Sports
Colts’ Howard abruptly retires, says ‘family first’
INDIANAPOLIS — Veteran cornerback Xavien Howard signed with the Indianapolis Colts in August hoping to revive his career after a year away from the NFL.
Now, after four games, the four-time Pro Bowl selection has decided to abruptly reverse course.
Howard, 32, informed the Colts on Wednesday of his decision to retire on the heels of a much-criticized performance against the Los Angeles Rams and star receiver Puka Nacua on Sunday. Howard was not at practice Wednesday, but the team’s injury report indicated he was absent because of a personal matter.
In a statement posted to social media, Howard wrote that “my dream has now changed” and he is “no longer willing” to put football before his family.
“My purpose has been fulfilled in this sport, but my kids are more important to me than football,” he wrote. “I’ve had a hell of a career, and even though it’s ending in a unique way, I’m cool with that because for once I’m putting my family first and I’m proud and excited about that decision.”
Coach Shane Steichen and defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo had fielded repeated questions since the game about their intentions moving forward with Howard, who had been starting as an outside cornerback for Indianapolis since Week 1. Neither coach indicated any plan to make a lineup change.
Asked Wednesday whether he might discuss a personnel change, Steichen left the door open for Howard to remain in the lineup. There was no indication the Colts were considering releasing Howard prior to his retirement decision.
“As the head coach, obviously, I have final decision on all those things and we have those conversations throughout the week,” Steichen said. “Looking back, too, with Xavien, those were two elite receivers [Nacua and Davante Adams] that we were going up against last week. So, again, we’ll go through the process this week and evaluate everything like we do every week.”
Howard’s struggles Sunday were inexplicable. According to Next-Gen Stats, he was the nearest defender on seven receptions that produced 112 yards and a touchdown. The Colts elected to use No. 1 cornerback Charvarius Ward mostly against Adams, but Adams also made a play during one of his rare snaps lined up against Howard. Nacua finished with 13 catches for 170 yards — both season highs.
Asked after the Rams game whether he felt quarterback Matthew Stafford was targeting him, Howard said, “I don’t. It’s football at the end of the day.” Asked to evaluate his performance, he said, “Not to my ability.”
The struggles in Los Angeles followed a tough outing in Week 2 against the Denver Broncos, when Howard was flagged twice for pass interference and once for defensive holding.
In spite of his ending, Howard walks away from the NFL with an impressive track record. He twice led the NFL in interceptions during his time with the Miami Dolphins, who drafted him in the second round in 2016. In 2020, when he had a career year with league highs in interceptions (10) and passes defensed (20), he was a first-team All-Pro and a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year.
Howard has 29 career interceptions, third among active players behind Harrison Smith and Kevin Byard III. He started 103 career games.
Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique could only admire the spectacle on display Wednesday night at the Olympic Stadium.
What he saw was his PSG side rally for victory against his former team Barcelona to secure a 2-1 win and a perfect record in the Champions League after two matches of the league phase.
Gonçalo Ramos capped the comeback in second-half stoppage time in front of a stunned home crowd, who saw their team lose its first match of the season and for the third time in a row at home to PSG following defeats in the 2021 and 2024 Champions League knockout rounds.
“We’ve seen an excellent game,” Luis Enrique said. “When you see two teams who don’t kick each other, who go out to play and to do damage with the ball, you get a really good spectacle. [Barcelona] were better until their goal. We recovered well. We were better in the second half.
“We played really well. It was difficult at first. Barcelona have a lot of quality. We made mistakes in the first 20 minutes. We were better after the break, we deserved it. It’s a big win. It’s always hard playing against Barça. It’s an important win for confidence. Last year, we struggled in the league phase.”
The game also highlighted the stellar play of PSG outside backs Achraf Hakimi, who set up Ramos for the winning goal, and Nuno Mendes, who assisted on PSG’s opening goal and largely shut down Barça star Lamine Yamal in the second half.
Yamal got off to a promising start Wednesday, awing the crowd with a great run just minutes into the match at Montjuic stadium. But he couldn’t do much more after that, with the 23-year-old Mendes containing him most of the time.
“I’m very pleased to see the younger players thriving in this match; learning, playing well, impressing our fans,” Luis Enrique said after the match. “We consistently play rivals of a really high level. The most important thing for me is our DNA, our attitude — as a squad and as a club — and that’s what we saw today.”
The 18-year-old Yamal made his first start for Barcelona since August because of an injury sustained while playing with Spain’s national team during the international break in September. He came off the bench for the Catalan club in its 2-1 win against Real Sociedad in LaLiga on Sunday.
PSG is the the first team to win three straight road games against Barcelona in major European competitions, while Hansi Flick’s side was looking to win a sixth consecutive match across all competitions.
Luis Enrique did not want to read too much into the result with just two rounds of the Champions League played thus far, and a good chance his team will see Barcelona at some point down the line as the tournament progresses.
“This is just one result so in no case [does it prove anything],” Luis Enrique said. “Barça are among the candidates to win the Champions League. They play really well. They are a top level side. This is just the start of the competition. There are six games left; we will see what happens.
“But I have no doubts because I like how they play. There are not many teams with a clear identity like theirs. Barça are clearly among the favourites with us. But it’s just getting started. Let’s see how everyone arrives to the knockout rounds.”
ESPN’s Sam Marsden and The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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San Diego Padres star reliever Mason Miller made MLB postseason history on Wednesday night in an effort to keep his team’s season alive.
The Padres needed a win in Game 2 of their Wild Card series against the Chicago Cubs after losing Game 1 on Tuesday afternoon in the Windy City, and they leaned on the star-studded bullpen to get the job done.
Miller was among those as he pitched nearly two innings, but it was his ninth pitch of the night that rewrote the MLB record books. The flame-throwing righty threw a 104.5 mph fastball to strike out Cubs catcher Carson Kelly.
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Mason Miller of the San Diego Padres throws a pitch in the seventh inning against the Chicago Cubs during game two of the National League Wild Card Series at Wrigley Field on Oct. 1, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
That pitch wasn’t just the fastest Miller has thrown in his career, but it’s also the fastest pitch in the postseason since pitching track in 2008, according to MLB.com’s Sarah Langs.
It was an incredible outing by Miller, who struck out all five of the batters he faced over 1.2 innings of work. In all, he’s seen seven batters in this Wild Card series, and he’s set all of them down by strikeout.
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The Padres went with Robert Suarez, another stud right-hander, for the final four outs in the 3-0 victory that brings this postseason bout to a decisive Game 3 on Thursday in Chicago.
Freddy Fermin and Mason Miller of the San Diego Padres interact during Game Two of the National League Wild Card Series between the San Diego Padres and the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
San Diego’s offense saw a jolt thanks to veteran third baseman Manny Machado, who belted a two-run homer in the top of the fifth inning to pull ahead after one run scored by the Padres in the first inning.
The Padres’ pitching staff held the Cubs to just four scattered hits in this game, as Dylan Cease went 3.2 innings, allowing three hits and striking out five over his 69-pitch outing.
It may have been short, but that’s what happens when you have the arms San Diego does in the bullpen. Adrian Morejon went 2.1 innings without allowing a hit before Miller came in.
Mason Miller of the San Diego Padres pitches during Game Two of the National League Wild Card Series between the San Diego Padres and the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
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More of the same should be expected in a do-or-die game, though the ball will first go to the veteran Yu Darvish. The Cubs will turn to Jameson Taillon to start Game 3.
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The Cleveland Browns are turning to rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel this week against the Minnesota Vikings in London, as head coach Kevin Stefanski shakes things up already at the position following a 1-3 start.
It’s a move that the 40-year-old veteran appeared blindsided by.
“Listen, I think I said it on Sunday, anytime you’re in this league, everybody’s always getting evaluated,” Flacco said, via Pro Football Talk. “The job of the quarterback is to help your team win football games. So, I don’t know if I foresaw it coming, but listen, me and Kevin can have a good conversation. It’s not like anything that was super long or drawn out like that. But, got to the point, had a good conversation about it, and it is what it is.”
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Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco (15) throws the ball during warm ups before the game against the Green Bay Packers at Huntington Bank Field on Sept. 21, 2025. (Scott Galvin/Imagn Images)
Flacco will move to QB2, backing up Gabriel in London, while Shedeur Sanders, the fellow rookie of Gabriel, remains third on the depth chart.
While all talk was on the two rookies taken in the 2025 NFL Draft, especially after Sanders was taken in the fifth round in shocking fashion, Stefanski made it clear in training camp that Flacco was the starter after going through practices.
But through four games this season, Flacco has thrown just two touchdowns to six interceptions, completing only 58.1% of his passes in the process. As a result, the Browns’ offense is averaging just 14 points per game.
Now, serving as a backup isn’t what Flacco had in mind, but he’s ready to help Gabriel in any way possible.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) drops back to pass during the second half against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on Sept. 14, 2025. (Peter Casey/Imagn Images)
“I think the best way to help him is continue to come to work with a good mindset every day and provide that positive energy and see what he needs on his end,” Flacco explained. “Listen, he’s into it, man. He’s ready to go. I’m sure he’s super excited about this opportunity. You can tell he takes it seriously just by the way he studies and his intent in the meeting rooms and on the practice field.”
Flacco rejoined the Browns this season, the same team he miraculously took to the 2023 playoffs which earned him the Comeback Player of the Year award. He’s a Super Bowl winner in the AFC North, though with the Baltimore Ravens, where he spent most of his career.
Given his pedigree, Flacco is disappointed in how he’s performed to start the season despite being ready if necessary in a backup role.
Joe Flacco of the Cleveland Browns looks to throw the ball against the Green Bay Packers at Huntington Bank Field on Sept. 21, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Jason Miller/Getty Images)
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“I think every situation is unique,” he said. “And I think you do get emotional about it, so it’s tough to, in the moment, draw on those experiences.”
Flacco will be on the sideline watching as Gabriel takes on the Vikings, who fell to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Dublin, Ireland in Week 4, 24-21.
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