September 17, 2026 4:19 am
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — The New England Patriots’ wide receivers are moving forward without A.J. Brown. The star free-agent acquisition suffered a high ankle sprain in New England’s season opener. Brown will miss at least the next four games. Coach Mike Vrabel says the Patriots’ game plans won’t change too much in Brown’s absence. But he says guys will move around to different positions. Romeo Doubs will be asked to fill some of the void left by Brown. Doubs had a rough debut with a key drop in the Patriots’ loss to the Seahawks.
September 17, 2026 4:21 am
WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — The Winnipeg Jets suspended goaltender Connor Hellebuyck on Wednesday night for failing to report to training camp. The team said general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff would address the media Thursday morning. It did not specify the length of the suspension for the U.S. Olympic star. Hellebuyck, a three-time Vezina Trophy winner and 2025 Hart Trophy winner as NHL MVP, publicly requested a trade from the team on Aug. 27. In a statement posted on X by his agent, Ray Petkau, Hellebuyck said he had privately requested a trade “several months ago” and that he gave the organization time to address it “queitly and respectfully.”
September 16, 2026 4:21 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Jacob Misiorowski struck out seven in five shutout innings and the Milwaukee Brewers won their their fourth straight National League Central title with a 5-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. About 50 minutes after the final out, the Brewers clinched the division when the second-place Chicago Cubs lost to Atlanta. Milwaukee players watched the end of that game on television, raising hands and cheering at the final out. The flamethrowing Misiorowski (15-5) dropped his ERA to major league-best 1.89 and boosted his season strikeout total to 243.
September 16, 2026 4:23 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Legislation to broadly regulate college sports has cleared a first major hurdle in the Senate. The Senate voted Tuesday to consider the bill, a significant step forward as senators from both parties have made the legislation a priority. The bill aims to put guardrails around escalating spending in college sports as the industry struggles to adapt to a new model in which schools can pay players. Major conferences, Senate leadership and President Donald Trump have backed the bipartisan bill. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz of Texas said the bill aims to quell “the chaos we have in college sports.”
September 16, 2026 4:25 am
NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. delivered record ratings for the women’s FIBA World Cup on TNT, with an average of 1.2 million people watching the Americans beat France in the gold medal game. It was the third most-watched women’s World Cup game and it peaked at 1.5 million viewers. The top two also came from this year’s tournament, which ended Sunday. The title game went up against the opening weekend of the NFL season and the U.S. Open men’s final. The WNBA has drawn huge ratings this season, thanks in no small part to Caitlin Clark’s star power.
September 15, 2026 4:20 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Mike McCarthy’s first win as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers came against the backdrop of cornerback Joey Porter’s absence. McCarthy opted to make Porter inactive for a season-opening victory over Atlanta, citing a back issue that forced Porter to miss a chunk of training camp. The decision came as a deadline for Porter to sign a long-term deal to remain in Pittsburgh came and went without an agreement. McCarthy said he is hopeful Porter will take a step forward in practice this week. The Steelers will take a step up in class in Week 2 when they visit defending AFC champion New England.
September 15, 2026 4:24 am
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kenneth Walker III ran for 173 yards and scored two touchdowns in his Chiefs debut, and Kansas City exacted some revenge on the Denver Broncos for stealing their AFC West crown with a 31-10 victory. Walker stole some of the spotlight from Patrick Mahomes and his surgically repaired left knee. Mahomes didn’t appear to be affected by the knee, or the brace he wore on it. He threw for 184 yards and two scores while running for another to help the Chiefs snap a three-game skid against the rival that ended their nine-year run as division champs.
September 15, 2026 4:25 am
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Aaron Judge hit his first home run since May 24 as the New York Yankees clinched their record 61st postseason berth and ninth in 10 years. Spencer Jones was batting with two outs in the eighth inning of an 8-3 win against Minnesota when Toronto lost to Detroit, assuring the Yankees of at least an AL wild card berth Judge, who returned last week after missing more than three months because of a fractured rib, hit a three-run homer off A.J. Minter earlier in the six-run eighth to give the Yankees a 7-2 lead. The Yankees captain had been 3 for 20 with 11 strikeouts since returning.
September 14, 2026 4:30 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — T.J. Watt intercepted returned an interception of Cooper Rush 35 yards for a touchdown to help the Pittsburgh Steelers secure a 20-13 win over Atlanta. Pittsburgh began the Mike McCarthy era with a sluggish performance, particularly on offense. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers passed for 221 yards and a touchdown in the first game of his 22nd season and his reunion with McCarthy. Bijan Robinson accounted for 173 of Atlanta’s 238 total yards. Rush was filling in for the injured Tua Tagovailoa. He threw for a touchdown and a pair of interceptions that Pittsburgh turned into scores.
September 14, 2026 4:31 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Joey Porter Jr. isn’t getting a new contract before the season starts. The Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback also isn’t playing in the opener against Atlanta. The team made Porter inactive 90 minutes before kickoff. Porter is entering the final season of his rookie contract signed in 2023. The Steelers have re-signed other players from his draft class, but not Porter. He tweaked his back during a mobility test in July and spent most of the preseason on the physically unable to perform list. The team has a tradition of not negotiating during the season, so talks will resume in mid-January.
