Joel Embiid was hailed as the "MVP" and "big-time player" after holding his nerve to snatch a last-gasp victory for the Philadelphia 76ers over the Portland Trail Blazers.
Embiid landed the decisive basket with 1.1 seconds to go at Wells Fargo Center on Friday, securing a 120-119 triumph.
There were chants of 'MVP' from the crowd for the six-time NBA All-Star, who scored 39 points as the Sixers rallied from 21 points down in the first half to take their record for the season to 44-22.
James Harden, who finished with 19 points, said of his team-mate Embiid's game-winning moment: "Something that he works on every day. That's why he's MVP of the league this year."
Portland star Damian Lillard felt the Trail Blazers gave a great account of themselves and doffed his cap to Embiid.
"It was a good performance," Lillard said. "We played really well on both ends of the floor. The game felt good, just how we played on both sides.
"We were on a string defensively. Our presence on the ball. Our presence in the paint, and we gave ourselves a really good chance to win the game.
"They just made a big-time shot from a big-time player."
Philadelphia have won five of their six games this month and sit third in the Eastern Conference.
Head coach Doc Rivers: "It wasn't our night until 1.1 seconds, when you think about it. We stayed at it. We were looking for everything and just couldn't get going, man. We looked like we were in mud in the first half on both ends.
"That's a hell of a win for us because we didn't have a lot, and you could see it."
A 34-point haul for Anfernee Simons was in vain for the Trail Blazers, who slipped to 31-36.
Aryna Sabalenka showed exactly why she is ranked second in the world as she dominated her opening match of the Indian Wells Open on Friday against Evgeniya Rodina.
Belarus' Sabalenka needed just 66 minutes to defeat the Russian 6-2 6-0, taking advantage of her first-round bye to book her spot in the third round against Ukraine's Lesia Tsurenko.
Tsurenko had to come from behind against the in-form Donna Vekic, fresh off her Monterrey Open title last week, but that big effort may have had the Croatian with heavy legs as she ran out of steam 2-6 6-2 6-2.
It was a strong day for the Ukranians as 27th seed Anhelina Kalinina beat the Czech Republic's Linda Fruhvirtova 4-6 6-4 7-5, and she will next face Greece's Maria Sakkari.
Sakkari, the seventh seed, had to deal with adversity after a poor first set against Shelby Rogers, coming back to win 2-6 6-4 6-0.
Olympic gold medallist Belinda Bencic lost her Swiss showdown against Jil Teichmann 3-6 6-3 6-3, while Veronika Kudermetova got the better of her Russian compatriot Anna Blinkova 6-3 6-4.
The second-highest ranked American in the field, Coco Gauff, had no issues dispatching Spain's Cristina Bucsa 6-2 6-4. But it was tougher work for America's top hope Jessica Pegula as she was pushed all the way by recent Merida Open champion Camila Giorgi, before prevailing 3-6 6-1 6-2.
World number three Stefanos Tsitsipas has left the Indian Wells Masters without a win after a shock 7-6 (7-0) 4-6 7-6 (7-5) loss to Jordan Thompson on Friday.
Tsitsipas, the second seed with Novak Djokovic not present, received a bye through to the second round, and he showed some rust with three double faults in the opening set.
Thompson capitalised, with an incredible 21 winners to only two unforced errors in the first set, and he closed it out with 15 winners and four unforced errors in the deciding frame for the biggest win of his career.
The Australian will now meet Chile's Alejandro Tabilo in the third round after he upset 32nd seed Maxime Cressy in a gruelling 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (15-13) triumph.
Meanwhile, it was smooth sailing for third seed Casper Ruud in his 6-2 6-3 victory over Diego Schwartzman, and a similar story for fifth seed Daniil Medvedev in his 6-4 6-3 result against Brandon Nakashima.
Alexander Zverev, the 12th seed, had no issues in his 6-3 6-1 domination of Pedro Cachin in 77 minutes, and 13th seed Karen Khachanov also took exactly 77 minutes to see off Oscar Otte 6-3 6-3.
England's 10th seed Cameron Norrie breezed past Tung-lin Wu 6-2 6-4, while Italy's 20th seed Matteo Berrettini suffered an early 7-6 (7-5) 0-6 6-3 exit at the hands of Japan's Taro Daniel.
In the late window, after a lengthy weather delay, 14th seed Frances Tiafoe won his all-American showdown against Marcos Giron 6-2 6-2.
Joel Embiid did his MVP chances no harm on Friday as he carried the Philadelphia 76ers to their fourth win in a row with a 120-119 home win against the Portland Trail Blazers.
It was looking like Portland's night early on as they built a 71-50 lead approaching half-time, led primarily by the hot-shooting Anfernee Simons on his way to a team-high 34 points on 13-of-22 from the field.
But from that point on they were outscored 70-48 in a true game of two halves, although the 76ers still found themselves down 11 going into the final period.
The driving force behind the comeback was Embiid, who re-entered the game with 6:33 remaining and his team down 110-98. He scored nine of his game-high 39 points in the final six minutes – matching Portland's scoring efforts as a team down the stretch.
He finished 13-of-20 from the field and 13-of-18 from the free throw line, adding seven rebounds, four assists, three blocks and two steals in a dominant two-way masterclass.
James Harden chipped in a near triple-double in support, scoring 19 points (six-of-14 shooting) with nine rebounds and eight assists.
With the win, Philadelphia improved their record to 44-22, just 1.5 games behind the Boston Celtics (46-21) in the race for the second seed in the East as the Milwaukee Bucks (48-18) pull away in front.
Portland fell to 31-36, leaving them 13th in the West and 1.5 games outside of the play-in tournament placings.
Jokic's triple-double winning streak comes to an end
The Denver Nuggets had been unbeaten in the 25 games this season Nikola Jokic had tallied a triple-double, until the San Antonio Spurs upset them 128-120.
The loss was not the fault of the reigning back-to-back MVP, as he scored a game-high 37 points (14-of-24 shooting) to go with 11 rebounds and 11 assists, but he lost his top offensive wing in the third quarter when Michael Porter Jr was ejected.
San Antonio had six players reach double figures, led by Keldon Johnson's 23 points (eight-of-17 shooting), eight rebounds, six assists and two steals, while Tre Jones was a game-high plus/minus of plus 21 off the bench after contributing 14 points (five-of-seven), eight assists and three steals.
Denver remain six games clear atop the Western Conference.
Nets survive in overtime
The playoff-bound Brooklyn Nets have won four of their past five after emerging victorious 124-123 following an overtime scare on the road against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Brooklyn made it to the fourth quarter with a nine-point lead, but scored only 17 points in the period to allow Minnesota back into the game, and Naz Reid completed the comeback with a clutch game-tying three-pointer to beat the buzzer.
But led by Mikal Bridge's 34 points (13-of-24) and Spencer Dinwiddie's 29 (11-of-24) with 11 assists, the Nets narrowly prevailed in the extra five minutes, with Dorian Finney-Smith's go-ahead three-pointer proving the difference.
It is looking more and more like the Green Bay Packers are ready to move on from franchise icon Aaron Rodgers.
Packers president/CEO Mark Murphy gave an interview on Friday during the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association girls' basketball tournament and revealed the team's feelings about Rodgers’ situation.
When asked if there is any sequence of events this the offseason that ends with Rodgers as the Packers quarterback for a 16th consecutive season, Murphy answered, "Yeah... if things don't work out the way we [the Packers] want them, yeah, we would.
"He is obviously a great player and four-time MVP, but I think it's trying to find what he wants and what we want, and hopefully we can find a win-win situation."
Murphy also confirmed that the team granted the New York Jets permission to talk with Rodgers and would honour a trade request if the four-time MVP quarterback makes one.
It was widely reported that Rodgers met with Jets owner Woody Johnson, coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas at his home in southern California earlier this week.
"We did give permission, but I really can’t get into the details," Murphy said.
Rodgers has said since the end of the season that he's still deciding whether to return to the Packers, request a trade or retire. Rodgers also has noted the possibility the Packers might want to move on and hand the starting quarterback job to 2020 first-round draft pick Jordan Love.
Murphy said he wanted a resolution on Rodgers' future by the start of free agency on Wednesday.
"It's in everybody’s interest to resolve it sooner rather than later," Murphy said.
Murphy gave a separate interview with Green Bay television station WBAY where he referred to Rodgers’ career in the past tense.
"Very few players play for only one team," Murphy said. "Obviously Brett [Favre] had a great career. Aaron had a great career here. Regardless of what happens, Aaron will be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He'll be in our Hall of Fame. We'll bring him back, retire his number. This is just one of the things that we go through as a team. We want to try to achieve something that’s good for both Aaron and us."
Rodgers was named NFL MVP in 2020 and 2021 but had his lowest passer rating as a starter last season and threw 12 interceptions, his highest total since 2008. The Packers went 8-9 and missed the playoffs to end a stretch of three straight NFC North titles.
After missing six games with a sprained ankle Los Angeles Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell will return Friday at home against the Toronto Raptors.
The Lakers, who have won six of their past eight games, face a crucial final 16 fixtures of the regular season, sitting right in the thick of the Western Conference play-in tournament race.
At 32-34 Los Angeles are ninth, but just two games adrift of the fifth-seeded Los Angeles Clippers (35-33), and only one game clear of the 13th-ranked Portland Trail Blazers (31-35).
Speaking ahead of Friday's game, head coach Darvin Ham said Russell would be "pretty much a full go", implying that he will play somewhere near the 30 minutes per game he was averaging in his three appearances for the Lakers prior to his injury.
In those games, he averaged 17.3 points and 5.6 assists, and the Lakers went 2-1.
Backup guard Austin Reaves had picked up the slack in an expanded role, averaging 14.5 points and 5.5 assists while shooting 50 per cent from the field and 45.5 per cent from deep during his four games this month.
Jordan Spieth needed an incredible stroke of luck to sneak under the cut-line during Friday's weather-interrupted second round of The Players Championship.
On a day when the two best performers from round one – Chad Ramey and Collin Morikawa – both shot over par, the top story was the unlikely eagle on the final hole from Spieth to go from two over to even par.
Likely needing a birdie to make the cut, Spieth sliced his drive towards the water, but instead of going in and ending his week, it struck a spectator's knee and ricocheted back into the fairway.
He went on to put his second shot on the par-five ninth hole into the greenside rough, where he would chip in for eagle.
After the round, Spieth said he was "trying to get that guy's information and see literally whatever he wants this weekend because everything from here on out is because it hit him".
Meanwhile, still with plenty of holes to play after weather forced the afternoon starters to wrap up early, South Africa's Christiaan Bezuidenhout (through 14) and Canada's Adam Svensson (through 11) sit two strokes clear of the field at eight under.
Morikawa could not replicate his opening 65, sitting at one over for his round through 11 holes and six under overall, tied with fellow American Ben Griffin and Australia's Min Woo Lee (through 15) in third.
World number two Scottie Scheffler (through 10) is with Taylor Pendrith as the only players at five under, while Jason Day and Viktor Hovland headline the final group in the top 10 at four under.
The field lost world number one Jon Rahm as he withdrew due to illness an hour before teeing off, while Rory McIlroy is almost certainly going to miss the cut at six over with eight holes to play.
Oleksandr Usyk has told "greedy belly" Tyson Fury he will accept a 70-30 split for a heavyweight unification fight if the WBC champion donates £1million to Ukraine straight after the bout.
An eagerly awaited battle between Fury and Usyk is in doubt as the two parties have been unable to strike a deal.
Usyk's promoter Alex Krassyuk this week revealed that Fury had rejected a 60-40 purse split in favour of the winner for a bout on April 29.
WBA-Super, IBF, WBO and IBO champion Usyk on Friday put the ball firmly in Fury's court by agreeing to take a smaller slice of the cake, provided the Englishman supports war-torn Ukraine.
He stated on social media: "Hey greedy #Belly I accept your offer seventy/thirty split to fight on April 29th at Wembley.
"But you will promise to donate 1 mln pounds to Ukraine immediately after the fight. And for every day of your delay you will pay 1 per cent from your purse to Ukrainian people.
Deal???? @tysonfury"
Should a fight against Fury not materialise, Usyk has a three-man waiting list of mandatory opponents – with WBA mandatory Daniel Dubois at the front due to the nature of the governing bodies' rotation system.
If the Brit was ruled out by the injury he sustained in his last fight, IBF mandatory Filip Hrgovic is next in line, followed by WBO mandatory Joe Joyce.
Rocco Lopez and Aman Dhiman are joint leaders in the Boys 18 and Under category of the Jamaica Golf Association' junior trials at the end of the first day at the Caymanas Golf Club in St. Catherine on Friday.
Both golfers posted scores of two over par 74 but in contrasting fashion. Lopez, who is in his final year as a junior player, carded a birdie and two bogeys resulting in one over par 37 on the front and back nine. Dhiman, at 17, has another year as a junior. He shot three birdies and five bogeys and also posted one over par 37 on his front and back nines, respectively.
The next three golfers – Ryan Lue, Tenny Davis and Jerone Thomas -are tied for third on 10 over par 82s, eight shots behind the joint leaders.
Meanwhile, 16-year-old Noah Azan, scored 15 over par 87. Trey Williams, 16, who made the team in 2019, was just one stroke back on 16 over par 88.
Joshua Melville had a rough day on the course, scoring 45 over par 117 and is not likely to recover enough to get one of the four available spots on the team.
Vying to represent Jamaica in the upcoming Caribbean Junior Amateur Golf Championship in the Cayman Islands between July 3-8, the young golfers will tee off on Saturday at 9:00 am for the second of three rounds in the trials in the hot, windy conditions at the Caymanas Golf Course.
This year's junior trials are being conducted in two separate sessions.
The Boys 18 & Under will run from Friday, March 10 to Sunday, March 12 while the other age groups will take to the same course from March 24-26. This is due to the availability of the players as most of them are at school overseas.
The Carolina Panthers have agreed a blockbuster trade with the Chicago Bears to put them in position to take a leading quarterback with the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
It had already been reported the Bears would be open to offers for the number one pick.
And ESPN's Adam Schefter said on Friday an agreement had been reached with the Panthers.
In return, the Bears are set to receive two first-round picks – number nine this year and a first-round selection next year – along with this year's 61st pick, a further second-round pick in 2025 and wide receiver DJ Moore.
The Bears look to already have their QB of the future in Justin Fields but will now have the opportunity to build around him.
Meanwhile, the Panthers will likely look at either Bryce Young of Alabama or C.J. Stroud of Ohio State.
Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold and P.J. Walker each had opportunities as the Panthers' starter in 2022, yet none of the trio impressed.
Whoever Carolina take with the first pick will head into their rookie season without the team's top target from last year as Moore instead links up with Fields.
Moore led the team in receptions (63), receiving yards (888) and receiving touchdowns (seven). No Bears receiver topped any of those marks.
Those seven TDs were a career high, although Moore had topped 1,100 receiving yards in each of the previous three seasons.
Devin McCourty has announced his retirement from the NFL after 13 seasons and three titles.
McCourty spent his entire professional career with the New England Patriots, having been selected in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft.
The two-time Pro Bowler, who was a second-team All-Pro on three occasions, was part of the Patriots' Super Bowl-winning teams following the 2014, 2016 and 2018 seasons.
Safety McCourty spent three seasons playing alongside his twin brother Jason, winning Super Bowl LIII together.
The cornerback retired after the 2021 season and took up a position with NFL Network, and he played a role in announcing his brother's retirement on Friday.
Devin McCourty joined Jason in a social media video and said: "I'm officially retiring from the NFL. It has been a great ride.
"I think it's always tough to come to the end. This whole offseason has been so much back and forth for me mentally, but ultimately I think this is the best decision for me, for my family and my career."
Trinidad and Tobago’s Christopher Richards Jr is atop the leaderboard after shooting a 74 for a combined score of 147 at the end of the second round of the Trinidad and Tobago Open at the Magdalena Grand Beach & Golf Resort on Friday.
Meanwhile, Wayne Baptiste also of Trinidad & Tobago leads the Men’s Senior Category with scores of 78 and 79 for a score of 157.
Jamaica’s amateur golf champion Oshae Haye was the best of four Jamaicans having shot a five-over-par 77 for a two-day total of 162 to be tied in 14th spot. He rose from 23rd after shooting 13 over par 85 on the opening day.
Haye was 15 shots behind Richards.
The other Jamaican in the championship category, Zandre Roye carded 11 over par 83 in the second round on top of 80 in round one for a total score of 163 after two rounds, and sits in 17th place along with three other golfers.
Among the seniors, Dr. Mark Newnham is second after his second-round score of 78, an improvement on the 81 he shot on opening day.
Cameron remained his eighth place with scores of 91 and 93 for a combined total of 184.
Ireland travel to Scotland with their Grand Slam fate in their own hands in the penultimate round of Six Nations action, while Wales and Italy battle it out in a possible wooden spoon clash in Rome.
Andy Farrell's Ireland have defeated Wales, France and Italy in this year's edition – each secured with a bonus point – and are now two wins away from completing a clean sweep for a third time in the six team format.
Scotland, beaten by reigning champions France last time out, can get their own championship hopes back on track with victory over the leaders at Murrayfield in Sunday's standalone fixture.
That comes a day after Wales lock horns with Italy at Stadio Olimpico seeking their first victory since Warren Gatland returned as head coach. The Azzurri are themselves winless this tournament, but they are above Wales by virtue of collecting a losing bonus point.
England and France face off in this weekend's other fixture locked on 10 points apiece, with the winner still having a shot of finishing top of the pile heading into the final weekend of action.
Stats Perform previews the three games with the help of some standout Opta data.
ITALY V WALES
FORM
Italy have finished bottom of the standings seven years running, but there is real hope of stopping the rot at Wales' expense.
Kieran Crowley's side won their most recent meeting with Wales, coming out on top 22-21 in Cardiff last year to snap a seven-year winless sequence in the tournament.
However, they have not beaten Wales at home since 2007 and are winless on their own patch in the competition in 24 outings since defeating Ireland in March 2013.
Gatland has again shuffled his pack in the hope of ending Wales' six-match losing run in the Six Nations – their worst run since losing seven on the spin between 2002 and 2003.
ONES TO WATCH
Ange Capuozzo was Player of the Match in this fixture last year, but he will miss Italy's remaining two matches through injury.
That opens a space for Harlequins fly-half Tommaso Allan, who ranked second for passes across Italy's first two games prior to being overlooked against Ireland.
Gatland has made six changes from the loss to England, with Rhys Webb coming into the side for his first Six Nations start since 2017.
Experienced figure Webb is back in the number nine jersey with a point to prove and a chance to hold down a place in the side ahead of the Rugby World Cup.
ENGLAND V FRANCE
FORM
England have defeated Wales and Italy, both by margins of 10-plus points, since losing to Scotland in Steve Borthwick's first game in charge.
The Red Rose are seeking a third straight win in the championship for the first time since 2020, while not since 2009-2010 have they won three in a row by double-figure margins.
France tasted defeat in their most recent away outing, going down 32-19 in a pivotal showdown with Ireland, but they have won their seven Six Nations games either side of that.
However, the home team on the day has won each of the past six tournament meetings between these sides, with France's most recent victory at Twickenham coming in 2005.
ONES TO WATCH
Borthwick has made a big decision in leaving out captain Owen Farrell – the first time he has been dropped for England since the 2015 World Cup – with Marcus Smith recalled.
Smith starred for Harlequins in their rout of Exeter last weekend after being released by Borthwick and he will be looking to transfer that club form onto the international stage.
Jonathan Danty comes in for his first start of the tournament for France as one of three changes, but it is Thibaud Flament who will have England's attention.
The 25-year-old, who has previously spent time living in England, has made the most tackles of any player in this year's Six Nations with 58 to his name.
SCOTLAND V IRELAND
FORM
Ireland have lived up to their pre-tournament favourites tag with three wins from three in 2023, while going further back they have won 10 of their past 11 Six Nations games.
Farrell's side have also won each of their last five games at Murrayfield, preventing their opponents from scoring more than one try in four of those five victories.
But Scotland have performed well this year, the only blemish coming in defeat to France last time out, and they have won three of their past four home games in the tournament.
Ireland may have had the better of this fixture in recent times, but seven of the last eight matches between the sides in Edinburgh have been decided by single-figure margins.
ONES TO WATCH
Stuart Hogg has been handed another start in a Scotland side showing two changes – Jonny Gray and Jack Dempsey coming in – for what will be his 100th Test appearance.
That makes the full-back, who is also his country's record try-scorer, one of four men to reach triple figures in a Scotland shirt after Ross Ford, Chris Paterson and Sean Lamont.
It could also be a milestone day for Johnny Sexton, who has recovered from a knock to return to an Ireland side that also contains fit-again Garry Ringrose and Tadhg Furlong.
Ireland captain Sexton requires eight points to overtake former team-mate Ronan O'Gara (557) as the top scorer in the history of the Six Nations.
Tua Tagovailoa's fifth-year option with the Miami Dolphins has been picked up by the team.
The 25-year-old quarterback saw his 2022 season derailed by numerous concussions, but the Dolphins remain committed to the 2020 fifth overall pick.
Tagovailoa's fifth year will guarantee him $23.2million in 2023.
In 13 games in 2022, Tagovailoa threw for 3,548 yards and 25 touchdowns, both career-highs for the former Alabama star.
The Dolphins went 8-1 in the first nine games started by Tagovailoa last season, however, they lost four in a row between Weeks 13 and 16 before he missed the final two games of the regular season and the playoff defeat to the Buffalo Bills with a concussion.
Tagovailoa's overall record as a starter for Miami stands at 21-13.
Brock Purdy has undergone successful surgery to repair a torn elbow ligament, the San Francisco 49ers have announced.
Purdy suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) on the first offensive series of San Francisco's NFC Championship Game defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles. That injury, followed by the concussion suffered by backup Josh Johnson, left the Niners without a recognised quarterback for the second half of a 31-7 loss.
Prior to that, Purdy had improbably emerged as a star for the Niners.
The last pick in the 2022 draft, Purdy took over from the injured Jimmy Garoppolo – who had previously stepped in after Trey Lance suffered a season-ending ankle injury – in the Week 13 win over the Miami Dolphins and subsequently led the 49ers to further five wins as starter to end the regular season before helping them prevail in a pair of playoff games as the second seed in the NFC.
His surgery had been delayed because of inflammation, but he underwent the procedure on Friday and is expected to resume throwing in three months.
A brief statement from the 49ers read: "San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy underwent successful surgery with renowned specialist Dr. Keith Meister this morning.
"Dr. Meister conducted an internal brace repair to Purdy's right elbow. Purdy is anticipated to start a throwing progression program in three months."
Purdy's timeline sets the stage for a potential training camp battle with Lance, the third overall pick in 2021. San Francisco traded three first-round picks to the Miami Dolphins for the right to move up and acquire Lance.
Robbed of his first season as the starter by injury, Lance has started just four games as an NFL quarterback, having only had one full season of experience in college with North Dakota State at the FCS level, college football's second tier below the FBS.
Purdy, by contrast, started 48 FBS games for Iowa State and, after completing 67.1 per cent of his passes for 13 touchdowns and four interceptions as a rookie, will likely be seen as the favourite to win the starting job if his recovery goes to plan.
World number one Jon Rahm withdrew from The Players Championship ahead of his second round due to illness.
Rahm carded a one-under 71 in the opening round, leaving him seven strokes behind overnight leader Chad Ramey, but he was unable to compete on Friday.
Confirmation of Rahm's withdrawal from the PGA Tour's flagship event came less than an hour before he was scheduled to tee off at TPC Sawgrass.
The 28-year-old, who previously won The Players Championship in 2020, had been chasing a sixth victory in 11 worldwide starts.
He had been due to play in a marquee group alongside Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler for the second straight day.
Brandon Graham has agreed a one-year extension with the Philadelphia Eagles, turning down the chance to enter free agency.
The veteran defensive end posted a career-best 11 sacks in the 2022 season, and has reportedly signed a deal worth up to $6million.
According to a report from ESPN, the Cleveland Browns had been interested in acquiring Graham, but the 34-year-old ultimately chose to stay in Philadelphia for another year.
"I definitely don't want to miss out on this championship that we're about to make a run for," he told ESPN.
"I pretty much directed [my agent] Joel [Segal] just to get a deal done before free agency so I wouldn't have to go through that part. I'm just so happy everything came to fruition.
"It wasn't even about no money. It was more about wanting to be an Eagle as long as I could still play at a high level, and of course I still have a sour taste in my mouth on how things ended this last year [losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl]."
Graham also recorded 16 quarterback hits in his 17 regular season outings, a total he has only ever bettered twice in his 13-year career.
The Minnesota Vikings are releasing wide receiver Adam Thielen, according to multiple media reports, ending his decade-long tenure with the team.
The move is expected to save the Vikings $6.4million towards the 2023 salary cap, but the franchise will absorb Thielen's scheduled salary of $13.5m as dead money.
Thielen and the Vikings had discussed a renegotiated contact that would have kept the 32-year-old receiver in Minnesota, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, but the sides were unable to come to an agreement.
A native of Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, Thielen starred for Division II Minnesota State-Mankato and earned a spot on the Vikings' practice squad after going undrafted in 2013.
Thielen broke out in 2016 and went on to become a local hero, ending his stint in Minnesota third in franchise history in receptions (534) and receiving touchdowns (55), trailing only Hall of Famers Cris Carter and Randy Moss.
Thielen was voted to two Pro Bowls in his time with Minnesota and was an All-Pro Second Team selection in 2017.
Starting all 17 games last season, Thielen finished with 70 catches for 716 yards and six touchdowns, but his role in the offense dwindled down the stretch, catching just seven passes in the Vikings’ final four games.
Thielen had previously said he hoped to play his entire career in Minnesota, but the Vikings' offense has shifted towards younger players like T.J. Hockenson and K.J. Osborn to support All-Pro Justin Jefferson.
"When you have the receiver that leads the league in yards and receptions and have three other guys with 60-plus, you feel really strong about that group," Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell told reporters last week at the NFL Scouting Combine. "Adam is one of those leaders that I speak of. His team-mates voted him as a captain, [for] what he means not only to our organisation but the Twin Cities.
"I think there's a conversation to be had to really see what that looks like: playing time and roles and responsibilities so that all of our players feel like not only it's a fair compensation for them, but we've got the kind of players where they care a lot about their role and their responsibilities and how they help us win."
Thielen has developed a friendship with Aaron Rodgers in recent years, playing together in numerous celebrity golf events, and some have speculated that the pair may try to team up wherever Rodgers ends up playing in 2023.
Captain Johnny Sexton is one of a number of key players to return to Ireland's starting line-up for Sunday's Six Nations showdown with Scotland at Murrayfield.
Sexton sat out Ireland's 34-20 victory away to Italy two weeks ago with a knock sustained in the win against France in the previous round.
The Leinster fly-half requires just eight more points to overtake former team-mate Ronan O'Gara (557) as the top scorer in Six Nations history.
Ireland also welcome back Garry Ringrose and Tadhg Furlong from injury, while Conor Murray, Dan Sheehan and Peter O'Mahony are recalled as Andy Farrell makes six changes.
Centre Robbie Henshaw and scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park are fit enough to be named among the replacements.
Farrell's side have won 10 of their past 11 games in the competition and are on for a first Grand Slam since 2018, having so far overcome Wales, France and Italy.
Scotland's title hopes were damaged in a 32-21 loss to reigning champions France last time out, coming on the back of wins over England and Wales in the first two rounds.
Gregor Townsend has made two changes from the defeat in Paris, with Jack Dempsey and Jonny Gray named in the XV.
Gray joins his brother Richie in an experienced second row, with Grant Gilchrist unavailable through suspension after being sent off against France.
Hamish Watson is the other player to make way for Scotland, who have won three of their past four home games in the Six Nations.
Sunday's contest in Edinburgh will be a special occasion for Stuart Hogg, as he is set to become only the fourth Scotland player to make a century of appearances.
"We had to make a change with Grant banned, and with the back row we feel Jack has done really well off the bench and been training at a really high level," Townsend said.
"Jack has been very consistent in his play, and integrated well with the group, and we feel it is the right time and the right opposition for him to start.
"Scott Cummings and Hamish can add real speed off the bench."
Ireland have won 19 of their 23 matches against Scotland in the Six Nations (L4), including each of their past five in a row.
Teams:
Scotland: Stuart Hogg, Kyle Steyn, Huw Jones, Sione Tuipulotu, Duhan van der Merwe, Finn Russell, Ben White; Pierre Schoeman, George Turner, Zander Fagerson, Richie Gray, Jonny Gray, Matt Fagerson, Jamie Ritchie (c), Jack Dempsey.
Replacements: Fraser Brown, Jamie Bhatti, Simon Berghan, Scott Cummings, Hamish Watson, Ali Price, Blair Kinghorn, Chris Harris.
Ireland: Hugo Keenan, Mack Hansen, Garry Ringrose, Bundee Aki, James Lowe, Johnny Sexton (c), Conor Murray; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong, Iain Henderson, James Ryan, Peter O'Mahony, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris.
Replacements: Ronan Kelleher, Cian Healy, Tom O'Toole, Ryan Baird, Jack Conan, Jamison Gibson-Park, Ross Byrne, Robbie Henshaw.
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