The divisional round of the NFL playoffs is regarded as the best weekend of the season by some fans. Four games over two days, two of them including the regular season’s best teams − insomuch as one might regard the No. 1 postseason seeds as the best squads.

Saturday, the Denver Broncos, the top seed in the AFC, will host the Buffalo Bills in a rematch from the 2024 wild-card round − Josh Allen and Co. cruising best then-rookie Bo Nix and the Broncos 31-7. In the NFC, the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks will meet for the third time (and second in three weeks) − the ‘Hawks returning to action at Lumen Field following their bye.

Sunday afternoon, the New England Patriots will try to advance to their first AFC championship game in seven years − by beating a red-hot Houston Texans squad hoping to get that for for the first time. Ever. The final matchup of the weekend quartet will pair the Los Angeles Rams and Chicago Bears, who will square off in the postseason for the first time in 40 years − since the legendary ’85 Bears shut out the Rams at Soldier Field.

Which teams will qualify for the NFL’s version of the Final Four? Our experts make their selections:

(Odds provided by BetMGM)

Divisional round picks, predictions, odds

• Bills at Broncos
• 49ers at Seahawks
• Texans at Patriots
• Rams at Bears

Blue and white smoke is finally emanating from East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The New York Giants and John Harbaugh have finally completed a five-year deal to make him the team’s next head coach, per multiple reports, days after Harbaugh and the club had agreed to join forces. His package is expected to be worth in the neighborhood of $100 million, according to multiple reports.

“This is the New York Giants,” Harbaugh told ESPN. “I’m proud and honored to the head coach of this historic franchise, and especially excited to work with the Mara and Tisch families. But most of all, I can’t wait to get started with the great players on this football team to see what we can accomplish together.”

Per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, a news conference is expected to occur Tuesday. Harbaugh and general manager Joe Schoen, who retained his job despite Brian Daboll’s firing during the just completed season, are expected to have a ‘cooperative setup.’

Schoen led the coaching search that quickly led the organization to Harbaugh.

Harbaugh led the Baltimore Ravens to 12 playoff berths, AFC North titles and one Super Bowl victory in his 18 seasons in Charm City. His record, including postseason, is 193-124.

The Giants have made the playoffs just twice, winning one wild-card game under Daboll, since winning Super Bowl 46 nearly 14 years ago.

AI-assisted summary
• Alberto Mendoza is the backup quarterback for Indiana, behind his Heisman-winning brother Fernando.
• Indiana recently signed transfer quarterback Josh Hoover, signaling a challenge for Alberto’s future starting role.
• Alberto Mendoza intends to compete for the starting job rather than transfer from Indiana.

MIAMI — He sat on a aluminum bleacher with the rest of the forgotten, a full-blown feeding frenzy unloading in front of him.

Everyone wanted a piece of Alberto Mendoza. 

Meanwhile, a larger hoard of media — one not seen at College Football Playoff media day in maybe ever — was hovering around Fernando Mendoza while he sat surrounded at a podium for the elite.

You know him. 

Heisman Trophy winner. Star quarterback. The key to Indiana completing the greatest turnaround in sports history Monday night against Miami in the College Football Playoff championship game. As pure and true since a guy named Tebow.

And the older brother of Alberto, Indiana’s backup quarterback. The guy hanging with the other backups in the bleachers.

This is where the story begins, where a brother trying to find his own way in a sport he loves, dutifully and unflinchingly sitting for an hour — an hour! —  and answering questions about the one player in college football everyone can’t get enough of.

Is Fernando really as perfect as he looks? 

Was Fernando always great at sports? 

If Fernando were an animal in the jungle, what would he be?

But while the deeply vacuous wondered and wandered aloud in the annual menagerie that is CFP media day, an important thing happened to Alberto a couple of weeks ago. 

Indiana coach Curt Cignetti signed TCU quarterback Josh Hoover from the transfer portal for the 2026 season. About as clear a statement as can be made about the future of Alberto. 

The Hoosiers aren’t paying Hoover millions to leave TCU so he can decide a year from now if Alberto is a Tiger or Lion in the jungle. And it’s here where we find the cold, hard truth of the sport. 

There’s a finite clock for starting quarterbacks in the NIL era. Teams and coaches don’t have time to invest two or three years of development.

High-value contracts are made for now, not when it all finally comes together. 

“I get it,” Alberto says. “It’s a business.” 

That doesn’t make it any easier to swallow the reality that he’s a play away from critical minutes against Miami — and who knows how long from becoming the Indiana starter.

He already convinced one NIL gun for hire (see: Fernando) to skip in line ahead of him. He’s not sitting around and letting it happen a second time — or worse, leaving town because of it.  

Mendoza says he will compete with Hoover for the starting job, and says Fernando told him to go win the job instead of waiting. Force Indiana and Cignetti into a difficult decision.

Cignetti, meanwhile, understands the complexities of the situation. It’s a small and growing sample size of the undeniable: inexperienced quarterbacks rarely work in the NIL era. 

The surest, safest way to efficient play from the most important position on the field has quickly become the transfer portal.

Doesn’t matter that Alberto led Christopher Columbus High School in Miami to back-to-back state titles once Fernando left. Doesn’t matter that Alberto brings something different to the offense — his ability to stress defenses with his legs — and has shown rare dual-threat ability in limited backup action this season.

All that matters is the here and now. There’s a reason more than 200 Bowl Subdivision (and another 100 Championship Subdivision) quarterbacks hit the transfer portal when it opened on January 2.

It’s all about the quick fix, with the least amount of the unknown. 

“We’ll see what happens,” Cignetti said. “I like (Alberto) a lot as a player. We’ll see what the future holds.”

There was a moment last month, in what was then the biggest game of the season, that we nearly saw what Indiana had with Alberto. Fernando was drilled by Ohio State edge Caden Curry on the first play of the Big Ten championship game, and Alberto replaced him for a play. 

His first significant snap of the season, and Alberto handed off. But it’s not like he hasn’t shown it this season. 

His numbers are high level, even in mop up time. He plays the part well, with five touchdown passes and runs of 59, 53 and 39 yards. 

He’s not just a guy with clipboard. 

“You get me out there, I can rip it,” Alberto says. “I’m very confident in my ability.”

Meanwhile, back at the circus, the bobblehead bunch is busy asking about six-seven, and if Alberto and Fernando fought as kids. 

Last one from me! Wait, what was I going to ask you again? Oh yeah, social media is ablaze with 2016. What were you doing in 2016?!

“I was, like, 12,” Alberto says.

And just for the record, yeah, they did fight as kids. And yeah, there were times when Alberto got the better of Fernando playing sports.

The last thing he’s going to do is let a high-dollar mercenary run him out of Bloomington. So here’s a better question for the wandering, vacuous masses: 

What if Alberto wins the job, and a multi-million dollar contract sits on the bench? 

Guess who then becomes the story of college football?

For all the right reasons. 

Anthony Edwards produced a career-high night for the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday. Still, it didn’t result in a successful outing as they suffered a 126-123 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on the road.

Edwards reached 54 points after nailing a 3-point shot in the corner to make it a one-point game with 9.8 seconds left in regulation. He added one more free throw and finished the game with 55 points, a new career high.

The Timberwolves star scored 26 points in the fourth quarter after scoring 29 points through the first three quarters of play.

Victor Wembanyama led the way for the Spurs with 39 points.

Anthony Edwards stats vs. San Antonio Spurs

• Points: 55
• FG: 19-for-33
• 3PT: 9-for-16
• Free Throws: 8-for-10
• Rebounds: 4
• Assists: 3
• Steals: 0
• Blocks: 0
• Turnovers: 2
• Fouls: 4
• Minutes: 40

Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves vs. Spurs highlights

The Denver Broncos return to the AFC championship game for the first time in 10 years in an exceedingly difficult spot.

Starting quarterback Bo Nix will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a broken bone in his ankle in Saturday’s divisional playoff win over the Buffalo Bills, Broncos coach Sean Payton announced.

That leaves Jarrett Stidham to take the reins to the Broncos’ offense for the tilt against either the New England Patriots or the Houston Texans with a trip to Super Bowl 60 on the line.

Here’s what we know about the outlook for Stidham and the Broncos:

Who is Jarrett Stidham?

A seventh-year veteran, Stidham is about to command a spotlight far more intense than he’s ever experienced.

The 2019 fourth-round pick out of Auburn began his NFL career as Tom Brady’s backup on the Patriots. His chance to become Brady’s successor never fully materialized, however, and he was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022.

All four starts in Stidham’s career came as teams were pivoting away from marquee veteran passers. First, he stepped in for the final two games of the Raiders’ 2022 season when Derek Carr was benched. Then, he did the same for the Broncos in 2023 as Payton and Co. sat Russell Wilson.

But even with Denver bringing on Bo Nix the following year to step in as the starter, Stidham hung around as a trusted backup for Payton. In March, Stidham re-signed to the team on a two-year, $12 million deal that included $7 million guaranteed.

“We’re excited Jarrett’s back,” Payton said at the NFL league meetings this spring. “He brings a veteran presence, but also a young presence about him. And I know how he feels about his own abilities. … I think the experience from Jarrett is helpful to Bo.”

Jarrett Stidham stats

• Completions: 117
• Passing attempts: 197
• Completion percentage: 59.4%
• Passing yards: 1,422
• Touchdown passes: 8
• Interceptions: 8

Broncos QB depth chart

• Bo Nix
• Jarrett Stidham
• Sam Ehlinger

If Kansas basketball’s win over Baylor on Friday, Jan. 16 proved anything, it was that Darryn Peterson is in fact one of the best players in men’s college basketball.

The freshman star guard took over in the Jayhawks’ 80-62 win over the Bears at Allen Fieldhouse with 26 points on 11-of-13 shooting from the field with two rebounds and three assists.

His 26-point outing gives him his fourth game of at least 20 points in Kansas’ last five games. It’s the sixth game this season that Peterson, who has missed some time with a hamstring injury, has reached that mark, as well.

And he could have had more: Peterson made his last basket with 16:41 to go and didn’t play at all in the final 8:01.

Here’s a deeper look into Peterson’s night against the Bears, including a look at his full box score:

Darryn Peterson stats vs Baylor

Here’s a look at Paterson’s stats from Friday’s game against Baylor:

• Points: 26
• Shooting: 11-for-13
• 3-point shooting: 2-for-4
• Free throw shooting: 2-for-4
• Rebounds: 2
• Assists: 3
• Steals: 1
• Turnovers: 0
• Minutes: 23

Darryn Peterson highlights

Here’s a look at a few highlights from Peterson’s night against the Bears:

Did Kansas basketball win today?

Yes, led by Peterson’s 26 points, Kansas picked up its third Big 12 win of the season with an 80-62 victory over Baylor on Jan. 16. The Jayhawks improved to 13-5 (3-2 in Big 12 play) on the season with the win.

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The Sacramento Kings could see the return of their All-Star power forward Jan. 16 in their Friday night game against the Washington Wizards.

Kings forward Domantas Sabonis is officially listed as questionable on the NBA’s Injury Report, but the team expects that he will suit up and play against the Wizards, according to ESPN.

Sabonis, a three-time All-Star, has missed the previous 27 games for the Kings with a partially torn meniscus.

He only appeared in 11 games so far this season, averaging 17.2 points and 12.3 rebounds.

In recent days, Sabonis was seen participating in shootaround during practices. Signs indicate he’ll rejoin the court with the Kings soon. And at a good time, too.

Sacramento has been rolling on a three-game winning streak at home, knocking off the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks.

They’ll also get back Dennis Schroder, who missed that three-game stretch of wins after being suspended by the league for an altercation with Lakers’ star Luka Doncic after a Dec. 28 game at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

Sabonis trade market, contract status

Sabonis, in his 10th NBA season and year five in Sacramento, could be on the trade market.

Sabonis’ remaining contract includes three years and $136.3 million.

He signed a four-year, $186 million contract extension with Sacramento as part of a renegotiation-and-extend on July 6, 2023.

Domantas Sabonis highlights

The wham-bang contract agreements forged by Kyle Tucker with the Los Angeles Dodgers and brand new New York Met Bo Bichette in the span of roughly 15 hours suddenly swept the board clean of franchise players younger than 30 – and curtailed the destinations of a few players still out there.

Bichette’s three-year, $126 million agreement resets the perception of the offseason for multiple teams, players and fan bases. With that, let’s take a look at the winners and losers from Bichette’s Citi Field foray:

Winners

Bo Bichette

Nah, it wasn’t the $300 million deal one might have envisioned for Bichette both earlier in his career and as he put together an outstanding platform season in lifting the Blue Jays to the AL East title. But lest we forget, Bichette produced a .225/.277.322 line over 81 games just one year ago, worth -0.1 WAR. He finished this regular season with an injured knee, but a gallant World Series return reminded the world how impactful a player he can be.

At second base. Yeah, Bichette had to swallow some pride and will now likely be a second or third baseman the rest of his career, his defensive metrics being what they are. Yet with all that, he will command a $42 million salary – and be able to opt out next winter, when he’s just 28.

Pete Alonso and Alex Bregman showed how swimmingly that can work out. And Bichette is both younger and more positionally diverse than both of them. He may yet near a $300 million total guarantee once he signs his next deal.

New York Mets

Had ’em all the way, eh, David Stearns?

The Mets’ unflappable president, empowered by bottomless-pocketed owner Steve Cohen’s megabucks, nearly fumbled it all away this winter – letting Alonso walk without so much as a courtesy offer, declaring he’d pass on the elite starting pitching market, losing peerless closer Edwin Diaz by just a few bucks, the eh acquisitions of infielder Jorge Polanco, second baseman Marcus Semien and closer Devin Williams.

Bichette does not cure all. There’s still a gaping hole in left field where Brandon Nimmo once stood, and there’s tons of ambiguity surrounding how much trust and how many plate appearances the Mets will invest in several young players.

Still, Cody Bellinger remains on the market if they want to go big in left, and tweak the Yankees at the same time. Stearns’ notion of going economy on the rotation looks wise – a glut of fairly trusty veteran starters remain on the market.

And Bichette’s ability to ‘flat-out hit,’ as they say – he’s twice led the AL in hits and is in the 86th percentile in K rate – will create a suffocating 1-2-3 atop the lineup with Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto.

Still not ideal. But far from the cataclysmic winter hyperventilating Mets observers envisioned.

The AL East

Whew.

For a minute there, the Blue Jays and their Rogers Communications arsenal were starting to look like George Steinbrenner North. They struck quickly for ace Dylan Cease, and the notion of adding Tucker and retaining Bichette didn’t seem so farfetched at the outset of the season.

Under those circumstances, would the Yankees, Red Sox, Orioles and Rays be playing for second? Not quite, eh, but it would have been far less optimal.

Yet 2026 will bring no Tucker and no Bichette to the Blue Jays – or anyone else in the AL. The competitive balance of both division and league suddenly got a lot flatter.

J.T. Realmuto

The venerable Phillies catcher had been locked in a staring contest with his club, which just so happened to schedule a Zoom call with Bichette four days ago. Signing Bichette would have required moving several pieces around – and moving on from Realmuto.

Yet just hours after Bichette’s Mets agreement, team and club found common ground on a three-year, $45 million deal, ensuring their ironman backstop who turns 35 in March is back in the fold.

Losers

Toronto Blue Jays

You just hate to see it.

Sure, the re-signing of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to a $500 million extension seemed certain to break up the organization’s power couple: Bo and Vladdy, together for a decade, legacy players and beloved in all of Canada.

Yet Bichette’s subpar 2024 dampened his value. His 2025 comeback did not totally send it into the stratosphere. Maybe the de facto brothers would be together forever.

Alas, it will be Vladdy going it alone, and suddenly the Jays’ $60 million signing of Japanese infielder Kazuma Okamoto looks all the more critical. His early performance will be watched warily, as Japanese hitters often need a greater adjustment time than pitchers.

So, too, will the Blue Jays’ many playoff heroes. Ernie Clement and Addison Barger and Andrés Giménez are now far more primary, rather than complementary pieces.

Sure, the Jays may yet forge a mini-dynasty in the AL. But it just got a lot tougher.

Cody Bellinger

For a minute there, it looked like he had the Yankees over a barrel. Maybe he still does.

But as he and the Yankees squabble over number of years on a contract, two of his alternatives – the Dodgers and Mets – spent big for Tucker and Bichette. Not to say the Mets won’t get back in the Bellinger game, and perhaps the Blue Jays will jump in, with money to burn and an upgrade over Nathan Lukes readily available.

We still believe the Yankees and Belli will find common ground somewhere between five and seven years. But it feels like the Yankees wield a little more clout in the power exchange now.

Mets corner infielders

Maybe someday, Mark Vientos and Brett Baty will get an unadulterated crack at a full-time job.

Unfortunately, they are developing players on a club that will be in perpetual win-now mode for the foreseeable future. And thus, Baty’s 3.1 WAR accrued in a 121-game 2025 campaign gets nudged to the side. Vientos’s backslide in 2025 after a second-half surge in 2024 might have slammed the door on any chance at a full-time gig going forward.

For now, the two third basemen are DH partners on paper, but with four projected regulars in their 30s, it’s not hard to imagine many of those at-bats will be gobbled up by veterans needing a day out of the field.

Perhaps a trade and a fresh start will be in the offing for one of them. For now, winter remains the time their playing time dreams evaporate.

Atlanta Braves

It’s getting increasingly difficult for one of the game’s best-run organizations to keep up with the Northeast behemoths.

The Braves were considered a solid candidate for Bichette’s services at the start of the winter. They opted to retain shortstop Ha-Seong Kim. Totally fine. Really good player.

Yet it will be hard to match the Mets’ and Phillies’ firepower, especially since Atlanta’s 2026 calculus likely bakes in bounceback seasons from the likes of Austin Riley and Jurickson Profar. Their margin for error is looking pretty thin.

It’s not like the Braves are paupers; listen to any old Liberty Media earnings call and you realize the Braves and The Battery are, as public equity bros might say, just printing. Still, they remain hesitant for big free agent splashes that upset the formula of retaining their own players.

From 2018 to 2023, when they ruled the NL East, that was fine. But it seems to get harder every year.

The Sacramento Kings could see the return of their All-Star power forward Jan. 16 in their Friday night game against the Washington Wizards.

Kings forward Domantas Sabonis is officially listed as questionable on the NBA’s Injury Report, but the team expects that he will suit up and play against the Wizards, according to ESPN.

Sabonis, a three-time All-Star, has missed the previous 27 games for the Kings with a partially torn meniscus.

He only appeared in 11 games so far this season, averaging 17.2 points and 12.3 rebounds.

In recent days, Sabonis was seen participating in shootaround during practices. Signs indicate he’ll rejoin the court with the Kings soon. And at a good time, too.

Sacramento has been rolling on a three-game winning streak at home, knocking off the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks.

They’ll also get back Dennis Schroder, who missed that three-game stretch of wins after being suspended by the league for an altercation with Lakers’ star Luka Doncic after a Dec. 28 game at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

Sabonis trade market, contract status

Sabonis, in his 10th NBA season and year five in Sacramento, could be on the trade market.

Sabonis’ remaining contract includes three years and $136.3 million.

He signed a four-year, $186 million contract extension with Sacramento as part of a renegotiation-and-extend on July 6, 2023.

Domantas Sabonis highlights