Month: November 2025

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said on Monday that quarterback J.J. McCarthy has entered concussion protocol after reporting symptoms on the team’s flight back from Green Bay on Sunday, after the Vikings’ 23-6 loss to the Packers.   McCarthy went 12 of 19 for 87 yards and had interceptions on the final two series.

O’Connell said of McCarthy: “[He] reported some kind of symptoms in regards to his head, and we wanted to get back here once we kind of heard he was evaluated last night. After completing those tests, our training staff and doctors and medical team have decided that the right place for him is to put him in the protocol for now, and he’ll go through that process this week.”

O’Connell said that he did not have any additional updates on McCarthy’s condition, but said that the quarterback has been in the building for meetings on Monday.

McCarthy is off to one of the worst career starts of any NFL quarterback in the past decade, with a 24.9 QBR after six starts.  With his status for Minnesota’s Week 13 matchup vs. the Seattle Seahawks in jeopardy, the team will begin preparing Max Brosmer to be the backup QB, and potential starter.

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Cincinnati Bengals coach Zac Taylor said Monday he expects that quarterback Joe Burrow will playing Thursday night against the Baltimore Ravens.

Taylor stopped short of officially announcing Burrow will play but said the quarterback has done “everything he could” to work his way back from a turf toe injury that has sidelined him since September. Taylor told reporters that Burrow will continue to work through the week before he makes an official declaration that the star quarterback will return from his injury: “I anticipate him playing, but we will continue to work through the week. I’m not going to declare that definitively. … Coming off an injury, he’s done everything he could. He put himself in position to do his best to play yesterday. We will continue with that mindset. He looks like he’s in good shape right now to be ready to go.”

Burrow sustained turf toe in his left foot during a win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sept. 14. He landed on injured reserve two days later and missed the Bengals’ next nine games. The Bengals first turned to backup Jake Browning to replace Burrow before trading for Joe Flacco. Browning went 0-3 during Burrow’s absence, while Flacco led the Bengals to a 1-5 mark over his last six starts.

Burrow was a full participant in practice on Wednesday and Thursday last week, but was limited on Friday; Taylor went with Flacco as the team’s starting quarterback in Sunday’s 26-20 loss to the New England Patriots. Taylor said that if Burrow starts Thursday night, Flacco will be the backup.

Flacco completed 61.6% of his throws for 1,636 yards, 13 scores and four interceptions this season for the Bengals. Burrow, who led the NFL with 4,918 passing yards and 43 touchdowns in 2024, completed 58.3% of his throws for 189 yards and two scores through his first two starts of 2025.

In other injury news, Taylor ruled out WR Tee Higgins for Thursday night’s game after the wide receiver suffered a concussion in Sunday’s game. He also ruled out pass rusher Trey Hendrickson, who has missed the past three games due to a hip injury, and running back Tahj Brooks (concussion) will also not play against the Ravens. DE Cam Sample (oblique) and running back Samaje Perine (ankle) will be assessed throughout the week.

The Ravens (6-5) will host the Bengals (3-8) at 8:20 p.m. EST Thursday in Baltimore.

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Florida State confirmed on Sunday that head coach Mike Norvell will return for 2026 football season, despite two turbulent years that have left the program fighting for bowl eligibility. The decision comes two days after a 21-11 loss at NC State dropped the Seminoles to 5-6 and extended their road losing streak to 10 games (they have not won away from Tallahassee since Nov. 25, 2023).

Per Yahoo Sports Ross Dellenger: “Mike Norvell will return as Florida State’s coach in 2026, sources tell
@YahooSports. The university president, AD and board are aligned in support of Norvell, who has pledged to make changes in areas of recruiting and player evaluation to enhance FSU’s roster.”

The mounting speculation about Norvell’s job status came after a stretch in which Florida State has gone 7-16 overall and 3-13 in ACC play, including six losses in its past eight games. The Seminoles must win at rival Florida next week to avoid missing a bowl for the second straight season.  However, it should be noted that Norvell signed a lucrative extension after the 2023 season, and firing him next year would cost the university more than $50 million — roughly $72 million including his staff. Had Florida State made a change, it would have entered a crowded coaching market that already includes Florida, LSU and Penn State.

University President Richard McCullough said in an announcement:“FSU Board of Trustees Chairman Peter Collins, Vice President and Director of Athletics Michael Alford and I are in complete agreement that changes are needed for our program to improve. Coach Norvell embraces our support in that process and agrees that success must be achieved. He continues to demonstrate an unwavering belief in this program’s future, and so do we. This decision reflects a unified commitment to competing in the rapidly evolving landscape of college football, while maintaining continuity within the program … In addition to addressing the reality that on-field results have been far from acceptable to the FSU standard, we also realize our responsibilities as stewards of program revenues and how to best allocate those dollars to compete at an elite level – something we will not compromise.  Throughout the assessment, one goal will remain beyond all others – achieving sustained championship-level success. We will address performance deficiencies in the program. These deficiencies may include structural changes to the very large and complex program FSU football has become, and these areas are where we will focus and invest.”

Vice President and Director of Athletics Michael Alford said: “Our responsibility is to do what gives Florida State the strongest competitive position – not just today, but for years to come. Florida State has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in its football program over the past few years with high expectations. Chairman Collins, President McCullough and I are aligned in partnering with Coach and improving our ability to compete for championships. Our mission is unwavering in putting Florida State football at the forefront of college athletics.”

Norvell led the program at FSU to a 13-0 regular season and ACC championship in 2023, but the College Football Playoff committee excluded the Seminoles from the four-team field after quarterback Jordan Travis suffered a season-ending leg injury. A wave of opt-outs followed, and a depleted roster was crushed 63-3 by Georgia in the Orange Bowl. Most of that roster departed for the NFL, and FSU stumbled to 2-10 in 2024 — its worst finish since 1974.

Norvell acknowledged frustrations during his time with FSU, but emphasized his commitment to rebuilding:  “This program has been built on belief, sacrifice, and putting the team first,” he said. “The driving motivation behind this is to make certain that we are doing everything properly to obtain and retain elite players, add critical pieces, and sustain long-term success. I love Florida State, and I am fully committed to this program, and our shared goals.”

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Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon will miss at least the next month after being diagnosed with a Grade 2 strain in his right hamstring, per a report from ESPN’s Shams Charania. The injury occurred early in Friday’s road win over the Houston Rockets, and an MRI on Saturday confirmed the severity. The team expects to re-evaluate him in approximately four to six weeks.

Gordon, 30, had already been managing hamstring issues and played only a few minutes Friday before exiting. He also sat out two of Denver’s previous three games and did not suit up for Saturday’s loss to the Sacramento Kings. The setback is another blow for a short-handed Nuggets roster, which recently lost fellow starter Christian Braun to a left ankle sprain that will keep him out at least six weeks.

The forward was off to the most productive start of his career, averaging 18.8 points per game while shooting a career-best 44.4% from beyond the arc. He opened the season with a 50-point performance against Golden State and is one of seven players currently averaging at least 15 points on 50-40-85 shooting splits. Gordon also played through a left hamstring strain during last season’s Game 7 loss to Oklahoma City in the Western Conference semifinals.

Denver, who are second in the Western Conference behind the Thunder, will now lean on its expanded depth: Peyton Watson, Cameron Johnson and newly added veterans such as Bruce Brown, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Jonas Valančiūnas.

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