October 21, 2026 4:23 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Marquez Valdes-Scantling is back with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The team has signed the veteran wide receiver to the practice squad after a spate of injuries at the position. Valdes-Scantling, 32, spent part of the 2025 season with Pittsburgh, catching 10 passes for 80 yards and a touchdown in five games. Pittsburgh needs help at wide receiver after Michael Pittman Jr. and Roman Wilson were placed on injured reserve. The Steelers are Valdes-Scantling’s third team in less than two months. He was released by Dallas in late August and then signed with the Los Angeles Chargers in September before being let go last week.
October 21, 2026 4:25 am
NEW YORK (AP) — The NFL says security will be heightened for the game in Paris between the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints on Sunday after protests engulfed the French capital last weekend. Executive VP of club business, international and league events Peter O’Reilly says the league’s security team has been on the ground and that officials are working closely with Parisian police. O’Reilly says there was never a point that the game was in danger of not being played at Stade de France.
October 20, 2026 4:33 am
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Clayton Keller, Kevin Stenlund, Nate Schmidt and Nick Schmaltz all tallied a goal and an assist to help the Utah Mammoth beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-4 on Monday night. Kailer Yamamoto added a goal, and Sebastian Cossa had 15 stops for Utah. Erik Karlsson, Richard Rakell, Egor Chinakhov, and Declan Carlile each scored for Pittsburgh. Bryan Rust assisted on two goals. Arturs Silovs tallied 24 saves. Karlsson’s deflected power-play goal put the Penguins on the board just 71 seconds into the game. Utah surged back in front with a pair of goals late in the second. Schmidt reclaimed the lead with 8:16 to go, blasting a slapshot home from near the blue line. Yamamoto tipped in the puck from the low slot with 5:20 left to extend the lead. The Penguins have now lost four games in a row.
October 20, 2026 4:25 am
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Yandy Díaz’s bat backed up his boast, and the Tampa Bay Rays are headed to the World Series again. Díaz and Junior Caminero each hit a two-run homer, Freddy Peralta pitched 5 1/3 gritty innings and the Rays beat the Cleveland Guardians 7-3 in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series to win their third pennant in 29 seasons as a major league franchise. The Rays will face the Milwaukee Brewers in the first matchup in which both teams are seeking their first World Series title since 1980, when the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Kansas City Royals. Game 1 is Friday night in Milwaukee. The loss extended Cleveland’s World Series championship drought to 78 years.
October 20, 2026 4:26 am
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Brock Purdy threw a touchdown pass, Christian McCaffrey ran for two scores and the San Francisco 49ers held on to beat the Washington Commanders 23-17 for their sixth straight win to open the season. The Niners built a 20-point lead and held off the Commanders with two late defensive stops. Jayden Daniels threw two touchdown passes in the second half to cut a 20-point deficit to 23-17, but Malik Mustapha broke up a fourth-down pass to Treylon Burks near the goal line with 1:54 to play to preserve the lead. Washington got the ball back but Daniels was sacked on the final play.
October 20, 2026 4:28 am
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is expected to miss the rest of the season because of blood clots in his lungs, according to a person familiar with the situation. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Monday because of the sensitivity of the health matter. The Eagles placed Hurts on injured reserve Saturday after revealing he has a blood clot in his calf. On Monday, the team and Hurts’ agent provided more details. Hurts has deep vein thrombosis and a bilateral pulmonary emboli, meaning a clot has traveled from his legs to his lungs. His treatment involves blood thinners, and he cannot participate in football activities until he’s off them.
October 20, 2026 4:29 am
Florida starts the men’s college basketball season ranked No. 1 in the preseason AP Top 25. Coach Todd Golden says the ranking is expected, as the team aims for another national championship. Duke and Illinois are next while UConn and Arizona round out the top five. Michigan State, Texas, Tennessee, Virginia and Houston finish out the top 10,
October 19, 2026 3:47 pm
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is expected to miss the rest of the season because of blood clots in his lungs, according to a person familiar with the situation. The person spoke to The Associated Press on Monday on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of a health matter. The team placed Hurts on injured reserve Saturday after revealing he has a blood clot in his calf. On Monday, the Eagles and Hurts’ agent provided more details. Hurts has deep vein thrombosis and a bilateral pulmonary emboli, meaning a clot has traveled from his legs to his lungs. His treatment involves blood thinners, and he cannot participate in football activities until he’s off them.
October 19, 2026 4:27 am
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers threw for 253 yards and two touchdowns to rally the Pittsburgh Steelers from a 13-point, fourth-quarter deficit to a 26-19 overtime victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Rodgers shrugged off a slow start to lead four fourth-quarter scoring drives, then finished off a 12-play, 70-yard march with a 7-yard TD throw to Germie Bernard to give Pittsburgh the lead for good with 3:15 remaining in OT. Rookie Jalon Daniels drove the Bucs to midfield on the ensuing possession, but Jalen Ramsey sacked the undrafted free agent on fourth down for an 11-yard loss to end the game. Pittsburgh improved to 4-2. Tampa Bay fell to 1-5.
October 19, 2026 4:28 am
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike McCarthy was able to laugh off an injury after spending halftime of the win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the medical tent after his foot was stepped on. The team’s medical staff and overcoming a 13-point, second-half deficit to win 26-19 in overtime Sunday made him feel a lot better. McCarthy limped across the field toward the visiting locker room at Raymond James Stadium before turning and walking slowly to the tent behind Pittsburgh’s bench. He returned to the sideline for the second half with the Steelers trailing 13-3. McCarthy joked he doesn’t recommend spending time in the tent because it’s hot.
