NFL approves rule for emergency third quarterback

NFL owners approved a rule change that allows teams to play an emergency quarterback from the inactive list if the first two are injured during a game, a decision that stems from San Francisco’s depth-chart challenge in the NFC championship game.

The third quarterback designation will not count against the limit of active players — either 47 or 48 — that is determined 90 minutes before kickoff.

The emergency activation can occur only after injury or disqualification, not for a performance-related decision or other conduct. If either of the first two quarterbacks are cleared by the team’s medical staff to return to play, the third must be removed from the game and can return as a quarterback only if an injury scenario arises again.

If a team puts three quarterbacks on the active list for a game, it can’t use the emergency option.

Also approved by NFL owners was a flexible scheduling policy for Thursday night games on Amazon Prime Video, for Weeks 13 through 17 only and with at least 28 days’ notice given to the affected teams. The league could push a Thursday night matchup in that range to Sunday afternoon if there’s a more desirable game . ... The 2026 Super Bowl will be held at Levi’s Stadium, home of the 49ers. The league also announced that the NFL draft will be held in Green Bay in 2025.

Recently retired and seventime Super Bowl champion quarterback Tom Brady will become a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, pending NFL approval, principal owner Mark Davis told ESPN.

Brady and Davis also have a business relationship with the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces. Davis is the majority owner, and Brady has a stake in the club.

Former NBA great Anthony retires

Carmelo Anthony, the star forward who led Syracuse to an NCAA championship in his lone college season and went on to spend 19 years in the NBA, announced his retirement Monday.

Anthony, who last played in 2021-22, for the Lakers, retires as the No. 9 scorer in league history. He ends his playing days after being selected as one of the 75 greatest players in NBA history, a 10time All-Star, a past scoring champion and a six-time All-NBA selection.

Anthony also helped the U.S. win Olympic gold three times — at Beijing in 2008, at London in 2012 and at Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

Longtime Oakland Athletics broadcaster Glen Kuiper was let go by NBC Sports California after using a racial slur during a telecast while describing a trip to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Kuiper was suspended by the network earlier this month following a pregame segment on May 5 in which Kuiper seemingly mispronounced the word “negro,” making it sound instead like a slur . ... Texas Rangers right-hander Jacob deGrom threw a 32-pitch bullpen session as he continues his recovery from elbow inflammation . ... Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Eric Lauer went on the 15-day injured list with an impingement in his right, nonthrowing shoulder.

Stanford’s Rose Zhang shot a bogey-free, four-under 68 to become the first women’s golfer to win consecutive national titles. The Irvine product finished at 10 under at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz., to match Lorena Ochoa’s NCAA record for wins in a season (eight) and career (12).

USC freshman Catherine Park tied for second at one shot back. Stanford won the women’s team title.

Norway stunned Canada 3-2 in a shootout and handed the favorite a second straight defeat at the hockey world championship in Riga, Latvia. It was only Canada’s second loss to Norway in tournament history; the other was in 2000.

Sweden recovered from a goal down to defeat Denmark 4-1, with four straight goals, including one from Kings forward Carl Grundstrom, in Tampere, Finland.

Carlos Alcaraz replaced Novak Djokovic at No. 1 in the ATP rankings, earning the top seeding at the upcoming French Open, and Daniil Medvedev’s Italian Open title moved him up to No. 2.

Djokovic’s loss in Rome dropped him to No. 3. That means he and Alcaraz could end up in the same half of the French Open bracket, depending on what happens in Thursday’s draw in Paris.

Iga Swiatek, the defending champion in Paris, remained at No. 1 in the WTA rankings. which she has led for more than a year.

Stefan Wilson fractured his back during a heavy crash with Katherine Legge in practice for the Indianapolis 500, and Wilson will not be allowed back into his car for Sunday’s race.

The safety crew spent about 10 minutes carefully extricating Wilson from his car. Dreyer & Reinbold Racing said Wilson fractured his 12th thoracic vertebrae and would remain hospitalized for observation.

It was unclear who will step into Wilson’s car for the race. Legge, the only female driver in this year’s field, climbed from her crumpled car on her own.

Veteran sprint specialist Mark Cavendish announced that he will retire from cycling at the end of this season, which could see him break Eddy Merckx’s long-standing record of 34 stage wins at the Tour de France, which Cavendish matched in 2021.

Reigning Olympic beach volleyball champion April Ross announced on Instagram that she is expecting a baby in October with her husband, Arizona State beach volleyball coach Brad Keenan.

Southern Section Division 1 baseball champion San Juan Capistrano JSerra declined its invite to the Southern California regionals, as did Division 1 softball champion Garden Grove Pacifica and runner-up Norco.

JSerra coach Brett Kay, whose team participated in the regionals last season after winning Division 1, said the team voted not to participate. Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, which was the No. 1 seed in Division 1 before being upset by Corona in the semifinals, accepted an invitation and will replace JSerra in the regionals.

— Eric Sondheimer

Terry McDermott, who won the only gold medal for the United States at the 1964 Winter Olympics, has died. He was 82. U.S. Speedskating said in a statement that McDermott died early Saturday . ... Rick Hummel, an esteemed writer who covered the St. Louis Cardinals and Major League Baseball for five decades for the Post-Dispatch until his retirement last year, has died. He was 77 . ... Rick Hoyt, who with his father, Dick, pushing his wheelchair became a fixture at the Boston Marathon, has died. He was 61. Hoyt died of complications with his respiratory system, according to his family.