Jesús Luzardo had the best season of his career last year with the Phillies. This is shaping up to be another important year for the 28-year-old pitcher, with free agency looming next winter. Luzardo sat down with Phillies Extra to discuss his interest in a contract extension, his relationship with catcher J.T. Realmuto, and what he can do for an encore after his breakout 2025. Watch here.
Category: Sports
Sports news, scores, and analysis
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USMNT stalwart Antonee Robinson is finally healthy again, and hopes to get back to the national team soon
LONDON — When U.S. men’s soccer team fans talk about the program’s biggest stars, they usually name a group that hasn’t changed for a while: Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, and Gio Reyna.
Some fans would put Tim Weah on the list, or Chris Richards thanks to his recent rise in the English Premier League. They have good cases, as does Folarin Balogun with his talent at striker.
Does Antonee Robinson also merit a claim? That might become a barroom debate as the World Cup nears, over those early-morning Premier League games on the big screen.
It might not help that he’s a left back, a position that’s often easy to overlook — even though the U.S. didn’t have a really good one for years before he arrived in 2018. (His senior U.S. debut happened to arrive at Subaru Park.) Nor does it help that he has been injured in recent months.
But no American currently in the Premier League, the top domestic league in the world, has played more games there than Robinson’s 145 since 2020. That ranks No. 8 all-time among U.S. men’s national team players in English top-flight history, and four of the men above him are goalkeepers.
Antonee Robinson (right) on the ball for Fulham against Manchester City last season. Robinson is widely regarded as a leader in the U.S. locker room, but those injuries have kept him from conveying it for over a year. He hasn’t played for Mauricio Pochettino’s squad since November 2024 because of knee issues. The closest he came was last October, when he made the squad but was ruled out of games.
Now, though, he’s finally healthy. He returned to action last month and started six straight games. If he stays healthy until the summer, every World Cup roster projection will have him in ink.
Robinson said he isn’t thinking about that yet. But he is thinking about the March FIFA window when the U.S. will play its last games before the World Cup is set, high-profile friendlies against Portugal and Belgium in Atlanta.
“The goal is obviously going to be that at the end of the season,” he told The Inquirer. “I’ll have my eye on March for now, trying to make sure I’m fit for that and get back in the team. Because realistically, I’ve not played for the States in over a year now, so my position’s kind of gone. I need to earn it — I need to get back, called up in the squad, healthy, and playing the game again.”
Antonee Robinson at work during last October’s U.S. national team camp, when he made the squad but wasn’t fit to play in games. An easy fit in Pochettino’s playbook
Robinson should look very good in the 3-4-2-1 formation that Pochettino has used lately. The 28-year-old has played the setup’s left wingback role for clubs over the years, and knows its combination of defensive hustle and charging forward to help the attack.
“You never know what each game’s going to demand, but I think it definitely suits me,” he said. “The team’s been playing it really well, so I’m looking forward to hopefully getting back in the team, playing it, and just getting to grips with getting that chemistry back with the boys.”
Watching film of the November U.S. wins over Paraguay and Uruguay, Robinson said “it looked really fluid — it looked like they’d all got to grips with how ‘Poch’ wants us all to play.”
Robinson generally plays a more traditional left back role in a back four at Fulham, but he has similar liberty to get forward. This reporter attended the Jan. 1 game at Crystal Palace, a London derby to ring in the new year, and focused on Robinson’s work on and off the ball.
It was a good game to pick, played at one of England’s many great old stadiums. Selhurst Park’s main stand was built 101 years ago, with the press box perched in the back. No one minds that the view is occasionally blocked by cast-iron columns that hold up the roof.
The 101-year-old main stand at Selhurst Park, with columns supporting the roof near the front and the press box at the back. Down on the field, Robinson had three tackles and two clearances, won four of his six duels, and completed 50 of 61 passes. Five of those passes went into the attacking third, and he created three scoring chances for teammates — including a terrific cross that Mexican national team striker Raúl Jiménez headed off the post.
Off the ball, it was a lesson to watch Robinson’s positioning. An outside back is always waiting for the split-second moment when everything could change. Unfortunately, that happened in the wrong way on Palace’s goal, as Nathaniel Clyne cut past Robinson before teeing up Jean-Philippe Mateta’s finish.
But Robinson made up for the lapse with a big role in Fulham’s 81st-minute equalizer. He gave a key pass before a teammate’s assist, then continued his run to pull apart Palace’s defense.
Fate denied him the chance to play against another U.S. stalwart, Palace centerback Chris Richards, who was deservedly just named U.S. Soccer’s Male Player of the Year for 2025. Richards suffered a foot injury in late December and missed four games. (His first game back made the wrong kind of headlines: the Eagles were stunned by sixth-tier Macclesfield in the FA Cup.)
While Antonee Robinson plays in west London for Fulham, Chris Richards (left) plays in south London for Crystal Palace – though he’s out injured right now. Asked if it would have been better or worse to play against Richards, Robinson answered with a hearty laugh.
“It would have been worse,” he said. “I don’t want them at their strongest, and he’s a big part of that. Disappointed that I didn’t get to see him, but for us, their team not being as strong as they could have been is a benefit.”
Robinson has continued playing well since, helping Fulham to a seven-game unbeaten run through this past weekend. But at that point, he didn’t think he was all the way back yet.
“I’m just trying to get up to speed, really,” he said. “I haven’t had a lot of training sessions since I’ve been back at the team, and it’s been a lot of games over this period.”
Asked how far off his best he thinks he is, he said “it’s hard to tell, really — I feel good physically, which helps.”
The mental side was the next step.
“It’s just all the little details in games that have come from playing a lot of games … obviously I haven’t had a long spell out of the [club] team for years now,” Robinson said. “I’m sure it’ll come back soon enough, but happy enough that I’ve been in the team … I feel like I’m contributing, so that’s the main thing.”
He referred to absences from Fulham specifically, scattered games for the club from last April through September. The nine games missed from mid-October to mid-December were indeed his longest time out with the club, but that doesn’t measure his summer shutdown that cost him the Concacaf Gold Cup.
“He’s a crucial player for us right now, like he was last season, two seasons ago, three seasons ago,” Fulham manager Marco Silva said. “He’s getting better and better. Of course, it was a long absence from a player like him that …was always ready, week in, week out, going to the national team, coming back, always ready to play.”
Fulham manager Marco Silva (center) gives instructions to centerback Issa Diop during a game earlier this month. Robinson said he’s been “keeping in touch” with U.S. Soccer’s medical team, and the men’s program’s top assistant coach Jésus Pérez.
“Just to kind of check on how I’m feeling,” Robinson said. “I think it was a surprise to them as much as me how quickly it kind of turned around, from not being involved to playing 90 minutes back-to-back-to-back [upon his return]. So they’re just checking in making sure I’m OK, and making sure that I feel good in how I’m doing, how I’m playing.”
There’s a long way to go until March. Fulham has 11 Premier League games before then, including visits to Manchester City, Manchester United, and Brenden Aaronson’s Leeds United on Jan. 17. The club could also play two more FA Cup rounds after Saturday’s win over Middlesbrough, where Robinson came off the bench to face U.S. midfield candidate Aidan Morris.
But it’s no surprise that Robinson is thinking ahead. The World Cup is the sport’s pinnacle, and playing one on home turf is an honor like no other.
“For [the] boys, myself included, lads who have been in and out of the team, it’s the last sort of audition to put yourself forward to be in that World Cup squad — which is going to be a huge honor for whoever gets called up,” he said. “It’s a big goal for everyone who’s in the pool. … I’m just, for everyone’s sake, myself included, hoping that everyone stays in form, stays healthy and gives themselves the best chance to link up with the team and make sure we have the strongest squad possible.”
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John Harbaugh and the Giants are working on a deal to make him their coach, sources say
John Harbaugh and the New York Giants are working on an agreement to make him the team’s head coach, two people with knowledge of the decision said early Thursday morning.
The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal hasn’t been finalized. Negotiations are ongoing, but Harbaugh is expected to end up in New York.
Harbaugh has plenty of options if the sides can’t reach an agreement but the goal is to “reach the finish line.”
Harbaugh interviewed in person with the Giants on Wednesday, spending hours at the team facility in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Super Bowl-winning former coach of the Baltimore Ravens was believed to be New York’s top candidate in the search for Brian Daboll’s full-time successor.
Fired by the Baltimore Ravens after missing the playoffs on a missed field goal attempt at the buzzer in the season finale, Harbaugh is on track to pick the Giants over other possible landing spots, including Tennessee and Atlanta.
The Ravens made the playoffs 12 times during 18 seasons with Harbaugh in charge and won the Super Bowl in the 2012 season, a year after the Giants’ most recent championship.
General manager Joe Schoen, who’s back for a fifth season running the football operations department, said he would cast a wide net in the coaching search. Interviewing Raheem Morris and Antonio Pierce satisfied the NFL’s Rooney Rule requirements for minority or female candidates, and Harbaugh’s visit to northern New Jersey paved the way to make a hire before any of the more than half-dozen teams with a vacancy.
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Eagles news: Sirianni, Roseman talk coaching candidates, future of A.J. Brown and Lane Johnson; latest updates and rumors
- What you should know
- The Eagles have reportedly begun contacting candidates for their vacant offensive coordinator position. Here are eight names to start with.
- What about QB whisperers Josh McCown or Cam Turner, two rising stars who have saved the careers of two broken passers?
- Among the Eagles free agents is punter Branden Mann, who wants to stay in Philly.
- Jalen Hurts’ vow, Nick Sirianni’s home life, Saquon’s ‘Whiplash,’ and more from the HBO Hard Knocks finale.
// Timestamp 01/15/26 5:35pm
Howie Roseman says Eagles will make ‘sacrifices’ this offseason
Howie Roseman and Nick Sirianni will have to balance the team’s roster needs with financial pragmatism.
The Eagles are at an interesting point in the state of their roster. They have an aging and expensive offense that is underperforming relative to its cost, and a young and inexpensive defense. That will change soon. Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis are in line for extensions. Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean are right behind them. The Eagles need to improve at edge rusher and have other holes to fill.
“As you get better you have a natural arc of the team, and I think that, when you look at our team, we drafted a lot of offensive players, we re-signed a lot of offensive players,” Howie Roseman said when asked if the team had the resources to keep the players it wants to. “We drafted a lot of defensive guys that were young and on rookie contracts. There’s natural transition in what we do … in terms of where you’re paying your guys, which side of the ball you’re paying your guys who are coming up.
“The important thing for us is, there are players we can’t lose — obviously we’re going to do what’s best for us … but within reason — and that we want to keep around here because they’re really good players, homegrown players that are really good people, that are part of our core. With that, you’re going to have to make sacrifices. That’s on me to make sure the sacrifices we make are filled in with really good players again.”
// Timestamp 01/15/26 5:13pm
Howie Roseman on 2025 season: ‘Not good enough’
How would Roseman assess the 2025 season?
“Not good enough,” he said.
“If it doesn’t end with confetti falling on our head, I don’t feel like it’s good enough,” Roseman said. “I know we’re not going to win the Super Bowl every year. I think I know that from a broad perspective, but I believe we can. I go into every offseason thinking we’re going to do whatever it takes to win a Super Bowl and when we fall short I look at myself. I look at the things that I could have done different and I look to improve.”
It was not Roseman’s best offseason coming off of last year’s Super Bowl. The Eagles did not get great production from their 2025 draft class, though they also had a roster without many openings. It’s worth noting that their first two picks in 2024 were All-Pro selections this season, and the jury is still out on their first two picks from the most recent drafts. They did not, however, make adequate upgrades on the edge and twice had to lure players off their couches to join the team before being forced to use a draft pick to acquire Jaelan Phillips. They don’t have obvious answers for what’s next for an aging and declining offensive line.
They need to get younger and cheaper at some positions, but they also have the talent to try to push for another championship. Finding the next offensive coordinator is a big part of that, but roster construction is critical. Roseman’s offseason task is to balance it all.
“You can do whatever it takes to win now and still build for the future and still have those parallel paths,” he said. “I just don’t want it to get confused that we can’t do whatever it takes to build a championship-caliber team next year and also continue to have really good players on this team for the future.”
That work is underway.
// Timestamp 01/15/26 4:27pm
Murphy: Roseman’s forceful vote of confidence in Sirianni speaks volumes
Eagles GM Howie Roseman shared his support for head coach Nick Sirianni Thursday.
There isn’t a whole lot of literal truth you can glean in most press conference settings. That’s especially true in the NFL, where the shield on the logo carries more than a little metaphorical weight. They are messaging platforms, not intelligence briefings. It can be frustrating. It can also be instructive, in certain moments.
Take Howie Roseman, for instance. On Thursday afternoon, the Eagles general manager was sitting next to Nick Sirianni listening to the head coach wind down an answer to a question about the team’s search for a new offensive coordinators. As soon as Sirianni was finished speaking, several reporters began talking over each other to ask the next question. But Roseman had something he wanted to add, and so he jumped in.
“I’ve got a lot of things I could say about coach and the job that he’s done here,” the general manager said. “I’m incredibly proud of him. He’s shown that when we bring people in he’s open to doing whatever’s best for this football team. That’s all he cares about is winning. When he’s brought in people he’s given them the flexibility to put their own spin on things. Obviously I sit here and I feel incredibly grateful that I’m working with someone who as a head coach is elite at being a head coach, elite at building a connection with our team, elite about talking about fundamentals, game management, situational awareness, bringing the team together, holding people accountable, and when you’re looking for a head coach those are really the job descriptions.”
The strongest votes of confidence are usually the unsolicited ones. It would be hard to interpret Roseman’s statement as anything else. Two years ago, the Eagles did Sirianni a disservice with the way they handled the fallout from their late-season collapse and one-and-done showing in the 2023 playoffs. From their decision to wait nine days to announce that Sirianni would return amidst rampant speculation that his job was in jeopardy, to their external hunt for an offensive coordinator, the Eagles left the impression that the coach was being Office Spaced out of power. Not only was it an indignity, it led to an offseason full of distractions that easily could have metastasized during the Eagles’ 2-2 start to the 2024 season.
This time around, Roseman made it a point to eliminate any doubt. As he should have.
// Timestamp 01/15/26 2:52pm
Bucs interview Birds’ special teams coordinator
// Timestamp 01/15/26 2:40pm
Jonathan Gannon interviewing for NFC East job
Former Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon.
One-time Eagles defensive coordinator might end up back in the NFC East.
Former Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon was scheduled to interview with the Washington Commanders Thursday for their defensive coordinator position, according to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter.
Gannon, fired after three subpar seasons with the Cardinals, is also expected to interview with the Tennessee Titans for their head coaching job Sunday, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.
The Commanders are looking for new offensive and defensive coordinators after moving on from Kliff Kingsbury and Joe Whitt Jr. following a disappointing 5-12 season one year removed from appearing in the NFC Championship game.
// Timestamp 01/15/26 2:24pm
Lane Johnson’s future with the Eagles uncertain
Lane Johnson is under contract with the Eagles through 2027.
All-pro offensive lineman Lane Johnson missed the final eight games of the season, including the wild-card game, after suffering a Lisfranc injury in Week 11 against the Detroit Lions.
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said prior to the injury, the 35-year-old was playing “at an elite level,” but couldn’t say whether Johnson would be back with the Birds next season.
“I think all those conversations that we have with our players are between us,” Roseman told reporters. “Obviously, you’re talking about a Hall of Fame player who has been a huge, huge part of any of our success we’ve had. And when you watch him play, he’s still playing at an elite level.”
Johnson is under contract with the Eagles through the 2027 season.
// Timestamp 01/15/26 2:10pm
Howie Roseman non-committal on trading A.J. Brown
Eagles GM Howie Roseman called A.J. Brown “a great player.”
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman stopped short of saying the team wouldn’t trade A.J. Brown, but suggested there was still a place on the roster for the star wide receiver.
“It is hard to find great players in the NFL, and A.J. is a great player,” Roseman said. “I think from my perspective, that’s what we’re going out and looking for, when we go out here in free agency and in the draft, is trying to find great players who love football, and he’s that guy. So that would be my answer.”
// Timestamp 01/15/26 1:57pm
Sirianni on what he’s looking for in a new offensive coordinator
In terms of the potential offensive coordinator candidate, Nick Sirianni said he’s looking for someone who will help Jalen Hurts and the offense evolve going into next season.
“I think there are many different ways to be successful on offense, and everybody has different styles, has different players, and there’s many different ways to be successful,” Sirianni said. “It’s about going out and finding the guy that best fits us. I’m looking forward to that interview process and being able to go through some really good candidates.”
As for who will call plays, Sirianni said it’s way too early for those decisions to be made.
“This year, I got involved more in the offense as the end of the season came, because that’s what I needed to do as the head football coach,” Sirianni said. “So we’ll see where all that goes as far as that goes. … But we’re not there yet.”
// Timestamp 01/15/26 1:53pm
Sirianni on not moving on from Kevin Patullo sooner
Nick Sirianni speaks to reporters Thursday.
Speaking to reporters at an end-of-year news conference Thursday, Nick Sirianni explained why he didn’t move on from offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo during the season as the offense struggled.
“We did some different things as we continued to go through, like I told you guys I did more, got involved more,” Sirianni said. “At the end of the day, I thought I did what was best for the football team.”
“We didn’t reach our goals, so obviously it didn’t work out,” Sirianni added. “I think it’s important to continue to evolve as an offense and that we go out and do what’s best for this football team.”
Sirianni said he appreciated Patullo and everything he brought to the staff during his five years with the team. But said it was time to move Patullo out of the offensive coordinator role.
“At this particular point I just felt like that’s what I needed to do to be the best thing for the football team.”
// Timestamp 01/15/26 12:59pm
Watch: Nick Sirianni and Howie Roseman speak to reporters
// Timestamp 01/15/26 12:35pm
Eagles reportedly interested in Ole Miss offensive coordinator
Former Ole Miss offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr.
While the Eagles are reportedly seeking an experienced NFL play caller to replace Kevin Patullo, at least one college coach’s name has been linked to the team’s coaching search.
The Eagles have shown interest in former Ole Miss offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr., according to New York Daily News columnist and reporter Pat Leonard.
As of now, Weis is following Lane Kiffin to LSU after spending four seasons with him at Ole Miss. Weis was Jaxson Dart’s coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Ole Miss and is the son of former Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis.
// Timestamp 01/15/26 11:24am
Eagles have a decision to make on their free agent punter
Braden Mann averaged a career-high 49.9 yards per punt in 2025.
A punter is like someone’s breath — you likely only notice it if it stinks.
The Eagles have taken whiffs of poor punters in the past. Just a few years ago, one of the team’s biggest concerns entering the offseason was Arryn Siposs, who struggled in Super Bowl LVII with his botched punt in the fourth quarter that contributed to the Eagles’ loss.
The Eagles don’t have to have that concern anymore. Siposs’ successor, Braden Mann, is fresh off his third season with the Eagles, from which he emerged as the most consistent of the team’s specialists. Mann registered a franchise-best 49.9 yards per punt in 2025 and has averaged 49.5 yards in his Eagles career, the best mark in team history.
Will he have a chance to continue that dominance? Mann, 28, is one of the team’s 19 pending unrestricted free agents. On Monday, even with the season’s demise still fresh, he wasn’t hiding his hopes for the future.
“I’ve loved my time in Philly, and hopefully that continues,” Mann said. “It’s just been a blast for me, personally, just kind of working my craft and seeing what happens. Excited to see any opportunities here or anything that comes.”
// Timestamp 01/15/26 9:37am
Nick Sirianni, Howie Roseman to hold news conference Thursday
Eagles GM Howie Roseman (left) and head coach Nick Sirianni will speak to reporters this afternoon.
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni and general manager Howie Roseman will hold their end-of-season news conference Thursday around 1:30 p.m.
// Timestamp 01/15/26 9:53am
Jason Kelce: A.J. Brown ‘needs to step away’
Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown hasn’t spoken with reporters in over a month.
Former Eagles center and current ESPN analyst Jason Kelce thinks A.J. Brown needs time to clear his head.
“Aaron Rodgers goes on the darkness retreat? Kelce said on 94.1 WIP Thursday morning. “A.J. needs to step away.”
Like everyone else, Kelce saw the incident on the sideline during the Birds’ wild-card loss to the San Francisco 49ers, where Brown got into a heated argument with Nick Sirianni.
“The frustration was palpable watching it,” Kelce said. “I don’t think it is completely unwarranted… Some guys just let these things affect them more.”
“Receiver is a very frustrating position, because ultimately there are so many things that need to go right for you to have success on the football field,” Kelce added.
// Timestamp 01/15/26 8:17am
Ex-Eagles coach Jonathan Gannon gets an interview
Jonathan Gannon lasted just three seasons with the Cardinals.
A familiar name to Eagles fans might not be finished as a head coach yet.
Former Arizona Cardinals head coach and ex-Birds defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon will reportedly interview with the Tennessee Titans Sunday, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.
Gannon went just 15-36 (.294) in three seasons with the Cardinals, and his team was completely uncompetitive in the NFC West (0-6). In fact, the Cardinals lost more games last season (14) than the rest of the NFC West combined (13).
He isn’t the Titans’ only candidate. Tennessee will also reportedly interview former Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy and San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh.
// Timestamp 01/15/26 7:40am
Potential Eagles offensive coordinator target heading to the Giants
// Timestamp 01/15/26 7:31am
Giants set to hire John Harbaugh as new head coach: reports
// Timestamp 01/15/26 7:30am
Eagles reportedly have had some initial talks with coaching candidates
Former Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel is reportedly among the candidates the Eagles are considering for offensive coordinator.
It remains quiet in Philly on the offensive coordinator front nearly two days after the Eagles parted ways with Kevin Patullo
The Birds have yet to announce any interviews with potential candidates, though the team began reaching out to coaches Wednesday, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini.
Two candidates are reportedly at the top of the team’s list – former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel (columnist David Murphy’s favorite) and former New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll, who spent time with Jalen Hurts at Alabama.
Former ESPN and CBS Sports NFL insider Josina Anderson reported Wednesday night initial talks with some candidates “have gone well,” with some looking to make sure they’ll have “complete autonomy” over the Birds’ offense.
All accounts point to the Eagles adding an established play caller. In addition to McDaniel and Daboll, other names mentioned in multiple reports are former Cleveland Browns head coach (and Philly native) Kevin Stefanski and Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, whom the team previously vetted, according to Jeff McLane.
// Timestamp 01/15/26 7:25am
What about QB whisperers Josh McCown or Cam Turner?
Josh McCown has served as the Vikings quarterbacks coach for the last two seasons and was a big part of Sam Darnold’s resurgence in 2024.
The Eagles don’t just need an offensive coordinator. They need a quarterback whisperer.
They need Josh McCown. Or maybe Cam Turner.
Kevin Patullo wasn’t ready for the OC job in Philly, but then, Bill Walsh and Sid Gillman wouldn’t have won a Super Bowl the way Jalen Hurts played in 2025.
Hurts’ development has stalled. He might even be broken. He’s largely the same quarterback at the end of the 2025 season as he was at the end of 2022. Defenses know that, and they exploit it. As the offensive line deteriorated, and as Saquon Barkley and A.J. Brown started to show their age, more was asked of Hurts, who delivered ever less.
No, the Eagles don’t just need a play-caller.
They need an offensive coordinator who can invigorate a veteran quarterback whose career is idling. Both McCown, a former Eagles backup quarterback, and Turner, who has the bluest of NFL bloodlines, have done just that.
// Timestamp 01/15/26 7:20am
‘They need a quarterback guru in here’
Jason Kelce clarifies Kevin Patullo comments
Former offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo (left) chats with Jason Kelce in December before the Eagles-Rams game.
Former Eagles center Jason Kelce played under Kevin Patullo after he became the team’s passing game coordinator in 2021. A year after Kelce’s retirement in 2024, Patullo was promoted to offensive coordinator for this season.
“The expectations [for the offense] should be much higher than what they put out this season,” Kelce said on the latest episode of New Heights. “I know I made some comments on Monday Night Football, and I do love Kevin Patullo. I’m not trying to absolve him of blame. … The offense wasn’t up to the task this year. It regressed. The main reason it regressed was the run game, and the offensive line’s inability to stay healthy, and to open up holes.”
While removing Patullo as coordinator was one of the franchise’s first moves after Sunday’s 23-19 playoff loss to the 49ers, Kelce suggested that players should also take accountability for the disappointing finale.
“It’s one of the highest-paid offenses in the NFL, and they were mediocre across the board,” Kelce said, echoing some of his comments from Monday. “The bottom line is this offense didn’t live up to what it should have. Patullo, as the offensive coordinator, bears responsibility, and so do the players. …
“I don’t think it’s ever fair to just throw it on one guy. Jalen [Hurts] said it after the game: Right now isn’t the time to put it on any one person.”
Without naming any names, Kelce also recommended that the Eagles look to more experienced coaching candidates to replace Patullo.
“It would probably behoove the Eagles to bring in somebody with a fresh perspective on where it’s at currently,” Kelce said. “When you’re in it, you’re thinking about how you’ve had success in the past. When you bring in somebody else, we can bring in some fresh ideas and find ways to maximize things.
“I don’t think it needs to be anything that drastic. We probably want somebody who’s been proven offensively as a successful coach, and he could come in and look at things under a new lens with a lot of similar pieces.”
The two seasons the Eagles went to the Super Bowl under Nick Sirianni, they had offensive coordinators with experience at the position: Shane Steichen and Kellen Moore, both of whom were hired as head coaches the following year.
— Katie Lewis
// Timestamp 01/15/26 7:15am
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Philly native De’Andre Hunter credits ‘love in the air’ for his standout showing as Cavaliers thrash Sixers
As soon as De’Andre Hunter had dropped his bags at the Cleveland Cavaliers’ hotel in Philly on Tuesday, he headed to Dalessandro’s Steaks.
“That’s mandatory any time I’m here,” Hunter said of visiting the local cheesesteak giant.
Spoken like a true Philly native. And one who, because of unfortunate scheduling around an in-season trade, never played in his hometown in 2024-25.
Hunter relished finally being back in front of family and friends inside Xfinity Mobile Arena Wednesday night. That “love in the air,” he said, powered his 17 points, four rebounds and four assists off the bench in the Cavaliers’ 133-107 thrashing of the 76ers. The performance also helped rebalance shooting struggles that have hindered Hunter’s first full season with Cleveland.
“When he plays like that,” Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said of Hunter’s outing, “we’re tough to beat.”
Entering Wednesday, Hunter was shooting a career-worst 30.3% from three-point range, while his percentage from the floor (42.5%) was the lowest since his rookie year. Those dips somewhat mirror the disappointment so far surrounding the 23-19 Cavaliers. They were expected to be a Finals contender after boasting the Eastern Conference’s best regular-season record last season, but exited Wednesday as the seventh seed (a half-game behind the fifth-seeded Sixers, who are 22-17).
When the Cavaliers acquired Hunter, a Friends’ Central School graduate, from the Atlanta Hawks at last February’s trade deadline, they envisioned him as the final player needed to make a championship push. The 28-year-old wing possessed the 6-foot-7, 220-pound frame to guard multiple positions, and was thriving as an off-ball, catch-and-shoot offensive player.
Hunter’s initial transition was described in March by Atkinson as “seamless” and “as quickly as I’ve seen anybody acclimate.” As a key reserve, Hunter averaged 14.3 points on 48.5% shooting from the floor — and an eye-popping 42.6% from beyond the arc — in 27 regular-season games with the NBA’s most efficient offense, while adding 4.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists.
After Cleveland fizzled in a second-round playoff loss to the Indiana Pacers, however, Atkinson said he looked forward to getting to know Hunter better during offseason visits. Today, the coach says he has learned even more while Hunter has faced personal adversity through the regular season’s first half.
“It’s like your kid, right?” Atkinson said before Wednesday’s game. “One that’s struggling a little or things aren’t going perfect, you probably spend more time with him.”
Through those conversations, Atkinson said, Hunter has reiterated he cares most about winning. After Cleveland’s home loss to the Utah Jazz on Monday — which was part of a 2-for-10 shooting slump from Hunter — the coach said he needed to do a better job of putting Hunter in his comfort zone on the floor. And Atkinson appreciates that the struggles have not sent Hunter “into a shell” or affected the rest of the Cavaliers’ locker room.
“It’s been the opposite with him,” Atkinson said. “His body of work speaks for itself. He’s done it for a long time in this league, and it’ll come back.”
Hunter, meanwhile, has leaned into his work habits. To try to regain rhythm, he recently completed individual workouts that were deliberately intense — “despite how your body’s feeling” — and simulated game-like scenarios.
“Keep doing what I know how to do,” he said. “I’ve been shooting for years.”
It took multiple bounces on the rim for Hunter’s first three-point make to fall through the net Wednesday. But then he scored in the lane, and splashed another deep shot. Though a three-point try at the first-quarter buzzer rimmed out, he let the ball fly again just before halftime to give Cleveland a 60-47 advantage.
Hunter then helped cool the Sixers’ rally attempt in the third quarter, when twice he got free in transition for a layup and one-handed dunk. Shortly after hitting a turnaround jumper early in the final period, Hunter got to enjoy the rest of the night from the bench as the Cavaliers finished off a dominant victory.
“His aggression was the biggest thing,” star guard Donovan Mitchell said of Hunter’s impact after the game. “ … That’s the ‘Dre that we all know, and it’s great to see. He puts the time in. He puts the work in.
“So the biggest thing now is just keep going. Keep doing it. We believe in him.”
De’Andre Hunter (left) has struggled from the field to start his season, shooting a career-worst 30.3% from three-point range. The Cavaliers and Sixers will square off again Friday, giving Hunter a longer-than-usual regular-season visit to Philly. That means there is time for another Dalessandro’s trip.
Then, he gets the opportunity to finally generate some on-court consistency in his first full season with the Cavaliers — while again playing in front of family and friends.
“That’s something I’m working on, and something I’m looking to do,” he said. “… What they expect from me, just providing that every night.”
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Temple, Villanova, and Penn State are among local schools beginning to pay athletes. Here’s how it’s going so far.
At local colleges with major sports programs, some student athletes are now getting paychecks — from their athletic departments.
Pennsylvania State University, Temple, Villanova, St. Joseph’s, Drexel, and La Salle are among the Pennsylvania schools that have begun to directly pay athletes following a settlement last year in federal class-action lawsuits over student athlete compensation.
The move arguably ends college athletes’ status as amateurs and begins to address long-standing concerns that players haven’t fairly profited from the lucrative business of some college sports.
It also raises questions about how schools will fund the athletes’ pay and whether equity complaints will arise if all athletes are not comparably awarded. Some also question how it will impact sports that are not big revenue makers.
Locally, most colleges have been mum on how much they are paying athletes, and some have also declined to say which teams’ athletes are getting money through revenue sharing, citing competitive and student privacy concerns. Villanova, a basketball powerhouse that has 623 athletes across 24 sports, said it will provide money primarily to its men’s and women’s basketball teams.
Erica Roedl, Villanova’s vice president and athletic director, speaks during a news conference at the school’s Finneran Pavilion in 2024. “Our objective is to share revenue at levels which will keep our basketball rosters funded among the top schools in the Big East [Conference] and nationally,” Eric Roedl, Villanova’s vice president and director of athletics, said in a June message after the court settlement.
St. Joe’s, another basketball standout, said its arrangement is also with men’s and women’s basketball athletes, like its peers in the Atlantic 10 Conference.
Temple University established Competitive Excellence Funds that allow all of its 19 teams to raise money for revenue sharing, but declined to say which teams are currently distributing money to athletes.
“Donors could, if they wanted to, make sure their money went to a certain sport,” said Arthur Johnson, Temple’s vice president and director of athletics. “They have that ability.”
Other local colleges, including St. Joseph’s and Villanova, also launched funds to help raise money for revenue sharing. And all three schools also plan to use athletic revenue.
Under the revenue-sharing framework established by the court settlement, each college can pay its athletes up to a total of $20.5 million this academic year. Football powerhouse Penn State, which has about 800 athletes, has said it intends to reach the cap, according to a June 7 statement from athletic director Pat Kraft.
“This is a rapidly evolving environment that we are monitoring closely to ensure our approach remains consistent with applicable rules, while supporting the well-being and academic success of our student-athletes,” said Leah Beasley, Penn State’s deputy athletic director for strategic engagement and brand advancement.
Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft gives two thumbs up to the student section following a 31-0 win in a football game against Iowa in 2023. ‘It’s a job’
To athletes, revenue sharing seems only fair, given many are so busy practicing and playing through summers and other breaks that they don’t have time to work.
“It is a job at the end of the day,” said former Villanova University basketball player Eric Dixon, who holds the Wildcats’ record as all-time leading scorer. “You put a lot of time into it every single day, every single week.”
Players get hurt and can see their sports careers harmed or halted, said Dixon, who grew up in Abington and played at Villanova from 2020 to 2025. College may be their only time to earn money for their sports prowess.
Villanova’s Eric Dixon drives against Alex Karaban of UConn during the 2025 Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden in New York. Dixon didn’t benefit from revenue sharing. But he got money through external name, image, and likeness (NIL) endorsements and sponsorships that the NCAA began allowing in 2021. Dixon declined to specify how much he received, but said it was “seven figures” over four years and allowed him to help his family.
Like some other schools, Villanova, he said, provided players with financial guidance so they could make wise decisions on how to use their money.
External NIL arrangements, though, he said, were a little “like the Wild West.” (NIL compensation is allowed to continue under the lawsuit settlement, but deals of more than $600 have to be reported.) Revenue sharing from colleges will offer athletes more predictable income, said Dixon, who now plays for the Charlotte Hornets’ affiliated team in the G League.
Tyler Perkins, a Villanova junior from Virginia, currently plays for the Wildcats, who won national championships in 1985, 2016, and 2018. While he declined to say how much he is receiving, he said revenue sharing is helping him prepare for his future and “set up for the rest of my life.”
Maddy Siegrist, also a former Villanova basketball player who now plays for the Dallas Wings in the WNBA, is pleased universities are able to share revenue directly with athletes.
“It will be interesting to see how it all plays out,” said Siegrist, the Big East’s all-time leading scorer in women’s basketball and Villanova’s overall highest scorer, of men’s and women’s basketball.
Dallas Wings forward Maddy Siegrist celebrates a three-point shot during a WNBA basketball game against the Chicago Sky in 2024 in Arlington, Texas. While the big revenue sports are likely to see the money first, she said, “I would hope there will be a trickle-down effect where almost every sport is able to benefit.“
A lawsuit spurs changes
For years, there have been growing concerns that athletes were not getting their fair share of the profits from college sports, which make money on broadcast rights, ticket sales, and sponsorships. Meanwhile, coaches can be among the highest paid in a university’s budget.
In 2020, former Arizona State swimmer Grant House became the lead plaintiff in House vs. NCAA, a class-action antitrust lawsuit that argued athletes should be able to profit from the use of their name, likeness, and image and schools should not be barred from paying them directly.
The settlement approved in June of that suit and two others against the NCAA requires the NCAA and its major conferences to pay $2.8 billion in damages to current and former Division 1 athletes. Another provision gave rise to the revenue sharing.
It initially applied to the major sports conferences: the Big Ten, Atlantic Coast Conference, Southeastern Conference, and the Big 12. Penn State belongs to the Big Ten and the University of Pittsburgh to the Atlantic Coast.
But other athletic conferences, along with many of their members, decided to opt in to the agreement to remain competitive in select sports. St. Joseph’s, La Salle, Villanova, Drexel, and Temple all are part of conferences participating in revenue sharing with athletes this year.
“We support student-athletes’ ability to pursue value among their peers and to leverage commercial opportunities that may benefit them or the institution,” said Maisha Kelly, Drexel’s vice president and director of athletics and recreation.
Temple belongs to the American Athletic Conference, which said its members must agree to pay at least $10 million over three years to its athletes. Johnson, Temple’s athletic director, noted that total also includes new scholarships, not just pay.
No tuition, state dollars to be used
Pitt alumnus J. Byron Fleck has called on the Pennsylvania State Board of Higher Education to advise three state-related colleges — Penn State, Temple, and Pitt — not to use tuition dollars, student fees, or state appropriations to fund athlete payments. He also asked lawmakers to take action.
“It doesn’t relate to any educational or academic purpose,” said Fleck, a 1976 Pitt alumnus and lawyer in California.
Fleck said he was especially concerned about how Pitt could afford it. Pitt had a $45 million deficit in its athletics department budget in 2023-24, according to Pittsburgh’s Public Source.
Karen Weaver, an expert on college athletics, higher education leadership, and public policy, said the same concerns about public funds being used to pay athletes have risen in other states, including Michigan and Washington.
But Penn State, Temple, and Pitt all said in statements that they would not use tuition, student fees, or state appropriations to fund revenue sharing with athletes.
“Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics is a self-sustaining unit of the university,” said Beasley, Penn State’s deputy athletic director.
Pitt said it would use athletic revenues.
In addition to donations, Temple, too, is using athletic department revenues, such as ticket sales, but it is also looking at other “nontraditional ways” to raise money, Johnson said.
“We’re turning over every stone,” he said.
Weaver, an adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania, said she worries that as the caps on revenue sharing get higher and costs grow, schools, especially those tight for cash, may start raising recreation and other student fees. The University of Tennessee added a 10% student talent fee for season ticket renewals, according to the Associated Press, while Clemson is charging a $150 per semester student athletic fee, according to ESPN.
Roedl, the Villanova athletic director, said in a statement that it had launched the Villanova Athletics Strategic Excellence (VASE) Fund to raise money for the payments.
“Additionally, we are looking for other ways to maximize revenue through ticketing, sponsorships, and events, and identifying cost efficiencies throughout our department,” he said.
St. Joe’s, which has about 450 student athletes, said that it started a Basketball Excellence Fund to raise revenue and that payments also are funded by the basketball program. Athletes that receive funds “serve as brand ambassadors for the university,” the school said in a statement. “… These efforts have included community engagement — particularly with youth in the community — and marketing initiatives that directly support the Saint Joseph’s University brand.”
La Salle declined to say how much student athletes receive or in what proportion.
“We can share that any funds provided to students come from external sources and not tuition dollars,” said Greg Nayor, vice president for enrollment management and marketing.
Weaver, author of a forthcoming book, Understanding College Athletics: What Campus Leaders Need to Know About College Sports, said plans that call for the bulk of revenue sharing to go to football and basketball players would lead to legal action, charging that female athletes are not being treated equally.
“Any day now I expect we’ll see a huge Title IX lawsuit,” she said.
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Braden Mann would love to stay in Philly. The Eagles have a decision to make on the free agent punter
A punter is like someone’s breath — you likely only notice it if it stinks.
The Eagles have taken whiffs of poor punters in the past. Just a few years ago, one of the team’s biggest concerns entering the offseason was Arryn Siposs, who struggled in Super Bowl LVII with his botched punt in the fourth quarter that contributed to the Eagles’ loss.
The Eagles don’t have to have that concern anymore. Siposs’ successor, Braden Mann, is fresh off his third season with the Eagles, from which he emerged as the most consistent of the team’s specialists. Mann registered a franchise-best 49.9 yards per punt in 2025 and has averaged 49.5 yards in his Eagles career, the best mark in team history.
Will he have a chance to continue that dominance? Mann, 28, is one of the team’s 19 pending unrestricted free agents. On Monday, even with the season’s demise still fresh, he wasn’t hiding his hopes for the future.
“I’ve loved my time in Philly, and hopefully that continues,” Mann said. “It’s just been a blast for me, personally, just kind of working my craft and seeing what happens. Excited to see any opportunities here or anything that comes.”
A Houston native, Mann said he has spent the last few offseasons living in Dallas, the hometown of his wife, Kylie. He prefers training in Dallas in the spring because of the windy conditions, which are standard in the Northeast during the football season.
Braden Mann (center) said this year’s Eagles, including long snapper Charley Hughlett (left) and kicker Jake Elliott (right), were close-knit despite the way things ended. The veteran punter noted that purposely practicing on bad-weather days in the offseason translated to better punts during the season, especially in Philly and on the road vs. Buffalo. Mann had to punt through it all — rain, wind, and snow.
“I worked really hard to try and improve on punting in less-than-ideal conditions, which obviously we had a lot of this year,” Mann said. “I used to go out on good-weather days, and now I purposely go out in the offseason on days where it’s raining or cold or windy. I think it’s really helped me, just being able to control the ball a bit better.”
Mann ranked sixth in the league this season in yards per punt, with his longest attempt hitting 70 yards in Week 2 against the Kansas City Chiefs. But just 27.8% of his punts were downed inside the opponent’s 20-yard line, below the league average of 39.3%.
That’s not all on Mann, but he noted that he wants to get better at some of those deeper punts this offseason.
“Going forward, just trying to improve on maybe some of the weird punts,” Mann said. “Like the ones where you get really close to the end zone or trying to get aggressive with pinning the other team deep and not getting too aggressive, I guess, is the best way of putting it.”
Mann has a special perspective, joining the Eagles during a trying 2023 season and reaching the pinnacle with a Super Bowl last year. After another early playoff exit, the punter acknowledged the team has the potential to rebound once more. He called the 2025 team “one of the closest groups I’ve been with” in his six-year NFL career, which began with the New York Jets.
“I think it’s just the time we spent,” Mann said. “I think everybody’s wanting to reach toward the end goal, but you’ve got to enjoy the days on the way there. Even last year, we went so long and it wasn’t so much the actual Super Bowl. It was the daily stuff to get there that made us so tight. So it was kind of similar this year. I think it’s a culture thing, which has been really good here.”
Once the dust settles on the season, Howie Roseman will determine whether Mann will continue to be a part of that culture for years to come.
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🏀 Kobe’s game | Sports Daily Newsletter
Kobe Bryant will be remembered for many moments in his basketball career. The NBA titles he’s won, the records he’s set, all visible, tangible memories that are a click away.
In Philly, however, his lore extends beyond what he did in the pros. It starts with his impact on the boys’ varsity basketball program as the shooting guard for Lower Merion High School in the late 1990s.
Before Bryant, the Aces struggled to compete with area teams. Now, nearly 30 years after he graduated and took his talents to the NBA, the program, which is still guided by head coach Gregg Downer, is still regarded as one of the top public school programs in the area.
Another impact of Bryant’s time is the rivalry that developed between Lower Merion and Chester, the other area hoops powerhouse, that remains a fixture on the calendar to this day. While it might not bring the same fire as games in previous years, it’s a game in which both schools test themselves on several different facets — some you could suggest might even transcend basketball.
It’s the latest from Inquirer writer Alex Coffey, who dived deep into this area high school hoops rivalry and the hardworking teen turned NBA great whose star power made this game a must-see event.
We’re in for sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-40s today. Enjoy.
— Kerith Gabriel, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.
❓What’s your favorite rivalry? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.
Playoff push?
In a recent interview with The Inquirer, Flyers president Keith Jones made it clear that expectations have changed and that the organization wants to make the playoffs. Over the past few seasons, the Flyers have made it no secret that the team was rebuilding and taking a long-term approach to roster construction.
But with the Flyers in a playoff spot entering Wednesday’s games, have things changed? Jackie Spiegel recently caught up with Flyers president Keith Jones to talk about the team’s direction, Matvei Michkov, Trevor Zegras, and how the team could approach March’s trade deadline.
While it remains to be seen whether the Flyers will look to add at the deadline, the team got some reinforcement with the return of top-four defenseman Jamie Drysdale on Wednesday. Drysdale’s return after a three-game absence, combined with the team’s three-game losing streak, convinced Rick Tocchet to scramble his three defensive pairs in Buffalo.
The Flyers losing streak reached four after dropping a road game at the Sabres, 5-2. The team also lost starting goalie Dan Vladar to an undisclosed injury after the first period.
What we’re…
⚾ Realizing: That for the first time, Ranger Suárez is no longer a Phillies pitcher and he’s got a $150 million contract from the Red Sox to prove it.
👀 Watching: The reaction from this young Eagles fan who found out that former offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo was fired on Tuesday.
⚽ Introducing: We sat down with the Union’s newest striker, Ezekiel Alladoh. Here’s what he had to say.
🤔 Wondering: What Jason Kelce really meant with his comments on former Eagles offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo.
🏈 Applauding: Penn sprint football coach Jerry McConnell, who, until next season, has been a fixture on the sidelines for nearly 20 years.
What if Realmuto moves on?
J.T. Realmuto is “one of the best catchers in the game,” said Cristopher Sánchez. “We’re basically nothing without him.” As the free agency dominoes continue to fall this winter, the one representing catcher J.T. Realmuto’s future has remained upright.
While fan attention has mostly turned to the Phillies’ interest in free agent infielder Bo Bichette, with whom team officials met on Monday, there is still a glaring hole in the team’s lineup at the catching position.
Five years ago, when Realmuto signed his last contract with the Phillies, they didn’t come to an agreement until Jan. 26. But if both sides don’t ultimately reach a deal this time, what happens at catcher?
Here’s a breakdown of the Phillies’ options behind the plate if they don’t reunite with Realmuto.
‘Small preview’ of the playoffs
Dominick Barlow appreciates the rest that comes with the Sixers’ recent two-game sets. When the 76ers lost to the Toronto Raptors on Sunday, they didn’t have to wait long to get revenge. Less than two nights later, they were back in Scotiabank Arena. On the second try they secured a 115-102 win. The Sixers returned home to Xfinity Mobile Arena to yet another two-game set against — this time at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“It kind of gives you a small preview of what the playoffs look like, having to beat a team and go out and do it again the next night or whenever you play,” Sixers power forward Dominick Barlow said following Wednesday’s shootaround.
Barlow left Wednesday’s 133-107 loss against Cleveland with a back contusion after awkwardly falling early in the third quarter. Though Joel Embiid is showing glimpses of his dominant self, turnovers continue to be an issue for the Sixers’ star center.
Sports snapshot
College athletes get money - Pay to play: Temple, Villanova, and Penn State are among local schools beginning to pay athletes. Here’s how it’s going so far.
- Portal impact: We weigh Temple football’s most impactful departures and arrivals from the transfer portal over the last few years.
- Facing a legend: Villanova’s Denise Dillon recalls what it’s like to face Geno Auriemma as her Wildcats take on UConn on Thursday.
- ICYMI: Villanova leans on Devin Askew’s bench scoring to secure a win over Providence.
Sixers center Joel Embiid tied Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record for most consecutive games with 30 or more points on this date. On this date
Jan. 15: How about a pair of Philly moments with California ties? First, on this date in 1965, the San Francisco Warriors traded Wilt Chamberlain to the Sixers in a three-player deal, along with cash. Fast forward to 2024, and you’ll see Joel Embiid hit his 16 consecutive game with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds, tying Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Mike Sielski’s take …
Tackle Lane Johnson played in only 10 games this season and the Eagles sorely missed the future Hall of Famer. “Given that Jalen Hurts will turn 28 in August and has absorbed his share of punishment over his five years as the Eagles’ starter, it’s fair to wonder whether that dynamism with his legs is gone forever.” — It’s one, among many questions Sielski ponders in his latest column.
What you’re saying about the Eagles
We asked: Who should the Eagles hire as their next offensive coordinator?
[Kevin] Patullo was really subpar at his job, but even more so was his boss, head coach [Nick] Sirianni. Nick has an outstanding record as Eagles coach, but I have a feeling it might have been his players who carried him to a Super Bowl win rather than the opposite. Would be great to get Kellen Moore back, but even though he had a bad season I don’t think the Saints are ready to give up on him. Other than him, I would go as the team did with Vic and bring in Frank Reich who has that same depth of experience and who of course is very familiar with the Eagles organization. — Everett S.
Pretty much anyone can make these calls: run, run, pass. — Cathy J.
Not really knowing the availability of who would be available, the best thing to do would be to run an ad. Coaching opportunity of a lifetime. OC Wanted. Experienced professional football OFFENSIVE Coordinator. Must understand the rhythm of the game. Creativity a must. Trick plays a necessity. Must be able to teach strict discipline. You will earn a top-five salary plus the opportunity to earn a $2 million bonus ending with the team’s last game played whether it be 17, 18, 19 or 20 games. This means postseason games count. … Opportunity to work in front of the best fans in football. — Ronald R.
We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Alex Coffey, Jackie Speigel, Keith Pompey, Gina Mizell, Lochlahn March, Ariel Simpson, Jonathan Tannenwald, Conor Smith, Mike Sielski, Susan Snyder, Katie Lewis, Colin Schofield, and Dylan Johnson.
By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.
That’s Thursday. Make it a good one. Bella is back in your inbox to get you set for the weekend tomorrow. — Kerith
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‘Heated Rivalry’ is introducing hockey to a new, gayer audience — and it was the talk of Flyers’ Pride Night
The biggest crowd pop at Xfinity Mobile Arena during Monday’s Pride Night was for Christian Dvorak’s breakaway goal, the Flyers’ only goal of the game.
But the second-biggest was for “All the Things She Said,” a song that, only two months ago, was just another early 2000s club hit — until Heated Rivalry turned it into a phenomenon.
Heated Rivalry, the hit Crave original series that quickly became an international sensation during its six-episode run on HBO Max, is an adaptation of a novel by the same name, written by Rachel Reid. It’s the love story of two fictional hockey superstars, Canadian Shane Hollander and Russian Ilya Rozanov, who were the top two picks in the same draft.
The show has become one of HBO Max’s top series in the two months since its first episode aired, jumping from 30 million streaming minutes in its opening week to 324 million streaming minutes by its sixth. Casey Bloys, HBO Max’s CEO, described the show as a “word-of-mouth sensation” to the New York Times.
“There are so many ways to get hooked on hockey and, in the NHL’s 108-year history, this might be the most unique driver for creating new fans. See you all at the rink,” an NHL spokesperson said in a statement to the Hollywood Reporter.
A small cottage industry of hockey podcasts analyzing the show has emerged, with What Chaos! and Empty Netters earning hundreds of thousands of views on episodes about the show, including interviews with the cast and creators.
But has the show — which wouldn’t exactly win awards for an accurate on-ice depiction of the game — led to real growth in hockey fandom?
According to StubHub, it has. The ticketing site said last week that it saw a 40% increase in interest in hockey tickets during the show’s run and there’s no shortage of fans online who claim they found the game through Heated Rivalry, which has already been renewed for a second season.
The LGBTQ+ community has had a challenging relationship with the NHL over the last several years, following former Flyer Ivan Provorov’s decision to opt out of wearing a specialty jersey on Flyers’ Pride Night in 2023, which led to a brief ban on optional Pride tape and a ban on wearing any specialty jerseys on the ice.
The Flyers hosted their annual Pride Night on Monday. But other former Flyers, like Scott Laughton, were extremely involved in Pride initiatives, something Philly natives Trish Grow and Autumn McCloskey, both lifelong Flyers fans, said helped them feel like the Flyers community was inclusive. The explosion of the show helped draw in more of their friends.
“I have people who would never come near a hockey rink texting me like, ‘You’ve watched this, right?’” Grow said. “I’m like, ‘Oh, honey, do you want to come to a game? You can see them do the stretches, but you’ve got to learn the rules.’”
One of their friends took them up on their offer, and, after reading the book and watching the show, attended his first-ever hockey game for Pride Night.
He wasn’t the only one. Dale Lyster, who is from Coatesville and came to the game wearing a Rozanov jersey, said he’d attended a few games over the years, but after hearing friends talk about Heated Rivalry on social media, he decided to tune in and quickly fell in love with the show — and then with hockey.
“I’ve always liked it, but I’ve never really been into it,” Lyster said. “Now, seeing more representation in the hockey world, it opened my eyes more.”
Newlyweds Kary and Kate Van Collins of Fairmount feel similarly. Their last hockey game was Flyers Pride Night a year ago, and Heated Rivalry renewed their interest in the sport. Kary made them custom Hollander and Rozanov sweatshirts to wear to the game.
“I am a queer, neurodivergent, half-Asian person, so I really saw myself in the character of Shane Hollander,” Kary said. “I think it’s just very needed right now, especially in the political climate, to have these positive stories surrounding queer love.”
Added Kate: “It’s also reassuring that queer people belong in sports. I think a lot of people in the community maybe don’t feel welcome in the sports scene, so maybe it’s a door that’s open so people feel more welcome.”
The show’s viral success has even caught its stars off guard. Connor Storrie, who plays Rozanov, said Tuesday on Late Night with Seth Meyers that one of the biggest surprises was the show’s reach, and how it hasn’t just been gay men who have enjoyed it.
“You think of male romance, you think it’s for gay men,” he told Meyers. “But there’s been all walks of life, predominantly women, who enjoy it.”
Groups are even popping up to help bring fans together. Shannon Herbst of Mount Laurel has loved hockey and been a Flyers season ticket-holder for years, so she knew Heated Rivalry would be right up her alley.
“There’s actually a group of us through Threads that got together that are from Philly and South Jersey, and there’s so many people on there that really want to get into hockey, specifically the Flyers, and really want to learn more about the game from the show,” Herbst said.
Hudson Williams (left) and Connor Storrie star as hockey players who fall in love in “Heated Rivalry.” Heated Rivalry also has reached the world of professional athletes. Hudson Williams, who plays Hollander, told Andy Cohen on his radio show that multiple closeted athletes have reached out to him and to Reid since the show’s premiere to share how the show has impacted them. No NHL player has ever come out as gay, although NHL draft pick Luke Prokop, who came out in 2021, currently is playing in the American Hockey League with the Edmonton Oilers’ organization.
That might not change any time soon, but fans felt that the success of Heated Rivalry was a first step for improving inclusion in the sport for players and for fans.
“It’s definitely opened the door,” Herbst said. “Obviously, there’s still more work that needs to be done, but I think it really planted that seed and made more people comfortable with having that conversation within the NHL and the sport itself.”
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Can QB whisperers Josh McCown or Cam Turner salvage Jalen Hurts as the Eagles’ new OC?
The Eagles don’t just need an offensive coordinator. They need a quarterback whisperer.
They need Josh McCown. Or maybe Cam Turner.
Kevin Patullo wasn’t ready for the OC job in Philly, but then, Bill Walsh and Sid Gillman wouldn’t have won a Super Bowl the way Jalen Hurts played in 2025.
Hurts’ development has stalled. He might even be broken. He’s largely the same quarterback at the end of the 2025 season as he was at the end of 2022. Defenses know that, and they exploit it. As the offensive line deteriorated, and as Saquon Barkley and A.J. Brown started to show their age, more was asked of Hurts, who delivered ever less.
The Eagles don’t just need a play-caller.
They need an offensive coordinator who can invigorate a veteran quarterback whose career is idling. Both McCown, a former Eagles backup quarterback, and Turner, who has the bluest of NFL bloodlines, have done just that.
Fire starters
The most compelling story of the 2024 season involved Sam Darnold, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft and a bust with the New York Jets, Carolina Panthers, and San Francisco 49ers, who made the Pro Bowl in his seventh season and led the Minnesota Vikings to a 14-3 record.
McCown was Darnold’s quarterbacks coach.
The most compelling story early in the 2025 season involved not only Darnold’s continued ascendance, now in Seattle, but also Daniel Jones. He was the No. 6 overall pick in 2019 but turned out to be such a bust with the New York Giants in his first six seasons that they released him.
Jones signed with Indianapolis, where Turner, as quarterbacks coach, had been developing Anthony Richardson, the No. 4 overall pick in 2023, while helping veterans Joe Flacco and Gardner Minshew squeeze out a few more NFL starts. When given an established talent like Jones, though, Turner made hay. Turner convinced head coach Shane Steichen to bench Richardson in favor of Jones, and Turner was right. The Colts were 8-2 and Jones was a dark-horse MVP candidate with a career-high 101.6 passer rating when he broke his leg in Game 11. Jones suffered a torn Achilles tendon two games later.
Colts quarterbacks coach Cam Turner played a big role in Daniel Jones’ resurgence before the quarterback suffered a season-ending injury. So, amid all the flashy possible candidates — fired Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, fired Giants head coach Brian Daboll, fired Washington Commanders coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, figurehead 49ers OC Klay Kubiak — you have, in McCown and Turner, two position coaches who played the position, who possess credible pedigrees, and, within the past two years, have salvaged the careers of quarterbacks who were in even worse shape than Hurts.
Granted, they wouldn’t be acting as Hurts’ position coach. However, if head coach Nick Sirianni — also never a QB, and only briefly a QB coach — will assume more of a role in scheme construction and game-planning, which he’s going to help with anyway, McCown or Turner could spend more time with Hurts than would a normal OC.
Granted, they haven’t called plays. But then, neither had Ben Johnson when he became offensive coordinator in Detroit in 2022. He’d never even coached quarterbacks. He still turned out to be excellent at running an offense, both with the Lions through 2024, as well as in 2025, his first season as head coach with the Chicago Bears, who are two wins from making the Super Bowl.
The team desperately needs some QB IQ in the building after the caliber of coaching Hurts received this season. And no, we’re not referring to Patullo.
Scot who?
There was a lot of head-scratching last winter when Sirianni hired career college coach Scot Loeffler as quarterbacks coach. Loeffler’s only season in the NFL was as quarterbacks coach for the Lions in 2008, when Daunte Culpepper, Jon Kitna, and current ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky combined for an 0-16 record. Loeffler coached on the first 0-16 team in NFL history, a season best remembered for Orlovsky, while facing modest pressure, unwittingly scrambling out of the back of the end zone (the Lions lost by two points).
Unlike Loeffler, McCown and Turner bring significant NFL bona fides.
McCown played for 10 NFL teams over a 16-year career. He only approached being a full-time starter four times, but at his last eight stops, he was credited with making the other quarterbacks better as a sort of extra coach. In 2006, with the Lions, he actually played wide receiver, and caught both passes thrown to him. In 2019, he came out of retirement and served as Carson Wentz’s backup and mentor. Not coincidentally, Wentz’s career cratered after 2020.
Even if he doesn’t get the OC job, McCown always will have a home in Philly. Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie loves him. He offered McCown a coaching job after the 2019 season, which McCown, then 40, declined, hoping to take one more shot as a player. Lurie then signed McCown to the practice squad in 2020 but still let McCown live at home in Texas until the Houston Texans signed McCown onto their active roster in November.
Other than recently redeeming failed quarterbacks, McCown and Turner share little else in their backgrounds.
Depending on how you view things, either Turner is one of the NFL‘s most egregious proliferate examples of nepotism, or he has impeccable NFL coaching DNA.
His uncle, Norv Turner, won two Super Bowls in the early 1990s as Jimmy Johnson’s offensive coordinator in Dallas. His cousin and Norv’s son, Scott Turner, has spent 14 seasons coaching in the NFL, and he’s the Jets’ passing game coordinator now, but that shouldn’t count against Cam.
Independent of his connections, Cam has proved himself worthy of his appointments. He was the assistant QB coach in Arizona in 2020, when Kyler Murray went to his first Pro Bowl, and was the head QB coach in 2021, when Murray went to his second.
Turner also has the benefit of working with Steichen in Indy. Steichen, of course, was the OC when the Eagles made it to the Super Bowl after the 2022 season.
Colts coach Shane Steichen, the former Eagles offensive coordinator, started the 2025 season 8-2 with Daniel Jones as his starter and Cam Turner coaching quarterbacks. Turner also worked in Arizona under Kingsbury, one of the retread candidates everyone has been sniffing around since Black Monday began claiming victims last week.
“Sniffing around.”
Sounds about right.
The names
With a $128 million offense like the Eagles’, why risk a season on lesser-known candidates like McCown and Turner?
Because being lesser-known doesn’t necessarily equate to lesser ability.
McDaniel is a big name, but the awkward departure of Vic Fangio as his defensive coordinator after their 2023 season together would cause instant friction if McDaniel joined a franchise and moved to a city where Fangio is worshipped. Anyway, McDaniel seems certain to get another head coaching gig during this hiring cycle. If he doesn’t, he’d be foolish to turn down the Lions OC job if offered, since, in this moment, Jared Goff is a better quarterback than Hurts.
Daboll was hired by the Ginats to develop Jones. He did the opposite. Also, his combustible personality is likely to clash with Sirianni’s.
There isn’t a universe in which Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken doesn’t accompany John Harbaugh to Harbaugh’s next stop, since Harbaugh’s refusal to fire Monken apparently influenced his firing in Baltimore.
and got fired by the Cowboys as QB coach after 2022, failed as Kellen Moore’s QB coach with the Chargers in 2023, and was the QB coach in Philly during Hurts’ mediocre 2024 season. Not exactly a sterling resumé.
Frank Reich, the OC in 2016-17 under Doug Pederson, is Lurie’s favorite employee ever, and, at 64, he’s unlikely to be poached by any other team if the Eagles thrive with him as coordinator. But Reich was less responsible for Wentz’s development than hard-nosed quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo. As for “Flip” himself, team sources have said in the past that DeFilippo long ago burned any bridge that might ever bring him back to Philadelphia, and there have been plenty of opportunities to do so.
Rams passing game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase has never coached NFL quarterbacks, has one year as a college offensive coordinator, and with all due respect, seems to be this year’s long-shot assistant who gets the Duce Staley Treatment — that is, token interviews for head-coaching jobs with NFL teams trying to fulfill Rooney Rule requirements.
Still, Scheelhaase seems far more qualified than Klay Kubiak. He spent seven of his first eight years out of college coaching high school, and only three of those as a head coach. He joined the Niners in 2021, and he has been offensive coordinator for just one year, but he doesn’t even call plays. Kyle Shanahan does.
Maybe it won’t matter who they hire. Considering how so many podcast pundits and online experts spend their Monday mornings eviscerating folks like Kevin Patullo, game planning, sequencing, adjusting, and play-calling can’t be all that hard. Can it?