Raiders’ Mariota returning to team after taking pay cut
Marcus Mariota agreed to take a pay cut on Tuesday to remain as backup quarterback for a second season for the Las Vegas Raiders.
Mariota had been due to be paid $10.5 million in the second year of his contract with the team after making $7.5 million last year. The Raiders were unwilling to pay that much for Mariota to be Derek Carr’s backup and reached agreement to bring him back on a cheaper deal.
NFL Network reported that Mariota will be paid $3.5 million this season with a chance to increase the deal to $8 million with incentives.
The 27-year-old Mariota was the second overall pick by Tennessee in the 2015 draft but lost his starting job with the Titans to Ryan Tannehill midway through the 2019 season.
TEXANS QB WATSON FACING 14 LAWSUITS ALLEGING SEX ASSAULT » A 14th woman has filed a lawsuit accusing Houston quarterback Deshaun Watson of sexual assault and harassment.
The claims in the latest suit, which was filed late Monday night in a Harris County state district court, are similar to those in the earlier cases in which the women accuse Watson of exposing himself, touching them with his penis or kissing them against their will while he got a massage. The most recent lawsuit was filed by a woman who alleges Watson assaulted her in July 2020 in Beverly Hills. Six others lawsuits were filed earlier Monday while the others were filed
last week.
FALCONS ADD RB DAVIS » The Atlanta Falcons are signing running back Mike Davis to a two-year contract, NFL Network reported Tuesday. His deal reportedly is worth $5.5 million, with $3 million guaranteed in the first year.
EAGLES SIGN VETERAN
QUARTERBACK JOE FLACCO » The Philadelphia Eagles have signed veteran quarterback Joe Flacco.
Flacco’s agent, Joe Linta, made the announcement on Twitter. The Eagles only had Jalen Hurts under contract before the move.
Flacco, the 2012 Super Bowl MVP, started four games for the Jets last season and eight games for the Broncos in 2019. He spent his first 11 seasons with Baltimore, leading the Ravens to six playoff appearances and one Super Bowl title.
MLB
JAYS’ YATES FACES YEARENDING
ELBOW SURGERY » Toronto Blue Jays reliever Kirby Yates is expected to have season-ending surgery
on his right elbow, general manager Ross Atkins said.
The Blue Jays also reported two other injuries: Outfielder George Springer will miss the next four or five days because of a strained oblique muscle and left-hander Robbie Ray will skip at least one spring training start after slipping on a staircase and bruising his elbow.
TWINS SEND
PROSPECT KIRILLOFF OUT » Minnesota optioned prized prospect Alex Kirilloff to their alternate training site, leaving a wide-open competition for playing time in left field while giving the 2016 first-round draft pick more time to develop.
Jake Cave, Kyle Garlick and Brent Rooker are the primary candidates at that position, vacated when Eddie Rosario was not tendered a contract during the offseason. Luis Arraez, a natural infielder who has moved into a super-sub role this year, has also been in the mix in left field.
SERIE A GAMES MOVING TO CBS » Cristiano Ronaldo’s games with Juventus are moving from ESPN to CBS in the United States starting next season.
The Italian league on Tuesday approved a contract with CBS for Serie A and Italian Cup rights worth about 64 million euros ($75 million) per year for the next three seasons.
Ronaldo has one more season remaining on his contract with Juventus, which also includes top American midfielder Weston McKennie.
College athletics
EMMERT AGREES TO MEET PROTESTING PLAYERS AFTER MARCH MADNESS » The National College Players Association said Tuesday that NCAA President Mark Emmert has informed a group of basketball players who started a social media campaign to protest inequities in college sports that he will meet with them after March Madness.
NCPA executive director Ramogi Huma said in a statement he received a letter from Emmert in response to the advocacy group’s request for a meeting between the head of the NCAA and three players who led the #NotNCAAProperty protest that started last week. OREGON STATE PRESIDENT RESIGNS » Oregon State’s trustees accepted the resignation of university president F. King Alexander, concluding he was unable to rebuild trust at the school because of his role in the mishandling of sexual misconduct cases during his previous tenure at LSU.