Family joins Pelé bedside at hospital

Family members of Brazilian soccer great Pelé have gathered at a Sao Paulo hospital where the 82-year-old global icon has been since the end of November.

Doctors said Wednesday that Pelé’s cancer had advanced, adding the three-time World Cup winner is under “elevated care” related to “kidney and cardiac dysfunctions.”

Edson Cholbi Nascimento, one of Pelé’s sons and known as Edinho, arrived Saturday, one day after he gave a news conference to deny he would visit his father in hospital. Edinho, who works for a soccer club in southern Brazil, had said then that only doctors could help his father.

Edson “is here,” Kely Nascimento, one of Pelé’s daughters, said in a posting on Instagram with a picture showing her sitting next to Edinho and two of his children at the hospital. “I am not leaving, no one will take me out of here.”

Hours later, Edinho, a former Santos goalkeeper, posted a picture showing his hand holding his father’s.

“Dad... my strength is yours,” Pelé’s son said.

Pelé had a colon tumor removed in September 2021. Neither his family nor the hospital have said whether that cancer had spread to other organs.

A Brazilian newspaper reported last weekend that Pelé’s chemotherapy was not working and that doctors had decided to put him on palliative care. Pelé’s family denied that report.

NFL: Jacksonville Jaguars defensive lineman Dawuane Smoot, who is tied for the team lead with five sacks, is out for the remainder of the season after tearing the Achilles tendon in his right leg Thursday night during a win over the New York Jets.

Smoot made the announcement on social media Saturday, one day after head coach Doug Pederson said the Jaguars were awaiting test results.

“I’m disappointed that I won’t be able to finish the season on the field alongside my brothers as we fight for a postseason berth, but I’m proud of the work we have done as a team to put ourselves in position to play meaningful football at this point in the season,” Smoot wrote.

If the Jaguars (7-8) win their final two games, they would make the postseason for the first time since Smoot’s rookie year in 2017.

Though some New York Giants players were in the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn., on Friday night at the time of a fatal shooting, none were injured, the team said.

“Everyone is back in the hotel and accounted for now,” Pat Hanlon, the team’s executive vice president of communications, said late Friday night.

The Giants were staying at a hotel adjacent to the mall in advance of their game Saturday against the Vikings.

College football: Former USC quarterback Kedon Slovis is on the move again, announcing on Twitter that he is transferring from Pittsburgh to BYU.

Slovis passed for 7,576 yards and 58 touchdowns in 2019-21 with USC, then threw for 2,397 and 10 TDs this season with Pitt.