Fields traded to Steelers
The Chicago Bears traded Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday night, clearing the way for them to draft a quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick – perhaps USC’s Caleb Williams.
The Bears received a 2025 sixth-round draft pick that could potentially become a fourth-rounder in return.
“We have engaged in multiple trade conversations in recent weeks and believe trading Justin at this time to Pittsburgh is what is best for both Justin and the Bears,” general manager Ryan Poles said in a statement. “Today we spoke to Justin to inform him of the trade and the rationale behind it for us as a club.”
Fields figures to back up nine-time Pro Bowler Russell Wilson, who signed a one-year deal with the Steelers on Friday. Pittsburgh also traded Kenny Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles once it added Wilson.
Fields, drafted 11th overall in 2021 by the Bears and former general manager Ryan Pace, struggled as a rookie under former coach Matt Nagy. Though he produced big plays with his legs and arms, he did not develop as a passer the way the team hoped the past two years under Poles and coach Matt Eberflus.
Fields completed 578 of 958 passes for 6,674 yards with 40 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in three seasons.
He has just one 300-yard passing game in his career.
NFL
The Cleveland Brown agreed to terms on a oneyear contract with former Baltimore Ravens QB Tyler Huntley on Sunday, adding another veteran to give them more depth and protection behind Deshaun Watson.
Huntley is signing at the veteran’s minimum salary with the Browns, who spent last season juggling quarterbacks when Watson hurt his shoulder and eventually had surgery after making just six starts.
Last week, the team signed 2015 No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston to back up Watson, who has been rehabbing in California since undergoing surgery in November.
TENNIS
Iga Swiatek beat Maria Sakkari, 6-4, 6-0, in just over an hour to win the BNP Paribas Open on Sunday in Indian Wells, California, with the world’s top-ranked woman losing just 21 games in six matches during the 12-day tournament.
Swiatek earned her 20th match win of the year, which leads the WTA Tour.
It was a repeat of the 2022 final, in which Swiatek beat Sakkari, 6-4, 6-1. Sakkari hasn’t defeated the Polish star since 2021.
Carlos Alcaraz faced Daniil Medvedev in the men’s final later Sunday.
MLB
New York Mets owner Steve Cohen doesn’t expect to sign a long-term contract with star first baseman Pete Alonso before the end of the season.
Alonso has a $20.5 million, one-year contract and can become a free agent after the World Series.
“We haven’t had any discussion and I think at this point, for Pete, it’s best for him to go and have a great year and not be distracted,” Cohen said Sunday at Mets spring training camp.
Alonso, who turns 30 in December, was the 2019 NL Rookie of the Year and is a three-time all-star. He has a .251 batting average with 192 homers, 498 RBI and a .870 OPS in five major league seasons.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Ohio State removed the interim tag from men’s basketball coach Jake Diebler’s title on Sunday and announced he will receive a five-year contract.
Diebler, 37, was in his third year as associate head coach when he took over the team following Chris Holtmann’s firing on Feb. 14.
The Buckeyes (21-13) went 6-2 under Diebler, including a win over No. 2 Purdue in his first game as interim coach. They won five straight before losing to Illinois on Friday in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament.
SKIING
Lara Gut-Behrami secured the women’s World Cup overall and giant slalom titles Sunday after finishing 10th in the giant slalom at the World Cup finals in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria.
Her only remaining challenger in both classifications, Federica Brignone, won the race but that was not enough for the Italian, who could only overtake Gut-Behrami if the Swiss star had finished outside the top 15 and failed to score points.
It’s the second overall championship for GutBehrami after winning it in 2016, the last year before Mikaela Shiffrin’s reign started.
Men: Timon Haugan held on to his first-run lead to win the men’s slalom at the World Cup finals Sunday in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, giving the Norwegian ski team its first victory of the season.
Haugan beat Manuel Feller, the winner of the discipline season title, by 0.40 seconds after the Austrian improved from fourth after the first run. Linus Strasser of Germany was third, 0.44 behind.