Off the wire

FOOTBALL

Watt re- injures back A person familiar with J. J. Watt’s condition said he has re- injured his back and the Houston Texans expect him to be out until at least December, and possibly the entire season. The person spoke to The Associated Press on Tuesday night on condition of anonymity because the team hasn’t confirmed the injury. Watt missed training camp and Houston’s four preseason games after surgery in July to repair a herniated disk in his back. He started each of the team’s three regular- season games and got hurt again Thursday against the Patriots. It’s unclear if the injury will require surgery. Watt, who has won Defensive Player of the Year for the past two seasons, didn’t practice Monday, but Coach Bill O’Brien said then he was just getting a day off. NFL. com first reported the news.

Patriots’ QB up in air Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett were both in uniform as the New England Patriots went back to the practice field on Tuesday. Which one of them will be at quarterback when New England hosts Buffalo on Sunday remains a mystery at this point. Garoppolo missed last week’s game against Houston with a throwing shoulder injury that occurred during the second quarter of the New England’s victory over the Miami Dolphins on Sept. 18. In his absence last week, Brissett, a third- round pick in this year’s draft, successfully led New England ( 3- 0) past the Houston Texans in his first career start, but sustained an apparent right thumb injury sometime during the second half. Neither Garoppolo nor Brissett were available for interviews Tuesday, but Brissett did briefly acknowledge the high interest surrounding his health as reporters gazed at him while he walked through the locker room prior to practice. “I’ve never seen so many people looking at my hand,” Brissett said with a chuckle on his way to his locker. Coach Bill Belichick deflected questions on the status of his quarterbacks earlier this week, deferring to the NFL- mandated injury report which will be available for the first time this week today.

Beachum OK to practice

Jacksonville Jaguars left tackle Kelvin Beachum has been cleared from the NFL’s concussion protocol and will practice today. He is likely to play against AFC South rival Indianapolis in London on Sunday. Beachum suffered a concussion in the third quarter of a loss at San Diego on Sept. 18. He was strapped to a backboard, carted off the field and taken to a hospital, where he stayed overnight for observation. He returned to Jacksonville the following day. Beachum and center Brandon Linder ( knee) missed last week’s game against Baltimore, forcing the Jaguars to shuffle their offensive line. Guard Luke Joeckel shifted to tackle and center Tyler Shatley and guard Chris Reed made

their first career starts. The Jaguars gave up four sacks and managed 48 yards rushing.

BASKETBALL

Ogwumike MVP Nneka Ogwumike is the WNBA Most Valuable Player. The league announced Tuesday that the Los Angeles Sparks forward received 31 of the 39 first- place votes from a national media panel. She shot a league- best 66.5 percent from the field, the second highest mark all- time. She averaged a career- best 19.7 points and 9.1 rebounds to help Los Angeles secure the second best record in the league. Ogwumike also set a WNBA record when she made 23 consecutive field goals during one stretch, including going

12- for- 12 in a game against Dallas. New York’s Tina Charles finished second, getting the other eight firstplace votes. She was followed by Minnesota’s Maya Moore and Chicago’s Elena Delle Donne in the voting. Ogwumike is the third Sparks player to receive the award, joining three- time recipient Lisa

Leslie and two- time winner Candace Parker.

Feigin backs off remark

Milwaukee Bucks President Peter Feigin said he did not intend to characterize Milwaukee as “overtly racist.” Feigin said in a statement Tuesday that Milwaukee is “a terrific community with wonderful people” and he is “proud to be a part of it.” Last week, the Wisconsin

State Journal reported that Feigin called Milwaukee the “most segregated, racist place” he has seen during a speech. He was discussing the new arena’s potential for helping out parts of Milwaukee that need it. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Feigin said he was “addressing a question about the social, economic and geographic divides that exist and how we can help address them.” Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said he’s eager to work with Feigin to improve the city’s race relations.

TENNIS

Serena to play Auckland Second- ranked Serena Williams will begin her 2017 season and Australian Open buildup at the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand, organizers confirmed Tuesday. The 22- time Grand Slam singles winner had already announced she would miss the Hopman Cup mixed teams tournament in Perth, which has often been a key part of her leadup to the first Grand Slam of the season. Williams held the top singles ranking for 186 weeks until the American was recently overtaken by Angelique Kerber. Williams’ sister, Venus, has played the Auckland tournament for the past three years, winning the singles title in 2015. In a statement, Serena Williams said the ASB Classic “can really set you up for a great run in Melbourne and I will be looking to start my year strongly in Auckland.”