The Bears want to interview Freeman for their head coach position after parting ways with Matt Eberflus in the middle of the 2024 season, the NFL Network reported Sunday. The Bears have not made a decision on Eberflus’ replacement but have been going through the interview process.
Freeman first will have to game-plan for Notre Dame’s national title game against Ohio State. The Fighting Irish narrowly defeated Penn State to get there.
"Obviously unlikely he would entertain NFL overtures prior to that game – a week from tomorrow against Ohio State," NFL insider Tom Pelissero said on the network. "But the Bears have done extensive research for months on Marcus Freeman. He’s only 39 years old. It would not be a shock that at some point he at least considers going to the NFL."
Chicago is still set to interview Minnesota Vikings’ Brian Floires, Washington Commanders’ Kliff Kingsubury, Baltimore Ravens’ Todd Monken and Pittsburgh Steelers’ Arthur Smith for the job, according to the NFL Network.
Freeman was named as Brian Kelly’s replacement at Notre Dame after the former head coach took the LSU job.
He is 33-9 as head coach of Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish are 14-1 this season after going 9-4 in his first full year in 2022 and 10-3 in 2023.
The Bears were 5-12 in 2024 with Caleb Williams in his first season under center.
Former WWE star known as Melina was reported "safe" on Sunday after concerns were raised over her whereabouts amid the devastating Los Angeles wildfires during the week.
A Matter of Pride Wrestling, which initially expressed fears over the former pro wrestling, offered an update on social media.
"We’re relieved to share that Melina has made contact and is safe. We want to thank everyone for their concern, support, and outreach during this time. Your kindness and compassion means the world to us," the pro wrestling company wrote on X.
Melina Perez 45, was born in Los Angeles and got into the pro wrestling world in 2001.
She burst onto the WWE scene when she appeared on "Tough Enough" in 2002 in hopes of earning a roster spot. While she didn’t win the spot, she later was the valet for the MNM tag team of Johnny Nitro and Joey Mercury.
She had a successful singles run as she was the WWE Women’s Champion three times and the WWE Divas Champion twice.
Perez also competed for the National Wrestling Alliance and TNA Wrestling.
She wrestled from 2001 to 2021.
The Los Angeles wildfires have killed more than a dozen people and left thousands of structures and acres of land burned.
Former Notre Dame Fighting Irish star Malik Zaire fueled the hype for the national championship game on Saturday with harsh criticism of Ohio State quarterback Will Howard.
Howard led the Buckeyes to a College Football Playoff semifinal victory over the Texas Longhorns, 28-14. Howard was 24-of-33 with 289 passing yards and a touchdown pass. He also had an interception.
Zaire was unconvinced Howard would be able to do enough to get over the Fighting Irish on Jan. 20.
"All the great QBs Ohio State has had the last 15 yrs and Howard is def the worst one by far and ostate fans are trying to convince me that he’s gonna lead them to the chip?!?! Lmao ok," Zaire wrote on X. "I’d even take the OG Jalin Marshall at QB before Howard!!!!!!!!"
Zaire added that Ohio State’s loss to Michigan before the College Football Playoff started was more questionable than Notre Dame’s early season loss to Northern Illinois.
"Ok let’s be honest, we got beat by NIU that was embarrassing. But yall got beat by Michigan for the 4th year in a row, at home as a 20+pt favorite, got the flag planted in the middle of yall field and beat up after the game while ya head coach watched….. lmao yall have nothing to tell me about this Ohio state team lmao," he added.
Notre Dame will be looking for its first national championship in the College Football Playoff era, but have to go up against a tough defense and an offense that has the ability to explode for big plays.
The Fighting Irish narrowly defeated Penn State in their semifinal matchup.
Howard has 3,779 passing yards and 33 touchdown passes this season. He transferred to Ohio State from Kansas State.
The former WWE star known as Melina was reportedly "unreachable" amid the devastating wildfires that left a path of destruction in Southern California over the last week.
A Matter of Pride Wrestling and the Cauliflower Alley Club asked their followers about the location of Melina Perez on Saturday.
"We’re deeply concerned as WWE Legend Melina has been unresponsive amidst the troubling events unfolding in Los Angeles," A Matter of Pride Wrestling wrote on X. "If anyone has seen or heard from her, please report her safe. Any information helps."
The Cauliflower Alley Club added, "Reading on X that apparently former WWE superstar Melina has reportedly been unreachable amidst the wildfire oubreak in Los Angeles. If anyone knows her whereabouts or can contact her it would be a great relief to everyone concerned about her safely. Please share, Thank you."
She burst onto the WWE scene when she appeared on "Tough Enough" in 2002 in hopes of earning a roster spot. While she didn’t win the spot, she later was the valet for the MNM tag team of Johnny Nitro and Joey Mercury.
She had a successful singles run as she was the WWE Women’s Champion three times and the WWE Divas Champion twice.
Perez also competed for the National Wrestling Alliance and TNA Wrestling.
She wrestled from 2001 to 2021.
The Los Angeles wildfires have killed more than a dozen people and left thousands of structures and acres of land burned.
Former New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan expressed hope he would get a chance to face off against Mike Vrabel and the New England Patriots during the 2025 season.
Ryan reacted on ESPN to the Patriots’ decision to hire Vrabel as the team’s head coach on Sunday. It came one week after New England fired Jerod Mayo.
"Hopefully, I can kick this guy’s a-- twice a year," he said with a smile.
Ryan had interviewed to be the Jets’ head coach and suggested he was the favorite to land the job. He would replace Robert Saleh, who was fired in the middle of the season, and interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich, who replaced Saleh.
"The reason I think I'm going to get it is because I'm the best guy for it. It ain't close," he said, via ESPN. "The thing you have to do is, you have to connect with your football team, you have to connect with your fan base. The way they play, that's the most important thing. It's not just the Xs and Os and all that."
Aside from showing his confidence, Ryan even offered a pitch – one that took direct aim at quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
"Clearly, when you have a guy that doesn't show up for mandatory minicamp – and, by the way, he's your quarterback, coming off an injury – I think that's an absolutely ridiculous message you send to the team," Ryan said of Rodgers missing mandatory minicamp over the summer for a trip to Egypt.
"If he comes back, things would be different. If he's back, it ain't gonna be the country club, show up whenever the hell you want to show up. That ain't gonna happen. I'll just leave it at that."
Ryan was 46-50 as the Jets’ head coach and was the last to lead the Jets to the playoffs.
Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj contributed to this report.
Tennessee Volunteers men’s basketball coach Rick Barnes didn’t mince words when he revealed why he sat the team’s leading scorer, Chaz Lanier, in Saturday’s win over the Texas Longhorns.
Lanier had 10 points in 34 minutes as No. 1 Tennessee won 74-70 over the Longhorns. He’s averaging 19 points per game. Barnes said he removed Lanier after he didn’t shoot the ball on a play designed for him.
"I took him out the first play of the second half because he didn't shoot the ball," he said, via CBS Sports. "That play is designed for that shot. I told him, 'If you're not going to do what you're getting paid to do, then you're going to sit over here.' Because he is getting paid to do that."
Barnes’ "paid to do" remark raised eyebrows in the name, image and likeness era. No head coach had been as blunt as Barnes was after the win.
Lanier has a $1.7 million NIL valuation, according to On3 Sports.
"I've told Chaz all along, he doesn't have to score the ball for us to win," Barnes added. "He's going to have to help those guys by learning how to screen, gonna have to learn to cut harder, learn to do his work early coming off screens, because he kind of gallops a little bit."
Tennessee is 15-1 on the year and 2-1 against SEC opponents.
NFL fans will be watching closely this offseason what Aaron Rodgers decides to do with the next step in his career – will he pursue another year in the league or call it quits?
Rodgers had a tumultuous two years with the New York Jets, playing only one full season and throwing for 3,897 yards and 28 touchdowns. The team was 5-12 on the year. If he chooses to play again, Rodgers would be 42 years old come next December.
Brett Favre, Rodgers’ predecessor with the Green Bay Packers, told TMZ Sports in a recent interview he thinks there’s still some juice left in the 10-time Pro Bowler.
"I think I'm right in saying that he has a lot of juice left in the tank," he said. ""... I just think he still can play. You saw it this last game. You go, 'Well, where's that been?'
"That's the Aaron Rodgers we know. He's making all the throws, guys are responding to him, love playing with him. Where's that been all year?"
Favre admitted he was "wrong" about how he thought Rodgers would have fared with the Jets.
Mike Vrabel is returning to Foxborough to lead the New England Patriots on the sidelines instead of on the defense.
Vrabel agreed to become the Patriots’ next head coach on Sunday one week after the team fired Jerod Mayo following a win over the Buffalo Bills in Week 18, according to multiple reports. He reportedly agreed to a multi-year contract to lead the team.
Mayo had only one season at the helm in New England after being tapped to replace the legendary Bill Belichick. Now, another former Patriots player is set to lead the charge.
Vrabel had been the favorite to land the job once New England announced Mayo’s dismissal. New England interviewed several candidates, including Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, longtime NFL assistant coach Pep Hamilton and Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich.
Vrabel was the head coach of the Tennessee Titans from 2017 to 2023, leading them to three playoff appearances and an AFC Championship Game in 2019. He was 54-45 with the team before departing the organization after a 6-11 season in 2023.
He spent last season as an assistant with the Cleveland Browns.
As a player, the linebacker was with the Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs. He won three rings with the Patriots while playing for Belichick.
New England will have the No. 4 pick of the NFL Draft after going 4-13 in 2024.
The National Lacrosse League can put together an NHL-style brawl every once in a while and Friday night two players dropped the gloves and threw fists during a game.
Toronto Rock defender Elijah Gash went punch-for-punch with Buffalo Bandits defender Zack Belter in the third quarter. Belter came after Gash following a big hit from the Rock star. It was full tilt after that.
Toronto led at that point, but Buffalo won the game 15-13.
"Great teams find a way to win at the end of the day," Buffalo’s Dhane Smith said, via the team’s website. "We’re a great team, and they’re trying to find out their identity.
"At the end of the day, we need to win games like that, and we were able to do that tonight, so we have to look forward to Philadelphia now."
The Bandits are 4-0 to start the year and the Rock are 0-5.
The Pittsburgh Steelers were eliminated from the playoffs on Saturday night in a loss to the Baltimore Ravens, 28-14.
The Steelers came alive in the third quarter with two Russell Wilson touchdown passes to make the game interesting as Ravens running back Derrick Henry ran all over the Pittsburgh defense. Outside those two touchdowns, the Steelers couldn’t generate any offense.
Baltimore outgained Pittsburgh 464 yards to 280, with each team having nine drives in the game.
George Pickens, the Steelers wide receiver who has been very outspoken about his team’s performances in recent weeks, had one more jab for the offense.
"Yeah, I’ve seen signs of growth, for sure," Pickens said when asked about the offense, via Pro Football Talk. "From past – first year I’ve been here, just way more growth, for sure."
He didn’t elaborate on the comments. He led the team with five catches for 87 yards and caught one of Wilson’s touchdown passes.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin put the blame on his shoulders. The loss made it six straight in the postseason.
"I’m just assessing what transpired tonight," Tomlin said. "As I told you guys earlier in the week, those are my bags, not this collective’s bags. And so my energy is on that group in there and what they were willing to give and the journey that we’ve been on this year, and certainly it came to a disappointing end tonight."
As OutKick reported on Thursday, Vancouver Island University's women's basketball team refused to play against PACWEST conference opponent Columbia Bible College, alleging that the Christian school created an unsafe environment because VIU has a transgender player.
Vancouver Island released a statement saying that its players don't feel safe playing at Columbia Bible College.
"Intimidation, harassment, and discrimination have no place in athletics," the statement read, according to Fox News. "VIU stands in full support of our student-athletes and affirms the right of all athletes to compete in an environment that prioritizes their safety and well-being."
CBC immediately denied the allegations that they created an unsafe environment, and countered by saying that they had put measures in place for additional security for the games against VIU.
The "intimidation, harassment and discrimination" allegations stem from multiple incidents in late October when the two teams first played one another this season.
Vancouver Island transgender player, Harriette Mackenzie, said in an Instagram video that the CBC coach, Taylor Clagett, went on a "tirade" to a VIU staffer complaining about the team having a male on its women's basketball team.
Mackenzie, who leads VIU in points, rebounds and blocks and is the tallest player on the team, further said that CBC players attempted to injure the transgender athlete with purposeful flagrant fouls.
The players from the Christian school released a statement of their own, signed by every player, defending their head coach and denying the accusations made by Mackenzie and VIU.
"Coach Claggett has repeatedly shown respect for all athletes from many backgrounds throughout her career as a youth and college coach. We have the privilege of interacting with Coach Claggett on a daily basis and know that the concerns she has voiced are rooted in a care for the safety of her team," the statement, which was sent to OutKick, said.
"The attack on Coach Claggett’s character, and the character of our team, over the past three months has been based on misinformation and one side of a complicated scenario."
Normally, in this situation, those games would count as forfeit losses for Vancouver Island, the #5 team in the CCAA. However, the PACWEST decided to simply postpone those games for the time being, something that Columbia Bible College said represented a double-standard.
"In the past, when a team has refused to participate and travel to a scheduled game, they have received 0 points in the classification. By postponing the games this weekend, PacWest has contradicted the standard operating procedure. There has been no clear rationale provided to our team to justify this departure from normal procedures," the statement said.
It seems clear that Coach Claggett doesn't believe that biological men, like Mackenzie, should be competing in women's sports. That's the majority opinion of most American citizens, although Canada tends to lean more left than the United States, so perhaps there are fewer citizens who hold that common-sense belief in the neighboring country.
But the picture painted by the CBC players isn't unlike the one often seen in American sports when women stand up for themselves and their sports and demand that biological males compete against other males and not against females. They're faced with harassment and calls of "bigotry" for simply wanting fair competition.
It's unfortunate that the players and the coach have faced "derogatory messages" for their stance, but that's the reality. And, as CBC pointed out, the PACWEST appeared to show favoritism towards VIU, likely because the conference fears backlash from the trans mafia if they don't comply with their demands.
That's how these people often get their way. They use bullying tactics to force opponents into silence. But the players for Columbia Bible College decided not to be quiet. Good for them.
The Baltimore Ravens were built to run, and that's exactly what they did to win their first playoff game of the year.
Baltimore combined for 299 yards on the ground (they were at 300 before the final kneel), with Derrick Henry garnering the majority, in their 28-14 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday.
The Steelers offense was blanked the entire first half, punting on each of their four drives. The Ravens were a different story; the first time they had the ball, they drove 95 yards down the field, and Lamar Jackson found Rashod Bateman for a 15-yard touchdown. In the second quarter, it was another 13-play drive (all runs), and this time, it was Henry punching it in.
Then, with two seconds left until both teams went into the locker room, Jackson evaded pressure and found Justice Hill to make it 21-0 and give the Ravens over 300 yards of offense. The first half differential in the first half was 19-2 in favor of Baltimore.
The Steelers weren’t dead yet, though. Despite being pinned at their own 2-yard line, Russell Wilson dropped three third-down dimes to keep the drive alive, the final one being a 30-yard touchdown to Van Jefferson to get Pittsburgh on the board in the third. However, Baltimore answered right back, as Henry scampered for a 44-yard score.
Wilson, though, threw another touchdown in a bucket, this one to George Pickens, to again make it a two-score game with 3:24 left in the third.
Although the Ravens offense slowed down in the second half, Pittsburgh was unable to do much in the fourth quarter, turning the ball over on downs midway through the quarter in an effort to make it a one-score game, and Pickens' touchdown would wind up being the final score of the game.
In all, it was 186 yards on the ground for Henry on 26 carries, two of which found the end zone. Jackson added 81 rushing yards (while also going 16-for-21 for 175 yards through the air).
Baltimore now awaits their divisional round opponent, but in all likelihood, it will be the Buffalo Bills. With a surprising Buffalo loss to the Denver Broncos, though, they'd face the Houston Texans.
The New England Patriots are in talks to hire Mike Vrabel as the team's next head coach, according to The Boston Globe.
Vrabel is the favorite to get the job after former head coach Jerod Mayo was fired Sunday after just one season.
Vrabel is a member of the Patriots' Hall of Fame for his eight seasons with the team. He won three Super Bowls with Tom Brady and Bill Belichick during his New England career from 2001-08.
Vrabel was 54-45 in six seasons as head coach of the Tennessee Titans from 2018-2023, including three trips to the playoffs and one to the AFC title game.
Vrabel was fired by the Titans after the 2023 season, then spent 2024 in a part-time role as a coaching and personnel consultant with the Cleveland Browns.
Vrabel was projected to be a top head coaching candidate in 2025. He has also interviewed with the Jets and the Bears.
The Patriots have also interviewed Ben Johnson, Byron Leftwich and Pep Hamilton for their head coach opening.
Vrabel was born in Ohio and was an All-American during his standout playing career with the Ohio State Buckeyes in the mid-1990s.
Vrabel ended his pro career with 769 tackles, 57 sacks and 11 interceptions. He received All-Pro honors for his standout 2007 season with the New England Patriots.
The Patriots are 8-26 the past two seasons with Bill Belichick and then Mayo as their head coach.
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert threw four interceptions in his team's 32-12 playoff loss to the Houston Texans Saturday. Herbert threw just three interceptions during the regular season, joining Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers as the only quarterbacks to throw three or fewer in a season.
But Herbert didn't resemble Brady or Rodgers at any point during his calamitous day Saturday. With four interceptions and just 14 completions on 32 attempts, Herbert had, arguably, the worst performance of his career.
It also dropped him to 0-2 in the playoffs. His only other playoff game was the historic collapse against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2022 wild-card round.
Herbert was the target of intense criticism on social media during and after Saturday's game.
The play came after Ladd McConkey scored on an 86-yard reception early in the fourth quarter. Cameron Dicker’s extra point attempt was blocked by Denico Autry.
The ball flew high in the air on the deflection and Dicker tried to knock it down, but it bounced off his hands. Ross grabbed it and returned it for the score that pushed Houston’s lead to 25-12.
The NFL began awarding two points for an extra point returned to the end zone in 2015. Before that, a blocked extra point recovered by the defense was a dead ball.
It was the ninth extra point returned for a score since the rule change, according to Sportradar. It happened once in the 2024 regular season when the Eagles did it against Tampa Bay Sept. 29.
With the loss, the Chargers end their season without a playoff win for the sixth straight season. They haven't won a playoff game since Phillip Rivers' last postseason run with the team in 2018, when they beat the Baltimore Ravens in a wild-card game.
The Texans won a playoff game for the second straight year, led by quarterback C.J. Stroud and head coach DeMeco Ryans.
NFL Hall of Famer Brett Favre made his stance clear on a bill being pushed through Congress that would keep transgender athletes out of women's and girls sports.
Favre posted on X Friday, resharing a Fox News interview with Sage Steele and Riley Gaines crediting Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., for introducing the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act in an effort to keep transgender athletes out of women's sports nationwide.
"Good on those officials trying to fix this. There’s a clear biological difference between men and women," Favre said in his caption of the video.
Tuberville's measure would maintain that Title IX treats gender as "recognized based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth" and does not adjust it to apply to gender identity. It would ban federal funding from athletic programs that allow biological men to participate in women's and girls sports.
This would apply to biological men and boys who identify as transgender and seek to participate in events and leagues for women and girls.
The measure is co-sponsored by 23 Republican senators.
It is not the first time Favre has weighed in on the issue of transgender athletes in women's sports. The former NFL quarterback spoke out against New Zealands's transgender weightlifter, Laurel Hubbard, who became the first transgender woman to qualify for the Olympics in 2021.
Hubbard competed in men's events before coming out as transgender in 2013.
"It's a man competing as a woman," Favre said in an episode of his podcast at the time, which is now discontinued. "That's unfair. It's not fair for a man, even if this person wants to be a woman or feels compelled. If you want to become the opposite sex, that's fine. I got no problem with it. But you can't compete against … males cannot compete against females.
"If I was a true female — I can't believe I'm saying that — and I was competing in weightlifting and lost to this person, I would be beside myself."
In that podcast episode, Favre also spoke out against transgender BMX rider Chelsea Wolfe, who was selected as an alternate to Team USA's BMX freestyle event. Wolfe was accused of talking about burning an American flag on the medal podium in a social media post, Fox News Digital previously reported.
Favre said Wolfe shouldn't be allowed to compete.
"I wouldn't have her participate in my Olympics. Go participate for somebody else," Favre said. "To say that is such a slap in our country's face. I can't believe this person can be allowed to participate for our country.
"She should be banned."
Favre has previously worked with members of the LGBTQ community, including gay former NFL player Esera Tuaolo. Favre appeared on Tuaolo's podcast in 2020 to discuss head trauma from playing football.
However, Favre was also accused by some of showing anti-transgender behavior during the 2015 ESPY Awards. During the show, Caitlyn Jenner took the stage to accept the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, and Favre was seen slowly clapping. The nature of Favre's slow clap drew backlash from some with pro-LGBTQ beliefs on social media.
But polls today show the majority of Americans oppose transgender inclusion in women's sports, which was a key campaign issue for Donald Trump and other Republicans in the recent cycle.
Nearly 70% of Americans say biological men should not be allowed to compete in women's sports, according to a Gallup poll last year.
In June, a survey conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago asked respondents to weigh in on whether transgender athletes of both sexes should be permitted to participate in sports leagues that correspond to their preferred gender identity instead of their biological sex.
Sixty-five percent answered that it should be never or rarely allowed. When those polled were asked specifically about adult transgender female athletes competing in women’s sports, 69% opposed it.
A national exit poll conducted by the Concerned Women for America (CWA) legislative action committee found that 70% of moderate voters saw the issue of "Donald Trump’s opposition to transgender boys and men playing girls and women’s sports and of transgender boys and men using girls and women’s bathrooms," as important to them.
And 6% said it was the most important issue of all, while 44% said it was "very important."
More than 12,000 homes have been destroyed by ferocious fires that have left at least 11 dead.
A flareup of the wildfire on the city's west side resulted in the latest evacuation order, prompting Santa Anita to cancel this weekend's scheduled horse racing event.
The track in Arcadia, near the smoldering Eaton Fire that decimated Altadena, said Friday it planned to go forward with racing Saturday, depending upon air quality conditions.
However, track officials said Saturday racing would be canceled due to new developments with the Palisades Fire.
Air quality standards at the track remain well within the limits set by the California Horse Racing Board and the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, according to track officials. However, organizers were concerned about the growing impact of the fires throughout Los Angeles County.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection confirmed 11% of the Palisades Fire was contained as of Saturday morning, while the Eaton Fire was listed as 15% contained.
The 90-year-old track in Southern California is also being used to support various relief efforts.
A charity drop-off set up at the Rose Bowl was relocated to Santa Anita's south parking lot Friday. Southern California Edison is using the entire north parking lot as its base to restore power to those in affected areas. The track is working with other organizations requesting space.
Morning training will continue as scheduled Saturday and Sunday. The track has its own security staff and does not use local first responders for normal events.
Rescheduled dates for the postponed races are expected to be announced at a later date.
The sports world has felt the impact of the unprecedented wildfires this week. Malibu was one of several areas hit hard by the Palisades fire.
Pepperdine University, which has a main campus on the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, postponed its men's and women's basketball doubleheader Saturday. School officials cited the Palisades Fire and travel conditions in Los Angeles.
However, Pepperdine's Malibu campus remains clear of any immediate threats posed by the fire. But access to campus is restricted to the north side. The Pacific Coast Highway south of campus is closed.
Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount are in communication with the West Coast Conference about rescheduling. Elsewhere, the fourth-ranked USC women's basketball team is scheduled to play a Big Ten Conference game against Penn State Sunday night. Officials are monitoring conditions, a spokesperson confirmed.
Colorado Buffaloes head football coach Deion Sanders addressed his former player Travis Hunter's decision to deactivate social media accounts in response to comments about Hunter's fiancée, Leanna Lenee.
Hunter and Lenee’s Instagram accounts were deactivated Dec. 23, days after Hunter won the Heisman Trophy. During the ceremony, social media discussion about the event included several harsh criticisms of Hunter and Lenee as a couple. Hunter's account has since been reactivated.
Sanders gave his reaction to Hunter's situation in an interview on the "Tamron Hall Show."
"It hurt me that he did," Sanders said of Hunter's deactivation. "What the enemy wants you to do is stop."
Sanders criticized Hunter for neglecting the business side of his decision. As a former college and future pro athlete with an NIL valuation of $5.2 million, according to On3.com, Hunter's social media account activity is likely directly tied to endorsements.
"You have endorsements, you have people that have sponsored you to talk about their product," Sanders said. "We have to activate right now."
Sanders was also critical of Hunter for backing down and suggested his response will make him vulnerable to "attacks."
"When somebody stays still, now you got a chance to attack, and I hate the stillness of that. Keep on moving. Don't let the enemy get you while you're still and you're having a pity party on yourself," Sanders said, adding that's what he told Hunter about the situation.
Hunter addressed the situation during a Twitch live stream, saying his fiancée cried herself to sleep and drank due to the backlash.
Lenee previously posted a video on her TikTok account in an effort to end the negativity Dec. 16.
"I’m tired, emotionally and mentally. I’ve seen people trying to make me out to be a person that I am not," Lenee said in the nearly eight-minute clip.
She also addressed the negativity about her response to Hunter winning the Heisman Trophy.
At least one social media video appeared to show Lenee remaining in her seat moments after Hunter was named the 2024 Heisman recipient. Deion Sanders then appeared to prompt Lenee to stand up. Lenee did eventually briefly embrace Hunter before quickly sitting back down during the audience's standing ovation.
Other video footage appeared to show Lenee remaining seated while Hunter greeted and posed for photos with fans at an event in New York City the day after the Heisman ceremony. Some fans attempted to analyze Lenee's demeanor during her time at the event and even suggested she was irritated.
"When his name was called, I instantly was going to get up. If you watch the video, his mom didn’t get up, so I was like, ‘Oh, maybe I don’t get up, I just sit here,’" she said. "As soon as I seen Travis get up, then I thought it was appropriate to stand up, greet him, congratulate him.
"But then there was a camera right in front of Coach Prime, and I knew they were going to film that moment and, because of how people are online, I was like, ‘I don’t want to be in that shot.’ So, I sat down.
"I got out of the camera, purposefully, so they can have their moment. That’s all it was. No one told me to stand up. No one had to tell me to celebrate with him. I was just sitting there crying. I wanted to take it in. I was super excited for him. But I wanted the moment to be about him and his family."
Hunter's teammate, quarterback Sheduer Sanders, has also addressed the controversy. The Buffaloes quarterback suggested critics should stop weighing in on Hunter's personal life.
"All y'all athletes, entertainers, artist etc. if y'all genuine trying to holla at Trav y'all know how to get in touch with him or someone around," Sanders wrote on X Sunday. "At this point y'all just posting for the algorithm trying to look cool."
Hunter and Lenee's engagement was publicly confirmed earlier this year.
Hunter is projected to be a top selection in the upcoming NFL Draft.
The Raiders fired head coach Antonio Pierce this week after a 4-13 season, his first full season on the job. Two days later, they let general manager Tom Telesco go after his first year.
It's been reported that Tom Brady, who bought a 5% stake in the franchise last year, will have a big say in who becomes the next head coach. And it's no secret Brady and Sanders have a relationship.
The Raiders also need a quarterback, and Sanders' son, Shedeur, is widely regarded as one of the top two QBs in the class. Some mock drafts have him going No. 1 overall to the Tennessee Titans.
But Coach Prime recently said there are teams in the league he would not let Shedeur play for.
The father-son duo joined Brady on his "Let's Go" podcast last year. Sanders also recently said the "only way" he would consider an NFL job is "to coach my sons."
The Pro Football Hall of Famer joined Colorado ahead of the 2023 season after spending three seasons at Jackson State. Several Jackson State players followed Sanders to Boulder, including his sons and eventual Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, who could be a top five pick in April.
The Raiders have interviewed Aaron Glenn, Ben Johnson and Steve Spagnuolo for their open head coaching job, and they're scheduled to speak with Pete Carroll and Robert Saleh next week.
The Minnesota Vikings are tied for the second-best record in the NFC this year, but their first playoff game will be on the road.
That's because the one team ahead of them is the 15-2 Detroit Lions, who won the NFC North with a victory over Minnesota in Week 18.
The Lions earned a top seed and a bye, while the Vikings head to Arizona to face the Los Angeles Rams. The game was originally scheduled for LA, but it was moved due to wildfires.
It's not the first oddity in the NFL playoffs. In the past, seven-win teams have hosted wild-card round games.
However, that could change soon.
According to CBS Sports, the NFL will take another look this offseason at changing its playoff format.
Jonathan Jones of CBS said one proposal is to give the top four teams based on winning percentage home games, instead of automatically giving them to division winners.
If that system were in place this year, it would mean the Lions, Vikings, Eagles and Commanders would host games on the NFC side. For the AFC, it would be the Chiefs, Bills, Ravens and Chargers.
The Commanders and Chargers are on the road this weekend against the Buccaneers and Texans, respectively, because the latter two teams won the NFC and AFC South divisions.
Jones later added, though, that team owners have not shown "much of an appetite" to change the format.
Ahead of winning the division, Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown suggested change.
"Obviously, if you win the division, you should obviously make a playoff spot, but having a 14-win team having to go on the road is kind of crazy. But I guess I don't make the rules," he said at the time.
The last time the playoff format was changed was ahead of the 2020 season, when it was expanded from 12 to 14 teams. That resulted in just one team in each conference receiving a first-round bye as opposed to two. It also led to six wild-card round games, instead of four.
Jack Sawyer became an Ohio State legend Friday night with his scoop and score at the expense of his former roommate.
On 4th and goal, Sawyer evaded blockers and forced a Quinn Ewers fumble, which Sawyer picked up and took 82 yards to the end zone to help the Buckeyes to a 28-14 win over Texas and a spot in the national championship.
When Ewers spent his lone season in Columbus before transferring to Texas, Sawyer was his roommate.
So, Ewers couldn't help but jab Sawyer when they spoke on the field.
"He was walking off, he said ‘screw you’ and started laughing," Sawyer told ESPN.
"That's my boy. Obviously, we were roommates when he was here. Got a lot of respect for him and the rest of the Texas team."
The Longhorns had a chance to tie the game, but a nightmare ensued. After getting stuffed on first down at the goal line, Quintrevion Wisner lost seven yards on a second-down toss, putting Texas in trouble. A third down pass fell incomplete. And Sawyer's scoop and score happened on fourth down.
Hoping for a miracle, Ewers threw a pick on the next drive, and, just like that, it was all over.
Before the game, Ewers implied he expected to be playing in the NFL next season. So, it will be interesting to see if his plans change.
Now, the eighth-seeded Buckeyes will face No. 7 Notre Dame Jan. 20 in the national championship. Despite Ohio State's lower seed, sportsbooks have the Buckeyes as a favorite by over a touchdown.
