LOS ANGELES (AP) — The NFL has moved the Rams’ wild-card playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings to Arizona after days of devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area. The game will be played Monday night at State Farm Stadium, the home of the Arizona Cardinals, in suburban Glendale. The league announced the decision Thursday, a few hours after yet another fire broke out in an area several miles from the Rams’ training complex in the Woodland Hills neighborhood. The Rams canceled the post-practice media availability for their players to allow everyone to get home quickly. In a brief statement, the league said the decision was made “in the interest of public safety.”
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Georgia quarterback Carson Beck appears to be rethinking his plans for 2025, less than two weeks after announcing he would enter the NFL draft. Beck, who has one year of eligibility remaining, has entered the transfer portal and plans to complete his college career at another school, On3 and ESPN reported Thursday. Beck suffered a right elbow injury in the first half of the Bulldogs’ 22-19 overtime win over Texas in the Southeastern Conference championship game on Dec. 7 in Atlanta. He had surgery on Dec. 23 to repair his ulnar collateral ligament in the elbow and is expected to begin throwing in the spring. Beck announced his intent to enter the NFL draft on Dec. 28 but the surgery could lower the fifth-year senior’s ranking among other quarterbacks. Before the season, Beck was rated as one of the top quarterbacks in the 2025 draft and was considered a possible first-round pick.
NEW YORK (AP) — Cleveland, Jacksonville and the New York Jets each will play a home game in London in 2025. The NFL announced the host teams Friday. Their opponents will be revealed, along with dates and kickoff times, when the full 2025 schedule is released this spring. The Browns and the Jets will play at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this fall. Cleveland is 0-1 in London, having lost to Minnesota in 2017. The Jets, who are searching for a new general manager and head coach, are 1-2 in London including a loss to the Vikings this season. The Jaguars, meanwhile, will return to Wembley Stadium as part of a multiyear agreement to play one home game annually across the pond. Jacksonville is 7-6 in London, including playing consecutive games — one as the home team and another as the visiting team — in each of the last two seasons.
NEW YORK (AP) — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Toronto Blue Jays avoided a salary arbitration hearing when the first baseman agreed Thursday to a $28.5 million, one-year contract on the day players and teams exchanged proposed figures. Houston left-hander Framber Valdez also was among 148 players reaching deals, getting an $18 million, one-year contract. Chicago Cubs outfielder Kyle Tucker asked for the highest amount among 17 players who swapped figures at $17.5 million. He was offered $15 million. Washington first baseman Nathaniel Lowe asked for $11.1 million and was offered $10.3 million, and San Diego right-hander Michael King requested $8.8 million and was offered $7,325,000. Guerrero and Valdez can become free agents after the World Series. Guerrero, a son of Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero, won a $19.9 million salary last year in a record high for an arbitration decision when a panel picked his figure rather than the Blue Jays’ $18.05 million offer.
THURSDAY SCORES
NCAA MEN TOP 25
No. 15 Oregon 73, Ohio State 71
No. 16 Michigan State 88, Washington 54
No. 20 Purdue 68, Rutgers 50