Eagles make Barkley highest-paid running back with 2-year, $41.2M deal, AP source says
Saquon Barkley will become the highest-paid running back in NFL history after his record-setting season helped the Philadelphia Eagles win the Super Bowl. The Eagles are giving Barkley a two-year contract extension worth $41.2 million with $36 million guaranteed, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Tuesday. The person, speaking on condition of anonymity because the extension hasn’t been announced, said Barkley’s new deal includes $15 million in incentives. Barkley ran for 2,504 yards in the regular season and playoffs, breaking Terrell Davis’ record for most yards rushing in one season.
No. 1 Auburn falls 83-72 to No. 22 Texas A&M behind Zhuric Phelps’ 19 points
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Zhuric Phelps scored 19 points off the bench and No. 22 Texas A&M never trailed in an 83-72 win over top-ranked Auburn on Tuesday night. It’s Texas A&M’s first-ever win over a team ranked No. 1 in the AP Top 25 poll and ends a six-game winning streak for the Tigers, who clinched the Southeastern Conference title with a win over Kentucky on Saturday. Texas A&M (21-9, 10-7 SEC) denied Auburn (27-3, 15-2) an undefeated conference road record after the Tigers entered the game 9-0 in SEC road games this season.
Roki Sasaki pitches 3 scoreless innings in his spring debut with the Dodgers
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Roki Sasaki has pitched three scoreless innings for the Los Angeles Dodgers in his spring training debut against the Cincinnati Reds. Sasaki allowed two hits, struck out five and walked one. The right-hander threw 46 pitches, 26 for strikes. Yoshinobu Yamamoto started for the World Series champions and worked four innings of two-run ball before Sasaki came in. The Reds put two runners on with one out in the fifth, but Sasaki escaped the jam by striking out TJ Friedl and Matt McLain — both looking.
Jets release wide receiver Davante Adams as new regime continues roster overhaul
Davante Adams’ reunion with Aaron Rodgers lasted just 11 games with the New York Jets. The team released the veteran wide receiver Tuesday, ahead of the start of the NFL’s new league year next week. The move, which was expected, will save the Jets $29.9 million in salary cap space. It follows the team’s announcement on Feb. 13 that they’re also moving on this offseason from Rodgers, Adams’ longtime teammate and friend.
Real Madrid beats Atletico 2-1 in Champions League derby, Arsenal romps to record away win at PSV
Real Madrid has maintained its dominance of the Madrid derby on Europe’s biggest stage. The record 15-time European champion defeated Atletico 2-1 in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie. Also Tuesday, Arsenal made a massive step toward a quarterfinal spot with a 7-1 win at PSV Eindhoven. On a good night for Premier League teams, Aston Villa won 3-1 at Club Brugge, and Borussia Dortmund drew 1-1 with Lille. Atletico has been beaten by the record 15-time European champion in both Champions League final meetings and has won only three of 11 meetings with their city rivals in UEFA competitions.
In Lake Placid, a pair of athletes are sliding for Ukraine. They hope better days are ahead
LAKE PLACID, N.Y. (AP) — The final race of the headfirst-sliding sport known as skeleton awaits Ukrainian athletes Vladyslav Heraskevych and Yaroslav Lavreniuk. After that, they’re going home. They don’t know what awaits when they get there. Heraskevych and Lavreniuk are the only athletes from Ukraine competing at the world bobsled and skeleton championships that start Thursday and run through next weekend in Lake Placid, New York. The house they’re sharing for a few more days is easy enough to find; it’s the one with a giant Ukrainian flag hanging off the porch.
Attorneys in college sports lawsuit point to ‘intergalactic paradigm shift’ for NCAA
Attorneys seeking approval of the $2.8 billion legal settlement for college sports pointed to nearly 102,000 athletes who signed up to receive damages from the action, while batting down objections to what they described as the “intergalactic paradigm shift” the settlement will create across the NCAA. In a motion filed in federal court in California, plaintiff attorneys also noted that only 343 of nearly 390,000 people covered by the class-action lawsuit had opted out, while only 73 had submitted objections to the court. Judge Claudia Wilken is set to rule April 7 on whether to finalize terms of the settlement of the lawsuit filed against the NCAA and five conferences.
Cowboys and defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa agree on $80M, 4-year contract, agent says
Defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa’s agent says the Dallas Cowboys and his client have agreed on an $80 million, four-year contract with $58 million guaranteed. The agreement came a few hours before the deadline for clubs to apply the franchise tag on one player. Odighizuwa was a consideration for the $25 million tag for defensive tackles. Agent Sam Leaf Ireifej confirmed the deal. It includes a $20 million signing bonus. Odighizuwa was a 2021 third-round pick who blossomed into one of Dallas’ best defensive linemen. He tied star pass rusher Micah Parsons for the club lead with 23 quarterback hits last season.