San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch did not mince words on the status of wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk’s future with the team.

‘I think it’s safe to say he’s played his last snap with the 49ers,’ Lynch told reporters in a Jan. 21 press conference, according to Matt Barrows of The Athletic.

Aiyuk, 27, has not played in a game since October 2024, when he sustained ACL and MCL injuries in a Week 7 game.

The 2020 first-round pick was at the center of 49ers drama throughout the 2025 season. Aiyuk began the summer on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list as he worked his way back from the knee injury he suffered in 2024. By November, the 49ers had voided Aiyuk’s guaranteed money for 2026, with The Athletic’s Dianna Russini and Michael Silver reporting that the wideout had ‘failed to attend meetings and declined to participate in other team activities.’

In December, the 49ers moved Aiyuk to the reserve/left squad list. A week later, the wide receiver posted a video to his YouTube account showing himself driving faster than 90 mph through intersections near Levi’s Stadium – the 49ers’ home field in Santa Clara, California.

The speed limit in the area where Aiyuk was driving is 25 mph, according to San Jose city data.

Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters on Jan. 21 that communication with Aiyuk broke down completely at some point during the season. The receiver ‘stopped answering anyone’s phone calls, including the head coach’s,’ Barrows reported.

‘That’s something I’d never seen in 22 years of coaching,’ Shanahan said, per Barrows.

With the 49ers’ voiding of Aiyuk’s guaranteed money for 2026 and Lynch’s comments on Jan. 21, a split between the two sides appears likely.

At the start of the 2026 season, Aiyuk will be 28 years old and a season and a half removed from NFL action.

USA TODAY Sports’ Ayrton Ostly contributed to this report.

The Kansas City Chiefs are bringing an old friend back to their coaching staff.

The Chiefs are hiring Eric Bieniemy as their offensive coordinator, USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon has confirmed, returning the NFL coach to the same position he held from 2018 to 2022 – quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ first five years as a starter.

Bieniemy, 56, has spent the last three seasons with other teams during his time away from the Chiefs. In 2023, he was the Washington Commanders’ assistant head coach and offensive coordinator. In 2024, Bieniemy was the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator for the UCLA Bruins. Most recently, Bieniemy was the Chicago Bears’ running backs coach in 2025.

In the three years since Bieniemy left Kansas City, the Chiefs’ offensive production has declined steadily. In 2022, Bieniemy’s last year as the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator, they led the NFL in average yards (413.6 per game) and points (29.2 per game). In 2025, Kansas City ranked 20th in average yards (320.6) and 21st in points scored (21.3).

During Bieniemy’s one-year tenure as the Bears’ running backs coach, Chicago saw veteran RB D’Andre Swift set new career highs in yards (1,087) and touchdowns (9). Seventh-round pick Kyle Monangai also played a significant role in the Bears’ offense as he broke out in his rookie season.

The Bears finished the regular season averaging 144.5 rushing yards per game, which ranked third in the NFL. Their 46.2% rushing success rate also ranked third.

Bieniemy will replace former Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, whose contract expired after the 2025 season and is among several head coaching candidates in this year’s hiring cycle.

The Chiefs won two Super Bowls during Bieniemy’s last stint as offensive coordinator and will be seeking a return to playoff contention after missing the postseason in 2025.

Winter is here, and with it is coming a sizeable snow and ice storm that is expected to impact large swaths of the United States.

Millions of Americans are already under advisories for cold weather and dangerous ice conditions in addition to the oncoming snow. More than two dozen states are in the line of the developing storm, from Texas up through the Northeast, according to AccuWeather meteorologists.

The exact path of the storm isn’t yet clear. However, at present, it isn’t expected to have an impact on either of this weekend’s NFL playoff contests. The AFC and NFC championship games are being played in cities that are presently out of the predicted path of the storm.

Here’s what to know about the forecast for the AFC and NFC championship games as the United States gears up for a major winter storm.

Where is the AFC championship game?

The AFC championship game is set to be in Denver this season. The Broncos earned the No. 1 seed in the AFC, so Empower Field at Mile High Stadium will be the site for their game against the New England Patriots.

The Broncos last hosted the AFC championship game during the 2015 NFL playoffs, which were played in 2016. It was 46 degrees with 6 mph of wind at kickoff of the contest, per Pro Football Reference, which Denver won 20-18 over New England.

AFC championship game weather forecast

Conditions for the AFC championship game in Denver are expected to be relatively benign, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

Below is a full breakdown of the agency’s early-week forecast for the Jan. 25 game between the Broncos and Patriots:

High temperature: 31 degrees
Low temperature: 12 degrees
Chance of precipitation: TBD
Wind: TBD

The Broncos vs. Patriots game is scheduled to take place at 3 p.m. ET, which is 1 p.m. locally in Denver. Temperatures will be below freezing for Sunday’s game, but the lowest temperatures won’t happen until the evening.

As such, the teams will dodge the worst of Sunday’s cold while the band of snow crossing the country is not expected to impact the game. No precipitation is currently listed among the NWS forecast for Jan. 25.

Where is the NFC championship game?

The NFC championship game will be played in Seattle. The Seahawks earned the NFC’s No. 1 seed and have the right to host the conference title game after thrashing the 49ers 41-6 in the divisional round of the playoffs.

The Seahawks last hosted the NFC championship game during the 2014 NFL playoffs, which were contested in 2015. It was 52 degrees at kickoff with 15 mph winds blowing, according to Pro Football Reference.

The Seahawks beat the Packers 28-22 in overtime. Russell Wilson helped lead Seattle to a come-from-behind victory after Packers tight end Brandon Bostick failed to handle an onside kick late in regulation of the conference championship game.

NFC championship game forecast

Sunday’s NFC championship game will also be played amid mild conditions, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

Below is a full breakdown of the agency’s early-week forecast for the Jan. 25 game between the Seahawks and Rams:

High temperature: 45 degrees
Low temperature: 34 degrees
Chance of precipitation: TBD
Wind: TBD

The NWS notes there is ‘a slight chance of rain before 10 p.m.’ but it isn’t yet clear whether that will intersect with the game.

The Seahawks vs. Rams game is set to kick off at 6:30 p.m. ET, which is 3:30 p.m. locally in Seattle.

he Yankees signed free-agent outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger to a five-year, $162.5 million contract.
The deal includes opt-outs after the second and third years of the contract, a full no-trade clause and a $20 million signing bonus.
If Bellinger opts out after the second year of the contract, he will have earned a nifty $85 million the first two years.

The New York Yankees got their man, and yes, at their price, too.

The Yankees signed free-agent outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger to a five-year, $162.5 million contract Wednesday morning, two officials with direct knowledge told USA TODAY Sports. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deal won’t become official until Bellinger passes his physical.

The deal includes opt-outs after the second and third years of the contract, a full no-trade clause and a $20 million signing bonus. If Bellinger opts out after the second year of the contract, he will have earned a nifty $85 million the first two years.

The average $42.5 million salary the first two years is $500,000 higher than Bo Bichette’s three-year, $126 million deal with the Mets, that includes an opt-out after each season.

It was actually during Bichette’s news conference in New York that the Yankees and agent Scott Boras agreed to Bellinger’s deal, setting off a frenzy in New York.

The Yankees, who refused to budge off their five-year proposal, insisted they would not get into a bidding war. They believed all along that no one would outbid them and provide Bellinger the seven-year deal he was seeking.

They proved to be right.

They never believed the rumors that the Mets were in on Bellinger, and once the Mets traded Tuesday night for Chicago White Sox center fielder Luis Robert, it only confirmed their belief.

The Philadelphia Phillies offered Bichette a seven-year, $200 million contract last week, but they had no interest in pivoting to Bellinger. It was the same with the Blue Jays, who offered Kyle Tucker a 10-year, $350 million contract before he went to the Dodgers, but weren’t going to give the same deal to Bellinger.

So, the Yankees waited, and waited, tweaked their five-year, $160 million offer little by little with opt-outs, a no-trade clause and then bumped up it by $5 million, before reaching their agreement.

Really, this is a deal that made sense all along.

Bellinger loved his season in New York, and the Yankees loved him right back.

The reality is that the Yankees had to have him.

They needed someone to protect Aaron Judge in the lineup with Juan Soto’s departure a year ago.

They needed his defense, his versatility, his left-handed bat and his ability to handle the pressure of New York.

If the Yankees didn’t sign re-sign Bellinger, their offseason could have been an unmitigated disaster. They had a few backup plans, but nothing that could have come close to replacing Bellinger.

Bellinger was the ideal fit, hitting .272 with 29 homers and 98 RBI in 152 games last season. In his last three seasons, he’s accumulated a 12 WAR, hitting .281 with an .818 OPS, averaging 24.3 homers and 91 RBI a year.

He’s also still just 30 years old, just 1 1/2 years older than Tucker, which is why he was seeking at least a seven-year contract in free agency.

It was a huge signing for the Yankees, who weren’t shy in telling the world that bringing Bellinger back was their No. 1 priority the entire winter.

Now, the question is what the Yankees do next?

They acquired Ryan Weathers from the Miami Marlins last week, but still need another starter. And with Bellinger in left field, Trent Grisham in center and Judge in right, they have a surplus of outfielders. They could use young outfielder Jasson Dominguez, their former No. 1 prospect, as trade bait.

They are one of the teams that have been in contact with the Milwaukee Brewers about ace Freddy Peralta, who earns just $8 million and is in the final year of his contract. They’re talking to other teams, too, and plenty of starters like Framber Valdez and Zac Gallen remain on the market.

Three weeks remain before spring training, but the Yankees, after watching the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles get better, are finally back in business.

The Yankees still may not be the team to beat in the AL East, but they can finally exhale.

They got the man they wanted, and most of all, needed all along.

Bellinger is back.

So are the Yankees’ World Series hopes.

Follow Nightengale on X @Bnightengale

The Minnesota Vikings are keeping around a key member of their coaching staff – for now.

Brian Flores has signed an extension to stay with the Vikings as their defensive coordinator, the team announced on Jan. 21.

Flores is still a candidate to fill the Pittsburgh Steelers’ and Baltimore Ravens’ head coaching vacancies, and his new contract extension does not preclude him from taking a job as either team’s head coach. If the Steelers, Ravens or another team hires Flores as head coach, Minnesota would need to find a new defensive coordinator.

Flores, 44, joined Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell’s staff as defensive coordinator before the 2023 season. His contract with Minnesota expired at the end of the 2025 season, allowing him to sign on as a defensive coordinator with any other team. Instead, he’s sticking around with the Vikings on a new contract extension unless he finds a head coaching job elsewhere.

The length of Flores’ new deal in Minnesota has not yet been reported.

Over Flores’ first three seasons as Minnesota’s defensive coordinator, the Vikings’ defense grew into one of the league’s best units. Minnesota went from ranking 30th in points allowed per game in 2022 (25.1) to 14th in Flores’ first season in 2023 (21.3), fifth in 2024 (19.5) and seventh (19.6) in 2025.

The Vikings also finished the 2025 season third in expected points added (EPA) per play allowed (-0.087) and sixth in success rate allowed (41.6%).

Minnesota’s pass defense was a particular strength in 2025, as Flores’ unit finished second in the NFL with an average of 158.5 passing yards allowed per game. According to an official press release from the Vikings, that mark was the lowest by a Minnesota defense in a season since 1989 (156.3).

Three Vikings defenders earned Pro Bowl nods for the first time in 2025 under Flores’ watch: cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. and outside linebackers Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel.

Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett will fight for the interim lightweight title in the main event of UFC’s debut on Paramount+. Say goodbye to the pay-per-view fees, but don’t forget the Paramount+ subscription fee of $8.99 that gets you access to UFC fights — starting with UFC 324 Saturday, Jan. 21 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Gaethje (26-5, 20 KOs) has won three of his past four fights and continues to show the power that has earned him knockout victories against Dustin Poirier, Tony Ferguson and Donald Cerrone. But he’s also prone to getting knocked out, as Max Holloway showed in the dramatic ending of their fight in 2024.

Pimblett (23-3, 7 KOs) lacks the same penchant for knockouts as the 37-year-old Gaethje does. But Pimblett, a 31-year-old from Great Britain, has won nine fights in a row, seven of those UFC bouts.

A highly anticipated bout between Kayla Harrison and Amanda Nunez was canceled after Harrison suffered a neck injury that required surgery. That elevated a bantamweight matchup between Sean O’Malley and Song Yadong.

Here are the predictions and odds ahead of UFC 324.

UFC 324: Gaethje vs. Pimblett predictions

Action Network: Pimblett

The 31-year-old Pimblett has looked better and better in every fight, and the market is banking on him continuing to improve against 37-year-old Justin Gaethje. The former interim champion Gaethje is getting another crack at the interim title and has only ever lost to champion-level opponents, with all five of his losses coming against men who’ve at least won an interim title. That makes this a fairly big step up for Pimblett, whose best win to date was likely his third-round finish of Michael Chandler last year. Of course, that’s the same Michael Chandler who took Gaethje to a decision a few years ago, albeit an early version.

Dan Hooker: Gaethje

In an interview on Submission Radio, Hooker, the UFC lightweight fighter, said of Gaethje, ‘I think he’s gonna put Paddy to the test. …Gaethje’s takedown defense is pretty sharp, I don’t see (Pimblett taking Gaethje down). We haven’t seen Paddy get in there that often and mix it up with the best guys in their prime.”

Dustin Poirier: Gaethje

In an interview on the Ariel Helwani Show, Poirier, the former interim UFC lightweight champion, said ‘It’s a fun fight. I’m leaning towards Justin, but we’ll see. I just think he’s been in those 25-minute fights. He’s been in dogfights before. I think Paddy’s going to have a tough time stopping him on the feet. And I don’t think Paddy’s going to be able to get him down, so he’s going to have to fight with him unless Paddy can stay super disciplined for 25 minutes, stay at distance, pick his shots. …Justin’s just a bigger puncher, and he’ll put himself in harm’s way to land one of those shots. It’s tough to stay away from him for 25 minutes. I think Justin stops him.’

UFC 324: Gaethje vs. Pimblett fight card and odds

Fight card according to ESPN and odds according to BetMGM as of Wednesday.

Main Card:

Justin Gaethje (+190) vs. Paddy Pimblett (-235),  For interim lightweight title
Sean O’Malley (-210) vs. Song Yadong (+170); Bantamweight
Waldo Cortez-Acosta (-325) vs. Derrick Lewis (+260); Heavyweight
Natalie Silvia (-450) vs. Rose Namajunas (+340) Women’s flyweight
Arnold Allen (+225) vs. Jean Silva; (-300); Featherweight

Prelims:

Umar Nurmagomedov (-1600) vs. Deiveson Figueiredo (+850); Bantamweight (Odds unavailable)
Ateba Gautier (-1000) vs. Andrey Pulyaev (+625); Middleweight
Nikita Krylov (+125) vs. Modestas Bukauskas (-150); Light heavyweight
Alex Perez (+160) vs. Charles Johnson (-190); flyweight

Early Prelims:

Michael Johnson (+135) vs. Alexander Hernandez (-160); Lightweight
Josh Hokit (-225) vs. Denzel Freeman (+185); Heavyweight
Ricky Turcios (+155) vs. Cameron Smotheron (-190); Bantamweight
Adam Fugitt (+340) vs. Ty Miller (-450); Welterweight

UFC 324: Gaethje vs. Pimblett: TV and streaming information

The Justin Gaethje vs. Paddy Pimblett early prelims, prelims and main card available on Paramount+.

Watch UFC 324 on Paramount+

UFC 324: Gaethje vs. Pimblett date and time

Justin Gaethje will face Paddy Pimblett on Saturday, Jan. Merab Dvalishvili will face Petr Yan on Saturday, Jan. 24 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Date: Saturday, Jan. 24
Time: 9 p.m. ET (main card), 7 p.m. ET (prelims), 5 p.m. ET (early prelims)
Stream: Paramount+ (main card, prelims, early prelims).

The 2026 WNBA season is scheduled to begin Friday, May 8. It will be the league’s 30th season, provided the WNBA and the players’ union come to a collective bargaining agreement.

The WNBA announced the 44-game schedule for upcoming season on Wednesday as CBA talks continue.

“As we prepare to tip off the WNBA’s historic 30th season, this schedule reflects both how far the league has come and the momentum that continues to drive us forward,” WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said via a statement from the league.

“From welcoming two new organizations in Toronto and Portland, to honoring our history with marquee matchups that connect the league’s first game to today’s stars, the 2026 season will celebrate the WNBA’s past, present and future. With a record number of games, growing global reach and unprecedented momentum, this milestone season will help define the next chapter of the WNBA.”

The league’s expansion franchises, the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo, will be front and center during the opening weekend. Toronto will open with a May 8 matchup against the Washington Mystics and Portland May 9 against forward Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky. As the opening weekend rolls on, the 2025 MVP A’ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces will host the Phoenix Mercury on May 9 in a WNBA Finals rematch, and superstar Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever will take on Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings at home.

The sixth WNBA Commissioner’s Cup is scheduled from June 1-17, with the title game played on Tuesday, June 30. On June 21, the Los Angeles Sparks host the New York Liberty as a tribute to the league’s inaugural game on the same date in 1997.

In July, Chicago will host the 2026 WNBA All-Star Game on July 25 at the United Center. All-Star weekend also includes the 3-point Contest and WNBA Skills Challenge on July 24 at Wintrust Arena. The league will take a two-week break from Sept. 4-13 for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Germany. The regular season resumes after the World Cup break on Sept. 17, and concludes on Sept. 24.

The 2026 WNBA playoffs tipoff on Sept. 27 with a best-of-three first round series, followed by a best-of-five semifinals and a best-of-seven finals.

The WNBA announced it will share the complete television and streaming schedule at a later date.

USC football is expected to hire former longtime TCU head coach Gary Patterson as its next defensive coordinator, according to multiple reports on Wednesday, Jan. 21.

Patterson, 65, was most recently a consultant at Baylor in 2024 and was also a special assistant to the head coach at Texas in 2022. He led the Horned Frogs from 2000-21, leading the program from the Western Athletic Conference to Conference USA, then to the Mountain West before joining the Big 12, their current conference, in 2012.

Patterson, the school’s winningest coach by a wide margin, had six finishes in the top 10 of the US LBM Coaches Poll in his tenure. He went 11-6 in bowl games, with a Rose Bowl and a Peach Bowl win.

His 2010 squad finished 13-0 and was No. 2 in the final Coaches Poll, ahead of national championship runner-up Oregon. TCU went 12-1 in 2014 and narrowly missed out on a College Football Playoff bid in controversial fashion, leading to the Big 12 bringing back its conference championship game.

Patterson replaces D’Anton Lynn, who left to be the defensive coordinator at Penn State.

USC ranked 49th nationally in total defense in 2025, allowing an average of 350.8 yards per game. It also ranked tied for 48th in turnovers forced, with 18 on the season.

The Trojans came in at No. 12 in USA TODAY’s way-too-early rankings for 2026. They return numerous starters, including quarterback Jayden Maiava.

Patterson called the defenses at TCU during his tenure as head coach and was previously the school’s defensive coordinator from 1998-2000. Lincoln Riley and USC will soon find out if he still has the coaching chops that made him TCU’s winningest coach in program history.