NFC Wild Card Playoffs: Green Bay Packers v Chicago Bears
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Good morning, everyone! You're reading from Carter Bahns on this NFL Wild Card Monday. It's Steelers vs. Texans tonight to wrap up the first round of the postseason, and if the weekend's drama is a harbinger of more to come, then buckle up. We also received some storybook-worthy playoff action on the college side with Indiana continuing its mesmerizing run toward a national championship.

Today's newsletter covers all the gridiron theatrics and a number of big stories from other corners of the sports world, like a massive free agent signing in MLB, trade news in the NBA and colossal soccer upsets.

Let's go.

🏈 Five things to know Monday

  1. The NFL divisional round matchups are (almost) set. The Steelers and Texans close out the wild card round tonight with the winner set to face the Patriots next weekend. As it stands, we know three of the four matchups: 49ers vs. Seahawks, Rams vs. Bears and Bills vs. Broncos. The round has been historically dramatic thus far; the Bills, Bears and Rams all won with touchdowns in the final two minutes, marking the first time in NFL postseason history that such a fashion decided three games. This is also the fourth time one division, the NFC West, sent three teams to the divisional round. A couple of victories came with a price, though. The 49ers will be without George Kittle for the rest of the playoffs after he tore his Achilles, and Matthew Stafford injured a finger -- although it seems unlikely he will miss time after X-rays came back negative.
  2. Indiana and Miami will battle in the College Football Playoff National Championship. The No. 10 Hurricanes already punched their ticket to the title game before the No. 1 Hoosiers destroyed No. 5 Oregon in a 56-22 Peach Bowl rout. Miami now knows the opponent that will travel to Hard Rock Stadium for what is a de facto home game for Mario Cristobal's squad. Indiana is the favorite after its semifinal rout, which began with a pick-six on the first play from scrimmage and culminated in another landslide victory for one of the most dominant teams in college football history, and perhaps the best team of the CFP era. All but one of our college football experts predicts Curt Cignetti will hoist the trophy a week from tonight.
  3. Alex Bregman is the newest member of the Chicago Cubs. And he is a well-paid addition to the roster. The free agent signed a five-year, $175 million contract with the Cubs to presumably take over as their everyday third baseman. Bregman's arrival as a reigning All-Star could take the North Siders to the next level in 2026, and it makes Bo Bichette the next top target on the free agency market. The Red Sox are reportedly set to make a run at Bichette after losing Bregman.
  4. The Grizzlies are reportedly open to trade offers for Ja Morant, while the Mavericks could have trouble moving Anthony Davis. Memphis changed its tune less than a month before the trade deadline. The question is what kind of a market Morant has given his contract situation (two years remaining), his clear All-Star potential and his history of suspensions and injuries. The odds suggest remaining with the Grizzlies is still Morant's most likely outcome, but we constructed five mock trades that would send him elsewhere. As for Davis, ligament damage in his left hand could require surgery and cost him "a number of months," which would dramatically alter his trade potential.
  5. Barcelona are Supercopa de España champions, and the FA Cup delivered weekend drama. Barcelona defeated Real Madrid, 3-2, in a Supercopa edition of El Clásico behind a brace from Raphinha. First-half stoppage time featured three goals in a dramatic tournament final. Meanwhile, in England, Macclesfield became the first non-league team to defeat the reigning FA Cup champion since 1908 with their shocking 2-1 win over Crystal Palace. Another stunning result came via Wrexham, who defeated Nottingham Forest in penalties.

🏀 Do not miss this: College basketball down to five undefeated teams

NCAA Basketball: Wisconsin at Michigan
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The Wolverines are unbeaten no more. No. 2 Michigan lost a 91-88 stunner to Wisconsin on its home court despite entering as a 19-point favorite and leading by as many as 14. Needless to say, our college basketball staff identified Michigan as one of the sport's biggest losers from the weekend.

Michigan's defeat leaves just five teams without a tally in the loss column:

  • No. 1 Arizona: 16-0
  • No. 3 Iowa State: 16-0
  • No. 10 Nebraska: 16-0
  • No. 11 Vanderbilt: 16-0
  • Miami (Ohio): 17-0

It was also a tough weekend for No. 22 Kansas, which fell to 1-2 in Big 12 play with a loss to West Virginia. And yet again, Darryn Peterson spent most of the closing minutes on the bench as his legs prohibited him from finishing the game. What a waste of another 23-point effort for the prized freshman.

✈️ Transfer portal commitments, intel entering final week of 2026 window

Washington v UCLA
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If you were even remotely following the transfer portal last week, you certainly heard about Demond Williams Jr. and his situation at Washington. In case you missed it, Williams re-signed with the Huskies, announced his intention to enter the portal, was threatened with a lawsuit, hired a lawyer, got dropped by his agent and -- gasp -- returned to Washington as the starting quarterback for 2026. Chris Hummer and Matt Zenitz dug deeper into the saga and reported on how everything fell apart for the rising Big Ten star.

Here's everything else you need to know from the weekend that was in the transfer portal:

  • Commitments: Ole Miss found its Trinidad Chambliss replacement in the form of ex-Auburn quarterback Deuce Knight, who signed with the Rebels after the NCAA denied Chambliss' eligibility waiver. Arch Manning has a new weapon in Texas commit Cam Coleman -- the top-ranked wide receiver in the portal. Tennessee bolstered a position of need with edge rusher Chaz Coleman committing to the Volunteers as the 2026 cycle's best defensive prospect.
  • Intel: No. 1-ranked quarterback Sam Leavitt will visit Miami on the heels of his trips to LSU and Tennessee. DJ Lagway committed to Baylor but remains in contact with Ole Miss and other suitors. And while it's no guarantee that Dante Moore declares for the NFL Draft, Dylan Raiola appears destined for Oregon regardless of whether a starting job awaits him.

🎠 NFL coaching carousel and front office moves

New York Jets v Baltimore Ravens - NFL 2025
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A quarter of the NFL is in search of a new head coach. John Harbaugh remains the prized target for those eight teams which fired their coaches -- save for the Ravens, of course. And there could be more names on the carousel before long as teams begin to fall out of the playoff bracket. The weekend brought the first general manager hire of the year, too.

Here is the latest movement and intel:

  • Head coach: Harbaugh will soon build his interview schedule for this week, Jonathan Jones reported. Sources said the Giants and Falcons, in some order, are believed to be his top choices while the Titans are in third place and the Browns are also on the radar. Matt LaFleur could be the next coach to become available, as his future with the Packers is uncertain after another playoff loss.
  • Assistant coach: The Commanders promoted quarterbacks coach David Blough to offensive coordinator, continuing his meteoric rise up the ladder. Blough ended his playing career in 2023.
  • Front office: The Dolphins have a new general manager in Jon-Eric Sullivan, a longtime Packers executive who most recently served as vice president of player personnel. In Atlanta, the Falcons created a new president of football role and tabbed Matt Ryan to the executive position. Ryan returns to his old team after a tremendous run as a CBS Sports NFL analyst, and he signed off yesterday with his final appearance on "The NFL Today."

👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest

Canelo v Crawford Undercard: Walsh v Vargas Jr.
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📺 What we're watching Monday

⚽ Coupe de France, Round of 32: Paris FC at Paris Saint-Germain, 3 p.m. on FS2
🏒 Kraken at Rangers, 7 p.m. on NHL Network
🏒 Hurricanes at Red Wings, 7 p.m. on NHL Network Alternate
🏀 Celtics at Pacers, 7:30 p.m. on NBC Sports Network
🏈 NFL playoffs: Texans at Steelers, 8 p.m. on ABC/ESPN