Month: November 2025

Micah Parsons delivered another dominant Thanksgiving performance, leading the Green Bay Packers’ to a 31–24 win over the Detroit Lions to complete a season sweep of their division rival. The All-Pro pass-rusher overwhelmed Detroit’s offense throughout the game, turning in one of the most impactful games of his career while also making NFL history.

Parsons finished with 2.5 sacks, multiple tackles for loss, four quarterback hits and constant pressure on Jared Goff, factoring into all three of Detroit’s sacks. He also piled up eight tackles and, according to Next Gen Stats, generated 10 total pressures on just 26 pass-rush snaps—good for a 38.5% pressure rate, his highest in a game since his rookie year. Four of those pressures came on six third-down rushes, including two sacks.

The 26-year-old’s production wasn’t just timely—it was historic. Parsons became the first NFL player ever to reach at least 12 sacks in each of his first five seasons. He entered the holiday matchup with 10, ended the day with 12.5, and now trails only Brian Burns by a half-sack for second-most in the league. His career Thanksgiving résumé is equally staggering: 8.5 sacks, 18 quarterback hits and 41 pressures across five holiday appearances, with at least one sack in every Thanksgiving game he’s played.

Several of Parsons’ biggest moments against Detroit swung key possessions. A quarterback hit on the Lions’ opening series helped force an early punt. He later dropped Goff for a drive-killing third-and-15 sack, stuffed a fourth-and-3 run to halt Detroit’s first second-half possession, stopped Jahmyr Gibbs for no gain on a critical third down, and capped his day with a late fourth-quarter sack that forced the Lions to settle for a field goal.

Thursday also marked Parsons’ 12th game as a Packer after Green Bay paid a steep offseason price—two future first-round picks and Kenny Clark—to acquire him from Dallas. Through 12 games, he has 34 tackles, nine tackles for loss and 20 quarterback hits to go with his 12.5 sacks.

His latest performance added another milestone: as noted by NFL+, Parsons has climbed into the top five for most sacks in a player’s first five seasons since the stat became official in 1982. His 65 career sacks allowed him to surpass Dexter Manley and DeMarcus Ware, joining elite company that includes two Hall of Famers and the Watt brothers.

The Packers, now 8–3–1 after three straight wins—including two against NFC North opponents in a five-day span—return home next to host the Chicago Bears on Dec. 7. Detroit fell to 7–5 with the loss.

Editoral credit: D’Avril Grant / Shutterstock.com

Quarterback Dak Prescott powered the Dallas Cowboys to a narrow 31–28 Thanksgiving victory over the Kansas City Chiefs at AT&T Stadium, extending Dallas’ win streak to three and nudging the team back into the NFC playoff picture at 6-5-1. The Chiefs, now 6-6, slipped back to .500 in another frustrating outing marked by penalties and missed opportunities.

Both teams entered the day sitting 10th in their respective conferences. The win keeps Dallas squarely in the race, while the Chiefs now face a steep climb with tiebreakers working against them. Prescott delivered a sharp, composed performance, throwing for more than 320 yards and two touchdowns while overcoming an early interception. His top targets — CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens — repeatedly exploited a depleted Kansas City secondary. Lamb hauled in seven passes for 112 yards and a score, while Pickens produced several key catches, including a 39-yard catch-and-run and the crucial grab on a late third-down conversion to seal the win.

The Chiefs jumped out quickly with 14 early points, but Dallas settled in as Malik Davis broke free for a 43-yard touchdown run to give the Cowboys their first lead before halftime. Kansas City struggled to regain rhythm until the late stages, with Patrick Mahomes pressured throughout the afternoon — sacked three times and often forced off-platform. Still, he found ways to keep the game close, throwing four touchdown passes, including fourth-down strikes to Travis Kelce and Rashee Rice. Rice finished with eight receptions for 92 yards.

Kansas City surged late, closing a 10-point gap when Mahomes escaped a near sack and located Xavier Worthy deep for 42 yards, setting up a touchdown to Hollywood Brown with 3:27 remaining. But Dallas controlled the ball from there, aided by two Chiefs pass-interference penalties, before Prescott hit Pickens for the decisive first down at the two-minute warning.

Penalties also proved costly for Kansas City — 10 flags for 119 yards, including multiple pass-interference calls that extended Dallas drives. “Bottom line is we’re having too many penalties,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “We’re going to clean it up.”  KC also absorbed several injuries along the offensive line — already missing RG Trey Smith, the Chiefs lost RT Jawaan Taylor (elbow) and rookie LT Josh Simmons (wrist). Safety Bryan Cook exited with an ankle injury. Dallas played without CB Caelen Carson and later lost CB DaRon Bland to a foot injury.

Dallas’ ground game contributed just enough, with lead back Javonte Williams adding a short receiving touchdown early in the fourth quarter before Pickens converted the 2-point try to put the Cowboys ahead 28–21.

Next up, the Chiefs will host Houston in a prime time matchup on Dec. 7; while the Cowboys head to Detroit for another Thursday night game.

Editoral credit: Debby Wong / Shutterstock.com

The Boston Red Sox announced on Tuesday that they have finalized a deal to acquire veteran right-hander Sonny Gray from the St. Louis Cardinals.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan posted: “The Boston Red Sox are acquiring right-hander Sonny Gray in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals, sources tell ESPN. Red Sox get the veteran who said he would waive his no-trade clause to leave. First on the news was @JonHeyman”

Per The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal: “Source confirms: Sonny Gray traded from Cardinals to Red Sox. Contract being reworked to one-year plus mutual option. 2026 salary will be $31M, mutual option buyout of $10M. Gray essentially getting $41M for one year.”

Multiple outlets reported Tuesday that Boston is sending pitching prospects Richard Fitts and Brandon Clarke to St. Louis, while the Cardinals will cover $20 million of Gray’s remaining salary. The trade also required a contract adjustment: Gray will now earn $31 million for 2026, followed by a 2027 mutual option worth $30 million with a $10 million buyout. He had previously been lined up for $35 million in 2026 with a $30 million team option for 2027. Gray waived his no-trade clause to complete the move.

Gray, 36, posted a 14–8 record and a 4.28 ERA across 32 starts last season, striking out 201 batters after surpassing 200 strikeouts the previous year as well. A three-time All-Star and runner-up for the 2023 AL Cy Young Award, he logged a 13-year résumé with a 125–102 record and 3.58 ERA through more than 330 career starts spanning stints with Oakland, the Yankees, Cincinnati, Minnesota and St. Louis. His 14 wins last season tied a personal best.

Fitts, 25, made his MLB debut in Boston last season, going 2–4 with a 5.00 ERA in 10 starts after previously being acquired from the Yankees. Clarke, 22, a 2024 fifth-round pick, showed high-end velocity — occasionally touching 100 mph — and struck out 60 in 38 innings in Class A, though he also issued 27 walks while posting a 4.03 ERA. Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom said of the incoming pitchers, “[Fitts] has already begun his big league career, and with his power stuff and willingness to attack the strike zone, he has the ability to start games at the highest level for many years,” adding that both prospects could become long-term contributors.

Boston reached the postseason in 2025 for the first time since 2021 before being eliminated by the Yankees in the Wild Card Series. St. Louis, meanwhile, is coming off a 78–84 season and has now missed the playoffs three straight years.

Editorial credit: Debby Wong / Shutterstock.com

The Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026 race tightened Tuesday as five first-time eligible players — Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Frank Gore, Philip Rivers and Jason Witten — advanced to the modern-era semifinalist stage. They join 21 returning candidates to form a field of 26 players still in contention for enshrinement.

The reduction follows an initial pool of 128 modern-era nominees that was cut to 52 in October, and then pared down again this week. The list will be narrowed to 15 finalists later this year before the final voting round held ahead of Super Bowl LX. As in each cycle, selectors will ultimately elect between three and five modern-era players, with candidates needing 80 percent support from voters to be chosen. According to Hall guidelines, “Those who receive at least 80% favorable votes will be elected, with a maximum of five and no fewer than three. (Should fewer than three Finalists receive 80% favorable voting, the Finalist(s) closest to that figure would be elected.)”

Brees and Fitzgerald headline the newcomers:

• Brees — second only to Tom Brady in career yardage, completions, attempts and touchdown passes — spent 20 seasons in the NFL, revitalizing New Orleans after joining the Saints in 2006 and delivering the franchise’s first Super Bowl title following the 2009 season. The 13-time Pro Bowler also earned AP Offensive Player of the Year honors twice and remains one of the most accomplished quarterbacks in league history.
• Fitzgerald, drafted third overall in 2004, retired with the second-most receptions and receiving yards ever, trailing only Jerry Rice. A fixture for the Arizona Cardinals over 17 seasons, he topped 1,000 yards nine times and produced a record-setting postseason run in 2008 that helped carry Arizona to its lone Super Bowl appearance.

Rivers, Gore and Witten round out the first-year group. Rivers retired ranked among the league’s most prolific passers. Gore finished third all time in rushing yards after 16 remarkably consistent seasons. Witten stands as one of the most productive tight ends in NFL history.

This year’s semifinalist class remains stacked, with several household names — including Eli Manning, Torry Holt, Steve Smith Sr., Reggie Wayne, Hines Ward, Vince Wilfork, Terrell Suggs, Rodney Harrison, Earl Thomas, Darren Woodson, Willie Anderson, Jahri Evans, Richmond Webb, Kevin Williams, and linebacker Luke Kuechly —pursuing a finalist spot. Kuechly, Anderson, Holt and Adam Vinatieri are guaranteed to reach the final 15 under a new rule granting automatic advancement to players who finished in the top seven of the previous year’s voting but were not elected.

Offensive lineman Lomas Brown and defensive lineman Kevin Williams also reached the semifinal round for the first time. Brown, Kevin Williams, Anderson, Evans, Webb, Steve Wisniewski and Marshal Yanda make up a large contingent of offensive linemen in the process.

In addition to the modern-era selections, finalist announcements for the coach, contributor and seniors categories are set for Dec. 3. When the full group meets during Super Bowl week, 20 candidates — 15 modern-era players, three seniors, one coach and one contributor — will be presented to voters.

Editorial credit: Dennis MacDonald / Shutterstock.com