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The NFL’s first couple is Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and pop star Taylor Swift. The country’s most famous singer has brought a Hall of Fame tight end from national acclaim to international superstardom – and the league has taken notice.
It’s not an accident that the league showcases the two whenever possible, celebrating Swift and the onslaught of fans that come with her. She’s undoubtedly good for the game, but it has made Kelce the butt of a few more jokes in the process.
He didn’t make life any easier for himself when recent photos surfaced of Kelce after a swim, exposing his exceptionally hairy back.
The photo went viral, reaching every corner of the football world, including Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins.
"God bless Taylor Swift for being good with that," Kirk told E! News. "That's awesome. Good for her."
Cousins has long had a good sense of humor, although his mild-mannered nature makes him a surprise contributor to the Kelce conversation. He quipped that it was a matter of genetics. Given the athleticism that has made him a future Hall of Famer and the durability that has kept him among the league’s elite as he enters his age-36 season, bad back hair may be the shortest stick he drew.
Cousins doesn’t have elite (or even average) athleticism, nor is he quite as accomplished as Kelce. He doesn’t, however, have to deal with that coat of fur.
"Thankfully, I don't have to deal with that, but I'm in a locker room a lot," he said. "That's just a part of life. It is what it is."
Both Cousins and Kelce are entering what could be their final NFL seasons. Kelce has seen a decline in production and has accomplished more than enough to retire happily. A multi-million-dollar media deal and his relationship with Swift only add to the reasons to retire.
Cousins, meanwhile, was benched for first-round rookie Michael Penix Jr. in 2024. For now, he remains a second-string quarterback and a first-team mentor as he awaits a potential trade or release just a season into his four-year deal.
More must-reads:
- Andy Reid’s main flaw will cost Chiefs a trip to the playoffs
- Frank Ragnow update fits troubling 2025 Lions pattern
- The 'Five game-winning-drives in a season' quiz
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Packers announce head-turning roster move one day after 2025 Lions sweep
Fresh off a Thanksgiving win on Thursday against the Detroit Lions on the road at Ford Field in Detroit, the Green Bay Packers made a notable move to reunite with kicker Lucas Havrisik. Green Bay parted ways with Havrisik just before the Lions game, but on Friday, the team announced that he’s back in the fold after getting signed to the practice squad roster. Via Green Bay’s official website: “The Green Bay Packers signed K Lucas Havrisik (HAVE-ruh-sick) to the practice squad. General Manager Brian Gutekunst announced the transaction Friday.” Lucas Havrisik insurance for now for the Packers It can be recalled that Havrisik saw action in three games in the 2025 NFL season for Green Bay in place of the then-injured Brandon McManus. In those games, the former Arizona Wildcats kicker went 4-for-4 on his field goals, including a franchise record-setting 61-yard make in Week 7’s 27-23 win in Glendale over the Arizona Cardinals. He was also 7-for-9 on extra-point attempts, with both misses happening in Week 11’s 27-20 victory against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford. McManus is healthy and perfect in the two games since he returned to action, so there is no reason for the Packers to give his spot to someone else so Havrisik will just be insurance for now for Green Bay, which has a Week 14 date with the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field.
'I’m Doing It': Scribe on Maple Leafs Trading Future Star in Quinn Hughes Deal
In another world, where the Toronto Maple Leafs have 30 points and are playoff contenders, looking to capitalize on a window to win, does the organization take a run at a generational defenseman that could put them over the top? One host and analyst thinks so, arguing that he would trade just about anything, including Matthew Knies, to acquire Quinn Hughes. Talk about whether the Vancouver Canucks will eventually trade Hughes is everywhere these days. The Canucks have told 31 other teams they are open to moving veterans and are making pending UFAs available via trade. To this point, that doesn’t include Hughes. However, he remains the big name, and the talking point around him is that he looks unhappy. Despite saying he’s committed to the team, it appears he’s moving on at some point. Perhaps the Canucks should get the most they can, while he can fetch a massive return. Would The Maple Leafs Be Interested? Who’s kidding whom? If Hughes becomes available, the Leafs will make a call to find out the asking price. And Bryan Hayes noted recently that if that price is Matthew Knies, he’s doing it. Should Toronto get two possible playoff runs out of Hughes — even if he eventually makes his way to New Jersey as a free agent to play with his brothers — Hughes is such a difference-maker, the Maple Leafs have to consider the trade. Hayes even said he’s throwing in picks and whatever else is required to acquire the second-best defensman in the world. Hayes said: “Let’s say the Leafs are really rocking right now, and it’s going to cost you Matthew Knies, I’m doing it, that’s what I’m telling you. I’m doing that, plus the picks and the prospects, like, that’s how good Quinn Hughes is.” Why Quinn Hughes Would Be A Risk For the Maple Leafs Hayes is suggesting the Leafs move on from arguably their best young forward. And, he’s suggesting they do so, even if they know that Hughes is ultimately not re-signing in Toronto. That makes any theorized deal all about how good Toronto thinks they can be with Hughes and without Knies over the next two seasons. It might not look like it so far this season, but the Maple Leafs’ window to win is now with Auston Matthews and William Nylander in their prime. In fact, that window is closing fast and if the team doesn’t push this season and next, they might be looking at starting over. How much of an impact can Hughes make with this roster? That’s the real question. If you were to describe the ideal fit, Hughes is it. Whether moving on from Knies to get what you need is the right play would be heavily debated. Getting Hughes would be huge. Losing Knies means immediately looking for another player to do what he does and at the same or a lower price. That’s no easy task, given how much the salary cap is rising and with what good forwards are commanding. Winning is the priority, but at what cost? Hughes is a long-term rental, probably nothing more. Hayes is behind the idea that you do what you have to, but is he right? There’s no indication a Hughes trade is close. There’s no sign that the Maple Leafs have eyes on him. But, if the opportunity fell into their lap, does GM Brad Treliving do whatever it takes to make that possibilty a reality?
Blue Jays: To extend or not to extend Shane Bieber
Early in the off-season, Shane Bieber shocked the baseball world when he opted into his player option for the 2026 season. This year, he’ll earn $16 million before entering free agency after the season ends. Bieber opting in made the Toronto Blue Jays’ off-season slightly easier, because instead of needing two starters, they only needed one. Wednesday’s signing of Dylan Cease solidified their rotation, at least for now. By signing Cease, the Blue Jays have at least two starters locked in for their 2027 rotation. Cease signed a seven-year deal, and Trey Yesavage will have five additional seasons of team control. José Berríos could opt out of his contract, but that doesn’t seem likely. Bieber and Kevin Gausman, who the Blue Jays should also consider extending, are two starters who’ll hit the market barring any re-signings. There’s a strong case to extend Bieber, especially if the Blue Jays believe he can get back to his pre-injury form. In the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Bieber had a 1.63 ERA and 2.07 FIP in 77.1 innings pitched, winning the American League Cy Young. The following two seasons, Bieber produced a 2.97 ERA and 2.92 FIP in 296.2 innings pitched, with a 27.8 K% and 5.8 BB%. Unfortunately, he pitched just 128 innings in 2023 with less-than-ideal results, and then required Tommy John surgery after just two starts in 2024. Those starts were his last with the Cleveland Guardians, as they traded the starter to the Blue Jays before the 2025 trade deadline for pitching prospect Khal Stephen. Upon returning from Tommy John surgery, Bieber authored a 3.57 ERA and 4.47 FIP in 40.1 innings pitched, with a 23.3 K% and 4.4 BB% in 40.1 innings pitched. The 30-year-old’s postseason was a mixed bag, producing several strong starts but getting roughed around in a few and giving up the game-winning home run in Game 7 of the World Series. As a whole, Bieber finished the playoffs with a 3.86 ERA and 4.26 FIP in 18.2 innings pitched, with a 21.7 K% and 7.2 BB%. There’s risk involved for both parties when it comes to extensions. Bieber has missed significant time in 2021, 2023, 2024, and 2025 due to injuries. There’s no telling how much time he’ll miss if the Jays extend him, but it’s not a good sign. Moreover, who knows if Bieber will return to the form he showed before the 2023 season? On Bieber’s end, if he has a good 2026 season, he stands to lose money if he signs an extension early. Granted, that goes both ways because he stands to lose money if he has a rough season, if he doesn’t sign an extension. All that being said, the Jays and Bieber will probably let the 2026 season play out and go from there. It’ll be a big season in determining if Bieber returns to the front-end-of-the-rotation starter he was in the past, or a middle-of-the-rotation starter. Surely, they’ll have interest in reuniting with him at the conclusion of the 2026 season.
Chad Johnson Flexes His Prediction Game After Calling the Bears’ Dominant Run Before the Season
The Chicago Bears earned by far their most impressive win of the Caleb Williams era on Black Friday with a 24-15 triumph over the defending-champion Philadelphia Eagles. And the victory means many will have to rethink their views on these new-look Bears. The Bears are now 9-3 and sitting in the No. 2 seed in the NFC. They have won five in a row and nine of their last 10. Since the 1970 merger, it’s Chicago’s second-best start (excluding those glory years of the late 1980s) after 2006, when they went all the way to the Super Bowl. Rookie head coach Ben Johnson seems to have created a real culture with the Bears, going into a toxic place like Philadelphia on a holiday and coming out with an upset win. Not many outside of the Windy City would have predicted this before the season. With the offseason changes, many believed they would improve on their 5-12 record from last year, but not this quickly and not to this extent. One who did believe in the Bears wholeheartedly before their recent run of success was Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson. And with the Bears earning their signature win on Friday night, he’s now looking to find the receipts. “How do I find the clip from Nightcap before the season started about the Bears?” Johnson tweeted after the Bears beat the Eagles. Of course, it didn’t take long for a fan account to find the clip of Ochocinco predicting a big season for the Bears. And Johnson was clear as day before the campaign: watch out for Chicago. “I’m going out on a limb, I’m gonna say it before the season even gets here. The two teams that I think are the darkhorses to go and surprise everybody, and make a run, and have a playoff appearance: the Chicago Bears and the Carolina Panthers. I’m tellin’ you. … Watch, and when it happens? Don’t call me Ocho-Damus. I just know. I just understand how things are gonna play out,” said the former wideout. And not only did he predict a good season for the Bears, he predicted that the lowly Carolina Panthers would come on strong in 2025 as well. Even fewer people would have predicted that. They have not won more than seven games in a season since 2017. But they are currently sitting at 6-6 and very much in the playoff picture. Ocho definitely deserves a pat on the back for that little segment. The Panthers could figure into the playoff picture, but it’s clear now that the Bears definitely will. They are not just fighting for a playoff spot, but the No. 1 seed at this point. The Los Angeles Rams take on those same Panthers this week, and they are likely to win to go to 10-2, leaving the Bears just one game behind. Still, nothing is guaranteed yet. The Bears have the fifth-toughest remaining strength of schedule, with two games against the Packers, one against the Lions, and one against the 49ers. At this point, however, one more win likely secures them their first playoff trip since 2020.
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