The San Francisco 49ers are facing a challenge as they prepare for a game against the Chicago Bears without their star tight end, George Kittle. Kittle is unlikely to play due to a sprained ankle he suffered in a recent game and has not practiced since. This injury affects the 49ers' chances as they aim for the top seed in their conference.
Key Facts
George Kittle, a key player for the 49ers, has a low ankle sprain.
Kittle hurt his ankle during a game against the Indianapolis Colts.
The injury occurred after a type of tackle Kittle described as a "hip drop" tackle.
Kittle tried to continue playing but eventually left the game.
He has not been able to practice since the injury.
ESPN reports that Kittle is "highly unlikely" to play against the Chicago Bears.
Kittle has played 10 games this season, with 52 catches, 599 yards, and seven touchdowns.
The 49ers are competing for the top position in their conference.
The Boston Red Sox are considering trading outfielder Jarren Duran to the San Diego Padres for all-star closer Mason Miller. The Red Sox aim to improve their team for better chances in the coming season, and the Padres are interested in reinforcing their outfield. Discussions are ongoing about the potential trade, which might involve more players or considerations.
Key Facts
The Boston Red Sox want to improve their team for the next season.
They have added player Willson Contreras through a trade.
There is talk of trading Jarren Duran to the San Diego Padres.
The Padres are interested in Duran to enhance their outfield.
The Red Sox could receive closer Mason Miller in the trade.
Miller is known for his ability to pitch at high speeds, an asset for late innings.
The trade discussions may involve more than just a direct player swap.
The article discusses a promotional offer from Sleeper for NFL Week 17. Users can sign up using the promo code NEWSWEEKXL to receive fantasy sports bonuses, including a deposit match or a cash bonus. The promotion applies to NFL games with examples given for picks in upcoming games.
Key Facts
The promo code NEWSWEEKXL gives new Sleeper users the option of a $20 bonus or a $100 deposit match.
Users can make picks on NFL games such as Seahawks-Panthers and Eagles-Bills.
The Seahawks aim for a high playoff seed, while the Panthers are trying to secure a playoff spot.
Eagles and Bills will look to improve their playoff standings.
Other notable games include Jaguars-Colts and Bears-49ers, which affect NFL playoff seeding.
Users make picks by predicting player performances higher or lower than specified numbers.
Different play options include "max play" for higher payouts or "flex play" for safer betting.
A 50% NFL boost offer is available for entries with five or more picks.
The article explains a sports betting promotion from theScore Bet, offering a $100 bonus to new users who sign up with the promo code NEWSWEEK and place a winning $10 bet on NFL games. The article details how to redeem the offer and mentions additional betting features available in the app.
Key Facts
New users on theScore Bet can use the promo code NEWSWEEK for a $100 bonus.
To qualify, users must place a $10 bet on NFL games, with odds of -500 or longer.
If the initial bet wins, users receive a $100 bonus.
The bonus can be used on any NFL games and college football playoff games.
TheScore Bet app offers features like odds boosts and exclusive specials.
The promo involves important NFL games between teams like Seahawks-Panthers and Eagles-Bills.
Bets can be made on other sports as well, including the NBA and Premier League.
The Toronto Blue Jays are trying to sign Kyle Tucker and keep star player Bo Bichette, who is a free agent. The Boston Red Sox are also interested in Bichette as one of their main targets. The situation is part of broader moves in Major League Baseball as teams wait for major free agents to make decisions.
Key Facts
The Toronto Blue Jays are considering signing Kyle Tucker.
Bo Bichette, a key player for the Blue Jays, is currently a free agent.
Bichette has expressed interest in staying with the Blue Jays.
If the Blue Jays sign Tucker, it might be hard for them to also re-sign Bichette.
The Boston Red Sox are interested in signing Bichette.
The Red Sox consider Alex Bregman their top target, but Bichette is a strong candidate.
Major league teams are waiting on key free agents' decisions to finalize their plans.
Joe Kelly, a baseball player with a 13-year career, announced he is done playing after his latest appearance on a podcast. Kelly, who dislikes the term "retiring," has played for several teams, including winning World Series titles with the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Key Facts
Joe Kelly played 13 seasons in Major League Baseball.
He announced he is done playing on the "Baseball Isn't Boring" podcast.
Kelly dislikes the term "retiring" for athletes.
He was part of World Series-winning teams with the Red Sox in 2018 and Dodgers in 2020 and 2024.
In his career, he played 485 games and had a 3.98 ERA with 767 strikeouts.
He made his MLB debut for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2012.
Kelly became a full-time reliever and key player in the Red Sox bullpen from 2014-2018.
He also played for the Chicago White Sox briefly in 2022 and 2023.
The Arizona Diamondbacks are considering trading their star infielder Ketel Marte. The Cincinnati Reds are seen as a potential team to trade with, as they need to improve their second base position and have players they could offer in return.
Key Facts
The Arizona Diamondbacks might trade Ketel Marte, a top second baseman.
Almost every baseball team could benefit from having Marte.
The Cincinnati Reds need an upgrade at second base and could be a trade partner.
The Reds have pitchers like Andrew Abbott and Rhett Lowder they could offer in a trade.
Abbott had an All-Star season, making him a strong candidate for a trade.
The Reds tend not to make big trades, which might be an issue in this case.
The New York Yankees signed Nick Torres, an outfielder who had an MVP season in the Mexican League with the Algodoneros Unión Laguna. Torres was initially drafted by the San Diego Padres and has been playing in Mexico since 2019. The Yankees might use him if they do not secure Cody Bellinger for their team.
Key Facts
The Yankees signed Nick Torres from the Mexican League.
Torres played for the Algodoneros Unión Laguna team.
He was originally drafted by the San Diego Padres in 2014.
Torres never made it to the Major Leagues with the Padres.
He moved to play in independent and international leagues by 2018.
Over five seasons in Mexico, he has a .343 batting average with 82 home runs.
Last season, Torres hit 27 home runs and had 79 RBIs, earning the MVP award.
The Houston Astros are considering signing Isiah Kiner-Falefa, a utility infielder, as a free agent. Kiner-Falefa played for the Toronto Blue Jays and has experience in multiple infield positions. The Astros need more infield depth due to recurring injuries among their players.
Key Facts
The Toronto Blue Jays lost in Game 7 of the World Series.
The Houston Astros could use another infielder for the next season.
Fox Sports suggested that the Astros should try to sign Isiah Kiner-Falefa.
Kiner-Falefa played infield for the Blue Jays and the Pittsburgh Pirates.
He has played in 15 of the Blue Jays’ 18 postseason games in 2025.
Kiner-Falefa is known for playing three different infield positions.
He had a .631 OPS (on-base plus slugging) during the regular season.
The Astros have successfully used utility players in the past.
The article discusses a special offer from Underdog for new players during NFL Week 17. By placing a $5 entry on any game, participants receive a guaranteed $75 bonus. The article highlights several key NFL games and explains how to claim the offer.
Key Facts
New players can use the Underdog promo code NEWSWEEK to get a $75 bonus by making a $5 play.
The $5 play can be on any NFL Week 17 game, regardless of the outcome.
Highlighted games include Jaguars vs. Colts, Seahawks vs. Panthers, Eagles vs. Bills, Giants vs. Raiders, and Bears vs. 49ers.
To qualify for the bonus, players must make picks for 2-8 players on at least two teams.
Underdog offers a choice between max and flex payout options.
The max payout requires all picks to be correct for the highest win.
A flex payout allows partial wins even if not all picks are correct.
Users must register and enter the promo code to receive the bonus.
Manchester United defender Ayden Heaven, who is eligible to play for Ghana because of his grandparent, has decided to continue playing for England. He recently recovered from an ankle injury and has shown strong performances in recent games.
Key Facts
Ayden Heaven is a defender for Manchester United and is 19 years old.
Heaven is eligible to play for Ghana through his grandparent but chooses to play for England.
Ghana and England are in the same group for the World Cup next summer.
Heaven joined Manchester United from Arsenal in February.
He suffered an ankle injury in October while playing for England's Under-20 team.
Heaven returned to play for Manchester United, performing well in recent matches.
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim praised Heaven's improved performance and training.
The Houston Texans won against the Los Angeles Chargers, securing a spot in the NFL play-offs for a third year in a row. Meanwhile, the Baltimore Ravens beat the Green Bay Packers to keep their play-off hopes alive, with Derrick Henry breaking records with his performance.
Key Facts
The Houston Texans beat the Los Angeles Chargers with a score of 20-16.
The win ensures the Texans have a spot in the NFL play-offs for the third consecutive year.
CJ Stroud from the Texans threw two important touchdown passes early in the game.
The Chargers, despite losing, are already in the play-offs and their loss confirmed the Denver Broncos as AFC West champions.
Derrick Henry of the Ravens ran for 216 yards and four touchdowns against the Packers.
Henry's performance set an NFL record for his seventh career 200-yard game.
The Ravens' win keeps their chance of entering the play-offs alive.
The Packers' loss means they will enter the play-offs as the seventh seed from the NFC.
The Indiana Hoosiers football team expects to lose their quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, as he is likely to enter the NFL draft. The team is looking to replace him, with Josh Hoover from TCU being a strong candidate. Coach Curt Cignetti has several options in the transfer portal for replacing the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback.
Key Facts
Fernando Mendoza is likely to leave Indiana Hoosiers for the NFL draft.
Mendoza could be picked in the top 10 of the draft if he enters this year.
Mendoza will not return because he risks competing against stronger candidates next year.
Indiana coach Curt Cignetti plans to use the transfer portal to find a new quarterback.
Josh Hoover from TCU is a potential replacement for Mendoza at Indiana.
Hoover is noted for his experience, having started 31 games and throwing 71 touchdowns.
Indiana is aiming to continue their success after winning the Big Ten title.
Travis Head, an Australian cricketer, reached out to England's Ben Duckett after a video surfaced online showing Duckett allegedly drunk. England's cricket team faced scrutiny over reports of excessive drinking during a break in the Ashes series. Despite the controversy, Head expressed understanding and noted that such behavior is not unusual.
Key Facts
Travis Head is an Australian cricket player.
Ben Duckett is a player on the England cricket team.
A video appeared on social media allegedly showing Duckett drunk, but the BBC has not verified it.
England's cricket team was reported to have been drinking excessively between Ashes Tests.
The break and incidents occurred in Noosa, a beach town in Australia.
England was losing 2-0 in the Ashes series at the time of the incidents.
Head contacted Duckett to ensure he was doing alright amid the controversy.
Head noted that players sometimes engage in similar behavior on tours and expressed that it wasn't a major issue.
The Texas Longhorns football team plans to strengthen their offense by potentially adding Caleb Hawkins, a leading scorer in college football, through the transfer portal. Hawkins, from North Texas, led the country in rushing touchdowns last year and could help Texas in their pursuit of the College Football Playoff in 2026.
Key Facts
The Texas Longhorns are looking to improve their team for the 2026 season.
They are interested in Caleb Hawkins, who was the national leader in rushing touchdowns with 23 in 2025.
Hawkins is a freshman from North Texas and has gained 1,236 rushing yards and 345 receiving yards last season.
Texas needs to fill gaps in their offense due to losing several players, including their top running back.
The transfer portal opens on January 2, 2026, allowing players to switch teams.
Oklahoma State could also be interested in Hawkins, partly because his former coach is there.
The Longhorns are aiming to reach the College Football Playoff with quarterback Arch Manning.
Aryna Sabalenka, the women's world number one, will play against Nick Kyrgios in a "Battle of the Sexes" tennis match on December 28. The match will be a best-of-three sets event with special rules to balance the players' physical differences. The event aims to entertain and draw attention to women’s tennis.
Key Facts
Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios will play an exhibition match on December 28.
The match will be shown live on BBC One.
Sabalenka is ranked as the women's world number one and won the US Open in 2025.
Special rules include each player having only one serve and Sabalenka's court being 9% smaller.
Kyrgios has previously admitted to assault and has made controversial comments.
The match is intended to entertain and possibly attract a new audience to tennis.
Concerns exist about whether the match might impact perceptions of women's tennis.
Kyrgios has returned to the sport after significant injuries and time away.
The Green Bay Packers lost to the Baltimore Ravens with a score of 41-24. The game results and recent team performance have raised questions about the future of Packers head coach Matt LaFleur. Some fans and insiders speculate changes might occur if the team's performance does not improve.
Key Facts
The Packers lost to the Ravens, scoring 24 points against Ravens' 41 points.
Derrick Henry from the Ravens ran 36 times for 216 yards and scored four touchdowns.
The Packers have a current season record of 9-6-1.
Matt LaFleur has been successful in the regular season with a 76-39-1 record as head coach.
LaFleur's success in the playoffs has been limited, with no Super Bowl appearances.
There is speculation about LaFleur's future with the Packers if they lose in the first playoff round.
The Packers' next game will be against the Minnesota Vikings.
England defeated Australia in a cricket match at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) that ended in two days. The match finished early because the pitch had more grass than usual, leading to many wickets falling quickly. This unexpected result is costly for Cricket Australia in terms of revenue.
Key Facts
The match ended in two days, with England beating Australia with four wickets remaining.
Thirty-six wickets fell in just six sessions due to the pitch conditions.
The early finish may result in a loss of about 10 million Australian dollars for Cricket Australia.
MCG curator Matthew Page was surprised by how the pitch played out and aims to improve in future.
Historically, this is the first Ashes series since 1896 with two matches finishing in two days.
The Melbourne pitch in the 2017 Ashes was also criticized for being too easy for batters, resulting in few wickets.
Cricket Australia considered alternative events for the planned third day to satisfy ticket-holders and broadcasters, but these did not proceed.
Over 190,000 people attended the first two days, with day three also sold out.
Manchester City made a strategic change at halftime that allowed Tijani Reijnders to play more offensively, helping the team secure a 2-1 victory over Nottingham Forest.
Key Facts
Manchester City played against Nottingham Forest.
The final score was Manchester City 2, Nottingham Forest 1.
Tijani Reijnders was central to the change in strategy.
The tactical change happened at halftime.
Alan Shearer analyzed Manchester City's strategic adjustment.
The analysis is part of the "Match of the Day" program.
The content discussed is not available in certain locations.
LSU coach Lane Kiffin discussed his former team, Ole Miss, which won their playoff game against Tulane without him. Ole Miss is now set to play against Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. Kiffin is focusing on his new role at LSU, aiming to make them strong competitors.
Key Facts
Lane Kiffin is the new head coach of the LSU Tigers.
Ole Miss beat Tulane 41-10 in the College Football Playoff, even though Kiffin left the team.
Kiffin spoke positively about Ole Miss's victory over Tulane.
Ole Miss will play Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on New Year's Day.
Kiffin had a 55-19 record as Ole Miss's head coach.
Kiffin faces the challenge of rebuilding LSU into a contending team.
