Coach’s comments deal another blow to Commanders reputation
ASHBURN, Va. — The NFL’s Washington Commanders once again find themselves at the center of an off-the-field issue that has nothing to do with football, dealing another blow to their rapidly sagging reputation as one of the most dysfunctional franchises in professional sports. The fallout from the latest misstep requiring...
Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp gets contract extension from RamsVideo
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp agreed to a three-year contract extension with the Los Angeles Rams on Wednesday after a spectacular season in which he led the NFL in every major receiving category. The Rams announced the deal just two days after signing Aaron Donald to...
Commanders assistant coach Jack Del Rio sorry after calling Capitol insurrection a ‘dustup’Video
ASHBURN, Va. — An assistant coach for the NFL’s Washington Commanders issued an apology for his word choice after doubling down on a comparison he made on social media between the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and the protests in the wake of the police...
A healthy Saquon Barkley getting ready for Giants ’22 seasonVideo
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Julian Love has not only seen a different Saquon Barkley on the field in recent months, the New York Giants safety is excited what the star running back is showing in the locker room. Love said Barkley, the No. 2 overall draft pick in 2018, is...
Bengals wideouts confident of encore after Super Bowl run
CINCINNATI — The confidence of the Cincinnati Bengals receivers was super-charged by their improbable run to the Super Bowl last season, and it’s carried right into voluntary offseason workouts. Last year Ja’Marr Chase overcame some early concerns about drops to break the single-season franchise receiving record with 1,455 yards and...
Brees won’t return for NBC’s NFL and Notre Dame coverage
Drew Brees is officially done at NBC Sports after one year. NBC Sports chairman Pete Bevacqua said in a phone interview with The Associated Press that Brees will not be a part of the network’s NFL and Notre Dame coverage this year. The New York Post reported last month that...
Walmart heir Rob Walton agrees to buy Broncos in record deal
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Walton family has won the bidding to purchase the Denver Broncos in the most expensive deal for a sports franchise anywhere in the world. The Broncos announced late Tuesday night they had entered into a sale agreement with the Walton-Penner ownership group led by Walmart heir...
Cam Newton on podcast: ‘There’s not 32 guys better than me’
Cam Newton still considers himself one of the top 32 quarterbacks in the NFL. But Newton, who remains an unrestricted free agent while mandatory minicamps begin around the league, said people’s perception of him has changed largely because he put himself in bad situations the past two years with the...
Raiders coach Josh McDaniels remains patient as Derek Carr, offense learn new systemVideo
HENDERSON, Nev. — First-year Las Vegas Raiders coach Josh McDaniels knows patience is the most important thing for him and his staff right now. Especially with a ninth-year veteran leading a retooled offense. “Our system is different than anything I’ve been in before,” quarterback Derek Carr said Tuesday after the...
Packers’ Aaron Rodgers unsure how long he will play beyond this seasonVideo
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Aaron Rodgers says he is unsure how much longer he will keep playing football. But he is definitive about at least one element of his playing future: The four-time MVP quarterback expects to retire with the Green Bay Packers. That scenario seemed uncertain this time a...
Bruins fire coach Bruce Cassidy after 1st-round playoff exit
BOSTON — The Boston Bruins fired coach Bruce Cassidy on Monday, several weeks after losing in the first round of the playoffs. General manager Don Sweeney announced the surprising move Monday night and said the search for a replacement will begin immediately. He called it “an extremely difficult decision.” “His...
Romeo Crennel retires after almost 40 years as NFL coach
HOUSTON — Romeo Crennel announced his retirement Monday, ending a 39-year NFL coaching career highlighted by five Super Bowl titles. Crennel spent the past eight seasons with the Houston Texans. He was the team’s defensive coordinator from 2014-16 and assistant head coach from 2017-19. In 2020 he was the associate...
All-Pro Aaron Donald returning to LA Rams with a big raise
LOS ANGELES — All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald is getting a big raise to stay with the Los Angeles Rams under a reworked contract through 2024. The Super Bowl champion Rams announced Donald’s return Monday. The team didn’t disclose terms of the new deal, but the NFL Network reported Donald...
Browns’ Watson named in 24th lawsuit by massage therapists
HOUSTON — A 24th woman filed a civil lawsuit Monday alleging sexual misconduct by Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson, who is also awaiting possible discipline from the NFL. The latest lawsuit was filed in Houston by attorney Tony Buzbee, who is representing all 24 women. “Lost in the media frenzy...
Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence says teammate Micah Parsons is his targetVideo
FRISCO, Texas — DeMarcus Lawrence used to say he didn’t care about sacks as long as he felt he was being productive — until Micah Parsons led the Dallas Cowboys in that category while winning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2021. The veteran defensive end just might be...
Bills add experience, depth by signing receiver Tavon Austin
BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Bills have added experienced depth to an already crowded receiver group by signing Tavon Austin to a one-year contract. The Bills made the signing official by announcing it Friday, a day after Austin first revealed the move by posting a message on social media. Austin...
FitzMagic runs out: 39-year-old journeyman QB Ryan Fitzpatrick retiring
BUFFALO, N.Y. — The FitzMagic has run out. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick is retiring, he confirmed to The Associated Press in a text message on Friday, ending a career that spanned 17 seasons and nine teams and made him one of the NFL’s most colorful and beloved journeymen. It was a...
Longtime NFL running back Frank Gore signs 1-day contract to retire with 49ersVideo
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Frank Gore signed a one-day contract with the San Francisco 49ers and announced his retirement from the NFL. Gore spent the first 10 years of his 16-year career with the 49ers and returned to end his career as one of the most prolific runners in league...
Tom Brady on his decision to play: ‘55 percent yes, 45 percent no’
TAMPA, Fla. — Tom Brady said Wednesday that he felt some pressure right before the start of free agency to end his retirement. The Bucs faced the prospect of losing several key players, and with them, his best chance to win another Super Bowl with Tampa Bay. Brady, who turns...
U mad, bro?: Steelers fans pounce on Doug Whaley’s Jack Ham comments; Pirates fans rip roster; reader backs Jacob Trouba hits
Despite a good week out west, fans are still piling on the Pittsburgh Pirates. Criticism of Jacob Trouba’s hits have hockey fans in a snit. And someone was critical of a Super Stiller from the 1970s. Perhaps the ultimate Pittsburgh sin. All that and more in this week’s “U mad,...
Former Cowboys running back Marion Barber found dead in Texas apartment
DALLAS — Marion Barber, a punishing staple in the Dallas Cowboys backfield for six seasons, was found dead Wednesday at his Frisco home. Frisco police said officers were asked to perform a welfare check at an apartment believed to be leased by Barber and that there was an “unattended death”...
Browns sign TE David Njoku to 4-year contract extension
BEREA, Ohio — David Njoku has gone from wanting out of the Cleveland Browns to locking in with them. Cleveland announced Njoku’s four-year, $56.75 million contract extension on Wednesday, a deal that could take the tight end through the 2027 season. A first-round draft pick in 2017, Njoku will be...
First Call: Ex-Steelers RB looking for work; red-hot Starling Marte part of viral video moment
Wednesday’s “First Call” checks in on an ex-Steeler who needs a new place to play. A former Pitt Panther has his eyes on the NBA. Starling Marte is on fire with the New York Mets. And a free agent some Steelers fans wanted is heading down south. On the open...
Browns QB Watson facing lawsuit from 23rd massage therapistVideo
CLEVELAND — Another massage therapist has filed a civil lawsuit against Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson, raising the number of women who have accused him of sexual misconduct to 23. Attorney Tony Buzbee, who is representing all the women, filed the latest lawsuit Tuesday in Texas and said in a...
Longtime partner suing former Washington QB Mark Rypien
SPOKANE, Wash. — The former longtime partner of ex-NFL quarterback Mark Rypien has filed a personal injury lawsuit against him alleging years of physical and emotional abuse. The Spokesman-Review reported that Danielle Wade filed the lawsuit in Spokane County Superior Court. The couple have spoken publicly in the past about...
