NFL
A person with knowledge of the deal says quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has agreed to a three-year, $67.5 million contract with the Las Vegas Raiders. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal can’t be announced until Wednesday. The person says Garoppolo’s contract includes $34 million in the guaranteed money. Garoppolo played for the San Francisco 49ers the past six seasons. He played for the New England Patriots for three years under then-offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, now the Raiders' head coach.
The Atlanta Falcons have agreed to a four-year, $64 million contract with safety Jessie Bates, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity Monday because the deal can’t be announced until Wednesday. Bates started 79 games in five seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals. Bates had 14 interceptions, forced three fumbles and recovered two. He was a second-team All-Pro in 2020. The Falcons also agreed to acquire tight end Jonnu Smith from the New England Patriots, according to another person familiar with that deal. Atlanta announced that Pro Bowl guard Chris Lindstrom has signed a five-year contract extension, reportedly making him the NFL’s highest-paid guard.
A person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press on Monday that free agent cornerback Jonathan Jones intends to sign a two-year deal with the New England Patriots worth a maximum value of $20 million, with $13 million guaranteed. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because new deals can’t officially be signed until Wednesday. Jones thrived last season after switching from primarily defending the slot to playing on the outside. He started 16 games, tying for the team lead with four interceptions. He led all Patriots with 11 pass breakups. With veteran Devin McCourty announcing his retirement, Jones becomes the longest-tenured player in New England's secondary.
Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce tweeted on Monday that he would return for a 13th NFL season. Kelce has long been the heart of the Eagles and one of the top centers in the league. Kelce was a free agent and can’t officially sign with the Eagles until Wednesday. Kelce is a big fan favorite and has done it all outside the football field. He performed the national anthem at a 76ers game, partied with the Phanatic and pounded a beer to a roaring ovation at a Phillies playoff game.
The NFL’s competition committee will consider making roughing-the-passer penalties and personal-foul penalties subject to video review. The two potential rule changes were among nine the league announced Monday in its 2023 playing rules, bylaw and resolution proposals submitted by clubs. The Los Angeles Rams proposed the change that would allow teams to challenge roughing-the-passer calls. The Detroit Lions proposed the giving teams an opportunity to challenge personal foul calls. The competition committee will consider the rule changes later this month when NFL owners gather in Arizona for their annual meeting.
NBA
Jalen Green scored 28 points and rookie Jabari Smith Jr. added 24 as the Houston Rockets withstood a late charge to beat the Boston Celtics 111-109. The Rockets, who are tied with Detroit for the NBA’s fewest wins with 16, snapped a three-game skid. Jaylen Brown scored a season-high 43 points for the Celtics. Boston had a chance to tie the game at the buzzer, but Jayson Tatum missed a layup.
The Memphis Grizzlies aren’t saying when star point guard Ja Morant will return with one game remaining in a four-game sabbatical the team said he needed to deal with personal issues. Morant's fifth consecutive game away from the team was a 104-88 victory over Dallas. It gave the Grizzlies a sweep of a home-and-home set with the Mavericks. ESPN reported Morant has entered a counseling program in Florida. Morant is away from the team after posting a video recently in which the 23-year-old appeared to be displaying a gun at a Denver-area strip club.
NHL
Alex Tuch had two goals in his return from injury and the Buffalo Sabres rallied from two goals down to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3. Jack Quinn and Dylan Cozens also scored for Buffalo, and Owen Power and JJ Peterka each had two assists for Buffalo. Craig Anderson had 25 saves as the Sabres won for just the second time in eight games (2-5-1). Auston Matthews had a goal and two assists, and William Nylander and Calle Jarnkrok also scored for Toronto. Mitch Marner had two assists and Matt Murray stopped 25 shots.
WNIT
The field is set for the WNIT, and it includes a matchup between the University at Albany women’s basketball team and UMass on Friday at 3 p.m. The winner of the game, hosted by UMass, advances to meet the winner of the Harvard-Towson matchup Thursday. UMass was the top seed in the Atlantic 10 tournament but fell to St. Louis in overtime in the championship. UAlbany was the second seed in the America East tournament and lost to No. 1 Vermont 38-36 in the title.
NCAA
The women's NCAA Tournament will feature many international players. The NCAA, citing numbers provided by FIBA, says the number of players in Division I women's basketball grew to 731 in 2022, up nearly 350% from 212 in 2012. For some teams, that has translated to growing success on the court. Washington State won the Pac-12 Tournament with nine international players on the roster. USF won the American Athletic Conference regular-season title with eight foreign players. Coach Jose Fernandez says he's found that athletes willing to come to the U.S. from other countries tend to be more mature.
MLB
Joe Pepitone, an All-Star and Gold Glove first baseman on the 1960s New York Yankees who gained renown for his flamboyant personality, hairpieces and penchant for nightlife, has died at age 82. Born in Brooklyn, Pepitone helped the Yankees to their second straight World Series title, a team led by Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris and Elston Howard. Pepitone gained attention for his off-the-field conduct. In a time when most players were staid and conformist, Pepitone was thought to be the first to bring a hair dryer into the clubhouse.
SOCCER
The U.S. Soccer Federation says Gregg Berhalter remains a candidate to stay on as men’s national team coach after a report by a law firm concluded he did not improperly withhold information about a 1992 domestic violence allegation involving the woman who later became his wife. The report also concluded that Berhalter’s conduct “likely constituted the misdemeanor crime of assault on a female” but that it was an isolated event. He can't be prosecuted because of the two-year statute of limitations for misdemeanors. The law firm Alston and Bird was retained after the Reyna family reported the 30-year-old incident to the USSF.
WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC
At the World Baseball Classic
Mike Trout hit a three-run homer, Lance Lynn threw five impressive innings and the United States used a nine-run first inning to cruise past Canada 12-1 at the World Baseball Classic. The game was called after seven innings because of the tournament’s 10-run mercy rule. The U.S. improved to 2-1 and bounced back from an 11-5 loss to Mexico on Sunday with its best offensive performance of the tournament. Canada fell to 1-1. In Miami, José De León and three relievers combined on a perfect pitching performance as Puerto Rico routed Israel 10-0 in a matchup called after eight innings because of the mercy rule. Puerto Rico didn't permit a baserunner, but it won't count as a perfect game in official WBC records because the game didn’t go nine innings.
(C) 2023 Associated Press
