10 PICTURES SHOW DONALD TRUMP MAKING NFL HISTORY WITH MELANIA MYSTERIOUSLY ABSENT

Donald Trump was booed by fans at Northwest Stadium during halftime of the Lions-Commanders game (Image:Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

Donald Trump was in attendance at Northwest Stadium as the Washington Commanders took on the Detroit Lions, with fans making it clear what they think of the 79-year-old amid the government shutdown

Donald Trump was in attendance to watch the Washington Commanders take on the Detroit Lions, though First Lady Melania Trump was not with the president at Northwest Stadium.

Despite the American government being embroiled in a shutdown — the longest in U.S. history — due to Trump's standoff with Democrats. What's more, the 79-year-old was 80 minutes late to the matchup, which the Lions eventually won in a blowout over the Commanders.

Trump was also the first president in almost five decades to attend a football game, despite wanting the Commanders to name their new stadium after him. Richard Nixon first did so in 1969, with President Jimmy Carter attending another game some nine years later.

Of note, the first lady was not in attendance at Northwest Stadium, with the president being joined by the Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, House Speaker Mike Johnson, and Commanders owner Josh Harris. With the 79-year-old watching the festivities, pictures of armed guards and security on the sidelines flooded social media.

What's more, Trump was booed heavily by fans at halftime when the president issued the Oath of Enlistment. Perhaps a reason for fans booing Trump is that the shutdown has also negatively affected the military, as evidenced by the NFL's "Salute to Service" featuring no military members.

Mirror U.S. Sports takes a look at the president's visit to Northwest Stadium to watch the Commanders' loss to the Lions.

Donald Trump arrives at Northwest Stadium

President Trump was in attendance to watch the Commanders take on the Lions with a number of Republican leaders, though First Lady Melania Trump was nowhere to be found

Fans' Differing Opinions on Trump

Fans closest to Trump seemingly were happy to see the president in such close proximity, with some reaching out to shake the 79-year-old's hand as he reached into the crowd

The President appears despite the shutdown

The United States is currently locked into the longest government shutdown in history, with the president's standoff against Democrats affecting almost every aspect of American life

Trump Issues Oath of Enlistment

While at Northwest Stadium, Trump issued the Oath of Enlistment at halftime to the newest members of the armed forces, which is the oath service members take when they join the military

The President's Men

Fans were able to watch the president at Northwest Stadium as he issued the Oath of Enlistment to the newest members of the armed forces, though the crowd gave different opinions

Trump Booed by the Crowd

As Trump was issuing the aforementioned oath, the fans in the stadium loudly booed the president, with various replays of the incident showcasing just how loud the crowd was

Trump Plays off Boos

Despite the heavy dose of boos aimed his way, Trump and those in the suite next to him, including Commanders owner Josh Harris, attempted to play off the incident by waving to the crowd

'It's Fun to Stay at the YMCA'

Lions star Amon-Ra St. Brown (L) did Trump's infamous dance after scoring a touchdown in he first quarter of the game, though the president did not see it because he was late

It Takes Two

Commanders star tight end Ben Sinnott (C) also did the Trump dance after scoring a touchdown to cut the Lions' lead to 19 late in the fourth quarter with the game well in hand

Saluting the Commander in Chief

After scoring his own touchdown, Washington star wideout Deebo Samuel saluted the crowd, seemingly his way of celebrating with the president and those who took the Oath of Enlistment

- Jarrod Castillo

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TRUMP ANNOUNCES WASHINGTON D.C. TO HOST 2027 NFL DRAFT

Reuters 

WASHINGTON - The National Football League will host its 2027 draft in Washington, D.C., U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Monday at the White House, bringing the league's biggest off-season event to the nation's capital for the first time since 1940.

The three-day event that regularly attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors is expected to take place on the National Mall, a stone's throw from the White House

"The draft is a celebration of one of our country's most cherished cultural institutions," said Trump, speaking from inside the Oval Office.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told reporters he expects more than one million visitors at the 2027 draft, far more than the estimated record 775,000 who attended the 2024 edition in Detroit.

The announcement comes days after the Washington Commanders struck a deal with the District of Columbia to return to the site of the club's former RFK Stadium, where Washington played from 1961-1996 and enjoyed the most successful era in franchise history.

The new stadium is expected to open in the nation's capital in 2030.

Commanders owner Josh Harris, who agreed to buy the team in 2023 after a turbulent period under previous owners Dan and Tanya Snyder, was in attendance to present the U.S. president with a team jersey with "Trump" emblazoned on the back.

"You are the ultimate commander, so it is a Commanders jersey," said Harris.

The draft has rotated through multiple cities since the NFL ended New York's five-decade-long reign as host in 2015. The three-day 2025 draft was held last month at Lambeau Field, in Green Bay, Wisconsin, home of the Green Bay Packers, with next year's selection of college players joining the NFL to be held in Pittsburgh.

Reuters 

Trump became the first sitting U.S. president to attend a Super Bowl in February, where the crowd at the Superdome in New Orleans greeted him with a mix of cheers and boos, but he has a long and complicated history with the league.

Trump bought into the doomed upstart United States Football League in the 1980s and sought to have it compete directly with the NFL.

In 2017, during his first term in the White House, he spent weeks attacking the NFL over players who knelt during the pre-game playing of the national anthem in protest over police brutality and racial inequality.

Goodell, who stood next to Trump as the president addressed the media, in February had defied Trump's calls for private companies to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion programs, saying the league would continue its DEI efforts.

Trump's current term will overlap with several major international sporting events in the United States, with the Club World Cup set to take place in 11 U.S. cities from June 14-July 13.

The United States will co-host the 2026 World Cup with Mexico and Canada, while the 2028 Summer Olympics are set for Los Angeles.

Reporting by Gram Slattery in Washington, D.C., writing by Amy Tennery in New York, Editing by Bill Berkrot

- Reuters 

NICK SIRIANNI CELEBRATES JALEN HURTS ON STAGE AFTER NFC CHAMPIONSHIP WIN

The Eagles head coach made sure to give Jalen Hurts his flowers after leading the team to a huge win over the Commanders.

Eagles players supported Nick Sirianni through some hard times earlier this season, and encouraged the head coach to be true to himself and all the big energy that comes with that. As the team celebrated their NFC Championship victory, Sirianni did just that, and took a moment on stage to shine a spotlight on Jalen Hurts and his incredibly impressive performance.

Hurts appears bashful at first, but when Sirianni points out that all the QB does is win, he smiled from ear-to-ear.

Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images

The tenuous relationship between Hurts and Sirianni was talked about going all the way back to last season. It wasn’t until the two connected during the Week 5 bye and established a new rapport that the speculation was put to rest. They were able to come together with a plan to turn things around, and went on to lead this team to an NFC Championship on the way to another Super Bowl appearance.

For his part, Hurts spoke to reporters after the game and celebrated Sirianni, saying, “He’s done a great job. He’s done a great job. I guess he let me out of my straight jacket a little bit today.”

It’s great to see them on the same page and celebrating together, because this pair might be able to do some special things in Philly for a long time.

- Alexis Chassen

'OWE JAKEN HURTS AN APOLOGY ' | REACTION TO EAGLES VS. COMMANDERS

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SUPER BOWL IS SET | NFL CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP

 

EAGLES, CHIEFS SUPER BOWL FAVOURITES; SPORTS BOOKS SMILING AFTER LION'S LOSS

A lone Detroit Lions fan reacts to the stunning 45-31 loss to the Washington Commanders in the NFC divisional round NFL playoff game at Ford Field in Detroit on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025.

Sportsbooks took a partial victory lap following the elimination of the Detroit Lions, Super Bowl favorites entering the divisional playoff with the highest handle and ticket percentage for most major operators in that futures market.

The Lions were bounced from the NFC field by the Washington Commanders, who were a 10-point underdog by kickoff on Saturday night. Money shifted to Washington as the number grew ahead of the game and it paid off in a 45-31 win. The Commanders had a moneyline of anywhere between +376 to +430 and wound up in their first NFC Championship game since 1991.

"The Lions losing was a great result for the futures market at BetMGM. On top of knocking our biggest liability out of the running, the Commanders win also ruined the popular chalk money line parlay of Lions, Chiefs, and Ohio State," Christian Cipollini, BetMGM trading manager, said Monday.

After wins at Tampa Bay and Detroit, the Commanders are ticketed for a third road game this weekend and their third matchup this season with NFC East division rival Philadelphia. The Eagles and Commanders split two entertaining games in the regular season.

FanDuel lists the Eagles as 5.5-point favorites Monday and the Commanders are fourth of the remaining four teams in the Super Bowl futures odds market. Kansas City is a 1.5-point favorite over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship at ESPN Bet and Fan Duel.

BetMGM moved the Eagles from +400 to win the Super Bowl last week to current +180 odds, overtaking the Lions as the favorite.

The Chiefs went from +350 last week to +240, narrowly ahead of the Bills. Buffalo went from +400 to +250 and the Commanders moved from +3000 at kickoff of the Lions' game to +700 at BetMGM. FanDuel lists Washington at +750, the Eagles as the favorite at +180 and Kansas City (+220) ahead of the Bills (+250).

The most popular exact result Super Bowl matchup on the board at FanDuel and Draft Kings is the Chiefs beating the Eagles (+380), just ahead of the Eagles beating the Chiefs (+410).

Like Washington to keep it rolling? Consider the Commanders to beat the Chiefs (+1300) or Bills (+1600) at Fan Duel.

Washington rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels is +700 in the Super Bowl MVP futures market, fifth behind Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (+550) and quarterback Jalen Hurts (+400) and co-favorites Bills quarterback Josh Allen and Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (+280) at Draft Kings.

- Field Level Media

DETROIT LIONS VS. WASHINGTON COMMANDERS | FULL HIGHLIGHTS | NFL DIVISIONAL PLAYOFF GAME

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JOE BIDEN OFFICIALLY SIGNS BILL TO ALLOW COMMANDERS TO OFFICIALLY RELOCATE

CREDIT: WASHINGTON COMMANDERS

The Washington Commanders got a big legislative win today, as President Joe Biden has officially signed the "D.C. Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act." This new bill will allow the District of Columbia to rebuild the campus where the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium sits.

The bill allows for stadium development, residential and commercial development, and other specified purposes.

The bill was unanimously passed in the Senate on Dec. 21, after legislators reportedly stayed up all night to iron out the details of the new bill. Now, the Commanders can return back to their home stadium in Washington, D.C.

Following the unanimous passing of the "D.C. Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act" in the Senate on Dec. 21, President Biden has made the act official with his signature.

The Commanders began in the NFL as the Boston Braves in 1932. They would eventually relocate to Washington D.C., the team would change to the Washington Redskins in 1937.

The then-Redskins made their home at RFK Stadium from 1961-96, before relocating again to FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland. The Commanders remain at FedEx Field, but the lease for the team will end in 2027.

The new couple of years and the bill being passed gives the Commanders and the District of Columbia time to plan their renovation of the RFK Stadium Campus. It will be interesting to see if the Commanders will have to play at a neutral site while their new stadium is being built.

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser released a statement about the bill being passed by President Biden. The statement reads:

"It is a good day for DC when we finally have control of our own destiny at the RFK campus. We are ready and optimistic about unlocking the full potential of this space, and with more than 170 acres of land we can do it all – deliver housing, economic opportunity, green space, recreation, sports, and more.

This moment is the result of years of tireless and strategic advocacy, extraordinary collaboration, and bipartisan leadership. We extend our gratitude to President Biden, Representative James Comer, and Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton for their crucial support in ensuring this bill's success."

The Commanders have been building something special, especially this season. With a new head coach in Dan Quinn and the makings of a franchise quarterback in Jayden Daniels, things are looking up for the Washington team.

Daniels could win Rookie of the Year, and the Commanders are in the playoffs. Now, they will likely move back to their home stadium in the near future.

For more on the Commanders, head to Newsweek Sports.

- James Brizuela Newsweek

EAGLES RECEIVE CONCERNING NEWS AHEAD OF NFL PLAYOFF MATCHUP AGAINST PACKERS

Eric Hartline-Imagn Images / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Eagles are gearing up for a massive showdown in the first round of the NFL playoffs this Sunday when they face the Green Bay Packers. The two teams previously met in Week 1 in Brazil, with the Eagles emerging victorious after Jordan Love was forced to leave the game late due to injury.

However, the Packers are now dealing with their own injury woes. Wide receiver Christian Watson has been ruled out for the season after what is expected to be a torn ACL. On the other side, the Eagles received concerning news of their own on Monday, just six days before the matchup in Philadelphia.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Eagles star quarterback Jalen Hurts is still in concussion protocol. This news is somewhat eye-opening, as Hurts suffered the concussion nearly three weeks ago during a Week 16 game against the Washington Commanders. Despite the extended period, Hurts has yet to clear the standard concussion protocol, which requires him logging a full practice, which he will have the opportunity to do over the next four or so days.

Eagles QB Jalen Hurts is still in concussion protocol.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 6, 2025

The good news is that it's still early in the week. If Hurts remains in protocol by Thursday or Friday, it could provide a clearer picture of his status for Sunday.

While many believe Hurts will be ready to go, if he can't play, backup quarterback Kenny Pickett would likely start. Pickett has performed admirably in his two stints against Washington and Dallas, although he did leave the Cowboys game with a minor injury. Tanner McKee stepped in after Pickett's exit.

Pickett's injury was not deemed serious, so if he gets the starting nod, McKee would likely become the second-string quarterback. Nonetheless, the hope is that Hurts will be cleared in time to lead the Eagles in what promises to be a major matchup against a very talented Packers team.

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- Cole Sullivan Athlon Sports

COWBOYS HOLDS OFF NFC EAST RIVAL GIANTS IN DEFENSIVE BATTLE

Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Entering Thursday night's game, the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys shared last place in the NFC East at 1-2, a game behind the 2-1 Washington Commanders and Philadelphia Eagles.

The Cowboys scored two first-half touchdowns and limited the Giants to three field goals to lead 14-9 at the half. It was a defensive battle the rest of the way, as neither team scored a touchdown in the second half.

Dallas picked up their second win of the season with a final score of 20-15, but star edge rusher Micah Parsons was carted off the field late in the game to get an X-ray.

Here are the most important things to know from Thursday night for both teams:

Dallas Cowboys

Dak Prescott did not speak to the media prior to Thursday's game against the New York Giants. He said he would speak "post win." The Cowboys got the win, but it wasn't an artistic beauty. However, after the Cowboys were embarrassed in back-to-back home losses to the New Orleans Saints and Baltimore Ravens, the only thing that mattered was getting a win on a short week.

Being 2-2 is so much better than 1-3. Had the Cowboys lost, it would have marked the first time they lost three September games since 2001, and they would have been in last place in the NFC East.

Prescott was sharp, especially in the first half with touchdown passes to CeeDee Lamb (55 yards) and Rico Dowdle (15 yards). The defense finally stopped the run and stiffened in the red zone, holding the Giants to five field goals.

Prescott has now won 13 straight against the Giants. His last loss came in 2016 as a rookie. He tied the second-longest win streak by a quarterback against a single opponent since quarterback stats were first tracked in 1950. Tom Brady beat the Buffalo Bills 13 straight times from 2003 to 2010, and Steve Young beat the Rams 13 straight from 1987 to 98. He will get a chance for No. 14 on Thanksgiving.

Promising trend: When Lamb has some sideline issues, the best seems to come out of him. During last year's loss at San Francisco, Lamb kept to himself on the sideline and then followed with six games with at least 11 catches and seven games with more than 100 yards. In last week's loss to New Orleans, Lamb had a spat with Prescott and did not speak to the media after the game. On Tuesday, Lamb was apologetic and said he would be better. In the first half alone, he had six catches for 94 yards (both season highs) and a touchdown.

Eye-popping stat: Brandon Aubrey has played 21 games for the Cowboys. He has three field goals of 60 yards in his career, including a 60-yarder in the third quarter against the Giants. That's one off the NFL record held by Brett Maher, who made four with the Cowboys over two different stints. Aubrey made a 60-yarder last week against the Ravens. He is 2-for-2 from 60 yards this season. The rest of the league is 0-for-2, according to ESPN Research.

Silver lining: The Cowboys will have 10 days to get ready for the presently undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers. The time will help because there is still a lot that needs to be corrected, even with the win. In the past three games, opposing quarterbacks have missed on only 19 passes. Against the Saints and Ravens, that was understandable because both teams were so dominant on the run. Giants quarterback Daniel Jones had too much time to throw for much of the game after previously being tormented by the Cowboys, who sacked him 24 times in eight games prior to Thursday. Oh, and they were penalized nine times in the first half alone. --Todd Archer

Next game: at Pittsburgh Steelers (8:20 p.m. ET, Sunday, Oct. 6.)

Luke Hales/Getty Images

New York Giants

The Giants kept it close against the Cowboys, but they still didn't come away with a win. After last season, when the Giants were outscored 89-17 in their two meetings with the Cowboys, this has to be viewed as progress, right?

Sure there are no moral victories in the NFL, but this was the third straight step in the right direction for the Giants (1-3) after an ugly opener.

The gap, at least to some degree, has narrowed between the division rivals. Dallas still owns the Giants. It has won 14 of the past 15 matchups, and Prescott has beaten them 13 straight times. New York still isn't quite there yet, but this proved its at least improving.

QB breakdown: Jones was efficient, completing 29 of 40 passes (73% completion) for 281 yards with an interception on a Hail Mary in the finals seconds. But the Giants were kept out of the end zone and Jones was short on most of his deep throws. It's especially notable considering this was a problem early in training camp. There was a lot of good for Jones, but it was not quite enough. Jones is clearly playing better since the opener. Having rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers (12 catches for 115 yards) certainly helps.

Eye-popping stat: Nabers keeps adding to his records. He became the first player in NFL history with at least 25 receptions and three touchdowns in his first four career games when he caught a 3-yard pass early in the second quarter. He now has 35 receptions for 386 yards and three touchdowns in four games.

Troubling trend: Giants top cornerback Deonte Banks has been the nearest defender on four touchdown passes already this season, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. Banks was beat again on Thursday night, this time by Lamb for a 55-yard score in the second quarter. The Giants were hoping Banks would step into the CB1 role this season. Instead, it has been a struggle so far.

Biggest hole in the game plan: The Giants weren't able to get anything going in the running game against the league's worst run defense. Dallas came into the contest allowing 185.7 yards on the ground per contest. The Giants came into the game thinking they would have success, but had only 29 yards rushing in the first half -- and they finished with 26 yards on 24 carries. -- Jordan Raanan

Next game: at Seattle Seahawks (4:25 p.m. ET, Sunday, Oct. 6)

- Todd Archer and Jordan Raanan

POSTGAME: WASHINGTON FALLS SHORT ON THANKSGIVING | COMMANDERS VS. COWBOYS

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