Rodgers plans to play for Jets, awaits trade from the Packers
Aaron Rodgers said Wednesday he intends to play for the New York Jets in 2023 after 18 seasons in Green Bay and the four-time NFL MVP quarterback is waiting for the Packers to trade him.
The 39-year-old Rodgers, speaking on “The Pat McAfee Show” on YouTube and Sirius XM, said he believes the Packers want to move on and make 2020 first-round draft pick Jordan Love their starting quarterback.
“At this point, as I sit here, I think since Friday I've made it clear that my intention was to play and my intention was to play for the New York Jets,” Rodgers said. “I haven't been holding anything up at this point. It's been compensation the Packers are trying to get for me, kind of digging their heels in.”
Packers president and CEO Mark Murphy has acknowledged the team granted the Jets permission to talk to Rodgers, the face of the franchise since Hall of Famer Brett Favre was traded to the Jets in 2008.
Rodgers expressed his appreciation for his 18 seasons in Green Bay but added that it's time for the Packers “to do the right thing.”
“I have nothing but love in my heart for every Packer fan and everybody who works in the organization,” Rodgers said. “My life is better because of my time in Green Bay. But we've just got to look at the reality. They want to move on. They don't want me to come back and that's fine. They're ready to move on with Jordan. That's awesome. Jordan's going to be a great player.”
The Dallas Cowboys released running back Ezekiel Elliott, ending a seven-season run for a twotime rushing champion who never regained the form of his dominant early years.
Owner and general manager Jerry Jones said the decision was mutual to let the 27-year-old Elliott pursue another team in free agency and give the Cowboys more financial flexibility.
While Elliott finished with 12 rushing touchdowns in a second consecutive playoff season for the Cowboys in 2022, his overall production never matched the value of a $90 million, six-year extension he signed to end a preseason-long holdout in 2019.
Elliott has 8,262 career yards rushing, third on the Dallas list behind Pro Football Hall of Famers Emmitt Smith, the NFL's career leading rusher, and Tony Dorsett. Elliott also was third behind Smith and Dorsett with 68 career touchdowns rushing.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers agreed on an $8.5 million, one-year contract with quarterback Baker Mayfield.
Mayfield, the No. 1 overall pick by Cleveland in 2018, joins his third team since last July. He gets an opportunity to compete with Kyle Trask to replace Tom Brady, who retired after three seasons with the Bucs.
Mayfield was 1-5 as a starter last season in Carolina before he was released. He joined the Rams and went 1-3 in four starts.
• The Chargers and veteran defensive lineman Morgan Fox agreed to terms on a new contract.
Fox played a key role in the Chargers' rally for their first playoff berth since the 2018 season, solidifying their defensive line after seasonending injuries to Christian Covington (pectoral), Austin Johnson (knee) and Otito Ogbonnia (knee) threatened to derail their season heading into the final weeks.
The 28-year-old Fox had 6½ sacks among his 38 tackles (24 solo) during the 2022 season. Only edge rusher Khalil Mack had more for the Chargers.
Fox will be back with the Chargers for a second season after playing one year with the Carolina Panthers and four with the Rams, who signed him as an undrafted free agent from Colorado State-Pueblo in 2016.
The Chargers also re-signed quarterback Easton Stick, who will enter
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has played all of his 18NFL seasons with the Packers.
training camp with a chance to serve as Justin Herbert's primary backup for the 2023 season. Chase Daniel was Herbert's primary backup this past season, but he became an unrestricted free agent Wednesday.
Stick, 27, has played only one game in the NFL since the Chargers drafted him in the fifth round from North Dakota State in 2019. He was inactive for all 17 regular-season games this past season.
The New England Patriots have added free agent wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster.
A person with knowledge of the deal said it is for three years and could be worth as much as $33 million.
Smith-Schuster, the former Long Beach Poly and USC standout, spent last season with the Kansas City Chiefs, winning a Super Bowl after spending his first five NFL years with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
A Pro Bowler in 2018 with Pittsburgh, an injury limited Smith-Schuster to just five games his final season there in 2021. He went to Kansas City looking for a fresh start and finished with 78 receptions for 933 yards and three touchdowns last season.
• The Panthers added two significant offensive weapons to help out their incoming rookie quarterback.
Carolina agreed to terms with forner Philadelphia Eagles running back Miles Sanders and former Cincinnati Bengals tight end Hayden Hurst, both unrestricted free agents.
The Panthers plan to select a quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft after trading away four draft picks and wide receiver D.J. Moore to the Chicago Bears to move up eight spots. They've also added quarterback Andy Dalton as a backup.
Sanders ran for 1,126 yards and 11 touchdowns last season, helping the Eagles reach the Super Bowl. He has run for 3,708 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns in his first four seasons in the league, all with Philadelphia.
The 6-foot-4, 250-pound Hurst was a first-round draft pick by the Baltimore Ravens in 2018 who spent last season with the Bengals and caught 52 passes for 414 yards and two touchdowns.
His best season came in 2020 when he caught 56 passes for 571 yards and six TDs for the Atlanta Falcons.
• The Eagles and six-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Fletcher Cox agreed on a $10 million, one-year contract.
A first-round pick by Philadelphia in 2012, Cox has been one of the league's best inside defensive linemen for a decade. He has 65 sacks in 11 seasons, including seven in 2022 for the league's No. 2 ranked defense.
Earlier Wednesday, the Eagles informed five-time Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay that he will be released.
The New Orleans Saints and running back Jamaal Williams agreed on a $12 million, three-year contract.
Williams led the NFL with 17 rushing touchdowns while running for a career-best 1,066 yards with the Detroit Lions last season. Williams played four seasons with the Packers before joining the Lions in 2021.
Williams has 3,652 yards rushing,
160 receptions for 1,191 yards and 38 total TDs in six seasons.
South Carolina star Boston joins elite All-America club
Aliyah Boston is now a member of the elite three-timers club.
The South Carolina senior was honored for the third straight year as a first-team All-American by The Associated Press. She's just the 10th player to earn that honor three times.
Boston was joined on the first team by Iowa's Caitlin Clark, Villanova's Maddy Siegrist, LSU's Angel Reese and Indiana's Mackenzie Holmes. Boston and Clark were unanimous choices by the 28-member national media panel.
It's the second consecutive season that a player joined the club. Kentucky's Rhyne Howard did it last year.
South Carolina's A'ja Wilson, Baylor's Brittney Griner, Tennessee's Chamique Holdsclaw, Duke's Alana Beard, Oklahoma's Courtney Paris, Oregon's Sabrina Ionescu and UConn's Breanna Stewart and Maya Moore are the only other players to earn firstteam honors at least three times. Paris and Moore did it four times.
Boston earned second-team AllAmerica honors her freshman year.
This season, Boston has helped South Carolina go undefeated and enter the NCAA Tournament as the top overall seed. She's averaged 13.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.0 blocks a game.
Clark could join the three-timers club next season. The junior is averaging 27.0 points, second best in the nation. She also has clips of 8.3 assists and 7.5 rebounds per game.
Clark trails only Siegrist in scoring. The Villanova star has averaged 28.9 points this season.
Reese, a sophomore, is averaging 23.4 points and 15.5 rebounds.
Holmes has averaged 22.3 points and 7.3 rebounds.
Hendrick gets largest team fine ever dealt by NASCAR
NASCAR levied the largest combined fine on one team in series history, hammering Hendrick Motorsports for modifying air-deflecting pieces last weekend at Phoenix Raceway.
Hendrick was issued a combined $400,000 in fines — $100,000 to each of its four crew chiefs, along with four-race suspensions for the quartet — and docked the drivers 100 regular-season points and 10 playoffs points each.
NASCAR's winningest team said it would appeal. William Byron has won back-to-back races to give HMS two wins through the first four races of the season, and Alex Bowman was the Cup Series points leader prior to his 100-point deduction.
NASCAR confiscated the Hendrick teams' louvers after practice at Phoenix Raceway. The louvers sit atop the radiator ducts and direct air out of the hood and any modifications could impact downforce. The penalties dropped Bowman from first to 23rd in the standings, Byron from fourth to 29th and Kyle Larson from fifth to 32nd.
Today
At Legacy Arena at BJCC Birmingham, Ala.
Alabama (29-5) vs. Texas A&M-CC, 11:45 a.m.
Maryland (21-12) vs. West Virginia (1914), 9:15 a.m.
At Amway Center Orlando, Fla.
San Diego St. (27-6) vs. Coll. of Charleston (31-3), 12:10 p.m.
Virginia (25-7) vs. Furman (27-7), 9:40 a.m.
At Golden 1 Center Sacramento
Missouri (24-9) vs. Utah St. (26-8), 10:40 a.m. Arizona (28-6) vs. Princeton (21-8), 1:10 p.m.
Friday
At Ball Arena Denver
Creighton (21-12) vs. NC State (23-10), 1 p.m.
Baylor (22-10) vs. UC Santa Barbara (27-7), 10:30 a.m.
MIDWEST REGIONAL
First Round
Today
At Legacy Arena at BJCC Birmingham, Ala.
Houston (31-3) vs. N. Kentucky (22-12), 6:20 p.m.
Iowa (19-13) vs. Auburn (20-12), 3:50 p.m.
At Wells Fargo Arena Des Moines, Iowa
Texas A&M (25-9) vs. Penn St. (22-13), 6:55 p.m.
Texas (26-8) vs. Colgate (26-8), 4:25 p.m.
Friday
At MVP Arena Albany, N.Y.
Miami (25-7) vs. Drake (27-7), 4:25 p.m. Indiana (22-11) vs. Kent St. (28-6), 6:55 p.m.
At Greensboro Coliseum Greensboro, N.C.
Iowa St. (19-13) vs. Pittsburgh, 12:10 p.m. Xavier (25-9) vs. Kennesaw St. (26-8), 9:40 a.m.
WEST REGIONAL
First Round
Today
At Wells Fargo Arena Des Moines, Iowa
Kansas (27-7) vs. Howard (22-12), 11 a.m. Arkansas (20-13) vs. Illinois (20-12), 1:30 p.m.
At Golden 1 Center Sacramento
Northwestern (21-11) vs. Boise St. (249), 4:35 p.m.
UCLA (29-5) vs. UNC-Asheville (27-7), 7:05 p.m.
Friday
At MVP Arena Albany, N.Y.
Saint Mary's (26-7) vs. VCU (27-7), 11 a.m. UConn (25-8) vs. Iona (27-7), 1:30 p.m.
At Ball Arena Denver
TCU (21-12) vs. Arizona St., 7:05 p.m. Gonzaga (28-5) vs. Grand Canyon (2411), 4:35 p.m.
SPRING TRAINING
Wednesday's results
Boston 9, Tampa Bay 1
Houston 9, Atlanta 3
Philadelphia 9, N.Y. Yankees 8
Toronto 7, Pittsburgh 1
Washington at Miami, ppd.
St. Louis 4, N.Y. Mets 1
Chicago White Sox at San Francisco (ss), ppd.
Texas 4, Kansas City 3
Seattle at Oakland, ppd.
San Francisco (ss) at Arizona (ss), ppd. Chicago Cubs at Cincinnati, ppd. Colorado at Dodgers, cancelled Milwaukee at Arizona (ss), cancelled Cleveland at San Diego, cancelled
Today's games
Atlanta vs. Tampa Bay (ss) at St. Petersburg, Florida, 10:05 a.m.
Houston vs. St. Louis at Sarasota, Florida, 10:05 a.m.
Tampa Bay (ss) vs. Minnesota at Fort Myers, Florida, 10:05 a.m.
Arizona vs. Chicago Cubs at Mesa, Arizona, 1:05 p.m.
Chicago White Sox vs. Cleveland at Goodyear, Arizona, 1:05 p.m.
Oakland vs. Kansas City at Surprise, Arizona, 1:05 p.m.
Angels vs. Milwaukee at Phoenix, Arizona, 1:10 p.m.
San Diego vs. Colorado at Scottsdale, Arizona, 1:10 p.m.
San Francisco vs. Seattle at Peoria, Arizona, 1:10 p.m.
N.Y. Mets vs. Washington at Palm Beach, Florida, 3:05 p.m.
Toronto vs. Baltimore at Sarasota, Florida, 3:05 p.m.
Philadelphia vs. Detroit at Lakeland, Florida, 3:05 p.m.
Pittsburgh vs. N.Y. Yankees at Tampa, Florida, 3:35 p.m.
Texas vs. Dodgers at Phoenix, Arizona, 6:05 p.m.
FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK
College Basketball
Favorite
at UCLA W Virginia at Virginia Utah St at Kansas at Alabama at San Diego St at Arizona at Arkansas Auburn at Duke at Texas at N'western at Houston at Tennessee at Texas A&M
NBA
Favorite
Denver at Brooklyn at Toronto at Milwaukee at Phoenix
NHL
Favorite
at Kings at New Jersey at Florida at NY Rangers Colorado at Nashville Boston at Edmonton at Vegas Vancouver Seattle
Line
171/2 21/2 51/2 11/2 221/2 231/2 51/2 131/2 11/2 11/2 61/2 131/2 11/2 181/2 111/2 21/2
UNC Asheville at Maryland
Furman at Missouri
Howard Texas A&M-CC Charleston (SC) Princeton Illinois at Iowa
Oral Colgate Boise St N Kentucky Louisiana
Penn St
Line (O/U)
12 (2281/2) at Detroit 21/2 (2371/2) Sacramento 6 (2311/2) Oklahoma City Off (Off) Indiana 7 (2281/2) Orlando
Line
-297/+240 -137/Bay -330/+260 -140/+116 -145/+121 -276/+224 -167/+143 -135/+114 -120/+100 -144/+122 -167/+141
Columbus
Tampa Montreal Pittsburgh at Ottawa
Chicago at Winnipeg
Dallas Calgary at Arizona at San Jose
At Indian Wells Tennis Garden Purse:
Surface:
$8,800,000
Hardcourt outdoor
MEN'S SINGLES
Quarterfinals
Frances Tiafoe (14), United States, def. Cameron Norrie (10), Britain, 6-4, 6-4. Daniil Medvedev (5), Russia, def. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (23), Spain, 6-3, 7-5.
WOMEN'S SINGLES
Quarterfinals
Aryna Sabalenka (2), Belarus, def. Coco Gauff (6), United States, 6-4, 6-0.
MEN'S DOUBLES
Quarterfinals
Rohan Bopanna, India, and Matthew Ebden, Australia, def. Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger-Aliassime, Canada,
6-4, 7-5.
WOMEN'S DOUBLES
Quarterfinals
Laura Siegemund, Germany, and Beatriz Haddad Maia, Brazil, def. Belinda Bencic and Jil Teichmann, Switzerland, walkover. Shuko Aoyama and Ena Shibahara, Japan, def. Magda Linette, Poland, and Caty McNally, United States, 6-4, 3-6, 10-8.
GROUP A
Cuba
Italy Panama Taiwan Netherlands
GROUP B
Japan
Australia
South Korea Czech Republic China
GROUP C
Mexico United States Canada Britain Colombia
GROUP D
Venezuela
Puerto Rico Dominican Republic Israel
Nicaragua
Wednesday's results
Cuba 4, Australia 3
Venezuela 5, Israel 1
Mexico 10, Canada 3
Puerto Rico 5, Dominican Republic 2 United States 3, Colombia 2
Today
Italy at Japan, 3 a.m.
SCHEDULE
W
2 2 2 2 2
W
4 3 2 1 0
W
3 3 2 1 1
W
4 3 2 1 0
L
2 2 2 2 2
L
0 1 2 3 4
L
1 1 2 3 3
L
0 1 2 3 4
Underdog
Underdog
Underdog
Pct
.500 .500 .500 .500 .500
Pct
100 .750 .500 .250 .000
Pct
.750 .750 .500 .250 .250
Pct
100 .750 .500 .250 .000
Sunday— Ambetter Health 400, Hampton, Ga.
March 26 — EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix, Austin, Texas
April 2 — Toyota Owners 400, Richmond, Va.
April 8 — x-Qualifying Race 1, Bristol, Tenn.
April 8 — x-Qualifying Race 2, Bristol, Tenn.
April 8 — x-Qualifying Race 3, Bristol, Tenn.
April 8 — x-Qualifying Race 4, Bristol, Tenn.
April 9 — Food City Dirt Race, Bristol, Tenn.
April 16 — NASCAR Cup Series Race at Martinsville, Ridgeway, Va.
April 23 — GEICO 500, Talladega, Ala. April 30 — Wurth 400, Dover, Del.
May 7 — AdventHealth 400, Kansas
City, Kan.
May 14 — Goodyear 400, Darlington, S.C.