September 8, 2023 4:39 am
CINCINNATI (AP) – Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow became the highest-paid player in the NFL when he agreed to a five-year, $275 million contract extension on Thursday. That’s according to a person familiar with the deal who spoke on condition of anonymity because it hadn’t been announced. The person says the contract includes more than $219 million guaranteed. Burrow will be paid an average of $55 million per year. The deal was finalized three days before the Bengals’ season opener at Cleveland. Burrow has led the Bengals to two straight AFC North titles and a Super Bowl two seasons ago.
September 7, 2023 4:33 am
The Kansas City Chiefs will have Patrick Mahomes under center after they raise their championship banner and embark on a quest to become the first team to repeat in nearly two decades. Travis Kelce and Chris Jones may not be there. Kelce, the All-Pro tight end, is dealing with a knee injury. Jones, the All-Pro edge rusher, has been holding out for a new contract. Mahomes should be enough to squeak past the upstart Detroit Lions. Jared Goff is coming off a Pro Bowl season with the Lions, who have plenty of playmakers around him on offense. Stopping opponents from scoring was Detroit’s problem last season and a revamped defense has to deal with Mahomes right away. You can hear the Chiefs and Lions on 1450AM WJPA beginning at 7:30 p.m.
September 7, 2023 4:35 am
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Nick Bosa’s lengthy contract holdout ended four days before the start of the season for the San Francisco 49ers when he agreed to a contract extension that will make him the NFL’s richest defensive player ever. Coach Kyle Shanahan said the two sides agreed to the contract and that Bosa is on his way to the team facility. Shanahan said he expects Bosa to be able to play in the season opener on Sunday at Pittsburgh despite missing all of training camp. ESPN first reported the extension and said it was worth $170 million over five seasons with $122.5 million guaranteed.
September 7, 2023 2:08 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Rookie Ji Hwan Bae’s first career triple highlighted a seventh-inning rally as the Pittsburgh Pirates slipped past the Milwaukee Brewers 5-4. Jason Delay reached with one out in the seventh on a line drive off the right foot of Milwaukee reliever Elvis Peguero. The speedy Bae then laced a ball to the gap in right-center to put Pittsburgh in front. Bae scored on Miguel Andujar’s pinch-hit single as the Pirates won for the seventh time in nine games.
September 7, 2023 4:46 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Andrew McCutchen’s feel-good season is over. The Pittsburgh Pirates designated hitter has been placed on the 10-day injured list after partially tearing his left Achilles tendon while legging out a double in a victory over Milwaukee. The 36-year-old McCutchen said initially he was “fine,” but further examination by the Pirates medical staff revealed the tear. Director of Sports Medicine Todd Tomczyk says McCutchen will be in a walking boot for six weeks but that there has been no discussion of surgery.
September 5, 2023 11:59 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Brandon Woodruff pitched seven shutout innings and Mark Canha’s two-run single capped a six-run fifth inning as the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-3 on Tuesday night. Woodruff (4-1) allowed just two hits, singles to Ji Hwan Bae in the first inning and Endy Rodriguez in the fifth. Woodruff also had six strikeouts and two walks while improving to 14-3 with a 2.36 ERA in his last 29 starts dating to last season. Coming off back-to-back losses, the Brewers entered the night 2 ½ games ahead of the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central race.
September 6, 2023 4:35 am
No. 21 Duke and No. 22 Colorado have jumped into the Associated Press Top 25 college football poll after scoring the biggest upsets of the opening weekend of the season. No. 4 Florida State also climbed into the top-five with a resounding victory over LSU, which dropped from fifth to No. 14. Georgia remained No. 1 and Michigan held steady at No. 2. No. 3 Alabama moved up a spot and Florida State climbed four places and received three first-place votes. Ohio State dropped two places to round out the top five.
September 6, 2023 4:38 am
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Tight end Travis Kelce hyperextended his knee during the Chiefs’ final practice before their opener against Detroit on Tuesday, leaving his status in question for Thursday night’s game. Chiefs coach Andy Reid said the injury occurred during their final full workout Tuesday but provided no other details. The 33-year-old Kelce has not missed a game to injury since his rookie year in 2013, which he had a microfracture procedure to fix a cartilage problem in his knee. He has twice been held out of meaningless games to end the regular season.
September 5, 2023 4:39 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Ke’Bryan Hayes homered and tripled, Jack Suwinski drilled his 23rd home run and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-2. Pittsburgh won for the sixth time in seven games behind six strong innings from Luis Ortiz, who recovered from an early bout of wildness to send the NL Central-leading Brewers to a second straight loss. Hayes gave the Pirates the lead with a home run off Corbin Burnes in the fifth. Burnes gave up four runs in six innings and is winless in his last eight starts.
September 5, 2023 4:41 am
DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Riley Leonard broke loose from a tackler and sprinted to the open for a 44-yard touchdown that highlighted Duke’s tough and physical performance that shocked ninth-ranked Clemson 28-7 in the season opener for both teams. Jaquez Moore and Jordan Waters ran for fourth-quarter touchdowns to turn this into an unexpected blowout of the preseason Atlantic Coast Conference favorite. It was Duke’s first win agianst Clemson since 2004 and ended a 28-game losing streak against top-10 opponents. Cade Klubnik threw for a short touchdown to Will Shipley in what became Clemson’s only score.
