FOOTBALL
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers said Wednesday he intends to play for the New York Jets in 2023 after 18 seasons in Green Bay and the four-time NFL MVP quarterback is waiting for the Packers to trade him.
The 39-year-old Rodgers, speaking on “The Pat McAfee Show” on YouTube and Sirius XM, said he believes the Packers want to move on and make 2020 first-round draft pick Jordan Love their starting quarterback.
“At this point, as I sit here, I think since Friday I’ve made it clear that my intention was to play and my intention was to play for the New York Jets,” Rodgers said. “I haven’t been holding anything up at this point. It’s been compensation the Packers are trying to get for me, kind of digging their heels in.”
Packers president and CEO Mark Murphy has acknowledged the team granted the Jets permission to talk to Rodgers,
FRISCO, Texas (AP) — The Dallas Cowboys released running back Ezekiel Elliott, ending a seven-season run for a two-time rushing champion who never regained the form of his dominant early years.
Elliott will be designated a post-June 1 cut, according to a person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team didn’t reveal details. The move will save Dallas about $11 million under the salary cap this season.
Owner and general manager Jerry Jones said the decision was mutual to let the 27-year-old Elliott pursue another team in free agency and give the Cowboys more financial flexibility in building a roster.
While Elliott finished with 12 rushing touchdowns in a second consecutive playoff season for the Cowboys in 2022, his overall production never matched the value of a $90 million, six-year extension he signed to end a preseason-long holdout in 2019. Elliott has 8,262 yards rushing, third on the Dallas list behind Hall of Famers Emmitt Smith, the NFL’s career leading rusher, and Tony Dorsett.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers agreed on an $8.5 million, one-year contract with quarterback Baker Mayfield.
Mayfield, the No. 1 overall pick by Cleveland in 2018, joins his third team since July. He gets an opportunity to compete with Kyle Trask to replace Tom Brady, who retired after three seasons with the Buccaneers.
Mayfield was 1-5 as a starter last season in Carolina before he was released. He joined the Los Angeles Rams and went 1-3 in four starts.
CINCINNATI (AP) — Four-time Pro Bowl tackle Orlando Brown, Jr. is leaving the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs for a $64.09 million, four-year deal with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Brown’s agent, Michael Portner, confirmed the deal to The Associated Press. He said it includes a $31 million signing bonus.
Brown, a third-round pick by Baltimore in 2018, spent three seasons with the Ravens and the last two with the Chiefs The Bengals lost to the Chiefs in the AFC championship game.
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Jacoby Brissett agreed to terms with the Washington Commanders on a one-year contract worth $10 million with $8 million guaranteed.
Brissett is the experienced quarterback the team wanted to bring in to push and compete with projected starter Sam Howell. Brissett threw for 2,608 yards and 12 touchdowns last season with Cleveland, starting 11 games while Deshaun Watson served his suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The New Orleans Saints and running back Jamaal Williams agreed on a $12 million, three-year contract, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press.
The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the team hasn’t announced the agreement, said it includes $8 million in guaranteed money.
Williams led the NFL with 17 rushing touchdowns while running for a career-best 1,066 yards with Detroit last season.
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings made former Arizona cornerback Byron Murphy a key piece of their latest defensive revamp.
The Vikings finalized agreements with Murphy, former New Orleans outside linebacker Marcus Davenport and former Miami tight end Josh Oliver, the first day of NFL free agency. The deals will be signed after completion of their physical exams.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia Eagles and six-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Fletcher Cox have agreed on a $10 million.
Cox has 65 sacks in 11 seasons, including seven in 2022.
PRO BASKETBALL
MIAMI (AP) — The NBA suspended Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant eight games without pay after determining that his holding a firearm at a club in suburban Denver earlier this month was “conduct detrimental to the league.”
Morant missed his sixth game when the Grizzlies played in Miami on Wednesday night. He will miss the next two games and be eligible to return Monday night when Memphis plays Dallas. The games he already missed will count toward the suspension.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver met with Morant in New York before announcing the league’s decision. He called Morant’s conduct “irresponsible, reckless and potentially very dangerous.”
NEW YORK (AP) — Sacramento Kings forward Trey Lyles was suspended one game without pay and Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez was fined $25,000 for an altercation at the end of a game Monday night.
Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo was dribbling out the clock in the Bucks’ victory when he was fouled by Lyles, who then pushed the two-time MVP. Lopez then confronted Lyles. Lyles struck Lopez in the face and grabbed and held the 7-footer around the neck area. Both players were ejected from the game.
BASEBALL
MIAMI (AP) — All-Star closer Edwin Díaz of the New York Mets was taken off the field in a wheelchair after injuring his right knee celebrating Puerto Rico’s victory over the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic.
The right-hander was swarmed by teammates after pitching a perfect ninth inning in a 5-2 victory that gave Puerto Rico a spot in the WBC quarterfinals. The group was jumping together in the infield when Díaz collapsed to the ground, and he immediately reached for his right leg.
Díaz — as famous for his trumpet-driven entrance music as his dominant pitching — was in tears and did not put any weight on his right leg as a coach and trainer helped him limp toward the dugout.
The Mets said in a statement about an hour after the game that Díaz had a right knee injury and would undergo imaging Thursday. Díaz signed a $102 million, five-year contract to remain with New York.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Bill Self’s status for Kansas’ opener in the NCAA Tournament was uncertain, though assistant coach Norm Roberts said the Jayhawks remain hopeful he’ll be on the bench against Howard on Thursday.
Kansas’ Hall of Fame coach was discharged from a Kansas City-area hospital Sunday, where he’d been recovering after a procedure to treat blocked arteries in his heart.
Self attended practice Wednesday but did not participate in his team’s media availability. Roberts said Self also was at practice Tuesday and has been at all of the team’s meetings.
NEW YORK (AP) — Aliyah Boston is now a member of the elite three-timers club.
The South Carolina basketball star was honored for the third straight year as an All-American by The Associated Press. She’s just the 10th player to earn that honor three times.
Boston was joined on the first team by Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, Villanova’s Maddy Siegrist, LSU’s Angel Reese and Indiana’s Mackenzie Holmes. Boston and Clark were unanimous choices by the 28-member media panel that votes in the AP Top 25 each week.
AUTO RACING
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — NASCAR levied the largest combined fine on one team in series history, hammering Hendrick Motorsports for modifying air-deflecting pieces last weekend at Phoenix Raceway.
Hendrick was issued a combined $400,000 in fines — $100,000 to each of its four crew chiefs, along with four-race suspensions for the quartet — and docked the drivers 100 regular-season points and 10 playoffs points each. Although NASCAR has issued larger monetary fines and suspensions, the Hendrick penalties are the largest combined punishment for one organization.
NASCAR’s winningest team said it would appeal. William Byron has won back-to-back races for Hendrick to give HMS two wins through the first four races of the season, and Alex Bowman was the Cup Series points leader prior to his 100-point deduction.
HOCKEY
PHILADELHIA (AP) — The son of Philadelphia Flyers interim general manager Danny Briere has been suspended from his college hockey team pending an investigation launched after a video posted on social media showed him pushing an unoccupied wheelchair down a staircase.
Mercyhurst University’s athletic department said Carson Briere and two other athletes involved in the incident had been placed on interim suspension. Mercyhurst is a school of about 3,000 students in Erie, Pennsylvania.
Carson Briere apologized in a statement released through the NHL’s Flyers. Danny Briere, who was promoted to run the Flyers last week when Chuck Fletcher was fired, said he was shocked to see his son’s actions in the video.
Carson Briere previously was dismissed from Arizona State’s team in 2019 for what the school called a violation of team rules. He's in his third season at Mercyhurst.
SOCCER
NEW YORK (AP) — Gio Reyna, whose parents tried to oust U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter after the 20-year-old midfielder was sparingly used at the World Cup, was selected by interim coach Anthony Hudson for CONCACAF Nations League matches against Grenada and El Salvador.
Reyna made two substitute appearances during the World Cup, totaling 52 minutes, and Berhalter later said he almost sent a player home because of lack of hustle — remarks Reyna admitted were aimed at him. His parents, former U.S. captain Claudio Reyna and women’s national team midfielder Daniele Egan Reyna, then complained to U.S. Soccer Federation officials and notified them of a 1992 domestic violence incident involving Daniele’s college roommate and Berhalter’s future wife.
TENNIS
INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) — Frances Tiafoe beat 10th-seeded Cameron Norrie 6-4, 6-4 to reach the semifinals of the BNP Paribas Open.
The 14th-seeded American ended the 2021 champion’s eight-match winning streak to earn his first semifinal berth in a Masters 1000 tournament. Tiafoe will play No. 5 Daniil Medvedev, a 6-3, 7-5 winner over Alejandro Davidovich.
On the women’s side, No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka beat sixth-seeded Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-0 in the quarterfinals.
SKIING
SOLDEU, Andorra (AP) — Ilka Stuhec of Slovenia completed her downhill season by edging Sofia Goggia in the World Cup Finals.
The two-time world champion raced down the sun-bathed slope to finish 0.51 seconds ahead of Goggia, the Italian star who was the dominant downhill racer this season.
