September 11, 2026 4:29 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Mike McCarthy and Kevin Stefanski are starting new chapters with their teams as the 2026 season opens. McCarthy, now head coach of the Steelers, returns to his hometown of Pittsburgh. He faces high expectations, especially after replacing Mike Tomlin. The Steelers made subtle changes, keeping quarterback Aaron Rodgers for a final season. McCarthy knows he needs quick wins to satisfy fans. Meanwhile, Stefanski takes over the Falcons after a largely successful stint in Cleveland. Stefanski is aiming to build a foundation for future success.
September 11, 2026 4:30 am
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Mike Evans, Demarcus Robinson and Deebo Samuel caught touchdown passes from Brock Purdy, and the San Francisco 49ers routed the Los Angeles Rams 27-7 in the first NFL regular-season game in Australia. Purdy passed for 205 yards against the Rams’ ineffective defense at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in front of 100,021 fans. That’s the seventh-largest regular season crowd in NFL history. The San Francisco defense frustrated NFL MVP Matthew Stafford into a 15-for-25 performance for just 155 yards. Kyren Williams scored the NFL’s first Australian touchdown on a 5-yard rush to begin the second quarter. but the Rams’ offense struggled from there.
September 11, 2026 4:32 am
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — No. 7 Miami set a school record for yards and tied the mark for points in a game, with quarterbacks Darian Mensah and Luke Nickel each throwing three touchdown passes in a 77-7 win over lower-division Florida A&M on Thursday night. The Hurricanes finished with 856 yards, breaking the mark of 750 against Ball State in 2024. Miami had 77 points in a game twice previously, both against Savannah State. And the game was so one-sided that the teams agreed to shave five minutes off the fourth quarter, setting the clock for 10 minutes instead of the standard 15. By then, it was 77-0.
September 10, 2026 4:23 am
CHICAGO (AP) — Rookie Esmerlyn Valdez hit a solo shot, rookie Konnor Griffin singled in two runs in Pittsburgh’s three-run seventh inning and the Pirates held on to beat the Chicago White Sox 4-2 for their third straight victory. Rafael Flores Jr. added an RBI single to help the Pirates win for the eighth time in 10 games to climb back to .500. Pittsburgh used eight pitchers to hand the White Sox a second straight loss and their seventh in their last 10. AL Central-leading Chicago (75-70) maintained a two-game lead over Cleveland, which lost at Baltimore.
September 10, 2026 4:26 am
SEATTLE (AP) — Backup quarterback Drew Lock led two late scoring drives and the Seattle Seahawks intercepted Drake Maye three times in the fourth quarter to overcome an early injury to starter Sam Darnold and beat the New England Patriots 13-10 in a Super Bowl rematch. The Seahawks were held to just a field goal through three quarters as Lock and the offense struggled to move the ball after Darnold injured his hip on the opening drive. But the costly interceptions by last season’s MVP runner-up turned the tide and made sure that the banner-raising night would end in happy fashion for the boisterous home crowd.
September 10, 2026 2:12 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Cameron Heyward is criticizing the franchise tag, calling it “stupid.” The Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle believes it unfairly restricts players. His comments come as the Steelers and cornerback Joey Porter Jr. approach a contract deadline. Porter is in the final year of his rookie deal, and the team has a policy against negotiating once the season starts. The franchise tag allows teams to keep players for an extra year at the average salary of the top five players at their position. Heyward argues the tag hinders player freedom and is used as a negotiation tool.
September 10, 2026 4:29 am
Barry Melrose, a hockey player-turned-coach who led the Los Angeles Kings to the 1993 Stanley Cup Final before going on to a long career in broadcasting the sport, has died. He was 70. ESPN announced Melrose’s death Wednesday after his wife informed the network. Melrose stepped away from the role in 2023 after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. From Kelvington, Saskatchewan, the hard-nosed defenseman played over 300 games in the NHL after nearly 200 in the World Hockey Association.
September 9, 2026 4:18 am
CHICAGO (AP) — Bubba Chandler pitched six strong innings, Rafael Flores Jr. homered among his three hits and the Pittsburgh Pirates pounded the Chicago White Sox 9-3. Bryan Reynolds had two of Pittsburgh’s five doubles off starter Sean Burke. Reynolds drove in two runs and scored twice as the Pirates jumped out to a 7-0 lead after two innings and rolled to their seventh victory in nine games behind an 18-hit outburst. Oneil Cruz had three hits and two RBIs and Spencer Horwitz drove in three runs to help deal the White Sox a fourth loss in six games that trimmed their AL Central lead over Cleveland to two games. Every starter had at least one hit for Pittsburgh, and seven had two or more.
September 9, 2026 4:19 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Steelers rookie offensive tackle Max Iheanachor had his home recently burglarized, according to multiple reports. Reports said that at least $150,000 in merchandise was stolen on Aug. 26, the day before the Steelers visited Buffalo for a preseason game. The Steelers took Iheanachor out of Arizona State with the 21st selection in this year’s NFL draft. An undisclosed injury caused him to miss a big chunk of training camp. Iheanachor is listed second at right tackle on the Steelers’ depth chart for their season opener Sunday against Atlanta.
September 9, 2026 4:21 am
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have agreed on a $165 million, three-year contract extension, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Tuesday because the team hasn’t announced the contract extension. Mayfield revived his career in Tampa Bay after replacing Tom Brady in 2023. He was entering the final season of his three-year, $100 million deal. Mayfield was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft by Cleveland. He made the Pro Bowl in each of his first two seasons in Tampa while leading the Bucs to consecutive NFC South titles.
