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The New England Patriots are moving on, with Drake Maye and company getting the best of the Houston Texans during the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs this past weekend.With the Patriots getting the win after battling the elements and a tough Texans defense at Gillette Stadium, New England has advanced to the AFC Championship Game, where they’ll take on the Denver Broncos on the road at Empower Field at Mile High.Mack Hollins’ Playing Status Remains Uncertain GettyMack Hollins #13 of the New England Patriots Every team is banged up at this point in the postseason, especially the Broncos, who will have to play without star quarterback Bo Nix due to a season-ending injury suffered against the Buffalo Bills, but the Patriots are hoping to get a key piece back on offense for the AFC Championship Game on the road on Sunday in Denver.Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel spoke to the media on Monday and was asked about the status of wide receiver Mack Hollins, via Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald. Patriots HC Mike Vrabel when asked if he anticipates Mack Hollins practicing this week: "I can't be certain right now. Still working through everything with some of those guys that could be back." — Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) January 19, 2026 “I can’t be certain right now,” Vrabel said of Hollins’ status. “Still working through everything with some of those guys that could be back.”Although Hollins isn’t Stefon Diggs in terms of impact in the passing game, his return to the field will help Maye and the offense against a solid Broncos defense.In 15 games during the 2025 NFL season, Hollins caught 46 passes for 550 receiving yards and two touchdowns.Mike Vrabel on Facing Jarrett Stidham in AFC Championship Game GettyJarrett Stidham #8 of the Denver Broncos In a shocking twist after the Broncos took down the Bills, head coach Sean Payton announced that Nix would be out for the rest of the season with a broken ankle.With Nix’s season ending, Denver will lean on veteran quarterback Jarrett Stidham to shoulder the load under center, which obviously changes the Patriots’ approach. Vrabel addressed this during Monday’s presser.“Just going back to when Josh [McDaniels] had him, I think he sees things really well and I think he’s athletic enough to extend like we talk about a lot of quarterbacks,” Vrabel said of Stidham. “He’s really decisive in the games that we went back and watched, this is even going back to when I was in Tennessee as well.”During an appearance on The Greg Hill Show, Vrabel also talked about facing the former Patriots quarterback on Sunday.“He hasn’t thrown a pass since 2023, so we’ll have to kind of figure out,” Vrabel said. “I like Jarrett, we did a lot of work on him in the offseason here in free agency. Josh has coached him, he’s probably ready to go. Obviously he’s preparing as a starter each and every week. Really early in the preparation, not sure how much things will change based on the quarterback that’s in there and what they’re asking him to do.”It’ll be interesting to see how things change for the Broncos heading into this game with Stidham rather than Nix. New England is currently favored (-5.5) to win on the road and advance to the Super Bowl, which isn’t all that surprising given the situation heading into this matchup. Like Heavy Sports's content? Be sure to follow us. This article was originally published on Heavy SportsThe post Patriots HC Mike Vrabel Shares Update on Injured WR Mack Hollins Before Broncos Game appeared first on Heavy Sports.

The Boston Bruins missed out on what seemed to be a slam-dunk deal. The Bruins were the presumptive frontrunners for defenseman Rasmus Andersson. However, when the dust settled, Andersson was on his way to Sin City.That situation has left Bruins fans scratching their heads at what could have gone wrong. It wasn’t like the Bruins didn’t try their best to make a deal happen. The Flames even granted Boston permission to speak to Andersson about a contract extension.And that’s likely where things fell apart. The two sides couldn’t agree on an extension before the deadline. Vegas, meanwhile, agreed to take Andersson on without an extension in place.So, from Calgary’s perspective, the path forward was clear. Take what could become two first-round draft picks from the Golden Knights now and let Andersson and Vegas figure out the rest on their own.That’s the sort of risk the Bruins did well to avoid. Taking on Andersson as-is was a needless risk the team could not afford. The Bruins are a retooling team. It’s unfair to use the word “rebuilding,” since Boston didn’t actually go through the rigors of tearing everything down and then starting from scratch.A retooling team cannot afford to trade valuable futures, particularly when it isn’t even secure in a playoff spot. Such is the reality of the Bruins this season. If Boston were having a season like it did some two or three years ago, the conversation would have been much different. Andersson could have been the piece to put them over the top.That’s not the case now. That’s why it’s a good thing that the Bruins didn’t land Andersson. It was senseless for the Bruins to go all-in on what could have been an expensive rental.Bruins Not in Position to Go All-InThe Bruins aren’t really in a position to go all-in this season. As mentioned earlier, Boston can’t afford to make a massive trade without assurances of a long-term fit.That’s the reality of a retooling-rebuilding team.The situation would have been much different had Andersson come with a contract extension in tow. The deal would have made sense from a long-term perspective. The Bruins would have had their man locked up for the foreseeable future.Perhaps at some point down the line, the Bruins could be in a position to take a huge swing at a veteran option. But that won’t be this season.Boston Remains on the ProwlThe Bruins remain on the prowl as the trade market begins to heat up. The club is right in trying to make a splash, given its plans to stay competitive.That situation could also mean that the Bruins might pivot towards younger players. With teams like the Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers officially punting on the season, interesting pieces could become available.The key for the Bruins would be to find players who fit their long-term future, not just a short-term playoff push. The Rasmus Andersson trade looks to have unlocked the NHL trade market. Thus, Boston could be looking to capitalize on the frenzy to come.So, there will be plenty more to come in the following weeks. Like Heavy Sports's content? Be sure to follow us. This article was originally published on Heavy SportsThe post Bruins Miss Out on Andersson and That’s a Good Thing appeared first on Heavy Sports.

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin has known only one head coach since entering the league in 2021, and that is Sean McDermott. McDermott took a chance on the sixth-round draft pick out of the University of Pittsburgh. He made Hamlin a full-time starter in just his second season in the league. He stuck by him after the traumatic cardiac arrest in 2023, which led to him becoming a 2024 Comeback Player of the Year finalist. And under his leadership, Hamlin signed a $2 million extension this offseason, going into his fifth year with the Bills. McDermott was fired early Monday morning after leading Buffalo to seven playoff appearances in eight years, and Hamlin, like many Bills players, was caught off guard by the news. “A True Leader Of Men,” Hamlin posted on X to his 724k followers. “Thank You For Everything! On & Beyond The Field. We Love You Coach.” A True Leader Of Men. Thank You For Everything! On & Beyond The Field. We Love You Coach. 🫶🏾🫶🏾🫶🏾 pic.twitter.com/3EFaeybgVU — 𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐫 𝐇𝐚𝐦𝐥𝐢𝐧 (@HamlinIsland) January 19, 2026 This was Hamlin’s second post after the McDermott news dropped. His first was simply three broken heart emojis shared immediately after the story circulated. 💔💔💔. — 𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐫 𝐇𝐚𝐦𝐥𝐢𝐧 (@HamlinIsland) January 19, 2026 Like Heavy Sports's content? Be sure to follow us. This article was originally published on Heavy SportsThe post Bills Damar Hamlin Issues Heart-Felt Message After Sean McDermott Firing appeared first on Heavy Sports.

As the Indianapolis Colts begin to embark on the 2026 NFL season, their priority will be to establish the roster for the upcoming year. The Colts have several notable key free agents, but arguably the most important is their quarterback, who ended the season on injured reserve. Daniel Jones is coming off one of his best seasons, one in which he set career highs in completion percentage (68%), yards per completion (8.1), passer rating (100.2), and QBR (63.3). His breakout year projected him to land a massive contract extension with Indy in the offseason, especially once the Colts presumably doubled down on him by trading their next two first-round picks away for Sauce Gardner. However, as Colts fans are aware, Jones’s revelation season would be stalled by a fractured fibula, and then completely halted by a torn Achilles. Now what once seemed as a forgone conclusion is surrounded by slight uncertainty; however, the Colts remain confident that Jones’ future is still in Indy.Colts Remain Confident Jones Will Be Ready for 2026While the injury has slightly muddied the waters around Jones’ future in Indianapolis, the quarterback continues to progress well through his rehab and has received advice on how to handle recovery properly. Stephen Holder published an article stating that Aaron Rodgers has been a person that Jones has been in contact with throughout his recovery. The former four-time MVP notoriously ruptured his Achilles tendon when he was with the New York Jets. While recovering from an Achilles is no easy feat, Jones remains laser-focused on trying to come back at full strength. GettyIndianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones threw for 3,101 yards and 19 touchdowns across 13 games in 2025. At the end of the year, media availability, Jones opened with, “For me, it’s about getting this Achilles right, and attacking the rehab. Making sure I’m doing everything I need to do to come back at full speed.” He proceeded to state that he expects to be ready by training camp. When reporters followed up by asking about his thoughts on returning to the Colts, Jones answered candidly. “I’d love to be back here. I’ve enjoyed being here, working with the coaching staff here, with the players. I think it’s a great organization,” Jones said.He also acknowledged that there is a business side to address, but he sounds hopeful that his representation and the team will figure it out. Colts general manager Chris Ballard echoed similar sentiments about Jones’ availability and confidence in his return to the team next season on 93.5/107.5 The Fan. When asked if the Colts view Jones as the long-term answer of the future, Ballard replied, “I’m looking at him both, near and long. And I think that helps us,” Ballard stated. “I mean, I’ve been very stated about like when you’re chasing the quarterback all the time, it makes it very hard. Like your margin for error really shrinks down. And I feel very good about Daniel Jones and where he’s at, where he’s going. Yes, he’s got the Achilles, but I think Daniel Jones has got a really bright future here in Indianapolis. And look, there is some comfort knowing that, ‘Okay, we know we’ve got a guy that’s proven, that’s done it, and done some really good things.’ So, that does give you some confidence.”Ballard’s comments center around the difficulty he’s had to find a quality fit for the team at the most important position. With mutual interest expressed, the team now has to look at their options for what a deal could look like. Colts Have Two Main Options on Jones’ ExtensionThe Colts’ options are to either sign Jones to a long-term contract or potentially franchise tag him. The franchise option would put Jones on a one-year prove-it deal that would cost the team around $46 million for 2026. Market value has a long-term extension estimated at around $44.6 million across four years, if Indy decides to go that direction.Either way, it is unlikely that the Colts allow Jones to hit the open market and raise his…