Aaron Rodgers says he intends to play for Jets

Aaron Rodgers says his intention is to play for the New York Jets in the coming season as the four-time NFL MVP quarterback waits for the Green Bay Packers to trade him.

Rodgers made his comments Wednesday during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” on YouTube and Sirius XM. The 39-yearold Rodgers said he believes the Packers want to move on and make 2020 firstround 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 Jets sent a contingent that reportedly included owner Woody Johnson, coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas to Rodgers’ home in Southern California last week.

SAFETY JORDAN POYER

AGREES TO 2-YEAR DEAL TO STAY WITH BILLS >> Safety Jordan Poyer has elected to stay put by reaching a two-year agreement to resign with the Buffalo Bills on Wednesday after briefly testing free agency.

Poyer’s return immediately solidifies Buffalo’s secondary, which stood to lose a key leader and contributor who spent much of the previous six seasons forming one of the NFL’s top safety tandems in playing alongside Micah Hyde.

And it comes at a time with the Bills defense in transition following starting middle linebacker Tremaine Edmunds’ expected departure in free agency, and with coordinator Leslie Frazier choosing to take next season off from coaching.

AP SOURCE:

TE HURTS AGREES TO 3-YEAR DEAL

WITH PANTHERS >> The Carolina Panthers have added a much-needed pass-catching tight end for their incoming rookie quarterback.

The Panthers agreed to terms with former Cincinnati Bengals tight end Hayden Hurst on a threeyear contract, according to a person familiar with the situation. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the deal can’t be officially announced until later in the day.

The Panthers plan to select a quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft after trading away four draft picks and wide receiver D.J. Moore to the Chicago Bears to move up eight spots.

AP SOURCE: VIKINGS ADD EXCARDS

CB MURPHY TO BEGIN REVAMP >> The Minnesota Vikings have started their latest secondary revamp by agreeing to terms on a contract with former Arizona cornerback Byron Murphy, according to a person with knowledge of the deal.

The person confirmed the agreement to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because contracts can’t be signed until after free agency begins Wednesday afternoon. Murphy will get a two-year deal worth about $22 million, the person said.

The 25-year-old replaced Patrick Peterson in the Cardinals’ starting lineup in 2021 when Peterson joined the Vikings. Now, the 2019 second-round draft pick will take over for Peterson again. Murphy was limited to nine games in 2022, when he was hampered by a back injury. He had a career-high four interceptions in 2021.

College basketball

KANSAS COACH BILL SELF ‘DAY TO DAY’ >> Bill Self’s status for Kansas’ opener in the NCAA Tournament was uncertain Wednesday, though assistant coach Norm Roberts said the Jayhawks remain hopeful he’ll be on the bench when they play Howard on Thursday.

Kansas’ Hall of Fame coach was discharged from a Kansas City-area hospital Sunday, where he’d been recovering after a procedure to treat blocked arteries in his heart.

Self attended practice at Wells Fargo Arena on Wednesday morning but did not participate in his team’s media availability.

Women’s basketball BOSTON, CLARK HEADLINE

WOMEN’S AP ALL-AMERICA TEAM >> Aliyah Boston is now a member of the elite three-timers club.

The South Carolina star was honored for the third straight year as an AllAmerican by The Associated Press on Wednesday.

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 that votes in the AP Top 25 each week.

It’s the second consecutive season that a player joined the club. Kentucky’s Rhyne Howard did it last season.

Tennis AIMING TO MAKE

NADAL

COMEBACK FROM AT MONTE CARLO >> Rafael Nadal is aiming to make his comeback from a hip injury at the clay-court Monte Carlo Masters next month, organizers said Wednesday.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion has been sidelined with a left hip flexor injury since the Australian Open, and pulled out of hard-court tournaments at Indian Wells and Miami.

The Monte Carlo Masters begins on April 8 and tournament director David Massey is optimistic Nadal will play.

INJURY Skiing KRIECHMAYR WIINS LAST

DOWNHILL OF MEN’S WORLD CUP SEASON >> It’s been the script all season long in men’s World Cup downhills: If Aleksander Aamodt Kilde doesn’t win, then Vincent Kriechmayr will.

Kriechmayr took advantage of Kilde being slightly off his game at the World Cup Finals on Wednesday to take his fourth race win of the season.

Kriechmayr was fast on the lower half of the 2.6-kilometer (1.6-mile) course to finish 0.09 seconds ahead of Romed Baumann. Andreas Sander was third, 0.13 back.

Baseball

VENEZUELA TOPS NICARAGUA IN WBC >> Eugenio Suárez and Anthony Santander had two hits each as Venezuela beat Nicaragua 4-1 on Tuesday and improved to 3-0 in the World Baseball Classic.

Venezuela clinched Group D and reached the quarterfinals when the Dominican Republic defeated Israel later in the day.

Suárez’s two-run single capped a three-run fourth inning that overcame a 1-0 deficit. Andrés Giménez’s run-scoring single tied the score, and Suárez lined a ball to right-center that scored Santander and

Giménez.

Soccer GIO REYNA ON US ROSTER AFTER

FAMILY TRIED TO OUST BERHALTER >> Gio Reyna, whose parents tried to oust U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter after the 20-year-old midfielder was sparingly used at the World Cup, was selected Wednesday by interim coach Anthony Hudson for CONCACAF Nations League matches against Grenada and El Salvador.

Reyna made two substitute appearances during the World Cup totaling 52 minutes and Berhalter later said he almost sent a player home because of lack of hustle — marks Reyna admitted were aimed at him. His parents, former U.S. captain Claudio Reyna and women’s national team midfielder Daniele Egan Reyna, then complained to U.S. Soccer Federation officials and notified them of a 1992 domestic violence incident involving Daniele’s college roommate and Berhalter’s future wife.

CARDIZ PLAYERS SUSPENDED

AFTER ALTERCATION

IN SPANISH LEAGUE >> The Spanish soccer federation suspended two Cadiz players and some of the team’s staff on Wednesday for their role in an altercation after a Spanish league match against Getafe last week.

The federation’s competitions’ committee suspended Argentine goalkeeper Jeremias Ledesma for four matches and defender Iza Carcelén for three games following the incidents in Cadiz’s 2-2 draw at home on Friday, when the hosts conceded a last-minute equalizer through a controversial penalty kick.

Auto racing

NASCAR ISSUES

LARGEST

TEAM FINE IN HISTORY AGAINST HENDRICK >> NASCAR levied the largest combined fine on one team in series history Wednesday, hammering Hendrick Motorsports for modifying airdeflecting 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. Although NASCAR has issued larger monetary fines and suspensions, the Hendrick penalties are the largest combined punishment for one organization.