AI-assisted summary
• Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore was fired for violating a university policy regarding supervisor-employee relationships.
• The staff member involved in the affair was not fired because the policy places the responsibility of disclosure on the supervisor.
• The policy was created in 2021 after a previous scandal involving a university provost and subordinate employees.

The staff member who had an affair with Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore was not fired from her job because of it, unlike Moore, who was dismissed on Dec. 10. She previously concealed the relationship from the university, which received a tip about it and looked into it and even searched her phone, according to the Detroit Free Press.

After breaking up with Moore on Dec. 8, she finally came clean and told the university about the relationship Dec. 10, triggering Moore’s firing the same day.

Yet she’s still employed by the university, the university confirmed Dec. 15.

So why wasn’t she fired, too, if only because of an apparent lack of prior honesty about the relationship?

The university responded to this question from USA TODAY Sports Dec. 15 by pointing to university Policy No. 201.97.

That policy itself is the product of a different scandal at Michigan. It also stresses the importance of the power balance in supervisor-employee relationships and why employees are treated differently than supervisors when it comes to secret affairs. This is the policy Moore violated to get himself fired.

What is the policy that got Sherrone Moore fired but kept staffer employed?

Policy No. 201.97 governs supervisor-employee relationships at the university. It states a supervisor may not, “implicitly or explicitly, initiate or attempt to initiate an intimate relationship with a supervisee.”

It’s not clear whether Moore or his staff member initiated the relationship, which went on for multiple years, according to the prosecutor in Moore’s criminal case. But even if she initiated it, the policy still requires the supervisor, not the employee, to disclose the relationship to university officials. Upon disclosure, the university then would implement a management plan to remove the supervisor’s power over that employee.

“Recognizing that Intimate Relationships exist or may develop in the workplace that are not initiated by a Supervisor and are free from coercion and abuse of power, immediate disclosure of the relationship by the Supervisor is required,” the policy states. “Failure of the Supervisor to disclose an Intimate Relationship is a serious offense and cause for discipline, up to and including dismissal from employment.”

Moore did not previously disclose it, which alone is a policy violation that could have cost him his job. By contrast, the policy notes the disclosure requirement doesn’t apply to supervisees.

“Although encouraged, Supervisees have no obligation to disclose,” the policy states.

Why is the employee not required to disclose the affair?

The supervisor’s influence over the employee gives the employee reason to fear retaliation if the employee doesn’t obey the supervisor’s wishes. That could mean loss of job or pay.

In this case, Moore retaliated in a different way after she went against his wishes and reported the affair, according the prosecutor. Moore showed up at her apartment to confront her, leading him to get arrested on charges of stalking and home invasion.

The university doesn’t want to put employees in that position.

The policy recognizes the power supervisors have over employees gives them the opportunity to abuse it in these situations. It puts the onus on them for that reason — to disclose it and avoid initiating intimate relationships.

“Intimate Relationships initiated by a Supervisor are at high risk of being unwelcomed and experienced by the Supervisee as sexual harassment,” the policy states. “Supervisors are therefore responsible for understanding how their statements and conduct may reasonably be interpreted by persons who do not share their same level of power.”

How this policy came about

The policy came in response to a different scandal in 2020 involving university provost Martin Philbert, the second-highest administrator at the school. He was accused of sexually harassing multiple members of the university community, including university employees and graduate students who worked in his lab.

After the university hired a law firm to investigate, the firm produced a report that included some recommendations. One of those recommendations was to develop a standalone policy “explicitly focused on consensual relationships between employees in positions of unequal authority.”

“Philbert engaged in multiple sexual relationships with subordinate employees,” the report from WilmerHale stated. ‘Such relationships between employees — though they may be consensual — create the potential for actual and perceived conflicts of interest, exploitation, and favoritism where the employees occupy unequal positions of authority, and may disrupt the workplace environment.  Moreover, such relationships can involve issues of sexual harassment and retaliation.”

The university didn’t have a specific policy to address this previously and instead relied on its nepotism policy to address issues of favoritism and discrimination from employees’ “close personal relationships,” the report noted.

The university responded by adopting Policy No. 201.97 in July 2021. Less than five years later, it led to the firing of the football coach “supervisor” while sparing the “employee” in a relationship of unequal authority.

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

(This policy was updated to add new information.)

On Tuesday night, for the third time, there will be a new NBA Cup champion.

The San Antonio Spurs will take on the New York Knicks on Tuesday, Dec. 16 in Las Vegas to culminate the third playing of the event. But, now that it has become a staple of the NBA calendar, is it actually working?

By many metrics, the NBA Cup has been a resounding success.

More than 40 million viewers tuned in for group stage games, a 90% year-over-year increase. It was the most-watched group stage in the Cup’s three seasons. Headed into the quarterfinals, the international audience for NBA Cup games had also jumped, by 10%. Factoring in the high-profile Spurs-Thunder semifinal matchup over the weekend, that number is presumably even higher.

“It’s growing,” Hall of Fame guard and current Amazon Prime analyst Steve Nash told USA TODAY Sports in a phone interview. “The importance to the players and coaches is growing. That is, I think, the genesis of the success we’re going to see as it continues to grow.”

Those gains are evident through the league’s social channels, too.

Through the quarterfinals, content from NBA Cup games garnered 2.6 billion views across the NBA’s social and digital platforms, a 38% growth from last season. Content from NBA Cup days, on average, yielded 24% more views than non-Cup days.

The event has infused an element of competition that would otherwise be lacking during a stretch of the calendar when fans might be distracted by college football and the NFL.

And for the players, it’s no surprise that the financial incentive to win carries weight.

Each player on the NBA Cup championship team Tuesday night will claim an additional $530,933.

“When I see the court, I’m like, it’s just time to win the money,” Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels said Nov. 7, according to the Star Tribune. “We ain’t been to Vegas one time. At least come in first, second, or third, we get a little bit of money. So, whichever one we come in, I’m cool — we get a little wire transfer.”

It’s not just the players; the NBA Cup is also making the league money. Marketing partnerships have increased successively each season of the event, and the number of partners this year, 14, is double what it was during the inaugural playing in 2023.

It has also helped that, this year, premier NBA Cup games have been packaged on a new broadcast partner that has drawn positive reviews. In its first full season broadcasting NBA games, Amazon Prime has been a solid addition to the portfolio. Alongside Nash, former players like Dirk Nowitzki, Blake Griffin, Dwyane Wade and John Wall (among others) have treated pre- and post-game content as opportunities to educate fans about the inner workings of the game. Rejecting hot take and debate culture, the Amazon broadcasts have become appointment viewing.

Yet, there’s still work to be done.

Although audience, engagement and attendance are all up since the introduction of the event, the league will continue to monitor ways it can improve the NBA Cup, and might incorporate changes in the coming season to maximize reach and profit.

“It’s not perfect,” Nash continued. “Change is difficult. Trying to build something new is never straightforward, so there’s going to be bumps in the road. But, overall, I see how it’s gaining importance — from players and coaches, but how that all trickles down to the fans, too.”

‘Change the courts, please’

To market the tournament, the NBA contracted artist Victor Solomon the past two seasons to design custom alternate courts for each team to be used during Cup games. This is not new; the league also used alternate courts in the first iteration of the event in 2023, which was then known as the NBA In-Season Tournament. But the alternate floors, at best, have drawn mixed reviews.

Safety concerns emerged this season, after Los Angeles Lakers guards Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves complained about the surface at Crypto.com Arena being slick.

“Change the courts, please,” Dončić told reporters Nov. 25 after the Lakers beat the Clippers on their alternate NBA Cup floor. “It’s just slippery. It’s dangerous.”

Dončić’s concerns reached the Lakers front office, which elevated the matter. Eventually, prior to the team’s following home NBA Cup game, Wednesday, Dec. 11 against the Spurs, the alternate court had been returned to the vendor for repairs, according to ESPN. The Lakers played on their primary floor instead. The move, ESPN reported, was made out of an abundance of caution.

The night prior, during an NBA Cup East Quarterfinal game against the Miami Heat, the Orlando Magic also played on their primary court, though that was because their NBA Cup court was damaged while held in storage.

Fans are engaging with the NBA Cup because of the product atop the floor, not the paint on it. If anything, the unconventional — if not dizzying — colors and designs can detract from the viewing experience.

This season, the most controversial court was Minnesota’s, which drew widespread disapproval Nov. 7, when the Timberwolves first played on it, against the Utah Jazz.

The court was overwhelmingly fluorescent, almost like a giant green screen. It was so bright that, when cameras zoomed in on players’ faces during the broadcast, they were underlit in a hazy, green glow.

“It’s an honor to step on an NBA court,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said after the game, “no matter how ugly that court is.’

This is a case where subtlety might make more sense. The NBA should distinguish its NBA Cup courts to further heighten the stakes of the event, but it can do so in a more understated way. Perhaps, the league could incorporate a smaller decal or image of the NBA Cup trophy, or signage similar to the popular NBA Finals text that used to be visible near midcourt during the championship series.

The NBA Cup spawns questions about dense scheduling

John Hollinger of the Athletic conjectured in a recent article that the NBA Cup’s schedule has imposed further strain on the bodies of NBA players. The 2025-26 season has seen various soft-tissue injuries to some of the game’s biggest stars like Wembanyama and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Hollinger hypothesized that road travel for Cup games might in part be contributing to early fatigue.

NBA chief communications officer Mike Bass pushed back against that claim in a statement posted Thursday, Dec. 11 on social media. In the message, Bass cited data and said “The Cup has objectively not led to a denser league-wide schedule in the early part of the season.”

Injuries across the NBA are almost certainly multi-factorial, from the steady increasing of pace and average velocity across the league this season, to the extension of the basketball calendar with EuroBasket and international competition. There simply isn’t enough data to determine the impact of the NBA Cup on injuries.

Spreading travel days over a longer period, however, would be an easy step to ease any potential exhaustion players might be feeling.

Where does the NBA Cup go from here?

Players, by and large, thrive on competition. Initially, back in the inaugural year of the event, there was some confusion about the merits of the tournament.

“It’s weird, because the energy, you can tell is like something is happening,” then-Bucks player Damian Lillard said in November 2023 during a post-game interview. “But it’s new so I’m not really sure what the hell is going on. It seems like a moment — the court, the uniforms, TV game and all that, but I don’t think nobody really knows what’s going on. We just trying to get to Vegas.”

As players have had more experience in Cup games, however, that sentiment has largely faded.

The quality of matchups and storylines, however, will determine the success of the NBA Cup. The West semifinal upset on Saturday, Dec. 12, when the Spurs toppled the Oklahoma City Thunder in Wembanyama’s return from a 12-game, calf-strain absence flashed the potential of what the Cup can be: the established power, the defending NBA champion Thunder were challenged by upstarts. Some of the game’s brightest stars — Wembanyama and reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — had to will their teams.

If the Cup can become a playoff-lite, a precursor to the drama of May and June, the event will thrive.

The buy-in has already started. Sustaining it will be imperative.

“As competitors, we want to win every game,” Wembanyama told reporters Dec. 15. “And this one brings something new to the table, so we want to win it even more.”

The Tyler Skaggs wrongful death civil lawsuit thundered toward a conclusion Monday, Dec. 15, with lawyers for the deceased pitcher and the Los Angeles Angels’ legal team presenting their closing arguments.

Sometime Tuesday, Dec. 16, arguments and rebuttals will conclude and the jury will begin deliberations, tasked with determining whether the Angels knew or should have known their former communications director was providing opioids to Skaggs and other players, including the fentanyl-laced oxycodone pill that resulted in the pitcher’s death on July 1, 2019.

Eric Kay is serving a 22-year term in federal prison, and the Skaggs family is seeking $118 million in lost earnings and other damages in this civil trial.

Closing arguments lasted nearly four hours Dec. 15, The Athletic reported, with Skaggs family attorney Daniel Dutko accusing the Angels of ‘gaslighting’ the jury.

‘It’s trying to convince you of something that isn’t true,’ he said.

At issue is whether Kay’s distribution of opioids to Angels players fell within the scope of his regular duties as Angels communications director, with Skaggs attorneys arguing that Kay performed myriad tasks for the players, arranging tickets to sporting events, purchasing Viagra for one player and arranging massages and other appointments.

The Angels contend that Skaggs, who fought a Percocet addiction as an Arizona Diamondback before he was acquired by the Angels in 2013, was the ringleader of a group of Angels players who abused Oxycodone and other opioids.

Lead attorney Todd Theodora contended Skaggs made other Angels players aware that Kay could provide pills, that the Angels handled Kay properly by facilitating his treatment for opioid addiction earlier in 2019, his recovery threatened by Skaggs continuing to ask him for pills.

‘What you see here is a classic double standard,’ Thedora argued.

The final weeks of the trial, now stretching toward its second month, was marked by squabbles over Skaggs’ potential future earnings. The Angels deployed former major league general manager Dan Duquette to contend that Skaggs’ earnings potential was between zero and $50 million.

Skaggs was exactly halfway to his finest season as a pitcher, on track to make 30 starts and pitch a career-high 160 innings at the time of his death. As a left-handed starter, he would have always been a rare commodity on the free agent market.

The virtually impossible task of determining such value – and the risk for both sides of a massive jury award or nothing – creates the possibility of a settlement before the jury returns a verdict. A civil trial requires just eight of 12 jurors to agree on a verdict, and unlike a criminal trial, not needing to meet the standard of beyond a reasonable doubt.

The Los Angeles Rams and Denver Broncos clinched playoff spots last week. Could we see more teams earn playoff berths in Week 16?

Six teams won last week after trailing by at least 10 points, tied for the most in a single week in NFL history, per NFL Research.

Week 16 features multiple games with major playoff implications. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers visit the Carolina Panthers in a battle for first in the NFC South. The Jacksonville Jaguars and Denver Broncos put their winning streaks on the line in the Mile High City.

The Baltimore Ravens host the New England Patriots in a matchup between two AFC playoff contenders on ‘Sunday Night Football.’ Week 16 ends when 44-year-old Philip Rivers and the Indianapolis Colts travel to the Bay Area to take on the San Francisco 49ers on Dec. 22.

USA TODAY Sports provides the early predictions for Week 16:

Odds courtesy of BetMGM.

NFL Week 15 predictions, picks

Los Angeles Rams vs. Seattle Seahawks

Date: Thursday, Dec. 18

Time: 8:15 p.m. ET

Location: Lumen Field, Seattle

TV: N/A

Streaming: Prime Video

Spread: Rams (-1)

Tyler Dragon, USA TODAY: Rams 24, Seahawks 20

Sam Darnold had four interceptions in a Week 11 loss to the Rams. The Rams have proven to be a bad matchup for the quarterback. The absence of Davante Adams (hamstring) is a tough blow for the Rams.  

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Washington Commanders

Date: Saturday, Dec. 20

Time: 5 p.m. ET

Location: Northwest Stadium, Landover, MD

TV: FOX

Streaming: FUBO

Spread: Eagles (-6.5)

Tyler Dragon, USA TODAY: Eagles 28, Commanders 17

The Eagles had a get-right game against the lowly Raiders last week. Philly can clinch the division with a win. They won’t the opportunity versus Washington slip away.

Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears

Date: Saturday, Dec. 20

Time: 8:20 p.m. ET

Location: Soldier Field, Chicago

TV: FOX

Streaming: FUBO

Spread: Packers (-1.5)

Tyler Dragon, USA TODAY: Packers 25, Bears 21

Micah Parsons’ season-ending knee injury is a huge blow for Green Bay’s Super Bowl chances. But the NFC North division is still there for the taking. The Bears will play them tough at home.

Buffalo Bills vs. Cleveland Browns

Date: Sunday, Dec. 21

Time: 1 p.m. ET

Location: Huntington Bank Field, Cleveland

TV: CBS

Streaming: FUBO

Spread: Bills (-10)

Tyler Dragon, USA TODAY: Bills 26, Browns 17

Buffalo’s comeback win over the Patriots should give them momentum as they close the regular season. Myles Garrett is closing in on the NFL’s single-season sack record, but the Browns don’t have enough to compete with the Bills.

Los Angeles Chargers vs. Dallas Cowboys

Date: Sunday, Dec. 21

Time: 1 p.m. ET

Location: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX

TV: FOX

Streaming: FUBO

Spread: Cowboys (-1.5)

Tyler Dragon, USA TODAY: Chargers 23, Cowboys 20

The Cowboys are pretty much playing for pride at this point. The Chargers are still in contention for the AFC West crown. LA’s defense has been playing well lately. They’ll slow down the Cowboys offense (some).

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Tennessee Titans

Date: Sunday, Dec. 21

Time: 1 p.m. ET

Location: Nissan Stadium, Nashville, TN

TV: CBS

Streaming: FUBO

Spread: Chiefs (-3.5)

Tyler Dragon, USA TODAY: Chiefs 22, Titans 20

Kansas City’s season ended last week. Look for the Chiefs to play inspired for Patrick Mahomes, whose season-ending knee injury should be the genesis for a retooling in Kansas City.

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Miami Dolphins

Date: Sunday, Dec. 21

Time: 1 p.m. ET

Location: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL

TV: CBS

Streaming: FUBO

Spread: Bengals (-1)

Tyler Dragon, USA TODAY: Bengals 26, Dolphins 24

A battle between two disappointing teams. The Bengals and Dolphins are both eliminated from the playoffs, but I expect Joe Burrow to have a better performance after a bad outing in Week 15.

New York Jets vs. New Orleans Saints

Date: Sunday, Dec. 21

Time: 1 p.m. ET

Location: Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, LA

TV: CBS

Streaming: FUBO

Spread: Saints (-4)

Tyler Dragon, USA TODAY: Saints 20, Jets 17

The Saints are coming off two surprising wins over the top two teams in the NFC South. Kellen Moore, Tyler Shough and the Saints defense deserve a lot of credit for finishing the season strong. New Orleans carries its momentum against the Jets.

Minnesota Vikings vs. New York Giants  

Date: Sunday, Dec. 21

Time: 1 p.m. ET

Location: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ

TV: FOX

Streaming: FUBO

Spread: Vikings (-3)

Tyler Dragon, USA TODAY: Vikings 21, Giants 17

J.J. McCarthy is starting to play like a competent quarterback. McCarthy’s connection with Justin Jefferson still needs work, but Minnesota is improving.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Carolina Panthers  

Date: Sunday, Dec. 21

Time: 1 p.m. ET

Location: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC

TV: FOX

Streaming: FUBO

Spread: Bucs (-3)

Tyler Dragon, USA TODAY: Bucs 25, Panthers 20

This might be the game of the Week. The winner of this game takes control of the NFC South. I think the Bucs prove they are still the class of the division, but Carolina is coming.

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Denver Broncos  

Date: Sunday, Dec. 21

Time: 4:05 p.m. ET

Location: Empower Field at Mile High, Denver

TV: FOX

Streaming: FUBO

Spread: Broncos (-3)

Tyler Dragon, USA TODAY: Broncos 24, Jaguars 22

The Broncos have the longest active winning streak in the NFL at 11 games. Denver is closing in on the No. 1 seed in the AFC. The surging Jags are going to make it tough, though.

Atlanta Falcons vs. Arizona Cardinals   

Date: Sunday, Dec. 21

Time: 4:05 p.m. ET

Location: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ

TV: FOX

Streaming: FUBO

Spread: Falcons (-2.5)

Tyler Dragon, USA TODAY: Falcons 25, Cardinals 21

The Falcons had a huge win against Tampa Bay last week. I expect the Falcons to ride Bijan Robinson to victory in this one.

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Detroit Lions   

Date: Sunday, Dec. 21

Time: 4:25 p.m. ET

Location: Ford Field, Detroit

TV: CBS

Streaming: FUBO

Spread: Lions (-7)

Tyler Dragon, USA TODAY: Lions 28, Steelers 24

Expect this to be a physical game between two teams battling to get in the playoffs. The Lions need to win out, and get help, to earn a playoff berth. Detroit’s the more desperate team. The Lions should be favored, but a seven-point spread feels like a lot. Pittsburgh’s won two in a row.

Las Vegas Raiders vs. Houston Texans   

Date: Sunday, Dec. 21

Time: 4:25 p.m. ET

Location: NRG Stadium, Houston

TV: CBS

Streaming: FUBO

Spread: Texans (-14.5)

Tyler Dragon, USA TODAY: Texans 26, Raiders 10

It’s simple. The Raiders are the worst team in the NFL. Houston’s won six straight games, they are at home and fighting for a playoff spot.

New England Patriots vs. Baltimore Ravens   

Date: Sunday, Dec. 21

Time: 8:20 p.m. ET

Location: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, MD

TV: NBC

Streaming: Peacock

Spread: Ravens (-3)

Tyler Dragon, USA TODAY: Ravens 28, Patriots 27

I’m surprised the Ravens are home favorites in this one. I originally picked Baltimore to win the Super Bowl. A win against New England could catapult them as they close the year against Green Bay and Pittsburgh.

Indianapolis Colts vs. San Francisco 49ers   

Date: Monday, Dec. 22

Time: 8:20 p.m. ET

Location: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN

TV: ESPN

Streaming: FUBO

Spread: 49ers (-5.5)

Tyler Dragon, USA TODAY: 49ers 24, Colts 20

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.

The Pittsburgh Steelers remain on top of the AFC North.

On a cold Monday night in Pittsburgh, the Steelers (8-6) defeated the Miami Dolphins (6-8), 28-15.

The Dolphins scored the game’s first points on a field goal in what was a defensive battle for most of the first half. The Steelers put together a 12-play, 60-yard touchdown drive at the end of the second period, which was part of 28 unanswered points between three quarters.

It’s Pittsburgh’s second straight win.

The Dolphins’ loss snapped their four-game winning streak and they are now mathematically eliminated from the playoff contention.

USA TODAY Sports examines the winners and losers from the Week 15 AFC matchup on ‘Monday Night Football’:

WINNERS

Steelers defense without T.J. Watt

The Steelers defense was stout even without their best player, T.J. Watt, who underwent lung surgery last week. Watt suffered a partially collapsed lung during a dry needling treatment at the team facility on Dec. 10. The Steelers defense played well without the 2021 NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

Pittsburgh held Miami to just three points and had a takeaway in the first half.

The Steelers defense erased Miami’s offense in the third quarter; the Dolphins had minus-20 yards in the period.

The Steeles defense sacked Tua Tagovailoa four times and intercepted him once. They did give up two touchdowns during garbage time in the fourth quarter, which made the game appear more competitive than it was.

Dolphins running back De’Von Achane was held to 60 rushing yards.

Steelers offense

The Steelers were ranked in the bottom half of the NFL in total offense (284.5), pass offense (195.2) and run offense (89.2) entering Week 15. In the first half it showed. However, Pittsburgh turned it up in the second half.

The Steelers scored 21 points after halftime and gained 220 total yards.

Kenneth Gainwell tallied 126 yards from scrimmage.

DK Metcalf had a strong touchdown catch. He finished with three catches for 55 yards and a touchdown.

The Steelers gained 336 yards of total offense, passing for 201 and rushing for 135 yards. Those numbers represent improvements from their averages.

Aaron Rodgers

Rodgers was efficient in the win. He completed 23-of-27 passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns. He now has multiple touchdown passes in 166 career games.

Mike Tomlin’s .500 record streak

Remember those “fire Mike Tomlin” chants? Those calls seem to be a thing of the past.

Tomlin’s closing in on a 19^th consecutive season with a .500-or-better record, the longest such streak to begin a head coaching tenure in NFL history.

LOSERS

Dolphins’ playoff hopes

The loss eliminated Miami from the AFC playoff race. The Dolphins had entered Week 15 riding a four-game winning streak.

Tua Tagovailoa in cold weather

Tagovailoa is 0-6 when the temperature is 40 degrees or colder.

Tagovailoa threw his league-leading 15^th interception. The interception happened on an underthrown deep pass to Jaylen Waddle in the first quarter. The underthrown pass won’t quiet critics about his arm strength.

The Dolphins quarterback finished with 254 passing yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Most of his positive plays happened when the game was out of reach. He had a few passes that could’ve been intercepted.

Miami’s third quarter

The Dolphins didn’t show up after halftime.

The Dolphins defense gave up 14 points and 163 total yards in the third quarter. The offense was worse.

Miami’s offense had an abysmal minus-20 yards of total offense in the third quarter. The Dolphins ran six total plays in the period and nothing worked.

First half offense

Both defenses won the first half. The first two quarters resembled a Pirates vs. Marlins baseball game. The Steelers entered halftime with a 7-3 lead, but it was a struggle offensively for both squads.

The Dolphins went 1-4 on third downs and Tua Tagovailoa underthrew Jaylen Waddle on a deep pass that was picked off by Steelers CB Asante Samuel Jr.

Pittsburgh punted on its first three possessions. The Steelers put together a 60-yard touchdown drive on their final offensive series in the first half.

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.

• The Chiefs have an extensive list of offseason concerns after being eliminated from the playoff race.
• Reworking Patrick Mahomes’ contract and finding a suitable fill-in should be atop the priorities for Kansas City after the quarterback suffered a torn ACL.
• Kansas City also will be under pressure to find a successor to Travis Kelce and reconfigure an ineffective rushing attack.

“Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead.”

It’s a jingle the fine people of Kansas (and Missouri) are quite familiar with. And maybe it’s a touch apropos now that a Kansas City Chiefs season has died short of the playoffs for the first time in 11 years, though that’s likely not exactly an unwelcome development for the legions of hardcore and casual NFL fans that have developed K.C. fatigue over the past decade.

But let’s be clear, there’s no body to bury here. Not yet.

These Chiefs remain a living, breathing dynasty, one that’s won three Lombardi Trophies and appeared in five Super Bowls since the start of the 2019 campaign. This postseason will mark the first since 2017’s that Kansas City is absent from the AFC championship game. An organization that has already shown the ability to reimagine itself on the fly can’t and shouldn’t be discounted simply based on one disappointing chapter.

“Every year is a journey. Success is rented every year. Every year you get to rent success, and sometimes it doesn’t go the way you plan for it to go,” All-Pro DT Chris Jones said after Sunday’s loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, the defeat that officially staked the Chiefs.

“I think we learned a lot this year and we understand the fact that in order to be successful, it’s an everyday thing. It’s not one week you put in and next week, no. It’s a consistent thing and we have a lot of guys coming back and they know that it’s rented every year. Just because last year’s team made the Super Bowl, that doesn’t guarantee success.

“(W)e’re going to keep on going. Something to build off of and looking forward to next year.”

Right on.

That being said, as they would after any season – but especially so while being armed with unfamiliar (and welcome, in its own way) extra time in the coming months – the Kansas City brain trust of head coach Andy Reid, GM Brett Veach and even owner Clark Hunt will have to take a close look at the overarching operation as they assess their next moves going into 2026.

Here are seven steps the Chiefs should take if they want to restore themselves to championship relevance a year from now:

1. Address Patrick Mahomes’ contract

The three-time Super Bowl MVP’s pact – the famous 10-year, $450 million extension he signed in 2020 – runs through the 2031 season. But he’s due for an adjustment. Mahomes doesn’t make a stink about his paychecks but it is notable that his average annual salary ($45 million) is now tied for 14th (with Kirk Cousins) among NFL quarterbacks.

Moving forward, a restructure is needed not only to compensate Mahomes fairly but because his deal is about to affect the team’s ability to maneuver at large. His base salary balloons to more than $45 million in both 2026 and 2027 – it was $1.3 million in 2025 – and his salary cap hit will exceed $74 million in each of the next two years. In a word: untenable. That’s especially true given the team is overspent by nearly $44 million next year, per Over The Cap.

History suggests the parties will find a happy medium that rewards Mahomes but also allows Veach and Reid to maintain the competitive roster he demands.

2. Find the right backup quarterback

It probably wouldn’t shock anyone if Mahomes is behind center on opening day of the 2026 season. But in case you missed it, he did suffer a torn ACL at the end of Sunday’s loss to the Bolts and consequently – once surgery is performed – Mahomes is going to be rehabbing the joint pretty much right up to Week 1 next year, if not beyond. And the Chiefs need to operate as if he won’t be ready, to say nothing of the fact that they need someone trustworthy to take the bulk of the first-string snaps in the offseason.

The next three weeks should be a nice sample size to see if current QB2 Gardner Minshew II, something of a diet Mahomes (very low-calorie) given his ability to capture a locker room and sling it on the field, is the right fit. Barring that, Carson Wentz, who backed up Mahomes in 2024, could be an option. Blaine Gabbert, who held the job in 2023, hasn’t played since. Other potential fill-in alternatives scheduled to be on the free agent market include Teddy Bridgewater, Joe Flacco, Jimmy Garoppolo, Marcus Mariota, Kenny Pickett, Tyrod Taylor and Russell Wilson.

3. Target a replacement for Travis Kelce

This doesn’t necessarily mean a divorce from Kelce, who’s generally been more consistent and productive than he was in 2024 – and he was a Pro Bowler then despite his statistical dip. But these are the facts: He’d be 37 next season, his contract is about to expire, he’s set to marry pop superstar Taylor Swift and enter into a new phase of life, and it’s not clear whether or not he’s ready to retire anyway – though he did reference playing next year during the Chiefs’ spring workouts.

Regardless, it’s time to lay the groundwork for a successor − particularly considering how reliant Mahomes has historically been on his tight end. Backup Noah Gray, 26, has made an impact in previous seasons but has been used sparingly in the pass game this year. Ohio State’s Max Klare or Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq could be compelling options at draft time, but neither would come cheaply. There will likely also be free agents worthy of close consideration – Kyle Pitts, David Njoku, Cade Otton and Isaiah Likely among them – and none might cost the $17.1 million Kelce has averaged on his current deal … though gifted Pitts’ market could potentially take off after the performance he just put on display.

Kelce is close with Mahomes, and his teammates have long raved about his work ethic and personality. But even if Kelce and the team decide they want to make one more Lombardi run together in 2026, the returns from a fading star had already begun diminishing.

4. Upgrade at running back

The Chiefs have generally been middling at best on the ground during their dynastic era, and that tends to track with Reid’s historic approach to running the ball. They currently rank 20th in the league with 113.9 rushing yards per game – yet Mahomes’ career-high 422 in 2025 is a significant component. Unideal.

It might have been an overdue move anyway, but given Mahomes will be coming back from the knee injury, this seems like the right time to invest more in the backfield. That doesn’t mean Reid has to use a first-round pick on the next Jamaal Charles. Yet his best backs with the Philadelphia Eagles, Brian Westbrook and LeSean McCoy, didn’t require a Round 1 expenditure – but certainly proved worthy of the third- and second-rounders spent on them, respectively. Barring that, it could make sense to target a multi-purpose back like Breece Hall or Travis Etienne in free agency as either could not only reduce the load on Mahomes in the short term but could elevate this offense as a whole over a longer period. But biding time with the likes of Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt, who are unsigned beyond this season anyway, doesn’t seem viable.

5. Tweak the offensive line

Mahomes has been sacked 70 times over the past two seasons – not including a career-high six in Kansas City’s Super Bowl 59 loss to Philadelphia – and would likely have set a new career high for a season in 2025 if he was available for the final three weeks. And, to be sure, his propensity to extend plays contributes on that front.

Injuries have plagued Kansas City’s front five this year and, by extension, Mahomes and the offense at large. C Creed Humphrey and Gs Trey Smith and Kingsley Suamataia are probably the league’s premier interior trio when they’re all on the field together … but they haven’t been in recent weeks due to Smith’s bum ankle. Rookie LT Josh Simmons got rave reviews this year, but a wrist injury plus a family matter disrupted his season. The first-rounder should be fine moving forward.

But it’s time to move on from RT Jawaan Taylor. He’s too inconsistent, incurs too many penalties and isn’t worth another $19.5 million next season, when he won’t have any guarantees on the final year of his contract. Better to turn that job over to Jaylon Moore and find better overall depth on the market and in the draft.

6. Reassess the defense

Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s crew remains a top-10 unit and has allowed the fifth-fewest points (19.1) per game this season. But it might be time to re-examine things for the greater good. The Chiefs can’t realistically replicate their 2022 trade of WR Tyreek Hill, a maneuver that reshaped the organization and widened the championship window given the draft assets he returned from the Miami Dolphins. But it could be time to consider offloading players like Jones and/or Trent McDuffie in a renewed bid at maintaining this organization at or near the top of the league’s food chain.

Jones, 31, didn’t play well early on this season but has reclaimed his Pro Bowl form lately. Elite interior disruptors are hard to come by, and he might be the missing piece for a team like the Detroit Lions or New England Patriots, for example. And this might be the point to offer him a fresh start with a strong squad while divesting the final three seasons of his five-year, $159 million deal.

McDuffie, 25, is set to earn $13.6 million in 2026, the final season on the rookie deal of a player drafted in the aftermath of Hill’s departure. There’s certainly a solid case to keep one of the league’s best and most versatile defensive backs. But given his age, ability and contractual control (at present), McDuffie is the kind of chip that could elicit a valuable return – likely more than what Jones would fetch.

Spagnuolo’s D already faces key offseason decisions. But every good team has to make choices, and − given his tactical abilities − it seems to make more sense to make concessions here given what the offense is facing.

7. Take a cultural checkup

This isn’t to suggest that the Chiefs are going off the rails or have suddenly become complacent. Tom Brady tore his ACL in the 2008 opener – against Kansas City ironically – in the first game after the Patriots’ 16-0 regular season in 2007. He returned the next year, but the team also transformed around him and didn’t win another Super Bowl until the end of the 2014 season – ending a 10-year Lombardi drought while also sparking the second half of the two-decade Patriot reign.

Next season would be Reid’s 14th in Kansas City, matching the number of years he coached in Philadelphia. Ten years often marks the expiration date for many coaches and their messages. But Reid, 67, is beloved by his players, loves a challenge and has shown no signs of wanting to wind his career down. And Mahomes is the rare luxury who’s a coaching extension on the field, a fierce competitor who pulls his teammates up to his level, and an unselfish player committed to literally sharing the wealth in order to have a topflight roster around him.

“(Y)ou’ve got to stay ahead of the game as a coach. And that’s every offseason. That’s the challenge,’ Reid said Monday.

There will be turnover in Kansas City. Players like WR Hollywood Brown, S Bryan Cook, CB Jaylen Watson and maybe even Kelce – all of them pending free agents – could exit. OC Matt Nagy might get a second shot as a head coach. Change is a constant in the NFL.

But this franchise has been run as well as any in league history. Maybe the Chiefs can’t simply click their ruby and gold slippers and return to the Super Bowl. But the guys behind the curtain − and in front of it − shouldn’t suddenly require a sweeping overhaul to make this team great and powerful once again.