Josh Naylor is expected to remain with the Seattle Mariners after the team’s successful run in 2025.

Naylor is finalizing a five-year deal for an undisclosed amount, according to multiple reports. ESPN’s Jeff Passan was the first to report the news.

The Mariners have not yet confirmed the deal, which is pending a physical.

Seattle made Naylor a top priority during the offseason. The first baseman had 160 hits, 20 home runs, 92 RBIs, 81 run scored and 30 stolen bases this past season. He hit three home runs and had a 1.273 OPS (on-base plus slugging) in the American League Championship Series.

Naylor was traded to Seattle by the Arizona Diamondbacks for Brandyn Garcia and minor leaguer Ashton Izzi. Prior to being dealt to the Mariners ahead of the July 31 trade deadline, Naylor hit .292 with 11 home runs and 11 steals for Arizona.

Naylor made his Major League debut with the San Diego Padres in 2019 but was traded to Cleveland prior to the 2020 trade deadline. He played 4½ seasons with the Guardians and was named to the 2024 American League All-Star team. Cleveland then traded him to Arizona in December 2024.

Ramsey claimed the punch was a reaction to Chase spitting on him, an allegation Chase denied.
The incident occurred during a timeout, with an official witnessing the punch and immediately throwing a flag.
Despite Ramsey’s ejection, the Steelers went on to defeat the Bengals 34-12.

Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Jalen Ramsey was ejected Sunday for throwing a punch at Cincinnati Bengals wideout Ja’Marr Chase.

The two stars jawed during a timeout when Ramsey decided to wind up and deliver the blow with a staffer standing beside the two. An official was also in the vicinity, saw the entire incident and immediately threw a flag.

By the end of the confrontation, Chase had lost his helmet and was looking for more action. But the two had been separated by that point and shortly after the referee’s announcement, Ramsey was escorted to the locker room.

Ramsey later told reporters in the locker room following the 34-12 victory that Chase had spit on him and prompted the violent response.

‘He spit on me. So, it sucked,’ Ramsey said. ‘I don’t give a (expletive) about football after that, respectively.’

Chase denied the claim.

‘I ain’t never opened my mouth to that guy,’ Chase said.

The league will investigate Ramsey’s claims that Chase spit on him, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. The person was granted anonymity to speak freely. The NFL could take further disciplinary action against either player.

Chase said Ramsey didn’t appreciate the swear words Chase directed at Ramsey. He reiterated that he didn’t spit on Ramsey.

‘We (were) going back and forth the whole time,’ Chase told reporters. ‘So I’m sure something got under his skin.’

Philadelphia Eagles defensive lineman Jalen Carter was ejected for spitting at Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott during the season opener. He was not suspended for an additional game but fined a $57,222, the equivalent of a full game check.

The good news for the Steelers was that they led 20-9 when Ramsey was ejected. The potentially bad news is that quarterback Aaron Rodgers left with a hand injury he suffered in the second quarter. Mason Rudolph stepped in for the remainder of the game for Pittsburgh.

In the teams’ previous matchup this season, Chase lit up the Steelers’ secondary for 16 catches, 161 receiving yards and a touchdown. The Steelers held Chase in check in the rematch, as the 2024 All-Pro finished with three catches (10 targets) and 30 yards.

The Pittsburgh Steelers were able to earn a resounding 34-12 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 11. They did so despite being without starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers for the second half of Sunday’s game.

Rodgers suffered an apparent injury to his left wrist at the end of the half. The 41-year-old was seen flexing his non-throwing hand and cradling it after taking a hit from a Bengals defender, but he remained in the game.

Rodgers was seen warming up ahead of the second half. At that time, he had been deemed ‘questionable’ to return.

Mike Tomlin said the following when asked about the quarterback’s second-half availability.

‘We’re hopeful but we better get Mason Rudolph ready to go,’ Tomlin said.

Here’s what Tomlin said about Rodgers’ injury and when fans might know more about the veteran’s status moving forward.

What happened to Aaron Rodgers?

The good news? NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero report the belief is the injury ‘is nothing long term’ despite in-stadium X-rays showing a small fracture.

The NFL insider reports come after Tomlin confirmed during his postgame news conference that Rodgers had suffered an injury to his left wrist. The 53-year-old coach did not provide an update on the severity of Rodgers’ injury.

‘He’ll be evaluated in the morning,’ Tomlin told reporters. ‘I’ll give you guys more information there.’

Tomlin was not asked during his availability what the team would do if Rodgers were out long-term. However, he praised backup quarterback Mason Rudolph for his performance in relief of Rodgers.

‘Mason’s proven in the past what he showed today,’ Tomlin said. ‘That’s why we value him as a member of this collective. Appreciative of his play.’

Rudolph completed 12 of 16 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown against the Bengals. His numbers were similar to those of Rodgers, who completed 9 of 15 passes for 116 yards and one score.

LeBron James is expected to practice with the Los Angeles Lakers Monday, Nov. 17 after the team returns home from a five-game road trip, according to multiple reports.

The 40-year-old star did not travel with the team during the recent road trip.

James has yet to make his season debut due to sciatica, but when he returns for his first game, the four-time MVP will become the first player to play in 23 NBA seasons, breaking the tie he currently holds with Hall of Fame guard Vince Carter.

James’ official status is expected to be announced on Monday’s injury report after he practices with the team. It may also indicate if he is ready to play as early as Tuesday, Nov. 18 when the Lakers host the Utah Jazz.

The 21-time All-Star took a positive step forward over the weekend, working out with the Lakers’ G-League affiliate.The South Bay Lakers play against the Rip City Remix on Sunday, Nov. 16, but James is not expected to play. He began practicing with them on Wednesday, Nov. 12 and did not experience any residual effects from that workout when he returned for another workout on Thursday.

It was the first time James had participated in an NBA-organized 5-on-5 situation since the first round of the 2024-25 playoffs in April.

What is sciatica?

Sciatica is a pain caused by some level of irritation, pinching, or compression of the sciatic nerve, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

The sciatic nerve is located in the lower back and runs down the back of each leg. It begins from the lower part of the spinal cord and extends through the buttocks, back of the thigh and down to the foot.

As a result, the area of pain can range anywhere along the back of the leg.

What does this sciatica injury mean for LeBron James?

James has been one of the more dependable and available players, despite his age.

Still, he will turn 41 in late December and will likely need to manage his usage and body as the season progresses. Known for being a player who is exacting and meticulous about his body and his health, James will likely ensure he is fully healthy before making his return to the court. The Lakers are willing to give him the time and space to make sure that happens.

James has maintained that he wants to compete for NBA championships, so the nerve issue should not be a significant concern, provided the rest and recovery heal the injury. Given the length of the NBA regular season and playoffs, some missed time is to be expected for a player James’ age.

Los Angeles Kings forward Adrian Kempe, the top player on USA TODAY’s free agent list, is off the market.

Multiple reports said Kempe has agreed to an eight-year, $85 million contract extension. The $10.625 million cap hit will make him the team’s second-highest-paid player behind defenseman Drew Doughty ($11 million).

Kempe, 29, has spent his entire NHL career with the Kings. He has had two 35-goal seasons and one with 41. That production is important because captain Anze Kopitar is retiring at the end of this season.

Details on Adrian Kempe’s contract extension and the top remaining free agents after he reached his deal:

Adrian Kempe contract details

He’ll average $10.625 million in his eight-year contract extension, which kicks in next season. He’s averaging $5.5 million in his current four-year deal.

Kempe is the Kings’ leading scorer this season with 19 points in 19 games.

He also has been named to Sweden’s Olympic team.

Top remaining free agents

10. Jaden Schwartz, Seattle Kraken

He’s the Kraken’s leading scorer with 14 points in 18 games and is tied for the team lead with seven goals. He’s a six-time 20-goal scorer. Current cap hit: $5.5 million

9. Kiefer Sherwood, Vancouver Canucks

He was the runaway leader in hits last season and is first again this season. He also has 12 goals. Current cap hit: $1.5 million

8. Anders Lee, New York Islanders

He has been the Islanders’ captain since 2018 and is good for 20-plus goals. He had 29 last season. Current cap hit: $7 million.

7. Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals

The NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer is 40. He’s off to a slow start with five goals this season, including his 900th. He’ll either re-sign with Washington or retire. He hasn’t indicated his plans. Current cap hit: $9 million.

6. John Carlson, Washington Capitals

Carlson is the Capitals’ all-time leader in scoring among defensemen and is a key to their power play. He’s the one who sets up Ovechkin’s one-timers. Current cap hit: $8 million.

5. Sergei Bobrovsky, Florida Panthers

The goalie has won back-to-back Stanley Cup titles and two Vezina Trophies. He’ll be 38 next season. Current cap hit: $10 million.

4. Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins

The 39-year-old has expressed an interest in playing more and he’s making a case with 23 points in his first 19 games. He has won three Stanley Cup titles in his storied career. Current cap hit: $6.1 million.

3. Alex Tuch, Buffalo Sabres

He can score (two 36-goal seasons) and also kills penalties. He wants to stay in Buffalo. Current cap hit: $4.75 million.

2. Nick Schmaltz, Utah Mammoth

He keeps improving every year. The winger usually gets 20-plus goals and 60-plus points, and he’s threatening to top that with 21 points in 18 games. Current cap hit: $5.85 million.

1. Artemi Panarin, New York Rangers

The 33-year-old forward scored 120 points two seasons ago, and although he and the rest of the team dropped off last season, he still had 89 points. He’s often in the 90-point range. He started slowly this season but is up 17 points in 19 games. Current cap hit: $11,642,857.

Which 2026 free agents have signed extensions recently?

Minnesota’s Kirill Kaprizov, eight years, $136 million, a record for its total amount and $17 million cap hit.
Edmonton’s Connor McDavid, two years, $25 million. The $12.5 million cap hit equals his current one and places him second on the team behind Leon Draisaitl.
Edmonton’s Jake Walman, seven years, $49 million
Winnipeg’s Kyle Connor, eight years, $96 million, richest contract in team history.
Edmonton’s Mattias Ekholm, three years, $12 million.
Vegas’ Jack Eichel, eight years, $108 million.
Colorado’s Martin Necas, eight years, $92 million.
New Jersey’s Jacob Markstrom, two years, $12 million.
Colorado’s Scott Wedgewood, one year, $2.5 million
Los Angeles’ Adrian Kempe, eight years, $85 million

I think I’m having déjà vu. I could’ve sworn that just two years ago Gotham FC was the low seed in the NWSL playoffs only to go on an incredible run to win a championship.

Well, it’s happening again. After an unbelievable win over No. 1 seed and NWSL Shield winners, the Kansas City Current, in the quarterfinals, Gotham FC proceeded to win a nail-biter against Orlando in the semifinals, needing a goal in the 97th minute from Jaedyn Shaw to pull out the road victory.

Perhaps this team performs best in an underdog role, but it’s hard to remain underdogs when you keep winning against strong competition. Regardless, it’s clear Washington will have their hands full when they travel to PayPal Park. Here’s everything to know with the semifinals behind us.

2025 NWSL playoffs bracket

Quarterfinals

No. 8 Gotham FC 2, No. 1 Kansas City Current 1 (extra time)
No. 4 Orlando Pride 2, No. 5 Seattle Reign FC 0
No. 2 Washington Spirit 1, No. 7 Racing Louisville FC 1 (Washington won 3-1 in penalties)
No. 3 Portland Thorns FC 1, No. 6 San Diego Wave FC 0 (extra time)

Semifinals

No. 2 Washington Spirit 2, No. 3 Portland Thorns 0
No. 8 Gotham FC 1, No. 4 Orlando Pride 0

Championship game

At PayPal Park in San Jose, California

No. 2 Washington Spirit vs. No. 8 Gotham FC, 8 p.m. ET, Nov. 22 | CBS

When will the championship take place?

The NWSL Championship will take place on Saturday, Nov. 22 at 8 p.m. ET. Unlike the rest of the NWSL playoffs though, the higher-seeded Washington Spirit will not host the championship game. Instead, the title contest will be held at a neutral site at PayPal Park in San Jose, California. The game will air on CBS and stream on Paramount+.

Stream the NWSL Championship with Paramount+

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The US LBM Coaches Poll got a bit of a makeover after some interesting results in Week 12.

The top three teams, still unbeaten, retain their respective positions, though one did so with considerably more drama. Ohio State remains No. 1, claiming 60 of 63 first-place votes this week. Indiana holds at No. 2 with no last-minute heroics needed this time. Texas A&M is still No. 3 after its furious second-half rally to escape South Carolina, though the Aggies only have three No.-1 nods now.

Georgia inherits the No. 4 spot thanks to its decisive win against Texas. Oregon climbs back into the top five, and Mississippi and Texas Tech also gain a position.

TOP 25: Complete US LBM Coaches Poll after Week 12

Oklahoma, which helped its playoff case with a huge road win at Alabama, gains to poll positions to No. 8. The Sooners leapfrog Notre Dame, which also picked up a decisive road win at Pittsburgh but holds at No. 9. Alabama tumbles six places to No. 10, and Texas falls eight spots to No. 18.

North Texas, Houston and Tulane all return to the Top 25 in the final three positions.

Louisville, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh drop out in what was a difficult weekend for schools located near the Ohio River.

Several top-25 teams went down over the course of the weekend’s game, none bigger than No. 4 Alabama (No. 4 in the College Football Playoff rankings), which fell 23-21 to No. 10 Oklahoma (No. 11 in CFP) at home in Tuscaloosa.

While a loss doesn’t preclude the Crimson Tide from making the playoff — or even the SEC championship game — it significantly narrows the margin of error moving forward for Kalen DeBoer and Co. The Sooners, meanwhile, bolstered their CFP chances and, with games remaining vs. Missouri and LSU, are set up to host a first-round game of the CFP.

Elsewhere in the SEC, No. 3 Texas A&M (No. 3 in CFP) overcame a 30-3 halftime deficit to avoid a disastrous home loss vs. South Carolina, outscoring the Gamecocks 28-0 in the second half to win 31-30. No. 5 Georgia (No. 5 in CFP) also made short work of Arch Manning and No. 10 Texas (No. 10 in CFP), downing the visiting Longhorns 35-10.

Elsewhere across college football, Clemson upended No. 21 Louisville (No. 20 in CFP) on Friday, 20-19, further muddying the waters of the ACC football standings. And, in the American, Navy downed previous Group of Five favorite South Florida 41-38. With the Bulls’ loss, will James Madison be the new non-Power Four team to make the CFP?

Only time will tell. Until then, here are CFB bracket predictions from USA TODAY Sports experts:

CFP bracket, rankings projections after Week 12

Craig Meyer, USA TODAY Network

Ohio State *
Texas A&M *
Indiana
Georgia
Texas Tech *
Ole Miss
Oregon
Oklahoma
Alabama
Notre Dame
Miami *
James Madison *

* Denotes one of five highest-ranked conference champions

Oklahoma’s win at Alabama gives us the biggest change from last week, vaulting the Sooners into the 12-team field and knocking the Crimson Tide back several spots. Coach Brent Venables’ team has a manageable remaining schedule, with home games against Missouri and LSU left to play. And with Georgia’s win against Texas, we may mercifully be spared from having to debate whether a three-loss team that didn’t win its conference championship should make the playoff — though you can bet Greg Sankey and some of the league’s most shameless sycophants will try to argue for it.

Austin Curtright, USA TODAY Network

Ohio State *
Georgia *
Indiana
Texas A&M
Texas Tech *
Ole Miss
Oklahoma
Alabama
Oregon
Notre Dame
Virginia *
Tulane *

* Denotes one of five highest-ranked conference champions

Texas’ big loss on the road at Georgia and Oklahoma’s win over Alabama in Tuscaloosa shake up my projected CFP bracket. Does Texas still have a shot at making it in if it finishes 9-3? The Longhorns are going to need some help, but it’s possible.

Should the Aggies fall to Texas in the regular season finale, it would open the door for an SEC championship game bid for Georgia, which looked like the best team in the conference in Week 12. Five SEC teams reaching the CFP is surely going to go over well with the rest of college football, right?

Ehsan Kassim, USA TODAY Network

Ohio State *
Georgia *
Indiana
Texas A&M
Texas Tech *
Ole Miss
Oklahoma
Oregon
Alabama
Notre Dame
Tulane *
Miami *

* Denotes one of five highest-ranked conference champions

With its loss, Texas falls out of the CFP for the moment, though it can get back in with a win over Texas A&M. Alabama clings onto a playoff spot despite the loss to Oklahoma. Georgia is the biggest winner of the week, leaping ahead of Indiana. The chaos will only ensue with Week 13, but the SEC looks to be in great shape to send five teams the playoff.

John Leuzzi, USA TODAY Network

Ohio State *
Georgia *
Indiana 
Texas A&M 
Texas Tech *
Ole Miss 
Oklahoma
Alabama
Oregon
Notre Dame
Miami *
James Madison *

* Denotes one of five highest-ranked conference champions

It just means more in the SEC, and that’s why Greg Sankey’s conference is well-positioned to have ownership of nearly half of the CFP seeds, despite Alabama dropping its home game to Oklahoma — a loss that has now created chaos in the SEC. The Crimson Tide’s four consecutive top-25-ranked wins should still earn them a first-round home game. The other notable change is the Group of Five representative: The American no longer controls the conversation, as it now belongs to the Sun Belt and James Madison.

When do CFP rankings come out?

The rankings are released on ESPN at 8:30 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 18

New York Jets player Kris Boyd was shot early in the morning of Sunday, Nov. 16, according to multiple reports.

A spokeswoman for the New York Police Department would not confirm to USA TODAY Sports the identity of the victim in the shooting, per department policy, but said officers responded to a 911 call at a restaurant around 2:09 a.m. ET on West 38th Street and found a 29-year-old man with a gunshot wound to the abdomen. The victim was transported to Bellevue Hospital in critical but stable condition.

Police had no further information about a potential suspect in the shooting and are still investigating.

The Jets said they were aware of the matter and had no further comment, while players such as Jermaine Johnson began posting well wishes for Boyd on social media.

A special teams contributor, Boyd was put on injured reserve during training camp and was set to miss the entire 2025 season with a shoulder injury. The cornerback was a 2019 seventh-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings and also played for the Arizona Cardinals and Houston Texans.

The Jets are off Sunday after losing to the New England Patriots on ‘Thursday Night Football.’