Lions’ St. Brown gets a big raise, trails only Hill among wideouts
The Detroit Lions have agreed to a four-year, $120 million extension with All-Pro wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, NFL Network reported Wednesday.
The deal runs through 2028 and reportedly includes $77 million guaranteed, supplanting Cooper Kupp’s $75 million as the highest total among NFL wideouts.
With an average annual value of $30 million per season, among wideouts St. Brown would trail only Dolphins star Tyreek Hill’s annual compensation of $31.3 million, according to Spotrac.
A fourth-round pick in 2021, St. Brown had been scheduled to earn $3.366 million in base salary in the final year of his rookie contract in 2024.
St. Brown, 24, caught 119 passes for 1,515 yards and 10 touchdowns in 16 starts in 2023, adding 22 receptions for 274 yards and one score in three postseason games.
The Lions also are signing 23-year-old offensive tackle Penei Sewell toa four-year, $112 million deal, a source told ESPN.
The source said Sewell's contract includes $85 million guaranteed, the most for an offensive lineman, according to ESPN Stats & Information. The $28 million annual average salary is the largest for an offensive lineman.
Bengals pick up
Chase’s option: Cincinnati picked up the fifthyear option on Pro Bowl wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, keeping him under contract through the 2025 season. Chase is entering his fourth season and will make a base salary of $1.1 million. His base will balloon to at least $21.8 million in 2025 if a long-term extension hasn’t been reached by then.
Ravens lock up Bateman: Baltimore announced a contact extension with wide receiver Rashod Bateman that keeps the 2021 first-round pick with the Ravens through the 2026 season. No terms were disclosed.
The deal came about a week before a deadline for the Ravens to pick up or decline his fifth-year option at a projected cost of $14.3 million. Declining it would have made Bateman a free agent after the 2024 season.
GOLF
Big bonuses to fight off LIV: Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and other PGA Tour stars are about to receive massive bonuses for their loyalty.
The Telegraph reported Wednesday that Woods will receive $100 million in equity as part of the newly created for-profit PGA Tour Enterprises, with McIlroy earning about half that amount.
The payouts are a way to thank players for sticking with the PGA Tour instead of jumping to rival LIV Golf for huge paydays from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
Several hundred players will receive a stake, with most of it going to the top 36 players based on a formula that weighs career success and cultural popularity.
PGA Tour Enterprises received a reported $3 billion investment this year from Strategic Sports Group, a consortium of sports owners that includes the New York
Mets’ Steve Cohen and the Atlanta Falcons’ Arthur Blank.
NBA
Maxey voted ‘most improved’: Philadelphia shooting guard Tyrese Maxey, who is in his fourth season, was named the NBA’s Most Improved Player in voting by the media. He received 319 points and 51 first-place votes. Chicago point guard Coby White was second (305 and 32) and Houston center Alperen Sengun third (92 and six).
Maxey, 23, averaged career highs in points (25.9), rebounds (3.7), assists (6.2), steals (1.0) and minutes (37.5).
Despite dealing with an undisclosed illness, Maxey on Monday had 35 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds in a 104-101 playoff loss at New York. The Knicks lead the first-round series 2-0. Game 3 is Thursday at 7:30 p.m. (TNT) in Philadelphia.
NHL
Sharks fire coach: San Jose dismissed coach
David Quinn following the team’s worst season this century. Quinn, 57, compiled a record of 4198-25 in two seasons behind the bench.
That included a 19-54-9 mark in 2023-24 for an NHL-worst 47 points, the fewest for San Jose since recording the same number in 1995-96.
Carolina’s Pesce hurt: Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce is expected to miss “a couple weeks at the least” due to a lower-body injury, the Raleigh News & Observer reported.