There’s no room for nostalgia in the NFL.

For those general managers and team owners who need it, this season has been a reminder that it’s better to move on too soon than be stuck with a veteran quarterback who is very suddenly, but very clearly, past his prime.

Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst isn’t one for gloating, but his decision to move on from Aaron Rodgers after the 2022 season now looks inspired. A four-time MVP, Rodgers was expected to lead the long-suffering New York Jets to a Super Bowl title. Instead, he’s won all of three games and, on Sunday, the Jets were eliminated from playoff contention for the 14th consecutive year, the longest streak in major sports.

The Minnesota Vikings chose not to throw the boatload of money at Kirk Cousins that the Atlanta Falcons did and that, too, looks prophetic. While Cousins is flailing — no TDs and eight interceptions over the last four games — and the Falcons are on the outside of the playoff race looking in, the Vikings are tied for the third-best record in the NFL. With Sam Darnold as their quarterback, no less.

Joe Flacco doesn’t even resemble the guy who led the Cleveland Browns to the playoffs last year. Andy Dalton was fine — until he wasn’t.

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This isn’t an exact science, of course. Tom Brady defied Father Time and conventional wisdom when he went to Tampa Bay and won a Super Bowl with the Buccaneers. Peyton Manning won one Super Bowl and played in another after the Indianapolis Colts decided not to risk his rebuilt neck.

Even this season, Russell Wilson is thriving in Pittsburgh after a dismal stop in Denver had many assuming he was washed up. (Though the Steelers’ defense and Mike Tomlin being Mike Tomlin are the main reasons Pittsburgh is once again perched atop the AFC North.)

But it’s a general rule of thumb that if you’re betting a QB in the twilight of his career will be able to duplicate his earlier success, your odds are about as good as hitting the jackpot in Las Vegas.

“I’ve started one year, so …,” Rodgers said when asked about the Jets’ postseason futility that is now in its second decade. “I’m a part of it for one year.”

Yes, but the Jets invested a lot in Rodgers under the starry-eyed assumption he’d make all the difference in their fortunes. And Rodgers echoed that wishful thinking, proclaiming himself still able to play at a high level despite being almost 40 when he arrived in New York.

“I’m an old guy so I want to be part of a team that can win it all,” Rodgers said after he was traded to the Jets, “and I believe this is a place where we can get that done.”

Yet all he’s brought to the Jets is chaos and turmoil. Oh, and one 300-yard game, his first in almost three years. Rodgers threw for 339 yards and one TD on Sunday, only for the Jets to lose to the Miami Dolphins in overtime.

It was New York’s fourth consecutive loss, and 10th of the season. Seven of those losses, including the last three, have been by one score.

“We just didn’t figure out how to win enough games,” Rodgers said. “I didn’t play good enough in some crunch times. That’s why we’re sitting here with the record we’ve got.”

Back in the spring of 2023, when it was clear the relationship between Rodgers and the Packers was irretrievably broken — or, specifically, his relationship with Gutekunst — the quarterback griped about Green Bay’s unsentimental approach to personnel decisions.

“They like to get rid of players a year early instead of a year late,” Rodgers said.

As if that’s a bad thing.

It’s human nature to hold on to a good thing for too long, refusing to believe it will ever go bad. Relationships. Clothing styles. Those condiments that have been sitting in your refrigerator for years. But that’s listening to your heart, not your head. And operating that way in the NFL practically guarantees a losing record and a disappointed fan base.

It’s sad to watch the careers of Rodgers, Cousins and so many others end in this fashion. Sadder still is their declines got some help from people whose job it is to know better.

Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.

The 2024 Heisman Trophy finalists have been revealed. Congratulations are in order for Colorado’s Travis Hunter, Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, Miami’s Cam Ward and Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel. Each of them has had a tremendous season and fully deserve the recognition they are getting as four of college football’s best players during the 2024 season.

This isn’t your elementary school’s sports day where everyone gets a participation trophy and a pat on the back, though. Only one of these talented players can walk away with the hardware. So, which one will win?

Will it be the two-way player who dominated both sides of the ball for Colorado? Will it be the halfback who put up the best season since Barry Sanders? Will it be the quarterback who led all of FBS in passing touchdowns? Or will it be the lefty who helped lead the Oregon Ducks to an undefeated regular season and Big Ten title?

Here are the odds for each of them with less than a week to go before the Heisman Trophy ceremony:

2024 Heisman Trophy odds:

All odds via BetMGM as of Monday evening:

Travis Hunter, Colorado (-2500)
Ashton Jeanty, Boise State (+1000)
Dillon Gabriel, Oregon (+25000)
Cam Ward, Miami (+25000)

When is the 2024 Heisman Trophy ceremony?

The 2024 Heisman Trophy ceremony is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, Dec. 14. It will be broadcast on ESPN and will be available for streaming on ESPN+.

Stream the Heisman Trophy ceremony with an ESPN+ subscription

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The Colorado Avalanche made their second goaltending trade in less than two weeks, shipping out No. 1 netminder Alexandar Georgiev to the San Jose Sharks for Mackenzie Blackwood.

The contending Avalanche have the fourth-worst goals-against average by team in the NHL. They had made another goalie move on Nov. 30, acquiring backup goaltender Scott Wedgewood from the Nashville Predators for backup Justus Annunen.

The Avalanche also get forward Givani Smith and a 2027 fifth-round draft pick in the deal with San Jose. Forward Nikolai Kovalenko, a conditional 2025 fifth-round pick and a 2026 second-rounder head to the Sharks.

Goergiev had a 4.62 goals-against average in October, and though he improved in November, he was pulled in a Dec. 3 start after giving up four goals on 12 shots. Colorado rallied to win that game.

Blackwood, meanwhile, made 49 saves in his last start. He has a .904 save percentage compared to .874 for Georgiev, who rebounded with a win in his last start.

The Avalanche have a powerful offense but their early goaltending woes have cost them in the standings. The 2022 Stanley Cup champions entered the week in the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

Both goalies will be unrestricted free agents at season’s end. The rebuilding Sharks have prospect Yaroslav Askarov waiting in the pipeline after acquiring him in the offseason.

Conditions on the Avalanche-Sharks deal

Colorado will retain 14% of Georgiev’s contract.

Conditions for Colorado’s 2025 fifth-round pick: Colorado will instead transfer the worse of their current fourth-round picks in 2025 (Colorado’s own or Vancouver’s selection) if at least two of the conditions are met:

Colorado reaches the third round of the playoffs.

Blackwood wins 25 regular-season games from the date of the trade to the end of the 2024-25 regular season.

Blackwood starts 30 regular-season games from the date of the trade to the end of the 2024-25 regular season.

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Georgia’s thrilling 22-19 overtime victory against Texas in the SEC championship game last Saturday in Atlanta not only assured the Bulldogs a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff field, but it gave them a coveted first-round bye.

Coach Kirby Smart’s team was able to earn the win despite playing the entire second half and overtime period without starting quarterback Carson Beck, who was injured on the final play of the first half and didn’t return to the game until handing the ball off to Trevor Etienne for what would be the game-winning touchdown run.

While backup Gunner Stockton was able to rally his team in its biggest game of the season, questions still remain about Beck and whether one of the preseason favorites for the Heisman Trophy might be able to return in time for the playoff.

Here’s the latest on Carson Beck’s injury and how it impacts his playing status for the College Football Playoff:

Carson Beck injury update

According to the university, there is “no current timetable on his return.”

Beck was injured while attempting to throw a Hail Mary from midfield with no time remaining in the first half. As he was about to move his arm forward to throw a last-second heave, Beck was hit by Texas’ Trey Moore, with some noticeable contact on his forearm. Beck was tended to by team medical personnel and did not return to action, with Stockton taking over for him the rest of the way.

Smart had said during the playoff selection show on Sunday that Beck had undergone an MRI that morning on his elbow.

For now, the vague, uncertain timetable for a potential return adds to the doubt surrounding a Georgia team that’s one of the favorites to win the playoff. 

Thanks to the bye, the Bulldogs won’t play again until the Sugar Bowl on January 1, a national quarterfinal game that will pit them against the winner of a December 20 matchup between Notre Dame and Indiana. If nothing else, Beck could have some extra time to rest his elbow if the injury isn’t so serious that it would require surgery.

While relieving Beck, Stockton, a sophomore who was a four-star recruit in the 2022 class, completed 12 of 16 passes for 71 yards, no touchdowns and an interception.

During his senior season, Beck has completed 64.7% of his passes for 3,485 yards, 28 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

When three top-five teams lose on the same night in men’s college basketball, the next poll is bound to look considerably different. Such is the case this week in the new USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, which features a new No. 1 team.

Tennessee takes over the top spot, largely by getting through the week unscathed. The Volunteers received 26 of 31 first-place votes cast this week and hold the top spot for the first time since Feb. 11, 2019. Tennessee replaces Kansas, which held the top spot since the preseason poll before tumbling to No. 10 this week after defeats to Creighton and Missouri.

Auburn remains No. 2, bouncing back from a midweek loss at Duke with a decisive win against Richmond. The Tigers, who still have that tournament title in Maui on their resume, retained five No. 1 votes.

Iowa State vaults two places to No. 3 after taking down Marquette, which stays put at No. 4. Kentucky moves up to fifth after rebounding from a loss at Clemson with Saturday night’s comeback win against Gonzaga in Seattle.

TOP 25: Complete USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball poll

Duke climbs three spots to No. 6, following the Auburn victory with a win at Louisville in its ACC opener. Unbeaten Florida leaps six places to No. 7, its first top-10 appearance since the preseason poll in 2019. Alabama and Gonzaga check in at No. 8 and 9, respectively.

Michigan makes the biggest jump of the week, a nine-spot move to No. 14. Clemson heads a group of four newcomers to the poll, entering at No. 16 thanks to the Kentucky win.

Memphis, Illinois, Pittsburgh and North Carolina the dropouts after losses.

The bracket is set. The matchups are set. Who wins the College Football Playoff to become the first national champion of the 12-team era?

The favorites will be top seeds Oregon and Georgia. The Ducks are the lone unbeaten team in the Bowl Subdivision after running through the Big Ten as first-year members of the conference. Georgia closed out the program’s third SEC championship under coach Kirby Smart by beating Texas for the second time this season.

But the Ducks and Bulldogs will have to contend with a blueblood-heavy cast of at-large playoff teams, including Texas, Ohio State, Penn State, Tennessee and Notre Dame.

Overall, it’s not difficult to make a case for any one of seven teams running through the bracket unscathed. That leaves Clemson, SMU, Indiana, Boise State and Arizona State as the clear underdogs in this big-name field of national heavyweights.

With the pairings set for the opening round and the four top seeds locked into a bye before the quarterfinals, here’s the USA TODAY Sports game-by-game prediction for the 12-team playoff:

POSTSEASON LINEUP: Complete college football bowl schedule

ROUGH ROAD: Oregon got No. 1 seed but not an easy playoff path

College Football Playoff first round

No. 5 Texas defeats No. 12 Clemson

Texas will benefit from the payoff for losing the SEC: the No. 5 seed. That results in a draw of three-ranked Clemson and then Arizona State, the lowest-ranked conference champion in the quarterfinals. The Tigers can pull the upset here but it starts with putting the game in Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers’ hands and demands error-free football from quarterback Cade Klubnik. Look for the Texas talent level to eventually win out with a higher level of overall consistency and key a double-digit win.

No. 6 Penn State over No. 11 SMU

Make no mistake, the Mustangs have the firepower on offense to ride into Happy Valley and knock off Penn State. They need to create an up-tempo, high-scoring matchup with quarterback Kevin Jennings using his dual-threat ability. But that’s easier said than done given the Nittany Lions’ ferocious defense. Like Texas, the Nittany Lions need a solid game from Drew Allar at quarterback but has room for error against the ACC runner-up because of its running game with Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen.

No. 7 Notre Dame over No. 10 Indiana

A relatively weak strength of schedule has Notre Dame flying under the radar as a legitimate contender. The Fighting Irish have one of the best-balanced team from offense to defense and special teams. Likewise with Indiana, even if the Hoosiers’ chances of winning one or more playoff games is viewed with a high degree of skepticism. Look for Notre Dame to slow down Kurtis Rourke and the Hoosiers while punishing the Indiana defense with the nation’s third-ranked running game in yards per carry.

No. 8 Ohio State over No. 9 Tennessee

This is the premier pairing of the opening round and a nice barometer of how playoff games could unfold between the best of the best in the Big Ten and SEC. Given two evenly matched teams with similar traits, two factors will make the difference in Ohio State’s favor: homefield advantage and a more credible offense. Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard has more experience and better skill options. But another big game from Volunteers signal caller Nico Iamaleava could easily shift this game in the opposite direction.

Quarterfinals

Texas over No. 4 Arizona State

Again, Texas benefits from landing in the No. 5 seed. Arizona State enters the postseason on a six-game winning streak thanks to the backfield pairing of quarterback Sam Leavitt and running back Cam Skattebo. This is a different level of challenge than the Big 12 for the Sun Devils, who will need another herculean effort from the latter to loosen up the Longhorns’ defense and score what would be a significant upset.

Penn State over No. 3 Boise State

Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty will enter the quarterfinals 131 yards shy of Barry Sanders’ single-season record of 2,628 rushing yards. He’ll face a brick wall in Penn State, which ranks ninth in yards allowed on the ground per game and third in rushing touchdowns allowed. Any chance the Broncos have of advancing to the semifinals demands another big game from Jeanty, and it’s hard to say for certain he’ll find creases against the Nittany Lions’ front. If Penn State can slow him down, that would put all the pressure Boise State quarterback Maddux Madden and his receivers to execute at a level not been seen this season.

Notre Dame over No. 2 Georgia

Here’s the first major upset of the playoff. One thing to keep in mind is the potential availability of quarterback Carson Beck, who was injured just before halftime of the SEC championship game and underwent an MRI on Sunday. Even if he’s back in the lineup, will Beck be healthy enough to deliver against the nation’s best pass defense? Notre Dame has allowed opponents to complete just 48.7% of attempts with 17 interceptions against just nine touchdowns.

No. 1 Oregon over Ohio State

Oregon’s been here before, scoring a 32-31 win during the regular season, and can use the same blueprint to score a second victory against the Buckeyes. While the Buckeyes can shift this narrative with a strong game against Tennessee, these resemble two teams moving in different directions: Oregon up, Ohio State down. Beating the Ducks would demand a major uptick in production and explosiveness from an offense that has scuffled since late October.

Semifinals

Notre Dame over Penn State

Two stingy defenses will decide will help rekindle a rivalry that has been dormant since Penn State’s 31-10 win in 2007. The Nittany Lions could be made one-dimensional by Notre Dame’s ability to shut things down through the air. If so, it’ll be tough sledding for Penn State. But the Irish will have to deliver through the air, too, so quarterback Riley Leonard would need to continue his strong play after a slow start to the regular season. Notre Dame’s edge in creating big plays from scrimmage could be the biggest factor.

Oregon over Texas

This matchup would be reminiscent of Washington’s shootout win against Texas in last year’s semifinals. Then as now, Texas will need to make every possession count and avoid giving Oregon extra snaps through costly giveaways. The Longhorns’ best path to victory might even call for slowing things down and hammering the Ducks’ defensive front on the ground, making things easier for Ewers. Oregon has more options on offense and could still find ways into the end zone even if its running game can’t find a foothold. It’s also worth noting, Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel has already beaten the Longhorns in his career in a memorable victory with Oklahoma last season.

National championship game

Oregon over Notre Dame

Here we are: Oregon against Notre Dame for the first time in postseason play. The two have met twice during the regular season, most recently in a 13-13 tie in 1982. The Irish could claim the program’s first national championship since 1988 by matching the Ducks’ quick-strike offense with a methodical running game and an unbending defense. Oregon wins by leaning on the full arsenal of its skill talent. This would be a monster test for the Ducks. But the best team in the nation during the regular season closes things out as the first title winner of the 12-team format.

(This story has been updated to add a photo gallery)

This story was updated to correct a headline.

DALLAS – The Philadelphia Phillies, whose bullpen failed them again in the postseason, hope they have solved their Achilles heel by agreeing to a one-year, $7.75 million contract with free agent All-Star closer Jordan Romano on Monday at the winter meetings.

Romano was one of baseball’s premier closers from 2021-23 with the Toronto Blue Jays before missing the final four months of the season with an elbow injury. He needed arthroscopic surgery for an elbow impingement. The Blue Jays non-tendered him last month, making him a free agent.

Romano, 31, saved 95 games and struck out 230 batters with a 2.37 ERA from 2021-23, with the highest WAR among all relievers during that span.

The signing of Romano is expected to end the Phillies’ pursuit to bring back reliever Jeff Hoffman, who’s a free agent.

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Romano, a right-hander, is expected to be at least be an option at the back end of the bullpen along with right-hander Orion Kerkering and left-handers Matt Strahm and Jose Alvarado.

Follow Nightengale on X @Bnightengale