The Cleveland Browns are firing Kevin Stefanski after a six-season stint as the team’s head coach.

The Browns announced the decision Jan. 5 in a statement from Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam.

‘We have tremendous gratitude for Kevin’s leadership of the Cleveland Browns over the last six seasons,’ the statement read. ‘He is a good football coach and an even better person. We appreciate all his hard work and dedication to our organization but our results over the last two seasons have not been satisfactory, and we believe a change at the head coaching position is necessary. We wish Kevin, Michelle and the Stefanski family all the best in the future.’

The Browns also announced they would be keeping general manager Andrew Berry on and that he would lead the search to find Stefanski’s successor.

‘The entirety of our focus is on building a team that brings our fans the success they long deserve, and we will continue to work relentlessly towards that goal and invest whatever resources necessary to build a winning football program,’ the Haslams said. ‘Andrew will immediately begin our thorough process to find an outstanding new head coach and leader of our football team. We have an exciting young core to build upon, and Andrew and his team are intent on adding talent to this core and building out a roster that can achieve sustainable success.’

Stefanski’s dismissal comes after the Browns posted a 5-12 record during the 2025 NFL season. Cleveland notched a 20-18 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 18, but it wasn’t enough to earn Stefanski another season with the team.

Stefanski posted a record of 45-56 across his six seasons with the Browns but oversaw what was, inarguably, the team’s most successful stretch of the 21st century.

Stefanski led the Browns to an 11-5 record in 2020, his first season with the team. Cleveland’s five-win improvement earned Stefanski the NFL’s Coach of the Year award while the Browns earned their first playoff win since 1994, a 48-37 wild-card victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Stefanski achieved similar results in 2023, leading the Browns to an 11-6 record despite the team starting five different quarterbacks. Joe Flacco enjoyed a resurgence under Stefanski’s tutelage after being signed as a free agent near the end of the season, and that helped Stefanski once again earn the NFL’s Coach of the Year award.

Despite those high points, the Browns decided to move on from Stefanski after he posted a combined record of 8-26 over his final two seasons with the team. The Browns ranked ahead of only the Las Vegas Raiders in points per game during the 2025 NFL season (16.4) and were dead-last in offensive EPA per play in 2025, per the NFL’s Next Gen Stats.

Stefanski had largely been mum amid speculation about his future but was asked whether he wanted to continue coaching the Browns ahead of his team’s Week 18 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals.

‘As you can imagine, my sole focus is on this game versus Cincinnati,’ Stefanski told reporters. ‘But I would also tell you, I’m privileged to have this job.’

Stefanski will no longer be in charge in Cleveland, but the 43-year-old may not be out of work long. NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero noted in a Dec. 20 story Stefanski ‘would immediately become a top candidate elsewhere’ if the Browns did not retain him.

As such, Stefanski will begin exploring his other options while the Browns face a key decision about how to replace him and whether the team’s quarterback of the future is presently on the roster.

DURHAM, N.C. — The second quarter had just started and Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo called out to her teammates: “Lock down!”

What happened next against Duke wasn’t what the Fighting Irish star envisioned. Beginning with a steal and driving layup from Blue Devils sophomore Toby Fournier, the Blue Devils went on a 17-8 run to take an 18-point lead. Duke went on to their sixth consecutive victory, 82-68, over Notre Dame Sunday at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

All five starters scored in double figures in the signature victory for the Blue Devils.

“A big-time win for us,” Duke coach Kara Lawson said. “Our starting five, I thought they really answered the call, played with the right amount of competitiveness, and just made big plays throughout the game. And being able to play with a lead against a really good team is not an easy thing to do. Proud of how we finished.”

As conference play begins, Lawson’s Blue Devils look more like the team picked as preseason favorites to win the ACC and a lot less like the one that began the season 3-6 and was quickly booted out of the national rankings.

Sometimes, numbers can be deceiving. After the Blue Devils piled up defeats early in the season, many wrote them off. What the doubters ignored was Duke was losing to some pretty good competition. 

Lawson, now in her fifth season as coach, has never been one to schedule cupcakes. She seeks multiple Power 4 opponents and isn’t afraid to play on the road, even at strong mid-major programs. If one measures strength of schedule by the average NET rating of opponents, Duke has played the toughest schedule in the country with a mark of 16.7. The average win percentage of Duke’s opponents is 67.2, which is second nationally, according to HerHoopStats.

Duke endured some absolutely abysmal losses in November and December that had critics questioning whether Lawson was the right pick to lead Team USA into the 2026 FIBA World Cup and 2028 Olympics. The season began with an excusable loss in Paris, France, to Baylor.

Then the Blue Devils endured a historic defeat to West Virginia in which the Mountaineers played the entire second half with five players following ejections after a scuffle. Next, Duke lost at South Florida for the second straight season and followed up by looking less than competitive against South Carolina and UCLA in Las Vegas. Finally, the Blue Devils suffered the loss at home to LSU in the ACC-SEC Challenge.

Lawson always saw the bigger picture. She wanted her team tested early. She wanted them to face adversity. She wanted to figure out their strengths and weaknesses before ACC play began. She wanted to have time to make adjustments.

And she and Duke have done that. Lineups have shifted and players have accepted new roles. With that, wins have come.

“Results are a funny thing, because it can color your whole mindset. And what I’ve tried to stay focused on as a coach is, what am I actually seeing on the film? Where are the mistakes and how do we correct them? Win, lose, whatever it is, stay focused in that,” Lawson said. “Even in the midst of losing games, there were micro-growths that were happening with each player. … It kept me confident in it, even though, you know, from the outside, people will make you think the sky is falling.”

The first big change was inserting Riley Nelson into the starting lineup over Jadyn Donovan. That first happened in Duke’s ACC-opening win at Virginia Tech on Dec. 7. The Blue Devils haven’t lost since.

And Nelson — who played 16 games as a freshman at Maryland in the 2023-24 season before tearing her ACL, which forced her to miss all of last year — didn’t play all that well in Blacksburg, shooting 1-of-7 from the floor. But Lawson stuck with her. Since then, she’s scored in double figures in five straight games, averaging 14.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game.

“You can see all the potential and you want it to happen overnight,” Lawson said of Nelson. “She has a chance to be a really good player in a Duke uniform, and she knows I’m going to push her to do that.

‘Riley is a critical piece for us, and you can see her coming on now. Her ability to knock down the three point shot is critical for our offense.”

Taina Mair has also emerged as Duke’s bus driver. The 5-foot-9 senior guard led Duke in assists the past two seasons and was an All-ACC selection at Boston college as a freshman, ranking eighth in the nation in assists per game. But this season, Lawson challenged Mair to take on more of a scorer’s mentality from the point guard position.

It’s a role she’s excelled at, scoring 15.2 points per game during this six-game winning streak for the Blue Devils. Against Notre Dame, she shot a career-best 4-of-4 from 3 and finished with 23 points, six rebounds and six assists.

Mair is still dishing the ball out, finding Fournier multiple times streaking down the lane for easy rim-running baskets. She’s averaging 5.2 assists per game this season, the most in her three years at Duke.

“That’s why sometimes just looking at someone’s stats and coming up with a conclusion about whether they had a down year or they took a step back — Mair never took a step back. She was doing what was necessary to win,” Lawson said. “Now, we don’t have as much depth on the wing. Now, we need her scoring. We need you to take double digit field goal attempts a game and go get it.’

One could argue the Blue Devils’ schedule got easier in mid-December. But of Duke’s six wins during this surge, four have come against ACC opponents, and the other two came against consistent mid-major powers in Belmont and South Dakota State, who combined for 56 wins last season. And half of Duke’s wins during this streak were in true road environments.

The Blue Devils’ comfortable victory over a ranked Notre Dame team could serve as proof of concept, signaling they are one of the top teams in the ACC.

Duke has adjusted, adapted and improved. Typically, that’s something for which coaches get earn credit. But Lawson deflects the praise and pushes it towards her players.

“I do feel like our team never lost their spirit, that we stayed really connected, and we will reap the benefits of that at some point,” she said. “Our focus has been good, our chemistry has been good. You wouldn’t know what our record was if you just walked into practice. And so when that’s right, I feel like the results will take care of themselves.”

So, this is why they brought Aaron Rodgers to Pittsburgh.

Prayers. Karma. Magic.

Rodgers did everything he could with his 42-year-old body and soul to lift the Steelers to victory in the winner-take-all showdown on Sunday night. He threw 47 passes for a season-high 294 yards. He went tit for tat against Lamar Jackson during a classic fourth quarter. On Pittsburgh’s last two-minute drive, Rodgers was brilliant, capping it with a 26-yard touchdown strike to Calvin Austin III.

Then Rodgers could do nothing except watch.

The game was won – and lost – when Ravens rookie Tyler Loop’s 44-yard field goal try sailed wide right at Acrisure Stadium as time expired.

Just like that, on the last play of the NFL’s 18-week regular season, the would-be end of the season for Rodgers has morphed into his first trip to the NFL playoffs in four years.

Hold off the questions of whether the living legend will retire or come back next year.

Yes, miracles happen.

‘Chaos. Disbelief. Gratitude,’ Rodgers said during his postgame news conference when someone asked what he felt as Loop missed what was seemingly a made-to-order kick with the AFC North title at stake. “A lot of emotions.’

It should be mentioned that Loop’s kick came in the same end zone where a Catholic priest sprinkled Holy Water on the turf before the game.

See, in a place where one of the franchise’s most iconic moments is known as “The Immaculate Reception,” Rodgers apparently got a lot of favor.

‘I’m not going to ask any questions,” said Cam Heyward, the veteran defensive tackle and Steelers elder statesman. “The good Lord made a good decision, tonight.”

The Steelers, who were home underdogs on Sunday, may need some more divine intervention, if you will, in the AFC playoffs. They’ll open at home in the wild-card round next Monday night against the Houston Texans, who just happen to have the NFL’s longest winning streak, rolling with nine consecutive victories.

At least they’ll have Rodgers, with a chance to write a storybook script with a franchise that, for all its glory and tradition, hasn’t won a playoff game since 2016.

He mentioned, with a chuckle, that the Steelers would probably be considered a home underdog against the Texans. But it was no joke. Pittsburgh (10-7) barely got into the playoffs, having nearly blown what was once a seemingly insurmountable division lead a few weeks ago. And Sunday’s showing, which included Jackson blistering the Steelers for two long touchdown passes to Zay Flowers in that furious fourth quarter, exemplified the hit-or-miss nature of this season.

Then again, it’s a resilient bunch.

‘We had to get off the mat today,” Heyward said. “We shot ourselves in the foot a couple different times. We did not play a perfect game by any means, but in different moments, the offense, defense, special teams, stepped up.”

Hearing Heyward assess the effort brings to mind a couple other times he addressed the state and mission of his team. In October, after a loss against the Green Bay Packers, he sounded an alarm about urgency and maintained that his unit needed to do a better job of responding to adversity with quick adjustments – and fight – while in the midst of the game.

That happened on Sunday night.

During training camp, Heyward told me what needed to happen for the Steelers to avoid another late-season collapse. Remember, last season they were 10-3 before fading down the stretch and getting bounced from the playoffs by the Ravens. Besides health and freshness, he saw the ability to play complementary football as crucial. It didn’t need to be a case of one particular unit carrying the team.

‘So, you look for that balance,” Heyward said in July.

That, too, happened at various points on Sunday night.

Still, the addition of Rodgers – lured with a lengthy courtship by coach Mike Tomlin during the spring – came with the idea that putting the four-time NFL MVP in the mix could be the game-changer that hasn’t existed for the Steelers since Ben Roethlisberger retired.

No, as the final miss illustrated, it wasn’t all on Rodgers. Yet when they needed his veteran poise, savvy and sharp-shooting throws in crunch time, school was out, so to speak. Pittsburgh started its final offensive drive with 2:20 on the clock.

‘I’ve admired him from afar for a long time,” Tomlin said. “It’s good to do it with him.

‘This was the vision in the spring when we pursued him. That’s why you do business with a 41, 42-year-old guy. A been-there, done-that guy with a resume like his, he’s not only capable, man. He thrives in it.”

Rodgers would totally agree. He said that getting the ball with 2:20 left and needing a touchdown was exactly the scenario he wanted. He also thought part of his purpose on Sunday night was rather mystical, too, describing his desire to be a “magnetic force” to help his teammates stay confident and calm.

That mindset sure worked out when things got chaotic near the goal line as Rodgers stayed cool after he was unable to receive the radio communication from coordinator Arthur Smith in his helmet. Then, the radio in his replacement helmet didn’t work, either.

No sweat.

‘That’s part of it, being the old guy, having a lot of gray in your beard,” he said. “They expect things from you. It’s nice to be able to deliver.”

Sure enough, as Rodgers took over for his final drive, T.J. Watt stood on the sideline and expressed his confidence that they were in good hands. Watt called it “a weird, no-panic feeling.”

He added: “You see the ball in the hands of (No.) 8 there and it’s like, ‘He’s here for a reason. And this is why he’s here. This is the best dude in the NFL for this moment.’ To be able to see him deliver on a big stage like that was incredible to see.”

It’s striking that neither Rodgers nor Tomlin has made it back to a Super Bowl in 15 years, since the quarterback led Green Bay to a triumph against Pittsburgh in Super Bowl 45. Now they are joined at the hip in chasing such a possibility again – with the help of a zany ending.

‘It just takes a little belief at this point in the season,” Rodgers said.

He knows. If a team gets hot at the right time, it could lead to a special ending. First, it’s a matter of just getting into the playoffs. On several occasions since he arrived in Pittsburgh, Rodgers has talked about wanting the Steelers to position themselves among the typical handful of teams that will have a legitimate shot to win a championship.

Now they’re one of the 14 teams in the dance.  

It was fitting that Rodgers wistfully reflected on squeaking out a 10-3 win against the Bears in the 2010 regular-season finale that allowed the Packers to make the playoffs as a sixth seed. It set up a remarkable playoff run as Green Bay became just the second sixth seed to win a Super Bowl.

‘It gave us a little belief,” Rodgers recalled of that win against the Bears.

Then he used the word again in considering the latest triumph.

‘I think it’s going to give us some belief,” he said.

Belief. Faith. Intervention. Just pass the Holy Water.

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

The Arizona Cardinals have fired Jonathan Gannon after three seasons as the team’s coach, per multiple reports.

Gannon posted a 15-36 record across his three seasons with the Cardinals. The team entered the 2025 NFL season hoping to build on their 8-9 record in 2024. Instead, after a 2-0 start, Arizona dropped 14 of its final 15 games to finish with one of the NFL’s worst records at 3-14.

Now, the Cardinals will look to rebuild. They will be armed with a top-3 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft but will also need to figure out their quarterback situation after Kyler Murray was outperformed by journeyman Jacoby Brissett and played just five games due to injury.

Who could be the top options to lead the Cardinals after Gannon’s dismissal? Here’s a look at the coaching candidates Arizona could pursue as the 2026 NFL coaching carousel begins spinning.

Who will replace Jonathan Gannon? 7 Cardinals replacements

Brian Flores, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator

Flores was considered a frontrunner for the Cardinals’ coaching job in 2023 before he removed himself for consideration for the role. Could the two parties pursue a partnership three years later?

Flores is one of the league’s top defensive minds, and his pressure-heavy scheme has confused opposing quarterbacks at each of his NFL stops. The Vikings improved rapidly under the 44-year-old’s tutelage and finished the 2025 season ranked No. 1 in pressure rate and No. 7 in defensive EPA per play, per the NFL’s Next Gen Stats.

Flores wouldn’t just give Arizona’s defense a much-needed identity. He also comes with head coaching experience, having gone 24-25 across three seasons with the Miami Dolphins. He posted winning records in each of his last two years in Miami, so his proven track record of success should appeal to Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort, who overlapped with Flores while with the New England Patriots.

Vance Joseph, Denver Broncos defensive coordinator

Joseph is another defensive-minded option who has ties to the Cardinals. The 53-year-old was the team’s defensive coordinator from 2019-22 under Kliff Kingsbury and and helped the team log the sixth-best defensive EPA per play in 2021.

Joseph has continued to show his great defensive mind with the Broncos, leading them to top-10 defensive finishes in each of the last two seasons. This year, Denver ranks No. 2 overall in pressure rate and has generated a league-high 68 sacks while allowing just 18.3 points per game for the season, third-fewest in the NFL.

Klint Kubiak, Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator

If the Cardinals want to pivot away from a defensive-minded coach, they could consider trying to poach Kubiak from the rival Seahawks.

Kubiak, 38, is an up-and-coming offensive mind who led the Seahawks to a top-10 finishes in yards and points per game in his first season with the team. Sam Darnold was able to build upon his career-best 2024 season in his first year with Kubiak, joining Tom Brady as just the second quarterback in NFL history to win 14 games in back-to-back seasons.

Kubiak did similarly strong work with Derek Carr in 2024, so his track record developing quarterbacks is obviously impressive. He has also worked with Kyle Shanahan (2023) and is the son of Super Bowl-winning coach Gary Kubiak.

Chris Shula, Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator

Shula is another assistant the Cardinals could try to lure away from a divisional rival. The 39-year-old has coordinated Los Angeles’ defense for each of the last two seasons, turning the unit into a top-10 scoring defense and finishing 10th in defensive EPA per play in 2025.

Shula has worked with Sean McVay since the offensive wunderkind took over the Rams in 2017. McVay’s coaching tree has enjoyed success league-wide, so that could help Shula in his quest to earn an NFL coaching job.

Mike McCarthy, former Dallas Cowboys head coach

The Cardinals could be looking for stability as they navigate a tricky rebuild at quarterback. That could lead them to target McCarthy, who would be a safe, high-floor hire.

McCarthy, 62, spent the 2025 NFL season out of the NFL but has a proven track record across his time with the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys. He has a 174-122-2 career record and has earned double-digit wins in 11 of his 18 seasons while routinely getting solid production out of Aaron Rodgers and Dak Prescott.

McCarthy’s playoff success since winning Super Bowl 45 has been fleeting, as he has just an 11-11 overall postseason record. Nonetheless, the Cardinals could consider him as an proven, offensive-minded pivot for the organization.

Arthur Smith, Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator

Smith represents another potential retread option for the Cardinals. The 43-year-old didn’t find much success with the Atlanta Falcons, notching a 7-10 record in each of his three seasons with the team, but he has continually shown an ability to design a quality running game. That could appeal to the Cardinals, who are navigating uncertainty at quarterback and logged bottom-tier rushing production in 2025.

It also helps that Smith and Ossenfort spent the 2020 season together with the Tennessee Titans. Perhaps their familiarity will allow Smith to at least land an interview in Arizona.

Klayton Adams, Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator

Adams is another run-game maven who helped Javonte Williams enjoy a career-best season with the Cowboys in 2025. It was the 42-year-old Adams’ first season in Dallas, and he helped oversee a unit that ranked top-five in yards per game, points per game and offensive EPA per play.

The main concerns with Adams? He has only been an offensive coordinator for one season and didn’t have play-calling duties. The positive? Adams spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons as the Cardinals’ offensive line coach, giving him familiarity with the organization. Ossenfort – who also worked with Adams in Tennessee – may at least bring him in for an interview.

For the second consecutive season, the Las Vegas Raiders are rendering their head-coaching hire a one-and-done.

The Raiders announced they had fired Pete Carroll via a statement from team owner Mark Davis on Jan. 5.

‘The Las Vegas Raiders have relieved Pete Carroll of his duties as head coach,’ the statement read. ‘We appreciate and wish him and his family all the best.’

The Raiders posted just a 3-14 record during Carroll’s lone season in Las Vegas while sporting one of the league’s worst offenses. The Raiders’ poor overall performance prompted the midseason firings of offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and special teams coordinator Tom McMahon before ultimately costing Carroll his job.

Now, the Raiders – armed with the No. 1 overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft – will look to rebuild under the leadership of its fifth different coach since the start of the 2021 NFL season.

Who will make that decision? Davis announced in his statement that Las Vegas’ general manager, John Spytek, will lead the search for the Raiders’ next coach ‘in close collaboration with Tom Brady,’ who is a minority owner in the team.

Below are some of the top coaching candidates Las Vegas could consider as Spytek and Brady look to take the team in a new direction.

Who will replace Pete Carroll? 8 Raiders replacements

Brian Flores, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator

If Brady really does have significant say in the Raiders’ next hire, that could make Flores a top candidate. Flores spent the first 11 seasons of his career with the Patriots, all while Brady was the team’s quarterback, so they have an extensive track record working together.

Flores is a top-tier defensive mind whose pressure-heavy scheme has worked at each of his NFL stops. Most recently, he turned the Vikings from a league-worst unit in 2022 to one that ranked top-two in pressure rate during the 2025 NFL season, per the NFL’s Next Gen Stats. The 44-year-old could create a similar, hard-nosed, attacking defense with the Raiders and finally give the team a much-needed identity.

Add in Flores’ previous head coaching experience – he logged a 24-25 record across three seasons with the Dolphins and led Miami to back-to-back winning seasons before his time there ended – and he checks a lot of boxes that should intrigue the Raiders.

Kliff Kingsbury, Washington Commanders offensive coordinator

Kingsbury is another coaching candidate with ties to Brady. The 46-year-old was drafted by the Patriots in 2003 and spent one season in the team’s quarterback room after suffering a preseason arm injury. Could that be enough to get Kingsbury a chance in Las Vegas?

Kingsbury posted just a 28-37-1 record across four seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, but Kyler Murray enjoyed the best seasons of his career under his tutelage. Kingsbury then found similar success developing Jayden Daniels during his elite rookie season with the Commanders.

Kingsbury’s history with young quarterbacks, along with his quarterback-friendly system, could convince the Raiders to bring him in for an interview, especially if they’re planning to take a new starting quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Brian Daboll, former New York Giants head coach

OK, let’s be honest: Daboll probably isn’t getting another head coaching job fresh off a three-plus season stint with the Giants during which he went 20-40-1. He’s probably more likely to draw consideration as an offensive coordinator candidate, and the Raiders could have interest in him in that role if they hire a defensive-minded head coach.

At the same time, Daboll spent parts of 11 seasons with the Patriots, so he has strong ties to Brady. Daboll also earned flowers for his ability to develop Josh Allen during his early years with the Buffalo Bills and was making progress with Jaxson Dart before he was fired midway through the 2025 NFL season. That could lead the Raiders to at least kick the tires on the 50-year-old.

Vance Joseph, Denver Broncos defensive coordinator

If the Raiders can’t land Flores but want a defensive-minded option, Joseph would make sense. The 53-year-old has a similar knack for generating pressure, as the Broncos led the NFL in sacks during the 2025 NFL season with 68.

The only knock on Joseph is he didn’t enjoy much success in his first stint as an NFL head coach. He logged just an 11-21 record across two seasons with the Broncos in 2017 and 2018.

Still, Joseph’s recent track record of success makes him an intriguing potential add for the Raiders. Pairing him with Maxx Crosby would be exciting, as would be the prospect of poaching him from a divisional rival.

Jesse Minter, Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator

Minter falls into a similar bucket to Joseph. He’s an up-and-coming, defensive-minded coach who coaches for one of the Raiders’ division rivals. Poaching him could weaken the Chargers, so Las Vegas may bring in Minter – a Michigan man, like Brady and Spytek – for an interview.

The Chargers had the NFL’s top scoring defense in 2024, Minter’s first season in charge of the unit. This year, Los Angeles finished top-10 in both yards and points allowed. The 42-year-old has shown an ability to develop young defensive players, especially in the secondary. That could appeal to the Raiders, who have a lot of younger talent at cornerback.

Klint Kubiak, Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator

The Raiders could also tap a younger, offensive-minded coach to develop any young quarterback they draft.

Kubiak would certainly fit the bill. The 38-year-old led the Seahawks to top-10 finishes in yards and points per game in his first season with the team in 2025. Sam Darnold was able to build upon the success he enjoyed with the Vikings in 2024, which helped Seattle win 14 games and earn the NFC’s No. 1 seed.

Kubiak did similarly strong work with Derek Carr in 2024, so his track record developing quarterbacks is obviously impressive. That’s something the Raiders will need in their building as they consider selecting a quarterback No. 1 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator

Brady is another young coordinator who could soon get a coaching job. The 36-year-old has a strong track record developing quarterbacks, as he helped Joe Burrow turn in a historic season at LSU and oversaw Josh Allen’s first NFL MVP campaign in 2024.

Brady has already spent parts of five seasons as an NFL offensive coordinator, so he has a lot of experience for a candidate his age. That could convince Davis – ever looking for flashy hires – to bring in Brady for a look.

Grant Udinski, Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator

It might be a bit early for Udinski to get looks as a head coaching candidate. He’s just 30 years old and has only one season of experience as an NFL offensive coordinator.

Still, it’s hard to argue with Udinski’s results. The Jaguars averaged 27.9 points per game during the 2025 NFL season while Trevor Lawrence enjoyed the best season of his career, posting 38 total touchdowns and quickly gaining confidence in Udinski and head coach Liam Coen’s scheme.

Spytek could have an interest in plucking a branch from Coen’s coaching tree. The two worked together with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2024.

It’s also worth noting that Udinski spent three seasons on Kevin O’Connell’s coaching staff with the Vikings. O’Connell was teammates with Brady for a season after being selected in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft.

Brenden Aaronson’s coach has already had to defend him from fan abuse this season — twice.

But things appear to be changing at Leeds for the U.S. men’s national soccer team attacker, who with each passing week looks more like the solution and less like the problem for the Premier League outfit.

His latest contribution might have been his most significant. Aaronson showed just about everything that makes him valuable on one play against Manchester United, scoring a vital goal as Leeds stretched its unbeaten run to seven.

The American’s heroics at Elland Road kick off this week’s Five.

Brenden Aaronson ‘deserves all the plaudits’

Brenden Aaronson has found his footing in the Premier League.

The Leeds attacker scored his side’s only goal in a 1-1 draw with Manchester United on Sunday, making it two goals and three assists in his last 11 Premier League appearances.

It’s a modest hot streak, but it’s a massive improvement when considering Aaronson had one goal and three assists in his previous 44 Premier League games. The 25-year-old has become a key player this season for Leeds, which is now eight points clear of the relegation zone.

Aaronson’s goal typified everything that he’s about. The USMNT midfielder chased down a 50-50 ball, getting in behind United’s defense and then showing the quality and composure to bury his chance.

‘Sometimes you have to take a chance,’ Aaronson said after the game. ‘The ball came to me. I think that the center back didn’t know that I was going to be kind of running off his shoulder like that. It was a good touch. And then it is just about putting it on target.’

Leeds manager Daniel Farke was full of praise after the game for a player he has stuck with despite many calls for his removal from the lineup.

‘He deserves all the plaudits at the moment,’ Farke said. ‘Great finish. There’s more clarity in his play. He embodies what we are about in creating chances and working hard off the ball.’

Weston McKennie shines further upfield

Weston McKennie playing a new position is hardly earth-shattering news, but the Juventus man’s latest shift is noteworthy in the context of his USMNT role.

McKennie was moved into a trequartista – or attacking midfield – role against Lecce on Saturday, a similar spot to where he played under USMNT boss Mauricio Pochettino in October.

Playing further up the pitch, McKennie found a pocket of space and converted his first Serie A goal of the season in a 1-1 draw. Though it was his first league goal, McKennie now has three goals and two assists in his past nine games in all competitions.

After he was surprisingly omitted from two of three fall rosters for the USMNT, McKennie’s proficiency as a trequartista served as a timely reminder for Pochettino.

‘It’s not a new position for me,’ McKennie said after the game. ‘I’m always available for the coach and the team and I try to give 100 percent wherever I play.

‘I like the trequartista role because you can help both defensively and offensively.’

Yunus Musah gradually building at Atalanta

Yunus Musah isn’t yet a key player for Atalanta, but the midfielder’s role is trending in the right direction.

Musah has now played in four consecutive Serie A games for La Dea, coming off the bench for the last 30 minutes of Saturday’s 1-0 win over Roma.

After Musah was an unused sub in seven of eight matches, he has finally started to prove his worth to manager Raffaele Palladino. It certainly doesn’t hurt that Atalanta has won three of its past four games either.

‘In the middle, he’s a buzzing presence who brings freshness and keeps the midfield under Atalanta’s control,’ read an assessment from Gazzetta dello Sport this week. ‘His rise within the team hierarchy continues.’

Musah found himself on the outside of the USMNT picture in 2025, making just two appearances. If he can find a way to continue his mini-surge at Atalanta, there might still be a way back before the World Cup.

Jedi thrown into the deep end

There was no build-up period for Antonee Robinson. When he was back from injury, it was full speed ahead.

After nearly three months on the sideline with knee problems, the Fulham left back has now played every minute of six consecutive games, including Sunday’s thrilling 2-2 draw against Liverpool.

Robinson was excellent against Arne Slot’s side, and could have had multiple assists with better finishing from his teammates.

The 28-year-old was a major concern for Pochettino just a couple months ago, but he’s once again locked in as a vital player for the Cottagers. If he continues in this manner, Robinson will undoubtedly regain the same status with the USMNT in 2026.

New Jersey derby in La Liga

Very few, if any, games in La Liga history will have had so much Jersey as Sunday’s match between Real Sociedad and Atlético Madrid.

New Jersey-born coach Pellegrino Matarazzo made history in his Sociedad debut, becoming the first American manager in La Liga.

New Jersey-born midfielder Johnny Cardoso, meanwhile, played the final half hour for Atlético in a 1-1 draw. It’s been an injury-hit debut campaign for the 24-year-old, who made just his seventh appearance of the season Sunday.

For Matarazzo, securing a draw against a top-four opponent is an auspicious beginning at a club mired in a relegation fight.

Canada and Finland fell short in Sunday’s world junior hockey championship semifinals, but there’s still a medal up for grabs on Monday, Jan 5.

The two countries will play for a bronze medal, starting at 4:30 p.m. ET (3:30 p.m. local time) at Grand Casino Arena in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

Canada lost 6-4 to Czechia on Sunday and Finland lost to Sweden 4-3 in a shootout. Sweden and Czechia will play for the gold medal at 8:30 p.m. ET on Monday.

Canada and Finland faced each other in the final game of the preliminary round with the Canadians skating off with a 7-4 victory.

Here’s what to know about the bronze medal game between Canada and Finland, including how to watch:

What channel is Canada vs Finland world juniors hockey bronze-medal game today?

TV channel: NHL Network

Livestream: Fubo, which offers a free trial to new subscribers, or Sling TV.

Watch world junior championships on Fubo

What time is Canada vs Finland world juniors hockey bronze-medal game today?

Date: Monday, Jan. 5

Time: 4:30 p.m. ET (3:30 local time)

The Canada vs. Finland game is scheduled to start at 4:30 p.m. ET at the Grand Casino Arena in Saint Paul, Minnesota, the home of the Minnesota Wild.

World juniors hockey bronze-medal game: How to watch, stream

Time: 4:30 p.m. ET on Monday, Jan. 5

Location: Grand Casino Arena (Saint Paul, Minnesota)

TV: NHL Network

Streaming: Fubo and certain levels of Sling TV carry NHL Network.

World junior championships medal games today

Monday, Jan. 5

All times p.m. ET