HOT POINT

Fromm Family Foods initiated a voluntary recall of some of its Bonnihill Farms cooked frozen dog food on Dec. 3 after receiving owner complaints. There were no reports of injury or illness as of Dec. 3,according to aFood and Drug Administration (FDA) notice, but the pet food company warned pet owners to keep an eye out for symptoms of plastic ingestion.

Dogs who have eaten plastic may show symptoms such as vomiting, loss of appetite, lethargy, or stomach discomfort, said the notice. If a dog consumes large amounts of plastic, it can cause an intestinal obstruction or blockage, which can be life-threatening. If your dog displays signs of gastrointestinal upset (such as vomiting or diarrhea) or illness, contact your veterinarian immediately.

"We have identified the error, and in addition to our existing safety process, we have put corrective actions in place to prevent this from happening again," Fromm said in its recall notice shared with the FDA.

USA TODAY has reached out to Fromm for comment.

Consumer Reports, the nonprofit known for testing and monitoring consumer-facing policy and products, released its annual risky food report in April, naming the 10 foods of 2024 that were subject to the most recalls and/or associated with the largest illness outbreaks. USA TODAY broke it down further on a what-you-need-to-know basis.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Deli meat is somewhat of a "risky" food as it is often associated with the spread of listeria, such as in the 2024 case of the Boar's Head listeria outbreak that killed 10. Listeria monocytogenes is a hardy germ that can survive in very low temperatures but thrives in cool and damp places. It can, and will, happily live on foods in your or your grocery store's storage area, and the process for mass-producing the meat lends itself to plenty of opportunities for contamination.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Produce, like the cucumbers recalled due to a salmonella outbreak that infected 113 people across 23 states, can become adulterated with harmful bacteria through fecal contamination, which can occur through wastewater, water in the growing area, fertilizer and the proximity of the growing area to livestock.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Raw dairy, which is always unsafe to consume and illegal to sell in some states, poses a risk when it's not pasteurized. Dairy pasteurization, or heating milk products to a high enough temperature to kill harmful bacteria, has been practiced since the 1920s and has resulted in illnesses commonly spread via milk, such as listeriosis, diphtheria and tuberculosis, becoming less prevalent.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Cotija and queso fresco cheese are made from unpasteurized milk, meaning they carry an increased risk. One producer, Rizo-Lopez Foods, was shut down in October 2024 after its cheeses were linked to a years-long listeria outbreak that killed two people and made dozens of others sick.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Eggs can become contaminated via the same means as cucumbers and other raw produce, especially if they have a cracked shell.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Like other raw produce, onions can become infected via fecal contamination. In 2024, E. coli-contaminated slivered onions on McDonald's Quarter Pounders triggered some locations to stop serving the burger temporarily.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Like cucumbers and onions, leafy greens are easily contaminated with bacteria like E. coli, as in the case of the Solata Foods spinach recall in 2024.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Organic carrots were linked to a major E. coli outbreak in late 2024, leaving at least 39 ill and one dead.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Ready-to-eat/cooked poultry and meat have been the source of multiple major recalls and foodborne illness outbreaks in recent years. The same issue arises with RTE foods as with deli meat; the conditions they are made and stored under are often ideal for bacteria such as listeria to grow. In 2024, millions of pounds of RTE foods were recalled by BrucePac for listeria contamination.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

See the 'risky foods' linked to US recalls and illness outbreaks

Consumer Reports, the nonprofit known for testing and monitoring consumer-facing policy and products, releasedits annual risky food reportin April, naming the 10 foods of 2024 that were subject to the most recalls and/or associated with the largest illness outbreaks. USA TODAYbroke it down furtheron a what-you-need-to-know basis.

Which dog food was recalled?

• 16 oz Bonnihill BeefiBowls Beef Recipe with best-by date 12/25/2026 B01 and UPC 072705135004

No other Fromm products are affected by this recall.

See list:Shredded cheeses sold at Walmart, Target recalled

Which states are impacted by the recall?

The potentially contaminated food was sold in the following states, according to the FDA:

• Illinois

• Wisconsin

• Texas

• Arkansas

• Mississippi

• Oklahoma

• Louisiana

• California

• Nevada

• Arizona

• Colorado

• Oregon

• Washington

• Alaska

What to do with recalled dog food

Consumers who have purchased the recalled food should immediately stop feeding it to their pets and return it to the place of purchase or throw it away.

Consumers with questions may contact Fromm at 1-800-325-6331 from Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM-5:00 PM CT, or atinfo@frommfamily.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Dog food recalled in 14 states for plastic pieces inside. See list

Gehry died Friday in his home in Santa Monica after a brief respiratory illness, said Meaghan Lloyd, chief of staff at Gehry Partners LLP.

Gehry'sfascination with modern pop art led to the creation of distinctive, striking buildings. Among his many masterpieces are the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain; The Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and Berlin's DZ Bank Building.

He also designed an expansion of Facebook's Northern California headquarters at the insistence of the company's CEO, Mark Zuckerberg.

Gehry was awarded every major prize architecture has to offer, including the field's top honor, thePritzker Prize,for what has been described as "refreshingly original and totally American" work.

Other honors include the Royal Institute of British Architects gold medal, the Americans for the Arts lifetime achievement award, and his native country's highest honor, the Companion of the Order of Canada.

The start of his career in architecture

After earning a degree in architecture from the University of Southern California in 1954 and serving in the Army, Gehry studied urban planning at Harvard University.

But his career got off to a slow start. He struggled for years to make ends meet, designing public housing projects, shopping centers and even driving a delivery truck for a time.

Eventually, he got the chance to design a modern shopping mall overlooking the Santa Monica Pier. He was determined to play it safe and came up with drawings for an enclosed shopping mall that looked similar to others in the United States in the 1980s.

To celebrate its completion, the mall's developer dropped by Gehry's house and was stunned by what he saw: The architect had transformed a modest 1920s-era bungalow into an inventive abode by remodeling it with chain-link fencing, exposed wood and corrugated metal.

Asked why he hadn't proposed something similar for the mall, Gehry replied, "Because I have to make a living."

If he really wanted to make a statement as an architect, he was told, he should drop that attitude and follow his creative vision.

Gehry would do just that for the rest of his life, working into his 90s to create buildings that doubled as stunning works of art.

As his acclaim grew, Gehry Partners LLP, the architectural firm he founded in 1962, grew with it, expanding to include more than 130 employees at one point. But as big as it got, Gehry insisted on personally overseeing every project it took on.

The headquarters of the InterActiveCorp, known as the IAC Building, took the shape of a shimmering beehive when it was completed in New York City's Chelsea district in 2007. The 76-story New York By Gehry building, once one of the world's tallest residential structures, was a stunning addition to the lower Manhattan skyline when it opened in 2011.

That same year, Gehry joined the faculty of his alma mater, the University of Southern California, as a professor of architecture. He also taught at Yale and Columbia University.

Imaginative designs drew criticism along with praise

Not everyone was a fan of Gehry's work. Some naysayers dismissed it as not much more than gigantic, lopsided reincarnations of the little scrap-wood cities he said he spent hours building when he was growing up in the mining town of Timmins, Ontario.

Princeton art critic Hal Foster dismissed many of his later efforts as "oppressive," arguing they were designed primarily to be tourist attractions. Some denounced the Disney Hall as looking like a collection of cardboard boxes that had been left out in the rain.

Still other critics included Dwight D. Eisenhower's family, who objected to Gehry's bold proposal for a memorial to honor the nation's 34th president. Although the family said it wanted a simple memorial and not the one Gehry had proposed, with its multiple statues and billowing metal tapestries depicting Eisenhower's life, the architect declined to change his design significantly.

If the words of his critics annoyed Gehry, he rarely let on. Indeed, he even sometimes played along. He appeared as himself in a 2005 episode of "The Simpsons" cartoon show, in which he agreed to design a concert hall that was later converted into a prison.

He came up with the idea for the design, which looked a lot like the Disney Hall, after crumpling Marge Simpson's letter to him and throwing it on the ground. After taking a look at it, he declared, "Frank Gehry, you've done it again!"

"Some people think I actually do that," he would later tell the AP.

Gehry's lasting legacy around the world

Ephraim Owen Goldberg was born in Toronto on Feb. 28, 1929, and moved to Los Angeles with his family in 1947, eventually becoming a U.S. citizen. As an adult, he changed his name at the suggestion of his first wife, who told him antisemitism might be holding back his career.

Although he had enjoyed drawing and building model cities as a child, Gehry said it wasn't until he was 20 that he pondered the possibility of pursuing a career in architecture, after a college ceramics teacher recognized his talent.

"It was like the first thing in my life that I'd done well in," he said.

Gehry steadfastly denied being an artist though.

"Yes, architects in the past have been both sculptors and architects," he declared in a 2006 interview with The Associated Press. "But I still think I'm doing buildings, and it's different from what they do."

His words reflected both a lifelong shyness and an insecurity that stayed with Gehry long after he'd been declared the greatest architect of his time.

"I'm totally flabbergasted that I got to where I've gotten," he told the AP in 2001. "Now it seems inevitable, but at the time it seemed very problematic."

The Gehry-designed Guggenheim Museum in Abu Dhabi, first proposed in 2006, is expected to finally be completed in 2026 after a series of construction delays and sporadic work. The 30,000-square-foot (2,787-square-meter) structure will be the world's largest Guggenheim, leaving a lasting legacy in the capital city of the United Arab Emirates.

His survivors include his wife, Berta; daughter, Brina; sons Alejandro and Samuel; and the buildings he created.

Another daughter, Leslie Gehry Brenner, died of cancer in 2008.

Rogers, the principal writer of this obituary, retired from The Associated Press in 2021.

Reporter Jaimie Ding contributed from Los Angeles.

Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino, who is leading the operation, arrived in the city earlier in the week.

CBP has posted videos on social media showing arrests. One video shows agents pulling roofers from a job in Kenner, Louisiana, west of New Orleans.

This focus on New Orleans comes after similar high-profile operations in cities like Chicago and LA, as part of the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration.

Target are largely in Democrat-led states and cities identified as sanctuary jurisdictions.

RELATED STORY |'Swamp Sweep' immigration crackdown to bring 250 Border Patrol agents to New Orleans and Mississippi

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, who is from Louisiana, said Thursday he supported the operation.

"Democrats' sanctuary city policies have failed — making our American communities dangerous. The people of our GREAT city deserve better, and help is now on the ground," Johnson wrote.

On the ground, communities are on edge. Streets and businesses are empty in cities with high concentrations of Hispanic residents and Vietnamese communities.

Many of those Vietnamese residents in particular endured waves of displacement to the U.S. at the end of the Vietnam war, after the fall of Saigon in 1975.

Some have spent the past half century building lives and deep roots in New Orleans.

Thi Bui, a resident who was born at the end of the war, came to the U.S. as a refugee at age 3 and lives in New Orleans. She told Scripps News this DHS operation feels like a betrayal for the community that has sought refuge here and has had a significant cultural impact on cities like New Orleans.

"The folks who came here in the 70s were allies of the U.S. in a proxy war that the U.S. got involved in, you know, probably shouldn't have gotten involved in, but because the U.S. was there, now the refugees of that war have to come here," she said. "And they rebuilt their lives from scratch, and now this is their home. It's been over 50 years that the Vietnamese have been in the U.S. and in New Orleans. They've raised families, opened businesses, become part of the culture, the fabric of this country. And now they're getting ripped apart. Their families are getting torn apart. They are in a constant state of dread. And it's really hard to live like that."

That was the response in late July, whenI asked Arizona Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort for his assessment of Kyler Murrayand the step that needed to be taken by the quarterback in 2025. As expectations went, it was a short and succinct checklist: Keep Murray healthy and available; remove the lowest of lows in his performance cycles.

Just over five weeks into the season? Murray was coming off three consecutive losses that showcased some of the frustrating portions of his career, and he was suddenly headed to injured reserve with a foot injury. What we didn't know then iswhat we found out on Friday: Murray's season was over— and likely with it, his stint as a Cardinals quarterback.

That's how Friday's news should be absorbed, with Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon announcing that further evaluation of Murray's foot injury isn't showing the advancement that would get him back onto the football field. In light of that information, he's being shut down.

"It's not progressing where it's gonna make sense that he can go [play]," Gannon said Friday, ahead of his team's home game against the Los Angeles Rams. "So he's gonna be done for the year."

Asked if Murray was going to be a Cardinals quarterback in 2026, Gannon declined to answer, stating "I'm worried about the Rams right now."

And just like that, Murray became arguably the No. 1 "reboot" quarterback target of the coming offseason — with any career turnaround now focusing on a new franchise.

Murray hasn't spoken to reporters since after Arizona's Week 5 loss to the Tennessee Titans, when he sustained the foot injury that landed him on injured reserve. However, he may havealluded to the his end of his time with the Cardinals Thursday night on his TikTok account,when he posted a short video of himself walking with teammates Marvin Harrison Jr., Michael Wilson and James Conner. The video was overlaid with the text "weird year" and posted with a caption reading "Never again." The caption portion was later deleted.

Friday's announcement only fuels divorce speculation that has swirled around Murray and the Cardinals since he was placed on injured reserve. Given that 2025 was seen as yet another year where Arizona was looking for Murray to turn a corner, it's a failure that weighs heavily on both Gannon and Ossenfort as the tandem completes their third season trying to turn the franchise around.

When I visited with the Cardinals in training camp, both head coach and general manager expressed optimism, along with offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, that Murray was going to make the advancement Arizona needed to fuel an offensive roster that featured little change from 2024 to 2025. With that hope failing to materialize, and with Harrison seeming stuck in a middle gear with the current offense, it's suggestive that there will be some inspired change from both the coaching staff and front office. However, that change would come at a steep cost, with Murray's contract a burdensome issue moving forward.

Due to the structure of Murray's deal, the Cardinals would take on a $57.75 million dead cap charge if they were to release him prior to June 1. If they designate him as a post-June 1 release, that can be split into a $50.5 million charge in 2026 and a $7.2 million charge in 2027. The ideal move would be for the Cardinals to find a team to trade for Murray, which would yield a much more comfortable dead cap charge of $17.9 million, but also an overall cap savings of $35.3 million. For the latter to happen, the Cardinals would likely have to trade Murray away for very little in return and hope that an acquiring team would be willing to commit to the $36.8 million that's already fully guaranteed on his 2026 salary.

It's unlikely, given Murray's struggles and injuries, that a team would be willing to give up anything of substance in trade while also eating Murray's guaranteed money in 2026. However, if the Cardinals were willing to eat some of that guaranteed money in 2026, they could find a limited market for him before a mid-March deadline when his $19.5 million base salary in 2027 becomes fully guaranteed (if he's still on the Cardinals roster after the fifth day of the new league year in March).

In simplistic terms? If the Cardinals are moving on from Murray, they will need to be very motivated sellers and find a trade partner in place prior to March 15. That also means team owner Michael Bidwill needs to have all of his business with the current staff finalized as quickly as possible following the end of the season. Will Gannon and Ossenfort be afforded another season to get the franchise onto a playoff track? Given the competitive nature of the Cardinals despite a massive spate of injuries, there is merit to the tandem returning. If Bidwill feels otherwise, he'll need to have an either a new head coach or GM — or both — in place quickly to make a move with Murray.

For now, the appetite for Murray appears to be mixed. Multiple personnel executives placed a low value on Murray as a trade asset, but their overall assessment was dependent on the amount of money the Cardinals would be willing to eat on his contract and what his health status is come January. Murray doesn't turn 29 until August, but the perceived red flags about his work ethic, leadership and consistency are very real. That said, several executives noted that Murray's athletic profile and overall experience as a starter is still far superior to any other veteran options expected to be on the trade market or free agency this offseason.

"He still has the elite athletic profile," an AFC general manager told Yahoo Sports this week. "When you start comparing him to some of the other guys that might be available, [Murray's] good is still on a totally different level."

For that reason, the ballpark on Murray's value is hard to pin down. The aforementioned AFC general manager suggested that Murray could still draw a third-round pick, similar to the price the Las Vegas Raiders paid to acquire Geno Smith last offseason. Other executives were less flattering, putting Murray's value at fourth-round pick or less, depending on what the Cardinals were willing to eat from his current contract.

Here are five more quarterback reboot targets to keep an eye on …

Mac Jones,San Francisco 49ersbackup

Jones has been a hot name as a quarterback reboot for the balance of the season, taking over for an injured Brock Purdy and putting together a 5-3 record in eight starts, while completing 69.6 percent of his passes for 2,151 passing yards and 13 touchdowns against six interceptions over that expanse. His two games against the Los Angeles Rams stood out in particular, including a 26-23 Week 5 overtime win and a Week 10 loss that saw Jones keep the 49ers competitive into the fourth quarter before the game unraveled into a 42-26 loss.

Along the way, Jones showcased efficient starting-level play that was reminiscent to his best year in the NFL — the 2021 rookie campaign that saw him help lead the New England Patriots to a 10-7 record and tease a future life after Tom Brady. Of course, the Patriots' entire organization collapsed onto itself after that season, ultimately leading to Jones' play deteriorating behind a poor offensive line and average-to-below-average skill position players. His part in the wheezing end of the Bill Belichick era looked like it would stamp the end of Jones' career, delivering him to the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2024, where he went 2-5 in relief of an injured Trevor Lawrence before departing last offseason to sign with the 49ers.

His rebirth under Kyle Shanahan this season teased thoughts that Jones could be the next quarterback after Sam Darnold to rekindle a starting shot — despite Darnold and Jones having very different athletic profiles and skill sets. Some of the Jones hype has settled a bit with the return of Brock Purdy to the starting lineup, with the offense looking more vertical and explosive despite continued injury issues and Purdy having a three-interception game in a sloppy 20-9 win over the Carolina Panthers in late November.

The reality for Jones is that his best fit and the other options available will drive interest in him this offseason. While framed by some in the potential reboot tier of a Darnold, Daniel Jones or Baker Mayfield, neither his arm or overall athleticism compares well to that group. He also fits best in a Shanahan or Sean Payton specific type of scheme that is a West Coast timing offense or similar hybrid. The teams that readily come to mind with both need and system fits are the Minnesota Vikings (if J.J. McCarthy can't find traction by the end of the season), Pittsburgh Steelers (if Aaron Rodgers retires) and Miami Dolphins (if Tua Tagovailoa falls out of favor and Miami wants to bring in someone to compete for the starting job). The Las Vegas Raiders and Cleveland Browns could also be fits. But almost all of these options for a Jones trade will be predicated on what happens with existing starters and in some respects, potential coaching changes. Jones is simply not a one-QB-fits-all player, and the slots out there for a team to chase him are more challenging that most want to admit.

And as one NFC West executive pointed out about Jones earlier this week, his best fit may already have been realized as a backup to the oft-banged up Purdy. Jones has already excelled in limited time with Shanahan and if Jones were to get another spate of snaps between now and the end of his deal in 2026 — and if he once again performed well with those opportunities — he could potentially be a coveted 28-year old free agent in March of 2027. With the 49ers likely inclined to hold onto him as an insurance policy next season, the hype about a Mac Jones reboot might be just one season earlier than when it's at a peak.

Anthony Richardson,Indianapolis Coltsbackup

Alongside Kyler Murray and Mac Jones, Richardson's future should be one of the most interesting storylines of the offseason when it comes to the reboots. There is clearly still interest in his immense set of physical tools in spite of injuries, poor performance and what some evaluators believe is just an overall lack of maturity for the 23-year old quarterback. Beaten out for the starting job in the preseason by Daniel Jones, Richardson is currently on injured reserve after a freak accident in pregame warmups resulted in an orbital fracture in October. He's still expected to return this season and resume his backup duties behindJones, who is currently dealing with his own fibula injury.

Like Murray and Jones, Richardson is under contract and would have to be acquired via trade. His rookie first-round contract gives the Colts or any potential acquiring team the opportunity to trigger a fifth-year option on his current deal, which would take Richardson through the 2027 season. The question is whether the Colts have any inclination to continue developing Richardson if Jones is ultimately deemed to be their long-term starter. And all of this is coming to a head quickly, with the 28-year old Jones set to be a free agent in March. One way or another, the Colts either have to make some kind of commitment to either Jones or Richardson moving forward. As it stands, Jones has appeared to have played himself into a long-term extension offer. That could change the approach ofgeneral manager Chris Ballard, who said in late August of Richardson: "We're not trading him."

It's a stance that will make little sense if Jones is awarded a long-term extension — even if it's a deal similar to those signed by Sam Darnold with the Seattle Seahawks and Geno Smith with the Las Vegas Raiders. Both of those deals are essentially two-year contracts with the ability to keep each in the fold for a third. Even if that's the kind of limited commitment deal signed by Jones, it would likely be too cost prohibitive in 2027, when Richardson's current fifth-year rookie option projection is slated to be $22.9 million. Of course, the Colts could fiddle with the payout to Jones and the structure of his contract to make it work, but it would also be wildly awkward for both Jones and Richardson to have the franchise basically betting on both to be the starter in 2027 and beyond.

All this sets up the expectation of Richardson being made available for trade as soon as Jones is under a long-term extension. The question is what the Colts could net in return. Three front office executives pegged Richardson's value at a fourth-round pick, which would put it in line with what the Dallas Cowboys surrendered for Trey Lance in 2023. However, two other executives put Richardson's trade value at nothing more than a fifth rounder due to an acquiring team having to make a decision in May regarding Richardson's costly fifth-year option for the 2027 season.

"He's a developmental player and you're trading for one year of development," said an executive who pegged Richardson's value at a fifth-round pick. "The Raiders traded a fifth for one year of Kenny Pickett."

Will Levis,Tennessee Titansbackup

Levis will be an interesting gamble if some team is drawn to his very big tool set. When you talk to people around the league who have a track record with first-year Titans GM Mike Borgonzi, there is a pretty solid expectation that the Titans will work to trade Levis with one year left on his deal — although it should be noted that the next coaching staff has yet to chime in with its own assessment. But withCam Ward making strides in the starting job,the time-tested and logical playbook for 2026 is for Tennessee to seek out a trusted veteran backup whose skill set and experience will mesh with preparing and developing Ward to the fullest extent. With Levis having lost his job to Ward and having only 21 games of experience as a starter, he's not a natural fit in that role. He's also a roster relic of a previous head coach and general manager.

But even with that inclination to trade him, the reality is that Levis' trade value is about as low as it can get. He hadsurgery to repair a significant AC joint tear in his throwing shoulderlast July, knocking him completely out of the 2025 season. Not only will he have not practiced or thrown in months, there also will be little — if any — proof of how healthy his throwing shoulder is or will be once he returns to the field. That's not going to get you much on the trade market. Maybe a seventh-round pick at this point. But for those who might roll the dice on that, there is some merit to taking a very low risk on a player who has had a few flashes of brilliance. And Tennessee's struggles regardless of whether or not Levis was on the field may actually help him.

One AFC evaluator drew culture comparisons between what Levis experienced with the Titans and the poor surrounding environments that Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield experienced with the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns, respectively — and then the Carolina Panthers jointly — as having merit for a deeper look. The Titans' offensive line was a mess, the running game was largely nonexistent and Levis ultimately ended up playing for two different coaching staffs in his first two seasons. In short, not the kind of environment that fosters seamless development.

"When a guy is coming out of a mess, sometimes that's good and sometimes that's bad," the AFC evaluator said. "It depends on how that affects a player and what they learn."

The evaluator also qualified that the overall skill sets between Levis, Darnold and Mayfield were not apples-to-apples comparisons.

"Levis came in with a whip [for an arm]. Darnold and Baker were superior athletes overall," he said. "Darnold and Mayfield came [into the league] having shown a lot of leadership qualities. Levis was a big arm and some toughness. Now there's the injuries on top."

While Levis' shoulder will be difficult to set aside, it's worth remembering that he had some very respectable games as a rookie under head coach Mike Vrabel before his second season under now-ousted head coach Brian Callahan went sideways in 2024. Levis also had some very competitive games with Callahan at the helm, but any positives were almost entirely overshadowed byterrible decisions,benchworthy interceptionsand injuries. Not to mention theclear well of frustration that Callahan developedover the course of the 2024 season, which was often aired during games or in Callahan's meetings with the media.

Taken as a total package, it's a lot to sort through. But it can't be ignored that some of the scrap heap quarterbacks who have revived their careers and thrived this season also went through some staggering low points.

Trey Lance,Los Angeles Chargersbackup

The ship has not sailed on Lance getting one more starting shot just yet — but he also needs to step out from behind proven veteran quarterbacks and get meaningful snaps in 2026. He's 25 (turns 26 in May) and has now been in the league five years without finding a team willing to give him a sustained test run since the San Francisco 49ers traded him to the Dallas Cowboys in August of 2023. One longtime AFC evaluator who was high on Lance heading into the 2021 draft made a compelling point for Lance still potentially having some ceiling.

"He's never really gotten his shot — and you can also say he's never really forced it — but it's not like he's gotten beaten out by bad quarterbacks," the evaluator said. "There's some circumstances. Injuries when he needed a lot of development [in San Francisco] and then look at the guys he's been behind."

The argument in a nutshell: Lance essentially played one season of quarterback in high school and one season of starting quarterback in college. He needed significant patience and development, but spent his rookie season filling in behind veteran Jimmy Garoppolo and had issues with injuries (and eventually) confidence. By the end of his second season, he'd lost any shot at starting to rookie Brock Purdy, who has turned out to be a good starting quarterback. Eventually, he lost his backup job in San Francisco to Sam Darnold …who has also turned out to be a good starting quarterback. Since then, he has spent time with the Dallas Cowboys behind Dak Prescott and Cooper Rush (who proved to be a quality backup) and now has been the backup to Justin Herbert with the Chargers.

Aside from failing to supplant Rush as Prescott's backup in Dallas, Lance's history has been littered with other good quarterbacks in the room, and severely limited chances to take strides forward on the field. What hasn't changed is that he's still a young, 6-foot-4, 225-pound quarterback with a strong arm and the ability to impact games with his legs, too. In some respects, his tool set is a similar to that of Levis, but with much less on-field tape to actually showcase it. If you're a believer in Lance, you're a believer in late-bloomers who just needed a sustained opportunity to get their game up and running. Jordan Love, for example, did virtually nothing his first three seasons in the league and often looked extremely poor in Packers practices. You'd also have to be a believer that Lance can fit multiple schemes, whether it's RPO heavy, play action heavy, etc.

It's worth noting that Lance had some very impressive flashes in his preseason games. And that Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh praised him this week as "cool, calm collected" after Lance took some first-team and goal-line reps following thenon-throwing hand injury to Herbert.It's very possible Lance will get some snaps Monday night against the Philadelphia Eagles. With Lance once again becoming a free agent in March, whatever he does between now and then will determine if another NFL team is willing to bring him in as something more than just a reliable backup.

Kenny Pickett,Las Vegas Raidersbackup

It says something thatGeno Smith has had such a rough season with the Raiders— some of it certainly induced by the league's worst offensive line — and Pickett still hasn't gotten a shot at a start. Head coach Pete Carroll continues to lean into veterans over young players and there's been little doubt that he views Smith as the quarterback who gives the Raiders the best shot to win games. At this point, if Pickett ends up with a start, it will either be due to an injury to Smith or someone above Carroll forcing the change to see if Pickett has anything to offer. But with his rookie deal expiring after the season, there's little motivation for the Raiders to give him a test drive now, only to see him find some traction and lose him in free agency.

Unlike Trey Lance, there's a strong sense that Pickett has already shown his ceiling. His limitations are well known, from his lacking arm strength. But when you talk to evaluators in his last two spots before Las Vegas, with the Philadelphia Eagles and then briefly with the Cleveland Browns, there is some insistence that Pickett's early development was almost completely submarined in with the Pittsburgh Steelers by a mismatched offensive coordinator in Matt Canada and an offensive line that was a revolving door of problems. It became a rhythmless system with a rhythm quarterback plugged inside it.

"We know the top end with Kenny is limited," said an evaluator from one of Pickett's previous stops. "But his floor is probably higher than people think. He has to be in the right scheme and have positive alignment with an offensive coordinator. He didn't have that [in Pittsburgh].

While I think Pickett was slated to compete for (and maybe even favored to win) the Cleveland Browns starting job before preseason injuries derailed him, it remains to be seen if any other team is willing to take a look at Pickett as anything more than a backup. All of that said, Pickett does have 25 games of starting experience under his belt and still could be seen as a possible spot starter with journeyman bridge potential. He turns 28 this offseason. Think along the lines of Jacoby Brissett, who has shifted back and forth between backup, spot starter and bridge starter roles for the last 10 years.

The best move on the market has been to be linked with the Penn State job. It usually meant good news for your bank account. Western PennsylvanianCurt Cignetti(Indiana), PSU alumMatt Rhule(Nebraska),Eli Drinkwitz(Missouri),Clark Lea(Vanderbilt) and Kalani Sitake (BYU) all had their names mentioned with the opening. All got new deals.

TheSEC Gone Wildhas dominated the coaching cycle, leaving State College out in the cold... so far. But there may be a light at the end of the tunnel.

Toppmeyer:Penn State, swallow your pride and call Dan Mullen to save this disaster

CFB coaches on the move:Carousel in overdrive, keep up with hirings, firings

Here's the latest on the Penn State coaching search:

HIT REFRESH FOR UPDATES.

These college football coaches are on the move. See who found new home

Penn State finalizing agreement with Iowa State coach Matt Campbell, report

Yahoo! Sports' Ross Dellenger reportedFriday afternoon that Penn State andIowa Statecoach Matt Campbell are "in the final stages of negotiations" that would bring the Cyclones coach to Happy Valley. Per Dellenger: "Penn State's Board of Trustees must provide at least 48 hours of public notice before taking action. There is a slot reserved for next Monday-Wednesday for the committee with oversight on the issue."

HAYES:Penn State must hire Matt Campbell to avoid blowing CFB coaching carousel

YIKES:Iowa State fans' anxiety builds amid Matt Campbell chatter

ESPN's Pete Thamelfollowed up Dellenger's initial report saying Campbell and Penn State "are working toward a deal for him to become the next coach at Penn State. There's multiple steps needed to finalize, including agreeing to terms and formal approval of compensation."

Our long nightmare may soon be over.

Campbell has compiled a 72-55 record at Iowa State for an outstanding .567 winning percentage. He's turned the Cyclones into a consistent winner, no small feat for a program lacking consistent success before he arrived.

Matt Campbell buyout to leave Iowa State: How much would he owe?

The Des Moines Register'sEugene Rapay reported in Augustthat if Campbell leaves and accepts a Division I college football coaching job elsewhere,Iowa Stateis entitled to a $2 million buyout.

Penn State turns attention to Iowa State's Matt Campbell

According tomultiple reportson the evening of Thursday, Dec. 4, Penn State has turned the attention of its coaching search to Iowa State's Matt Campbell. The Cyclones' coach since 2016, Campbell has a career 72-55 record in Ames, including a career-best 11-3 mark in 2024.

Jeff Brohm says no to Penn State; Brian Daboll an option

Pat Forde of SI.com reportedWednesday afternoon Louisville coach Jeff Brohm "was presented with terms of a deal by Penn State. Agreeing to leave on the same day Brohm was signing a new freshman class with Louisville was not an attractive option."

Forde also reported formerNew York Giantscoach Brian Daboll may be in play for Penn State. Daboll was fired by the Giants after going 20-40-1 in four seasons. Most of Daboll's coaching career has been in the NFL, last coaching in college in 2017 as Alabama's offensive coordinator.

Signing day disaster for Penn State football

The early signing period for college football began Wednesday... and Penn State, still coachless,has signed just two playersas of 3:30 p.m. ET Wednesday.

Meanwhile, James Franklin is building a top-25 class at Virginia Tech, and serving Crumbl cookies. IYKYK.

Coincidental dessert choice at the#Hokies' signing day ceremony put on today by James Franklin?pic.twitter.com/eQKPQ9CsbB

— Andy Bitter (@AndyBitterVT)December 3, 2025

Kalani Sitake to stay at BYU

It's hard to stray away from home.

After a great deal of hype, Sitake is reportedly staying in Provo,per Pete Thamel.As the Cougars prepare for a Big 12 championship bout with Texas Tech and a possible playoff run, Sitake is in-line to get a big extension after a successful season, making him just the latest coach to use Penn State interest as leverage.

BYU optimistic it can keep Kalani Sitake

As much as Penn State may want Kalani Sitake as its next coach, his current employer isn't letting him leave without a fight.

According to a report on Tuesday, Dec. 2 from CBS Sports, BYU is "working hard" to try to keep Sitake, adding that "there's some optimism at the moment" at BYU that it might be able to prevent him from going to Penn State. The report described it as a "fluid situation."

From me and@chris_hummer, per@CBSSportssources: BYU is working hard to try to keep head coach and current Penn State target Kalani Sitake and there's some optimism at the moment on the BYU side that they may be able to keep him.Fluid situation.pic.twitter.com/sFN5SixdUw

— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz)December 2, 2025

Crumbl Cookie co-founder wants to help BYU keep Kalani Sitake

That's how the cookie crumbles apparently for a Penn State coaching search. Kalani Sitake's name popped up prominently in the PSU search on Monday. That caused BYU booster and fan Jason McGowan, the co-founder of Crumbl Cookie, to take to social media. "Some people are not replaceable. Sounds like it is time for me to get off the sidelines and get to work,"McGowan posted.

He followed that post on X with another, imploring Cougars fans to let Sitake feel the love.

Why do you love Kalani?What does it mean to you to have@kalanifsitakeas our head coach at BYU?Right now is the moment to let Kalani feel the love, respect, and gratitude of Cougar Nation. He has given everything to this program. Let's show him how much he means to all of…

— Jason McGowan (@jasonmcgowan)December 2, 2025

BYU's Kalani Sitake 'focus' of Penn State job

ADec. 1 report from ESPN's Pete Thamelsays BYU coach Kalani Sitake is "the focus" of Penn State's search.

Sitake has built the Cougars into one of the Big 12's premier programs. The 50-year-old coach and BYU alum has the school in Saturday's Big 12 Championship game with a spot in the College Football Playoff on the line.

Sources: BYU coach Kalani Sitake is the focus of Penn State's head coaching search. No deal has been signed, as the sides continue discussions. The sides have met, and there's mutual interest. On3 reported Sitake as the target earlier today.pic.twitter.com/xbUUO4mxct

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel)December 2, 2025

Sitake was asked, on Monday, about his possible connection to the Penn State job:

"This is a great distraction to have, let's be honest," Sitake said,according to the Salt Lake Tribune. "I'll address it with the team. … But they are used to me saying, 'Hey, this is a good sign that things are going well for us.' But I will say that this isn't about me.

"I'm all about the Big 12 championship and keeping our team focused on that. We're going to avoid all of the distractions."

Potential Penn State target Bob Chesney hired at UCLA

Bob Chesney was another name loosely linked to the Penn State job. But theJames Madisoncoach isheaded west to coach UCLA.

Brian Daboll, Kalani Sitake prediction favorites for Penn State job

BYU coach Kalani Sitake and recently-fired New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll are Monday's favorites to become the next PSU leader, according toKalshi,the federally regulated exchange and prediction market.

Players advocate for Terry Smith to get Penn State job

Interim coach Terry Smith went 3-3 after Franklin's dismissal as theNittany Lionsclawed their way back to bowl eligibility. PSU players lobbied for Smith to get the job permanently.

After the Nov. 22 win over Nebraska, Smith seemed to stake a claim for the job during a postgame on-field interview while players behind him held signs that read "Hire Terry Smith" and fans chanted his name.

"The emotion is I love my guys. I love my locker room, and you see how hard my guys play," Smith said. "These guys play inspired football. They're motivated. And we finished once again tonight... These guys listen to me. They trust me. And they're going out there playing great football.

"It's my locker room."

What about Josh Heupel for Penn State?

Tennessee fans mocked USA TODAY columnist Blake Toppmeyer whenhe suggested Josh Heupel swap Knoxville for Happy Valleyand maybe get ahead of a growing frustration with some sects of Vols fans. In those same predictive markets, Heupel was sitting at 18% Not a favorite. But nothing to laugh at either.

"As Heupel's stock absorbs a hit in Tennessee, candidates with his credentials remain in short supply within this wild coaching carousel," Toppmeyer wrote in early November. "He'd be a boon for Penn State. Now's his time to strike, while his resume remains catchy.

"Before Heupel's Tennessee revival, Franklin staged one at Penn State. Franklin stayed too long. The posse got him.

"Exiting Tennessee for Penn State would be a lateral move, but it's a move with an easier path to the playoff. That's what this sport is now, for programs like Penn State or Tennessee: Playoff or bust."

York Daily Record Penn State reporter Frank Bodani contributed to this story.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Penn State football close to hiring Matt Campbell as new head coach

After an expansion from four teams to 12 for the 2024 season, the only change for the 2025 iteration of the College Football Playoff is with the seeding. Last year, the top four conference champions received the four first-round byes no matter where they were ranked in the committee's final set of rankings.

This season, the top four teams in the final rankings will get the top four seeds regardless of their status as a conference champion. The top five highest-ranked conference champs get a spot in the field regardless.

The playoff also announced some changes to the way it evaluates teams in the 2025 season, though the impact of that is less clear. Before the season, the playoff committee said it'll place even more emphasis on games against strong opponents and reward teams more for wins against a good team and penalize teams less for losses to a better opponent.

What will the changes mean for the 2025 playoff?

The preseason changes won't make much of a difference, but the way the 2025 college football season has unfolded will make Sunday's selection show interesting for a different reason.

The rules state that the five highest-ranked conference champions will make the playoff field. While the Big 12, Big Ten and SEC champions are locks for the postseason, the other two are basically up for grabs thanks to a weak ACC.

No. 17 Virginia plays Duke on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET. If the Cavaliers win, they're in. If the Blue Devils win, it gets complicated. Duke is 7-5 and made the ACC title game through a series of tiebreakers due to an ugly season of ACC results. While Virginia went 7-1 in conference play, five teams went 6-2 and the second slot came down to a series of tiebreakers, which the Blue Devils benefitted from.

If the Blue Devils win, they still probably wouldn't be ranked because they already have losses to Illinois, Tulane, Georgia Tech, UConn and Virginia.

Which schools/conferences would take their place?

The American conference champ is essentially guaranteed a spot in the playoff at this point.

No. 24 North Texas will take on No. 20 Tulane in New Orleans on Friday night. The winner of that game is a virtual lock for the playoff.

The other conference that will likely leapfrog the ACC is the Sun Belt, because No. 25 James Madison has pieced together an excellent year and sits at 11-1 ahead of its game against Troy. The Dukes would almost assuredly be the last team in the field with a win and a loss by Virginia.

What does the College Football Playoff look like right now?

College Football Playoff rankings

1. Ohio State (12-0)2. Indiana (12-0)3. Georgia (11-1)4. Texas Tech (11-1)5. Oregon (11-1)6. Ole Miss (11-1)7. Texas A&M (11-1)8. Oklahoma (10-2)9. Alabama (10-2)10. Notre Dame (10-2)11. BYU (11-1)12. Miami (10-2)13. Texas (9-3)14. Vanderbilt (10-2)15. Utah (10-2)16. USC (9-3)17. Virginia (10-2)18. Arizona (9-3)19. Michigan (9-3)20. Tulane (10-2)21. Houston (9-3)22. Georgia Tech (9-3)23. Iowa (8-4)24. North Texas (11-1)25. James Madison (11-1)

The display at the Lake Street Church of Evanston, about 15 miles outside Chicago, also shows the infant in a mylar-style emergency blanket and immigration agents with covered faces in helmets and robes to make them look like Roman soldiers.

"This installation is not subtle because the crisis it addresses is not abstract," the church said in a social media post.

Activists protest outside of an immigrant processing and detention center on Oct. 2, 2025 in Broadview, Ill.

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Chicago protests push back against increased federal immigration raids

The church said the depiction is supposed to match the experience of migrants in detention facilities and of community members,including children, who were detained during raids. The gas masks on Mary and Joseph represent the use of tear gas by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal agents against protesters, the church said.

The Department of Homeland Security hasdeniedthat children's wrists were zip-tied.

"By placing the Christmas story (Christianity's central narrative of refuge, sanctuary, and sacred family) within the visual language of immigration enforcement and detention, this work asks viewers to confront the disconnect between professed religious or moral values and immigration policies," the church said in its post.

Rev. Michael Woolf, minister at Lake Street, was among a group of protesters arrested on Nov. 14 outside a federal immigration facility in Broadview, Illinois. A photo of Woolf lying face down on the ground while detained was widely shared at the time.

Lake Street Church says on its website that it is committed to social justice issues and opposes racism and discrimination. On immigration, the church said its policy is "to advocate for comprehensive immigration reform and to support the humane treatment and respect of all immigrants who are seeking entry to our country, recognizing that the United States is a nation of immigrants."

The immigration crackdown intensified in September when PresidentDonald Trumpannounced he was sending the National Guard to Chicago. The enforcement actions have been met with protests, which sometimes led to clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement. The immigration crackdown in the Chicago area was namedOperation Midway Blitz by the administration.

Chicago is among several major Democratic-led U.S. cities to see an enhanced federal law enforcement presence and immigration sweeps, including Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and most recently,New Orleans. The Department of Homeland Security announced on Dec. 3 that federal agents were beginning OperationCatahoula Crunchin New Orleans and focusing on "violent criminals."

But other operations show that many people detained have no criminal history. In Chicago, court records submitted by the Justice Department showed that of 600 arrested, only 16 had a criminal record.

Contributing: Christopher Cann, USA TODAY; Reuters

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Nativity scene at Evanston church shows Jesus in zip ties, ICE agents