And happy October 3rd to all who celebrate. Mercury’s officially out of retrograde, so you know it’s about to be a grool week ahead. Let’s start it off with some sports news…so fetch.

The GIST: NFL player safety remains under scrutiny as the fallout from the mishandling of Miami Dolphins quarterback (QB) Tua Tagovailoa’s (TUNG-o-vai-LOA) apparent head injuries continues.

The timeline: The controversy began last Sunday when Tagovailoa returned to play in Miami’s loss to the Buffalo Bills despite noticeably staggering following a hit that sent him to the locker room for evaluation.

• The Dolphins later claimed their QB1 suffered a back injury on the play, not a concussion.

• Then the scary situation turned downright terrifying when the QB sustained another hard hit during his team’s Thursday Night Football matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals and had to be stretchered off the field.

The latest: The NFL and NFLPA are still investigating how concussion protocol was applied to Tagovailoa in Week 3, but the NFLPA had apparently seen enough — on Saturday they dismissed the unaffiliated neurologist who advised the Dolphins’ team doctor during last Sunday’s evaluation.

• For context: players who enter protocol are evaluated by a team doctor and an unaffiliated neurologist approved by both the league and the union.

• Meanwhile, the league and the union also agreed on protocol modifications — including a new rule preventing players who demonstrate “instability” from returning to the game — which are expected to be introduced in the coming days. About damn time.

Zooming out: In a league that praises physicality and “football culture” (aka playing through the pain), this is hardly the first time NFL player safety has been questioned.

• And it’s no secret that head injuries are a primary cause for concern — the dangers of CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy), for example, are only beginning to be understood.

• The reassessment of the concussion protocol is a welcome start, but there’s clearly a lot of work needed to be done if the league truly wants to prioritize player safety. This issue isn’t going anywhere.

The GOAT vs. the kid: QB Patrick Mahomes came out on top in the much hyped Sunday Night Football Super Bowl LV rematch between his Kansas City Chiefs and QB Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

• Mahomes threw for 249 yards with three touchdowns (TDs) and showed off his fancy footwork in Kansas City’s 41–31 win, overpowering Brady who was also solid with 385 yards and three TDs. The GOAT’s still got it, but the millennials win this round.

Call it a comeback: QB Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens squandered a 17-point lead in yesterday’s 23–20 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Jackson threw an uncharacteristic interception with the game on the line, which the Bills converted into a game-winning field goal.

New kid on the block: Pittsburgh Steelers 2022 No. 20 draft pick QB Kenny Pickett made his highly anticipated NFL debut, replacing former QB1 Mitch Trubisky in the second half. But it was a lackluster first go, as Pickett threw three interceptions in a 24–20 loss to the NY Jets. Maybe they can chalk it up to rookie mistakes?

All they do is win: They’re soaring, flying — the Philadelphia Eagles improved to 4-0 behind a 29–21 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, maintaining their status as the only undefeated team left in the league.

• Philly’s defense pounded Jacksonville QB Trevor Lawrence, who became the first player this century to lose four fumbles in one game. Yikes.

Looking ahead: The LA Rams visit the San Francisco 49ers tonight at 8:15 p.m. ET in a NFC West battle royale (and 2022 NFC Championship Game rematch!) more than worthy of Monday Night Football.

• The name of the game is “redemption” for 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo, who’ll try to shake off the rust against Rams QB Matthew Stafford and the defending Super Bowl champs.

It’s time to crank up Harry Styles because Team USA is golden once again. Captain Breanna Stewart and the star spangled crew topped China 83–61 in Saturday’s gold medal game to secure their fourth straight Women’s Worlds title.

• The cherry on top? With the win, the U.S. officially qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Très bien.

USWNT stars Megan Rapinoe and Rose Lavelle helped lead the OL Reign to the NWSL Shield (best regular season record) and the cool $10K per player bonus that comes with it with a 3–0 Saturday win over the Orlando Pride.

• Elsewhere, the Houston Dash are through to their first-ever postseason while the Chicago Red Stars nabbed the final spot with yesterday’s must-win 2–0 victory against Angel City FC. What pressure?

Alabama routed SEC foe Arkansas 49–26 on Saturday to remain undefeated and leapfrog over Georgia to return to the No. 1 ranking.

• But the victory didn’t come without a cost. Crimson Tide QB Bryce Young left the game with a shoulder injury in the second quarter. Hoping for a quick recovery.

Red Bull topped the podium for the sixth straight race but, in the ultimate plot twist, it was Sergio Pérez and not standings leader Max Verstappen who soaked in the victory at yesterday’s Singapore Grand Prix.

• And it was another stunner in the W Series. Jenner Racing’s Jamie Chadwick could’ve claimed the title yesterday, but she crashed out and was forced to retire from the race. Instead, her rival Beitske Visser earned the dub.

• Meanwhile, the real story is the W Series’ financial difficulties. The startup league was already carrying $8.3M in debt at the end of last season before an unnamed American investor backed out of a multimillion dollar deal earlier this year. Check out our sports biz newsletter for more on this story.

A rivalry, a rematch and a rip-roaring good time — tonight’s matchup between the defending champion LA Rams and San Francisco 49ers promises to be feisty from beginning to end as these two teams battle for control of the NFC.

• The best way to enjoy the action? With a bet on FanDuel Sportsbook, of course.

• Whether you think Niners backup QB Jimmy Garoppolo is in over his head (place a bet on the Rams!) or you think the game’s going to be a high-scoring affair (place a bet on the over for the total!), FanDuel has a bet for you.