AP Sports SummaryBrief at 6:18 p.m. EST

Broncos fire rookie head coach Hackett after 4-11 start

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos have fired coach Nathaniel Hackett after 15 games. Hackett never was able to get quarterback Russell Wilson out of a season-long slump. The Broncos are 4-11 and have posted their sixth straight losing season and are missing the playoffs for a seventh consecutive season. Hackett replaced Vic Fangio last January but the Broncos got worse in almost every category under the first-time head coach. Players were told during a team meeting Monday that senior assistant coach Jerry Rosburg will serve as interim head coach.

Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa in concussion protocol again

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has returned to the NFL’s concussion protocol. Coach Mike McDaniel said Monday that Tagovailoa met with doctors a day after the Dolphins’ 26-20 loss to Green Bay and was experiencing concussion symptoms. Teddy Bridgewater is expected to get most of the first-team reps in practice this week. McDaniel said it is too early to name a starter for Miami’s game at New England on Sunday. It is the second time this season that Tagovailoa has been in the concussion protocol. The protocol itself was changed after Tagovailoa took a hard hit and appeared to show concussion symptoms but remained in a game.

Randy Gregory, Oday Aboushi suspended 1 game for punches

NEW YORK (AP) — The NFL has suspended for one game Broncos linebacker Randy Gregory and Rams offensive lineman Oday Aboushi for exchanging punches following their game on Sunday. Gregory and Aboushi exchanged words during the postgame handshake and Gregory threw a punch at Aboushi’s helmet. Aboushi retaliated before teammates stepped in and separated them. Gregory had received two 15-yard penalties during the Broncos’ 51-14 loss to the Rams. He threw his helmet on one play and then hit Rams QB Baker Mayfield in the head on the other.

Sports unraveled, collided with politics, racism in 2022

Hardly a day passed in 2022 when a headline that ran across the ticker on ESPN wouldn’t have been out of place on CNN or Fox Business. There was the saga of basketball player Brittney Griner, Russia’s invasion and war on Ukraine and the struggle over transgender athletes among other topics that laid bare the intersection between sports and real life. There were also toxic workplace environments in the NBA and NFL, alleged sexual misconduct by an NFL player, countries using sports to cover up their perceived sins, a cryptocurrency influx and crash and the COVID-19 pandemic. Simply, sports offered another window into the world.

Roberto Clemente remains Latino legend 50 years after death

Roberto Clemente remains one of the most revered figures in Puerto Rico and Latin America 50 years after his death. His graceful flare and powerful arm were unrivaled in his era. His humanitarian efforts off the field are perhaps his greatest legacy, though. Half a century after he played, many of today’s Latino baseball players credit him for paving the way. Clemente died at age 38 on Dec. 31, 1972, when his plane crashed off the coast of Puerto Rico as he was delivering relief supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua.

US to let MLB stars play for Cuba in World Baseball Classic

HAVANA (AP) — The United States will permit Major League Baseball players from Cuba to represent their home country in the World Baseball Classic next year. The license could be a big step in once again turning Cuba’s national team into heavy hitters on an international stage. It clears the way for MLB stars such as Yordan Alvarez, José Abreu and Randy Arozarena to play for Cuba in the World Baseball Classic in March if they choose to accept a potential invitation. It’s up to each country’s national governing body to pick the players on its team. Final 30-man rosters are due Feb. 7 for the WBC, which begins March 8 with Cuba facing the Netherlands in Taiwan.

Rams, Bucs, Packers earn wins on same day in upside-down NFC

Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers led comeback wins and the Los Angeles Rams dominated Russell Wilson and the Broncos. It was a triumphant Christmas for the Buccaneers, Packers and Rams as many figured it would be when the schedule was released in May. The NFC’s top three preseason Super Bowl favorites were expected to be jockeying for playoff positioning on Sunday. Instead, the Rams are trying to avoid the most losses by a defending Super Bowl champion. The Packers need help just to make the playoffs. The Buccaneers lead the dreadful NFC South with a first-place showdown coming up against Carolina.

Jets’ White cleared by docs, will start at QB on Sunday

New York Jets coach Robert Saleh announced Mike White has been cleared by doctors and will start at quarterback on Sunday in Seattle. White missed the Jets’ past two games while dealing with broken ribs suffered in New York’s 20-12 loss at Buffalo on Dec. 11. He has practiced on a limited basis since, but hadn’t been cleared by doctors for contact so he couldn’t play. That clearance came Monday. Saleh said White will start the rest of the season barring injury. Zach Wilson will return to being the No. 3 quarterback and Joe Flacco will serve as White’s backup.

Chargers face Colts on rebound after historically poor games

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indianapolis Colts revealed the unvarnished truth in their own words this week. After back-to-back historically poor performances, they described it as embarrassing. On Monday night, nine days since allowing the largest comeback in NFL history, the Colts hope to deliver a memorable rebound performance on national television. The Los Angeles Chargers understand. They started Week 16 with the No. 6 seed in the AFC playoff chase. And it’s come nearly 12 months after an overtime loss in last season’s final regular-season game kept them out of the postseason.

TCU’s Sonny Dykes at home, coaching 1st CFP team from Texas

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Sonny Dykes says he thought about changing careers five years ago when he was finishing a season as an off-field offensive analyst at TCU after being fired at California. Instead, he’s coaching the 12-1 Horned Frogs this week in the CFP semifinal Fiesta Bowl against Michigan. Dykes replaced Gary Patterson following a successful four-year stay at SMU. The 53-year-old son of the late Spike Dykes is the AP college football coach of the year. The Frogs were undefeated until an overtime loss to Kansas State in the Big 12 championship game.