The New York Jets traded defensive tackle Quinnen Williams to the Dallas Cowboys.
In exchange for Williams, the Jets received a 2026 first-round pick, a second-round pick, and defensive tackle Mazi Smith.
Dallas owner Jerry Jones has now acquired multiple defensive linemen after trading away Micah Parsons before the season started.

The blockbusters of the 2025 NFL trade deadline, at 4 p.m. ET on Nov. 4, came courtesy of the New York Jets. 

Blockbusters – plural. 

The 1-7 Jets, under first-year general manager Darren Mougey, parted with assets to acquire a plethora of draft picks. First, they traded Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts for a pair of first-round selections and wide receiver AD Mitchell. Next, Mougey sent defensive tackle Quinnen Williams to the Dallas Cowboys for a 2026 first-round pick, defensive tackle Mazi Smith and a second-round pick. 

Let’s dissect the winners and losers from the second trade, which gives Dallas a new anchor of a revamped defensive line. 

WINNERS

Jerry Jones 

Say what you want about the Cowboys owner but he talks the talk and walks the walk. Do I believe him when he says he has a secret deal? Not even a little. But then a deadline deal to bring in a three-time Pro Bowl anchor of a defensive line comes along and it gives me pause.

Did the man have this up his sleeve the whole time?  

The original sin of trading Micah Parsons in August tarnishes everything, though. Nonetheless, he turned Parsons into Kenny Clark, Williams and a first-round pick (the latter one between theirs and the Packers, with the earlier one going to the Jets). If he wanted to rebuild the interior of the line? Well, mission success. Nobody ever doubted that he’d accomplish his main goal – winning the headlines – but to have it pay off on the roster definitely helps. 

P.S. I’ll spare Jerry from inclusion in the “losers” section below but if we’re going to sing praises, we also need to point out the complete flaw in his logic. That defense, as evidenced by a prime-time loss, is arguably the NFL’s worst. The personnel moves in a vacuum compared to their on-field results are unimpressive.

Quinnen Williams 

Williams, a 2022 first-team All-Pro who has made three straight Pro Bowls, gets a fresh start with two years left on his current deal. The Jets were 33-75 during his time with the team and never made the playoffs. The Cowboys’ prospects for this season aren’t much better when it comes to the postseason but not slogging through another rebuild has to be a welcomed opportunity for the Alabama native. 

Darren Mougey

The Jets currently have two first-round picks in 2026, three first-round picks in 2027, and two second-round picks next year. For a team that is bottoming out, it’s an enviable position to be in. Nailing the picks is on his shoulders, though. There’s also plenty of capital to acquire a franchise quarterback in any way. 

Cowboys D-line 

Williams falls into the category of player who commands a double team from the opposing offensive line. Opportunities galore for the rest of the unit, which includes Donovan Ezeiruaku, Osa Odighizuwa and Sam Williams. 

Their new teammate is entering his prime and won’t turn 28 until the end of this season. 

Micah Parsons

Parsons will always be linked to Williams now, given the proximity of their respective departure and entrance. Yes Parsons plays a more premium position, but he also makes nearly $20 million more per year. He’s the one on an actual contender – inconsistent as the Packers play sometimes – and has escaped the cauldron of controversy that is being a star on the Cowboys.

Drake Maye and Josh Allen

They no longer have to see No. 95 in green twice a year for what would have been at least the next four years (technically five for Maye since the Jets and Pats have not yet played in 2025). The other AFC East QB, Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins, doesn’t make the list because of his undetermined future in South Beach.  

LOSERS

Aaron Glenn 

The Jets’ first-year head coach won’t have a monster in the middle to aid his rebuild effort. Then again, Glenn might not be long for his current job. 

Jermaine Johnson II 

The edge rusher was considered a player who could have been moved ahead of the deadline but instead saw two teammates on his side of the ball shipped out to greener pastures. 

Cowboys scouting department 

Having two picks in the first round next year would have raised the stakes immensely at “The Star.” Back to one. Cutting bait on Smith also not a sign of proficient past performance.

NFC East QBs 

Sorry to Jaxson Dart, Jayden Daniels and Jalen Hurts. Williams is the rare interior force in rushing the passer. 

Mazi Smith 

Has to play for the Jets and goes from one bad defense to another. 

The New York Jets traded two-time All-Pro CB Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts.
In return, the Jets received two future first-round picks and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell.
The trade sends Gardner from a struggling Jets team to the Colts, who are projected as the AFC’s top seed.
This move provides the Jets with significant draft capital to rebuild their roster in the coming years.

It took a good, long while, but a blockbuster finally dropped ahead of the NFL’s 4 p.m. ET, Nov. 4, deadline to execute trades for this season.

The New York Jets stunningly shipped two-time All-Pro CB Sauce Gardner, whom they’d signed to a four-year, $120.4 million extension just three months ago, to the Indianapolis Colts. In return, the Jets get two first-round picks (2026 and ’27) plus WR Adonai Mitchell.

A shocking move for both squads seems bound to set off major reverberations now and well into the future. Let’s try to sort it out and parse the winners and losers from a bombshell transaction:

WINNERS

Sauce Gardner

The No. 4 overall pick of the 2022 draft leaves a team that had never allowed him to sniff the playoffs to one that’s currently projected as the AFC’s No. 1 postseason seed, which means a first-round playoff bye and home-field advantage. And Indy will need Gardner to immediately step up as he fits in to a 26th-ranked pass defense plagued by injuries to players like CB Charvarius Ward (concussion), a major offseason acquisition. Pro Bowl slot CB Kenny Moore II was fighting an Achilles issue for much of October but is now back in the lineup. Given the rate at which Indy’s top-ranked scoring offense puts points on the board, Gardner will likely find himself tested frequently by teams forced into catch-up mode through the air.

Chris Ballard

The Colts’ general manager has generally adhered to a draft, develop and re-sign philosophy – which is probably wise in theory but has also been problematic while he’s tried to solve the team’s post-Andrew Luck quarterback issues. Apparently confident that he’s found that solution with another New York castoff, Daniel Jones, Ballard is doubling down on a team that probably qualifies as the league’s biggest surprise of this season. Sunday’s loss to Pittsburgh allowed the New England Patriots and Denver Broncos to pull even with Indy in the AFC standings, though the Colts currently own the tiebreaker advantage. They also now add Gardner, who should not only give this defense a boost but is emblematic of the front office’s faith in a roster that most certainly has the inside track to the AFC South title at minimum. And don’t forget, the last time Ballard swung a major deal with the Jets – ahead of the 2018 draft – he wound up with offensive line mainstays Quenton Nelson and Braden Smith, while New York did a bang-up job of stunting the early development of former QB Sam Darnold. Overall, bravo to Ballard for breaking with form in a bid to further propel his ascendant squad.

Azareye’h Thomas

Let’s see what you got, rook. The promising third-rounder from Florida State should see his playing time with the Jets go through the roof with Gardner out of the picture.

Lou Anarumo

Indy’s new defensive coordinator has generally had a stabilizing impact on a unit that’s struggled mightily in recent seasons. Now he’s got another effective cover guy – whether he gets hot Sauce or the milder variant – who should help Anarumo’s pass rushers, who don’t receive much assistance from the blitz, get home with even greater efficacy.

Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey

It’s been a rough season for the Jets’ rookie coach and GM, respectively. But getting sign-off on a deal of this magnitude not only says something about their job security but also provides them with ample runway, in terms of time and capital, to improve this roster and culture with players they consider better fits. Having four first-rounders over the next two drafts could also signify the Jets are amassing ammo to target a quarterback of their liking given the Justin Fields experiment seems to have fizzled.

2026 draft-eligible quarterbacks

Whether you’re Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, Oregon’s Dante Moore, Alabama’s Ty Simpson or otherwise, you can feel rather confident that the Jets will provide another surefire landing spot at or near the top of the 2026 draft board – and the consequential payday that comes with being a top-five pick at a time when none of them might actually be top-five overall prospects when next April rolls around.

LOSERS

2026 draft-eligible quarterbacks

Somebody’s going to the Jets … Better get Darnold’s number for advice, fellas.

Adonai Mitchell

A second-round pick last year, perhaps he’ll benefit moving to a Jets team badly in need of help at wideout. Yet it’s not only damning that Ballard readily cut the cord to Mitchell, who appeared to slide down last year’s draft board to No. 52 overall, he’ll also be joining the league’s worst passing offense – and one where WR Garrett Wilson gets most of the target share from Fields, his former Ohio State teammate.

Sauce Gardner

A standout during his first two NFL seasons, Gardner has retrograded to average over the past two. Per PFF, opposing quarterbacks are currently achieving a passer rating of 102.5 when targeting him, easily the worst rate of his career. Perhaps worse, it’s not a great look for the Jets’ new regime to give up on him so quickly after he appeared to be contractually cemented as a franchise cornerstone. Gardner may be out of Gotham’s spotlight, but Indy fans will be watching their new investment closely given what he might cost them down the road.

CLEMSON, S.C. – Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney received a call from one of his heroes Monday amid his worst season as the Tigers’ full-time coach.

Swinney said Colorado coach Deion Sanders reached out to him for a ‘chit-chat’ as Clemson (3-5) and the Buffaloes (3-6) are struggling this season.

‘Misery loves company. We just cried on each other’s shoulder,’ Swinney said, jokingly.

Swinney said he only met Sanders once when the former NFL star worked at ESPN, but the two became friends over this summer. Swinney added their conversation was a helpful and professional one.

The Tigers are coming off a controversial loss to Duke, their first home loss to the Blue Devils since 1980, which caused Swinney to say, ‘This is a low of lows.’

The Buffs have lost four of their past five games, including back-to-back games surrendering 50+ points.

Clemson plays Florida State, where Sanders played, on Saturday (7 p.m. ET, ACC Network) at Memorial Stadium. Swinney said he hopes FSU doesn’t call its shot like Sanders did on a punt return at Clemson in 1988.

‘He did not wish me well,’ Swinney said.

The NBA season is still in its early stages, but we’re already seeing a myriad of intriguing storylines pop up. Whether it’s the surprisingly hot start for the Chicago Bulls, the emergence of Austin Reaves for the Los Angeles Lakers, or a multitude of scandals – from players to a coach, an former executive and an owner – there are numerous dramatic stories to follow as the season progresses.

Between NBA Cup battles, showdowns between young superstars, or measuring sticks for some of the more surprising teams in the league, this week’s slate of NBA games is sure to thrill fans across the country.

Here are the five best games to watch from this week, beginning Tuesday, Nov. 4:

Best NBA games to watch: Nov. 4-8

Philadelphia 76ers at Chicago Bulls

Date: Tuesday, Nov. 4
Time: 8 p.m. ET
TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Stream: Fubo, NBA League Pass

There were some fans out there who believed the Philadelphia 76ers were a dark horse in the Eastern Conference. They have a lot of talent, including All-Star Tyrese Maxey, rookie VJ Edgecombe and former MVP Joel Embiid, but the question is whether or not that talent can stay healthy.

The Chicago Bulls, meanwhile, were not expected to do this well. They were expected to be where they’ve always been the last few years, near the bottom of the Eastern Conference. Now, both teams sit atop the Eastern Conference at 5-1. One of them will fall. The other will have first place all to themselves.

San Antonio Spurs at Los Angeles Lakers

Date: Wednesday, Nov. 5
Time: 10 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN, ESPN2, Bally Sports Southwest
Stream: Fubo, ESPN+

This is a true sword vs. shield matchup. The Los Angeles Lakers boast one of the best offenses in the NBA. Even without LeBron James, the Lakers, behind Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, are averaging 119 points per game. However, they are also surrendering 116 points per game, a very mediocre mark for a team with a 6-2 record. The Spurs are surrendering only 108 points per game, the best mark in the NBA, and they also have the early favorite for Defensive Player of the Year (and maybe MVP) in Victor Wembanyama.

Houston Rockets at San Antonio Spurs

Date: Friday, Nov. 7
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: N/A
Stream: Prime Video

The San Antonio Spurs have already flexed their Texas dominance with a win over the Dallas Mavericks in the season opener, but a new challenger approaches on Wednesday. The Houston Rockets, winners of four of their last five, are challenging San Antonio for the Texas crown. Will Wembanyama’s defense and the Spurs’ youthful energy be enough to take down Kevin Durant?

Denver Nuggets at Golden State Warriors

Date: Friday, Nov. 7
Time: 10 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN, ESPN2, Bally Sports Southwest
Stream: Fubo, ESPN+

The Denver Nuggets and Golden State Warriors are a pair of teams looking to reestablish themselves as legitimate contenders in the Western Conference. Last year, both teams were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs. Early on this season, both teams boast records above .500 and have both suffered surprising losses at the hands of the Portland Trail Blazers.

Although the Warriors defeated the Nuggets earlier this year, a game in which Aaron Gordon dropped 50 points for Denver, this matchup will hold a little more weight as part of the NBA Cup. The prospect of another 50-burger and the weight of this being an NBA Cup matchup make this a very intriguing matchup.

Chicago Bulls at Cleveland Cavaliers

Date: Saturday, Nov. 8
Time: 8 p.m. ET
TV: Bally Sports Ohio
Stream: Fubo, NBA League Pass

The Bulls make this list for the second time because frankly, it’s time we figure out what’s making them so good. The emergence of Josh Giddey has obviously helped tremendously but is this a sustainable pace for him?

On the other side, coming into Tuesday this week, the Cleveland Cavaliers have lost three of their last four. Is this a sign of things to come or can they put their best foot forward against a surprisingly strong Chicago team?

The news keeps getting worse for the New Orleans Pelicans.

One of two winless teams in the NBA, the Pelicans are now set to be without their star player, for at least a week. New Orleans announced Tuesday, Nov. 4 that forward Zion Williamson has been diagnosed with a grade 1 left hamstring strain and that he would be reevaluated in 7-10 days.

It’s a significant blow for the Pelicans, who have started the season 0-6 and rank dead last in net rating (-17.4). Williamson has been one of the lone bright spots and leads the team in points (22.8 per game), rebounds (6.8), assists (4.6) and steals (2.0).

Williamson, 25, has battled injury issues throughout his career. Since the start of the 2021-22 season, Williamson has played in only 134 of a possible 334 games, or just 40.1%. Just last week, he missed a game with a separate foot injury. The hamstring issue adds to his series of lower body ailments over the years that have hindered him.

Williamson worked on his body throughout the offseason and reported to training camp notably slimmed down and in the best shape of his professional career.

“I haven’t felt like this since college, high school,” Williamson said in late September. “Where I can walk in the gym and I feel good.”

Williamson is playing his sixth NBA season after being selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft out of Duke. (He missed the entire 2021-22 season.)

The two-time All-Star had a strong statistical campaign in 2024-25, averaging 24.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists, but he again had issues being in the lineup on a consistent basis. Williamson has played more than 30 games in a season just twice since entering the league.

The Pelicans are hosting the Charlotte Hornets Tuesday night; if Williamson is sidelined for just a week, he will miss four games: against the Hornets, Mavericks, Spurs and Suns.

A fifth team has risen to the top spot over a six-week period.
Two teams from the same division occupy first and second place of power poll.
Only one AFC team currently resides in the top five.

NFL power rankings entering Week 10 of the 2025 season (previous rank in parentheses):

Note: This week’s rankings will be updated accordingly until Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline to execute trades during the 2025 season expires. The ▲ and ▼ symbols indicate subsequent movement by specific teams over the course of Tuesday.

Check back here for further analysis regarding deals and how they might affect the positioning of clubs involved. For further insight into the day’s trade activity, follow along in our live blog.

1. Los Angeles Rams (3): Has there been a more valuable player than QB Matthew Stafford? Is there a more imposing defense in the NFC? Since losing to the Niners in Week 5, LA has won its past three games by an aggregate score of 86-20. Next? An opportunity for payback at San Francisco.

Trade alert

3. Denver Broncos (7): They’re now 4-0 in games in which they entered the fourth quarter trailing − quite the formula for taking control of the might AFC West. Yet still unclear if the Broncos are capable of staking the Silver and Black to such a lead in the Mile High City on Thursday night.

4. Philadelphia Eagles (8): They’ve seemingly been awfully productive despite not playing in a week − GM/EVP Howie Roseman adding OLB Jaelan Phillips and CBs Michael Carter II and Jaire Alexander rather than kicking back during Philly’s bye.

5. Green Bay Packers (2): Can TE Luke Musgrave, who was taken one round earlier than injured teammate Tucker Kraft two years ago, finally flourish at a time when the Pack need him to step up?

7. Buffalo Bills (10): They beat the mighty Chiefs. In the regular season. Again. Yawn − unless this becomes the game that tiebreakers the dynasty home after Week 18.

8. Kansas City Chiefs (1): Travis Kelce joined Jason Witten and Hall of Famers Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates as the only tight ends with at least 500 receiving yards in 12 seasons. He should consider making all of them groomsmen − and could start considering save the dates for January.

10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (11): Hope they’re rested and ready coming out of the off week, their next three opponents (Patriots, Bills, Rams) a currently a combined 19-6.

Trade alert

▲ 11. Indianapolis Colts (4): Six turnovers? Maybe they had a bad day. Maybe they were overrated as some (raises hand) suspected. Maybe it’s a little bit of both. We’ll know for sure when the varsity schedule truly kicks in after a Week 11 bye. But they’re still the AFC’s No. playoff seed. Technically. For now … and maybe for a while longer with former Jets All-Pro CB Sauce Gardner joining the fold in Tuesday’s shocker.

12. Pittsburgh Steelers (12): ‘That dude came in here, man, and gave us some quality work,’ coach Mike Tomlin said of recently acquired S Kyle Dugger. The question now is whether GM Omar Khan will bring in anyone else for a team that could still use help at receiver and in the secondary.

13. Jacksonville Jaguars (14): They have five more road games this season, three in domes and one in Denver. We want to see K Cam Little get a field-goal shot beyond 70 yards. Though maybe given Tuesday’s acquisition of WR Jakobi Meyers, the Jags can get Little a little closer …

15. Baltimore Ravens (20): This bandwagon is picking up steam, though former Titans OLB Dre’Mont Jones was able to safely hop aboard Monday.

16. San Francisco 49ers (16): RB Christian McCaffrey now has 16 career games in which he’s rushed for a TD and found the end zone on a reception. The Niners might need him to have another eight like that this season in order to remain competitive.

17. Carolina Panthers (18): If they’re able to pump out two wins (but not three) over NFC South foes over the next two weeks, the Panthers will be in excellent position to chase their first playoff berth since the 2017 season.

Trade alerts

▲ 22. Cincinnati Bengals (23): Congrats to the only team since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to score at least 38 points in successive games … and lose both. Since the start of the 2024 season, Cincy has lost six games in which it’s scored at least 30 points. It’s enough to make an average back like Chase Brown start lobbing F-bombs across the locker room. Yet − credit to them − they’ve managed to unload an expensive defender who hadn’t even managed to keep his job.

▼ 23. Dallas Cowboys (19): What a 24 hours for owner Jerry Jones. He saw his team get wiped by the Cardinals in front of a national audience on Monday night, then decided to start infusing talent into a 3-5-1 squad that’s currently in 11th place overall in the NFC. The big move was acquiring Pro Bowl DT Quinnen Williams from the Jets in a move that’s going to deplete the draft war chest Jones had loaded following this summer’s infamous export of DE Micah Parsons. Prior to that, he’d obtained LB Logan Wilson, who’s in the second season of a four-year, $36 million contract but lost his job in Cincinnati to rookie Barrett Carter. Maybe a D-lineman dropped by a team not exactly awash in talent and an off-ball ‘backer − one who apparently wasn’t good enough for the Bengals D and struggles in coverage − will be silver bullets for Dallas’. But don’t bet on it.

24. Washington Commanders (21): A team that caught almost all of the breaks in 2024 can’t find one in 2025 − now stuck in a four-game free fall and without QB Jayden Daniels for the foreseeable future.

26. Cleveland Browns (26): Kevin Stefanski just installed offensive coordinator Tommy Rees as the team’s new play caller. So when will he install Shedeur Sanders as the new quarterback?

27. Miami Dolphins (27): As interim GM Champ Kelly begins selling off parts, maybe coach Mike McDaniel can rally the remaining troops given it seems the pressure’s off of him now − at least on a weekly basis through the end of the year.

Trade alerts

▼ 29. Las Vegas Raiders (31): The defense has allowed an average of 29.5 points over the past six games … which would be awesome if they were the Cincinnati Raiders. Previously disgruntled Meyers hadn’t done much over the past month − other than double down on his trade request − but apparently he showed the Jags enough in person Sunday to compel them to swing a deal, which is a pretty good one long term for Vegas … if not immediately so.

▼ 31. New York Jets (30): A 1-7 squad coming off its bye is just a few breaks from being 5-3 − such is life in the NFL. Yet apparently, life hadn’t gotten so bad in Gotham, the NYJ are trading Gardner, whom they’d signed to a four-year extension just three months ago, to the Colts for two first-round picks. Also out is Williams, who’s fetching a first- and second-rounder. The Jets also take castoffs Mazi Smith from Dallas and Adonai Mitchell from Indy. Bold long-term moves − remember how the Jamal Adams swap panned out year ago − if ones that invite more pain in the interim.

Afghan women played their first international soccer tournament since fleeing the Taliban in 2021.
Players, now living in exile, competed in the FIFA Unites Women’s Series in Morocco. The refugee team is known as Afghan Women United.
FIFA recognized the team in an unprecedented move, defying the Taliban-controlled Afghan Football Federation.
The team competing is seen as a significant act of defiance against the Taliban’s ban on women’s sports.

Afghan goaltender Fatima Yousufi stepped on the field at Berrechid Municipal Stadium in Morocco on Oct. 26 for a historic comeback more than four years in the making.

This wasn’t just a game. Not after enduring years of exile after fleeing Afghanistan amid the Taliban’s takeover. Not after an 11th-hour relocation of this tournament — the 2025 FIFA Unites Women’s Series was originally scheduled to be played in Dubai — because UAE visas for the Afghan team were not approved. Not after finally finding a voice with FIFA as a refugee team. 

Yousufi said she and her teammates — known as Afghan Women United — felt more pressure than ever in an international tournament. It was a major step in their collective fight to be recognized as a national team. But Mursal Sadat, who plays centerback, said it was also about showcasing the strength of Afghan women and what they can achieve even under the most devastating circumstances.

‘Everyone was telling me, ‘We won’t get it,” Sadat told USA TODAY Sports about their fight for an Afghan team. ‘But I said, ‘We will still fight this fight, because it’s not about us, it’s about all the women in our country. It’s about being a voice for them.’ 

‘It’s a matter of gender equality … for every woman and girl around the world.’

Friendly matches for most national teams are an informal, preparatory part of the sporting calendar. But for the newly-established Afghan Women United team, the FIFA Unites Tournament Oct. 26-Nov. 1 in Morocco marked a moment of great geopolitical — and personal — significance. The four-team tournament allowed the Afghan players to contest their first games against international opposition since they fled their country in 2021, evading oppression from the Taliban, which banned women’s sports after returning to power after the withdrawal of American forces.

‘It has a very big meaning for us,” Yousufi said. ‘It’s going to be a big message … a powerful slap to the Taliban’s face, that we’re unstoppable.”

The round-robin tournament tested the mettle of the fledgling Afghan refugee team, which lost to Chad, 6-1, and Tunisia, 4-0, before posting an emphatic 7-0 victory in their final match against Libya.

But an overarching victory was secured before the first whistle, according to Yousufi, earned by virtue of the team’s mere existence.’There were a lot of sacrifices to just make it this far,’ Yousufi said. “I’m just so glad right now that [after] all our hard work … we have this result.”

Reflecting on Afghan Women United’s historic debut, captain Fatima Haidari said there was “a real mix of emotions” among her teammates.

‘I cried because we are back after many years, after all the moments that we suffered out of Afghanistan, far from our families … but we are still here,’ said Haidari, who lives in Italy. ‘We are fighting, and we had that spirit to be together and to strongly go ahead and just play the match.’

Four-year journey back to the pitch

The Afghan players have been in exile since August 2021. More than half of the team resettled in Australia, while others found safety in European countries.

High-profile female athletes were a major target of the Islamic fundamentalist movement as it swiftly set about introducing over 70 decrees across the country that restricted women’s rights to sport, education, employment and freedom of movement in public.

‘When the Taliban arrived, everything just vanished,’ Yousufi said. ‘The [football] dream … everything changed to survival mode.

“Every day, we were seeing the news that an athlete was killed by the Taliban, a politician was killed by the Taliban, a reporter was killed by the Taliban.”

Prominent sportswomen across the country were encouraged to destroy all evidence of their sporting identities.

‘I was supposed to burn my jersey and my medals … I couldn’t do it,” Yousufi said. ‘I started to dig a hole in the backyard, and I just … buried my memories, my sacrifices, my hard work and just trying to be a nobody.’

She thought at the time: ‘I’m just deleting myself. I did that to be safe, to just save my family, my teammates – everyone.”

Yousufi will never forget the four perilous days spent at Kabul Airport, waiting to escape via emergency visas arranged by FIFPRO and the Australian Government.

‘I myself got beaten by the Taliban during that time,’ she said. ‘I just escaped them, and I made my way to the gates. And my family got beaten by the Taliban. It was so bad.”

Evacuation enabled the safety of the players, but the ongoing threat of reprisal remained for family members left behind.

“There was a day that my mom called me in a hurry, and she told me that the Taliban was here,” Yousufi said. ‘They searched our house. They made such a big mess around. They even dug up the yards.

“My parents at that time; they were so scared.”

FIFA pathway restores Afghan team

Participation in international soccer tournaments is a politically charged area of bureaucracy.

While sovereignty of state-level decision makers — such as the Taliban-controlled Afghan Football Federation — is technically mandated, mounting criticism from the international community and targeted advocacy by the Sport and Rights Alliance and Human Rights Watch propelled FIFA to take unprecedented action in recognizing Afghan Women United.

This is the first time football’s world governing body has established a team in defiance of a national football association.

‘It was so important for us to keep this title and to have the team back again… to just not let the Taliban win this,” Yousufi said.

Speaking after the 4-0 loss to Tunisia, Sadat said, “It’s more than football for us.”

“We didn’t care about the result. We just cared about lifting up each other. We’ve got to be true leaders and show the girls in Afghanistan that despite the result, despite the winning or losing, you’re going to be a champion,’ said Sadat, who along with many of her teammates lives in Australia and plays professionally for Melbourne Victory FC AWT. The last three letters standing for Afghan Women’s Team, which has a partnership with the Australian club Melbourne Victory.

‘The AWT competes in Football Victoria’s competitive leagues where they have recently secured back-to-back promotions and will next season be in the Women’s State League 2,’ Melbourne Victory’s website reads. ‘In addition to supporting their sporting life, Melbourne Victory is committed to supporting players’ social and cultural lives. This involves investment in support structures providing health and wellbeing, education and employment.’

FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who was in attendance, congratulated Afghan Women United’s debut on the international stage as, “The beginning of a beautiful, beautiful story that you are writing for yourselves, for your families, for so many girls and women all over the world.”

Yousufi hopes the organization will continue to support the team’s ambitions. But for her, the most important thing is inspiring Afghan women who feel hopeless.

“I know it’s so hard to tell them, ‘Do not give up’ … [But] those girls in Afghanistan should dream, because those dreams [are] going to scare the Taliban,’ Yousufi said. ‘They should not give up on their dreams, because that’s what the Taliban wants.”

Ciaran O’Mahony is a freelance reporter based in the United Arab Emirates. His work has appeared in The Guardian, The Age, The New Arab and The Diplomat. Bianca Roberts is a freelance reporter based in the United Arab Emirates. Her work has appeared in ABC News (Australia), The Sydney Morning Herald, The Diplomat and The New Arab. 

The Saudi-backed golf league announced on Tuesday, Nov. 4 an expansion of all of its events to four days and 72 holes beginning with the 2026 season. LIV Golf events had previously been three days and 54 holes during its first three years of competition, with the lighter schedule cited by some golfers as a reason for why they chose to leave the PGA Tour.

But the 54-hole caveat, instead of the traditional 72 holes played during tournaments on the PGA Tour and elsewhere, proved to be among the obstacles for LIV Golf in its pursuit of earning recognition from the World Golf Rankings. It is not currently considered an eligible tour for world golf ranking points, with stars like Bryson DeChambeau ranked outside the top 20 and Jon Rahm outside the top 70 at the moment due to the distinction.

“Everyone wants to see the best players in the world competing against each other, especially in the majors, and for the good of the game, we need a path forward,’ DeChambeau said in a statement. ‘By moving to 72 holes, LIV Golf is taking a proactive step to align with the historic format recognized globally. This is a fantastic evolution of the LIV Golf product, showing how our league listens and adapts to create the best possible experience.”

LIV Golf events will now start on Thursday and run through Sunday, with the individual competition decided over 72 holes of stroke play. The team competition and shotgun starts that were a feature of LIV Golf’s first three seasons remain in place, with the hope they continue to add excitement and improve the pace of play on the course. LIV Golf officials said the format for its season-ending team championship event will be announced at a later date.

LIV Golf members can earn OWGR points at the four major championships and events on other circuits, such as the DP World Tour or the Asian Tour. LIV Golf withdrew its official bid for OWGR points last year, which was originally sent in June 2022, but resubmitted an application over the summer.

“This is a win for the league, and the players,” Rahm said in a statement. “LIV Golf is a player’s league. We are competitors to the core and we want every opportunity to compete at the highest level and to perfect our craft. Moving to 72 holes is the logical next step that strengthens the competition, tests us more fully, and if the growing galleries from last season are any indication, delivers more of what the fans want.”

This past weekend also marked the start of the league’s official offseason, which allows captains to sign, release and trade players based on where they finished in the 2025 standings. Rahm won LIV Golf’s season-long individual title for the second year in a row in 2025 and Legion XIII featuring Rahm European Ryder Cup teammate Tyrrell Hatton also won the $14 million first-place prize for the team competition.

The 2026 LIV Golf season is scheduled to begin Feb. 4 at Riyadh Golf Club in Saudi Arabia.

Turns out that Jerry Jones wasn’t talking up the Dallas Cowboys’ NFL trade deadline options just for show.

The Cowboys kicked off Tuesday with a relatively minor move in their acquisition of linebacker Logan Wilson from the Cincinnati Bengals. With that, many assumed that Jones was mostly done dealing.

But Dallas dropped a seismic move on the rest of the NFL by securing defensive tackle Quinnen Williams from the New York Jets in exchange for a 2027 first-round pick, 2026 second-round pick and defensive tackle Mazi Smith, according to multiple reports.

With Williams aboard, the Cowboys hope to have a player capable of turning around the team’s defensive fortunes this season and beyond. New York, meanwhile, is going for a full teardown that few could have seen coming.

How did each team fare in the deal? Here are our marks for each team.

Cowboys grade: B+

After trading Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers, Jones made it known that he had inquired with the Jets about Williams in a possible deal that would have included both the star edge rusher and defensive tackle. Turns out he just needed to circle back.

The Williams deal will no doubt be evaluated in tandem with the Parsons swap. Regardless of whether Dallas is actually better off this way, it’s clear that this was Jones’ preferred route. He lands one of the league’s best defensive tackles in Williams, who meets the owner’s marks as both an elite run stuffer and pass rusher, while putting him alongside another stout interior figure in Kenny Clark. (There’s the little matter of how to deploy the two along with Osa Odighizuwa, but Jones, coach Brian Schottenheimer and defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus will sort that out later.) There’s also much better financial flexibility here, with Williams signed through 2027 on a deal that has him as just the seventh-highest-paid defensive tackle.

The question here is the draft capital. The Cowboys are set to send the higher of their two 2027 first-round picks to the Jets, according to multiple reports. If that ends up as a top-10 or top-15 pick, it’ll be hard to swallow. But Dallas still has two first-rounders this year thanks to the Parsons deal, and it could be well-positioned to land a needed edge rusher to help the defensive front get its full reset.

There might be too much work to be done on the 31st-ranked scoring defense for Williams’ arrival to save a 3-5-1 campaign. But the move changes the complexion of a unit short on any hope of a turnaround, and the future is bright.

Jets grade: A-

So much of Aaron Glenn and Darren Mougey’s beginning with the Jets seemed to entail the new regime fighting against the current of the roster’s existing setup. Tuesday marked an abrupt shift, with the organization essentially conceding that it was going to take a much longer view in getting Gang Green to a point of competitiveness.

In a trade deadline that seemed to lack buzz due to a shortage of sellers, the Jets changed everything by essentially declaring everything – or at least their most valuable assets, including cornerback Sauce Gardner – must go. And at 1-7 with myriad problems, Gang Green had every reason to confront the full scope of its problems.

Williams had relatively modest production this season. His 10% pass-rush win rate ranks just 17th among defensive tackles, according to ESPN, while he’s notched just one sack. But it’s impossible to separate his play from the lack of support around him, with teams able to frequently double-team him and cater their game plans toward neutralizing him.

What matters now for New York, however, is that the team owns five first-round draft picks in the span of the next two years. There’s essentially a blank slate in Florham Park, and Jets brass will have immense resources in shaping their future to their liking.