Titans QB Cam Ward suffers season-ending shoulder injury in season finale vs. Jaguars

Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward leftSunday's 41-7 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguarswith a season-ending right shoulder injury.

After the game, interim head coachMike McCoy told reportersthat Ward required more testing on his injury before the team could offer a precise diagnosis. The Athletic's Jeff Howe, meanwhile, reports thatWard sprained the AC joint in his shoulder.

The injury to Ward's throwing shoulder is cause for obvious concern heading into the offseason.

[Get more Titans news: Tennessee team feed]

Ward left the game after scoring a running touchdown on Tennessee's opening drive that stood as its only score of the game. He took a shot to his upper body as he crossed the goal line and went into the sideline medical tent after the play. He then walked to the locker room on the ensuing Jacksonville possession.

Cam Ward is heading back to the locker room after this Touchdown run.#TitansBrandon Allen will take over.Upper body injury is suspectedpic.twitter.com/PH81ofBwjJ

— FirstDownMedia (@FirstDownMediaa)January 4, 2026

Ward did not return to the lineup for Tennessee's next possession. His backup, Brandon Allen, took over at quarterback and the Titans eventually lost, 41-7.

Tennessee initially listed Ward as questionable to return with a right shoulder injury, thenruled him outbefore the end of the first quarter.

The No. 1 pick in April's NFL Draft, Ward had previously played every offensive snap of Tennessee's season.

While the 3-13 Titans entered Sunday having long been eliminated from the playoffs, the Jaguars had plenty at stake in Sunday's game. With the win, the Jaguars clinched the AFC South title over the Houston Texans. They still have an outside shot at securing the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs. They need the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots to both lose to do so.

Ward finishes his rookie season having completed 59.8% of his passes for 3,169 yards with 15 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. He added 39 carries for 159 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground. He finished Sunday's game 3-for-3 passing for 52 yards with 2 carries for 11 yards and a score.

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January 04, 2026

Titans QB Cam Ward suffers season-ending shoulder injury in season finale vs. Jaguars

Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward leftSunday's 41-7 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguarswith a season-ending right s...

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Browns defense flagged on 2 straight defensive touchdowns for doing Marshawn Lynch crotch-grab celebration

The Cleveland Browns' defense had little to play for in Week 18, so the team decided to just have fun out there. That approach worked early on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals, though it came with a cost.

With time running down in the first quarter, Browns linebacker Devin Bush intercepted a Joe Burrow pass deep in Browns territory. While it looked like Bush would run out of gas on the return, he got a key block from Myles Garrett deep down the field, eventually making it all the way to the end zone for a 97-yard score.

When Bush got there, he turned around to face the pursuing Bengals and did the Marshawn Lynch crotch-grab celebration. You know, the oneLynch did after his iconic "Beast Quake" run.

The officials didn't miss a beat, and immediately threw a penalty flag.

The touchdown stood, but the team was penalized for the crotch-grab celebration.

If you thought that was going to deter the Browns' defense moving forward ... you were wrong.

On the next drive, Cleveland forced a fumble in Bengals territory. Browns cornerback Sam Webb scooped up the ball and ran it all the way back to the end zone for another Cleveland defensive score.

As Webb crossed the goal line, he also turned around and did the Lynch celebration, immediately drawing another flag.

The Browns were again penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct. It was the second straight drive they were flagged with that penalty after that specific celebration.

[Get more Browns news: Cleveland team feed]

While the Browns getting flagged on both plays should not come as a surprise, the fact that the team immediately performed the celebration a second time should draw questions. The defense clearly wasn't deterred by the first flag, and didn't seem to care about picking up another penalty.

In the Browns' defense, neither penalty played a major role in the game. Those defensive scores were the only TDs Cleveland got in the victory.

The Bengals turned the ball over after the first penalty and were forced to punt on the team's next offensive drive after the second penalty.

Aside fromMyles Garrett's sack record chase, which he achieved, the Browns didn't have much to play for after coming into Week 18 sitting at 4-12. Does it really matter if they get penalized for excessive celebrations after scoring twice on Burrow and the Bengals?

Of course, it also helped thatCleveland went on to win the contest 20-18. While theBrowns face a lot of questionsthis offseason, the team's defense should return as its biggest strength in 2026.

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January 04, 2026

Browns defense flagged on 2 straight defensive touchdowns for doing Marshawn Lynch crotch-grab celebration

The Cleveland Browns' defense had little to play for in Week 18, so the team decided to just have fun out there....

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Royals extend manager Matt Quatraro through 2030 season

TheKansas City Royalshave extended manager Matt Quatraro's contract for another three years,the team announcedon Sunday, Jan. 4.

The extension will kick in with the 2027 season and keep him in the Royals dugout through 2030.

Quatraro, 52, is entering his fourth season in Kansas City. He led the team to 86 wins, a playoff berth and a wild-card series victory over theBaltimore Oriolesin 2024 before slipping back to 82-80 last season.

In three seasons under Quatraro, the Royals have posted an overall record of 224-262 (.461), with a 3-3 mark in two postseason series.

Top 25 MLB players from 2000-2025 ranked by Wins Above Replacement

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Royals, manager Matt Quatraro agree to multiyear contract extension

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January 04, 2026

Royals extend manager Matt Quatraro through 2030 season

TheKansas City Royalshave extended manager Matt Quatraro's contract for another three years,the team announcedon Sun...

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Former NBA draft pick James Nnaji makes controversial debut for Baylor

The player who was once part of theKarl Anthony-Townstrade to theNew York Knicksmade hiscollege basketballdebut to boos on Saturday, Jan. 3.

James Nnajidebuted for theBaylormen's basketball in its Big 12 opener. The 7-foot center – who was a second-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft – had five points, four rebounds, two turnovers and picked up four fouls in 16 minutes a 69-63 loss to TCU.

REQUIRED READING:Notre Dame basketball coach Micah Shrewsberry apologizes for outburst

After Nnaji entered the game, he was booed and then was booed subauenrly every time he touched the ball. His first points came on a putback dunk with about nine minutes left in the first half.

James Nnaji is officially the first person to score points in a college basketball game after already being drafted in the NBApic.twitter.com/UjI0H9wEop

— College Basketball Content (@CBBcontent)January 3, 2026

"James did nothing wrong," Baylor coach Scott Drew said after the game. "Baylor did nothing wrong, and I know he's human and just making sure he doesn't feel that. If James was an NBA player today, he would be in the NBA."

Nnaji played four seasons professionally in Europe before theDetroit Pistonsdrafted him No. 31 overall as an 18-year-old in the 2023 NBA Draft. Since then, Nnaji's draft rights have been traded twice, but he has never signed an NBA contract.

Because he never attended an American college, Nnaji has four years of eligibility remaining.

"James is a great young man," Drew said. "Grew up playing piano in the church. Mom's most excited about his opportunity to get a degree. Brother's a mechanical engineer. Sister's trying to get a master's. I thought he did a great job in a short period of time. He hadn't played a competitive game in seven months, been recovering from an injury."

Magic Johnson
college dominance: Led Michigan State to the 1979 NCAA Championship, defeating Larry Bird's Indiana State.
NBA: 5× NBA champion in 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987 and 1988 with the Los Angeles Lakers. 3× NBA Finals MVP in 1980, 1982 and 1987. 3× NBA Most Valuable Player in 1987, 1989 and 1990. 12× NBA All-Star: 1980, 1982-1992. 2× NBA All-Star Game MVP in 1990 and 1992. Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Carmelo Anthony college dominance: In his lone season (2003), led Syracuse to a national championship and earned Final Four Most Outstanding Player honors. Averaged 22.2 points and 10 rebounds per game as a freshman.
NBA: 10× NBA All-Star. 2012–13 NBA scoring champion, averaging 28.7 points per game.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

Before NBA glory: How Jordan, Bird, Magic and Curry ruled in college

Magic Johnsoncollege dominance:Led Michigan State to the 1979 NCAA Championship, defeating Larry Bird's Indiana State.NBA:5× NBA champion in 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987 and 1988 with the Los Angeles Lakers. 3× NBA Finals MVP in 1980, 1982 and 1987. 3× NBA Most Valuable Player in 1987, 1989 and 1990. 12× NBA All-Star: 1980, 1982-1992. 2× NBA All-Star Game MVP in 1990 and 1992. Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:James Nnaji makes controversial collegiate debut for Baylor vs TCU

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January 04, 2026

Former NBA draft pick James Nnaji makes controversial debut for Baylor

The player who was once part of theKarl Anthony-Townstrade to theNew York Knicksmade hiscollege basketballdebut to boos ...

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Philip Rivers expected to be a head-coaching candidate, could interview with teams after dramatic NFL return

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers' dramatic return to the NFL might not be temporary after all. While the 44-year-old isretiring from the game as a player... again ... he could remain in the league as a head coach.

Following Rivers' dramatic return to the NFL, the veteran has reportedly receivedhead-coaching interest around the league, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. NFL teams have reportedly done research into Rivers and started making calls about him as a coach, per Rapoport. It's reached a point where Rivers could get at least one interview from an NFL team this offseason.

Entering Week 18, only two teams — the New York Giants and Tennessee Titans — have openings at head coach. That figure is expected to grow following Sunday's games. Some coaches could be dismissed before the day is done, while others will be let go Monday.

Rivers' resume as a player is pretty impressive. During his first stint in the NFL, Rivers passed for 63,440 yards and 421 touchdowns. Those figures rank eighth and sixth, respectively, in NFL history.

After five years off, enough time to make Rivers a candidate for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he shockingly returned to the NFL after Colts quarterback Daniel Jones went down with a season-ending injury.

Considering the circumstances,Rivers played surprisingly well down the stretch, completing 63% of his passes, with four touchdowns against three interceptions in three games. With the Colts eliminated from postseason contention, Rivers was benched in favor of rookie Riley Leonard in Week 18.

Following that announcement, Rivers made it clear his playing days are over. He implied he would go back to coaching high school football in Alabama. Shortly after his first retirement from the NFL, Rivers began coaching high school football.

But with Rivers returning to the NFL, there's some thought that maybe he would consider remaining in the league as a head coach, per Rapoport. That's been a barrier in the past, as teams reportedly considered Rivers last offseason, but were told he wasn't willing to consider making the jump to college or the pros.

When Rivers announced his return to the NFL after five years away, he instantly became one of the biggest stories of the 2025 NFL season. If that short stint as the Colts' quarterback leads to a head coaching position next year, it would be a fitting way for Rivers' improbable comeback to continue.

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January 04, 2026

Philip Rivers expected to be a head-coaching candidate, could interview with teams after dramatic NFL return

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers' dramatic return to the NFL might not be temporary after all. While the...

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