WASHINGTON — For more than two months, Max Pacioretty considered hanging up his skates and retiring from the NHL. Tearing his right Achilles tendon twice in less than a year left him in bed after another surgery awaiting more rehab, unable to travel with his kids to their hockey tournaments or live a normal life. Then he came to the …

The final week of the regular season is routinely a quirky slate in the NFL. On one hand, you have massive games that can determine division titles, playoff berths, and seeding. However, there are also situations where teams already have their postseason position locked up, which makes this coming weekend not remotely important. In those situations, you oftentimes see teams …

Starkville High School receiver Braylon Burnside is staying home after all. He announced during halftime of Wednesday’s Under Armour All-America Game in Orlando, Florida, that he has signed with Mississippi State football. Burnside is a four-star prospect, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. He committed to MSU in June when coach Zach Arnett was at the helm. However, he decommitted …

The Green Bay Packers (8-8) and Chicago Bears (7-9) will face off in a matchup of two division rivals. The Packers are the favorites, expected to win by at least a field goal but less than a touchdown (currently -3). The predicted point total for the matchup is 44. The Bears trounced the Atlanta Falcons 37-17 in Week 17, while …

Subscribe to Zero Blitz Jason Fitz is joined by senior NFL reporters Charles Robinson and Jori Epstein to go behind the scenes on the biggest storylines around the NFL. The hosts kick things off with the officiating crisis around the NFL following the disastrous outcome of Saturday’s game featuring the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys, as Jori weighs in on …

The NFL is approaching the final week of the regular season as 20 teams are still eligible for the Super Bowl heading into Week 18. Five playoff berths remain up in the air, the most entering the final week since 2020 (seven teams still had a shot at the playoffs). With four division crowns still up for grabs and five …

Next Monday evening Michigan and Washington will square off in the 2024 national championship to conclude another great season of college football. Unfortunately, the Alabama Crimson Tide were unable to secure their 19th national championship this season, but it was still an incredible season regardless. From an insane come back win against Auburn to an emphatic SEC Championship victory over …

Greg Wyshynski, ESPNJan 3, 2024, 05:40 PM ET CloseGreg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer. Arizona Coyotes forward Jason Zucker was given a hearing by the NHL Department of Player Safety on Wednesday for boarding/interference on Florida Panthers forward Nick Cousins. In Tuesday’s game, Cousins delivered a hit to Panthers defenseman Juuso Valimaki while Valimaki was on one knee against …

When the Giants complete their final game of the 2023-24 season against the Eagles this Sunday, it could also be the end of a beloved player’s career. Sterling Shepard was drafted by the Giants in the second round of the 2016 draft and gave Big Blue five productive years before suffering two season-ending injuries that derailed his time in New …

HATTIESBURG — Southern Miss football has found its new defensive line coach for the 2024 season. Fred Wyatt was announced Wednesday afternoon as the Golden Eagles’ new defensive line coach. He most recently held the same position at Eastern Illinois, where we worked under new Southern Miss defensive coordinator Clay Bignell. The Golden Eagles also made the hiring of running …

Michael Penix Jr.’s most recent masterclass of a performance was the catalyst for Washington’s win over Texas in the Sugar Bowl. It also could help him with the next chapter of his football career. The Washington star is viewed as one of the top quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft. But prior to Monday’s game, the consensus among draft evaluators …

Getty Images Kansas prosecutors are asking a judge to drop three felony charges against Jackson Mahomes, according to the Associated Press. Mahomes allegedly grabbed a woman by the neck and kissed her against her will on Feb. 25, 2023, at a suburban Kansas City establishment. Johnson County Assistant District Attorney Megan Ahsens filed a motion on Tuesday to dismiss the …

It’s only appropriate that the all-but-deceased Pac-12 will have a representative in the College Football Playoff National Championship game. While preseason favorite USC disappointed, the conference still enjoyed an impressive season that could culminate in Washington winning it all on Monday night. The Pac-12 owned several of the country’s top quarterbacks, including Heisman Trophy finalists Bo Nix and Michael Penix …

Getty Images The Zach Wilson era with the New York Jets appears to be going out with a whimper. Head coach Robert Saleh said the 2021 second overall pick has yet to clear concussion protocol after suffering a head injury against the Miami Dolphins in Week 15, meaning he will miss the team’s regular season finale against the Patriots on Sunday. …

Eagles injury report: DeVonta Smith among Eagles’ non-participants originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia Eagles receiver DeVonta Smith was among a trio of players listed as non-participants to begin the final week of prep of the regular season. Smith suffered an ankle injury late in the fourth quarter of the Eagles’ 35-31 loss to the Cardinals on Sunday. His ankle …