One concussion is bad. Two are worse. Three? There might be a problem. That's the dilemma faced by Tua Tagovailoa, the Miami Dolphins quarterback, who suffered a concussion — at least his third in the NFL — this month in a nationally televised game. Now his football future is in question.

The most recent concussion "has prompted a dramatic response by fans and former players" urging Tagovailoa to retire, said NPR. "It's not worth it," said Antonio Pierce, coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. "If that was my son, I'd be like, 'it might be time,'" said Tony Gonzalez, the Hall of Fame former tight end. That's because concussions and lower-level blows to the head are "key factors" in the development of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a condition known to cause "early dementia and death" among retired players.

The NFL has worked in recent years to lower the risk of concussions, but it faces a big challenge: The game is all about hitting. "My opinion is the sport is specifically designed for these sorts of things to happen," John 'Jabo' Burrow, a former college football lineman, said to The Guardian. 

What did the commentators say?

The reaction to Tagovailoa's latest head injury "shows the NFL has come a long way," Rob Maaddi said for The Associated Press. There is no more telling a player to "suck it up" when they're hit so hard they see stars. Instead, most observers are focusing on "Tagovailoa's long-term health." The league created "concussion protocols" in 2011, and two years later agreed to a billion-dollar settlement with former players who had suffered debilitating head injuries. Now, for Tagovailoa, "everyone agrees his health is the main priority." That's a good thing. "It's a different era for player safety in the NFL," Maaddi said.

"Tagovailoa has become something of a poster child for football's concussion problem," Yasmin Tayag said in The Atlantic. In addition to his three NFL concussions, he also suffered one during a college game, a pattern that caused him to consider retirement in 2022. "It's unclear what risks he faces by playing again," Tayag said. But there is "no question" that repeated concussions can take a toll. 

The challenge? The effects of a concussion — or repeated concussions — are "deeply individual" and depend on a player's own history and biology. Which means players like Tagovailoa are put in the position of "weighing their career against the rest of their life."

What next?

Concussions are very much on the minds of other players in the NFL. Some have started wearing "Guardian Caps" during games, said The New York Times. The caps add a "layer of foam to the outside of the helmet" — a sort of cushioning pillow — in hopes of "reducing brain injuries." This is the first year the league has allowed the caps to be worn during games, and several players are doing so. But even the Guardian Cap makers say no device can eliminate the risk of head injuries. "Football," said Guardian founder Erin Hanson, "is a dangerous collision sport,"

It will be some time — if ever — before Tagovailoa returns to the field. The Dolphins placed their quarterback on injured reserve, said NFL.com, meaning it will be at least four games before he is eligible to play. That gives him "ample time" to meet with neurologists and decide his future.

The National Football League has found itself in the midst of a playing surface controversy. Here's everything you need to know:

When and how did this debate arise?

In mid-November, NFL Players Association President J.C. Tretter urged the league to demonstrate its commitment to player safety by immediately replacing and banning the use of "slit film turf," a specific type of playing surface with "statistically higher in-game injury rates" — in particular, non-contact injuries; missed time injuries; lower extremity injuries; and foot and ankle injuries — compared to grass and other types of artificial surfaces. Seven teams play on slit film: the New York Giants, the New York Jets, the Detroit Lions, the Minnesota Vikings, the New Orleans Saints, the Cincinnati Bengals, and the Indianapolis Colts.

"The NFL and its experts have agreed with this data and acknowledge that the slit film field is less safe," Tretter wrote in the release, adding that player leadership had that same week written the league to demand "the immediate removal of these fields and a ban on them going forward, both in stadiums and for practice fields." But the NFL refused to mandate the change, and "also refused to commit to mandating a change away from slit film in the future at all," Tretter said.

The NFLPA's call to action followed a series of "anecdotal observations" this season from "players, agents, and coaches who have called for the league to convert all surfaces to grass in response to a series of high-profile injuries on artificial turf," writes ESPN. But data compiled by a third-party company on behalf of both the NFL and the NFLPA runs counter to those claims; per the review from IQVIA, which analyzes data on every injury each season, the recent rate of non-contact knee, ankle, and foot injuries is about the same on natural grass as it is on artificial surfaces. That gap was noticeably wider in recent years but began narrowing in both 2020 and 2021 (though it's unclear why — at least "part of the reason is that injuries on grass increased from 2018 to 2021," ESPN summarizes). Data for 2022 will be compiled at the end of the season.

"The takeaway from all of this data is that the discussion between synthetic surfaces and natural grass surfaces isn't really the argument," said Jeff Miller, executive vice president of communications, public affairs, and policy for the NFL. "What we're trying to do is decrease injuries on both. As a general matter, looking at synthetic versus natural doesn't really provide us the information we need to try to drive those injury rates down."

That said, the numbers don't include the current season and don't necessarily address the injury disparity between slit film turf and other artificial surfaces, said former player and current NFLPA Vice President Richard Sherman. "When there's clear evidence of a playing surface being dangerous — there's nine more serious injuries on this surface than even other turfs — like, you need to change it now."

Though it seems to have taken on newfound urgency given the injuries of the 2022 season, the playing surface debate is otherwise nothing new.

What benefit would grass fields provide?

For one thing, grass offers more give than its synthetic counterparts, making non-contact injuries to the knees, feet, and ankles less likely. Football players "put extremely high levels of force and rotation onto the playing surface," Tretter wrote in a 2020 release; on turf, that shock goes right to their bodies and joints, increasing the risk of injury. Turf also has "zero climate benefits," can't be recycled, and "can get up to 60 degrees hotter than natural grass, increasing the rate at which toxic gases are released and ingested," per a Change.org petition sponsored by Pennington Grass Seed and a number of NFL players, including star San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle.

Further, Tretter claimed, natural grass fields are possible in any climate and weather; just look at the Packers, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Cleveland Browns, for example, all of which "successfully maintain natural grass fields" despite brutal winters. Even where franchises have the complete opposite problem, like Arizona and Las Vegas, for example, teams have "figured out how to provide a natural grass playing surface indoors."

As for why teams would even opt for turf to begin with, it's simple: an artificial playing surface is cheaper overall, and easier to maintain.

What have players and coaches said?

While Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers thinks its time for the NFL to issue a natural grass mandate, "I don't have a lot of confidence when it comes to the league making that decision without some sort of big vote and gripes from certain owners who don't want to spend the money," he said. "This to me is player safety." Rogers had previously condemned the NFL's decision to expand its season to 17 games, which he said was "about monetary gains," so switching to grass fields "would be putting your money where your mouth is if player safety is important." And when Packers pass-rusher Rashan Gary suffered a non-contact ACL injury in Detroit at the start of November, linebacker De'Vondre Campbell tweeted: "This is two weeks in a row we've had players get injured on turf fields. I think it's time y'all take some of the money y'all make off us and invest in grass fields for every team around the league. The turf is literally like concrete it has no give when you plant." At home, the Packers play on polyethylene-based SIS Grass, "in which synthetic fibers are stitched together with natural Kentucky bluegrass," per ESPN.

Los Angeles Rams Wide Receiver Cooper Kupp is also among the many players speaking out: "I know there's stuff going around the league right now, there's some issues. Hands down, we should be playing on grass," Kupp said at the end of October, later doubling down on his stance in a Nov. 12 tweet. "Data shows slit film turf puts players at a higher risk of non-contact injuries," added the Baltimore Ravens' Calais Campbell. "The fields can be changed and ready for play in days. This is a [no-brainer]!"

For his part, Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll thinks the league must again "seriously" weigh a grass field mandate "in the offseason," he said at the end of October, after losing wide receiver D.K. Metcalf to a non-contact injury in a game on an artificial turf field. "It's been a discussion before. We've got to do what's right, and we've got to do what's safest for the players and we've got to make those choices. I would pound on the drum for that."

But not everyone is anti-turf; consider Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, whose home stadium in Cincinnati uses slit film. "I personally like playing on turf, but I do wish that each stadium had the same turf," Burrow said recently, per CBS Sports. Field quality "changes the cleats you wear. Changes how you cut, how you run routes, all the above. So I think having a universal turf would be a great thing for us as players," he said.

Keep in mind, however, that "players routinely voice the opinion that grass is better," even in light of the NFL's injury data, The Athletic writes.

What else has the NFL said?

At the start of November, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said the league has no plans at the moment to implement a natural grass mandate. "Our league stats don't see issues with the type surface that we have as opposed to natural grass. We don't see issues. No facts bear that out," Jones told 105.3 The Fan, per ESPN.

Otherwise, some league representatives believe the playing surface data first necessitates further study, especially considering the multitude of factors that contribute to non-contact injuries — things like cleats, weather, and time of year, in addition to playing surface.

"The answer is not going to be in one versus the other," Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL's chief medical officer, told reporters in March, per The Athletic. "It's going to be the performance characteristics and obviously, those can be changed. Grass can be changed in certain ways to make it safer, as can artificial surfaces. As we gather more data, I think we can better help people understand what's the right surface for the right condition, you know, for the right use case, and I don't think it'll be just as simple as this one's good, this one's bad."

Which stadiums already have grass fields?

Sixteen NFL stadiums boast real grass fields. Per NBC Sports, "nine of them have Bermuda grass, four have Kentucky bluegrass, two have Desso Grassmaster, and one has a combination of different grasses." The remaining 14 use artificial turf, and six of the 14 use slit film.

Has there been any progress at all?

MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey — home to both the Giants and the Jets — has committed to changing its playing surface in 2023, but not to natural grass. Rather, it will update its current slit film turf to another synthetic, player-friendly option. "We would love grass," said NFLPA union representative and Giants safety Julian Love. "But if that's not feasible, then the new state-of-the-art turf that is available will have to go down instead."

NBA legend Magic Johnson is deep in negotiations to purchase a stake in the NFL's Las Vegas Raiders, Semafor reported Friday. If closed, the transaction could potentially set a record for sports franchise deals, sources with knowledge of the deal told the outlet.

Johnson, the former Los Angeles Lakers star widely regarded as the greatest point guard of all time, has had his hands in a number of sports-related business dealings since his retirement. He is already a part-owner of the MLB's Los Angeles Dodgers, and has reportedly been "assembling a team of investors in recent weeks" to try and make a bid for a minority slice of the Raiders.

The Raiders, who are majority owned by the Davis family, are reportedly conducting due diligence. A price tag for the minority stake was not disclosed. However, Forbes reported in August that the Raiders had received a minority offer from an unnamed investor valuing the club at $6.5 billion.

While it is unknown if Johnson was the investor in question, the $6.5 billion valuation would notably be a record in professional American sports.

Johnson has long expressed interest in purchasing part of the Raiders, and the deal would continue the tradition of high-valued football franchises. Per Axios, there are at least 16 NFL clubs worth at least $4 billion. The highest value in 2022 belongs to the Dallas Cowboys, worth a reported $7.6 billion. Even the lowest-valued club in the league, the Cincinnati Bengals, is still worth a reported $2.8 billion.

Last Thursday, during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa crumpled to the ground for the second time in four days. He had been sacked — again – and while he had gotten up after a previous hit against the Buffalo Bills, this time he stayed down, clearly hurting and exhibiting the "fencing" posture — a telltale sign of a traumatic brain injury. The frightening incident has since been met with calls for the NFL to re-examine its concussion protocols, especially given what's known about CTE — or Chronic traumatic encephalopathy — and brain trauma in football players. Here's everything you need to know:

What is CTE, and why does it affect NFL players so much?

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is defined by the Mayo Clinic as "brain degeneration likely caused by repeated head traumas." The term is often used to describe a wide variety of brain disorders typically observed in football players. Because the condition is only officially diagnosed via autopsy, it's rather difficult to study — and even more difficult to understand.

Significant head trauma is believed to be the main cause of CTE, so it's no surprise that professionals in contact sports like football and ice hockey are diagnosed at a much higher rate than the public. The NFL in particular has seen massive numbers of postmortem CTE diagnoses because of the brute strength and physicality required to play football. "There is very likely a relationship between exposure to football and risk of developing the disease," concluded a 2017 study from Boston University, in which researchers found signs of CTE in 99 percent of the former NFL players' brains they studied.

What has historically happened to NFL players with CTE?

At least 320 former NFL players have been posthumously diagnosed with CTE, The New York Times reports. And sadly, many of these players found themselves meeting tragic ends, having suffered personality changes and brain disorders linked to repeated blows to the head.

One of the most well-known cases of CTE involved Aaron Hernandez, a former star tight end for the New England Patriots. In 2015, following his 2013 release from the Patriots, Hernandez was found guilty in a murder trial and sentenced to life in prison. He was then found dead in his prison cell in 2017 in what was later ruled to be a suicide. Though he was just 27 when he died, an autopsy revealed Hernandez suffered from severe Stage 3 CTE — something never before seen in someone younger than 46.

Another famous case is that of Mike Webster, one of the earliest confirmed victims of CTE. Nicknamed "Iron Mike," Webster was a star center for the Pittsburgh Steelers and helped the team win four Super Bowls. However, The Atlantic reports that his condition rapidly declined after his retirement in 1990, and he eventually began living out of his truck. At one point he bought a Taser he would use to shock himself to sleep, and claimed that playing football gave him dementia. He died in poverty in 2002 at the age of 50. An autopsy confirmed that Webster, like Hernandez, had suffered from CTE and cognitive decline.

While these stories are enough to frighten any NFL player, the upside for 24-year-old Tagovailoa, perhaps, is that he's still very young. While his injuries may end up forcing him out of the game, he's still young enough to receive treatment for any lingering symptoms and has not received as many blows to the head as veteran players.

How has the NFL addressed CTE and head injuries?

The NFL has, in recent years, shed more light on its policies regarding traumatic brain injuries, but it wasn't always like that. In fact, the issues surrounding CTE became a topic of discussion only in the last decade or so. During the olden days of the league, for example, "players who were hit hard were sent back into the game, and post-playing-days issues were attributed to factors outside the sport," writes The Sporting News.

But beginning in 2011, the NFL implemented a standard protocol for addressing concussions among players. Per the guidelines, any player who exhibits signs of a concussion following a hit must be taken out of the game to be evaluated, at which point they'll be checked for major concussion symptoms like loss of consciousness, instability, and confusion.

If there are concerns about a player's health following the initial evaluation, the player will then be examined by a team doctor. If the doctor determines the player has a concussion, the player will then undergo follow-up exams and evaluations and must cease playing in the meantime. There is no specific amount of time a player must be out, but they must be cleared by both the team doctor and an independent neurological consultant before returning.

Will things change following the Dolphins incident?

The hits to Tagavailoa drew renewed anger toward the Miami Dolphins, the NFL, and the way head injuries are handled in general, with many imploring the league to use this incident as a catalyst for change. The sacks even garnered the attention of Congress, with Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-N.J.) having sent a letter to both the league and the Dolphins regarding an investigation.

Legendary quarterback Tom Brady was also critical of the league's current standards, saying recently that concussion protocols should be based on prevention. "How do we deal with [concussions] in the best possible way? What are the best practices associated with the prevention of them, as well as, if you do get them, how do you recover as quickly as possible?" Brady said. "I think that should really be a focus as well. How you implement those protocols for athletes is something that we should all think about so we can do a better job in the future."

For what it's worth, the NFL did take immediate action in Tagavailoa's case, and reportedly fired the doctor that cleared him to return to play in the Sunday game. The league also committed to examining and revising its concussion protocols to automatically rule out players who have "gross motor instability," much like Tagavailoa following his initial hit.

Given that head injuries are a part of football, as well as the NFL's recent efforts, it seems that what happened to Tagavailoa may be the start of a longer road toward treating concussions and CTE differently.

Rihanna will be the headline performer at the 2023 Super Bowl Halftime Show, it was announced on Sunday, in what will be the artist's first public performance in five years.

"Rihanna is a generational talent, a woman of humble beginnings who has surpassed expectations at every turn," Roc Nation founder Jay-Z said in a statement. "A person born on the small island of Barbados who became one of the most prominent artists ever. Self-made in business and entertainment." Roc Nation is an executive producer of the Super Bowl Halftime Show and manages Rihanna.

Rihanna, whose last album "Anti" came out in January 2016, has spent the last several years focusing on her Fenty Beauty line and Savage X Fenty lingerie brand, and welcomed her first child in May.

Super Bowl LVII is set for Feb. 12, 2023, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. For the first time, Apple Music will sponsor the halftime show.

1. Will Taylor Swift headline the Super Bowl Halftime Show?

Is "Super Bowl Halftime Show (Taylor's Version)" in the works? Taylor Swift fans have convinced themselves she's headlining the 2023 Super Bowl Halftime Show, claiming the NFL hinted at the possibility. The league has announced Apple Music as the new Super Bowl Halftime Show sponsor, replacing Pepsi, and that news just so happened to arrive at midnight. You know, like Swift's new album, Midnights? Okay, that's a bit of a reach. But then Variety reported Friday there are some legitimate reasons to think Swift is a "likely front-runner" for the gig. The article lays out a few such reasons, including that she's probably going to go on tour soon, before the outlet just casually drops this bombshell: "Three sources close to the situation tell Variety that it's happening." Despite this, People and TMZ swiftly published their own reports insisting she actually won't be performing, so Swifties may not be forced to find out what football is after all.

Variety TMZ

2. Florence Pugh and Olivia Wilde allegedly had a 'screaming match' on 'Don't Worry Darling' set

Don't Worry Darling release day is here, but there's still plenty of worrying left to be done. As the drama-filled movie finally arrives in theaters, Vulture is out with a new report revealing Florence Pugh and Olivia Wilde allegedly had a "screaming match" on set, as Pugh was annoyed with Wilde's "frequent unexplained absences." A source told the outlet that tension between the star and her director got so bad, it reached the top of Warner Bros. According to Vulture, Toby Emmerich, then the chair of Warner Bros. Pictures., had to get involved in a "long negotiation process" to get Pugh to "participate in the film's life cycle" even a little bit, so as not to harm it at the box office, though she ended up doing nearly no promotion. Don't Worry Darling is playing in theaters now, but call us when the movie about the making of the movie is out.

Vulture

3. Charlize Theron recalls male director trying to make her look more 'f--kable'

Okay, who's the jerk who decided Charlize Theron, of all people, needed to work on her looks? Speaking with Harper's Bazaar, the Mad Max: Fury Road star opened up about how it "really f--king annoyed me" to have "absolutely no control" over what she wears in movies, explaining, "Having some guy make you have a fitting almost in front of them — stuff like that, it's really belittling." She then recalled that there was "one movie in particular" where there was "this male director who just kept bringing me in, fitting after fitting after fitting after ... And it was just so obvious that it was to do with my sexuality and how f--kable they could make me in the movie." This was early on in Theron's career, and she said that kind of thing "was just kind of the norm" then. She didn't provide any hints about the director's identity. But this is Hollywood we're talking about, so unfortunately, there's no shortage of suspects.

Harper's Bazaar Variety

4. Did Kylie Jenner change her son's name to Snowy?

True story: We may now know the name of Kylie Jenner's son — the second name, that is. Jenner, for those fortunate enough to not be keeping track, welcomed a son named Wolf this year, only to announce weeks later this would no longer be his name. She still hasn't said what her son's name is now, but fans think Khloé Kardashian's daughter, True, may have revealed it. A viral TikTok lays out the theory, showing a clip from The Kardashians where Kardashian Facetimes True in the hospital, introducing her to her new brother. "Hi, Snowy," True says, only for Kardashian to tell her, "His name's not Snowy." So the theory is Jenner's son is the one named Snowy (her daughter is named Stormi), with one fan speculating True was "associating the baby brother thing to kylies baby since he was just born!" Then again, given how short-lived the name Wolf was, at most, it's possible True leaked whatever the name was that day.

People Us Weekly

5. Sylvester Stallone reconciles with his wife after she filed for divorce

Sylvester Stallone's marriage is no longer looking as rocky. The Rocky star has reportedly reconciled with his wife, Jennifer Flavin, weeks after she filed for divorce. "They decided to meet back up at home, where they talked and were able to work out their differences," a spokesperson told Page Six. Flavin filed for divorce from Stallone in August after 25 years together, and it looked like the split was going to be pretty messy. She accused him of hiding marital assets and refusing to leave their home. Plus, Stallone covered multiple tattoos of her, replacing one with an image of the dog from Rocky and another with a leopard, and reports said they had no prenup and were working on a divorce settlement. But after all that, their spokesperson tells Page Six, "They are both extremely happy." So back off, Pete Davidson.

Page Six

And now, a word from the Super Bowl Halftime Show's new sponsor.

The NFL has announced Apple Music will sponsor the Super Bowl Halftime Show, replacing Pepsi.

"We couldn't think of a more appropriate partner for the world's most-watched musical performance than Apple Music, a service that entertains, inspires, and motivates millions of people around the world through the intersection of music and technology," Nana-Yaw Asamoah, NFL senior vice president of partner strategy, said.

Apple signed a multi-year partnership with the NFL for the sponsorship, which will begin in February with Super Bowl LVII in Glendale, Arizona. Next year's Halftime Show performers have not yet been announced. Terms of the deal weren't disclosed, but The New York Times reports the NFL had been shopping it around "for about $50 million."

Earlier this year, Pepsi confirmed it was ending its sponsorship of the Super Bowl Halftime Show after a decade. "After 10 years of iconic Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show performances, we have decided it's time to pass the mic," Pepsi tweeted at the time. According to Deadline, Pepsi had signed a 10-year deal with the NFL in 2012 that was said to be valued at $2 billion.

The Halftime Show sponsorship comes as Apple has reportedly been interested in purchasing the rights to the NFL's Sunday Ticket, but no deal has been announced.

Former NFL quarterback Brett Favre worked with a politically connected Mississippi nonprofit to siphon more than $5 million in federal welfare funds to build a volleyball arena at Favre's alma mater, the University of Southern Mississippi — and newly released text messages implicate former Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant (R) in the project, Mississippi Today reported Tuesday. The volleyball arena was the single largest known expenditure in Mississippi's largest-ever public fraud case, as laid out by former state auditor Shad White (R).

At the heart of the $77 million welfare fraud scandal is Nancy New, a friend of Bryant's wife and founder of the nonprofit Mississippi Community Education Center. New's nonprofit "was in charge of spending tens of millions of flexible federal welfare dollars outside of public view," Mississippi Today reports. She has pleaded guilty to 13 felony counts relating to the scheme and is cooperating with prosecutors. Former Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS) director John Davis pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.

The new text messages, released in a court filing Monday by a lawyer for New's nonprofit, "show that Bryant, Favre, New, Davis and others worked together" to funnel $5 million in welfare funds to build the arena at USM, where Favre's daughter was playing volleyball, Mississippi Today's Anna Wolfe reports. Bryant "even guided Favre on how to write a funding proposal so that it could be accepted by the Mississippi Department of Human Services."

Favre's lawyer said the quarterback never understood the funds were coming from programs meant to help the poor, and he told NBC News that Favre has been questioned by the FBI in a parallel federal case in to the Mississippi welfare scandal. Neither Bryant or Favre have been accused of criminal wrongdoing.

Along with the federal investigation and state criminal case, Mississippi is trying to claw back $28 million from Favre and 37 other people and organizations involved in the welfare payouts. Gov. Tate Reeves (R) and MDHS fired the lawyer overseeing that case, Brad Pigott, in July after he subpoenaed information on Bryant and Favre's role in the volleyball project. Earlier this year, Pigott also authenticated text messages showing that Favre sought $3.2 million in welfare grants for a drug company in which he was a shareholder, and suggested giving shares to Bryant, too.

Read more about the case and text messages at Mississippi Today.

Thursday night football is back, baby.

The Los Angeles Rams will face off against the Buffalo Bills in the kickoff game of the 2022 NFL season, scheduled for 8:20 p.m. ET Thursday night.

The match-up marks the 14th time the Rams and Bills have met in the history of their rivalry, CBS Sports reports. The game will be held at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., and the Bills are the current favorite to win.

Following a slew of games on Sunday afternoon and evening, the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks will meet for some Monday Night Football at 8:15 p.m. ET on Sept. 12.

Jaylon Ferguson, a linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens, has died. He was 26.

The Ravens confirmed news of Ferguson's death on Wednesday, saying "we are profoundly saddened" by his passing.

"He was a kind, respectful young man with a big smile and infectious personality," the Ravens added. "We express our heartfelt condolences to Jaylon's family and friends as we mourn a life lost much too soon."

Ferguson was drafted by the Ravens in 2019 and played for the team for three seasons. He previously played for Louisiana Tech. According to ESPN, the day Ferguson was drafted by the Ravens in 2019, he wasn't celebrating with teammates but instead volunteering with the recovery effort following a devastating tornado in Louisiana.

Ferguson's cause of death was not disclosed, but the Baltimore Police Department told TMZ that "investigators are not ruling out the possibility of an overdose." Police reportedly responded to a Baltimore residence after a report of a "questionable death" and found Ferguson unresponsive. Foul play is not suspected, and there were no signs of trauma, police said.

The NFL said it was "heartbroken" by Ferguson's death, while Louisiana Tech remembered him for his "God-given talents on the field and his infectious personality off of it."

The Washington Commanders' defensive coordinator has issued an apology for his "irresponsible" comments about the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

Earlier this week, the Commanders' Jack Del Rio asked on Twitter why the "summer of riots, looting, burning and the destruction of personal property," referring to the aftermath of the police killing of George Floyd in 2020, "is never discussed" but the Jan. 6 riot is. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, he said he was just asking a "simple question" in anticipation of Congress' Jan. 6 hearings.

"People's livelihoods are being destroyed, businesses are being burned down, no problem, and then we have a dustup at the Capitol, nothing burned down, and we're going to make that a major deal," he said. "I just think it's kind of two standards."

After facing backlash, Del Rio apologized later on Wednesday, acknowledging that dismissing the insurrection as a "dustup" was "irresponsible and negligent." At the same time, he stood by his comments "condemning violence in communities across the country."

"I say that while also expressing my support as an American citizen for peaceful protest in our country," he added. "I have fully supported all peaceful protests in America."

At USA Today, writer Mike Freeman slammed Del Rio for "one of the grandest pieces of fake whataboutism you will ever see," arguing he "dishonored himself, the team (if that's possible) and the NFL," while journalist Perris Jones said he was "interested to see how this impacts his relationship with the Commanders Black players."

If there's been a football-sized hole in your heart since the Los Angeles Rams prevailed over the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI, fear not — the annual NFL draft begins Thursday night, meaning smack talk for next season has officially entered the chat. Here's everything you need to know before the selection process starts:

How and when do I watch it?

Round 1 of the 2022 draft will begin on Thursday, April 28 at 8 p.m. ET. Rounds 2-3 and 4-7 will follow on Friday and Saturday, beginning at 7 p.m. ET and 12 p.m. ET, respectively.

All three rounds will be broadcast on ABC, ESPN, and the NFL Network, but can also be streamed on the NFL and ESPN apps.

Where is this year's draft? Is it virtual?

The city of Las Vegas will host the 2022 draft after its 2020 appointment was upended by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2015, the NFL relocated the draft from New York, where it had held the event since 1965, and "began taking bids for different host cities," writes The New York Times. Kansas City, Missouri, is set to host in 2023.

Twenty prospects will attend the draft in person; others can participate remotely, like prospective first overall pick Travon Walker. Among those slated to make a Vegas appearance are Aidan Hutchinson, an edge rusher from the University of Michigan; Kayvon Thibodeaux, a pass rusher from the University of Oregon; and Ikem Ekwonu, an offensive tackle from North Carolina State.

What's the order?

The Jacksonville Jaguars have the first of this year's 262 picks (for the second year in a row), as well as the most picks in the entire draft (alongside the Kansas City Chiefs — both teams have 12 each). The Miami Dolphins, meanwhile, have the fewest picks after having traded for Chiefs' wide receiver Tyreek Hill last month.

The first 10 picks are as follows:

1. Jacksonville Jaguars
2. Detroit Lions
3. Houston Texans
4. New York Jets
5. New York Giants
6. Carolina Panthers
7. New York Giants (from Chicago Bears)
8. Atlanta Falcons
9. Seattle Seahawks (from Denver Broncos)
10. New York Jets (from Seattle Seahawks)

Are there any teams without a first-round pick?

Yes. The Los Angeles Rams, the Miami Dolphins, the Chicago Bears, the Indianapolis Colts, the Cleveland Browns, the Denver Broncos, and the Las Vegas Raiders do not have first-round picks.

As far as prospects go, is there a clear #1 pick?

It seems the answer to that question depends on who you ask, The New York Times estimates.

For one thing, 2022's draft marks the first in five years in which a quarterback is not expected to be chosen first overall. The Jaguars, who have the first pick in 2022 and already drafted a star QB in 2021, "have a number of other positions to improve," the Times notes. And the teams who select after the Jags have down-roster needs of their own.

What's more, the talent in this year's draft appears concentrated on "lower-profile positions," like edge rushers and defensive lineman. Multiple outlets have tapped Aidan Hutchinson, an edge rusher from the University of Michigan, as the #1 pick, while others have selected Georgia's junior defensive end Travon Walker for the top spot.

What's going on with QBs?

The quarterback market is weaker than usual this year; the Carolina Panthers at #6 overall are considered the earliest team that might go for a QB, the Times and The Athletic note. The Pittsburgh Steelers at pick #20 might also consider snagging a starter to replace retired franchise QB Ben Roethlisberger, should backup Mason Rudolph or the newly-welcomed Mitch Trubitsky not pan out.

Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick is on a comeback tour. The onetime San Francisco 49ers player has been doing public tryouts across the country, pressing into service working trainers and wide receivers to show he can still play.

Pretty much every offseason for the last five years has featured some level of buzz about Kaepernick returning from his NFL-imposed exile over his racial justice protests during the pregame playing of the national anthem. It has also become an annual tradition to cite the poor play of various mediocre backup quarterbacks filling in for injured starters as evidence of the league's racism. Otherwise, the argument goes, Kaepernick would be out there instead.

But this off-season has seen the most serious the talk of Kaepernick 2.0 so far. The defenestrated signal-caller has even said he is willing to accept a job as a backup quarterback.

It won't happen. Whatever your views of Kaepernick's national anthem kneeling — I'm on record saying it's an effective tactic in fighting for a good cause and that anything that treats patriotism and opposition to racism as being in tension with each other is ultimately bad for both — it is controversial. No team is going to court that kind of controversy for a player who will mainly ride the bench and carry a clipboard.

To return to the NFL, the 34-year-old will have to prove he is still a viable starter. Kaepernick's fans remember the high level at which he played during his Super Bowl season. That game was played in February 2013. Unless you are Tom Brady, that is a lifetime in professional sports. When Kaepernick last was a Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback, so was Robert Griffin III. Griffin had a passer rating of 22.6 last season and hasn't posted one above 80 since 2014, his final year as a full-time starter.

Unlike Griffin, Kaepernick did not suffer an injury, besides being a culture war casualty. But he also went 1-10 in his final 11 games as a starter. A polarizing figure on the other side of this divide, largely because of his in-your-face beliefs, Tim Tebow has suffered a similar fate. There is constant speculation about Tebow coming back, but he's never made a roster after teams stopped viewing him as a starter, despite being better than some backups. Kaepernick will be no different.

The House Oversight Commitee believes it has uncovered evidence that the NFL's Washington Commanders engaged in a "troubling, long-running, and potentially unlawful pattern of financial conduct," per a letter it sent to the Federal Trade Commission, The Associated Press and Roll Call report.

The committee alleges the team purposely withheld ticket revenue it was supposed to fork over to the rest of the league, as well as millions in security deposits it was supposed to return to season-ticket holders.

In testimony before Congress, one former employee claimed the team had two sets of books: "one with underreported ticket revenue that went to the NFL and one with the full, complete picture," AP writes. According to the employee's testimony, team owner Dan Synder was aware of the practice, which was known by the team as "juice."

NFL teams are required to deposit 40 percent of ticket revenue into a fund that's shared within the league.

As for the security deposits, the Oversight Committee claims that once Synder purchased the team in 1999, he instructed employees to "establish roadblocks" to make it harder for customers to get their money back.

The Commanders have said they deny "any suggestion of financial impropriety of any kind at any time," and "continue to cooperate fully with the committee's work."

"We adhere to strict internal processes that are consistent with industry and accounting standards, are audited annually by a globally respected independent auditing firm, and are also subject to regular audits by the NFL," a team spokesperson said, per AP.

This is just the latest setback for the Commanders, who were previously rocked by yet another congressional probe regarding former employees' sexual harassment claims. That investigation was recently expanded to include financial improprieties, Front Office Sports reports.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Dwayne Haskins was killed on Saturday morning when a dump truck hit him while he walked across a highway in South Florida.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said in a statement that he was "devastated and at a loss for words with the unfortunate passing of Dwayne Haskins. He quickly became part of our Steelers family upon his arrival in Pittsburgh and was one of our hardest workers, both on the field and in our community."

The Florida Highway Patrol said Haskins, 24, was struck as he attempted to cross the westbound lanes of Interstate 595 near the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. The incident was reported after 6:30 a.m. It's unclear why Haskins was walking on the highway, the patrol said. CNN reports that Haskins was in South Florida last week working out with some of his Steelers teammates.

In March, Haskins re-signed with the Steelers for one year. While attending Ohio State, Haskins set OSU and Big Ten Conference records, including touchdown passes (50), and finished third in voting for the 2018 Heisman Trophy.

"The loss of Dwayne is beyond tragic and extremely difficult to process," Ohio State coach Ryan Day tweeted. "For those who knew him closely, he was much more than a great football player. He had a giant heart, old soul, and an infectious smile."

Civil rights activist and former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is angling to return to the NFL after more than five years out of the game, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday.

Kaepernick rose to prominence during the 2016 season after kneeling during pre-game national anthem performances to protest police brutality and systemic racism. He left the NFL at the conclusion of that season and has not played since. Kaepernick's supporters, including sports journalist Cecil Harris, maintain that Kaepernick was "blackballed" by the NFL.

According to the Journal, Kaepernick "spent the past week barnstorming across the country working out with NFL players" and posting videos of the workouts on social media. Kaepernick also retweeted a Sports Illustrated article in which Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett — who worked out with Kaepernick on March 14 — said the former QB "is ready" to return to the NFL.

NFL trainer Rischad Whitfield told the Journal Kaepernick "could play for any one of" the league's 32 teams, though the Journal opined that a return after so many years away "is reasonably a longshot."

Despite his recent self-promotion, Kaepernick has done little to ingratiate himself to the NFL in the years since he left the league. In the 2021 Netflix series Colin in Black & White, Kaepernick compared playing in the NFL to slavery.

"What they don't want you to understand is what's being established is a power dynamic. Before they put you on the field, teams poke, prod and examine you. Searching for any defect that might affect your performance. No boundary respected. No dignity left intact," Kaepernick said over images that juxtaposed NFL draftees with slaves on an auction block.

The median salary for an NFL player is $860,000. Kaepernick was paid a total of $43.79 million for his five seasons in the league, plus another $10 million in a 2019 settlement.

In short-lived retirement news, Tom Brady announced on Sunday evening that he will return as quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next season.

"These past two months I've realized my place is still on the field and not in the stands," Brady tweeted. "That time will come. But it's not now. I love my teammates, and I love my supportive family. They make it all possible. I'm coming back for my 23rd season in Tampa. Unfinished business LFG."

On Feb. 1, Brady, 44, shared on Instagram that he was retiring and ready to "focus my time and energy on other things that require my attention. My teammates, coaches, fellow competitors, and fans deserve 100 percent of me, but right now, it's best I leave the field of play to the next generation of dedicated committed athletes." The seven-time Super Bowl champ added that "the future is exciting" and he planned to "take it day by day." It's unclear how his return to the field will affect Brady's burgeoning career as a Hollywood producer.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers hasn't decided yet what his plans are for next season, but he's reportedly already lined up deals with three other NFL teams.

NBC Sports reported Friday that Rodgers is still considering "staying with the Packers," but has also negotiated trade deals with the Denver Broncos, Tennessee Titans, and Pittsburgh Steelers, a source with knowledge of the situation said.

Longtime Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger retired at the end of the 2022 season, per ESPN, meaning Pittsburgh could be in the market for a seasoned QB.

The Washington Post reported in January that Green Bay is going into the offseason $44.8 million over the NFL's salary cap. Replacing Rodgers, who according to Sports Illustrated is paid an average of $33.5 million per season, with a younger, less expensive quarterback go a long way toward balancing the budget.

After an unexpected loss to the San Francisco 49ers ended the Packers' season in January, Rodgers described feeling "numb" and "heartbroken" but said he felt he could still "play at a high level" and that the decision to retire or not would be "tough."

Steelers Depot blogger Alex Kozora wrote Saturday that, despite Rodgers' comments earlier this year, it "sounds like retirement is not a thought" for Rodgers anymore. "Rodgers will play for a team in 2022," Kozora wrote. The only question is: Which one?

Rodgers is 38 years old and has played for Green Bay since 2005. In 2010, he led the team to victory in Super Bowl XLV.

Following reports that U.K.'s Premier League Football Club Chelsea — owned by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, who's currently under fire for alleged ties to the Kremlin — would be going up for sale, Irish MMA and UFC superstar Conor McGregor publicly shared his interest in a deal.

"I wish to explore this," McGregor wrote in a tweet directed at the club. He also included in his message a screenshot of a WhatsApp conversation in which he wrote to an unknown recipient, "Chelsea for sale £3bn," then "let's buy it."

Just days ago, Abramovich, 55, had announced he would be transferring the "stewardship and care" of his football club to its charitable arm, The New York Times reports. It was a decision "seemingly designed to distance the club from the impact of any possible sanctions levied by the British government against him as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine."

Per ESPN, Abramovich has consistently denied he has any connection to Russian President Vladimir Putin, though he has been named on "several occasions as a suitable target" for the aforementioned U.K. government sanctions, the Times adds.

Once it became clear, however, that transferring the club to trustees of its charity could both take too long and perhaps fail, "Abramovich and his advisers sought a new plan: a sale," reports the Times.

Prospective investors must prepare an outline of their bid by the end of the week. Interested parties (not counting McGregor's apparent Twitter bid) reportedly include Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss, and investor and part-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers Todd Boehly, perhaps among others. Abramovich is asking for at least $2.5 billion.

The Dallas Cowboys paid a confidential $2.4 million settlement to four of its cheerleaders in 2016 following allegations that they had been spied upon while undressing by a former team executive, ESPN reports.

Richard Dalrymple, then the Cowboys' senior vice president for public relations and communications, was accused of entering a back door of the cheerleaders' dressing room in September 2015 and "standing behind a partial wall … with his iPhone extended toward them while they were changing their clothes." When one of the women spotted him and cried out, Dalrymple fled, according to a letter sent to the team by the cheerleaders' attorneys.

In a statement issued on Monday, Dalrymple called the accusations "false," saying that "One was accidental" — a reference to the cheerleaders' claim — "and the other simply did not happen." This is a reference to another alleged 2015 incident, when a fan signed an affidavit claiming to have seen Dalrymple taking "upskirt" photos of Charlotte Jones Anderson, a Cowboys senior vice president and the daughter of team owner Jerry Jones. Dalrymple retired on February 2, and, though the team currently supports his claims of innocence, ESPN notes that "no one on behalf of the team acknowledged his years of service, and his retirement was not mentioned on the team's website."

"I think it's weird having Valentine's Day after the Super Bowl," Jimmy Kimmel said on Monday's Kimmel Live. "I was out past midnight last night, flipping SUVs and setting mattresses on fire, now I'm supposed to be romantic?" On a related note, "according to something called the General Social Survey, Americans — that's most of us — are having the least amount of sex we've had in 30 years," he said. "There are a number of possible reasons for it ... but let's be honest, we all know what the real reason is: unlimited porn."

The Super Bowl was good but "the halftime show was great," Kimmel said. "They're going to be talking about this one on Fox News for many years to come. Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Anderson Paak, and it was supposed to be Mary J. Blige, but Snoop Dogg smoked all the J's, so it was just Mary Blige."

"Everybody's still talking about the amazing halftime show starring Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg," Stephen Colbert said on The Late Show, "two legends of hard-core gangsta rap — or as the kids call them today, Martha Stewart's friend and the headphones guy." According to experts, he added, "Super Bowl Monday is one of the least productive workdays. I was going to do a joke on that, but no one came up with one."

Meanwhile, everyone's getting really sick of the COVID-19 pandemic, Colbert said. "You want to know how bad things have gotten? Canadians have become impolite!" Canada cleared one of its "Freedom Convoy" truck blockades, and the protesters could face jail time. "You hear that, truckers? Your refusal to drive your trucks means that you could be forced to spend a year in a metal box, peeing into a bottle. Speaking of people who should be in jail," he added, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) recently "made the TV rounds complaining about the scope of the Jan. 6 investigation. Now, we were off last week, but she said something so dumb that we almost came back to do a special live show just to talk about it." Instead, he delayed the pun-gratification until Monday: "Yes, the 'gazpacho police.' Cup of Goebbels soup, Top Rommel, Leni Beefenstock — all portrayed in the classic movie Schindler's Bisque."

The Daily Show's Ronny Chieng picked fights about Valentine's Day on the streets of Brookyn. Prove him wrong.

If you watched Super Bowl LVI, you likely saw the now-legendary ad for cryptocurrency exchange platform Coinbase, which featured a color-changing QR code bounced around the screen à la The Office for 60 seconds. When scanned, the code directed viewers to a link "offering $15 in Bitcoin to those who sign up for a Coinbase account before February 15," notes CNN.

The commercial, which was so successful it crashed the site for about an hour, was inspired by "the curiosity and intimidation we know many people have about crypto," Coinbase Chief Marketing Office Kate Rouch explained Monday in a Medium post.

"We wanted to pique their interest by doing something different, something that's never been done in the history of Super Bowl advertising — a playful, low-production nod to a popular Internet meme that invites action and discussion both in the living room, and on social media," Rouch added, noting that "highly-produced Super Bowl advertising just didn't feel inspiring to us."

"We wanted to show up in a more authentic way to our brand. We hope people found it in turn surprising, confounding, and delightful," she continued.

In addition to briefly crashing the Coinbase site, as well as inspiring a few copycat creations, the ad apparently catapulted the Coinbase app from #186 to #2 on the U.S. App Store, according to financial media brand Blockworks.

Taylor Rapp, who plays safety for the Los Angeles Rams, proposed to his girlfriend, Dani Johnson, after his team won Super Bowl LVI on Sunday, The New York Post reported.

This was good news for Rapp, who gained a Super Bowl ring and a new fiancée on the same day. It was also good news for people who quadrupled their money after betting that a post-game proposal would take place.

Americans were forecasted to wager $7.6 billion on Super Bowl LVI, but not all of that money was bet on the big game's outcome. Proposition bets — in which the wagerer "proposes" that a particular event will occur — usually make up more than half of the total amount wagered, Sports Illustrated reported last year.

These bets range from the mundane, like which team will score first, to the highly obscure. Exactly how long will the national anthem last? What color Gatorade will the winning team's coach be doused with? Will Snoop Dogg spark a joint on stage?

One such proposition wager was whether a player would propose to his girlfriend on the field after the game. According to two sources, the odds for this wager were +400 for "Yes" and -650 for "No." This means a $100 bet on a proposal occurring would net the gambler $400.

Anyone betting against a proposal would have to wager $650 to make a $100 profit.

You may have noticed, if you watched Super Bowl LVI, that just about every one of the multimillion-dollar commercials featured at least one A-list celebrity, often more. There were reunited TV and movie casts and even a memorable spot with real-life couple Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost sharing a comically dystopian version of their life together where Amazon's Alexa keeps things very real.

"It's a delightful departure from last year's ad slate, which featured somber messages from everyday people coming together during the pandemic," says Sara Fischer at Axios. But why did companies hire seemingly every living TV and movie actor to hawk their good and services this year?

1. Advertisers are looking ahead to a post-COVID world

Advertisers are projecting light at the end of the pandemic tunnel, and nothing's shinier than stars. "The Super Bowl featured positive, upbeat advertising," Northwestern University marketing professor Tim Calkins told The Associated Press. "For the most part there was no mention of the pandemic, COVID, or masks." Yeah, "we're not going to see all this COVID stuff like we did before," Georgetown University's Ronald Goodstein told Reuters. "People are tired of thinking about all that."

2. New products need familiar faces

About 40 percent of the ads during this Super Bowl were from new advertisers, and a lot of those ads were for emerging products — sports betting and cryptocurrency exchanges, mostly, but also electric cars.

"Celebrities are particularly useful when the brand they're paired with is something consumers have never heard of or don't understand," Lorraine Ali writes in the Los Angeles Times. "If even Larry David buys into crypto," for example, "who are we to question it?" Ty Burrell and a spacesuit-wearing Matthew McConaughey "were able to grab the attention of potential Greenlight customers" and Salesforce clients, respectively, she adds, "even if they (still) don't know" what Greenlight is or why McConaughey was "waving at office workers and farmers alike" from a hot air balloon.

3. Star power still sells

The Super Bowl is "the last remaining occasion when millions of American viewers are willing to do what their parents or grandparents had to: watch commercials," Ali writes. "To hold our attention, Super Bowl LVI leaned hard on star power," at the stadium and in the ads. For example, USA Today reports, the highest-rated Super Bowl ad this year, from Rocket Mortgage, "leaned on the lively charisma of Anna Kendrick" and a bunch of Barbie dolls.

The Los Angeles Rams won Super Bowl LVI, beating the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 at their home SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

It was a dramatic finish — with just 1:25 left in the game, the Rams scored the winning touchdown, thanks to a 1-yard pass from Matthew Stafford to Cooper Kupp. The Rams had an early lead of 13-3, but between the second and third quarters, gave up 17 points in a row before rallying at the end.

This is the Rams' first Super Bowl win in Los Angeles. They are also the second team in NFL history to win the title in their home stadium. The Bengals won the coin toss at the start of the game, and are now the eighth coin-toss winner in a row to lose the Super Bowl.

Following his performance of "Lose Yourself" during the Super Bowl LVI halftime show on Sunday night, Eminem kneeled, apparently against the wishes of the NFL.

It was an act of solidarity with former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who in 2016 began kneeling during the National Anthem as a way to bring attention to police brutality and racial inequality. Puck News reported early Sunday that Eminem let the NFL know he planned on taking a knee during the halftime show, and was told no.

The rapper did so anyway, kneeling as soon as "Lose Yourself" was over. He wasn't the only performer the NFL spoke with ahead of the big halftime show — Puck News reports that Dr. Dre was told during rehearsals that the league had an issue with the lyric "still not loving police" from his hit "Still D.R.E," and shared concerns that Snoop Dogg's attire might appear to be "gang-related."

Update: The NFL released a statement after the game denying the Puck News report. "We watched all elements of the show during multiple rehearsals this week and were aware that Eminem was going to do that," spokesman Brian McCarthy said.

It was a halftime show to remember, with a dream team comprised of rap, hip hop, and R&B greats hitting the stage alongside hundreds of dancers — and a few lowriders — during Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles.

Hometown heroes Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg kicked things off with rousing renditions of "The Next Episode" and "California Love," followed by a surprise appearance from 50 Cent, who started his performance of "In Da Club" upside down.

A sparkling Mary J. Blige was up next, singing her hits "Family Affair" and "No More Drama," with Kendrick Lamar — a native of nearby Compton — then taking the stage for "Alright."

Eminem got the crowd going with "Lose Yourself," and the show came to an end all too soon as the performers gathered for "Still D.R.E."

It looks like the biggest fan of the night was LeBron James:

Doctor Strange just can't stop bumping into fan favorite Marvel characters.

Marvel on Sunday dropped a new trailer for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and it strongly suggests the return of another classic Marvel hero is imminent. Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) about halfway through the trailer is seen being put in handcuffs and brought before a character whose face we never see but who says, "We should tell him the truth."

The trailer's subtitles only identify this line as coming from a "mystery voice." But it sure sounds like Patrick Stewart, and we even get a glimpse at what looks like the back of his head out of focus, suggesting the actor may be returning to play Professor X, the leader of the X-Men.

If so, this would be another major example of the Marvel Cinematic Universe incorporating characters from other superhero franchises. Stewart played Professor X in the X-Men movies, which don't take place in Disney's MCU since they were made by another company, 20th Century Fox. But after Disney acquired Fox in 2019, the MCU gained access to a treasure trove of characters it didn't previously own the rights to, among them being Professor X.

Stewart's return would come after Spider-Man: No Way Home brought back versions of Spider-Man played by Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield from non-MCU films, pulling their characters in from alternate universes via Doctor Strange's magic. Maguire and Garfield's return helped make No Way Home one of the most successful films in box office history, and Stewart's Professor X is another fan favorite whose involvement could similarly boost excitement for Multiverse of Madness. Plus, if the notoriously secretive Marvel was willing to advertise Stewart after excluding Maguire and Garfield from No Way Home's marketing, could that suggest there are even bigger surprise cameos in store?

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness hits theaters in May. Check out the trailer below.

This year's Budweiser Super Bowl ad, called "A Clydesdale's Journey," begins with one of the massive horses taking a nasty spill as it attempts to jump a barbed-wire fence.

A doctor wraps the horse's leg and looks with concern at its owner. The Clydesdale lies, defeated, in its stall, trying and failing to rise.

The doctor places a hand on the plaid-clad owner's arm in comfort.

The ad ends with the Clydesdale, now fully healed, galloping down a road accompanied by bracing electric guitar riffs and title cards that read, "In the home of the brave, down never means out."

Throughout the Clydesdale's recovery journey, his owner's dog is by the horse's side, offering moral support.

Several of the company's recent ads have celebrated the bond between dog and horse.

Budweiser's ad for Super Bowl XLVIII, entitled "Best Buds," featured a Clydesdale forming a friendship with a puppy. Its Super Bowl XLIX ad, "Lost Dog," featured the Clydesdales galloping out to save the pup from a ravenous wolf. For Super Bowl LII, the brewer served up 30 seconds of a Dalmatian's ears and jowls blowing in the wind as it rode atop a Clydesdale-drawn carriage.

According to CBS's Los Angeles affiliate, "Clydesdales became a part of the Budweiser story when back in 1933, August A. Busch Jr. and Adolphus III decided to surprise their father, August A. Busch Sr. with the gift of a six-horse Clydesdale hitch that harkened back to the old days of the traditional beer wagon."

A 30-second ad slot for Super Bowl LVI, which airs Sunday on NBC, costs an average of $6.5 million dollars this year, and there is no shortage of buyers, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Companies representing burgeoning industries like cryptocurrency, at-home COVID-19 testing, electric vehicle charging, and online sports gambling will air their first Super Bowl ads this year.

Americans are expected to bet $7.6 billion on the game, up 78 percent from last year, Reuters reported. Much of this increase is driven by aggressive marketing campaigns for sportsbook apps like Caesars and FanDuel.

Travel company Expedia will run an ad after sitting out last year's Super Bowl due to COVID lockdowns.

Longtime favorites like the E*Trade baby and the Budweiser Clydesdales are also set to return.

"What we're seeing in the Super Bowl advertising that I've seen so far is really the tried and true approaches that have always worked in the game to entertain people and engage them and be effective," advertising executive Lee Newman told the Journal.

According to the Journal and CBS, celebrities featured in the big game's ads include Lindsay Lohan, Megan Thee Stallion, Charlie Puth, Mary J. Blige, Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd, Idris Elba, and Guy Fieri.

A record 31.4 million Americans are expected to bet $7.6 billion on Sunday's Super Bowl game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams, Reuters reports.

The number of betters is up 35 percent over last year, and the total amount wagered is up 78 percent. Much of the increase is driven by aggressive marketing campaigns for online sports betting, which became legal in several states following a 2018 Supreme Court decision.

Adam Chandler warned in The Atlantic that, with an ever greater number of Americans obsessively checking their bets during the big game, the Super Bowl may lose its "monocultural character," taking "one of the few communal spectacles we have left and turn[ing] it into something more individualistic."

Reuters notes that "only a portion" of those billions will be wagered on which team actually wins the game. Gamblers can also make proposition bets, which can range from which team will score first to "whether a player will propose to his girlfriend on the field after the game and whether Snoop Dogg will smoke on stage while performing at the Super Bowl halftime show."

1. Billie Eilish responds to Kanye West demanding she apologize to Travis Scott

Billie Eilish was widely praised for helping a fan at a recent concert, but Kanye West, for one, is absolutely livid. In Atlanta over the weekend, Eilish paused her show to help a fan in need of an inhaler, saying, "I wait for people to be OK until I keep going." It was interpreted by some as a dig at Travis Scott and the crowd surge that left 10 people dead while he was performing at the Astroworld music festival, though Eilish never actually mentioned him. That didn't stop West, who's set to headline Coachella with Eilish, from freaking out, threatening to pull out of the festival. "PLEASE APOLOGIZE TO TRAV AND TO THE FAMILIES OF THE PEOPLE WHO LOST THEIR LIVES," West wrote on Instagram, adding, "I NEED BILLIE TO APOLOGIZE BEFORE I PERFORM." In the comments, Eilish simply pointed out that she "literally never said a thing about Travis" and "was just helping a fan." Meanwhile, the grandparents of one of the Astroworld victims backed Eilish to Rolling Stone, saying, "She's making sure that she is caring for the patrons at her concert, and I just think that's crazy of Kanye to even let that demand come out of his mouth."

Variety Rolling Stone

2. Drake bets over $1 million on the Super Bowl

Are you ready for some football — and possibly to see Drake lose a bunch of money? Ahead of the big game on Sunday, Drake revealed he has bet over $1 million in bitcoin on it. Screenshots he shared on Instagram showed he bet $600,000 Canadian dollars on the Los Angeles Rams winning. He also placed two bets on wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., a friend of his — though Rolling Stone reported that it's "unclear whether the bet is from Drake's own wallet or its promotion for the Canadian crypto-betting site Stake." The rapper wrote, "All bets are in on the family." Of course, even if the bet is from his own pocket, Drake's net worth is reportedly around $200 million, so it won't be too much skin off his nose either way. But should the Rams lose, any fans who also happen to hate Drake will at least have some reason to celebrate.

TMZ Rolling Stone

3. RuPaul to host a reboot of the game show 'Lingo'

Who among us hasn't played Wordle during these past few weeks and thought, "Wouldn't this game be better if RuPaul was involved"? Well, boy does CBS have the show for you. The network announced Friday it's reviving Lingo, the classic game show that involves teams guessing a word after being told the first letter. It's pretty similar to Wordle, so CBS presumably hopes to capitalize on the online game's massive popularity — though to be fair, Lingo did come first by a few decades, and the reboot has reportedly been in the works since last summer. RuPaul is set to both host and executive produce, and it will air in primetime on CBS. The RuPaul's Drag Race host suggested this might just be the show to finally bring joy back to all of our lives once and for all, declaring, "We're all ready to have fun again, and Lingo is the answer."

TV Line The Hollywood Reporter

4. Netflix's Marvel shows are leaving, and it's not clear where they're headed

Disney is snapping its fingers and watching the Marvel Defenders shows fade away from Netflix. The Marvel series Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, The Punisher, and The Defenders are all set to leave Netflix at the end of the month despite being Netflix original shows, as the rights will reportedly revert to Disney. Presumably, that means the series will pop up either on Disney+ or Hulu at some point, but an announcement about that hasn't been made. The Netflix universe of Marvel shows technically are set in the MCU, but usually didn't connect much with the movies, as MCU boss Kevin Feige wasn't directly involved. Disney has started making its own streaming shows that are heavily linked to the movies like WandaVision, making the future of the Netflix characters unclear. But Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin and Charlie Cox's Daredevil were both recently brought back in the MCU for Hawkeye and Spider-Man: No Way Home, so if Daredevil heads to Disney+, could that make the streamer more likely to give it another season? Cox teased to The Hollywood Reporter Friday that after his Spider-Man cameo, "I presume there's more for us to do. I know a little bit — not a huge amount — but a little bit."

Entertainment Weekly Gizmodo

5. Oscars to reportedly have 3 hosts

Nobody has hosted the Oscars for three consecutive years, and the Academy apparently really wants to make up for it this time. The Academy previously announced it will bring back a host for the 2022 Oscars, and on Friday, The Hollywood Reporter said the plan is to actually have at least three of them. The 2022 Academy Awards will be a "three-act show with each one-hour act emceed by a different host," the report said. The idea, the Reporter wrote, is meant to address a few hosting issues, including how much time it takes to prepare, not to mention the "unflattering glare of the spotlight that the high-pressure gig can shine on entertainers." In other words, maybe spreading out the Twitter mockery among multiple people will make it slightly more bearable? ABC Entertainment's president previously expressed interest in Only Murders in the Building stars Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez hosting together. If that doesn't work out, hmm, if only there were some recent major movie that involved three iconic actors coming together...

The Hollywood Reporter

Jim Lipscomb will be joining his beloved Cincinnati Bengals at the Super Bowl.

The 86-year-old was at the first-ever Bengals game in 1968, and immediately "fell for them," he told CBS News. Lipscomb was a season ticket holder for years, and never misses a game on television. When the team won last month's playoffs against the Chiefs and earned their ticket to Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles, Lipscomb's granddaughter, Lizzie Eschenbrenner, watched as he started crying tears of joy. She shared his reaction on social media, and the video soon went viral.

Eschenbrenner started thinking about how much it would mean for her grandfather to watch the game in person, and launched a fundraiser to see if she could raise enough money to get him to L.A. The tickets ranged in price from nearly $5,000 to more than $18,000, and thanks to donations from around the world, she raised $42,000.

"I was blown away at the response ... [and] all the nice words they had to say," Eschenbrenner told CBS News, adding that "even though we can't physically take them with us, I feel like we're taking the spirit of all grandpas and all loved ones that want to go to the Super Bowl." The generosity shown by strangers made Lipscomb tear up yet again. "The number of people that have donated, from different countries, it's just mind-boggling to me," he said.

President Biden will sit for an exclusive interview with NBC's Lester Holt that will air "as part of the network's pregame coverage of the Super Bowl on Sunday," The Hill reports.

Excerpts from the pre-recorded interview will air during the Holt-anchored NBC Nightly News on Thursday, and Today on Friday morning. The exact time at which the interview will air on Sunday has yet to be determined, notes The Hollywood Reporter.

It has become somewhat of a tradition as of late for the president to "sit for an interview with the network broadcasting the Super Bowl," The Hill writes. Last year, Biden spoke with CBS' Norah O'Donnell, while former President Donald Trump was interviewed by Fox News' Sean Hannity the year prior.

The chat with Holt will signify Biden's first sit-down interview of 2022, "and his first formal interview since marking one year in office," notes The Hollywood Reporter.

Super Bowl LVI, featuring the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals, will take place at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Feb. 13.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) paid homage to the Super Bowl-bound Cincinnati Bengals on Monday by temporarily renaming three state parks in the team's honor, ESPN and The Associated Press report.

Southeastern Ohio's Burr Oak State Park is now "Burrow Oak State Park" in honor of Bengal's quarterback Joe Burrow. Burrow is an Ohio native.

Southwestern Ohio's Paint Creek State Park became "Evan McPherson Extra Point Creek State Park" as a nod to Evan McPherson, the Bengal's kicker who helped propel the team all the way this season.

And finally, Hueston Woods State Park, located between Cincinnati and Dayton, has become "Ickey Woods State Park" as an homage to iconic Bengals running back Ickey Woods, per ESPN.

"As a team, we're excited to put a product on the field that the fans are proud of and that kind of gives them bragging rights," Burrow said Monday of sending his franchise to its first Super Bowl appearance in over two decades. "They haven't had that in a while. I'm excited to give that to them."

The Bengals will face the Los Angeles Rams during Super Bowl LVI on Feb. 13.

National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell issued a memo to all NFL teams Saturday saying that the league's progress on increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion is "unacceptable," Reuters reported.

"Racism and any form of discrimination is contrary to the NFL's values," Goodell wrote in the memo. "We have made significant efforts to promote diversity and adopted numerous policies and programs which have produced positive change in many areas, however we must acknowledge that particularly with respect to head coaches the results have been unacceptable. We will re-evaluate and examine all policies, guidelines and initiatives relating to diversity, equity and inclusions."

According to the NFL's diversity guidelines, which it implemented in May of 2020 only days before the murder of George Floyd, the league now requires "clubs to interview at least two external minority candidates for head coaching openings and at least one minority candidate for any coordinator job." Previously, the "Rooney Rule" had stipulated that each team interview only one minority candidate for head coaching jobs and imposed no requirements for coordinator positions.

Despite these new guidelines, no progress has been made in diversifying the NFL's cadre of 32 head coaches. Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers is the only Black head coach in the league.

Goodell's memo was prompted by a lawsuit that former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores, who is Black, filed earlier this week. Flores alleges that he was fired on Jan. 10 after back-to-back winning seasons because he refused to throw games in order to secure better draft picks for the Dolphins, but he also said he hopes his lawsuit will "shine a light on the racial injustices that take place inside the NFL."

Goodell stated in his memo that, regardless of the outcome of Flores' lawsuit, the league "will not wait to reassess and modify our strategies to ensure that they are consistent with our values and longstanding commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion."

Former Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores is suing the NFL, the Dolphins, the Broncos, and the Giants, alleging discriminatory hiring practices.

In a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Manhattan, Flores accuses Dolphins owner Stephen Ross of trying to incentivize him to purposely lose games so the team could get the top draft pick. He also alleged that Ross pressured him into recruiting a "prominent quarterback" in 2019, and after Flores refused to have a meeting with the player over fears it would violate NFL rules on tampering, he was "treated with disdain and held out as someone who was noncompliant and difficult to work with."

Flores was fired by the Dolphins on Jan. 10, after the team had its first back-to-back winning seasons since 2003. When Black candidates are hired, it's a "rarity," Flores' lawsuit states, and "they are discriminated against in connection with the terms and conditions of their employment and compensation and terminated even as far less successful head white coaches are retained. Moreover, Black head coaches are far less likely than white head coaches to receive second chances even as white head coaches are routinely hired by teams even after they fail elsewhere."

In his lawsuit, Flores also accuses the Broncos of giving him a "sham" interview in 2019, and alleges the Giants only asked him to interview for their head coach position last month so they could be in compliance with an NFL rule requiring teams to interview minority candidates for open roles. Flores says that prior to his interview, Patriots coach Bill Belichick accidentally texted him that Brian Daboll had already been chosen for the job.

Flores is seeking class-action status. In a statement released by the law firm representing him, Flores said God has "gifted me with a special talent to coach the game of football, but the need for change is bigger than my personal goals. In making the decision to file the class action complaint today, I understand that I may be risking coaching the game that I love and that has done so much for my family and me. My sincere hope is that by standing up against systemic racism in the NFL, others will join me to ensure that positive change is made for generations to come."

Now that legendary quarterback Tom Brady has officially announced his retirement from the NFL, it's time to reflect on his storied career — including the very last touchdown pass he ever threw.

Brady's long throw to Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans with 3:20 left in the fourth quarter made a game out of a Jan. 21 match-up against the Rams, despite Los Angeles ultimately prevailing 30-27.

That pass will now, however, be remembered for a much more significant, powerful reason.

Watch below:

The GOAT has officially left the building ... er, the stadium.

Football legend and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady on Tuesday confirmed his retirement in a lengthy Instagram post, bringing an end to his legendary 22-season run.

In explaining his decision, Brady, 44, said he was no longer going to make the "competitive commitment" required to be a part of the NFL, and instead plans to "focus my time and energy on other things that require my attention."

"My teammates, coaches, fellow competitors, and fans deserve 100 percent of me, but right now, it's best I leave the field of play to the next generation of dedicated committed athletes," he wrote.

The beloved (and despised, depending on who you root for) quarterback then thanked a multitude of people, including his fellow Bucs teammates, the fans, and his family.

"I feel like the luckiest person in the world," he said.

ESPN broke the news of Brady's reported retirement on Saturday, though the athlete hadn't yet confirmed the news himself.

"The future is exciting," Brady wrote in his post Tuesday. "I am going to take it day by day. I know for sure I want to spend a lot of time giving to others and trying to enrich other people's lives, just as so many have done for me."

The Los Angeles Rams defeated the San Francisco 49ers 20-17 in Sunday's NFC championship game. They will now face the Cincinnati Bengals at Super Bowl LVI, set for Feb. 13 at SoFi Stadium, home of the Rams.

The game was a thriller — in the fourth quarter, the Rams were down 10 points, but they turned things around, and when Matt Gay made a 30-yard kick with 1:46 left in play, it gave the Rams a 20-17 lead that they didn't give up. Their 10-point comeback was the largest fourth-quarter comeback in NFC championship game history, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford finished the game 31 of 45 for 337 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. For the 49ers, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo had 232 yards while completing 16 of 30 passes. Before Sunday night's game, the Rams had lost six straight matchups against the 49ers.

The Cincinnati Bengals are heading to the Super Bowl for the first time in 33 years, after beating the Kansas City Chiefs 27-24 in the AFC championship game Sunday.

The Bengals were down 18 points before rallying in the second half, and their thrilling win came in overtime after Evan McPherson kicked a 31-yard field goal. "Our defense really stepped up and made plays in the second half," quarterback Joe Burrow said after the game. "And on offense we made plays when we had to. I thought the offensive line played really well all day. We started running the ball there at the end and that's exciting. Big win for us."

The 13-7 Bengals will play the winner of the NFC championship game between the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams.

Despite ESPN's announcement Saturday that Tom Brady — who many consider the greatest quarterback of all time — had decided to retire after 22 NFL seasons, other sources now say Brady has not yet made up his mind, The Associated Press reported.

Two anonymous sources "familiar with the details" informed AP the seven-time Super Bowl winner told Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht he was still weighing his options.

Brady's father, Tom Brady Sr., told a group of reporters the same thing.

Brady, 44, spent the first 20 seasons of his career with the New England Patriots and the last two with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His career comprised seven Super Bowl wins, nine Super Bowl appearances, five Super Bowl MVP awards, and 365 games.

Brady holds NFL records for regular-season career passing yards, passes attempted, passes completed, and touchdowns, per Yahoo! Sports.

According to Fox Business, the terms of Brady's contract stipulate that he will forfeit $15 million if he retires before Feb. 4. If he waits until Friday, the money is reportedly all his.

Tom Brady, a quarterback many consider the greatest of all time, has decided to retire from the NFL, sources told ESPN Saturday.

His career comprised seven Super Bowl wins, nine Super Bowl appearances, five Super Bowl MVP awards, 365 games, and 22 seasons, according to Yahoo! Sports.

Brady, 44, spent the first 20 of those seasons with the New England Patriots and the last two with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He holds NFL records for regular-season career passing yards, passes attempted, passes completed, and touchdowns, per Yahoo! Sports. According to ESPN, his "decision to retire is based on several factors, including family and health."

Brady's final game was a 30-27 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Jan. 23. The Rams led the Bucs 27-3 in the third quarter, but Brady almost managed to lead his team to a comeback victory. Brady completed 30 of 54 pass attempts and threw for 329 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

Update: On Sunday, The Associated Press reported that its sources say Brady has not yet made up his mind on retiring. Read more about how Brady might not retire after all here.

The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Green Bay Packers 13-10 Saturday night, knocking the Packers out of the playoffs and potentially marking an ignominious end to Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers' career, The New York Post reported.

The Packers delivered one of the "worst special teams performances in postseason history," per the Post, allowing the 49ers to successfully block a field goal and a punt, the latter of which they returned for a touchdown.

Green Bay got the ball for the last time with the score at 10-10 and 4:41 remaining in the fourth quarter. Rodgers choked. After the Packers punted following a three-and-out possession, San Francisco quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo drove his offense to within field goal range, securing the win for the 49ers.

"I'm very proud of what I've been able to accomplish here, deeply thankful for so many years here and all the incredible teammates and coaches I've had," the 38-year-old Rodgers said after the game. "Man, so much gratitude for this city and this organization, such a long career here."

He also described feeling "numb" and "heartbroken," but said he felt he could still "play at a high level" and that the decision to retire or not would be "tough."

The Washington Post reported that Green Bay is going into the offseason $44.8 million over the NFL's salary cap. Replacing Rodgers, who according to Sports Illustrated is paid an average of $33.5 million per season, with a younger, less expensive quarterback could free up some much-needed funds.

Rodgers has played for Green Bay since 2005. In 2010, he led the team to victory in Super Bowl XLV.

Georgia beat rival Alabama in Monday night's College Football Playoff championship game, winning its first national title in 41 years in a come-from-behind 33-18 romp of the higher-ranked Crimson Tide. The Bulldogs also snapped a seven-game losing streak against Alabama, including in last month's SEC championship game.

Georgia's path to victory started in the fourth quarter when quarterback Stetson Bennett threw a 40-yard touchdown to Adonai Mitchell with just over 8 minutes left in the game. That put the Bulldogs up 19-18, and tight end Brock Bowers caught a 15-yard touchdown pass with 3:33 left, padding Georgia's lead. Then Kelee Ringo intercepted a throw from Alabama's Heisman Trophy–winning quarterback Bryce Young, and ran it 79 yards for a final touchdown.

The last time the Bulldogs won a national title was in 1980, led by freshman running back Herschel Walker.

Great news for fans of the Washington Football Team — come February, that mouthful of a name will be no more.

The team formerly known as the Washington Redskins will reveal their new name and identity on Feb. 2, the franchise revealed Tuesday.

"Mark your calendars, Washington family," wrote team president Jason Wright in a statement. "This is not a day you'll want to miss!"

Wright also told fans not to expect the team name to be early fan-favorite Wolves or any variation or it — like RedWolves — due to trademark issues.

"Once we began looking into Wolves ... we became aware of a notable challenge: trademarks held by other teams would limit our ability to make the name our own," Wright said. " And without Wolves, variations like RedWolves wouldn't have been viable either for these and other reasons."

Washington announced on July 13, 2020 that it would drop the mascot name it had used since forming in 1932 following protests in the spring of 2020 and outside pressure from sponsors objecting to the name's Native American imagery, ESPN reports. The team will still use burgundy and gold as its colors.

The defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers came from behind to eke out a 28-24 win against the New York Jets on Sunday, but the real drama was on the sidelines. During the game, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, Bucs wide receiver Antonio Brown removed his jersey, took off his black undershirt and threw it into the stands, and walked off the field.

"He is no longer a Buc, all right? That's the end of the story," Tampa Bay head coach Bruce Arians said in a postgame interview. "I'm not talking about it," he added later. "He's not a part of the Bucs."

It isn't clear what precipitated the career-limiting move by Brown, 33. But WATB Sports reports that Arians had benched Brown before he walked off, and Arians told Fox's Jay Glazer he had tried to get Brown to re-enter the game twice, but he refused. But Brown's short tenure with the Bucs was troubled from the start.

Brown was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2010 and traded to the Oakland Raiders after nine seasons. He was released before ever playing with the Raiders, after several on-field altercations. "The Patriots signed Brown during the 2019 season after he was released by the Raiders, but they released him after one game amid mounting allegations of off-the-field misconduct," including rape allegations and burglary and battery charges involving a Florida moving company, The Washington Post reports.

At the urging of Tampa Bay quarterback Tom Brady, the Bucs signed Brown to a one-year deal in October 2020. Sunday's game was one of his first after a three-game suspension for giving the NFL a forged COVID-19 vaccination card.

After Sunday's game, Brady said of Brown, "we all love him and care about him deeply," adding, "I think everyone should be compassionate and empathetic toward some very difficult things that are happening."

"Brady provided the right words after two years of the wrong actions," Adam Kilgore writes at The Washington Post. "In the NFL's universe of mores, no sin is greater than quitting mid-game. Brown's latest strange misstep probably will cost him his career. If he can receive the help he needs away from football, it will be the best thing for him. It should have happened long before Sunday."

John Madden, the NFL Hall of Fame coach and broadcaster whose name graces one of the most popular sports video games of all time, died unexpectedly on Tuesday, the NFL announced. He was 85.

"Nobody loved football more than Coach," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. "He was football. He was an incredible sounding board to me and so many others. There will never be another John Madden, and we will forever be indebted to him for all he did to make football and the NFL what it is today."

Madden was born on April 10, 1936, in Austin, Minnesota. He grew up in Northern California, and played football at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. In 1958, he was picked by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 21st round of the NFL draft, but his playing career ended a year later after a knee injury.

As the coach of the Oakland Raiders from 1969 to 1978, Madden led the team to eight playoffs and a Super Bowl XI victory. Madden went on to launch a 30-year career in broadcasting, providing colorful commentary. "My knowledge of football has come from coaching," he wrote in his 1984 book Hey, Wait a Minute (I Wrote a Book!). "And on TV, all I'm trying to do is pass on some of that knowledge to viewers."

Madden, who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006, helped create the wildly popular video game Madden NFL, which is updated every season. Tens of millions of copies have been sold, bringing in more than $4 billion in revenue, the Los Angeles Times reports. During an interview with the paper, Madden called himself "the luckiest guy in the world," adding, "I look at it and I have to pinch myself sometimes, because I've never had to work. I went from a player to a coach to a broadcaster. I've been in the NFL forever. That's my life. That's what I do. I'm just lucky."

This article is part of The Week's 20th anniversary section, looking back at how the world has changed since our first issue was published in April 2001.

Twenty years ago, college football's honchos set out to fix a perceived unfairness in how the Bowl Championship Series chose the two teams to compete for the national championship each year.

Meeting in the summer of 2001, the officials tweaked the method that had only been in place since the BCS' creation in 1998 but that had generated howls of protest the year before when it selected Oklahoma and Florida State to play for the national championship over third-place Miami, a team that had beaten FSU during the regular season. The revised computer-ranking system added points for a team's win over other top-ranked squads while decreasing the value given to the margin of victory in games. Had the new formula been used the previous year, Miami, not Florida State, would have played for the national trophy.

Fixing college football entails far more than refining the way its championship game's competitors are chosen, of course. Still, the last two decade's arguments over, and adjustments to, how college football's title game is determined — a system now known as the College Football Playoff — provide a window into the larger challenges facing the sport. In the face of calls for reform, player protests, and a recent Supreme Court ruling, college football has only gotten bigger and richer, evading every tackle that would try to take it down.

Yet if the institution is thriving, its members may not all be. And as fans continue to watch and support a sport they know inflicts terrible and terrifying injuries on its players — not to mention a university system that continues to allow it — the collective ignorance that has turned a blind eye to the sport's dangers seems, especially in the context of our failed pandemic response, troublingly American.

Striving for objective neutrality (or at least the appearance of it), the Bowl Championship Series largely depended on computer rankings to determine its contestants. Yet like many human-made algorithms, the BCS system served to replicate college football's entrenched hierarchies rather than weaken them. Even more so, the College Football Playoff system, which replaced the BCS in 2014 and is made up of 13 committee members who select the four teams to play in the championship tournament, has perpetuated the elite conference's stranglehold on the path to the championship. It's telling that this year's University of Cincinnati Bearcats are the first non-power conference team to ever have a shot at the national championship title since the championship series arose more than two decades ago. Far from parity, the playoff system has, as a Sports Illustrated writer recently noted, "become an exclusive playground for Alabama, Clemson, and a few other powerhouses."

Expanding the playoff system to twelve teams from the current four slots, as has recently been hinted at, would only exacerbate these imbalances between the haves and have-nots of college athletics. An expanded playoff system could generate nearly a billion dollars a year, yet more windfall for the already-rich conferences whose teams regularly make the playoffs that the rest will lose out on. The result has been, as one observer put it, "nothing but [a] corporate welfare system for royals."

While the wealthy programs will only get wealthier from a bigger playoff tournament, it would also exact further costs on vulnerable players. "In times of economic strife," one sportswriter wrote earlier this year, "college athletics has always come up with ways to produce more revenue." For football, that has meant adding more games. In 2006, the NCAA extended the regular football schedule to 12 games, a move to pick up more television dollars. With the creation of the College Football Playoffs eight years later, the two teams that reach the championship match now endure a 15-game season. Should the playoff tournament be further expanded, the two final teams would meet in what would be each of their 17th games of the season.

Aside from all the time away from the classroom that this would entail for players, more games means even more opportunities for serious, life-threatening injuries. The last 20 years have witnessed a huge growth in understanding how football can cause significant traumatic brain injuries, including chronic traumatic encephalopathy. This neurodegenerative disease, which leads to memory loss, dementia, and even death, is caused by repeated blows to the head, a basic feature of playing football. Concern about CTE accelerated in 2002 when Mike Webster, a former college and NFL football player, died at the age of 50, his death later found to be caused by CTE. Fifteen years later, a 2017 study by Boston University scientists found evidence of CTE in 91 percent of the brains they examined from deceased former college football players.

Neither those results nor the larger medical consensus about football's links to CTE has prompted the NCAA to substantively change how college football is played, despite facing several wrongful death lawsuits from families of college players. Given that the NCAA itself was formed in 1906 to increase the safety of college football after almost 20 players died from injuries in one season, its relative inaction around CTE is a damning indictment of the institution.

Many college football fans have chosen to just not think about the mounting evidence that the game they love can cause CTE for its players. Such denial not only allows continued enthusiasm for college football but also shapes Americans' decisions to let their kids play the sport. In 2017, for example, The Wall Street Journal reported that in football-crazy Alabama, the participation rate in high school football had increased by an astounding 40 percent in the previous 10 years, the very same period in which scientists definitively established the football-CTE connection.

Parents in Alabama and elsewhere have said that when it comes to letting their kids play football, the rewards outweigh the risks, a confounding logic all-too-frighteningly familiar in our COVID moment. With a surging Omicron variant sweeping the nation, the College Football Playoff Management Committee recently released a new policy for this year's championship series should the virus force some teams to withdraw.

That's good leadership in the midst of a pressing crisis. The open question is whether college football can show similarly sound judgment when it comes to the other real challenges the last two decades have so plainly revealed.

The NFL made big changes to the league's COVID-19 protocols on Thursday, tightening virus-era restrictions to tame outbreaks while simultaneously revising return-to-play guidelines so vaccinated players can get back to work faster, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Similar to last season, masks are now required regardless of vaccination status, as are remote or outdoor meetings, writes The Associated Press. The league will also re-impose grab-and-go meals in team cafeterias and limits on the number of people allowed in weight rooms, per ESPN. Going out or having visitors while traveling for games is now prohibited, as well.

Simultaneously, the new league protocols relax a current rule requiring vaccinated players who test positive for COVID-19 to produce two negative tests 24 hours apart before returning to play. This will, the league hopes, help teams decimated by outbreaks — like the Cleveland Browns and Los Angeles Rams — get players back faster, writes ESPN. There is no change in rules for unvaccinated players, "who will continue to be tested daily and must stay away from the team facility for at least 10 days before they can be cleared to return after a positive test."

"Finally, and based on expert advice, we will adjust the return-to-participation requirements for those who have recovered from COVID-19," the NFL said in a statement. "All of these changes are grounded in our data and science-backed approach, with safety our No. 1 goal for the entire NFL community." Read more at The Wall Street Journal.