a more performance-driven model for its game officials, one linking bonuses and postseason assignments to regular-season grades as opposed to seniority.

The plan was outlined in a memo distributed to the league's 32 teams Wednesday and obtained by the Los Angeles Times. It comes with the NFL's collective ...Read more

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The NFL is the ultimate wait-until-next-year sports league. The Atlanta Falcons have been waiting for eight years.

Make it nine years with no playoffs in 2026 for the Falcons. I don’t see how they’ll be much better next year.

The quarterback will be unproven next season, as he was this year, except Michael Penix Jr....Read more

NEW YORK — Surely the Giants can’t be serious.

Or maybe they are serious. And don’t call them Shirley.

Airplane seating apparently was the final straw that led to the firing of assistant defensive line coach Bryan Cox during the team’s bye week.

“You’d have to ask him,” head coach Mike Kafka said Wednesday of Cox.

The Giants’...Read more