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• Steelers extend long-serving head coach Tomlin through 2027

  The Pittsburgh Steelers have extended the contract of long-serving head coach Mike Tomlin to run through the 2027 season, the team announced on Monday.

  Tomlin, who is set to enter his 18th season in charge of the Steelers, had seen his future become a subject of debate during an up-and-down 2023 campaign.

  Pittsburgh appeared as though they might miss the playoffs when a three-game losing streak saw them slump to 7-7 by mid-December, but they bounced back with three straight victories to finish 10-7 and make the wild-card round.

  They were then eliminated by the Buffalo Bills after benching 2022 first-round quarterback Kenny Pickett in favour of Mason Rudolph.

  Nevertheless, Tomlin maintained his record of having never endured a losing season with Pittsburgh, who he led to glory at Super Bowl XLIII to cap the 2008 season, also losing to the Green Bay Packers at Super Bowl XLV two years later.

  Tomlin's worst seasons with the Steelers came in 2012, 2013 and 2019, all of which saw them finish with an even 8-8 record.

  Confirming Tomlin's three-year extension, franchise president Art Rooney II said: "Mike Tomlin's leadership and commitment to the Steelers have been pivotal to our success during his first 17 years as head coach.

  "Extending his contract for three more years reflects our confidence in his ability to guide the team back to winning playoff games and championships, while continuing our tradition of success."

  Tomlin told the team's website: "I am appreciative for this contract extension and thankful for Art Rooney II for his support during my first 17 years in Pittsburgh.

  "We are continuing to work diligently to get back to where we belong – sustained playoff success with the ultimate goal of winning the franchise's seventh Lombardi Trophy.

  "I am very excited to get the 2024 season under way and provide our fans with a memorable year."

  The Steelers have undergone a major rebuild this offseason, revamping their QB room by bringing in Russell Wilson from the Denver Broncos and Justin Fields from the Chicago Bears, with Pickett being traded to the Philadelphia Eagles.

  The arrival of former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen in free agency also bolstered the team's defense, which ranked sixth in the league for fewest points allowed per game (18.5) in 2023.

• Chiefs receiver Rice promises to 'mature' after troubled offseason

  Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice has vowed to mature after a tumultuous offseason that saw him arrested for allegedly causing a six-vehicle crash.

  Rice faces charges including aggravated assault after he and another driver of a speeding car allegedly caused a pile-up on a Dallas highway in April.

  He was also investigated in connection with an alleged assault in a Dallas nightclub, but police said no charges would be brought against him over that incident last month.

  The second-year receiver – who caught six passes for 39 yards as the Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers to win Super Bowl LVIII in February – says he has learned from those incidents and is determined to put them behind him. 

  "I've learned so much from that," he said. "All I can do is mature and continue to grow from that. This is a step in a better direction for me.

  "Accidents and stuff like that happen, but all you can do is move forward and walk around being the same person, try to be positive so that everybody can feel your love and your great energy."

  Rice's 26 passes caught throughout last season's playoffs represented a new record for any rookie, beating Ja'Marr Chase's total of 25 from two years earlier. 

  Throughout his first regular season in the league, the former SMU Mustangs man caught 79 passes for 938 yards and seven touchdowns in 16 games.

• NFL star RB McCaffrey agrees to $38M extension with San Francisco 49ers

  Christian McCaffrey has reset the running back market in the NFL.

  McCaffrey agreed to a two-year, $38million extension with the San Francisco 49ers on Tuesday, making him the league's highest-paid running back.

  The new deal keeps McCaffrey, who turns 28 on Friday, under contract for the next four years after he signed a four-year, $64million extension in 2020 following his third season with the Carolina Panthers.

  The 49ers acquired McCaffrey from the Panthers via a trade during the 2022 season, and he won the AP Offensive Player of the Year award in his first full season in San Francisco in 2023 after leading the NFL in rushing with 1,459 yards with 14 touchdowns.

  He added another 564 receiving yards and seven TD receptions to help the 49ers secure the top seed in the NFC.

  In 27 games with the 49ers, he has 2,205 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns to go with 1,028 receiving yards and 11 receiving TDs.

  Since his 2017 rookie season, he leads all players with 10,505 scrimmage yards, while his 81 scrimmage touchdowns trail only Derrick Henry's 88.

  Known for his bruising running style, McCaffrey also leads all players with 72 runs of at least 10 yards over the last two seasons.

  McCaffrey attended the first day of San Francisco's mandatory mini-camp on Tuesday after skipping voluntary work-outs over the last two weeks.