Sam Darnold was confirmed as the Carolina Panthers' starting quarterback for 2022, although offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo quickly clarified his comments.
Former third overall pick Darnold joined the Panthers from the New York Jets ahead of last season but again struggled.
In 12 games, he completed just 59.9 per cent of his passes for 2,527 passing yards, only nine touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
Darnold did just about beat out competition from the returning Cam Newton to end the year as the starter, but the Panthers have the sixth pick in the first round of the upcoming NFL Draft – and a second return for Newton has not been ruled out.
However, incoming OC McAdoo seemingly announced Darnold's role for 2022 when he answered "yes" to a query as to whether he would be the starter – the sort of question other Panthers have skirted around.
The former New York Giants head coach revealed a big part of his decision to come to Carolina was to work with Darnold, yet he then acknowledged the situation could still change.
Coach Matt Rhule still has a say, McAdoo explained, but: "The way it is in the building right now, Sam is our starting quarterback."
McAdoo added: "One of the things I've been working on is being better talking to you people [media], so announcing the starting quarterback here I just put my foot in my mouth.
"That wasn't something I should have said."
Triple Crown wide receiver Cooper Kupp insists he is looking only for a "fair" deal with the Los Angeles Rams and is not worried about "trying to beat anybody" during a stunning offseason for players at his position.
Kupp was the NFL's dominant wideout last year in a title-winning season for the Rams.
The fifth-year star led the league in receptions (145), receiving yards (1,947) and receiving touchdowns (16), also setting clear career bests in each category, to be named the Offensive Player of the Year.
He continued that form into the playoffs, with 33 receptions for 478 yards and six TDs, including two scores in the Super Bowl win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Kupp, who is under contract through 2023, should therefore be in line for a big pay day given the deals handed out to his fellow receivers since the end of last season.
Davante Adams left the Green Bay Packers to land a five-year, $140million contract with the Las Vegas Raiders, before Tyreek Hill similarly departed the Kansas City Chiefs and signed for four years on a $120m deal with the Miami Dolphins.
Stefon Diggs stayed on the Buffalo Bills but was also rewarded and is set to earn $96m over four years.
Kupp, who outperformed all three players in 2021, will make just $14.9m next season, yet he insists he is not concerned by what others are doing.
"I don't think that's really kind of the approach that I take," he said.
"I definitely think there's a place you want to be. There's a place that you feel like is fair, a place for me and for this organisation.
"I'm not trying to beat anybody. I'm not trying to compare myself to anyone else. It's more about being in a place that's just right for both sides."
Other star wide receivers, including Deebo Samuel of the San Francisco 49ers, are skipping on-field offseason workouts as they pursue lucrative contracts.
But Kupp is not following suit, explaining: "I think it's important to be here, be around the guys and be around this team.
"The goal at the end of the day is to win a world title. Whatever is going to get us in a place where we can compete for another world title, put us in a better position where we can be a better football team, that's the goal.
"I think the best thing I can do is to be a part of that."
Max Fried starred with eight strikeouts across seven innings as the Atlanta Braves won 3-1 over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday.
Braves left-hander Fried went perfect across the first five innings, before allowing two hits, while Freddie Freeman was quelled against his former side.
The Dodgers' only run of the game, scored by Chris Taylor, came in the eighth inning once Fried had been relieved, with Kenley Jansen closing it out in the ninth.
Travis d'Arnaud hit a solo home run at the top of the second inning, before Orlando Arcia's RBI double in the fourth and Austin Riley's single on a line drive for Ozzie Albies to score in the fifth.
Franco's maiden 2022 blast... at last
Wander Franco blasted his first home run of 2022 in a three-hit game as the Tampa Bay Rays won 6-5 over the Chicago Cubs.
Franco had missed Monday's game to rest his right quad but returned in style with a two-run homer on a 2-0 pitch in the third inning.
The young Rays star has now had seven multi-hit performances across 11 games this Major League season. Franco is a joint leader in the majors for hits, with 19.
"He's unique, special, talented, and we're seeing it in every part of his game," Rays manager Kevin Cash said.
Vintage Scherzer and Perez
Reliever Clarke Schmidt stepped up for the New York Yankees after Gerrit Cole's early struggles by tossing down six strikeouts in their 4-2 win over the Detroit Tigers. Cole had walked four batters, included with base loaded.
Max Scherzer was at his vintage best with 10 strikeouts in the New York Mets' 3-1 win over the San Francisco Giants, which backed up their earlier 5-4 victory on a double-header.
Salvador Perez put aside blurry vision to slug two home runs as the Kansas City Royals won 4-3 over the Minnesota Twins.
The Phoenix Suns lost Devin Booker to a hamstring injury as they were stunned 125-114 by the New Orleans Pelicans who squared up their first-round playoffs series.
Brandon Ingram scored 37 points, including 26 in the second half, with 11 rebounds and nine assists, while CJ McCollum added 23 points including six three-pointers.
But the hamstring injury to Suns All-Star guard Booker was the major talking point, leaving the Western Conference's top seed severely weakened if he is out for an extended period.
The Suns were leading 61-56 at half-time with Booker having scored 31 first-half points including shooting seven-of-11 from three-point range, before he left the game in the third quarter and did not return.
Chris Paul could not lift the Suns in Booker's absence, finishing with 17 points and 14 rebounds, while Mikal Bridges added 19 points.
Butler on fire as Heat win
Jimmy Butler scored 45 points with 15-of-25 shooting from the field as the Miami Heat claimed a 2-0 lead in their series against the Atlanta Hawks with a 115-105 win.
The Heat went on an 11-0 run the third quarter to open up the game-winning lead led by Butler while Tyler Herro (15 points) and Max Strus (14 points) contributed well.
Trae Young, coming off a playoff career-low display, managed 25 points for the Hawks with Bogdan Bogdanovic landing five triples in his 29-point haul.
Grizzlies claim franchise-best playoff win
The Memphis Grizzlies overcame a Ja Morant injury scare as they levelled their series against the Minnesota Timberwolves with a 124-96 victory.
Morant left the court in the third quarter after copping a knee to his left leg but returned, finishing with 23 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists. That was Morant's third career playoffs double-double.
The victory was the Grizzlies' largest in their franchise playoff history, despite Anthony Edwards' best efforts with 20 points and six rebounds for the Timberwolves.
Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving has been fined $50,000 for flipping off Boston Celtics fans twice during Sunday's Game 1.
Irving, who was with the Celtics from 2017 and 2019, scored 39 points as the Brooklyn Nets lost 115-114 to the Celtics after Jayson Tatum's buzzer-beating game-winner.
The NBA announced the sanction on Tuesday in a release, where president of league operations Byron Spruell said Irving was fined for "making obscene gestures on the playing court and directing profane language toward the spectator stands."
The 30-year-old was open after Sunday's defeat about his response to the Boston fans.
"When people start yelling 'p---y' or 'b----' and 'f--- you' and all this stuff, there's only but so much you take as a competitor," Irving said.
"We're the ones expected to be docile and be humble, take a humble approach, f--- that, it's the playoffs. This is what it is."
Ben Simmons is making progress towards a return in the NBA playoffs after being cleared for contact says to Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash.
Simmons, who was traded to the Nets from the Philadelphia 76ers in February, has not played in the NBA all season after a fallout at his former franchise.
The 25-year-old three-time All-Star had struggled initially with him reconditioning after joining the Nets, before being plagued by a back problem which he is slowly overcoming.
"He's making progress," Nash told reporters after Tuesday's practice. "We'll just see how he responds and see if he's able to do more contact [on Wednesday]."
Simmons had joined in a 4-on-4 with teammates at a Monday workout with contact.
"So far, so good," Nash said. "I think he managed yesterday's activity well."
The Nets are currently 1-0 down in their seven-game first round playoffs series against the Boston Celtics.
Nash confirmed Simmons would not play in Game 2 on Wednesday but there is growing hope he will participate in the series in some capacity.
"I wouldn't be able to say anything about that because I'm not even sure how he's going to get through these weeks," Nash said.
"We have to also consider it's a nine-month absence or whatever it is, so it's not just like he had a six-week absence, so I think this is a pretty unique scenario. It's not as linear as maybe the other kind of in-season injuries."
Interim Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick hinted there could be up to ten new signings following Tuesday's 4-0 demolition at the hands of Liverpool.
It was effectively game over after 25 minutes with Liverpool already up 2-0 by that point, and United simply were not capable of mounting a tangible fightback.
Following October's 5-0 trashing at Old Trafford, Tuesday's 4-0 loss at Anfield served as a microcosm of where the two clubs are at on and off the pitch.
Rangnick asserted the need for a disjointed United to take on a long-term overhaul in the same vein as Liverpool and Manchester City, who built squads over time on the basis of identity.
"If you look at the two clubs who are currently dominating the Premier League, they did exactly that," he said post-match. "They brought in two managers and not only did they bring in two managers, they also changed the whole thing in terms of formation, what kind of players do they need? What kind of football do we want to play?
"The headline of everything was 'how do we want to play?' And underneath this headline after every transfer window, they created the team they have in both clubs.
"If you analyse the situation, it's not that difficult to analyse. The team needs a rebuild, not because some players have to go but quite a few have no contracts anymore, their contracts are expiring, then for me it's clear there will be six, seven, eight, maybe 10 new players."
Gary Neville has described Manchester United as "broken on and off the pitch" after they were thrashed 4-0 by Liverpool at Anfield on Tuesday.
Goals from Luis Diaz, Mohamed Salah (two) and Sadio Mane consigned United to another damaging defeat in their hunt for Champions League qualification.
Their great rivals went top of the Premier League meanwhile, with fellow title contenders Manchester City playing Brighton and Hove Albion on Wednesday.
Neville laid into his former club following the heavy defeat, saying on Sky Sports: "What Manchester United have done is brought players in with piano introductions like [Alexis] Sanchez, or 'Pogback' and all the big palaver around [Paul Pogba's return from Juventus], the Cristiano [Ronaldo] one at the start of the season, they've elevated the player above the manager at the football club as well.
"You go to Liverpool, you go to Chelsea, you go to Manchester City, the manager is the primary figure at the football club. They've undermined managers at Manchester United over the last 10 years by basically elevating the players into this God-like status, and the players haven't performed.
"My view is at this moment in time there are a lot of things, the players could do better, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at the start of the season could have done better, Ralf Rangnick maybe could have done better, but fundamentally, the club is broken on and off the pitch.
"The stadium's falling apart, the training ground is slipping to second rate compared to others, the owners are taking £25million a year out the club when actually the club needs investment, and it sets the culture badly from the top."
Since 2003-04, there have been four instances of a player completing 100+ passes in a Premier League match against United. All four of them have been this season, with two of them being tonight (Thiago 105, Virgil van Dijk 106).
The Red Devils will look to bounce back in their crucial trip to top four rivals Arsenal on Saturday.
Ralf Rangnick suggested Liverpool have humiliated Manchester United this season following the Red Devils' 4-0 defeat at Anfield on Tuesday.
It was the second time in 2021-22 that Liverpool have hammered United, with the Reds winning 5-0 at Old Trafford in November – but given they had a man sent off back then, Tuesday's result was arguably worse.
The nine goals United have conceded against Liverpool is the most they have ever shipped to one opponent in a single Premier League campaign – they last suffered a worse aggregate defeat across two fixtures against the same team back in 1892-93 (11-0 v Sunderland).
United's first-half display was particularly poor as Liverpool dominated throughout, with Rangnick's men making it to the break without attempting a single shot for the first time since April 2018.
The gravity Liverpool's dominance over United this term was not lost on Rangnick.
"It is embarrassing, it is disappointing, maybe even humiliating. We have to accept they are six years ahead of us now," he told BBC Sport.
"When Jurgen Klopp came they changed at the club and lifted not just the team but the club and city to a new level. That is what needs to happen with us in the next transfer windows."
Rangnick opted to start with a back three and gave Phil Jones a rare start, but he abandoned that setup at half-time following United's gutless opening 45 minutes, with Jadon Sancho coming on to provide a bit of spark in attack.
The manager is not convinced the outcome would have been any different even if he had started with a back four as normal, however, adamant player errors were to blame for the goals.
"I don't think a different formation at the start would have changed anything," he continued. "The first goal we conceded, it was not part of the game plan to be that high up and concede a counter-attack after five minutes. That changed the game.
"The first half, we were just not good enough. We did not win any first ball or second balls. We were second best in all relevant areas.
"Second half we changed a centre-back with Jadon Sancho. The first 25 minutes we were better and had pressure on the ball at times. We had two or three moments, but the third goal killed the game off.
"For the third goal it came from a ball we should not play. A pressing invitation: 12 yards into Anthony Elanga, who is a player for [running] behind their back line.
"It is inviting them for those moments and six seconds later the ball was in our net."
The result leaves United three points behind fourth-placed Tottenham, who have played a game less, while Liverpool moved above Manchester City – who play Brighton and Hove Albion on Wednesday – at the top.
Jurgen Klopp admits he feels "a bit" for Manchester United after Liverpool routed them for the second time in the Premier League this season.
A Mohamed Salah double as well as goals for Luis Diaz and Sadio Mane helped the Reds to a 4-0 win against a lacklustre Red Devils side.
Ralf Rangnick's visitors were without Cristiano Ronaldo for personal reasons and lost Paul Pogba to injury early on.
It marks the latest dire result under the interim manager as United limp towards the end of a crushingly disappointing campaign, and Klopp unexpectedly admits he sympathises with their struggle.
"I feel a bit for them," he told BBC's Match of the Day. "It doesn't happen often, and I don't think it will happen often. It is not a normal situation.
"They are not in a good moment and on top have a lot of injuries. When Pogba left the pitch they played without their usual midfield.
"The pitch can become really big with a lot of offensive players on it. Centre midfield with [Nemanja] Matic and [Bruno] Fernandes is not how you want to play.
"Nothing against the players, it is just not their natural game. We had 70-75 per cent of the ball and they have to defend and that is not easy."
Elsewhere, Klopp was happy to lavish praise upon Thiago, with the Spain international becoming a masterful mainstay of the manager's side.
"He is a good player," Klopp added. "We have to keep him fit. He has good rhythm, which helps. He is in the right spaces, the little turns and passes.
"We don't have five million players like this on the planet. Only a few see things earlier than everyone else and also have the technical ability to get the ball there as well.
"[It was] a top game from him. Everybody was outstanding and that is what you need to win against Man Utd."
Marcus Rashford "played like a child" in Manchester United's defeat to Liverpool on Tuesday, according to a despairing Roy Keane.
A toothless United succumbed to a 4-0 defeat at Anfield that enabled rivals Liverpool, who are still chasing an unprecedented quadruple, to go top of the Premier League.
Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah put Jurgen Klopp's side in command as the Red Devils produced an abject first-half display in which they failed to attempt a single shot. That had not happened in the top flight since a 3-2 win over Manchester City in April 2018.
Rashford managed just nine touches in the opening period and had only two in Liverpool's box across the entire 90 minutes, with Sadio Mane and a second from Salah consigning United to a resounding loss.
"It was anger earlier in the season, now it's just sadness. You look at the team today, I don't think there's any heart there. There's no soul, there's no leaders. They lack real quality, they're so far off," Keane said working as a pundit for Sky Sports.
"There's disarray at the club from the top. The fans have no time for the owners. They need a new manager, they need players in, they need players out.
"It's so sad to see. It's not the club I played for. It doesn't reflect what the club stood for when I played, it's chalk and cheese. I don't see a Man United team out there fighting and playing with pride. It's so sad watching this team.
"They're the opposite of what you'd want in a top team. When the going gets tough, they just crumble. It's a long way back for this club. When I played there was always that bit of pride. I think that's gone out of the club now.
"There's no team at Man United. Some good individuals when they turn up and they fancy it, but when the going gets tough or they're under the cosh, that's it, they're out of it. They haven't got that team spirit that you need.
Paul Pogba – who was booed by his own fans during the 3-2 win against Norwich City at the weekend – came off injured early in the game at Anfield, replaced by Jesse Lingard, and Keane was not impressed by the sub.
"Jesse Lingard's coming on to try to save Man United? Jesse Lingard should've left Man United two years ago. He's not good enough for Man United," he said.
"Marcus Rashford played like a child up front. OK, he wasn't getting service, but the one or two bits he got in the first half, a poor touch.
"Harry Maguire – the last goal – his passing and defending was unacceptable, not good enough for Manchester United.
"So we have to use that word again, talk about a rebuilding job. Man United have to get players in first of all who are hopefully decent lads, good-quality pros, talented to try to compete. United are sixth in the league – unbelievable."
Stefano Pioli responded angrily to refereeing decisions following Milan's elimination from the Coppa Italia after a 3-0 loss to arch-rivals Inter on Tuesday.
Pioli abruptly walked out of his post-match interview with Mediaset after reviewing footage of a disallowed goal for Ismael Bennacer where Pierre Kalulu was ruled offside for obstructing Samir Handanovic's view in the Inter goal.
With Milan 2-0 down in the 68th minute of the second leg of the semi-final clash, Bennacer's goal would have been timely and provided them with critical late momentum.
After seeing the replay, the 56-year-old Rossoneri boss could not hide his frustration.
"Look at Handanovic's reaction, if he protests," Pioli told Mediaset. "He doesn't do anything, if a Milan player had blocked his view he would have immediately run to protest. Come on, now."
Milan were marginally second best for the majority of a tightly fought match and Lautaro Martinez's first-half double was ultimately reflective of the game's complexion to that point.
Regardless of how much the disallowed goal could have influenced proceedings, Pioli conceded Inter were the better side.
"We wanted to win, we didn't succeed. We came up against a strong opponent," Pioli said. "The result is clear, but I don't think it was like there was a big difference and Inter scored at the right moments.
"We continued to play and create, 2-1 would have given us the possibility because we were playing. After that, everything became more difficult.
"Of course we can do more. When you concede three goals it means that others played with more quality. It was not our evening. It's too bad because we wanted to reach the final at all costs."
Second seed Sorana Cirstea breezed through the first round of the Istanbul Cup on Tuesday as US Open champion Emma Raducanu prepares for her bow in the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.
The Romanian made short work of lucky loser Kamilla Rakhimova in a 6-4 6-1 straight sets victory in Turkey to launch her defence of the title she won against Elise Mertens last year.
The Belgian – top seed once again in Istanbul – gets her campaign underway against Sweden's Rebecca Peterson on Wednesday.
Elsewhere, there were wins for seeds Veronika Kudermetova and Jil Teichmann, though Tereza Martincova is out after a surprise 6-4 7-5 loss to qualifier Anna Bondar.
World number 12 Raducanu meanwhile is also poised to get her latest tilt for silverware underway in Stuttgart in midweek, with the eighth seed facing qualifier Storm Sanders.
The title is up for grabs on the WTA Tour following Ash Barty's retirement, with her world number one successor Iga Swiatek a potential quarter-finalist for the Briton if she gets that far.
There will be no Coco Gauff in the mix however after the American made a first round exit in straight sets, losing to Daria Kasatkina 6-4 6-2.
Seventh seed Ons Jabeur, meanwhile, fought back to beat Marketa Vondrousova 4-6 6-2 6-3, while qualifier Eva Lys overcame Viktorija Golubic 5-7 7-5 7-5 to set up a second round clash with Swiatek.
Bruno Fernandes said Manchester United's fans deserve "so much more" than the team's recent poor displays after the Red Devils were hammered 4-0 by Liverpool.
Having been thrashed 5-0 by the Reds at Old Trafford under former boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer earlier this season, United have conceded nine goals without reply against Jurgen Klopp's men this term.
Only once in their league history have United suffered a heavier combined defeat against one opponent across a single season, losing 11-0 over two games against Sunderland in 1892-93.
They managed only 28 per cent possession and recorded just a single shot on target during an abject display against the title-chasing Merseyside outfit, leading Fernandes to say that apologising to the club's fans "will never be enough".
However, he rejected accusations of a lack of effort from some United stars, saying they came up short on quality, rather than application.
"Obviously it's a bad result once again, there's not much that I can say, I think apologising to the fans will never be enough, but it's all we can do now," the Portugal international told Sky Sports after the defeat.
"They do not deserve that we play in this way, they deserve much more from us, the way they support us until the end, the way they stay to applaud us, they deserve much more, and we know we have to set the level much higher, it is what it is.
"I think everyone runs, I think every game we have effort from everyone, I don't want to even think that someone doesn't give 100 per cent of themselves for themselves and for the team.
"We have to say things [amongst the squad], but it has to be kept in the dressing room. We know that there's not much we can do, but now the game is over we have to think of the next one, and it's a tough one again [at Arsenal on Saturday].
"Liverpool is fighting for the title, that is the difference, we are fighting for nothing at the moment, so you can see difference by the points, I don't need to be here saying about the difference of the levels.
"We have to look at ourselves, we have to look inside from the top to the bottom, and understand what is going wrong."
This is the sixth time a team has done the Premier League double over United without conceding a goal, with Liverpool responsible for three of those, also doing so in 2000-01 and 2013-14.
Meanwhile, the Reds are unbeaten in their last eight Premier League games against their old rivals, winning five and drawing three. No team has ever had a longer run without defeat against the Red Devils in the competition (level with Chelsea between 2013 and 2016).
Ralf Rangnick's side are now three points behind fourth-placed Tottenham in the Premier League table having played one game more than Antonio Conte's men, and look like outsiders to secure Champions League qualification just a year on from finishing as Premier League runners-up.
However, Fernandes refuted the idea that the team were simply waiting for the season to end, saying everyone at the club had to continue fighting until the end of the campaign.
"No, no [we cannot want the season to end]. That cannot happen, we are a big club and are competing until the end," he added. "We have to compete, if someone doesn't want to compete, they can sit out and not be a part of the team.
"Nobody can put their heads down and think that they just want their vacations or whatever, all of us have to understand that we have something to fight for, at least in the matches."
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
