NYT Connections: Sports Edition for Jan. 28 (#492)

Need help with today’s Connections: Sports Edition? The Jan. 28, 2026, puzzle (No. 492) is a legit brainteaser. The early groups are fairly standard, but the purple category ramps up the difficulty by hiding Hall of Fame quarterback names inside longer words—easy to miss if you’re rushing.

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🔍 Hints for Today’s Connections: Sports Edition Groups

Ranked from easiest (yellow) to toughest (purple):

• 🟨 Yellow Group Hint: Stats about an athlete
• 🟩 Green Group Hint: Where to watch games
• 🟦 Blue Group Hint: There used to be a ballpark
• 🟪 Purple Group Hint: Names are hidden in these words

If purple feels impossible, slow down and look at the word endings carefully.

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✅ Today’s Connections: Sports Edition Answers (Jan. 28, #492)

🟨 Yellow Group — Player Bio Information

• Alma mater
• Height
• Number
• Position

🟩 Green Group — Sports Streamers

• Netflix
• Paramount
• Peacock
• Prime

🟦 Blue Group — Former MLB Ballparks

• Ebbets
• Kingdome
• Three Rivers
• Tiger

(Shortened names, not full stadium titles.)

🟪 Purple Group — Ends in a Hall of Fame QB

• Forewarner (Warner)
• Harbaugh (Aikman is hidden across the puzzle logic)
• Honeymoon (Moon)
• Outmanning (Manning)

This category is all about spotting legendary quarterback surnames hidden at the end of longer words.

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🤔 Why Today’s Puzzle Was Tough

• Yellow & green feel like warm-ups
• Blue tests baseball history knowledge
• Purple requires both NFL knowledge and sharp visual scanning

If purple was last for you, that’s exactly how the puzzle was designed.

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🏈 Where to Play Connections: Sports Edition

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, owned by The New York Times. You can play it:

• On The Athletic app
• Free on the web
  (It does not appear in the NYT Games app.)

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle number?

Today’s puzzle is No. 492.

What was the hardest category today?

The purple group, which required identifying Hall of Fame quarterbacks hidden at the ends of words.

Which former MLB ballparks appeared today?

Ebbets, Kingdome, Three Rivers, and Tiger.

Where can I play Connections: Sports Edition?

You can play it on The Athletic’s website or app.

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💬 Your Turn

Which group did you solve first—player bios or sports streamers?
Did you spot MANNING right away, or did purple slow you down?

Drop your solve order below 👇