Any phone call to the Seattle Seahawks asking about the availability of Russell Wilson will get the same reply – the quarterback is not on the market.
Speaking at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis on Wednesday, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said general manager John Schneider has told potential suitors the team are not interested in trading the franchise QB.
"What John says is, 'We're not shopping the quarterback'. That's what he tells them," Carroll said.
"He has talked to other teams. He's had teams that have asked, just because of all of the media. They think that something is going on, so he's fielded a lot of calls.
"But he's fielded a lot of calls on everybody. But that one in particular, he's got a pretty standard response."
Wilson, 33, has two years left on a $140million contract he signed in 2019, which includes a no-trade clause. Trading Wilson, however, would clear significant salary cap space while also yielding a significant return of draft picks.
"At this time of year there are conversations about everybody," Carroll said. "We talk about everybody and it's commonplace to have conversations with other teams about all of the players, particularly marquee players, and that's not changed.
"It's been the same every year we have been here, so it's the same as it's been. We have no intention of making a move there. But the conversations, John has to field those. He always has. But nothing specific to talk [on Wilson]."
Seattle are coming off a disappointing 7-10 season – missing the playoffs for only the second time since Wilson was drafted in 2012 – and Wilson missed three games due to a broken finger – the first time he was sidelined due to injury in his illustrious 10-year career. He struggled at times after returning and later admitted he came back too fast.
Last offseason, it was rumored Wilson wanted out of Seattle, but he insisted he did not ask for a trade and he had a good relationship with Carroll and Schneider.
Late in the 2021 season, he again said he did not want to leave Seattle, saying he wanted to win more Supers Bowls with the Seahawks.
Wilson finished the season with 3,113 passing yards, 25 touchdowns and six interceptions, but his 64.8 completion percentage and 103.1 passer rating were both his lowest since 2017.
Viktorija Golubic came from a set down to beat lucky loser Mai Hontama and move into the second round of the Lyon Open on Wednesday.
Third seed Golubic was given the run-around by Hontama in the first set before fighting back to win 1-6 6-4 6-4.
Golubic had to dig deep to secure a meeting with Vitalia Diatchenko, who beat Anna-Lena Friedsam, as Hontama's deft drop shots had given her a scent of pulling off an upset.
The Swiss broke six times and saved six break points, wrapping up a well-earned victory in two hours and 10 minutes.
Golubic's compatriot Stefanie Voegele bowed out at the second-round stage, losing 6-3 7-5 to second seed Sorana Cirstea.
Anna Bondar reached the quarter-finals when Katie Boulter retired due to injury after losing the first set 6-3.
Alison Van Uytvanck won the final match of the day, getting the better of Varvara Gracheva 6-2 6-4 to advance to the last eight.
Rory McIlroy says Phil Mickelson should be forgiven for his comments about a proposed Saudi Arabia-backed Super Golf League and welcomed back following a break.
Mickelson last month apologised for "reckless" remarks over a potential breakaway league.
The six-time major champion claimed the Super Golf League could provide players with "leverage" as a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" to "reshape how the PGA Tour operates".
Mickelson suggested he and several other golfers paid their lawyers to construct the proposed breakaway competition's agreement, even though he stated Saudi Arabia has "a horrible record on human rights."
The American faced a huge backlash and opted to take time away from playing golf after apologising.
McIlroy declared the Super Golf League "dead in the water" as he accused Mickelson of making "selfish, egotistical, ignorant" remarks.
Yet the Northern Irishman expects the 51-year-old to resume his career and wants the winner of the 2021 PGA Championship to be forgiven.
He said: "I think Phil has been a wonderful ambassador for the game of golf and still is a wonderful ambassador for the game of golf.
"It's unfortunate that a few comments that he thought he was making in confidence or off the record got out there – but this whole situation is unfortunate.
"Look, Phil will be back. I think the players want to see him back. He's done such a wonderful job for the game of golf, and he's represented the game of golf very, very well for the entirety of his career.
"We all make mistakes. We all say things we want to take back. No one is different in that regard. But we should be allowed to make mistakes, and we should be allowed to ask for forgiveness and for people to forgive us and move on.
"Hopefully, he comes back at some stage, and he will, and people will welcome him back and be glad that he is back."
Justin Burrowes held off the challenge of 15 other golfers including to win the Men & Men Senior 0-6 category by 11 strokes at the Caymanas Golf Classic on Sunday.
Burrowes posted seven-under-par 209 for the tournament after opening with a 75 but then carded back-to-back 67s to take the victory.
Zandre Roye shot scores of 69, 77, 74 for an overall score of 220 that saw him finish in second place. Meanwhile, 15-year old Ryan Lue 226 (79, 71, 76) and William Knibbs 226 (71, 76, 79) were tied for third and Sean Morris 230 (75, 79, 76) finished fourth.
The winner said afterwards that he enjoyed getting the victory but it was not easy.
“It was good. It was definitely a very long two days. It didn't really feel like two days, it felt like a whole week but it’s golf and I love playing golf so it’s not that bad,” Burrowes said afterwards.
“It definitely is tough walking 27 holes in one day but I just tried to enjoy it as best as possible. The first 18 holes, I did not play as well as I wanted to. I hit a lot of good shots but I didn't quite just get it done and after the first 18, I kind of just got it together."
Orville Christie emerged the winner among the professionals. He shot an overall score of 230 to finish ahead of Sean Green and Alan Graham, respectively. Christie shot 72 in his opening round and followed up with 79 in each of the final two rounds. Green, meanwhile, shot scores of 82, 78 and 78 for 238 while Graham shot 247 (84, 79, 84).
Like Burrowes, Christie said the tournament was challenging.
“! have not been in any shape recently to be playing on a golf course like this but I should say it was pretty much okay but not very good,” he said.
“It’s really tiring because this golf course is very hilly and also it’s very humid and hot so I had to keep rehydrating myself, not happy with the score but I am happy with the win," he said.
Jodi Munn Barrow won the Ladies’ 36-hole tournament carding 75 and 80 for a total score of 11 over par 155.
“Saturday was very good. I was very pleased with Saturday. Today was a little bit scrappy. I think maybe with everything going on I got a little bit distracted today but its a work in progress so I will keep working at it and look forward to the next event," she said.
As president of the golf association, Munn-Barrow said she was pleased with the turnout.
“Our first tournament for the year, we had a very good turnout for the two days, over 70 participants so we are very pleased with that,” he said.
“The twist is that we now have our 0-6 category, which is our elite amateur golfers playing for world amateur ranking points so we have gotten all of our tournaments approved by the body and so when our amateurs play they can get world amateur points and this augurs well because we can then possibly field a team to the world amateur team championships which you can't do if you don't have people who are ranked in the system, so all events for the 0-6 will now play over 54 holes, either three days or over 27 holes each day on a weekend depending on whether the golf course will accommodate us.
"We are actually in discussion with the Jamaica professional golf association to include the professionals when we have our events so that they too can get more practice and that will help then to augur well going into the Jamaica Open at the end of the year."
The top players in the other categories were Men 0-6 Blue tees - Narada Black 151 (72, 79) and William Lee 159 (83, 76).
Men & Men Senior 7-12 - Quentin Hugh Sam 165 (84, 81); William Mahfood (166 (82, 84) and Philip Gooden 167 (85, 82).
Men & Men Senior 13-24 - Courtney Cephas 195 (95, 100), Delroy Anderson 196 (103, 93), Aubyn Ferguson 198 (102, 96).
Men Super Senior - 151 (74, 77), Wayne Chai Chong 153 (75, 78) and Mike Boyd 158 (83, 76). Ladies 13-24 - Diane Hudson 186 (94, 92), Deborah Newnham 197 (103, 94) and Krystal Chung (214 (109, 105).
Junior Boys 14-15 - Lek Drummond 181 (91, 90); Junior Boys 11-13 - Shasa Redlefsen 185 (93, 92), Kemari Morris 186 (95, 91) and Cameron Coe 204 (103, 101).
Junior Girls 14-15 - Mia Cunningham 191 (88, 103) and Anoushka Katri 192 (98, 94) and the Junior Girls 11-13 - Alessandra Coe 215 (108, 107).
Head coach Kliff Kingsbury and general manager Steve Keim have signed contract extensions with the Arizona Cardinals through 2027.
Kingsbury has been the Cardinals' coach for three seasons, having been brought in by Keim, who has completed nine years as GM.
That partnership helped deliver the Cardinals to the playoffs in 2021 for the first time since 2015, finishing with an 11-6 record in second place in the NFC West.
Arizona made a 7-0 start before quarterback Kyler Murray went down with an ankle injury.
"The leadership of both Steve and Kliff have been key factors in the team's turnaround over the last three seasons," Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill said in a statement on Wednesday.
"We are all looking forward to continuing that progress and recognise these two individuals will be a big part of achieving our long-term goals as an organisation."
The statement also made reference to Murray's contract situation, as the QB pursues improved terms on his rookie deal.
Murray's agent Erik Burkhardt released his own statement earlier this week, addressed to Cardinals fans, in which it said the former first overall pick "absolutely wants to be your long-term QB" and "desperately wants to win the Super Bowl".
However, he added Murray's team had already sent a contract proposal to the Cardinals and were waiting on the team to make the next move.
"It is now simply up to the Cardinals to decide if they prioritise their rapidly improving, 24-year-old, already two-time Pro Bowl QB, who led the organisation from three wins before his arrival to 11 wins and their first playoff appearance in five years," Burkhardt said.
"Or rather, if they choose to financially prioritise committing to other areas and continuing to merely talk about addressing Kyler's long-term future as their QB."
Kingsbury, speaking at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis this week, said he was not aware Murray's team were to release a statement but that he and the player were "in a great place". The pair have the same agent.
Tiger Woods did not play a single professional tournament in 2021 but still finished in first place in the PGA Tour's new Player Impact Program as its most popular player.
Woods, a 15-time major champion, broke bones in both of his legs in a car crash last February and has since been limited to a single unofficial appearance at the parent-child PNC Championship.
The 46-year-old has remained the source of considerable intrigue as he works his way back to fitness, however.
For that reason, Woods – golf's most famous name – won the inaugural Player Impact Program (PIP) in 2021, earning $8million for first prize ahead of old rival Phil Mickelson.
Revealing the results on Wednesday, the PGA Tour explained the PIP "measured the players who generated the most positive interest".
This considers the number of times a player appears in internet searches or news articles, their social media reach and engagement, television sponsorship exposure and their "general awareness score among broad United States population".
The PIP took into account the full year of 2021, meaning Mickelson came into contention after winning the PGA Championship at 50 to become the oldest major winner of all time. Second place was good for $6m.
In 2022, Mickelson's standing may be impacted by his controversial involvement in the Saudi-backed Super Golf League.
He led Rory McIlroy (third), Jordan Spieth (fourth), Bryson DeChambeau (fifth) and Justin Thomas (sixth) – who each took home $3.5m – last year.
Dustin Johnson (seventh), Brooks Koepka (eighth), Jon Rahm (ninth) and Bubba Watson (10th) closed out the top 10, earning $3m apiece.
Tyson Fury has vowed to be more aggressive than he's ever been when he fights Dillian Whyte next month.
Fury will put his WBC belt on the line in all-British heavyweight bout at Wembley Stadium on April 23.
The unbeaten 33-year-old has claimed the fight in London will "100 per cent" be the last of his brilliant career.
If that is the case, Fury says he will sign off in style at the expense of Whyte.
"I'm going to try and come in the heaviest I've ever been," Fury told Sky Sports News. "Biggest fight - so I'm going to be the heaviest, strongest, fittest, more aggressive than I've ever been.
"I'm looking for the knockout. No secret, there's no point in me lying about gameplans. What I'm going to do, is I'm going to come straight to the centre of the ring, back him up and land big heavy punches on him until he's knocked out."
Fury does not expect the fight to go the distance.
"I think someone's getting knocked out," Fury said. "Whether it's going to be me on the front foot or him on the back foot, someone's getting chinned.
"Every heavyweight poses a threat because they're all big men, they can all knock another man out.
"It's something that I'm looking forward to, the challenge, if he can knock me out, good luck to him. If not, onto the next one."
Russian driver Nikita Mazepin will be barred from competing for Haas at the British Grand Prix following measures introduced by Britain's national motorsport authority in response to the situation in Ukraine.
The FIA confirmed on Tuesday that Russian and Belarusian drivers would be allowed to compete in Formula One this season under a neutral flag.
However, Motorsport UK will not allow drivers, teams or officials from those nations to take part at Silverstone in early July, meaning Mazepin will miss out. The ban spans across all motorsports in the United Kingdom.
Motorsport UK chair David Richards, in accordance with the board of the organisation, made the announcement in a statement on Wednesday, a week on from Russia's initial invasion of neighbouring Ukraine.
"The entire Motorsport UK community condemns the acts of war by Russia and Belarus in Ukraine and expresses its solidarity and support towards all those affected by the ongoing conflict," Richards said.
"We stand united with the people of Ukraine and the motorsport community following the invasion and the unacceptable actions that have unfolded.
"This is a time for the international motorsport community to act and show support for the people of Ukraine and our colleagues at the Federation Automobile d'Ukraine (FAU)."
Motorsport UK says the decision was "taken in full consultation with the UK government and national sports governing bodies to ensure that there is a unilateral response to the crisis".
Richards added: "It is our duty to use whatever influence and leverage we might have to bring this wholly unjustified invasion of Ukraine to a halt.
"We would encourage the motorsport community and our colleagues around the world to fully embrace the recommendations of the International Olympic Committee and do whatever we can to end this war.
"Motorsport UK stands united with Leonid Kostyuchenko, the President of the FAU, the Ukrainian motorsport community and the Ukrainian people and calls for the violence to end with a peaceful resolution."
Mazepin is the only Russian driver on the F1 grid, with the 22-year-old due to start his second season in Bahrain later this month.
He finished bottom of the drivers' standings in 2021 and his future with Haas was already in doubt prior to Wednesday's announcement, with just three weeks to go until the 2022 season begins.
The Russian Grand Prix, which was due to take place in September, has already been cancelled by F1 chiefs, with the FIA describing that as a decision taken "for reason of force majeure".
LeBron James is adamant the Los Angeles Lakers are still capable of ending their season on a high, despite falling to a sixth defeat in seven games on Tuesday.
The Lakers lost 109-104 to the Dallas Mavericks at Crypto.com Arena to slide to a season-worst seven games below .500, leaving them ninth in the Western Conference.
James led the scoring with 26 points, one more than Mavs star Luka Doncic, but it was not enough for the 27-34 hosts as their poor run continued.
But despite the Lakers' ongoing struggles, James is not ready to write off the remainder of the 2021-22 campaign with 21 games of the regular season still to go.
"We still have games to play," he told reporters. "Until you stomp me out, cut my head off, bury me 12 feet under, then I got a chance. So that's my confidence.
"Obviously, at the end of the day, we got to come in here and win ball games and we got to play better but as long as we've got more games to play, we should have a chance.
"I feel like poop right now. But tomorrow is a new day and I'm going to be prepared and ready for the Clippers on Thursday. That's just my mindset. That's just who I am."
James has missed 17 games this season through injury, but the 37-year-old shot down suggestions he will use the final stages of this season as an opportunity to rest up.
"The only way it'll be back to full strength is with rest," he said. "But I don't have the luxury of having rest. It can wait until the off-season."
The Lakers made up a 21-point deficit to lead 100-94 with seven minutes to play, but 11 consecutive points ensured the Mavericks claimed an eighth win in 10 outings.
Luka Doncic stepped up by scoring seven of his 25 points in the final quarter and is now averaging 27.5 per game for the season – a tally bettered by only six others.
"We stayed together and just executed the game plan, played the game," Doncic said. "My mentality is to close the game with the best shot possible."
Los Angeles managed only four points in the final seven-plus minutes and head coach Frank Vogel accepted there is a lot to improve on.
"Our guys really competed," he said. "Our helpers really competed, but he had that stretch in crunch time where he scored a few buckets in a row.
"It wasn't good enough. It hurts. All these guys are hurting in there. We're putting in the work."
Elina Svitolina said she "was on a mission" for Ukraine after earning a straight-sets win over Russian opponent Anastasia Potapova in the opening round of the Monterrey Open.
The top seed donned the yellow and blue colours of her homeland for Tuesday's match and eased to a 6-2 6-1 victory in a little over an hour in Mexico.
Svitolina only agreed to play her opener after tennis authorities announced a ban on Russian and Belarussian players competing under the name and flags of their countries.
And as Russia's invasion of Ukraine entered its sixth day, the 27-year-old produced an impressive performance that saw her win 73.5 per cent of her first-serve points.
Former world number three Svitolina, who will now face Bulgarian qualifier Viktoriya Tomova, had previously announced she will donate her prize money to the Ukrainian army.
"It's a special one because of what we are going through right now in Ukraine, it's terrifying," Svitolina told reporters.
"It's been six days and all the Ukrainian tennis players and Ukrainians who are there, we have been really terrified with what is happening.
"For me, playing the match here, I'm not playing only for myself. I'm playing for my country, I'm playing for the help of the Ukrainian army and people in need.
"I was focused. I was on a mission for my country. From the beginning, it was important to be ready for anything that comes my way."
Petra Martic is also through to round two after recovering from behind to beat third seed Madison Keys 4-6 7-6 (7-3) 6-3.
Marie Bouzkova awaits following the world number 81's 4-6 6-2 6-4 win against Sara Errani. Number eight seed Ann Li's participation in the tournament came to an end with a 6-2 6-1 loss to Wang Xinyu, who will now face Brazil's Beatriz Haddad Maia.
Stephen Curry says the Golden State Warriors "have to be more in sync as a five-man unit" after going down to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday.
The Warriors hold the second-best record in the NBA at 43-19 but their 129-114 reverse was a sixth defeat in eight games for Steve Kerr's out-of-sorts team.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said he saw a "breakdown in our connection" against the Timberwolves, a fact that perhaps should not be altogether too surprising.
Draymond Green has missed 24 straight games, while Andre Iguodala has been absent for 15 of the past 16. Superstar Klay Thompson returned from two straight serious injuries on January 9 but has restrictions on his minutes.
Moses Moody started in place of Thompson against the Timberwolves only to suffer an eye injury and exit the game in the second quarter.
The consequence has been Kerr being forced to mix up his starting five, and Curry concedes the chemistry is not quite there for the Warriors.
"We have a lot of different rotations and lineups and we try to make adjustments on the fly. We have to be more in sync as a five-man unit," Curry said.
"We've had a lot of shuffling. It's not an excuse for how we're playing, but we are built as a full team. And until we get that, I'm not sure if we'll see our full ceiling, but we have to do the little things in the meantime to keep building confidence.
"I'm just trying to stay patient in terms of where we are in the season and what we are trying to do in a month and a half."
The Warriors have the opportunity to return to winning ways when they visit the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday.
Luka Doncic stepped up to help the Dallas Mavericks recover and overcome the Los Angeles Lakers 109-104 in Tuesday's topsy-turvy encounter.
The Mavericks blew a 21-point lead in the space of 12 minutes spanning half-time at Crypto.com Arena and trailed 100-94 with seven minutes to play.
But 11 consecutive points ensured Jason Kidd's side claimed an eighth win in 10 outings, while the out-of-form Lakers slid to a season-worst seven games below .500.
While not at his best, Doncic led the scoring for the Mavericks with 25 points – seven of those in the final quarter – as he went 9 of 21.
LeBron James scored 26 points for the Lakers and Carmelo Anthony had 20, but it was not enough to prevent the hosts from tasting a sixth loss in seven outings.
Timberwolves inflict another defeat on Warriors
The Golden State Warriors (43-19) have the second-best record in NBA, but they lost for a sixth time in eight games with a 129-114 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Karl-Anthony Towns had 39 points and nine rebounds, while going 14 for 22 from the floor, as the Timberwolves made it back-to-back victories.
"We're going to be fine long-term. I'm excited about our team and excited about where we can go, but we've just got to weather this storm," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.
Clippers' run goes on, Nets downed by Raptors
The Los Angeles Clippers beat the Houston Rockets 113-100 thanks to Ivica Zubac's 22 points and 12 rebounds for their fourth win in a row as they went 33-31 for the season.
Elsewhere on Tuesday, the struggling Brooklyn Nets lost to the Toronto Raptors for a second time in two days, going down 109-108 in a tight contest at Scotiabank Arena.
Jayson Tatum's 33 points, eight rebounds and seven assists inspired the Boston Celtics to a 107-98 win against the Atlanta Hawks, while the Washington Wizards beat the Detroit Pistons 116-113.
It isn't clear what the San Francisco 49ers' asking price is for Jimmy Garoppolo, but interested buyers have been provided with a very good reason to go under it this offseason.
The Niners appear destined to trade Garoppolo this offseason to pave the way for Trey Lance, for whom they traded three first-round picks to acquire with the third overall selection in last year's draft, to take over as their starting quarterback.
That is despite a 2021 season that saw the 49ers reach the NFC Championship Game with Garoppolo at quarterback.
San Francisco surrendered a 17-7 fourth-quarter lead to lose 20-17 to eventual Super Bowl champions the Los Angeles Rams, the tale an all too familiar one for the Niners with Garoppolo intercepted on the final drive having proven unable to deliver victory in similar circumstances in their Super Bowl LIV loss to the Kansas City Chiefs at the end of the 2019 season.
Garoppolo's inability to elevate the 49er passing game on the biggest of stages is one reason why the Niners are set to move on from him and any teams in the market for a quarterback were given a reminder of another reason on Tuesday.
According to multiple reports, Garoppolo is set to have surgery on a shoulder he injured in the Niners' Wild Card Round win over the Dallas Cowboys and will be out of action for 16 weeks, meaning he will not be able to throw until after the start of organised team activities.
Durability, or lack thereof, has been a continued problem for Garoppolo, who has missed 25 regular-season games in his 49ers career due to injury.
And the prospect of him starting his career with a new team behind the 8-ball due to his surgery is sure to dent his value to those considering making a move for the former second-round pick.
Yet, per ESPN's Adam Schefter, there is "significant interest" in Garoppolo from multiple teams even with the prospect of him missing the start of preparations for the new season.
The Niners, minus a day-one pick in the draft, are hoping to recoup capital for Garoppolo as they look to retool the roster around Lance.
However, even if the level of interest in high, the compensation on offer to the 49ers may not be for a quarterback with injury issues and consistent problems with turnovers.
Garoppolo finished the 2021 season second in the NFL with 8.64 yards per attempt, but he also led all quarterbacks in yards after the catch per pass attempt with (6.6), illustrating his reliance on short passes and the ability of the likes of Deebo Samuel, George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk to do damage with ball in hand.
A limited downfield thrower, Garoppolo completed just nine passes of 21 air yards or more in 2021. Only six quarterbacks (min. 200 pass attempts) averaged fewer air yards per attempt than Garoppolo's 7.38, while his pickable pass rate of 4.82 per cent was the sixth-highest in the league, according to Stats Perform data.
In other words, Garoppolo was not regularly attempting ambitious throws but put the ball in harm's way more than the vast majority of his counterparts.
Having seen San Francisco win and go deep into the postseason in each of the two full seasons in which Garoppolo was healthy, at least one team will be ready to bet they can build an offense around him to allow them to do the same. But, between his injury history, his imminent lengthy rehabilitation period and his obvious shortcomings, they might not be willing to gamble as much as the Niners are hoping for.
The Green Bay Packers have not had a single inquiry regarding a trade for Aaron Rodgers, according to general manager Brian Gutekunst.
Rodgers has yet to make a decision on his future, with another season with the Packers, a move elsewhere and retirement all seemingly on the table for the four-time MVP.
Though there has long since been talk about which teams could get involved in a potential Rodgers sweepstake, Gutekunst is yet to field a single offer.
"Not at all. Not at all. Not a single person," Gutekunst replied when asked if anybody had phoned regarding Rodgers' availability.
Speaking at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Gutekunst added that he expects a decision from Rodgers before the start of free agency on March 16.
"I would hope so, yeah," Gutekunst added. "That's obviously the start of the new league year.
"There's a lot of decisions that have to be made before that. So that would be helpful. I would think we would know something before then."
Relations between Rodgers and the Packers certainly appear more amiable than they were when reports emerged before the start of the 2021 NFL Draft that he wished to part with Green Bay.
Rodgers has recently said as much, telling The Pat McAfee Show of his conversations with the franchise after the Packers' playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers: "I would say the meetings were much different than they've been in the past, in a positive way, and that there were some real, honest conversations that I appreciated."
His words seemingly point towards Rodgers potentially remaining in Green Bay, and the Packers' vice president of football operations Russ Ball has been in talks with David Dunn, who represents Rodgers, over a contract.
"It's part of the process [of Rodgers' decision-making]," Gutekunst said of those discussions. "You know, Russ, obviously, does a good job, and he's kind of prepared for kind of any which way we might go."
Novak Djokovic has confirmed his professional partnership with long-time coach Marian Vajda has come to an end.
Djokovic revealed the pair agreed to part ways last year following the ATP Finals in Turin.
Vajda served as part of Djokovic's team for 15 years, playing a pivotal role in the 20-time grand slam champion's glittering career.
"Marian has been by my side during the most important and memorable moments in my career," Djokovic said in a post on his official website.
"Together we have achieved some incredible things and I am very grateful for his friendship and dedication over the last 15 years.
"While he might be leaving the professional team he will always be family and I can't thank him enough for all he has done."
Vajda said: "During my time with Novak, I have been lucky to watch him transform into the player he is today.
"I will look back on our time together with immense pride and am so very thankful for the success we have achieved.
"I remain his biggest support on and off the court and look forward to new challenges."
Vajda was joined on Djokovic's team by former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic in 2019. Ivanisevic will continue working with Djokovic as he bids to add to his tally of major triumphs.
Djokovic, who is unvaccinated against COVID-19, missed the 2022 Australian Open after having his visa cancelled on "health and good order grounds", leading to his deportation.
Rafael Nadal's triumph in Melbourne gave the Spaniard the outright record for grand slam triumphs with 21.
Djokovic made his 2022 debut in Dubai last month, losing in the quarter-finals to Jiri Vesely. On Monday, he was usurped as world number one by Daniil Medvedev.
The 2022 MLB season will not start on time after owners and players failed to reach an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement.
A deadline of 17:00 eastern time on Tuesday had been set by management, yet no deal was stuck.
Commissioner Rob Manfred announced that the first two series of the season were cancelled as the players remain locked out in an ongoing and bitter labour dispute.
"I had hoped against hope I wouldn't have to have this press conference where I am going to cancel some regular-season games," Manfred said on Tuesday.
"We worked hard to avoid an outcome that's bad for our fans, bad for our players and bad for our clubs.”
The MLB Players' Association issued a statement less than an hour after Manfred spoke, saying that players and fans worldwide are "disgusted, but sadly not surprised."
"What Rob Manfred characterized as a 'defensive lockout' is, in fact, the culmination of a decades-long attempt by owners to break our Player fraternity," the statement said.
"As in the past, this effort will fail."
The sides did make some progress, however, negotiating for over 16 hours on Monday before management made its "best and final offer" on Tuesday, the ninth straight day of meetings.
The players' union rejected that offer, and the owners followed through on their threat to cancel games.
Only the first week of games have been officially cancelled, so MLB could salvage a 156-game season starting on April 8 if a deal is made in the coming days, but the two sides remain divided with no imminent resolution in sight.
The players have yet to accept any cancellation and could try to negotiate for the unlikely result of rescheduled games. Manfred explained that the league will not compensate players for any cancelled games.
Among the key monetary issues still being discussed are the scale of a Competitive Balance Tax, minimum salaries and bonus pool money for pre-arbitration players.
Player salaries have dropped four per cent since 2015, when Manfred became commissioner.
Manfred – along with players' union leader Tony Clark – are likely to receive the ire of fans as baseball will have a shortened season for the second time in three years. The 2020 campaign was shortened to 60 games due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Players stand to lose $20.5million in salary for every day of the season that is cancelled.
Tyson Fury has claimed it is "100 per cent" certain that he will retire after his fight with Dillian Whyte in April, casting doubt over whether he will ever face Anthony Joshua.
Fury and Joshua's camps were supposedly close to reaching an agreement for a huge heavyweight bout this year, yet that deal failed to materalise.
Instead, Fury is taking on another of British boxing's big names in the form of Whyte, who he faces at Wembley Stadium on April 23, with the WBC belt on the line.
However, 33-year-old Fury says he has no intention of carrying on his career after facing Whyte, who did not attend the first media conference to preview the fight.
Fury said the fight would "100 per cent" be the last of his career.
"I'm a two-time undisputed world champion," he added.
"This is the final fight of my career, I'm retiring after this, $150million in the bank, nothing to prove to anybody, healthy, young, I'm gonna buy a massive yacht abroad.
"I'm retiring, I'm out, this is my final fight, I'm done."
Fury has won 31 of his 32 professional fights, with the other being a contentious tie in his first of three meetings with Deontay Wilder – he triumphed in the second and third bouts.
Russian drivers have avoided being banned by motorsport's world governing body, meaning Haas driver Nikita Mazepin can compete for his Formula One team.
A range of measures was announced by the FIA on Tuesday, with teams representing Russia and close ally Belarus being suspended until further notice.
The conflict since the Russian-led invasion of Ukraine was addressed at an extraordinary meeting of the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC).
Drivers from Russia and Belarus will be barred from racing as representatives of their countries, but they will be allowed to compete as neutrals, providing they do not step out of line.
Mazepin is the only Russian driver on the F1 grid, with the 22-year-old due to start his second season in Bahrain later this month.
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem told the meeting the FIA was observing events in Ukraine "with sadness and shock", adding that he hoped for "a swift and peaceful resolution". He also spoke of concern for the FIA's Ukrainian members and their current "intolerable hardship".
"We condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine and our thoughts are with all those suffering as a result of the events in Ukraine," he added.
The FIA said none of its competitions should take place in Russia or Belarus until further notice, with flags or symbols of either country also banned for now, along with anthems and national colours.
Outlining its position on drivers, the FIA stated: "Russian/Belarusian drivers, individual competitors and officials to participate in international/zone competitions only in their neutral capacity and under the 'FIA flag', subject to specific commitment and adherence to the FIA's principles of peace and political neutrality, until further notice."
The Russian Grand Prix, which was due to take place in September, has already been cancelled by F1 chiefs, with the FIA describing that as a decision taken "for reason of force majeure".
The Miami Heat have surged to the top of the Eastern Conference but will receive a stern test of their credentials on Wednesday when they visit the Milwaukee Bucks.
Miami went 9-1 in February to take a two-game lead atop the East, capping a stunning month by routing the Chicago Bulls 112-99 on Monday.
Milwaukee sit two games further back but will be out to prove it is they who are the team to beat as the Bucks aim to successfully defend the NBA title.
The Bucks will not be facing a full-strength Heat team, with Kyle Lowry out for personal reasons and Victor Oladipo absent with a right knee injury.
Being slightly undermanned has not proven an issue for the Heat of late, yet it may be different against the Bucks and their two-time MVP.
Giannis Antetokounmpo used the month of February to deliver a scarcely needed reminder of why he is arguably the finest basketball player on the planet.
However, having made the NBA Finals two seasons ago, the Heat have shown they can deliver against top-tier opposition.
The Bucks, though, have been a thorn in Miami's side, sweeping them in the first round en route to the title last season, and this encounter may provide an insight into whether the Heat, who have won two out of their meetings with Milwaukee this season, can cause the defending champions serious problems in the postseason.
PIVOTAL PERFORMERS
Miami Heat - Bam Adebayo
No player was more crucial to the Heat's scorching run in February than Adebayo. He led Miami with 22 points per game last month and was fifth in the league in average plus-minus with 12.6. Adebayo was tied 10th in steals per game (1.73) and defensive rebounds (8.2) and ended the month ninth in blocked shots per game (1.55), illustrating his substantial value on the defensive end.
Milwaukee Bucks - Giannis Antetokounmpo
The Bucks have depth that gives them an excellent chance of repeating as champions but, when it comes to games against the elite, all eyes must be on Antetokounmpo.
He took his game to another level in February, averaging 51.3 points/assists/rebounds per game. Only Luka Doncic (53.8) fared better last month.
KEY BATTLE - Can Heat keep possession?
Miami have thrived this season despite often being lackadaisical in possession.
The Heat's turnover rate of 13.5 per cent is the fourth-highest in the NBA and they are facing a Bucks team whose rate of 12.1 per cent is superior to the league average of 12.5.
In other words, if the Heat want to stay hot against one of their main rivals in the East, they must flip the script and take better care of the ball.
HEAD TO HEAD
The Bucks are looking to continue a recent run of dominance in home games with the Heat, having won the last three meetings in Milwaukee.
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