In Sunday’s 38-14 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, the No. 1 pick in this year’s NFL draft once again aired out his feelings in a public fashion.

With the Titans trailing 17-7 in the third quarter, Tennessee opted to punt from Indianapolis’ 42-yard line after being stonewalled on a third-and-3 run by Tony Pollard. That call didn’t sit well with Ward, who appeared to mouth an expletive and question the decision by interim coach Mike McCoy in an interaction that quickly became a viral clip on social media.

Johnny Hekker’s punt only went 22 yards, and Colts running back Jonathan Taylor raced for an 80-yard touchdown on Indianapolis’ next play.

‘I think I’m a competitor,’ Ward said in a postgame news conference when asked about the interaction. ‘Our whole offense is like that. Our whole defense is like that. … I just think the biggest thing is we want to be an aggressive team. Especially with the record we have right now, we have to be an aggressive team at the end of the season to get where we want to be.’

Ward stood by his reaction but said it was a product of an aggressive mindset, adding that the problem was ultimately one of execution.

‘I just think it’s a missed opportunity for us as a team to get a first down and keep the drive moving. We weren’t down that much at that time,’ Ward said. ‘So, we’re going to always support whatever decision is made, but at the end of the day, we shouldn’t put ourselves in that position. We should get the first down on third down.’

McCoy, who was in just his second game as interim coach after Tennessee fired Brian Callahan, said he believed that the thinking that drove the decision was sound despite the outcome.

‘It was something we talked about,’ McCoy said of weighing whether to go for it on fourth down. ‘You know, hindsight, you look back and the last thing I thought they were going to do was have the big touchdown run after that. So yeah, I got it. You look back and say, ‘I should have gone for that.’ But initially when I said to punt it, you pin them deep, and the defense had done nice through the second quarter.’

Ward completed 22 of 38 passes for 259 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

Save for a 22-21 win over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 5, the Titans have dropped every game since their season opener by at least 10 points.

Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin is a top target for these openings, with potential offers reaching $13-14 million annually.
Kiffin’s success with the transfer portal and roster building has made him a highly sought-after commodity.
Despite his success at Ole Miss, Kiffin has not yet won a Power conference championship or reached the College Football Playoff.

Imagine you’re Lane Kiffin, and a potentially magical season is unfolding at Ole Miss while college football is going to hell around you. 

And everyone wants a piece of you. 

They’re practically firing coaches all over the country to get in line to offer Kiffin $13-14 million annually to reset their program and find a way to recapture the glory. 

Penn State fired James Franklin less than a year after he was one play from the national championship game. Florida fired Billy Napier after a win.

LSU needed a stiff bourbon, but eventually got around Sunday to firing Brian Kelly and giving him $53 million in go away money. And the only reason Hugh Freeze hasn’t been fired by Auburn is the decision-makers with all the cash tried to hire Kiffin three years ago. And failed. 

So there’s no incentive to fire a colossal failure of a coach, whom you hired because of his skillset at coaching and developing offense — and your offense is among the worst in the Power conferences.

Auburn will just wait in that other line over there. And maybe take a run at a guy named Urb.

These universities may as well be degenerate gamblers. What’s the difference?

They may as well be bellied up to the craps table, sweating and shaking and knowing ― I mean, just knowing ― this roll of the dice with $53 million stacked on one number isn’t imploding on the come out.

Come on, sevens!

Meanwhile back in reality, Kiffin is a year removed from blowing an opportunity to reach the College Football Playoff because of unthinkable losses to a terrible Kentucky team, and a Florida team that was on the verge of firing its coach but didn’t. 

Think about that fiscally reckless move: Florida could’ve gotten Kiffin much cheaper last year. Now they’ll have to make him the highest-paid coach in college football. Fully guaranteed, of course.  

That is, if he doesn’t think LSU is a better fit. 

This is where we are in this nuthouse of panic over patience, of if we don’t make a move, someone else will. There are other coaches who will be among the top of the collective wish list (Oregon’s Dan Lanning, Louisville’s Jeff Brohm, Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz), but there’s little doubt these early firings are a move to get in line for the hottest coach of the moment. 

For a coach who has never reached the CFP, and never won a Power conference championship. It doesn’t mean Kiffin can’t or won’t, it just means he hasn’t.

And he’s going to make bank no matter what. 

Years ago, when then-Florida coach Steve Spurrier was the only college football coach earning a million a year, Washington hired Rick Neuheisel away from Colorado and paid him a million annually. 

Spurrier and Neuheisel were (and still are) good friends and golfing buddies, and Spurrier quipped to Neuheisel, “How much are they going to pay you when you win a championship, Ricky?”

As much as anything, they’re getting in line to pay Kiffin because he — maybe more than anyone — has figured out this transfer portal business. In the age of player empowerment, Kiffin understands and embraces the maddening job of roster building.

The multiple double-digit win seasons at SEC outcast Ole Miss is impressive, but imagine if he were at a program that could consistently land a Top-5 high school recruiting class — and then supplement from the portal.

Instead of turning over his roster every season. 

If you’re wondering why Kiffin would leave a program he has built into an elite player in the CFP race, look no further. At some point, there will be a missed season (or two) from the transfer portal, and then you’re chasing. 

Just look at Mike Norvell at Florida State. He somehow can’t consistently recruit high school players at an elite level, and has been reduced to the grab bag that is the portal. 

Who among us would ever think the FSU coach would struggle recruiting elite high school talent? In the state of Florida. 

You don’t need to imagine what Kiffin would do as a coach at Florida or Florida State, deep in the heart of one of the top three states for high school talent. Back in the day, Kiffin and his young pal Steve Sarkisian recruited the state of California like few have, loading up Pete Carroll’s USC roster for a dynastic run of conference championships and national titles.

Kiffin will crush high school recruiting in Florida or Louisiana (another talent-rich state), and the pressure of relying on the portal season after season won’t take a majority of his coaching oxygen. 

All of these programs lining up for Kiffin have similar money, and none are more invested than the other. Ole Miss will do whatever Kiffin wants to keep him, both contractually and an increase of NIL funds. 

This decision, no matter how many more blue-blood programs get in line, will be more about ease of transition and roster building. Not similar money and NIL commitments.

When Kiffin accepted his first major college job in 2009 at Tennessee, he roared into the stoic league taking shots at everyone. Coaches, players, the SEC commissioner; you name it, no one was safe. 

He later admitted he did so because the Tennessee job was suddenly stale and needed a jolt of life. He was the center of attention for all the wrong reasons. 

Now he’s in the thick of it again as the only right in a sea of wrong. 

And he’s going to make bank no matter what.

Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB. 

Anthony Edwards suffered a hamstring injury early in the Minnesota Timberwolves’ game against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday, Oct. 26.

He was ruled out for the rest of the game.

Edwards went 2-for-5 from the field (1-for-3 from long range) for five points and collected a rebound before exiting the game after three minutes of play.

Edwards made a two-point shot off an assist from Jaden McDaniels to give the Timberwolves a 13-5 lead with 8:53 left in the first quarter. After the Pacers called a timeout,  Bones Hyland entered the game, replacing Edwards.

Edwards led Minnesota’s offensive production through the first two games of the season, averaging 36 points.

USA Today Sports has live coverage of theSteelers vs. Packers in today’s NFL ‘Sunday Night Football.’

Kayvon Thibodeaux has his own biases when it comes to his view of the controversial tush push call that ruled Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts’ forward progress was stopped before the New York Giants linebacker ripped the ball out of his hands.

And he made his point of view clear to reporters after the Giants lost 38-20 to the Eagles on Oct. 26.

‘Man, I don’t know, that’s some (expletive), honestly, when it comes to that play,’ Thibodeaux said when asked about the play and its fallout.

This time, Hurts lunged forward and pushed the ball beyond the line of gain for a first down, but  Thibodeaux snatched the pigskin from Hurts’ clutches. The side judge, however, had ruled that Hurts’ forward progress had been stopped.

‘He said they called the forward progress before he reached the ball out,’ Thibodeaux said. ‘Sounds like some (expletive) to me.’

‘That’s a very smart, heads-up football play … tough not to have that go our way,’ linebacker Bobby Okereke said.

Thibodeaux actually sympathized with the refs.

‘They got a hard job because they don’t know when to stop it,’ he said.

Thibodeaux continued: ‘At the end of the day, you just got to keep playing man, try to give it your best.’

As Thibodeaux wrapped up his comments, teammate Brian Burns reminded him that the NFL will likely be taking some money out of his account in the form of a fine for being critical of the refs.

‘Sorry. I mean, that was a great call by the ref.’

The Jets ended their winless start to the season by stunning the Bengals for a 39-38 win on Sunday.
New York parlayed a big day into the ground into Aaron Glenn’s first win as a head coach.
Cincinnati led for almost the entirety of the game but couldn’t cool the Jets’ offense down the stretch.

A week of internal strife led to a breakthrough performance for the New York Jets.

After owner Woody Johnson criticized starting quarterback Justin Fields and coach Aaron Glenn didn’t tip his hand on who would start behind center Sunday, the Jets parlayed a long-awaited offensive breakout into a 39-38 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, ending the team’s 0-7 skid to start the season.

New York trailed from the early moments of the first quarter until 1:54 left in the fourth, when running back Breece Hall threw a touchdown pass to rookie tight end Mason Taylor for the lead.

The Jets forced a turnover on downs at midfield on the ensuing drive to seal the first win of Glenn’s coaching career.

New York’s offense, which broke its 10-quarter touchdown drought, scored on seven of its final eight drives prior to Fields kneeling down to secure the outcome.

The Jets ran for 254 yards and two touchdowns on 37 total carries. Fields, who retained his starting job with veteran Tyrod Taylor sidelined by a knee injury, threw for 244 yards and a touchdown on 21-of-32 passing.

Cincinnati dropped to 3-5, squandering a prime opportunity to build on last week’s win over the Pittsburgh Steelers to return to the fringe of the AFC playoff picture.

USA Today Sports has live coverage of theSteelers vs. Packers in today’s NFL ‘Sunday Night Football.’

The Pittsburgh Steelers are facing the Green Bay Packers on ‘Sunday Night Football’ in Week 8, and NFL fans will quickly notice they aren’t wearing their usual uniform combination.

Instead, the Steelers are donning throwback uniforms for the contest. The look is paying homage to the 1933 version of the team uniforms but has added a few new elements to further honor the city of Pittsburgh.

Here’s what to know about the Steelers’ throwback uniforms for their Week 8 game against the Packers.

Pittsburgh Steelers uniforms today

The uniforms the Steelers are wearing for Sunday’s game do not have a special name. They are merely being referred to as the team’s ‘1933 Throwback Uniforms,’ according to the team’s official website.

Other iterations of throwback uniforms the Steelers have worn have been affectionately referred to as ‘The Bumblebees.’ That moniker, however, is typically reserved for the iteration of jerseys featuring alternative black-and-yellow horizontal stripes.

Pittsburgh Steelers throwback uniforms

The jersey will be complemented by a helmet with ‘a gold matte finish,’ a gray facemask, and a black stripe down the middle. The players will also wear beige pants as part of the ensemble.

The front of the jerseys will feature the City of Pittsburgh crest on the left shoulder. This is ‘to honor the team’s connection to the city,’ per the team.

Many Steelers players have expressed excitement about wearing the new version of the throwback jerseys.

‘I’m really excited for it, and to be wearing them on ‘Sunday Night Football,’ it’s going to be awesome,’ edge rusher Alex Highsmith told Steelers.com. ‘Everyone’s going to be able to see them. It won’t be a regular one o’clock game. It’ll be a primetime game. I’m just excited for everyone to see them.’

Brian Kelly was considered a home-run hire when he was plucked by LSU from Notre Dame ahead of the 2022 season. His tenure didn’t go as planned, however, resulting in the school moving on from the fourth-year coach, as confirmed by LSU after multiple reports.

LSU (5-3, 2-3 in SEC play) fell out of the US LBM Coaches Poll after its 49-25 loss to Texas A&M in Week 9. The loss was the Tigers’ third in their last four games, as offensive struggles continue to plague the team. It reached arguably its lowest point on Oct. 25, with fans chanting ‘Fire Kelly’ in the first quarter of a blowout.

LSU has only scored 26 points or more in one game this season, which came against FCS Southeastern Louisiana in a 56-10 win. Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, viewed as a potential Heisman Trophy contender and top NFL draft prospect entering the season, has also struggled this season

Kelly ultimately never fit at LSU, and now the Tigers are paying for the hire. Here are Kelly’s contract details, including how much LSU owes him in a buyout if fired without cause:

Brian Kelly buyout

Kelly is owed approximately $54 million if fired without cause, according to a copy of his contract obtained by the USA TODAY Network. The number is one of the most expensive buyouts in college football history, behind Jimbo Fisher at Texas A&M and ahead of James Franklin at Penn State.

LSU owes Kelly 90% of his remaining base salary and supplemental compensation, plus a pro-rated ‘longevity compensation’ bonus to be paid on July 15, 2026. Kelly’s contract was set to run through Dec. 31, 2031 or through the Tigers’ final game of the 2031 college football season.

Kelly has a ‘duty to mitigate’ clause in his contract, though, which means he must pursue other jobs for as long as he receives money from LSU.

Brian Kelly contract details

Kelly’s contract saw him paid an annual base salary of $400,000 on top of a $500,000 ‘longevity compensation’ bonus to be paid every July 15. He also was set to receive $9 million in supplemental pay from Jan. 1, 2025 through Dec. 31, 2026.

Per his contract, his supplemental pay would increase by $200,000 every two years on the following schedule:

$9 million from Jan. 1, 2025 through Dec. 31, 2026
$9.2 million from Jan. 1, 2027 through Dec. 31, 2028
$9.4 million from Jan. 1, 2029 through Dec. 31, 2030
$9.6 million from Jan. 1, 2031 through Dec. 31, 2031

Kelly’s salary ranks eighth among head coaches at public universities, according to USA TODAY’s coaches salary database. He was set to make $10.175 million for the 2025 college football season.

The NFL is reviewing the Baltimore Ravens for a potential violation of the league’s injury report policy.
Quarterback Lamar Jackson was initially listed as a ‘full’ participant in practice before being ruled out for Sunday’s game.
The change in Jackson’s status significantly impacted the betting line for the Ravens-Bears game.
The league has previously fined teams and coaches for failing to accurately report player injuries.

So, Lamar Jackson wasn’t pegged to return on Sunday for the Baltimore Ravens after all.

But that’s only half the drama.

The NFL confirmed to USA TODAY Sports that it is reviewing the Baltimore Ravens for violating the league’s policy on injury reports – which resonates a lot more as it hits at the end of a week when the NBA was rocked by a gambling scandal that included allegations related to injuries.

Jackson was listed as a “full” participant after Friday’s practice, which would infer that he was on track to return from his hamstring injury against the Chicago Bears on Sunday.

On Saturday, however, Jackson was ruled out for a third consecutive game, his status downgraded as the Ravens publicly acknowledged that their star quarterback wasn’t exactly a “full” participant on Friday as previously indicated.

Say what?

“Lamar Jackson was present for and participated fully in our entire Friday practice ahead of Sunday’s game against the Bears,” the Ravens said in a statement on Saturday. “Upon further evaluation and after conferring with the league office, because Lamar didn’t take starter reps in practice, we updated our report to reflect his practice participation.”

The impact of this flip was quickly updated on the betting lines for the Ravens-Bears game – which is an undeniable sticky byproduct of the controversy and a reason why the NFL has long instituted standards for reporting injuries.

Lamar Jackson injury update swings Bears-Ravens betting line

The Ravens (1-5) were listed as 7 ½-point favorites earlier in the week, when it appeared that Jackson, the two-time NFL MVP, would play against a Bears team riding a four-game winning streak.

Without Jackson? The spread on BetMGM.com was 2 ½ points before kickoff on Sunday.

That swing says so much about Jackson’s potential impact at the casinos.

Maybe you felt the urge with your office pool: Can I change my pick?

With Jackson sidelined, the Ravens turned to career backup Tyler Huntley to make his first start of the season, supplanting the previous and ineffective fill-in, Cooper Rush.

Did the Ravens intentionally mislead the public by listing Jackson as a “full” participant in Friday’s practice?

Gamesmanship in NFL injury reporting under heightened scrutiny

That is undoubtedly an essential question for the NFL’s probe, against the backdrop of a competitive environment in the league where teams are known to employ gamesmanship that can include attempts to hide injuries from opponents.

The league’s injury report protocols, however, specifically state that if a starting player does not take the normal “starter” reps in practice, his status should be listed as “limited.” Reportedly, Jackson’s practice reps on Friday involved him running the scout team.

Sure, he’s progressing. And now the target for his return is Thursday night, when the Ravens visit the Miami Dolphins.

We’ll see. In the meantime, there’s no excuse if the Ravens were extremely sloppy in categorizing Jackson’s status on Friday.

I mean, it’s Jackson, one of the league’s highest-profiled players – and the player who undoubtedly is such a huge key to the hopes that the team can rebound from what matches its worst record over six games in franchise history.

It seems likely that another blow for the Ravens will be coming from the NFL, given its history in dealing with injury report violations.

“The league reviews any matter involving a change to a player’s status,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told USA TODAY Sports.

In 2023, the league fined the Atlanta Falcons $75,000 and then-coach Arthur Smith $25,000 after star running back Bijan Robinson barely played in a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after he wasn’t listed on the injury report. Robinson became ill on the eve of the game, but the Falcons didn’t bother to update his status.

In 2019, the Pittsburgh Steelers were fined $75,000 and coach Mike Tomlin docked $25,000 for not fully disclosing then-quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s elbow injury.

Conversely, in 2024 the NFL reviewed – and cleared – the San Francisco 49ers after they didn’t declare running back Christian McCaffrey as inactive until shortly before the season opener due to a calf injury. In the previous days, McCaffrey and the team indicated that he was expected to play.

The Ravens case, though, seemingly rises to a higher level because of the actual designation declared – or inferred – with one of the NFL’s marquee quarterbacks.

A hefty fine may not be the limit, with draft picks always potentially on the table for discipline if NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell deems it as fit.

No, there’s been no suggestion that the Ravens tried to manipulate Jackson’s case to influence the gambling market. Yet with increased scrutiny on the link between injuries and betting, it’s surely a bad time for the NFL to confront such optics.

Contact Jarrett Bell at jbell@usatoday.com or follow on  X: @JarrettBell

(This column has been updated with additional information.)

William Byron’s 16th career NASCAR Cup Series victory might be his most impressive – and most important – of his eight-year career.

Byron claimed at berth in the NASCAR Championship 4 with a victory in the season’s penultimate playoff race at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday, Oct. 26 and will have a chance to race for his first Cup title next weekend at Phoenix Raceway.

Byron joins Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe, who won playoff races at Las Vegas at Talladega, respectively, to claim their championship spots. Bryon’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson, the 2021 series champion, earned the final berth on points after finishing fifth at Martinsville.

Byron started the 2025 season by winning his second consecutive Daytona 500.

“I watched my first NASCAR race up there in that (Martinsville) crowd at the start finish line,” Byron said after climbing out of his car, ‘and man, I am just so thankful, excited to see my family and just celebrate this one. We obviously go to Phoenix and just try to go kick (butt) there.”

Byron swept the opening two stages of the Xfinity 500 in dominating fashion before two-time defending race winner Ryan Blaney turned up the heat in the final stage. Blaney led nearly every lap of Stage 3 before Byron passed him with less than 40 laps to go in the race.

‘We just came up short. We did a good job and we got control of the race for a bit, but, gosh, (Byron’s) car was really fast,’ Blaney said after the race.

Byron ended the day with 304 laps led – the most in a single race of his career – for his third win at Martinsville but first in the fall playoff race. Blaney, the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion, led 177.

Byron, who will turn 28 on Nov. 29, won the 2025 regular-season title and was cruising along in the playoffs until the third round commenced at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Byron had led 55 laps at Las Vegas and was contending for a win before he was caught up in a late-race accident with around 30 laps remaining that ruined his day. The following week at Talladega Superspeedway, Byron was again contending for the win in overtime before contact spun his No. 24 Chevrolet out of the lead and into 25th place.

“You just work so hard – all these guys work so hard – and you put everything into Sundays and sometimes you don’t get anything in return, and that’s been the last couple of weeks,” Byron said. “Sometimes life is that way, but you just got to keep being resilient, and we were, and it just feels damn good.”

Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott, the 2020 champion, finished third but was eliminated along with Blaney, Christopher Bell, who finished seventh, and three-time Cup Series champion Joey Logano, who finished eighth.

Of the 2025 championship contenders – Byron, Larson, Hamlin and Briscoe – Larson is the only one who has won a Cup Series title.

Hamlin was the series runner-up in 2010 and finished third in the final standings in 2006, 2014 and 2021. Byron finished third in 2023 and 2024, while Briscoe, in his first season with JGR, had his previous best season in 2022 when he finished ninth driving for Stewart-Hass Racing.

NASCAR at Martinsville highlights

Watch the extended highlights from Sunday’s Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway, the penultimate race of the 2025 NASCAR season.

NASCAR at Martinsville results

Here are the top 10 finishers in the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville (starting position in parentheses):

(1) William Byron, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
(31) Ryan Blaney, Team Penske Ford, 0.717 seconds behind
(8) Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, -1.738
(13) Ross Chastain, Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet, -2.511
(3) Kyle Larson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, -3.418
(18) Ryan Preece, RFK Racing Ford, -3.716
(12) Christopher Bell, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, -4.326
(4) Joey Logano, Team Penske Ford, -4.538
(16) Todd Gilliland, Front Row Motorsports Ford, -4.892
(27) Josh Berry, Wood Brothers Racing Ford, -5.874

William Byron wins NASCAR playoff race at Martinsville

William Bryon outdueled Ryan Blaney on a late-race restart to take the checkered flag and advance to the NASCAR Championship 4. Byron swept all three stages and led more than 300 laps in the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway.

Hocevar spin brings out caution and pit stops for leaders

Carson Hocevar spun in his No. 77 Chevrolet after contact from Michael McDowell to bring out the caution with 18 laps to go in the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway.

William Byron was leading Ryan Blaney but nearly 1 second when the yellow flag came out. The drivers maintained their positions during pit stops and will line up on the front row for the restart and a late-race shootout.

William Byron passes Ryan Blaney for lead

William Byron squeezed inside Ryan Blaney then bumped Blaney’s No. 12 Ford for the lead with less than 40 laps remaining in the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway.

Byron dominated the first two stages of the race before Blaney leapfrogged him during a pit-stop cycle to dominate stage 3. Both drivers must win the race to make the Championship 4 next weekend at Phoenix Raceway.

Championship contenders pit before caution flag waves

Joey Logano, Chase Elliott, Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson, William Byron and Ryan Blaney – all seeking to earn the final two spots in the Championship 4 – made green-flag pit stops on successives laps as they seek capture the win in the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway.

Moments laters, the caution flag waved following a spin by Erik Jones after contact with Bubba Wallace.

Blaney and Byron will lead the field to green on the restart.

Denny Hamlin retires from race with engine issues

Denny Hamlin joined Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Chase Briscoe with an early exit after a blown engine on Lap 335. Riley Herbst in a 23XI Racing Toyota also was forced to retire with mechanical issues.

Hamlin and Briscoe have already clinched berths in the Championship 4 next weekend at Phoenix Raceway.

Ryan Blaney leads William Byron, Chase Elliott, Ryan Preece, Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson and Joey Logano. All but Preece remain in championship contention.

Chase Briscoe retires from race with engine issues

Chase Briscoe, who clinched his berth in the Championship 4 with his victory at Talladega Superspeedway last week, was forced to retire from the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway with an engine issue. Briscoe is guaranteed to race for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series championship along with Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin. The other two final four berths will be determined at the end of this race.

Josh Berry brings out caution early in Stage 3 at Martinsville

Josh Berry spun from the 18th position after contact with Bubba Wallace and Brad Keselowski on Lap 279 of 500.

Two-time defending Martinsville playoff winner Ryan Blaney led the field to green followed by Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano. Blaney started 31st.

William Byron who dominated the opening two stages surged past Ty Gibbs and Tyler Reddick into fourth. Bryon’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott followed him to fifth place.

William Byron sweeps first two stages at Martinsville

William Byron has led nearly every lap of the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway and swept the first two stages. Byron had led 254 laps with 260 of 500 laps in the books ahead of Stage 3.

Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson finished second ahead of Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell and Hendrick’s Chase Elliott. The top four are among six drivers seeking to join Denny Hamlin and Chase Briscoe in the Championship 4. Todd Gilliland, Briscoe, Ryan Preece, Shane van Gisbergen, Tyler Reddick and Erik Jones rounded out the top 10.

Team Penske playoff contenders Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano along with Denny Hamlin opted to pit before the end of the stage during a caution and will restart ahead of Byron to begin Stage 3.

Hocevar spins to bring out caution at Martinsville

Carson Hocevar spun from 25th position after contact with Daniel Suarez, bringing out the caution flag on Lap 216. All lead-lap cars came down pit road for fuel and tires. William Byron maintained the lead following pit stops and has now led 224 of 229 laps.

NASCAR at Martinsville: Lap 175 update

William Byron has continued to dominate the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway, leading 170 of 175 laps so far. Reigning Series champion Joey Logano runs second, followed by Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, Ty Gibbs, Christopher Bell, Denny Hamlin and Ryan Blaney.

William Byron wins Stage 1 of NASCAR race at Martinsville

Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron led 127 of 130 laps at Martinsville Speedway to win the opening stage of the Xfinity 500 as he seeks to make the Championship 4.

Reigning Cup Series champion Joey Logano made late passes on Hendrick drivers Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson to finish second, with Larson third and Elliott fourth. Ty Gibbs, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, Christopher Bell, Todd Gilliland and Austin Cindric rounded out the top 10.

Hamlin has already clinched his spot in the Championship 4 – along with Chase Briscoe – while Bryon, Logano, Larson, Ellliott, Blaney and Bell remain in contention.

NASCAR at Martinsville: Lap 100 update

William Byron has led 96 laps in the opening stage of the Xfinity 500. His Hendrick Motorsports teammates Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott, run second and third, respectively. Joey Logano, Ty Gibbs, Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell round out the top 7. All but Gibbs are playoff drivers.

Which drivers are best positioned to make Championship 4?

NASCAR Martinsville playoff race: Caution flag on Lap 29

The caution flag waved on Lap 29 of the opening stage of the Xfinity 500 when Daniel Suarez spun after contact from Bubba Wallace at Zane Smith. Suarez was able to right his No. 99 car before any damage.

William Byron led the first 30 laps of the race as the field came down pit road for fuel and tires under the yellow flag. Michael McDowell took just two tires on the stop to leapfrog the field, and he will restart alongside Byron, who took four tires and kept his position.

NASCAR Martinsville playoff race goes green

Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron, seeking to make the Championship 4, leads the field as the green flag waves for the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway. Teammate Kyle Larson quickly siezed the second spot from Joe Gibbs Racing’s Ty Gibbs on the first lap.

What time does the NASCAR playoff race at Martinsville?

The Xfinity 500 is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 26 at Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia.

What TV channel is the NASCAR playoff race at Martinsville?

The Xfinity 500 will be broadcast on NBC, the channel for the final three races of the Cup Series playoffs. Pre-race coverage will start at 1:30 p.m. ET.

Will there be a live stream of the NASCAR playoff race at Martinsville?

Yes, the Xfinity 500 will be streamed on Peacock, HBO Max, Sling TV and Fubo, which is offering a free trial to new subscribers.

Stream the NASCAR playoff race at Martinsville on Fubo

How many laps is the NASCAR playoff race at Martinsville?

The Xfinity 500 is 500 laps around the 0.526-mile track for a total of 263 miles. The race will have three segments (laps per stage) — Stage 1: 130 laps; Stage 2: 130 laps; Stage 3: 240 laps.

NASCAR Cup Series playoff standings

Here’s how things look with one race left in the Round of 8. The bottom four drivers will be eliminated after Martinsville ahead of the finale in Phoenix. Drivers who have secured a spot in the Championship 4 are marked with an asterisk.

Chase Briscoe*
Christopher Bell (+9)
Kyle Larson (+10)
Denny Hamlin (+13)*
William Byron (+46)
Joey Logano (+48)
Ryan Blaney (+57)
Chase Elliott (+72)

Who won the NASCAR playoff race at Martinsville last year?

The race wasn’t without controversy, though, as Christopher Bell’s late pass on Bubba Wallace was ruled illegal because of ‘wall-riding’ and that kept Bell out of the Championship 4.

NASCAR playoff race at Martinsville starting lineup

William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford
Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Cole Custer, No. 41 Haas Factory Team Ford
Kyle Busch, No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford
Michael McDowell, No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ross Chastain, No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota
Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Todd Gilliland, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford 
Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Ryan Preece, No. 60 RFK Racing Ford
Brad Keselowski, No. 6 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford
Austin Dillon, No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota
Shane van Gisbergen, No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Zane Smith, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford 
John Hunter Nemechek, No. 42 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
Riley Herbst, No. 35 23XI Racing Toyota
Ty Dillon, No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Josh Berry, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford
Erik Jones, No. 43 Legacy Motor Club Toyota
Chris Buescher, No. 17 Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing Ford
Daniel Suarez, No. 99 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet
Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 47 HYAK Motorsports Chevrolet
AJ Allmendinger, No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet
Justin Haley, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet
Noah Gragson, No. 4 Front Row Motorsports Ford
Cody Ware, No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Ford
Casey Mears, No. 66 Garage 66 Ford