The Carlos Correa sage appears to be over with the All-Star shortstop returning to the Minnesota Twins on a six-year contract worth $200million.
The deal, which was reported by multiple sources on Tuesday, is pending a physical – which has ultimately been a stumbling block in previous agreements between Correa and the San Francisco Giants as well as the New York Mets in the last month.
The 28-year-old free agent had originally agreed to a 13-year, $350m contract with the Giants back on December 13, but San Francisco pulled out of the deal shortly before a press conference to announce the signing on December 20 over concerns about an ankle injury sustained in 2014.
That setback allowed the Mets to swoop in and offer Correa a 12-year, $315m contract hours after the deal with the Giants fell through.
Weeks later, however, the Mets also raised concerns about Correa's surgically repaired ankle following a physical exam and attempted to revise language in his contract.
The team became frustrated with the contract talks during this negotiation period and was considering simply walking away from the deal altogether.
That allowed the Twins to re-enter the picture and their deal with Correa includes a vesting option that can push the contract’s total value to $270m for 10 seasons if he stays healthy.
Correa signed a three-year, $105m contract with Minnesota shortly after last offseason's lockout ended in March, with the deal containing an opt-out clause after one year that was ultimately exercised.
In 136 games for the Twins in 2022, he hit .291 with 22 home runs and 64 RBIs with 70 runs scored.
The two-time All-Star and 2021 Gold Glove winner spent his first seven MLB seasons with the Houston Astros after being picked first overall in the 2012 draft and was named the 2015 American League Rookie of the Year.
A career .279 hitter and key contributor to Houston's 2017 World Series championship team, Correa has 155 home runs and 553 RBIs in 888 games.
Jerry Jones has dismissed talk that Mike McCarthy's job is on the line when the Dallas Cowboys face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFL Wild Card round.
The Cowboys reached the postseason for a second successive year with a 12-5 record, setting up a Monday Night Football showdown with the Bucs at Raymond James Stadium.
Dallas were beaten by the San Francisco 49ers at the same stage last season and come into the clash with the Tom Brady's Tampa Bay on the back of a 26-6 loss to the Washington Commanders.
Cowboys owner and general manager Jones has given head coach McCarthy his backing ahead of the playoff encounter.
When asked if McCarthy could pay the price for a defeat to the Bucs, he told 105.3 The Fan in Dallas: "No. I don't even want to ... No. That's it.
"I don't need to go into all the pluses or minuses. I've got a lot more to evaluate Mike McCarthy on than this playoff game."
There are doubts about defensive coordinator Dan Quinn's future after he was approached by the Denver Broncos following the firing of Nathaniel Hackett.
Yet Jones is not contemplating the prospect of any members of his coaching staff moving on.
"I can't tell you how much confidence I've got in Mike and our coaching staff of being on top of where we are with this team right now," Jones said.
"They've got every nuance. They understand every frailty that we might have or we might have shown Sunday [against Washington].
"They've got everything in their grasp and in their understanding, and I have complete confidence in this coaching staff. It's outstanding. We've got a great chance to go down there and have success."
England hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie could miss the Six Nations after suffering an ankle injury.
The 29-year-old will definitely be sidelined when the Red Rose start the tournament against Scotland at Twickenham on February 4.
Cowan-Dickie sustained the injury during the second half of Exeter Chiefs' win against Northampton Saints on Saturday after scoring two tries.
Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter told BBC Radio Devon on Tuesday: "Luke's injury looks relatively serious.
"He's seeing a surgeon today; that will maybe give us a more definitive outcome and timing."
Baxter is optimistic British and Irish Lion Baxter can still play a big part for the Chiefs before joining Montpellier at the end of the season.
He added: "It does look like an operation is going to be required but that said, at this stage, it wouldn't be a season-ending situation.
"We could still see him back for a good chunk of the season if rehab and everything goes well."
Impossible as it was to avoid the buzz and the enormity of the news reports – a $15million purse, $2.7m to the winner – the most valuable commodity to the PGA Tour and its membership arrived at the end of the Sentry Tournament of Champions with no advance hype.
That's because it was unscripted and didn't cost a thing – except for a heavy dose of Jon Rahm's might and a small hole in Collin Morikawa's gut.
"A crazy day," said Rahm, shaking his head.
If you think he was surprised to make up a six-shot deficit over the final seven holes and win on the Plantation Course at the famed Kapalua Resort on the Hawaiian island of Maui, imagine the shock that enveloped Morikawa. He had a commanding lead to start the final day and was 27-under to Rahm's 21-under through 11 holes.
Then, the improbable crashed in like one of those waves exploding against the rocks in Honolua Bay beneath the par-three 11th hole.
Rahm went birdie, birdie, birdie, eagle, par from holes 12-16; Morikawa played those five holes in three-over. Factor in matching pars at 17 and birdies at 18 and you've got an eight-stroke swing. Six back as he teed off on the 12th, Rahm won by two.
Set aside, for a moment, what the unfathomable turnaround means to the growing aura of Rahm, 28, or what the challenge will now be for the 25-year-old Morikawa, a ball-striking wonder whose short game failed him horribly down the stretch.
Instead, appreciate what this tournament finish meant for the PGA Tour as it debuted the first of 13 designated events that feature huge increases in purses and commitments from the best players to be in all 13 (plus the four major championships).
Its fundamental strength is set to shine through, as it did at the Sentry.
Elite players battling over the same holes at the same time late in a fourth round of a tournament that had attracted 17 of the world's top 20 players. These are the moments that reinforce the notion that the PGA Tour's steadfast commitment to individual play over 72 holes works best.
When at its best, golf that is fuelled by raw passion delivers the purest form of entertainment. And athletic entertainment, remember, is both the unmistakable face of joy and the can’t-take-your-eyes-off gut-wrenching anguish.
Because it was what elite golfers want in their competition – the individual challenge to prove you have what it takes – there was a series of thundering Rahm fist pumps over the Plantation Course's back nine that could have been emphatic exclamation points to a series of truisms.
Designated events will work. Fist pump.
The money is great, but the true lure is the attendance of nearly every top 20 name. Fist pump.
This is how the game's hottest player stays on a mission. Fist pump.
No time to rest, as four more designated events will be played in the next nine weeks. Fist pump.
"Obviously, a great start for me, for what's going to be a very different year," Rahm said.
Admittedly, the Spaniard was still a bit stunned by the unexpected end. Morikawa had played 54 bogey-free holes in 24-under and everyone, Rahm included, thought he would push towards 30-under and coast.
"Honestly, I wasn't thinking about winning," he added.
But this is why you play the game. Especially 72 holes with a field that was jam-packed with those top 10 guests Scottie Scheffler, Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele (last-minute withdrawal with a back issue), Will Zalatoris, Justin Thomas, Matt Fitzpatrick, and Viktor Hovland, while invitations were accepted by Tony Finau, Sam Burns, Tom Kim, Jordan Spieth, Max Homa, Cameron Young, and Billy Horschel.
The gang's all here. Get used to it, because it's going to be delightfully frequent according to Rahm, whose smile seemed to indicate he relishes it. And the flow of fist pumps suggested he's not backing down from any of them.
"I feel like I've been the best player in the world [since last summer]," Rahm continued. He acknowledged that Scottie Scheffler was clearly No. 1 early in 2022, then it was Rory McIlroy, "but I feel like right now it's me."
Computers spit out a different set of numbers – McIlroy, Scheffler, Cameron Smith and Cantlay are Nos. 1-4. Rahm concedes he's confused by that, but clearly he doesn't bring such cloudiness to the golf course.
He's won three of his last worldwide starts and in his last eight starts, going back to August, Rahm's been top five six times, with his other tournaments being a T-8 and T-16.
As torrid as that has been, McIlroy's achievements read splendidly, also. Since the Masters last April, the Northern Irishman has three wins, a total of 11 top-five finishes, and 13 top 10s. His last seven starts saw finishes of 4th, 1st, T-4, 4th, T-2, 1st, T-8, which adds up to a worthy claim to the No. 1 spot.
But if you wanted to side with Rahm's contention that he's playing like the real No. 1, not many would fight you. It helps explain why this series of designated tournaments will do more than reward players financially; it will pump up the entertainment to delightful levels.
"We're all working hard. I know everybody's putting in a lot of effort to try and stay [high in the OWGR] as long as possible," said Rahm. "But, yes, I want to be back up there [at No. 1]."
So, too, is Morikawa promising to shake off the back-nine meltdown on Maui. That his only bogeys of the tournament came at an ill-advised time – his 68th, 69th, and 70th holes of the week – seemed to gnaw at the two-time major winner.
"It's just kind of going to hopefully push me more and more to really figure out what it's going to take for 72 holes," he said.
Paula Badosa savoured a strong serving day as she overcame Anett Kontaveit in a tricky Adelaide International 2 opener ahead of the Australian Open.
Badosa and Kontaveit both got as high as number two in the world rankings last year, but neither currently sits in the top 10, with Badosa down at number 11 and Kontaveit 17th.
Tuesday's tussle in South Australia went the way of the Spaniard, with Badosa scoring a 6-4 6-3 win against her Estonian opponent.
She had five aces and only one double fault, winning 77 per cent of points when landing a first serve in.
Another Estonian awaits her at the last-16 stage in veteran campaigner Kaia Kanepi and Badosa is happy with how she had begun the tournament.
"I think I started really good," Badosa said in an on-court interview. "I was serving very well. I was going for the first shots."
Asked about signs of improvement with her serve, Badosa said: "It depends on the day, to be honest. I worked a lot this past 10 days and was really focused on that, so I'm happy about that."
Czech Barbora Krejcikova, another player with a career-high ranking of number two, earned a second-round shot at Russian Daria Kasatkina after winning 6-2 7-6 (7-3) against last year's runner-up Alison Riske-Amritraj.
Other winners in Adelaide on Tuesday were Amanda Anisimova, Zheng Qinwen, Veronika Kudermetova, Anna Kalinskaya and Katerina Siniakova.
At the Hobart International, second seed Elise Mertens fell 6-4 6-4 to fellow Belgian Maryna Zanevska, while French third seed Alize Cornet was also knocked out, losing 6-4 6-2 to Italy's Elisabetta Cocciaretto.
Former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin had no such trouble, seeing off China's Zhu Lin 6-2 6-2
FIA chief Mohammed Ben Sulayem is adamant Formula One should be "encouraging" companies like General Motors to enter the sport.
Andretti, partnering with GM brand Cadillac, expressed intentions last week to join the F1 grid, though their announcement was met with a lukewarm response from within the sport.
It has been reported there is concern whether Andretti would "add value" to F1, particularly given the team's desire to base themselves in the United States and not in Europe, where the rest of the sport is homed.
Previous failures of Toyota and Jaguar in the 2000s serve as evidence of the difficulties in meeting the demands of F1, particularly as, at least initially, the Andretti/Cadillac name would be merely added to a Renault engine.
Additions of original equipment manufacturers (OEM) are seen as a more tangible prospect for an F1 expansion, though Ben Sulayem feels F1 should not be shutting the door to alternative approaches.
"Today there are two sides of sustainability. There is sustainability of the environment, and there is sustainability of the sport," he told reporters at the Dakar Rally.
"If you want to sustain the sport, you have to open it to the rest of the manufacturers. And to us, we are allowed to have 12 teams on the grid.
"To have a big company like GM, which is one of the top five in the world, we should be encouraging them to come to Formula 1. That is the way I would like to see the future: having an OEM in with sustainability.
"Every single partner there [in F1], or stakeholder there, should be welcoming an OEM, especially from America. You have three races there [in the United States], and we don't have maybe a racer, a driver, and for sure we don't have an OEM.
"I welcome anyone to fill up the 12 [spots], but proper teams. We have accepted good teams but also smaller teams, like Haas and Sauber. I hope that this will change, and we will be able to have a proper team on the grid. It will be odd [to be] at 11, and not 10 or 12. But we'll see."
However, despite already publicly hitting out at the "adverse reaction" to Andretti's proposed entry, Ben Sulayem made it clear he is not yet at a stage where he is ready to fully approve the proposals.
"There is the due diligence. There is a process, we wait, and it goes. As an FIA or a president, I didn't say yes [we approved it]: we opened it. So let them see," he added.
"Are they going to succeed? Will they tick the boxes? Will they be able to be there? We cannot just go and rely on what's going on, we have to look for the future."
Eddie Hearn expects to see a "reinvigorated" Anthony Joshua this year after taking on a new trainer.
The former heavyweight champion has not fought since suffering defeat in a rematch against Oleksandr Usyk in August, which left the 2012 Olympic gold medallist with three defeats in his past five bouts.
With a clash against Tyson Fury not materialising, Joshua is on the hunt for an opponent for a targeted date of April 1 and will partner with a new trainer for the next stage in his career.
The 33-year-old parted ways with long-term trainer Rob McCracken following the first defeat to Usyk, taking on Robert Garcia for the rematch, and will now undergo a training camp in the United States ahead of his return to the ring.
Though still yet to be announced, Derrick James is reported to be the man Joshua has taken on as trainer, and Hearn believes a change from his usual surroundings in England is the right move.
"April 1 is our targeted date in London. I'll go through the final list of opponents. We're almost ready. He's excited," Hearn told DAZN.
"I'm happy with the trainer. I'm happy with anyone who makes AJ feel comfortable, motivated, and excited. I think this is going to be a nice break.
"The problem is being in the UK, he can't breathe. When he goes to America, people know who he is, but it's like a different world.
"I think it's going to be really good for him. I think you're going to see a reinvigorated Anthony Joshua."
Gregoire Barrere withstood a barrage of aces from John Isner and a change of court triggered by Cyclone Hale as he upset the American sixth seed at the Auckland Open.
French qualifier Barrere and US veteran Isner were forced indoors by the adverse weather threat in New Zealand, with the entire Tuesday schedule taking place on inside courts and without spectators.
Despite Isner rifling down 28 aces to move 10 away from becoming the first man to post 14,000 in ATP tour and grand slam events, Barrere stuck with him and pulled off a 6-7 (3-7) 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 victory.
He snatched the only break of the match in game eight of the deciding set, before serving out for victory, with the world number 88 firing down 10 aces himself across the contest.
Argentine seventh seed Sebastian Baez also fell at the last-32 stage, bowing out 7-6 (7-1) 6-1 to American wildcard Ben Shelton.
Serbian Laslo Djere set up a second-round clash with top seed Casper Ruud by edging out Spain's Jaume Munar 3-6 6-1 7-6 (7-4), while Czech Jiri Lehecka will face second seed Cameron Norrie next after sinking Brazilian fellow qualifier Thiago Monteiro 6-3 7-5.
Ruud and Norrie received first-round byes.
At Adelaide International 2, American eighth seed Tommy Paul battled past Australian Christopher O'Connell 6-4 7-5, setting up an appetising second-round clash with Britain's Jack Draper, who won through on Monday.
There was a home success for the Australian crowd to cheer, though, as qualifier John Millman, who beat Roger Federer at the 2018 US Open, this time dug deep for a 4-6 6-3 7-6 (8-6) win against Spain's Albert Ramos-Vinolas.
Kevin Fiala was hailed as a "rare" talent by head coach Todd McLellan after helping the Los Angeles Kings to a 6-3 triumph over the Edmonton Oilers on Monday.
Just two days on from scoring a hat-trick in a 5-1 win over the Vegas Golden Knights, Fiala finished with two power-play goals and two assists to improve the Kings to a 2-0-0 head-to-head record against the Oilers this season.
It was the sixth game this campaign in which Fiala finished with at least three points, and McLellan was effusive in his praise of the left winger.
"His engine is really good, he can play lots of minutes, he's dangerous and he can play up and down the lineup," McLellan said after the Kings' victory on their home rink at the Crypto.com Arena.
"His game transfers with him wherever he goes. He can play with big players, small players, quick, crafty players, straight-line players. It's rare to find a player like that."
Adrian Kempe had two power-play goals, making it the first instance the Kings had two players doing so in one game, while Alex Iafallo and Viktor Arvidsson registered goals for in-form LA, who have gone 9-2-1 since the middle of December.
Kailer Yamamoto, Ryan McLeod and Connor McDavid were the goalscorers for an Oilers side that failed to capitalise on any of their six power-play opportunities.
McLellan acknowledged his side were fortunate not to be punished more.
"It's not a recipe for success against that team," he said. "Rarely are they going to be shut out in that type of situation.
"So we were fortunate to come through in that situation. I thought our penalty killers did a really good job."
The Kings, who had seven penalties in total to the Oilers' six, ultimately triumphed because of their proficiency with the power plays, Edmonton coach Jay Woodcroft felt.
The Oilers have given up 42 power-play goals this season, tied most with the Anaheim Ducks.
"I think the refs got involved. There was a lot of calls both ways and we went 0-for-6 on our power play and they scored four on their power play, four on seven," Woodcroft said.
"So obviously some of those penalties are within our control and our penalty kill. They moved the puck around well and give them a little bit of credit, but our penalty kill can be a lot sharper and we ended up on the wrong side of the special teams battle.
"I thought that was the difference in the game."
The Kings sit second in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference, with the Oilers down in fifth.
Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone described the qualities that make reigning back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic so unique after his selfless performance on Monday.
The 27-year-old Serbian dished 16 assists while only attempting five field goals – hitting all five – for his 14 points and 11 rebounds as his Nuggets beat the LeBron James-less Los Angeles Lakers 122-109.
It improves his career-high assist average to 9.7 per game, which places him third in the league behind only Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton (10.3) and Atlanta Hawks All-Star Trae Young (9.8).
His field goal attempts are the lowest they have been since the 2019-20 season at 15.2 per game – leaving him outside of the top-50 – while being efficient enough to score 25.0 points per game, the 20th-best average.
Speaking to reporters after the win, Malone said it is rare to find a star player so unfazed by their shot attempts.
"I tell you man, we always talk about it, I've been around the league a long time," he said. "I know a lot of players that, if they took five shots in 35 minutes, would be p***** off right now, I'm being serious.
"Nikola doesn't care – whether he takes five [shots] or 25. There's not many guys like him that I've ever been around, and I've been around the game a long time myself, and with my father when he was an assistant coach and a head coach in the NBA.
"It just speaks to – another triple-double – but, a truly selfless superstar. Five shots, no complaints, no pouting, no bad body-language. Let's just play the game the right way, that's all he cares about."
When asked a question about Jokic's ability to throw pinpoint bullet passes, Malone expanded on the craft of the near seven-footer.
"He will throw a bullet if a bullet is needed to be thrown, he will also throw a lob pass when it needs to be thrown, or he will just feather a bounce-pass through traffic if it needs to be thrown," he said.
"That's the beautiful thing about it, he can read the situation, and make the appropriate pass at the right time."
Lakers head coach Darvin Ham echoed those sentiments, sharing admiration for his opponent.
"Man, his ability to play-make, bringing the ball up, out of the post, the mid-post, the nail," he said. "His touch on his passes, his touch on his shots. He's one of those once-in-a-generation type bigs who just does it all.
"So his impact is not based on – he can put up big numbers – but it's not solely based on his scoring output. The way he puts his fingerprints all over the game – that's a rarity.
"Especially at his size, it's only a few of those guys in the league that are able to do that."
With the win, the Nuggets are tied for the best record in the Western Conference at 27-13.
The return of Los Angeles Lakers center Anthony Davis remains weeks away, but he will reportedly take the next step in his rehabilitation process in the coming days.
Davis has missed the past 13 games due to an injured right foot, dealing with a bone spur fracturing off his navicular bone as well as a stress reaction.
Before he hopped off the floor during the Lakers' December 16 win against the Denver Nuggets, Davis was having his best season in a Los Angeles jersey.
He is averaging 27.4 points and a career-high 12.1 rebounds, while shooting a career-best 59.4 per cent from the field and being one of four players averaging at least two blocks per game (2.1).
A report on Monday from ESPN's Dave McMenamin states Davis "plans to begin the ramp-up process to return to play when the team returns to Los Angeles this week".
The ramp-up process will involve aquatic pool workouts and running on an altered-gravity treadmill to keep most of the weight off the big-man's foot as it continues to heal.
It is believed the ramp-up process will take at least a couple of weeks before the Lakers begin to pinpoint a return date.
Los Angeles lost four of their first five games with Davis sidelined, but an incredible stretch of play from LeBron James ignited a run of six wins from seven prior to Monday's loss against the Nuggets, where James was sitting out for rest reasons.
They began the season 2-10, but have recovered to 19-22 and now sit only 1.5 games behind local rivals the Los Angeles Clippers (21-21), who occupy the sixth seed in the Western Conference.
The Golden State Warriors will receive some handy reinforcements on Tuesday as future Hall-of-Famer Stephen Curry prepares to return from an 11-game absence.
Curry has not played since suffering a left shoulder subluxation against the Indiana Pacers on December 14, and after dropping three of the first four games without their two-time MVP, they steadied the ship and went 6-5.
The reigning NBA Finals MVP is averaging 30.0 points, 6.8 assists and a career-high 6.6 rebounds per game while shooting a blistering 43.4 per cent on a gaudy 11.6 three-point attempts per contest.
After starting the season 3-7, the Warriors have recovered to 20-20, and should be at close to full strength when they take on the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday following the return of starting wing Andrew Wiggins on Saturday.
The Warriors currently occupy the seventh seed in the congested Western Conference, only one game behind the fifth-seeded Sacramento Kings (20-18), but also only a half-game ahead of the 10th-seeded Portland Trail Blazers (19-20).
The Boston Celtics rode another impressive performance from MVP candidate Jayson Tatum to a 107-99 home win against the Chicago Bulls on Monday, improving their league-best record to 29-12.
Boston also boast a 16-5 home record, and while they have been the NBA's best offense for most of this season, it was their defense getting the job done against the Bulls.
After holding their opponent to under 100 points only four times from their first 37 games this season, the Celtics have now accomplished the feat in two of their past three outings.
While part of the Bulls' offensive issues boiled down to DeMar DeRozan leaving with a quadriceps strain, the Celtics were also able to hold the red-hot Zach Lavine to 40 per cent shooting (10-of-24), despite his otherwise impressive figures of 27 points, seven rebounds and six assists.
Jayson Tatum was clearly the Celtics' best player, scoring a game-high 32 points on 10-of-21 shooting with eight rebounds and seven assists, while Grant Williams chipped in 20 points (eight-of-15 shooting) and eight rebounds off the bench.
Tatum's 30.8 points per game has him sitting fifth in the league, while his field goal percentage of 47.2 is the highest since his rookie year (47.5 per cent).
The loss for the Bulls snaps a three-game winning streak, and leaves them 10th in the Eastern Conference at 19-22.
Nuggets remain top of the West
The Denver Nuggets had no issue dealing with the visiting and LeBron James-less Los Angeles Lakers, defending home court with a 122-109 triumph.
It was another playmaking masterclass from reigning back-to-back MVP and arguably the greatest playmaking center in the history of the sport, with Nikola Jokic dishing a game-high 16 assists, grabbing 11 rebounds and finishing a perfect five-of-five from the field for his 14 points.
He handed lead-scoring duties to Jamal Murray for the night, and he delivered with a season-high 34 points on 13-of-29 shooting, leaving the Nuggets tied with the Memphis Grizzlies for the top seed in the West at 27-13.
Russell Westbrook continues to build his case for Sixth Man of the Year, contributing 25 points (10-of-21 shooting), seven rebounds and seven assists off the Lakers' bench.
Brunson heroics not enough for the Knicks
New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson scored a career-high 44 points as his side went down 111-107 against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Brunson shot 15-of-30 from the field, hitting all 10 of his free throws, but a 38-point final quarter from the Bucks saw them claw back from a deficit that reached 17 points in the third period.
Giannis Antetokounmpo was solid by his standards with 22 points (six-of-15 shooting), 10 rebounds, five assists and two blocks, while offseason signing Joe Ingles impressed off the bench with 17 points (six-of-14 shooting) and five assists.
The Georgia Bulldogs are the first back-to-back National Champions in the College Football Playoff era (since 2014) after hammering the TCU Horned Frogs 65-7 on Monday.
There were ominous signs early as Georgia quickly forced a TCU punt on the opening possession, before marching down the field in five plays to open the scoring with a 21-yard touchdown run from quarterback Stetson Bennett.
TCU tried to make a game of it, scoring their only touchdown of the contest in the first quarter with a short-range quarterback run of their own from Max Duggan, but the Georgia defense went up a level and shut things down the rest of the way.
Bennett rushed for his second touchdown and threw two more to open up a commanding 38-7 lead at half-time, and they continued to pile on after the break, with two more touchdown passes.
In his second consecutive National Championship win, former walk-on Bennett completed 18 of his 25 passes for 304 yards, four touchdowns and no turnovers.
His top weapon was sophomore tight end and future first-round draft pick Brock Bowers, who reeled in seven catches for 152 yards and a score as he showed exactly why he is considered the best tight end in college football.
The Bulldogs have now won 26 games in a row with two championships across the past two seasons.
Interim Indianapolis Colts head coach Jeff Saturday declared he is gunning for the permanent role after getting a taste of coaching at the highest level.
Saturday made headlines when he was hired to take over following the firing of Frank Reich, having never been a head coach at any level previously.
After a stirring win during his first week in charge, the Colts went on to lose the next seven in a row to close the season, including a Week 18 failure against the Houston Texans, who came into the contest with the worst record in the league.
When speaking to reporters on Monday, he pushed back on the notion that the Colts' 1-7 record under his watch was an accurate representation of his ability to lead a successful team.
"When you say 'eight-game audition', it was an eight-game audition with half an offensive staff [and] boundaries," he said.
"It's an eight-game audition with the hand you're dealt, right? How do you deal with that? Hopefully, I've shown my leadership.
"I wish we were better than 1-7. Everybody in that locker room and everybody here, it makes all our jobs a lot easier if you win, right? Unfortunately, that hasn't happened. I'm not dissuaded by that."
He said if he were to land the role for next season, he would take the franchise in "a different direction and a different vision that I'm carrying through – one that's my own that I can implement and move forward with".
When asked how far away he believes the Colts are from being a good football team, he said "Not nearly as far as y'all think".
"I've seen some articles here recently, so I can assure you [there have been] a lot of shots fired," he said. "I don't think we're nearly as far as you guys believe we are."
ESPN is reporting Colts owner Jim Irsay called Saturday "an outstanding candidate", while defensive leader Shaquille Leonard said he felt Saturday did "a phenomenal job" and earned the respect of the locker room.
The Colts have reportedly requested to interview Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn as well as their offensive coordinator Ben Johnson for the head coaching role, along with Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris.
Running back and free-agent-to-be Josh Jacobs would like to remain with the Las Vegas Raiders if the team is willing to offer him a contract he deems fair.
The Raiders drafted Jacobs late in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft but declined to pick up the fifth-year option on his rookie contract last offseason.
Jacobs on Monday stated that he is not looking to leave the Raiders.
"For me, it's got to make sense, but this is obviously where I want to be," Jacobs said a day after securing the 2022 NFL rushing title, finishing the season with 1,653 yards on the ground.
"Coming in, I remember sitting down with [defensive end] Maxx [Crosby] and all these guys and talking about the Raiders organisation and the culture and wanting to be part of the change.
"I still feel that way so, hopefully, I'll be back."
While Crosby, a fourth-round pick in 2019, received a four-year, $99million extension last offseason, the Raiders’ new regime of general manager Dave Ziegler and head coach Josh McDaniels have attempted to distance themselves from the decisions made by Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock from 2018-21.
Jacobs responded, however, with a career-best year, tallying over 2,000 yards from scrimmage and 12 total touchdowns.
"I mean, I guess it feels good," Jacobs said of his individual accomplishments this season. "I don't really feel no different. Obviously, it's a testament to the team and the guys that helped me along the way. So that's definitely dope to be able to experience it with them. But for me, personally, it's just, whatever. For real."
McDaniels, meanwhile, recognised that Jacobs’ performance stood out during an otherwise disappointing year for the Silver and Black.
"Obviously J.J's performance was a huge bright spot for us,” McDaniels said. “I have a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for him as a person and as a player and he kind of embodies all the things that we want a Raider to be.
"Dave and I have talked about that; J.J. and I have had private conversations about those kinds of things. I think all that will play out in due time. But love him and would love to have him continue to be a Raider."
LeBron James will not feature for the Los Angeles Lakers in their game at the Denver Nuggets on Monday after being listed as out with ankle soreness.
James has been in excellent form for the Lakers as they continue to recover from a desperate start to the season that saw them lose 10 of their first 12 games.
The 38-year-old is averaging 29.1 points per game, along with 8.2 rebounds and 6.7 assists, as the Lakers have improved from 2-10 to 19-21, including winning their last five.
They have averaged 125.8 points per game during that win streak, last winning five in a row while averaging at least 125 points in the 1987-88 season.
After scoring a combined 90 in wins at the Atlanta Hawks (47) and Charlotte Hornets (43), James missed the victory against his former team the Miami Heat on Wednesday with an ankle problem, before returning to score 25 against the Hawks on Friday and 37 against the Sacramento Kings on Saturday.
However, the Lakers listed their star man – the Western Conference Player of the Week – as out again ahead of Monday's clash in Denver, citing left ankle soreness.
James is 20-20 against the Nuggets. He does not have a career losing record against any team.
In the 2022 NFL season, there have been few stories as remarkable as that of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, who heads into the postseason with a golden opportunity to become the first rookie quarterback to lead a team to Super Bowl glory.
Purdy has been a revelation since being thrust into the spotlight as the starting quarterback in the wake of the fractured foot suffered by Jimmy Garoppolo in the Week 13 win over the Miami Dolphins.
This was supposed to be Trey Lance's team in 2022, but with the third overall pick in 2021 removed from the equation with a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2, there are pertinent questions asking if it is now Purdy's for the long term, and they are merited given how he has performed in an extraordinary start to his career.
Belying his status as the last pick in the 2022 draft, Purdy has confidently piloted one of the best offenses in football, with the 49ers averaging a league-leading 33.6 points per game since he became the full-time starter.
In addition to Purdy ensuring the 49ers beat the Dolphins following Garoppolo's first-quarter departure, he has since won each of his first five starts, helping the NFC West champion Niners finish the regular season on a 10-game winning streak.
With the 49ers' win over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 18, in which he threw three touchdowns, Purdy became the third rookie quarterback to win his first five starts, following Ben Roethlisberger (won first 13 starts in 2004) and Mike Kruczek (first six in 1968).
He is the third player in NFL history with at least two touchdown passes in each of his first five starts, joining Dan Marino and Billy Volek, while he is only the second rookie with at least two touchdown throws in six consecutive games. The other was Justin Herbert in 2020.
Purdy's passer rating over his first five starts of 119.0 is second only to Kurt Warner (131.4) in 1999. Though Warner was not a rookie, he went on to lead the St. Louis Rams to a Super Bowl title, winning Super Bowl MVP in the process.The support system for Purdy as he looks to make league history is excellent. San Francisco's offense is stacked with playmakers, with the addition of Christian McCaffrey to a group that already included Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle having a transformative impact on Kyle Shanahan's attack.
San Francisco's plethora of weaponry is a significant reason why Purdy went into Week 18 ranked fourth among quarterbacks with at least 100 plays in expected passing situations in Efficiency Versus Expected (EVE). Prior to the blowout of the Cardinals, Purdy was averaging 1.47 yards over expected in anticipated passing situations.
With a defense led by Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner Nick Bosa establishing itself as the NFL's best, the 49ers went into Week 18 ranked first overall in EVE.
By that measure, the 49ers are the best team in the NFL, but history is firmly against Purdy having success in his quest to guide them to a sixth Lombardi Trophy in franchise history.
Nineteen rookies have started in the playoffs in the Super Bowl era, posting a 9-19 record across 28 games.
While no rookie quarterback has lifted the Lombardi, the performances of a selection of those to have entered the heat of the postseason battle in their first season offer a glimpse into what may lie ahead for Purdy, as he prepares to start his playoff career against the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday.
Ben Roethlisberger (2004)
Roethlisberger may be the best parallel we can draw for Purdy given their shared place in the NFL history books.
The Pittsburgh Steelers great enjoyed an entirely different draft experience in 2004, playing the role of frustrated spectator until the 11th pick as the famous Eli Manning-Philip Rivers saga took its course.
Roethlisberger made the San Diego Chargers and New York Giants initially look foolish for not valuing him higher, helping a juggernaut Steelers team to a 15-1 record and the number one seed in the AFC.
Yet his first postseason proved a difficult one for Big Ben, with Roethlisberger completing only 57.4 per cent of his passes for 407 yards, three touchdowns and five interceptions, recording a passer rating of 61.3.
Three of his five picks came in the AFC Championship Game loss to the New England Patriots, whose opportunistic defensive performance inspired them to a third Super Bowl appearance – and ultimately a third Super Bowl title – in four seasons.
Purdy has the benefit of having the league's premier defense on his side, and the top-seeded Philadelphia Eagles would appear to be the only team in the 49ers' way who possess the capability to pose him problems akin to those Roethlisberger experienced back in January 2005.
The NFL has changed significantly since Bill Belichick's defense denied Roethlisberger a chance at history, but the Steelers' Conference Championship game woes of 18 years ago are a scarcely needed reminder of the value of protecting the football.
Purdy, who has 13 touchdowns to four interceptions, has done a largely impressive job in that sense, and if he continues in the same manner, the 49ers will be excellently positioned for a deep run. If the Niners do fall short, Purdy may take heart from Roethlisberger's second season, which saw him lead the Steelers to victory in Super Bowl XL against the Seattle Seahawks.
Joe Flacco (2008) & Mark Sanchez (2009)
Flacco and Sanchez are also decent examples that could be a guide to how Purdy's playoff journey may go.
Unlike Purdy, they were both highly drafted quarterbacks, but they are comparable in that they had the benefit of supporting casts built for January success. Both made it all the way to the AFC Championship Game.
Flacco did not have to do much to get to that point with the 2008 Baltimore Ravens. Across his three postseason games, Flacco completed just 44 per cent of his passes for 437 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions, giving him a passer rating of just 50.8.
Yet the Ravens were able to succeed by leaning on a third-ranked defense and a fourth-ranked run game, taking the pressure off Flacco. Indeed, Baltimore gave up just 19 points across the first two rounds of the playoffs. It was only when the Ravens faced a top-ranked Pittsburgh Steelers defense in the title game that Flacco's shortcomings as a rookie proved decisive.
A year later, Sanchez fared better with the New York Jets, hitting on just over 60 per cent of his passes for 539 yards, four touchdowns and a pair of picks, posting a passer rating of 92.7.
Though his numbers were better, the formula was the same, the Jets riding Rex Ryan's dominant defense and a ground attack that led the NFL in yards per game to the Conference Championship.
Flacco went on to enjoy one of the great postseason runs in the 2012 season in leading the Ravens to glory, beating the 49ers in the Super Bowl, but Purdy will have designs on comfortably surpassing Sanchez's achievements following the electric start to his career.
He has thrived throwing the ball to the intermediate area of the field. On throws between 10 and 20 yards, Purdy has a delivered an accurate, well-thrown ball 83.7 per cent of the time. That is second only to Andy Dalton (85.6) among quarterbacks with at least 20 such attempts.
But with McCaffrey, Samuel and Elijah Mitchell giving the 49ers arguably the most versatile backfield in the NFL, one in which both McCaffrey and Samuel are threats to run the ball, catch it out of the backfield or line up in the formation as a receiver, San Francisco can significantly ease the pressure on Purdy by leaning on the ground game and short checkdown throws that always have the potential to be turned into big plays.
On top of that, the defense, which finished the season with the second-best success rate (35.9 per cent) in the league, has consistently shown its ability to put the team on its back despite some signs of vulnerability in recent weeks.
Purdy's early success points to him having a career superior to that of Flacco and Sanchez, but the 49ers could manage him in much similar fashion to how they were handled in the playoffs in his first postseason experience.
Russell Wilson (2012)
One of the best rookie quarterback performances in the playoffs came from a player who was previously the thorn in the 49ers' side with the Seahawks.
Wilson won the Super Bowl in only his second season, but the groundwork for that run was laid during a superb rookie year.
The Seahawks star was excellent in his first postseason, completing 62.9 per cent of his passes for 572 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. He posted a passer rating of 102.4, leading the Seahawks to a win over Washington at FedEx Field in the Wild Card round before falling short against the Atlanta Falcons in the Divisional round.
Wilson had the benefit of a full regular season under his belt and was a better athlete than Purdy is at that point in his career.
Yet the 49ers will hope the repetitions Purdy has to his name in calmly leading them through the stretch run will be enough for him to perform at a level akin to that of Wilson, albeit with expectations of significantly better results.
Cautionary tales
As the overall record indicates, starting a rookie quarterback in the playoffs typically ends badly. Matt Ryan threw two interceptions in his postseason debut in 2008 and Dalton was picked off three times as he and the Cincinnati Bengals suffered Wild Card round heartache in 2011. Andrew Luck led the Colts to the playoffs in 2012, but his postseason bow saw him post a passer rating of just 59.8.
Robert Griffin III's sole playoff appearance in 2012 ended in a knee injury as he was beaten by Wilson and the Seahawks in a battle of the rookies, while in 2018 Lamar Jackson was confounded by a Los Angeles Chargers defense that frequently deployed seven defensive backs to hold the dual-threat in check and restrict him to a completion percentage of 48.3.
Mac Jones was the last rookie to start a playoff game, doing so last January, but was intercepted twice in trying in vain to help to the Patriots keep up with a Buffalo Bills team that blew them away 47-17.
Even if Purdy maintains his stellar level of play, there is a chance that, in the lottery of the postseason, it still may not be enough.
Indeed, Dak Prescott threw for over 300 yards and three touchdowns for the Dallas Cowboys in his playoff debut in the 2016 Divisional round and still came up short as he was outdueled by Aaron Rodgers in a 34-31 thriller.
That game serves as a perfect illustration as to why the playoffs are a different animal. The stakes go up, and the standard can also rise to a point where a player's best is often not good enough. In a Wild Card game against a Seahawks team he had little issue beating in the regular season, it will soon become apparent whether Purdy has what it takes to give this Cinderella quarterback story a fairytale ending.
Damar Hamlin has been discharged from hospital in Cincinnati and has been allowed to return to Buffalo to continue his recovery, his doctors have confirmed.
Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest during the Buffalo Bills' game against the Cincinnati Bengals last Monday and had been in critical condition at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
In an update provided by Dr William Knight IV and Dr Timothy Pritts on Monday, it was confirmed Hamlin had not only been discharged from the hospital after showing sufficient recovery but was also doing physical therapy, walking and tolerating a regular diet.
The 24-year-old has been moved to a hospital in Buffalo for further steps and tests as part of his recovery.
Knight and Pritts addressed the media from the UC Medical Center, saying: "We are thrilled to share that Damar Hamlin has been released from the hospital and returned to Buffalo.
"He is doing well and this is the next stage of his recovery.
"Since our last update to you, Damar has met a number of key milestones – he has been excavated, gone through a weaning of his oxygen, he has been up with physical therapy and occupational therapy, walking the unit, tolerating a regular diet, meeting with his family and many members of the care team who wanted to see how he was doing, all so he could return to Buffalo."
Hamlin took to Twitter on Monday to also confirm the news, writing: "Headed home to Buffalo today with a lot of love on my heart.
"Watching the world come together around me on Sunday was truly an amazing feeling. The same love you all have shown me is the same love that I plan to put back into the world [and] more. Bigger than football!"
It was confirmed by the doctors Hamlin's next steps would include "an ongoing series of tests and evaluations" to try to determine the cause of the incident.
The doctors also stated it was too early determine any conclusions around Hamlin's football career, saying: "It is entirely too premature to discuss not only his career but his day-to-day recovery. He still has a little ways to go in terms of his ongoing recovery. We're thrilled with where he is today; he's up, he's walking around, has an amazing sense of humour."
Knight and Pritts commented on Hamlin watching the Bills' win against the New England Patriots on Sunday, joking that after a particularly exciting play he had "set off all the alarms in the ICU".
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