INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Brock Purdy threw a career-high five touchdown passes and Dee Winters returned an interception 74 yards for a score to lead the San Francisco 49ers to a 48-27 victory at Indianapolis. Purdy was 25 of 34 for 295 yards with one interception and Christian McCaffrey had 146 total yards and two scores. The 49ers won their fifth straight game to stay in the chase for the NFC’s top seed one day after clinching a playoff spot by virtue of Detroit’s loss to Pittsburgh. But 44-year-old Philip Rivers sure didn’t make it easy on San Francisco in his second game back after a five-year layoff. He was 23 of 35 for 277 yards and two TDs before throwing the late interception that sealed it. Indy's playoff hopes continued to fade with its fifth straight loss.
The Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars and Los Angeles Chargers have qualified for the AFC playoffs with the Indianapolis Colts’ 48-27 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. A fifth consecutive loss by the Colts clinched a seventh straight postseason trip for Josh Allen and the Bills. Justin Herbert and the Chargers are going for the second time in two seasons under coach Jim Harbaugh. Trevor Lawrence is set for his second playoff appearance in five seasons with the AFC South-leading Jaguars. All three teams were in position to advance after winning on the road Sunday.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have announced they will leave their longtime home at Arrowhead Stadium for a new, domed stadium that will be built across the Kansas-Missouri state line and be ready for the start of the 2031 season. The announcement Monday came shortly after a council of top Kansas lawmakers voted unanimously inside a packed room at the state Capitol to allow for STAR bonds to be issued to cover up to 70% of the cost of the stadium and accompanying mixed-use district. The Chiefs have played at Arrowhead in Kansas City, Missouri, since 1972.
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The NFL has suspended Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf for two games following an altercation with a fan during the team’s victory over Detroit. Metcalf will miss Sunday’s game in Cleveland and the regular-season finale against Baltimore. CBS-TV cameras captured the confrontation between Metcalf and a fan during the second quarter of Pittsburgh’s 29-24 win over Detroit. The fan leaned over the railing and exchanged words with Metcalf before Metcalf ended the confrontation by swinging his right arm in the vicinity of the fan’s face. It’s unclear how much contact Metcalf’s arm made with the fan.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Warriors forward Draymond Green had a heated exchange with coach Steve Kerr in the huddle during a third-quarter timeout and then went to the locker room on his own to cool down. Kerr said even once Green returned to the bench for the finish of Golden State’s 120-97 win against the Orlando Magic he wasn’t going to play again after what happened. Neither expects any ill will to linger, but Green acknowledged some frustration with the team's 15-15 record.
Maybe the Jacksonville Jaguars and coach Liam Coen will get the credit they deserve now. Trevor Lawrence and the Jags went to Denver and scored 34 points against one of the NFL’s best defenses, extending their winning streak to six games with a 14-point victory on Sunday that gave the Broncos their first loss since Week 3. This was an impressive, convincing win for an underrated team that’s been overlooked throughout the season. The Broncos (12-3) and Patriots (12-3) deserved recognition for double-digit winning streaks. The Colts (8-6) were the talk of the AFC the first two months during a 7-1 start.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Zion Williamson scored 24 points, including 10 straight in a decisive two-minute span of the fourth quarter, to power the New Orleans Pelicans to a 119-113 victory over the Dallas Mavericks, extending the Pelicans’ season-long winning streak to five games. The Pelicans, who started the season 3-22, have posted their longest winning streak since 2022. Derik Queen had 19 points and 11 rebounds for the Pelicans, and Saddiq Bey added 19 points and seven rebounds.
NEW YORK (AP) — Sports were turned upside down 50 years ago Tuesday by a man who never threw or kicked a ball. A lawyer with expertise in labor relations struck down Major League Baseball’s reserve clause, which had bound players to their teams since the 1870s. No one could have predicted then that the 65-page decision issued Dec. 23, 1975 by arbitrator Peter Seitz would lead to an upheaval that made thousands of players multimillionaires. Seitz was immediately fired by MLB and later compared baseball owners to “the French barons of the 12th century."
Notre Dame and Southern California's iconic college football rivalry is on hold. The Fighting Irish announced Monday they filled their last 2026 open date with a game against BYU. This decision leaves the USC game off the schedule for now. Notre Dame and USC officials say they recognize the rivalry's importance and are working to bring it back. The series began in 1926 and has been paused before, including during World War II and the 2020 pandemic. Negotiations have become more challenging since USC joined the Big Ten, but both schools express a desire to continue the tradition.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have announced plans to move from Arrowhead Stadium in Missouri to a new domed stadium in Kansas. This decision follows Kansas lawmakers approving a bond package to cover up to 70% of the new stadium's costs. Missouri lawmakers had tried to keep the Chiefs with their own funding package but were outbid. The move marks the second time in a decade that Missouri has lost an NFL team. The Chiefs' relocation has sparked mixed reactions among fans, with concerns about ticket prices and the legacy of Arrowhead Stadium. It is also a big blow to Missouri lawmakers and Gov. Mike Kehoe.
Finals
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final Tampa Bay 4 St. Louis 1
Final Philadelphia 5 Vancouver 2
Final Columbus 3 Los Angeles 1
Final Seattle 3 Anaheim 1
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Final San Francisco 48 Indianapolis 27
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final (1)Arizona 107 Bethune-Cookman 71
Final (10)BYU 109 Eastern Washington 81
Final (12)North Carolina 99 East Carolina 51
Final (17)Kansas 90 Davidson 61
Final (20)Illinois 91 Missouri 48
Final (21)Virginia 95 American 51
Final (23)Georgia 103 West Georgia 74