AP Sports SummaryBrief at 2:02 a.m. EST

Matthew Stafford edges Drake Maye for the AP NFL Most Valuable Player award

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Matthew Stafford edged Drake Maye for the AP NFL Most Valuable Player award on Thursday night in the closest race since Peyton Manning and Steve McNair were co-winners in 2003. Stafford received 24 of 50 first-place votes while Maye got 23. But Maye has a chance to go home this week with a Vince Lombardi Trophy. He leads the New England Patriots against the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl on Sunday.

Drew Brees and Larry Fitzgerald headline a Hall of Fame class missing Bill Belichick

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Drew Brees and Larry Fitzgerald headlined the 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame class featuring five players but not six-time Super Bowl winning head coach Bill Belichick. Brees and Fitzgerald both made it in their first year of eligibility in results announced at NFL Honors. Luke Kuechly and Adam Vinatieri made it in their second seasons of eligibility, while Roger Craig was the lone pick among seniors, coaches and contributors. But the class is also noteworthy for Belichick’s absence as at least 11 of the 50 voters opted against giving him a vote despite a career with 333 wins and the most Super Bowl titles of any head coach.

Sam Darnold has overcome doubters, Drake Maye has lived up to hype. Only one will win Super Bowl 60

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Nobody on the Seattle Seahawks has supported Sam Darnold quite like Ernest Jones IV. When Darnold threw four interceptions against the Los Angeles Rams in a 21-19 loss in Week 11, Jones had his quarterback’s back. The second-team All-Pro linebacker wouldn’t allow Darnold to take the blame. Jones was right. Darnold rewarded his teammate’s faith. He led the Seahawks back from a 16-point, fourth-quarter deficit to an overtime win against Los Angeles in the next meeting and was sensational in Seattle’s 31-27 victory over the Rams in the NFC championship game.

Bad Bunny says he will bring his culture to 2026 Super Bowl halftime performance

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Bad Bunny says he wants to bring his culture to his Super Bowl halftime show Sunday. He will highlight Latin identity at America’s most-watched event. The Grammy winner revealed some details Thursday during an interview in San Francisco, but he won't provide any spoilers. The conversation was broadcast on Apple Music and social media. Bad Bunny recently won Album of the Year at the Grammys, marking the first time an all Spanish-language album took the top prize. The Super Bowl will be held Sunday at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara. The Seattle Seahawks will face the New England Patriots.

Luka Doncic to have an MRI after leaving Lakers' game against 76ers with left hamstring injury

LOS ANGELES (AP) — NBA scoring leader Luka Doncic left the Los Angeles Lakers’ game against Philadelphia with a leg injury. Doncic limped to the locker room with 3:03 left in the first half after apparently hurting his left leg on the far end of the court moments earlier. He didn’t return to the court when the second half began. Doncic leads the league with 33.4 points per game in his first full season with the Lakers. The Slovenian superstar is also second with 8.7 assists. He was also selected for his sixth All-Star game, voted in as a starter.

Antetokounmpo remains with Bucks as an extremely hectic NBA trade deadline passes

Giannis Antetokounmpo remains with the Milwaukee Bucks as the NBA trade deadline passes. Despite rumors, the Bucks kept the two-time MVP. The deadline saw 28 trades in a week, a 20-year record, with 18 finalized on Thursday. Antetokounmpo, who hasn't played since January due to injury, has expressed his commitment to Milwaukee but wants a competitive team. The Bucks are currently 12th in the Eastern Conference. Other notable trades included Indiana acquiring Ivica Zubac and Minnesota getting Ayo Dosunmu. James Harden and Anthony Davis were among big names traded earlier in the week.

Lindor, Correa off Puerto Rico's WBC roster over insurance coverage, Báez for marijuana test

NEW YORK (AP) — Francisco Lindor and Carlos Correa are not on Puerto Rico's roster for the World Baseball Classic due to insurance issues. Javy Báez is also absent after a positive marijuana test in 2023. Defending champion Japan features stars like Shohei Ohtani, while the U.S. boasts a strong lineup with Aaron Judge and Bryce Harper. Japan defeated the U.S. in the 2023 final. This year's tournament runs from March 5-17 across multiple cities, with the final in Miami. Insurance policies have impacted player eligibility, affecting major league participation in events like the Olympics.

After questions and concerns, the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics are ready to go as a new era arrives

CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — When the Winter Games kick off with the opening ceremony on Friday it won’t just be the athletes who are going to be tested. It’s a new era for the entire Olympic movement. Spread out over a vast swath of northern Italy, these are the first Games to truly embrace the IOC’s reform plan of using existing venues no matter how far apart they are. This Olympic footprint covers an area of more than 22,000 square kilometres (nearly 10,000 square miles). That’s about the size of the state of Massachusetts.

Gotterup shoots 63, Scheffler struggles in first round of Phoenix Open

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Chris Gotterup shot a bogey-free 8-under 63 to take a two-shot lead in the first round of the Phoenix Open on a rare day when top-ranked Scottie Scheffler struggled. Warm weather led to some long drives and low scores at TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course. England’s Matt Fitzpatrick matched the back-nine record with a 29 to shoot 65, and Sam Stevens was among a group of four players who shot 66. Scheffler was not among those going low. The four-time player of the year flubbed two chip shots that rolled back to his feet during a 2-over 73 that put his streak of 65 straight cuts made in jeopardy. Brooks Koepka had just one birdie in a 75 in his second tournament since being reinstated by the PGA Tour.

Tarik Skubal wins salary arbitration case, will be paid record $32 million

Tarik Skubal has won his salary arbitration hearing with the Detroit Tigers, and the two-time Cy Young Award winner will be paid a record $32 million this year instead of the team’s $19 million offer. Jeanne Charles, Walt De Treux and Allen Ponak made the decision one day after listening to arguments. Toronto first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had held the record for the highest salary in an arbitration case decided by a panel at $19.9 million in 2024. David Price had held the highest negotiated salary in a one-year contract for an arbitration-eligible pitcher, a $19.75 million agreement with Detroit in 2015.