Sports
Ex-NFL star Shawne Merriman optimistic about Chargers through 2 weeks
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Former Los Angeles Chargers star Shawne Merriman put naysayers on notice after the team walloped the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday night, 20-9, to move to 2-0 on the season.
Merriman told Fox News Digital in a recent interview that the all-around performance from the team showed that they’re true contenders for the conference title.
“If anybody didn’t believe they were going to be contenders, not only in the AFC West, but in the AFC in general, you haven’t been paying attention,” he said. “First of all, Jim Harbaugh won at every program, organization he’s been to the last several years. Two, this is Justin Herbert’s first year having a stable situation where he’s had the same head coach, same offensive coordinator, you know, same, same, same. He hasn’t had that since he’s been playing with the Chargers. Every year, he’s had to learn something new.”
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Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) hands the ball off to Los Angeles Chargers running back Najee Harris (22) at Allegiant Stadium on Sept. 15, 2025. (Kiyoshi Mio/Imagn Images)
The first seasons Herbert, who had 242 passing yards and two passing touchdowns against the Raiders, had the same offensive coordinator was in 2021 and 2022 with Joe Lombardi while Brandon Staley was the head coach. With Harbaugh as the head coach, he’s kept Greg Roman on as the offensive coordinator from last season to this season.
Merriman also touted how the entire team has been built and that they no longer have to rely on Herbert trying to make all of the plays to win a game.
“Now, you have a team that’s not relying on Justin Herbert to win anymore,” he said. “If he plays well, great. If he doesn’t, they can still win. The fact that you have the quarterback with the biggest arm in the National Football League that can win games for you is a bonus. But this team is physical on both sides of the football. … This is a big, strong, physical team – that’s their DNA.”
The Kansas City Chiefs have been the cream of the crop in the AFC West for the last nine years. But going into Week 3, they find themselves 0-2 to start the year.
Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston (1) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Las Vegas Raiders during the first half of an NFL football game, Monday, Sept. 15, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
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Merriman noted that the Chiefs can no longer rely on Patrick Mahomes to do everything for them and will have to address the holes in their team and their aging stars.
“This is not a knock on the Chiefs at all, but you can only rely on Patrick Mahomes for so long. We’ve seen it with some of the greatest quarterbacks in the business,” he told Fox News Digital. “How long have we seen it with Aaron Rodgers? They didn’t give him a No. 1 wide receiver. They didn’t get people around him. They just say, ‘Hey, you’re Aaron Rodgers. You can go win a lot of football games for us. You don’t need any help.’ And that gets you so far because you can win a lot of games with great quarterbacks.
“Travis Kelce may go down as the greatest or top three greatest tight end of all time, but he’s just like the rest of us. He’s getting older. He can’t do what he used to do five years ago. Xavier Worthy went down with a shoulder. They don’t have a deep threat right now. They can’t run the football effectively. But the Chiefs are still a good team. The Chargers are just better, and that happens in the division when people get better around you and you don’t.”
Los Angeles Chargers safety Tony Jefferson (23) celebrates after making an interception against the Las Vegas Raiders during the first half of an NFL football game, Monday, Sept. 15, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
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The Chargers will have their home opener on Sunday against the Denver Broncos.
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Lindsey Vonn plans Olympics comeback despite ACL injury
Three-time Olympic medalist Lindsey Vonn discusses her plan to compete in the Winter Olympics despite rupturing her ACL. Sports medicine expert Dr. Rick Lehman assesses her chances and the risks involved, noting her mental toughness.
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Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance were spotted at the Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Milan, Italy, at San Siro on Friday night.
The Milan Cortina Olympics were officially opening with a ceremony celebrating the history and culture of the country. The vice president and Usha Vance were seated near Italian President Sergio Mattarella and International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry were introduced in the stadium. Former IOC president Thomas Bach was also seated near them.
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JD Vance and his wife Usha applaud at the start of the Olympic opening ceremony at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
The NBC broadcast briefly showed the Vances clapping for Mattarella and Coventry.
Vance was among those leading the American contingent to the Olympic Games in Italy this year. He was spotted with Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the U.S. women’s ice hockey game against the Czech Republic on Thursday. The Americans won the game, 5-1.
It was a part of a busy trip for Vance.
Vice President JD Vance, center, attends the Olympic opening ceremony at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (Andreas Rentz/Pool Photo via AP)
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On Friday, he started his day at the Milano Ice Skating Arena, watching the opening session of the three-day team figure skating competition with Rubio and his family. He then headed to the Prefettura di Milano for a bilateral meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
“In the spirit of the Olympics friendship, competition — competition based on rules — and just coming together around shared values, we’re very, very thrilled to be here, and we’ll have a great conversation about number of topics,” Vance told Meloni as the press corps looked on.
Vice President JD Vance, center, and his wife Usha Vance attend the figure skating ice dance team event at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
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He said he had been excited to go to the Olympics in Milan “pretty much since I became vice president.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Gus Kenworthy, a British-American Olympic skier who is set to compete for Great Britain in freestyle skiing, posted a graphic anti-ICE message on his social media as opening ceremonies were set to begin for the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics on Friday.
Kenworthy posted a photo on his Instagram that showed the words “f— ICE” on snow in what appeared to be urine. He urged Americans to call their senators to pressure them into voting against Department of Homeland Security funding negotiations.
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Gus Kenworthy of Great Britain looks on during training prior to competing in the Men’s Freeski Halfpipe Final during the Toyota US Grand Prix 2025 at Copper Mountain on Dec. 20, 2025 in Copper Mountain, Colorado. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
“Innocent people have been murdered, and enough is enough,” he captioned the post. “We can’t wait around while ICE continues to operate with unchecked power in our communities. Senators still have leverage right now, and Senator [Name] must use it to demand real guardrails and accountability — including getting ICE and CBP out of our communities, ending blank-check funding for brutality, and establishing clear limits on warrantless arrests, profiling, and enforcement at sensitive locations like schools and hospitals.”
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said Kenworthy wouldn’t be punished for his political viewpoint.
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Gus Kenworthy (GBR) competes in the freestyle skiing-mens halfpipe final during the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games at Genting Snow Park on Feb. 19, 2022. (Jack Gruber/USA TODAY Sports)
“During the Olympic Games, all participants have the opportunity to express their views as per the athlete expression guidelines. The IOC does not regulate personal social media posts,” the IOC told the Press Association.
The message came amid outrage over U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) operations in Minnesota. In January, Renee Good and Alex Pretti were killed.
ICE agents were also expected to act as security for U.S. officials. It prompted outrage from Italian officials and sparked protests around the country.
Gus Kenworthy of the United States celebrates at the end of his second run in the men’s ski slopestyle final at the Rosa Khutor Extreme Park at the 2014 Winter Olympics, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2014, in Krasnaya Polyana, Russia. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
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Kenworthy was born in Great Britain but moved to Colorado as a child. He represented the U.S. in the 2014 Olympics in Sochi but chose to compete for Great Britain in 2019.
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Sports
Christian McCaffrey reflects on 2025 success after injury-plagued 2024 season: ‘Just thank God’
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SAN FRANCISCO – As long as Christian McCaffrey is on the field, he’s going to show out.
The San Francisco 49ers star running back was the only non-quarterback to be an MVP finalist, and was also in the running for his second Offensive Player of the Year Award in three years after putting up 2,126 scrimmage yards and scoring 17 total touchdowns.
In most cases, that should surprise nobody, but given McCaffrey’s devastating 2024 season, when he missed 13 games due to Achilles tendinitis and a knee injury, “what if” was in the conversation.
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Kyle Juszczyk of the San Francisco 49ers and Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers celebrate after McCaffrey’s receiving touchdown during the first quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Cleveland Browns Stadium on Oct. 15, 2023, in Cleveland, Ohio. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
“Yeah, you know, I think last year was tough. There was a lot of uncertainty for me the whole offseason just working extremely hard day and night to try to come back to where I needed to be,” McCaffrey told Fox News Digital on Radio Row. “I really just thank God. I feel very fortunate that I played in every game. You know, that’s something I don’t take for granted ever anymore. And I feel blessed to be able to come out of the season healthy.”
McCaffrey became just the second player ever to be nominated for MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, and Comeback Player of the Year in the same season. He was also voted by fans as one of FedEx’s Air & Ground Players of the Year.
“This is a cool award. Voted for by the fans, which makes it really cool, and it’s been going on for 23 years now, so it’s one of the longest NFL awards. So, I’m super thankful,” McCaffrey said. “They’re also giving $15,000 to Feeding America, a local food bank here in San Francisco. So, you know, getting an award, being able to give back a little bit, it’s pretty cool.”
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey celebrates after scoring against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Glendale, Arizona. (AP Photo/Matt York)
McCaffrey won the Comeback Player of the Year on Thursday night given last year’s injuries and this year’s rousing success. Given his age, many were worried that it was the beginning of the end.
McCaffrey, too, was admittedly nervous, but that is not exactly a new feeling for him.
“I’ve been worrying since I was in high school. Most of my mindset is just worrying. You know, part of what drives me is just that, you know, that anxiety of not living up to my potential or not being able to play. So, that’s definitely something that’s always in my head transparently,” McCaffrey said. “But I think that’s the beauty of training. Whenever that’s kind of how you start, and then you train and train and train and do all the things you can to get to where you want to be, which will instill confidence that, you know what? I trust my training. I know that I can do this now. I feel good about where I’m at.”
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, right, celebrates his touchdown with offensive tackle Trent Williams during the first half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023, in Inglewood, California. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
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McCaffrey will be 30 years old by the time he plays meaningful football again, but after nearly another 1,000-1,000 yard season, there’s not much to worry about.
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