I haven’t formally outlined it, but in researching this year’s Hall of Fame ballot I find myself breaking the candidate pool into three distinct classes of electability.

The first group is the no-doubters, which Ichiro Suzuki now joins in his first year of eligibility. Ichiro was a unique talent whose impeccable bat control, blazing speed and outstanding throwing arm combined to make him one of the best players of his era. His lack of walks and .402 career slugging percentage led to a relatively modest 60 WAR … but the two batting titles, 10 Gold Gloves and an AL MVP award (not to mention his immense popularity) give him a good chance to be voted in unanimously.

The other holdovers from last year I believe should and will be elected to Cooperstown are Billy Wagner (in his final year on the ballot) and Carlos Beltrán. I’ve discussed their qualifications many times and have voted for them every year I’ve been able to.

The second category of players are borderline candidates I believe should be elected, even though I recognize other people feel they may fall short.

Returning candidates Andruw Jones, Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley are joined this year by CC Sabathia.

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A six-time All-Star and 2007 AL Cy Young winner, Sabathia had both a high peak and exceptional longevity as evidenced by his 251 wins and 3,093 strikeouts during a 19-year career. I didn’t necessarily feel like he was a slam-dunk Hall of Famer while he was playing, but his overall numbers speak very loudly.

The third category is a new one for me – and it’s probably the one that will generate the most debate. This group is comprised of players who admittedly don’t quite meet the established Hall of Fame standard, but still deserve to be part of the conversation.

I could just as easily left these players off my ballot and felt good about voting for a magnificent class of seven.

But with three spots still open, it doesn’t hurt to add more names to the discussion. I know my one vote this year won’t put any of them in the Hall. I’m simply showing my support for their candidacy ahead of the other lower-percentage players on the ballot.

Even if their chances of getting in are slim at the moment, there’s always a possibility that perspectives can change over time. We’ve seen players like Bert Blyleven, Tim Raines and most recently Larry Walker and Todd Helton start slowly, but gradually build momentum and eventually make it to Cooperstown.

So here’s why I’m including Félix Hernández, Andy Pettitte and Mark Buehrle on my 2025 ballot.

Admittedly, King Félix was one of my favorite players to watch. His genuine love for the game and for competing made it almost impossible not to root for him. He was incredibly consistent, posting 10 consecutive seasons with 30+ starts. And he was the unquestioned ace of the Mariners, starting 11 times on opening day.

Hernández was also one of the first players to make me realize there was more to being a great pitcher than surface stats. His AL Cy Young award in 2010 – when he beat out Sabathia – was a watershed moment for sabermetrics because he had “only” 13 wins (but led the majors with a 2.27 ERA in almost 250 innings).

The biggest drawback to Hernández’s candidacy is his relatively low career totals: 169 wins, 2,524 strikeouts, and perhaps most glaringly, zero playoff appearances. And his production fell off dramatically after age 30.

But still, he was most certainly one of the best pitchers of his time. During his decade-long peak from 2007-16, he accumulated 47.2 WAR – third over that span behind Clayton Kershaw and Justin Verlander.

He led the AL in fewest hits per nine innings three times, he won two ERA titles and pitched a perfect game against the Rays in 2012.

Sabathia had a better overall career and has a much better Hall of Fame resume than Hernández, but at their best, I’d rather have King Félix if I needed to win one game.

Because of the way starting pitchers are being used, it’s pretty obvious the historic standards we’ve used for decades are becoming increasingly more unrealistic as each year passes. As a result, they will becomee an endangered species in Cooperstown.

That’s why – with two open spots remaining on my ballot – I’m including Pettitte and Buehrle for the first time.

Both won over 200 games during their lengthy careers and were key members of World Series-winning teams. Their overall numbers are so very close, with Pettitte’s lengthy postseason resume (a record 44 playoff starts) and five championship rings balanced out by Burhrle’s edge in All-Star appearances and his Gold Glove defense.

Until this year, they’ve both been just below the line for me, partly because I’ve had one open spot on my ballot twice in the past four years and I couldn’t pick one over the other. But while looking into Hernández’s case for the Hall, I came across one startling stat.

Adjusted ERA (ERA+) is a number that takes ballpark factors into account and scales it so 100 is average. Over their entire careers, Hernández, Pettitte and Buehrle each finished with the exact same 117 ERA+ (just ahead of Sabathia’s 116). If it was so difficult before to choose between Pettitte and Buehrle, adding King Félix to the mix made it almost impossible. Each pitcher was outstanding in his own way – and with workhorse starters (Buehrle had 14 consecutive 200-inning seasons!) a thing of the past, perhaps it’s past time to give them their due.

My 2025 Hall of Fame ballot

Ichiro Suzuki
CC Sabathia
Billy Wagner
Carlos Beltrán
Félix Hernández
Andy Pettitte
Mark Buehrle
Andruw Jones
Jimmy Rollins
Chase Utley

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In Sugar Bowl, Marcus Freeman uplifts Notre Dame to biggest postseason win since Lou Holtz.
Fighting Irish surge before halftime, before kickoff return lands big blow to Georgia.
Marcus Freeman outwits Kirby Smart, whose Georgia dynasty faded this season.

NEW ORLEANS – Marcus Freeman shimmied and high-fived and hugged and smiled, and why shouldn’t he do all that and more?

Notre Dame’s Jayden Harrison had just sprinted into the end zone on a kickoff return touchdown for the Irish’s third score in less than a minute of game time, as Notre Dame drove a dagger through the vestiges of Georgia coach Kirby Smart’s dynasty.

And the Notre Dame coach’s elation couldn’t have matched the euphoria of those wearing green and navy in the Superdome stands.

The Irish waited a long time for this one.

I mean, a long, long time.

How long? The Notre Dame players who starred in this 23-10 breaking of Georgia in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Sugar Bowl weren’t alive for the last Irish victory of this magnitude.

Even Freeman, the Irish’s 38-year-old coach, would need a phone call to Lou Holtz to refresh any fuzzy memories of the golden domers enjoying a golden moment of this caliber on a postseason stage.

Does this result mean Notre Dame is bound for national championship glory? I retain doubts. The next two rounds will be brawls worthy of brass knuckles, starting with Penn State in the Orange Bowl in one week. Notre Dame isn’t the most complete team left in the field, but it proved it’s more polished than Georgia, armed with a defense as good as any.

‘I want to celebrate this,’ Freeman said. ‘I’m proud of these guys. I’m proud of this program. … We got to get on that plane and turn our focus to Penn State.’

Regardless of what comes next, that shouldn’t minimize what occurred here for a program that secured its biggest postseason win in more than 30 years.

‘To reach team glory like this, it’s an awesome deal,’ linebacker Jack Kiser said.

Marcus Freeman wins the game Brian Kelly couldn’t at Notre Dame

Irish fans won’t want to admit this, but Freeman’s predecessor, Brian Kelly, did a lot of good in restoring Notre Dame to prominence. His teams generally fared well in the regular season, and Kelly claimed signature victories against Oklahoma and Clemson en route to peak seasons, but his Irish enjoyed no luck in the postseason, where they persistently wilted.

Georgia, quite literally, became an opponent Kelly couldn’t beat.

These Irish could have withered too, after Georgia dominated Thursday for a quarter and a half, but Notre Dame’s defense never gave in.

A nasty unit, the Fighting Irish defenders form a better group even than one-time defensive wizard Smart built this season at Georgia. Notre Dame also made fewer grave mistakes than an opponent that lived up to the reputation it built for being an unrefined team prone to costly turnovers.

I don’t know how many NIL dollars Georgia spent on its offensive line, but, whatever the amount, I know it didn’t get its money’s worth.

Notre Dame roughhoused a foe that just a couple years ago stood as the toughest bully on the block. Irish safety Adon Shuler popped Georgia tailback Trevor Etienne in the backfield to force a red-zone fumble, ending an early Georgia drive that otherwise should have produced points.

When Smart had the option to go into halftime down by three points, he instead forced the issue with 39 seconds remaining, his team 75 yards from the end zone, a backup quarterback on the field and an offensive line that failed to protect him.

Notre Dame’s RJ Oben strip-sacked Gunner Stockton, setting up the Irish with a short field for a momentum-changing touchdown before halftime.

“We tried to be aggressive in two minute and probably regret it, right?” Smart told ESPN.

That loosely translates to: Smart blew that one. Bigtime.

When you get down to it, Georgia should be considered fortunate to even make it this far. Fortunate to escape middling Georgia Tech on Black Friday. Fortunate to rally past Texas in an SEC championship game in which it largely got outplayed. Fortunate the SEC was down so it could win the conference and reach the quarterfinals.

Once the sport’s giant, the Bulldogs’ rule wavered last season, then went caput this season.

Irish made Georgia look ordinary, and that’s only a surprise if you didn’t watch Georgia before the Sugar Bowl, because Mississippi smashed the Bulldogs in November, Alabama bum-rushed ‘em in September, and neither of those teams is as solid as Notre Dame.

The Irish, unremarkable on offense, play stifling defense. They don’t beat themselves on offense, and quarterback Riley Leonard’s steady hand and smooth wheels generally allows the offense to pack just enough of a punch.  

Georgia’s dynasty fades in mess of miscues that includes Kirby Smart

Sure, Georgia missed starting quarterback Carson Beck, but the Bulldogs were fickle and flawed even before his injury, with Beck contributing to the issues. This result felt less about Georgia being wounded and more about Notre Dame seizing an opportunity.

Georgia entered the season on the shortest of shortlists for national championship front-runners, and the Bulldogs lived up to the billing while smacking Clemson in the season opener.

A mirage, that was. Since that August day in Atlanta, the Bulldogs showed themselves to be an undisciplined, unpolished and, yes, poorly coached team.

Smart got in over his head and muddled through an uncharacteristic amateur hour. He lost his way, and his stranglehold on the sport, after he surrendered the immense talent advantage he’d built during back-to-back national championship seasons.

Freeman outwitted Smart, and his team beat Georgia at its own game. Or, its old game anyway, because Georgia rarely looked as steady or as fierce this season as Notre Dame looked in this Sugar Bowl.

Georgia became quite something once, not that long ago. Nothing special about these Bulldogs, but something very special about this Notre Dame triumph that makes us take the Irish seriously.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer. Subscribe to read all of his columns.

The announcement of the rosters for the 2025 Pro Bowl Games comes at a fitting time on the NFL calendar: as a pitstop to something more substantive, namely Week 18 and the conclusion of the regular season.

The selections themselves still stand as somewhat of a distinction for an event still trying to establish its relevance with its audience amid its evolving format. And while arguing about Pro Bowl snubs can seem a bit outlandish given that many players will be added later as dropouts materialize, the debates over who deserves the recognition are yet another example of the league managing to spark interest and intrigue around developments that aren’t particularly consequential.

With that said, here are the most notable omissions from Thursday’s announcement, along with an examination of how strong each player’s case is:

Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs

Unlike the other players on this list, Mahomes doesn’t have much of a case for inclusion on the initial list, as the stacked group of AFC quarterbacks features three legitimate MVP candidates in the Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen, Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson and Cincinnati Bengals’ Joe Burrow, all of whom are largely more statistically accomplished this season than the two-time NFL MVP. Still, only a field this loaded could relegate Mahomes to alternate status after he was selected to the Pro Bowl in his first six years as a starter.

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Mahomes has engineered a career-high five fourth-quarter comebacks and seven game-winning drives this season, routinely proving to be the difference for a team that has gone 11-0 in one-score games. But while he has also completed a personal-best 67.5% of his passes, he’s also averaging an all-time low of 6.8 yards per attempt while navigating the Chiefs’ myriad issues up front and in the receiving corps, though those problems have largely been smoothed out in recent weeks. Here’s betting that a guy who has every reason to want to avoid playing in this game as he aims for a historic three-peat is probably unbothered by the development.

A.J. Brown, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

Brown might have been done in by the three games he missed due to a hamstring injury. Yet he still finished with more receiving yards than Terry McLaurin (1,079 to 1,034) and was far more efficient, with his 3.67 yards per route run only outpaced by the Los Angeles Rams’ Puka Nacua among players with at least 200 routes run. Brown’s dominance is difficult to fully capture based on volume stats given how the Eagles’ run-heavy offense functions, but the overall effect he has is clearly on par with the pass catchers who were included.

Brian Thomas Jr., WR, Jacksonville Jaguars

Making the Pro Bowl as a rookie can be exceedingly difficult without the right blend of output, attention and positional opportunity. Thomas certainly had enough of the first category, as he ranks fifth in the NFL in receiving yards (1,179) despite having Trevor Lawrence for just 11 starts this season. But he might have been lacking in the latter two, as the Jaguars have continued to toil in obscurity amid a 4-12 campaign. Thomas also had six more touchdowns than Jerry Jeudy, who was named a starter despite more than one-fifth of his yardage production coming in one game.

Jonnu Smith, TE, Miami Dolphins

There was little room for discussion about the AFC’s tight ends, given the record-setting rookie campaign of Brock Bowers and Travis Kelce placing first in the fan vote. But Smith should be lauded for putting together a career season as an eighth-year veteran. He beat Kelce in receiving yards (828 to 823) and touchdowns (seven to three) despite having 18 fewer catches and 34 fewer targets. Mark Andrews also merited consideration.

Leonard Williams, Interior DL, Seattle Seahawks

It’s hard to compare interior defensive linemen to one another given how varying schemes and responsibilities can dictate their production – or lack thereof. Still, few of his peers can compare to Williams, who is tied for the most sacks (nine) among players on the inside and is tied for fourth at the position in pass rush win rate, according to ESPN. While it may end up a moot point with the New York Giants’ Dexter Lawrence still recovering from a dislocated elbow, Williams had a strong case to be chosen ahead of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Vita Vea.

Trent McDuffie, CB, Kansas City Chiefs

McDuffie just can’t seem to crack the Pro Bowl formula, as he was overlooked last year as well despite later being named a first-team All-Pro. In 2024, he proved his previous effort was no aberration, as he gave up even fewer yards per reception (10.1 to 10.5) and lower passer rating when targeted (82.9 to 94.4), according to Pro Football Reference. McDuffie also notched the first two interceptions of his career. The cornerback field in the AFC is extremely deep, with the New England Patriots’ Christian Gonzalez and Buffalo Bills’ Christian Benford also not making the cut. Either of them or McDuffie could have gotten in ahead of the Cleveland Browns’ Denzel Ward or Ravens’ Marlon Humphrey without issue.

Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Philadelphia Eagles

It feels strange to keep stumping a team that can claim the third-most Pro Bowlers of any team. Mitchell likely isn’t even Philadelphia’s biggest snub, with Brown and left tackle Jordan Mailata standing out as more notable cases. But the first-round pick out of Toledo has put together a debut worthy of NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year consideration, as he has locked down the likes of Ja’Marr Chase, CeeDee Lamb and Mike Evans, among others, while taking on a leading role in the Eagles’ secondary. While the Carolina Panthers’ Jaycee Horn hasn’t received much help, he still got the nod ahead of Mitchell and others despite posting career worsts with six touchdowns allowed and a 92.7 passer rating when targeted, according to Pro Football Reference.

Kerby Joseph, FS, Detroit Lions

Maybe he was the victim of the Lions’ heavy presence, especially with teammate Brian Branch claiming one of the NFC’s other safety spots. Or maybe it was difficult for a player who has yet to become a household name to receive his due, even in a breakout campaign. Still, it’s hard to square how a player who leads the NFL with nine interceptions could be passed over, especially when he ranked first at his position in the fan vote. Joseph isn’t merely the beneficiary of some good turnover luck, either, as the ballhawk also has 12 passes defensed this season after hauling in four interceptions in each of his first two seasons. If Joseph played in the AFC, he would have had a strong shot to be the choice over Minkah Fitzpatrick.

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Indiana Fever star and 2024 WNBA rookie of the year Caitlin Clark was the guest this week on New Heights, the podcast hosted by Jason and Travis Kelce.

And, of course, the topics ranged from discussing being a Kansas City Chiefs fan to opining about Travis Kelce’s girlfriend, pop superstar Taylor Swift.

Clark cleared up speculation that she, like many others who have become Chiefs fans since the Kelce-Swift partnership, isn’t a bandwagon fan. She also said that Kelce is her favorite player.

‘I had family in Kansas City and I grew up in Des Moines, Iowa, which is only three hours from Kansas City, so that’s just the closest NFL team,’ Clark said. ‘My dad was a big Chiefs fan growing up. People think I’m like a bandwagon Chiefs fan, I’m like, ‘No, I was there before Patrick (Mahomes) and Travis.’ We were ride or dies, so we’ve been big fans.’

Clark said she turned her mother into a ‘Swiftie,’ the term given to die-hard fans of the Grammy winner, after taking her to a concert.

‘My mom was begging me to take her,’ Clark said. ‘She was like, ‘I gotta go, everybody is talking about it.’ I’m like, ‘OK, OK,’

‘Turned my mom into a full Swiftie. Two of my cousins were there. Good time!’

While women’s sports, especially the WNBA, have grown in popularity and viewership, Clark was asked about collegiate sports.

Clark set the NCAA all-time scoring record while at Iowa in March, and she parlayed that into numerous endorsement opportunities and becoming the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft. During the episode, she was asked about the transfer portal.

‘The transfer portal is crazy – especially in football. That’s where I think it’s gotten the craziest,’ Clark said. ‘It’s kind of sad. You lost a little bit of that amateurism of college sports … but also, it’s the world we’re living in.

‘Now we got people on their fourth school in their seventh year. It’s getting egregious.’

The NFL’s 272-game regular-season schedule is down to its final 16 contests.

Week 18 will begin Saturday, when the AFC North title will be decided. The Baltimore Ravens can win it – dicey a proposition as that might prove – by beating the Cleveland Browns in the day’s first game. If not, the Steelers could reclaim the divisional flag by vanquishing the Bengals on Saturday night in Pittsburgh, though surging Cincinnati is still fighting for its own slim playoff chances.

Sunday’s afternoon games will determine the NFC South crown (either the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or Atlanta Falcons), the AFC’s final wild-card entry (either the Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins or, perhaps, Bengals) plus several undetermined seeds.

But the game of the weekend – and perhaps the entire regular season – will take place Sunday evening at Ford Field, where the Minnesota Vikings will visit the Detroit Lions with just a few items hanging in the balance: a 15-win regular season, the NFC North championship, home-field advantage and a first-round bye on the NFC side of the Super Bowl 59 tournament.

Here’s how USA TODAY Sports’ panel of NFL experts see the regular-season finales playing out:

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Georgia football on Thursday became the fourth and final team with a first-round bye to be eliminated from the College Football Playoff after its Sugar Bowl loss to No. 7 Notre Dame.

In the midst of the Bulldogs’ third loss of the season came a rare sideline inference penalty by a member of their roster who was inactive for Thursday’s game: Parker Jones. However, he was part of one of the most impactful plays in the first half of the game.

Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton connected with wide receiver Arian Smith for a 67-yard pass down to the Notre Dame 11-yard line in the second quarter, setting up what was at that time the Bulldogs’ best scoring opportunity in a 0-0 tie. But the Bulldogs were moved back 15 yards, to the Notre Dame 26, after side judge JB Garza ran into Jones as he followed the play down the sideline.

Jones was assessed the penalty because of Article 5 of the ‘Game Administration and Sideline Interference’ in the NCAA rulebook, which states ‘physical interference with an official is a foul charged to the team for unsportsmanlike conduct.’

Said Georgia coach Kirby Smart of the penalty:

‘Very unfortunate,’ Smart said. ‘I think it was a player, from what I’ve been told, in the white, and the white is reserved for the officials. That’s a safety concern. Most of the time, they’ll grant you a warning on that, but it was not — it was a situation where it cost us 15 yards. We still had first-and-10 and didn’t take advantage of it.’

Georgia ended up settling for a field goal, its only score of the first half, to go up 3-0. ESPN broadcasters Sean McDonough and Greg McElroy kept going back to Jones throughout the broadcast — so much so that observers believed ESPN was implying Jones was the reason the Bulldogs were upset by the Irish.

‘The one play that should not be forgotten, will certainly be talked about in the postmortems, is the play at the beginning of the second quarter,’ McDonough said in the fourth quarter.

College football fans on social media took issue with ESPN’s focus on Jones, as the Fighting Irish were largely dominant in the 23-10 victory. The Notre Dame defense recovered two Georgia fumbles, one of which led directly to a Riley Leonard touchdown. Moreover, Jayden Harrison returned the opening second-half kickoff 98 yards for a score.

With that, here’s how social media reacted to ESPN’s focus on Jones in Thursday’s Sugar Bowl broadcast:

Social media reacts to ESPN’s focus on Georgia’s Parker Jones

With the loss, Georgia concludes its season with an 11-3 record. Meanwhile, Notre Dame now advances to the CFP Orange Bowl semifinals against No. 6 Penn State on Thursday, Jan. 9 at Hard Rock Stadium.

Automatic bids to the College Football Playoff in 2024 equated to automatic losses.

Following the conclusion of the quarterfinal round of the initial 12-team playoff, all four of the teams that won their conference and earned a first-round bye are now officially out of contention for the national championship. While the automatic bids were out of the CFP committee’s hands, they likely deserve credit for getting it mostly right with the rest of the field.

No. 1 Oregon (Big Ten) was soundly beaten 41-21 by No. 8 Ohio State, while No. 7 Notre Dame beat No. 2 Georgia (SEC) 23-10, No. 6 Penn State beat No. 3 Boise State (Mountain West) 31-14 and No. 5 Texas beat No. 4 Arizona State (Big 12) 39-31 in an overtime thriller.

No. 12 Clemson also earned an automatic bid to the College Football Playoff for winning the ACC, but the Tigers did not get a first-round bye. They lost 38-24 to Texas in the first-round.

The semifinals features two teams that lost in a conference title game: Penn State and Texas. Notre Dame does not play in a conference, and Ohio State did not advance to the Big Ten title game after losing to rival Michigan in the final week of the regular season.

College Football Playoff quarterfinal results

Here are the final scores for the CFP quarterfinal games. In the first 12-team CFP, all four top seeds lost. Only the Texas-Arizona State matchup was a one-score game, going to overtime.

Peach Bowl: No. 5 Texas 39, No. 4 Arizona State 31 (2 OT)
Rose Bowl: No. 8 Ohio State 41, No. 1 Oregon 21
Fiesta Bowl: No. 6 Penn State 31, No. 3 Boise State 14
Sugar Bowl: No. 7 Notre Dame 23, No. 2 Georgia 10

College Football semifinal matchups

Here’s a look at the CFP semifinals matchups:

Cotton Bowl: No. 5 Texas vs. No. 8 Ohio State | 7:30 p.m., ET, Jan 10
Orange Bowl: No. 6 Penn State vs. No. 7 Notre Dame | 7:30 p.m. ET, Jan. 9

The Baltimore Ravens are still trying to lock down the AFC North title, but they own the distinction of having the most Pro Bowl selections of any NFL team this season.

With the rosters for the 2025 Pro Bowl games revealed Thursday, the Ravens pace the league with nine selections. The Detroit Lions were next with seven, while the Philadelphia Eagles had six.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was the odd man out in a loaded field of AFC passers, with the Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen, Cincinnati Bengals’ Joe Burrow and Ravens’ Lamar Jackson all getting in ahead of him. Mahomes, who has been a Pro Bowl selection in all six years he has been a starter, could still get in as a replacement.

Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, who finished among all players in fan voting, was selected to his 10th career Pro Bowl, placing him in a tie with New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers for the second-most selections of any active player behind San Francisco 49ers left tackle Trent Williams, who has 11. Neither Rodgers nor Williams received a nod this year.

But the Las Vegas Raiders’ Brock Bowers was chosen as the starter ahead of Kelce after his record-setting rookie campaign.

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Among the other rookies who were chosen was Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels and Los Angeles Rams outside linebacker Jared Verse, the front-runners for Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year.

The Pro Bowl Games will be held Feb. 2 in Orlando, with the league again featuring a flag football contest and a ‘Skills Show’ the previous Thursday rather than a full-fledged game.

2025 Pro Bowl rosters

AFC (starters in italics)

Quarterbacks

Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

Wide receivers

Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals

Nico Collins, Houston Texans

Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens

Jerry Jeudy, Cleveland Browns

Running backs

Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens

Joe Mixon, Houston Texans

Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts

Tight ends

Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders

Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs

Fullback

Patrick Ricard, Baltimore Ravens

Offensive tackles

Dion Dawkins, Buffalo Bills

Rayshawn Slater, Los Angeles Chargers

Laremy Tunsil, Houston Texans

Guards

Quenton Nelson, Indianapolis Colts

Trey Smith, Kansas City Chiefs

Joe Thuney, Kansas City Chiefs

Centers

Creed Humphrey, Kansas City Chiefs

Tyler Linderbaum, Baltimore Ravens

Defensive ends

Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas Raiders

Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns

Trey Hendrickson, Cincinnati Bengals

Interior linemen

Cameron Heyward, Pittsburgh Steelers

Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs

Nnamdi Madubuike, Baltimore Ravens

Outside linebackers

Nik Bonitto, Denver Broncos

Khalil Mack, Los Angeles Chargers

T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers

Inside/middle linebackers

Zaire Franklin, Indianapolis Colts

Roquan Smith, Baltimore Ravens

Cornerbacks

Marlon Humphrey, Baltimore Ravens

Derek Stingley Jr., Houston Texans

Pat Surtain II, Denver Broncos

Denzel Ward, Cleveland Browns

Free safety

Minkah Fitzpatrick, Pittsburgh Steelers

Strong safeties

Kyle Hamilton, Baltimore Ravens

Derwin James, Los Angeles Chargers

Punter

Logan Cooke, Jacksonville Jaguars

Placekicker

Chris Boswell, Pittsburgh Steelers

Long snapper

Ross Matiscik, Jacksonville Jaguars

Return specialist

Marvin Mims Jr., Denver Broncos

Special teamer

Brenden Schooler, New England Patriots

NFC (starters in italics)

Quarterbacks

Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders

Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings

Jared Goff, Detroit Lions

Wide receivers

Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings

CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys

Terry McLaurin, Washington Commanders

Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions

Running backs

Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles

Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions

Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers

Fullback

Kyle Juszczyk, San Francisco 49ers

Tight ends

George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers

Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals

Offensive tackles

Lane Johnson, Philadelphia Eagles

Penei Sewell, Detroit Lions

Tristan Wirfs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Offensive guards

Lane Dickerson, Philadelphia Eagles

Chris Lindstrom, Atlanta Falcons

Tyler Smith, Dallas Cowboys

Centers

Cam Jurgens, Philadelphia Eagles

Frank Ragnow, Detroit Lions

Defensive ends

Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers

Rashan Gary, Green Bay Packers

Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys

Interior linemen

Jalen Carter, Philadelphia Eagles

Dexter Lawrence, New York Giants

Vita Vea, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Outside linebacker

Jonathan Greenard, Minnesota Vikings

Andrew Van Ginkel, Minnesota Vikings

Jared Verse, Los Angeles Rams

Inside/middle linebackers

Zack Baun, Philadelphia Eagles

Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers

Cornerbacks

Jaycee Horn, Carolina Panthers

Jaylon Johnson, Chicago Bears

Byron Murphy, Minnesota Vikings

Devon Witherspoon, Seattle Seahawks

Free safety

Xavier McKinney, Green Bay Packers

Strong safety

Budda Baker, Arizona Cardinals

Brian Branch, Detroit Lions

Punter

Jack Fox, Detroit Lions

Placekicker

Brandon Aubrey, Dallas Cowboys

Long snapper

Andrew DePaola, Minnesota Vikings

Return specialist

KaVontae Turpin, Dallas Cowboys

Special teamer

KhaDarel Hodges, Atlanta Falcons

Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin is back from his fractured left fibula and resuming his pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career goal record.

Ovechkin, 39, had missed 16 games after absorbing a leg-on-leg collision during a Nov. 18 game against the Utah Hockey Club. He returned on Dec. 28 and has scored goals in three of his first four games back.

Ovechkin entered this season needing 42 goals to break Gretzky’s record of 894 career goals, which has stood since 1999. The Capitals captain has 18 goals this season, with 44 games left.

If he doesn’t reach the record this season, he has one more season left on his contract.

Here’s where Ovechkin stands in his chase of Gretzky’s goal record:

How many goals does Alex Ovechkin have?

Ovechkin has 871 career goals.

How close is Alex Ovechkin to Wayne Gretzky’s goal record?

Ovechkin needs 24 goals to break Gretzky’s record.

How many goals does Alex Ovechkin have this season?

Ovechkin has 18 goals and 10 assists in 22 games. Factoring in the 16 games he missed, that is a 54-goal pace.

What did Alex Ovechkin do in his last game?

He had one goal on four shots in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Minnesota Wild. He fired a snap shot from the point past Marc-Andre Fleury on a power play during the second period. Ovechkin has scored 28 regular-season goals against Fleury, the most he’s scored on any goalie. Fleury did stop Ovechkin’s shootout attempt to seal the win.

When is Alex Ovechkin’s next game?

The Capitals play Saturday, Jan. 4, at home against the New York Rangers. Ovechkin has 44 goals in 74 career games vs. the Rangers.

Alex Ovechkin career goal breakdown

Even strength: 549, third overall

Power play: 317, a record

Short-handed: 5

Empty net: 60, a record

Game winners: 132, second overall

Multi-goal games: 177, second overall

Goalies scored against: 178, tied for record

Hat tricks: 31, sixth overall

Who are the NHL’s top all-time goal scorers?

The top 21 NHL all-time goal scorers all have 600 or more goals. All of the players are in the Hockey Hall of Fame, except Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby and Jaromir Jagr, who are still playing.

1. Wayne Gretzky, 894 goals in 1,487 games

2. Alex Ovechkin, 871 goals in 1,448 games

3. Gordie Howe, 801 goals in 1,767 games

4. Jaromir Jagr, 766 goals in 1,733 games

5. Brett Hull, 741 goals in 1,269 games

6. Marcel Dionne, 731 in 1,348 games

7. Phil Esposito, 717 goals in 1,282 games

8. Mike Gartner, 708 goals in 1,432 games

9. Mark Messier, 694 goals in 1,756 games

10. Steve Yzerman, 692 goals in 1,514 games

11. Mario Lemieux, 690 goals in 915 games

12. Teemu Selanne, 684 goals in 1,451 games

13. Luc Robitaille, 668 goals in 1,431 games

14. Brendan Shanahan, 656 goals in 1,524 games

15. Dave Andreychuk, 640 goals in 1,639 games

16. Jarome Iginla, 625 goals in 1,554 games

17. Joe Sakic, 625 goals in 1,378 games

18. Bobby Hull, 610 goals in 1,063 games

19. Dino Ciccarelli, 608 goals in 1,232 games

20. Sidney Crosby, 602 goals in 1,310 games

21. Jari Kurri, 601 goals in 1,251 games