Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell described Theo Bair’s international call-up as just reward for his hard work and ambition along with the efforts of many others at the club.
Bair has been included in the Canada squad ahead of their CONCACAF Nations League play-off against Trinidad and Tobago on March 23.
The former St Johnstone striker, 24, won his second and most recent cap in 2020 after scoring on his international debut and has been recalled after producing nine goals and three assists in his past 10 cinch Premiership games for Motherwell.
“I know when Theo came here he had a real ambition to back get in that Canadian squad. It’s his just reward, he has been working tirelessly,” said Kettlewell, who has also seen the likes of Liam Kelly, Adam Devine, Lennon Miller, Bevis Mugabi and Davor Zdravkovski get international recognition.
“We are delighted for him and all the lads who have had international call-ups.
“I think he is the most humble person I have ever met. He thinks he has loads to go, as do we.
“When you look into how he is performing, I thought there were so many good qualities early in the season, but you can see how much it evolves when there’s a bit of confidence in there, once he starts hitting the back of the net.
“It’s just fine margins, different types of movement, utilising his frame and his physicality, probably getting him fitter. His work rate is top drawer, he presses from the front.
“It’s taken him time to get there and big Theo will acknowledge that, because he is probably a bit of a baby when you look at the game time he has played.
“He didn’t come here with loads of minutes, 24 years old doesn’t mean you are sitting there with 150-200 appearances. I believe when you have that trust and opportunity to play, that’s when you see the fruits of your labour.
“Now with that level of confidence, you start to see him maybe take part in elements of the game where before he was maybe looking at one of his team-mates.”
Motherwell recently gave an insight into the work they and Bair have been doing behind the scenes to spark his prolific run, including footage of video analysis sessions.
“Ross Clarkson and Graeme McArthur, our two analysts, are absolutely sensational at what they do, the level of detail they go to, but the bit that goes unnoticed is the work ethic,” Kettlewell said. “We feel we have that in the staff in general.
“We have players who go to lengths to get the best out of their career but also all the staff have that same vision and ambition for your career.
“But we need guys who are coachable and want the best out of their career. If we get that we will give them every minute of every day to meet the goals they set themselves but also what we think they can get to.”
Meanwhile Jon Obika has suffered another hamstring injury in training having already had three lay-offs with a similar issue over the past 12 months.
“I don’t have a specific update, we will have him scanned and find out what’s going on,” Kettlewell said.
New signing Moses Ebiye could feature against Aberdeen on Saturday but Kettlewell warned the 26-year-old Nigerian striker had not played a competitive game for some time, having left Norwegian side Aalesund in January.
“He has taken part in every training session and has had minutes on the pitch in a bounce game,” he said. “But I need to manage expectations. I think he can possibly give us something at this stage but it’s very, very early.”
Ben White has signed a new contract at Arsenal as the defender admits it is “unbelievable” to have found his home at the Emirates Stadium.
The 26-year-old has agreed a new four-year deal, with the option for a further 12 months in north London, the PA news agency understands.
White has been a vital part of Mikel Arteta’s side as they sit top of the Premier League and prepare for a first Champions League quarter-final appearance in 14 years.
He featured in every Premier League game last season as Arsenal were pipped at the post by treble-winners Manchester City but has further impressed in his role at right-back this campaign.
Having come through the ranks at Brighton, White spent three seasons out on loan – with Newport, Peterborough and Leeds, respectively, as he gradually made his way up the leagues.
He then spent a solitary season in the Brighton first-team before impressing Arsenal enough that the Gunners forked out £50million to sign him in the summer of 2021.
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Asked if Arsenal now feels like home, White replied: “I have been on loan three times, I have been places for a year.
“I think this is the first time I’ve actually settled and known I am not going anywhere in the summer. Being here is unbelievable and I’d love to stay (for more years).”
White has earned four senior England caps since his move to Arsenal, but has not been part of Gareth Southgate’s plans since an early departure from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
At club level, though, he is the latest in a growing list of Arteta’s key men to commit their futures to the Spaniard’s project.
He follows in the footsteps of Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard, who extended their deals last year, while Gabriel Magalhaes, Gabriel Martinelli, Reiss Nelson and William Saliba have also signed new contracts in the past 18 months.
“I think when those sort of players are getting signed (to new deals), it shows there is a real ambition about the club and it is something I am loving being a part of,” White added.
“I think if you do look at their ages, it’s going to get better. Day to day it is shown how important this club is and how important it is to do the little things right and get the results that we need.”
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta told the club’s official website: “It’s great news that Ben is committing his future to the club.
“Ben is a key player for us, a top professional with a winning mentality, and one of the guys who leads by example every day.
“Ben’s ability, determination and positive attitude are so important, but he is also a great character and human being.
“We all look forward to continue working with Ben in the coming years.”
Kevin De Bruyne will miss Manchester City’s FA Cup quarter-final against Newcastle on Saturday with a minor groin injury.
The news emerged after the City playmaker was not included in Belgium’s squad for their international friendlies against the Republic of Ireland and England later this month.
The PA news agency understands the problem is not considered too serious by City and the club are hopeful he will be fit for their crucial Premier League clash with Arsenal on March 31.
It is nevertheless another setback for De Bruyne after missing most of the first half of the campaign following hamstring surgery.
It is unclear when the 32-year-old suffered the injury. He looked frustrated to be substituted after 69 minutes of last Sunday’s 1-1 draw at title rivals Liverpool but there was no suggestion at the time he was injured.
It is City’s second fitness blow in the space of a few days after goalkeeper Ederson was ruled out for up to four weeks with a thigh injury.
The Brazilian was hurt in a collision with Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez – in which he conceded a penalty – at Anfield and was replaced by number two Stefan Ortega.
Sir Gino, the long-time ante-post favourite for the JCB Triumph Hurdle, has been declared a non-runner on the final day of the Cheltenham Festival.
His absence is the latest blow for trainer Nicky Henderson, who has endured a trying week with four of his five runners on Tuesday pulled up, as well as Jingko Blue in Wednesday’s Gallagher Novices’ Hurdle.
Having already taken Shishkin out of the Gold Cup and Jonbon out of the Champion Chase, with Constitution Hill ruled out of the Champion Hurdle last week, Henderson’s biggest hope of the Festival now joins them on the sidelines.
Albert Bartlett contender Shanagh Bob has also been withdrawn and the Seven Barrows team will try to get their stars back on song for Aintree or Punchestown.
In a statement on X, Henderson said: “Very sadly we have had to make a very tough decision which is not to run Sir Gino in the Triumph Hurdle tomorrow and the same applies to Shanagh Bob in the Albert Bartlett.
“Both horses appear to be in great shape but we cannot ignore the performance of all our horses throughout this week and indeed last week as well and we feel it would be crazy to chance it with two very high class young horses with their lives in front of them.
“Joe Donnelly who owns both of these as well as Shishkin has been incredibly supportive as have all our owners as well as the media and indeed racing as a whole, and we appreciate that enormously.
“We are very much looking forward to hopefully Aintree and Punchestown as soon as we get the team back to normal.”
A fan group have expressed fury after Manchester United cited youth players’ development among the reasons for moving their seats at Old Trafford.
South Stand United were formed after supporters in block S122 of the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand were informed they would be moved next season.
The group say they are planning to protest at Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final against Liverpool and have been irked by United chief operating officer Collette Roche saying the location could aid young players’ development.
“We believe, especially for our younger players, that having a side view of the action is optimal to their development and future performance, and being located close to the suite they access is also important,” Roche said in a letter seen by the PA news agency.
“It is also important these tickets are seated together with adequate supervision given the increasing profile of many of our younger and women’s team players.”
That was one of six bullet points explaining the decision and seemed to particularly irk South Stand United, who let their feelings known in a statement dripping with sarcasm.
“Who knew that all these years, fans were sitting on a gold mine of player potential in Block S122?” the group said.
“Forget about the state-of-the-art training facilities or world-class coaching staff; it’s all about the angle of the dangle from the stands now.
“‘Pitch-Perfect View Turns Benchwarmers to Benchmarks’ the club might as well say.
“But here’s the kicker – the loyal legion of fans, those who’ve weathered storms and basked in glory, are the ones getting the boot, or rather, being ‘repositioned’ for this visionary masterstroke.”
Manchester United have been approached for comment.
A late setback has ruled Dysart Enos out of the Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle on day three of the Cheltenham Festival.
Fergal O’Brien’s star mare has won each of her six starts to date, with three bumper triumphs last season followed by a hat-trick of victories over hurdles this term.
The six-year-old was Britain’s biggest hope in Thursday’s penultimate event against two unbeaten Irish raiders in Gordon Elliott’s Brighterdaysahead and the Willie Mullins-trained Jade De Grugy, but she was declared a non-runner on the morning of the race.
O’Brien said: “It’s a huge blow, she’s got an overreach unfortunately.
“It’s not serious, it’s just horrendous timing. If it had happened earlier we might have been able to do something about it, but that’s where we are.
“We’ll get her right before we make any plans.”
Sports foundations and grassroots clubs must continue to act as a vessel to help guide youngsters away from anti-social behaviour and crime within inner-city communities, according to former Great Britain basketball international Justin Robinson.
The 36-year-old point guard grew up in Brixton before going on to further his career in the United States collegiate system, also taking in spells playing across Europe ahead of a move back to the UK in 2017 with London Lions.
As he recovered from a serious knee injury suffered during the British Basketball League playoffs in April 2022, Robinson launched his own community interest company, centred around engaging young people using basketball to help tackle social issues.
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Robinson, who returned to action for the 2023-24 season with Surrey Scorchers, believes such mentor initiatives like those he was able to access at childhood club team Brixton Topcats can play a crucial role.
“It is no secret, Brixton has its ills, on the other hand it is a vibrant community and one of love, but of course there are aspects that need to be changed,” Robinson told the PA news agency.
“I am from these same streets. These kids look like me, they speak like me, they live the life that I lived, so who better to go into these schools and speak to these kids, using basketball as a vessel?
“But this is so much bigger than basketball. We are teaching life lessons: anti-gang, anti-grooming and anti-drug.
“The main fact of me just being in their presence is a level of hope for them. They can be going through a lot at home, there could be a lot of problems in their area with gangs, so there is a lot for the kids to deal with today.
“I was fortunate enough to have that support at Brixton Topcats, I had so many male and female mentors who kind of kept me on the straight and narrow. I am just trying to give back what was done for me.”
Robinson added: “When I was growing up in the mid-1990s to 2000s, there was a lot going on in the area. There was a real big drug problem with lots of gangs, it was a lot more ‘in your face’ and stuff being done out in the open.
“Now what we are seeing is a lot of these kids are getting younger and younger, with the addition of social media too, so we have to grab them from a young age, from years four, five or six – these are pivotal ages where they can go the wrong way or the right way.”
The JJROB Foundation works in partnership with Lambeth Council and local organisations such as Juvenis, which offers bespoke support and training for young people who are having difficulties at school, at home or in the community.
Robinson is confident those relationships between local government and community groups can continue to grow.
“It is hard. There is the cost of living (crisis), the economy is in trouble, there are so many factors we have to think about, but from my interactions with them, they are sincere, want to help and have been,” he said.
Robinson, a two-time BBL League MVP, admitted there were periods during his recovery from a ruptured patella tendon and broken kneecap when he wondered if he would ever play again.
The 36-year-old has gone on to achieve 2,000 Championship points this season, becoming just the sixth active player to reach the milestone as he helps the Scorchers push for the playoffs.
“There are times where I feel like myself and forget I was injured, then there are still times when I have to rein myself in, with a bit of that fear of taking the wrong step or maybe jumping up and landing on someone’s foot,” point guard Robinson said.
“When you are injured, it forces you to slow down a bit and you read the game a bit more. I have surprised myself, but at the same time I have always been confident of my abilities.
“There are still quite a lot of games to play (in the regular season), but so far, so good.”
:: Limited tickets for the British Basketball League All-Star Game at the Copper Box Arena on March 17 can be purchased via www.britishbasketballleague.com/2024allstars/
Darren Gough has stepped down from his role as managing director of cricket at Yorkshire.
The former England fast bowler was appointed to the post in December 2021 in the wake of the racism allegations that rocked the sport.
Gough said: “It’s been an absolute honour to work for my boyhood club over the last two seasons.
“Having stepped in at a very challenging time, we’ve worked hard to steady the ship and develop our cricket department to ensure we can return to the top tier of English cricket.
“Following conversations with the club, I have decided now is the right time to step away from my role and give someone else an opportunity to take our playing squads forward.
“I’d like to thank all of our players, staff, members and fans for their considerable support over the last few seasons and wish them all the very best for the coming year. I will always be a Yorkshire Cricket supporter and look forward to returning to watch our teams in the coming years.”
A statement from Yorkshire said the club would take time to consider the best structure going forward before appointing any replacement.
Colin Graves, recently reappointed as chairman of Yorkshire, said: “I’d like to express our sincere thanks to Darren for the work he has put in over the last few seasons.
“Darren is a club legend in his own right having enjoyed two very successful stints as a player here and now helped us through some very difficult times.
“Everyone at the club would like to wish him all the best for the future, and we look forward to welcoming him back to Headingley again soon.”
Nathan MacKinnon scored his second goal of the game on a power-play goal 28 seconds into overtime and the Colorado Avalanche rallied from a three-goal deficit for their fifth straight win, 4-3 over the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday.
Mikko Rantanen began Colorado’s comeback with three seconds left in the second period and MacKinnon made it a one-goal game early in the third. Ross Colton’s goal at 8:43 of the third forged a 3-3 tie.
MacKinnon extended his point streak to 14 games and increased his NHL scoring lead to 115 points, eight more than Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov.
Colorado has won seven of eight to tie Dallas for the Central Division lead.
J.T. Miller and Nikita Zadorov each had a goal and an assist for Western Conference-leading Vancouver, which had won four in a row.
Oilers too much for Capitals
Zach Hyman had a natural hat trick and Leon Draisaitl had a goal and three assists as the Edmonton Oilers rolled to a 7-2 rout of the Washington Capitals.
Connor McDavid had a goal and two assists and Evan Bouchard added a goal and an assist for the Oilers, who have points in eight of their last nine games (7-1-1). They moved six points ahead of Los Angeles and Vegas in the race for second place in the Pacific Division.
McDavid extended his home point streak to 26 games, during which he has 15 goals and 47 assists.
Ivan Miroshnichenko and Connor McMichael scored in the first period as Washington dropped to 0-2 on a five-game road trip.
Surging Predators down Jets
Juuse Saros stopped 27 shots and the Nashville Predators extended their point streak to 13 games with a 4-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets.
Gustav Nyquist, Kiefer Sherwood, Filip Forsberg and Jason Zucker scored to help the Predators improve to 11-0-2 in their last 13 games.
Nashville essentially put the game out of reach with a pair of goals in 22 seconds early in the third period, making it 4-0.
The Predators moved three points ahead of Vegas in the race for the top wild card in the Western Conference.
Luka Dončić’ had his triple-double streak ended at seven games before leaving with left hamstring soreness as the Dallas Mavericks slogged to a 109-99 win over the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday.
Doncic had 21 points, nine assists and three rebounds, ending a triple-double run that included NBA records of five straight with at least 35 points and six in a row with at least 30 points.
Dallas coach Jason Kidd said he wasn’t sure if Doncic would make the trip to Oklahoma City, where the Mavs finish a back-to-back on Thursday night.
Daniel Gafford was 5 of 5 from the field – all on dunks – to extend his streak of made field goals to 33, two shy of Wilt Chamberlain’s NBA record, set in 1967. Gafford also had a season-high seven blocks.
Jonathan Kuminga scored 27 points and Andrew Wiggins added 17 for the Warriors, who dropped to 1-2 without Stephen Curry, who is sidelined by a sprained ankle.
Nuggets move atop West
Michael Porter Jr. scored 25 points and Nikola Jokić had 12 points, 14 rebounds and six assists to lead the Denver Nuggets to a 100-88 victory over the sliding Miami Heat in a finals rematch on Wednesday.
Aaron Gordon had 16 points and Jamal Murray contributed 14 for the Nuggets, who improved to an NBA-best 10-1 since the All-Star break to move a half-game ahead of Oklahoma City into first place in the Western Conference.
Bam Adebayo had 17 points and 13 rebounds and Jimmy Butler scored 15 for Miami, which lost its fourth straight and dropped 2 ½ games behind Orlando in the Southeast Division.
Denver is 12-1 in its last 13 games against the Heat, including last season’s NBA Finals.
DeRozan leads Bulls to overtime win
DeMar DeRozan poured in a season-high 46 points, hitting the go-ahead 3-pointer in overtime, to lift the Chicago Bulls to a 132-129 win over the Indiana Pacers.
DeRozan’s only 3 of the game with 2:18 left in overtime put the Bulls ahead for good, and he added a free throw with 10 seconds remaining before Tyrese Haliburton missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
Alex Caruso scored 23 points and Ayo Dosunmu added 20 as Chicago won its fourth in six games.
Myles Turner had 27 points with five 3-pointers and Haliburton finished with 17 points and 14 assists, but Indiana failed to win its third straight.
Gareth Southgate has headaches to contend with in the goalkeeper and left-back department as the England manager prepares to select his squad for a pair of high-profile Euro 2024 warm-up friendlies on Thursday.
With just three months to go until their tournament opener against Serbia in Gelsenkirchen, preparations ramp up with March meetings against Brazil and Belgium at Wembley.
This is the last camp before Southgate names his provisional Euros squad just after the Premier League season concludes, with the final selection to be submitted to UEFA on June 8.
Southgate will be hoping to avoid injury to key players before then but first he has to deal with issues over availability, game time and form in this meet up.
Joe Gomez and Jack Butland have been tipped for recalls, while Kalvin Phillips will be hoping he has enough credit in the bank to earn a call-up despite a disastrous start to life at West Ham.
The selection of Jordan Henderson, another of Southgate’s favourites, has been another major talking point in the build up to the Euros after he joined Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Ettifaq, but has now returned to Europe, signing for Ajax in January.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, seen as a midfielder by Southgate, has been out for a month due to a knee issue, with Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Ross Barkley knocking on the door, while Tottenham playmaker James Maddison is fit again.
Kobbie Mainoo has been tipped in some quarters for a call-up after bursting onto scene impressively at Manchester United, but the 18-year-old could instead join up with the Under-21s.
United team-mate Marcus Rashford has been less impressive and has hot competition in his area of the field, although Jack Grealish is set to miss out this time due to a groin injury.
Anthony Gordon’s hopes of a maiden senior call-up remain alive with his knee injury sustained during Newcastle’s defeat at Chelsea on Monday not as serious as first feared, while Southgate is sure to be quizzed about the future of Raheem Sterling if the forward is omitted again.
Brentford striker Ivan Toney is pushing to be involved after the one-cap player returned to action in January having completed his Football Association ban for breaching betting rules.
Arguably Southgate’s biggest headache comes at left-back.
Man United boss Erik ten Hag does not expect Luke Shaw to be back fit until May and Chelsea have announced Ben Chilwell is “undergoing specialist medical assessment” on a knee complaint.
Kieran Trippier looks set to miss March’s fixtures, while versatile defender Levi Colwill’s toe complaint could rule him out as well.
Rico Lewis made his bow at left-back and was named man of the match in November’s debut display in North Macedonia, but he has only made four Manchester City appearances in 2024.
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Gomez, who won the last of his 11 England caps in 2020, is pushing for a recall having done brilliantly at left-back for Liverpool, while talented Newcastle full-back Tino Livramento has impressed.
Reece James remains out and in-form Ben White has been overlooked since leaving the 2022 World Cup squad.
Marc Guehi has been dealing with a knee injury, but fellow centre-back Harry Maguire should be involved and Eric Dier has made an impressive start to life at Bayern Munich.
Jarrad Branthwaite has also staked a claim with his fine displays at Everton, whose goalkeeper Jordan Pickford is the only definite selection among the shot-stoppers.
Aaron Ramsdale has made just two appearances for Arsenal in 2024 and Sam Johnstone has only recently returned to the Crystal Palace starting line-up.
Nick Pope is out with a dislocated shoulder and Southgate has been keeping a close eye on Butland’s performances at Rangers.
Rob Edwards says his Luton players must quickly pick themselves after becoming the first Premier League side in over 20 years to lose after being three goals up.
Antoine Semenyo scored twice as Bournemouth produced a remarkable second-half showing to win 4-3 after trailing 3-0 at half-time.
Defeat dented Luton’s survival hopes and the Hatters face a huge relegation clash with Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
Edwards insists he will not allow them to feel sorry for themselves after a torrid night on the south coast.
“We put ourselves in such a good position to win a Premier League game of football and to be sat here talking about a defeat is tough,” he said.
“Huge game on Saturday. Losing is difficult anyway but in that manner it does hurt but if we can’t pick ourselves up for a huge Premier League game then there’s something wrong.”
It was an emotional night for Edwards even before kick-off, with captain Tom Lockyer returning to thank the medical staff who helped to save his life 88 days earlier when this fixture was abandoned after the Luton captain suffered a cardiac arrest.
“Seeing Tom speaking to the paramedics, the people who saved his life was a bit emotional. He’s able to hold his new-born baby because of them,” Edwards added.
“Sometimes it’s important to have a bit of realism and that maybe brings home a little bit of what’s important.”
Luton were rampant in the first half and their opening goal came as early as the ninth minute after Jordan Clark stood up a sumptuous cross for Tahith Chong to head in at the far post.
They scored a brilliant second after 31 minutes as an incisive one-two between Chong and Alfie Doughty saw the latter cross low to Chiedozie Ogbene, who rounded off a superb team move.
Edwards must surely have thought his team had sealed their third away win of the season when Issa Kabore drove upfield to pick out the excellent Ross Barkley, who powerfully fired the ball high into the net to give the Hatters a considerable cushion going into the break.
But after making two substitutions during the interval, Bournemouth hit back dramatically, scoring three times in 14 minutes at the start of the second half.
The first was a stunning piece of individual brilliance from top scorer Dominic Solanke . The Cherries striker back-heeled the ball between the legs of Daiki Hashioka before chipping it beyond Thomas Kaminski.
The second came after Luton were unable to clear Lewis Cook’s corner to safety and Illia Zabarnyi headed in from close range despite Doughty’s desperate attempts to prevent it crossing the line.
Two minutes later the Vitality Stadium erupted when Semenyo cut in from the right and fired his shot powerfully into the near post to level the scores.
Bournemouth claimed all three points when Semenyo scored his second goal of the game seven minutes from time, collecting the ball from Enes Unal before shooting powerfully across Kaminski to give the Cherries their first home win since Boxing Day.
“The important thing is that the players showed a strong personality because it is easy to hide when you are losing 3-0 at home,” said Andoni Iraola, who became only the fifth Premier League side – and first since 2003 – to win a game in which they trailed by three goals.
“It was important to have the precedent of the last game (when Bournemouth came back from two goals down against Sheffield United).
“The key was to score early. I think Dom’s goal made us believe and the players showed a lot of character.”
The first day of the new league year in the NFL brought about several transactions on Wednesday.
The Los Angeles Chargers released one of their longest-tenured players, the Las Vegas Raiders parted ways with the big-name quarterback they acquired last off-season and the Miami Dolphins cut their four-time Pro Bowl cornerback.
The Chargers released wide receiver Mike Williams to free up $20million in salary cap space.
Going into the final year of a 2022 contract extension that included $40million in guaranteed money, Williams missed nearly all of last season after suffering a torn ACL in his left knee in Week 3.
The seventh overall pick of the 2017 draft, Williams had spent his first seven NFL seasons with the Chargers.
His best season came in 2021, when he had career highs of 76 receptions for 1,146 yards, along with nine touchdowns.
The Raiders released Jimmy Garoppolo and receiver Hunter Renfrow in a pair of widely expected moves.
Garoppolo signed a three-year, $72.75million contract with Las Vegas last season, but was benched after making just six starts.
Last month, he received a two-game suspension for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing drugs.
The Raiders agreed to a deal earlier this week with Gardner Minshew, who will compete with Aidan O'Connell for the starting quarterback job.
Renfrow put together a huge season in 2021, catching 103 passes for 1,038 yards to earn a two-year contract extension worth $31.7million, but he's managed just 61 receptions for 585 yards and two TDs in the last two years combined.
The Dolphins released Xavien Howard, who is tied for fourth in franchise history with 29 interceptions.
Howard, who had spent his entire eight-year NFL career with Miami, led the NFL with 10 interceptions in 2020 and was named a first-team All-Pro.
The Tennessee Titans, meanwhile, added a pair of players, signing wide receiver Calvin Ridley, as well as quarterback Mason Rudolph.
Ridley signed a four-year, $92million contract after finishing with 76 receptions for 1,016 yards with eight touchdowns while starting 17 games for the Jacksonville Jaguars last season.
Rudolph had spent the past four years with the Pittsburgh Steelers, going 8-4-1 in 13 starts. He won the final three regular-season games last season to lead the Steelers to a play-off berth.
Paris Saint Germain eased into the semi-final of the Coupe de France as Kylian Mbappe’s goal helped Luis Enrique’s side to a 3-1 win over Nice.
Coming off the back of three consecutive Ligue 1 draws that had seen their lead at the top of the table cut to 10 points, PSG maintained their bid to win three trophies this season as they comfortably dispatched Francesco Farioli’s team at the Parc de Princes.
Mbappe struck after just 14 minutes to give the home side the lead.
Ousmane Dembele’s cross from the right took a deflection and landed at the striker’s feet, and after playing a one-two with Fabian Ruiz he burst beyond Jean-Clair Todibo and on the stretch poked the ball between goalkeeper Marcin Bulka’s legs from close range.
Ruiz made it two just past the half-hour mark, taking advantage of confusion in the visitors’ defence.
Todibo played a ball back to Bulka but the former PSG keeper was promptly put under pressure by Dembele.
As he sought to clear his lines, his kick deflected into the path of Dembele, who cushioned it down and played it to Ruiz who finished into an empty goal with Bulka stranded.
Gaetan Laborde pulled one back to restore interest in the tie for Nice, Jeremie Boga setting off on a weaving run down the left and advancing on goal, stopped only by an intervention by Lucas Beraldo.
However, his clearance made it only as far as Laborde, who hit it past Gianluigi Donnarumma on the half-volley to restore Champions League-chasing Nice’s hopes of progressing.
It proved only a temporary blip for Enrique’s team, and on the hour mark Beraldo headed past Bulka to make it 3-1.
Lee Kang-in collected a short corner and whipped a ball into the box, seeing his cross taken only just off the head of Goncalo Ramos by a glancing clearance from Dante.
His interception made it only as far as Beraldo, who reached it with his head to turn it into the bottom corner and keep PSG on course for a domestic double.
Things could have got better for the home side had Mbappe not struck a post in search of his second goal, and Lee also came close to making it four when his free-kick was turned onto the crossbar by a diving save from Bulka.
PSG move on to face Rennes on April 3 for a place in the final.
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