49ers coach Kyle Shanahan takes blame for the crash that left him with a concussion
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan took the blame for the car crash that left him with a concussion and other injuries, saying he took his eyes off the road to reach for his fallen cell phone before hitting another vehicle. Shanahan crashed into a 21-year-old woman driving in the other direction in Palo Alto on July 14 and was left with a concussion, broken ribs, a broken nose and broken left hand and stitches for a large cut above his right eye. Shanahan was briefly hospitalized following the crash and hasn’t been able to coach the team at the start of training camp.
Browns’ Ward becomes NFL’s highest-paid DB with 2-year, $62.2 million extension, AP source says
CLEVELAND (AP) — Denzel Ward has agreed to a two-year extension with the Cleveland Browns that will make him the highest-paid defensive back in the NFL, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press. The five-time Pro Brown cornerback will sign a two-year extension worth $62.2 million — including $52.3 million guaranteed, the person told the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been publicly announced. The $31.1 million average surpasses the $31 million average when Trent McDuffie signed a four-year, $124 million contract with the Los Angeles Rams after being traded by Kansas City in March. The 29-year old Ward had two years remaining on a five-year, $100 million contract he signed in 2022.
Ohtani’s bat stays hot, but his next bullpen session waits on 2 aching spots
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani says his right biceps isn’t 100% in addition to lingering soreness in his left knee, and it’s affecting his ability to pitch. The Los Angeles Dodgers’ two-way superstar hasn’t pitched since July 3 but has continued to play regularly as the designated hitter. He hit his 10th leadoff home run of the season in a 7-6 loss to Seattle on Tuesday. Ohtani had a lubricant injection in his knee just before the All-Star break and skipped the festivities in Philadelphia to rest. He says the knee soreness is from pitching. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts believes Ohtani will pitch again this season if his health continues to improve.
Rodgers says there’s ‘zero debate’ 2026 will be his final season as Steelers open a new-look camp
LATROBE, Pa. (AP) — Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers says there’s “zero debate” that this season will be his last. The four-time MVP’s status beyond 2026 is one of the few certainties for the Steelers as training camp begins. They have a new head coach, Mike McCarthy, who brings fresh ideas to the team. The team will practice earlier in the day and tackling will be limited. Pittsburgh will begin camp with defensive backs Joey Porter Jr. and Jalen Ramsey on the physically unable to perform list.
New Red Sox infielder Curtis Mead to miss time with left wrist injury
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Curtis Mead will miss an undetermined amount of time with a left wrist injury suffered in his first game with the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox acquired Mead on Saturday in a trade that sent left-hander Connelly Early to Washington. Mead was injured in his second at-bat with Boston on Monday when he was hit on the wrist by Athletics starter Jack Perkins. Red Sox manager Chad Tracy said on Monday that X-rays were negative, but further tests on Tuesday showed an injury that will knock Mead out of the lineup. Mead is hitting .253 with 17 home runs and 48 RBIs this season.
FIFA’s Infantino sets deadline for $20M offer to members in Kushner-backed World Cup investor plan
GENEVA (AP) — FIFA President Gianni Infantino has set a Sept. 19 deadline for the 211 member federations to accept a $20 million offer to each in his controversial plan to sell stakes in a subsidiary running the World Cup. Infantino says it’s underwritten by the investment firm of Jared Kushner’s brother. Infantino details the “singular and unique funding opportunity” in a letter to members about creating a $20 billion FIFA subsidiary running its competitions and commercial rights. It would be 20% owned by private investors. The project has met opposition from European soccer body UEFA and Britain’s Prime Minister.
Notre Dame, Ohio State announce lucrative jersey patch sponsorship deals on the same day
Notre Dame and Ohio State reached lucrative jersey patch sponsorship deals totaling around $30 million as schools search for ways to cash in on the revenue-sharing era. Ohio State announced a multiyear jersey patch sponsorship deal with JPMorgan Chase. Terms of the deal were not released, but multiple outlets reported it at $17 million annually. Notre Dame also announced a jersey patch deal with SoFi Technologies worth $18 million to $20 million, according to multiple outlets. A sprawling $2.8 billion House antitrust settlement approved by a federal judge last month cleared the way for schools to directly pay players through licensing deals — and they’re already cashing in.
Vikings suspend new DB coach Gerald Alexander for 3 weeks following a drunken driving charge
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings have suspended defensive backs coach Gerald Alexander for three weeks without pay following a drunken driving charge for an incident in April. Alexander’s suspension will be in effect until Aug. 13. That’s two days before their first preseason game. Hennepin County court records show Alexander pled guilty July 16 to a gross misdemeanor charge of third degree driving while impaired. He was arrested at about 4 a.m. on April 26 after his vehicle was stopped in the middle of an intersection in a Minneapolis suburb. A police officer found him unresponsive and witnessed him failing field sobriety tests.
Blue Jays’ Bieber struggles through ‘worst’ outing, walks 6 in two-thirds of an inning vs. Nats
WASHINGTON (AP) — Toronto pitcher Shane Bieber’s start against the Washington Nationals was anything but a walk in the park. The former Cy Young Award winner issued walks to six of the nine batters he faced — including three with the bases loaded — before departing after two-thirds of an inning. In his previous 149 pitching appearances, the 31-year-old right-hander’s high for walks was five. According to Stathead/Baseball Reference, Bieber is the 11th pitcher in major league history to walk at least six while recording two outs or less, and the first to do so since Florida’s Ryan Dempster on Oct. 5, 2001, at Atlanta. Bieber is the first Cy Young winner to have such an outing,
Fever do not answer questions about pro-Cunningham rally ahead of 105-95 win against Storm
SEATTLE (AP) — Sophie Cunningham and Caitlin Clark were unavailable for postgame questions after the Indiana Fever’s 105-95 win over the Seattle Storm on Tuesday. A rally outside Climate Pledge Arena supported Cunningham’s recent comments about transgender athletes. A few dozen people gathered to promote initiatives that would bar transgender students from girls’ athletics in Washington. Cunningham was booed during the game. Fever coach Stephanie White stated the team had no knowledge of the demonstration. Storm coach Sonia Raman emphasized inclusivity at the venue.