Jaguars' Travis Etienne: Foot injury downplayed

Considering how the NFL season unfolded, it's incredible to think the Denver Broncos had better preseason 2023 Super Bowl odds than either the Philadelphia Eagles or San Francisco 49ers. Now, after the Eagles finished with the league's best passing defense and the 49ers went 13-4 with three starting quarterbacks, the two NFC powerhouses will face off in the 2023 NFC Championship Game on Sunday. The Broncos fired Nathaniel Hackett after just 15 games at the helm, while Philadelphia's Nick Sirianni and San Francisco's Kyle Shanahan are NFL Coach of the Year candidates. Eagles vs. 49ers is one of three games remaining in the 2023 NFL playoffs.

Despite his impressive work as the Panthers' interim head coach, Steve Wilks was not chosen to be Carolina's permanent coach. The job instead went to Frank Reich, who was fired by the Colts nine games into the 2022 season. Wilks expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to be the Panthers head coach for their final 12 games of the season, saying he will always be a fan of the team in a statement he tweeted on Friday morning.

Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., tweeted he was at Lincoln Financial Field supporting the San Francisco 49ers as they take on the Philadelphia Eagles.

Brevin Galloway will miss a few games.

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce will play on Sunday, though that was in question until the team submitted its list of inactives. Kelce, who has a back injury, worked out before the game and the Chiefs apparently were comfortable enough having him active. Kelce was active for the AFC championship game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

The San Francisco 49ers were in brutal shape with quarterback injuries against the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship on Sunday. The Niners entered the game with Brock Purdy as their starting quarterback. Purdy began the season as the team’s third-string QB behind Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo, who both suffered major injuries. But Purdy... The post Josh Johnson knocked out of 49ers-Eagles game for concussion check appeared first on Larry Brown Sports.

see also Joe Burrow’s got the drip: The Bengals QB’s best gameday looks Joe Burrow arrived in Kansas City in style. And with a message. The Bengals quarterback rocked a pink denim jacket with pink pants and sunglasses, with a shirt of a pink bear wearing a shirt that said, “Sorry,” as he arrived to Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday for the AFC Championship game. The bear was also holding a tag that said, “Sorry in Advance.” Sorry in Advance was the brand of the shirt, but it’s also pretty clear what message Burrow is trying to send. He’ll hope it comes across strongly in the game against the Chiefs, when he tries to get the Bengals to their second straight Super Bowl. Burrow, who became known for his game-day outfits last season, won a conference title game at Arrowhead Stadium last season, beating Patrick Mahomes in overtime, 27-24. He’ll need to do the same this year, as the game kicks off at 6:30 p.m. Sunday night. Mahomes is set to play despite suffering a high-ankle sprain during last weekend’s AFC Divisional Round win over the Jaguars.

In the eyes of NFL fans, the NFC Championship game is being played between the San Francisco 49ers and the refs.  NFL referee John Hussey and his crew are officiating the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers NFC Championship Game, but their decisions have fans calling favoritism. "Oh My ...

Kelce (back), who was listed as a full practice participant Friday, is listed as questionable for Sunday's AFC Championship Game against the Bengals, Matt McMullen of the Chiefs' official site reports. Though Kelce handled every rep in the Chiefs' final practice of the week, the tight end's official questionable designation...

Philadelphia 76ers star guard James Harden decided to try a new form of defense late in the third quarter of the contest between the Sixers and Denver Nuggets on Saturday afternoon. With just under two minutes remaining in the quarter, Harden was seated on Philly's bench and jumped directly onto...

Rubio has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Thunder due to left knee injury management. Rubio played 17 minutes off the bench and totaled five points (2-7 FG), seven assists, three rebounds and one steal during Thursday's win over the Rockets. However, the veteran forward is coming off a lengthy rehab following ACL surgery and will take the second night of Cleveland's back-to-back set off to rest his left knee. Donovan Mitchell (groin) is doubtful for Friday's contest, so it looks like Darius Garland and Caris LeVert will operate as the Cavaliers' starting backcourt, while Raul Neto and Cedi Osman could see increased roles off the bench.

Senzel (toe) is still expected to start in center field to begin the season, though it's possible that he could get work in other positions, Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports. "He can play all over the field and be an everyday player, but with where we are as a team, he still factors into center field a lot," manager David Bell said.

Murray is considered questionable for Saturday's game against the 76ers due to a left hip sprain. Murray was listed as managing a knee injury for Wednesday's game in Milwaukee, making it appear that he was likely resting more than anything. However, the addition of a left hip sprain suggests there is more uncertainty surrounding his status leading up to Saturday. The team should supply more information on his status come game day. Bruce Brown (knee), who was also added to the injury report ahead of Saturday's contest as questionable, could draw another start if Brown can play and Murray is unavailable.

If there was any doubt Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes would play on Sunday in the AFC Championship Game against the Cincinnati Bengals, it was officially put to rest on Friday when Chiefs head coach Andy Reid confirmed his star quarterback is ready to go. "He looks good. He's...

Former Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett IV was arrested in Dallas on Sunday morning and charged with public intoxication, according to Dallas police. Officers responded to reports of a man banging on doors in Old East Dallas and took Bennett to a city detention center. Other details of the incident have not yet been released.

Rush completed 58.0 percent of his passes for 1,051 yards and five touchdowns with three interceptions over nine games in 2022. The 29-year-old quarterback saw his most action yet in an NFL season, and Rush kept the Cowboys' year afloat by winning four of his five starts while Dak Prescott was sidelined with a thumb injury in September and October. Rush will be a free agent this offseason, while Will Grier is still under contract for another season, so it's possible Dallas doesn't bring him back in 2023. Given his success this past season, Rush could have multiple offers to sort through from teams looking for QB depth.

Rubio chipped in five points (2-7 FG, 1-2 3Pt), three rebounds, seven assists and one steal over 17 minutes during Thursday's 113-95 victory over the Rockets. Rubio continues to play a limited role off the bench and has not scored more than nine points in any of his games. However, he was able to dish out a season-high seven assists in the win. The fact he remains limited even with Donovan Mitchell (hamstring) sidelined tells you everything you need to know about his role moving forward. The Cavaliers want to have him up and running come the playoffs, meaning he could be locked in at no more than 20 minutes per night, at least for the foreseeable future.

Wilson (lower body) won't play until after the All-Star break, Tom Gulitti of NHL.com reports. Wilson, who sat out Thursday's contest against Pittsburgh after getting injured Tuesday versus Colorado following a shot block, will miss at least the next two games. The Capitals return from the break Feb. 11 in Boston. Wilson has supplied two goals, one assist, 13 shots on net and 33 hits in eight appearances this season. Anthony Mantha stands a good chance to stay in the top-six forward group of the Capitals until Wilson is able to return.

We're down to the NFL's final four Sunday, with what should be two wire-to-wire matchups on tap. The injury report is refreshingly light as well after Patrick Mahomes and Christian McCaffrey, two stars who fought through ankle and calf issues respectively in divisional-round wins last weekend, were free of any designations on Friday.

Turner is questionable for Friday's game against Milwaukee due to a right ankle sprain. Turner has appeared in the Pacers' last six matchups and has averaged 19.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.0 blocks in 30.0 minutes per game during that time. If he's unavailable against the Bucks, Jalen Smith, Isaiah Jackson and Terry Taylor would be candidates to see increased minutes.