Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson will reportedly sit on the bench for the final two weeks of the regular season.

A two-point win over the Green Bay Packers in late October sparked a five-game winning streak, but the team has since dropped three of their last four games. Wilson has shown signs of improvement this season under first-year Broncos coach Sean Payton, although the coach and quarterback duo’s relationship has seemed tense at times. 

Wilson finished the Christmas Eve loss to the New England Patriots with 238 passing yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. However, he largely struggled in the first three quarters before helping the offense generate points late in the game. 

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However, the move to sit Wilson for the remainder of the season is not solely based on the signal caller’s performance. The franchise appears to also be taking some financial factors into consideration. 

According to NFL Network, the Broncos are looking to persevere its financial flexibility for the offseason.

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Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson, #3, throws during the second half of an NFL football game against the New England Patriots, Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023, in Denver. (AP Photo/Geneva Heffernan)

Wilson has an estimated $37 million in 2025 salary that becomes fully vested this coming March. If the quarterback suffers a significant injury at any point this season, it would complicate the financial situation, NFL Network reported.

Jarrett Stidham will handle the starting quarterback duties for Denver’s Week 17 game against the Los Angeles Chargers.

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The Broncos postseason hopes took a significant hit over the weekend, but the team has not been officially eliminated from contention. 

Denver is currently 7-8 and sits in the No. 12 spot in the AFC standings.

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The Kansas City Chiefs have hit a rough patch.

Their loss on Christmas, despite being heavy favorites over the Las Vegas Raiders, was their fifth in their last eight games, and their expectations for a Super Bowl repeat have cooled off.

The loss also featured angry outbursts from both Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, when both of them fired helmets at the ground.

The tight end discussed the “f—ing frustrating experience” on his “New Heights” podcast with his brother Jason, who plays center for the Philadelphia Eagles.

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“We handed that team a win on Christmas. We literally played Santa and gave them a present,” Kelce said.

“That was embarrassing. Everyone in the building knows how embarrassing that was. We got a short week, so we’re gonna forget about this s— real quick.”

Kelce said that no one person is to blame for the recent tough stretch.

“It’s not just one guy. It’s not just me playing like dogs— … Everybody’s in this f—ing thing together … We just gotta bring it together, man…

“Everybody’s gotta just f—ing do their job. Every single play, somebody’s not doing their job. It’s me, one-by-one, it’s everybody on the team. Whether that’s prep, whether that’s having the confidence and understanding of what the defense is in … how we’re picking up blitzes, how we’re running routes versus certain overages, all of the above. We show sparks of what kind of offense we can be … it just hasn’t been a well-oiled machine like we’ve been in the past, and we just gotta get everybody on the same f—ing page.”

Travis Kelce looks on during the NFL match between Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs at Deutsche Bank Park on Nov. 5, 2023 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. (Mario Hommes/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)

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Kelce also did not shy away from his verbal tussle with head coach Andy Reid that led to his helmet launch, admitting he was in the wrong and that he has to keep calm.

“He’s looking out for me, and I love him for it. I didn’t go back out there and play good,” Kelce admitted. “He wanted to see the fire in me and I reacted in a bad way. He wanted to just get the best out of me, and right now I’m just not playing my best football and I gotta f—ing lock the f— in, be more accountable for him, be more accountable for my teammates. I gotta keep my f—ing cool, because as a leader on this team, that’s not how you switch the momentum.”

Mahomes has thrown for 300 yards just once in those last eight games, throwing just 11 touchdowns in that span versus eight interceptions. As for Kelce, after racking up 303 receiving yards in weeks 6 and 7 combined, he has just 443 yards since then, with five games under 60 – he has just one touchdown in that span, as well.

Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce warms up before the start of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023, in Frankfurt, Germany. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

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The Chiefs fell to 9-6, but still are a win away from clinching the division and making the playoffs for a ninth consecutive season. They have made the AFC title game five straight years.

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Ja Morant has been reminding basketball fans that he is still one of the best players in the game, but those fans are questioning whether he learned anything from his recent lengthy suspension.

The Memphis Grizzlies star returned from a 25-game ban last week, and in his season debut, he knocked down the game-winner at the buzzer in a 34-point performance.

He was recently named the Western Conference Player of the Week, but fans are still wondering if he could stay out of trouble.

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Morant was suspended after filming a second video of himself appearing to brandish a gun; the first instance resulted in an eight-game ban.

During Tuesday night’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans, Morant threw down an alley-oop dunk and proceeded to celebrate by stretching his arms out and shimmying them back-and-forth, which many perceive to be a shooting celebration. He then appeared to mimic a rocket launcher on his shoulder.

With fans on high alert regarding Morant’s behavior, they were quick to question if his celebration was appropriate.

Ja Morant, #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies, looks on while playing the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center on Dec. 19, 2023 in New Orleans. (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Gilbert Arenas, a former NBA star who himself had gun troubles while he was in the league, posted an old clip of Andre Iguodala in the face of his then-teammate Andrew Wiggins. It seemed like Arenas’ own way to tell Morant to cool it.

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Chandler Parsons also went to task on Morant, while pointing out that it is “shocking that we’re talking about him possibly doing the slightest thing gun-related.”

“You gotta grow up… Why are you giving us anything like this to even talk about to discuss, to talk about? he said on FanDuel’s “Run It Back.”

“What else has to happen for you, and your family and your friends, to learn? Make this about basketball, make this about your life, make this about your livelihood, and stop doing things like this.”

Others on social media had similar reactions, with some quick to say Morant has not learned from his suspensions.

Following the game, Morant reposted a post on X that said he was doing the popular touchdown dance done by members of the LSU football team throughout the season. 

It should be noted that the Grizzlies were in New Orleans for the game. The Smoothie King Center is roughly 80 miles from Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge. 

Others on social media defended Morant, saying the dance was no big deal at all.

After the game, Morant even posted “you gotta rock ya hips” with a laughing emoji and dancing emoji.

Ja Morant, #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies, reacts after a dunk during overtime of an NBA game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center on Dec. 26, 2023 in New Orleans. The Memphis Grizzlies won the game 116 – 115. (Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

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Since his return, he is putting up 28.8 points per game, scoring 30 or more in three of his four contests.

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Kansas City Chiefs rookie wide receiver Rashee Rice came under scrutiny on Monday over his interaction with Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Jack Jones during their 20-14 loss.

The incident occurred with under 5 minutes to play in the first half. Jones was talking to some of the Chiefs players when he pushed Rice in the helmet. In the midst of it all, Jones lost his mouthpiece.

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Rice found it on the field and subsequently launched it toward the sideline. The wide receiver was called “classless” on social media for the move.

It was a frustrating game for the Chiefs. Rice wasn’t the only player who saw his own emotions get the best of him. Patrick Mahomes was seen berating his offensive lineman on the bench while Travis Kelce threw his helmet against a water-cooler stand.

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Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Nate Hobbs breaks up a pass intended for Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice, Monday, Dec. 25, 2023, in Kansas City. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Rice led the team with six catches for 57 yards. Mahomes targeted him 12 times. The quarterback’s late touchdown pass went to Justin Watson to cut the deficit to six points. Kansas City never got the ball back.

“All you can do is just move on, learn from your mistakes, get better and, I mean, I still believe that we can go do what we want to do. It’s just how can we correct it as quickly as possible,” Mahomes said.

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Watson added: “I’ve been on a team that won the Super Bowl as a wild-card team. You just have to get in. I know people around here are accustomed to all the home playoff games and the first-round bye, but I don’t care if it’s easy. Nothing this whole second half of the season has been easy. Just give us a chance to play and let’s do our thing.”

Amik Robertson of the Las Vegas Raiders breaks up a pass to the Chiefs’ Rashee Rice at Arrowhead Stadium on Dec. 25, 2023, in Kansas City. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

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The Chiefs fell to 9-6 but are still in the driver’s seat to win the AFC West.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Chinese chess was engulfed in turmoil earlier this week when a national champion was stripped of his title following unsavory allegations involving cheating in the sport.

Xiangqi is the official title of what is known as Chinese chess. It is the most popular board game in China, and it dates all the way back to the first century B.C., according to some historians. The creators of the game probably did not prepare for what the Chinese Xiangqi Association (CXA) had to deal with on Monday.

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The organization announced it was stripping Yan Chenglong of his title of “Xiangqi King” over cheating allegations and “extremely bad character,” according to the Agence France-Press (AFP).

Officials addressed the 48-year-old champion’s behavior in the post-game celebrations.

“Yan consumed alcohol with others in his room on the night of the 17th, and then he defecated in the bathtub of the room he was staying in on the 18th, in an act that damaged hotel property, violated public order and good morals, had a negative impact on the competition and the event of Xiangqi, and was of extremely bad character,” the CXA said in a statement.

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The organization then had to address allegations that Yan was cheating during the tournament with the use of anal beads. The AFP reported rumors, which spread across the Chinese social media site Weibo, of Yan using anal beads with wireless transmitters to help him in the contests.

“Based on our understanding of the situation, it is currently impossible to prove that Yan engaged in cheating via ‘anal beads’ as speculated on social media,” the organization said.

Students play Chinese chess during a school competition in Shenyang, Liaoning province, China on April 29, 2016. (REUTERS/Stringer)

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The CXA suspended Yan for a year and stripped him of his prize money. It is unclear how much money he was awarded.

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All the drama is being resolved regarding Aaron Rodgers‘ return from injured reserve.

The New York Jets activated the quarterback from IR, despite saying he would not play in a game this season, so he can practice with the team as part of his rehab from a torn Achilles.

However, bringing him back to the 53-man roster meant cutting someone, so fullback Nick Bawden was released. 

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Bawden, though, was quickly signed back to the practice squad. The Jets elevated him for this past weekend’s game and will do so for Weeks 17 and 18, so he could still play (Bawden’s salary this year is guaranteed no matter what, as he is a three-year veteran).

But some believed Rodgers made the call to come back from IR, not caring about another teammate’s fate.

Bawden, himself, even said that is “so far from the truth,” even saying Rodgers called him personally to discuss the matter.

Aaron Rodgers reacts on the field after the Los Angeles Chargers defeated the New York Jets 27-6 at MetLife Stadium on Nov. 6, 2023, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Elsa/Getty Images)

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“It meant a lot. He was really candid with what his interpretation was of what went down, and I just appreciated his honesty and candor,” Bawden told the New York Post earlier this week. “That’s just the type of guy Aaron is, so it didn’t surprise me at all. He FaceTimed me, so I got to see his face through the phone. It was an interesting situation and we’re all making the best of it…

“It’s really unfortunate that people have taken that as a selfish act.”

Rodgers said he was asked by Jets brass if he wanted to come back to the active roster, but he did not want to if it meant someone being cut.

“But obviously I got overruled there, maybe it is what it is. That was an interesting situation. I called Nick right away, just said, ‘I hope you know this isn’t coming from me. I asked them to put me on IR,'” Rodgers said Tuesday on “The Pat McAfee Show.”

Aaron Rodgers of the New York Jets throws before the Philadelphia Eagles game at MetLife Stadium on Oct. 15, 2023, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)

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Rodgers teased all season long he was aiming to come back from the torn Achilles injury that he suffered on the first drive of the season in Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills. 

He sought Christmas Eve as a goal, but last week, he said he was not 100% – that, coupled with the Jets being eliminated from playoff contention, resulted in both him and the team saying he’d be done for the season.

Rodgers called this year a wash and wants to play with the Jets through 2025, fulfilling his two-year promise.

Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.

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Tennis legend Serena Williams is working hard in the gym but she came to the conclusion on Tuesday that she’s starting to spend at least half of her time trying to hit the right angles.

Williams posted a mirror selfie from her workout space and admitted she spends a lot of her time trying to get the picture right.

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“I spend 50% of my time in the gym taking selfies. Trying to get that perfect angle, that angle that makes me look snatched,” she wrote in the caption. “Well I found that angle so don’t look at me sideways when in person I’m a tad thicccker lol.”

Williams’ followers showed support for her, with some saying she looked great and they wanted to be like her when they grew up.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion and her husband Alexis Ohanian welcomed their second child earlier this year. She made the announcement nearly one year to the day of her last tennis match before stepping off the court and into retirement.

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Serena Williams attends the CFDA Fashion Awards at the American Museum of Natural History on Nov. 6, 2023, in New York City. (Kevin Mazur/WireImage)

She revealed at the Met Gala in May that she was pregnant with her second child.

She wrote in an essay in Vogue last year that growing her family was one of the main reasons why she walked away from the sport.

“Believe me, I never wanted to have to choose between tennis and a family,” she wrote. “I don’t think it’s fair. If I were a guy I wouldn’t be writing this because I’d be out there playing and winning while my wife was doing the physical labor of expanding our family.”

Serena Williams after losing to Ajla Tomljanovic on day five of the U.S. Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, New York, on Sept. 2, 2022. (Robert Deutsch-USA Today Sports)

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Williams and Ohanian married in November 2017.

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Dallas Cowboys team owner Jerry Jones came to the defense of linebacker Micah Parsons after the star player complained about the officiating in the team’s loss to the Miami Dolphins.

Parsons posted photos of him trying to break through the Dolphins offensive line and took issue with the “mind-blowing” penalties that were being called, pointing to a roughing the passer penalty he drew for a hit on quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

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“They won’t call a holding penalty in a certain range of holding, usually, if they don’t think the player would’ve gotten to the quarterback to begin with,” Jones said during his radio spot on Audacy’s 105.3 The Fan. 

“That doesn’t work for Parsons because he’s about to get there almost all the time. Anything that just limits him should be a hold.”

Parsons sounded off on the officiating after the Dolphins game.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones walks the field before the game against the New York Giants at AT&T Stadium on Nov. 12, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. (Sam Hodde/Getty Images)

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“It’s mind-blowing, the things that are getting called, the positions we get put in,” he said via the team’s website. “We just got to learn to fight the adversity and know a lot of it is BS. It’s football plays, but it’s the world we live in. We got the star on the helmet.”

Parsons is putting together another career year in only his third season with Dallas. He has 13 sacks, 53 tackles and 30 QB hits. He is likely to earn another All-Pro nod for his efforts.

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, #1, stands back to pass as Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons, #11, is held back by offensive tackle Kendall Lamm (70) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023, in Miami Gardens, Florida. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

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Dallas is 10-5 and heading to the playoffs for the third straight year. The defense is fifth in points allowed and seventh in yards allowed.