The Atlanta Falcons plan to stick with Kirk Cousins as their starting quarterback despite his struggles over the team’s three-game losing streak, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Cousins has accounted for zero touchdown throws and six interceptions over this stretch. But Atlanta is sticking with their original plan at quarterback and have not considered the idea of switching in rookie Michael Penix.
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens is expected to play Sunday against the Cleveland Browns but the team wants to test his injured hamstring before the game to make sure he’s good to go, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Pickens popped up on the injury report Friday as questionable to play with a hamstring injury. He was a limited participation in practice but did speak to the media afterward.
Editor’s Picks
1 Related
The Steelers are aiming to avenge a loss last month to the Browns. Pickens made headlines after
Willy Adames has agreed to a $182 million, seven-year contract with San Francisco, providing the Giants with a power-hitting shortstop in the prime of his career, according to a person familiar with the negotiations.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on Saturday on condition of anonymity because the agreement was pending a physical. ESPN first reported the move.
The 29-year-old Adames is coming off his best offensive season in the big leagues after hitting .251 with a career-high 32 homers and 112 RBIs with the Milwaukee Brewers. He’s a solid shortstop with a strong arm and good range, though his defensive metrics slipped a little in 2024.
ADVERTISEMENT
He also has provided consistent power with 150 homers over seven seasons. He broke into the big leagues in 2018 with Tampa Bay and hit 20 homers in his first full season in 2019.
He was traded to the Brewers in 2021 and had one of his best seasons in 2022, slugging 31 homers with 98 RBIs and had a 4.3 WAR.
Adames was signed by the Detroit Tigers in 2012 as a 16-year-old in the Dominican Republic.
Deciding whether Juan Soto tops Shohei Ohtani for baseball’s largest contract could be in the eye of the beholder because of all the deferred money in Ohtani’s deal.
Ohtani agreed last December to a $700 million, 10-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, easily exceeding the previous high set when Mike Trout and the Los Angeles Angels struck a $426.5 million, 12-year agreement through 2030.
Ohtani’s deal includes $680 million in deferred money payable from 2034-43. There are several interpretations of how to value that deal in current dollars:
Soto could get a contract of 10-to-15 years for $600 million or more.
ADVERTISEMENT
His agent, Scott Boras, is not a big fan of deferred money and thinks teams might not insist on delaying the cash.
“I think it’s much less of an issue than it was before,” Boras said. “Deferral as a mechanism for me, is it: Will it impede my ability to get the greatest asset I can acquire? And the answer to that is, I don’t think they’re going to want to do anything that impedes their primary pursuit and goal.”
Juan Soto rumors: Dodgers moving Mookie Betts to infield for free agency play?
–> <!–>
The interest figure used for discounting to determine luxury tax value is set in the collective bargaining agreement as the federal mid-term rate defined in section 1274(d) of the Internal Revenue Code for the October preceding the initial contract year.
That rate dropped to 3.7% this offseason, which meant if Ohtani’s deal had been agreed to this month, its annual luxury tax value would have been about $49.3 million. That would have resulted in an additional $3.5 million annual tax bill for the Dodgers, who would exceed the top threshold and would pay additional tax at a 110% rate on each dollar.
MLB’s regular payrolls, which use the same rate as the one for calculating the qualifying offer price based on the 125 largest contracts, use the prime rate set by JPMorgan Chase on the preceding Nov. 1 plus 1%, rounded to the nearest full percentage point. That figure dropped to 9% for this offseason.
Deferred compensation must be funded by the second July 1 after the season in which it was earned, discounted to a present-day value at a 5% rate.
“It’s just trying to kick dollars down the road,” St. Louis Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said at the general managers’ meetings last month.
Ohtani’s payments are two-thirds of the total owed.
“It was a unique situation for where a club was, a unique situation for a player who has very significant earning potential outside of strictly his compensation from a club,” New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said. “Those other ones are much more representative of what you see in sort of standard contracts around the industry. Each organization, each ownership group is going to have a slightly different perspective on this, on how they’re calculating the returns off of that deferred compensation.”
Yankees’ Juan Soto cranks a solo home run, tying game against Dodgers
–> <!–>
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said his team’s leadership from Guggenheim Baseball Management has the expertise to fund deferred compensation wisely.
“A lot of our ownership group are from financial background and can have that money going to work right now,” he said.
MLB proposed during collective bargaining on June 21, 2021, to put an end to the practice.
“For contracts entered into after the effective date of the Basic Agreement, deferred compensation of any kind will not be permitted,” the proposal read, according to a copy obtained by The Associated Press.
That idea was rejected by the union and not included in the five-year agreement that expires in December 2026.
New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman thinks his team’s large resources encourage players to seek their money as soon as possible.
“We’re open to deferrals,” he said. “A lot of times players are less open to doing deferrals for us than they are for maybe other markets, but if we can do stuff that benefits us, of course we will.”
Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss will take a hiatus from his role as an analyst on ESPN’s “Sunday NFL Countdown” as he deals with a health issue, the network announced Friday.
Moss, 47, asked fans to pray for him and his family in an Instagram post Sunday. He directed his message to men and urged them to get checkups and bloodwork done, without specifying any particular illness.
“I just ask for all the prayer warriors to put their blessing hands on me and my family through these hard times. People were talking about
Darren Rizzi is returning to New Jersey, looking to keep Saints coaching job and extend Giants’ woes
— Darren Rizzi is returning home to New Jersey, looking to avoid too many distractions, trying to extend the losing streak of a New York Giants team he grew up cheering for and hoping to spark the New Orleans Saints to a late run so he can take the…
The Los Angeles Dodgersannounced on Thursday that star first baseman Freddie Freeman “underwent surgery on his right ankle consisting of debridement and the removal of loose bodies.” He’s expected to be ready for spring training.
Freeman suffered an ankle injury in the final week of the regular season but played through it in the postseason — and proceeded to put on a show in the Fall Classic.
In the Dodgers’ five-game series win over the New York Yankees in the World Series, Freeman blasted four home runs and drove in 12 runs, helping him win MVP of the series. Furthermore, Freeman hit a walk-off grand slam in the 10th inning in Game 1 of the series at Dodger Stadium.
In the regular season, Freeman totaled 22 home runs and 89 RBIs, while posting a .282/.378/.476 slash line, 4.7 WAR and 1 DRS at first base.
ADVERTISEMENT
Freeman, 35, is entering the fourth season of a six-year, $162 million deal with the Dodgers.
‘That’s a dream come true’ – Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman after his game-winning grand slam in Game 1 of World Series
Bill Belichick has interviewed with North Carolina officials about the Tar Heels‘ head-coach opening, sources confirmed to ESPN’s Chris Low on Thursday.
Belichick, 72, has been out of football since leaving the New England Patriots after 24 seasons and six Super Bowl titles in January.
He interviewed for several NFL head-coaching jobs last offseason. This season, while not coaching, he’s joined the media in covering the league, including a role as an analyst for the CW’s “Inside the NFL,” joining the Manning brothers for their “ManningCast” during ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” and with a weekly
Is there anything more enjoyable than bonding over sports with loved ones while winning some cash?
People get to do exactly that every week with our free-to-play FOX Super 6 contest.
With opportunities to win thousands of dollars, the Super 6 game gives fans a new reason to get excited about sports.
The contest — which has been live since the beginning of the 2023 NFL season — has already given away a ton of cash.
ADVERTISEMENT
This season, across all contests (NFL, College Football, NFL Network and MLB), more than $239,000 in cash and prizes has been awarded.
Let’s take a look at a few of our recent winners.
Home of the Braves
Les from North Georgia won the MLB Championship Super 6 contest, perfectly fitting for him as an Atlanta Braves fan.
“I’ve been playing Super 6 since September, and knowledge is my strategy,” the retiree explained.
While Les’ rooting interest is in the Braves, he does have a bold prediction about how the rest of the college football and NFL seasons will play out.
“It’s hard to win it all,” he said, “but I do think the Buckeyes, Dawgs and Falcons will make the postseason.”
College Football, MLB Reign Supreme
Justice from Maryland is one of our recent winners who chose not to tell his folks right away about his good fortune.
“No, I haven’t told my family yet, but I do plan to start my Christmas shopping earlier than later,” the college football Week 9 winner revealed.
And then there’s Midwest Jeff, a software engineer from Minnesota, who abandons strategy when it comes to FOX Super 6.
“I just pick and pray,” he admitted after cashing in on the FOX Super 6 MLB World Series contest.
Les (left) and Justice are two of the most recent FOX Super 6 winners to cash in. –> <!–>
West Coaster Cashes In
NFL Week 6 winner Michael from Washington admits that he was shocked when he found out he had won.
“When I realized it was actual and factual, I was in disbelief,” the beverage industry worker told us. “I told my family and friends, and their reaction was very similar to mine — shocked and excited.”
When it comes to his favorite team, Michael is a diehard Raiders fan. “I have been a fan of the Raiders since they were in Oakland, then L.A., back to Oakland and I’m still a fan now that they’re in Vegas.”
So what does he plan to do with the cash?
“Although I did not win the Super Bowl, I will be going to Disneyland!”
Michael from University Place, Washington, is excited about taking a Disney trip. –> <!–>
Terrible Towel, Wonderful Winner
Dakota from Pittsburgh works in finance and won the NFL Network contest in October.
“I’ve been playing for about two years and make selections primarily based off of the players’ opponents,” she explained. “A receiver or running back that might not be top 10 can still have dominant performances against weaker teams or a team facing injuries.”
The Steelers fan also gave us her bold prediction for the season.
“T.J. Watt is locked in this year, so Defensive Player of the Year is his for the taking. I think the Steelers will definitely make the playoffs and will hopefully make a run for a Super Bowl.”
Dakota enjoys watching her favorite team. –> <!–>
Super 6 at a Glance
Every week, the contest challenges its participants with fun, knowledge-oriented questions. We dug into the data to grab a few nuggets from the weeks that our highlighted winners won.
MLB League Championship Contest
There were four perfect entries in the MLB League Championship contest. Les took the top prize via the tiebreaker by most accurately predicting the final score of Game 4 of the NLCS when the Dodgers beat the Mets 10-2.
College Football Week 9
Ranker questions continue to be our most difficult question each week. During college football Week 9, Justice was part of only 1.95% of entries that correctly ordered Question No. 4: “Order the following by who will have the MOST TOTAL YARDS (highest to lowest)” as DJ Giddens > Omarion Hampton > RJ Harvey > Kaleb Johnson.
MLB World Series
The easiest question in the World Series contest was Question No. 6: “Who will win GAME 4 of the World Series? Yankees or Dodgers?” It was a relatively even split between picks, but Jeff was part of 48.7% of entries that correctly picked the Yankees to beat the Dodgers.
NFL Week 6
The hardest non-ranker question for NFL Week 6 was Question No. 1: “Who will have the MOST RECEIVING YARDS?” Michael was part of 11.9% of entries that correctly picked Chris Godwin, who had 125 receiving yards over A.J. Brown, CeeDee Lamb and Amon-Ra St. Brown.
Your Turn!
So how can you join in on the fun?
It’s simple.
Just look out for our next FOX Super 6 contest, and when it goes live, try your hand to see if you can win.
The best part is that it’s free.
Your lucky day could be a few guesses away. Head to the app and start playing now!
Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
–>
recommended
Get more from National Football LeagueFollow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
The NFL on Thursday introduced the 32 nominees for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, which celebrates players who both excel on the field and provide a “positive impact beyond the game.”
“The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award celebrates Walter’s enduring legacy of excellence on the field and compassion off it,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a news release. “This award is the league’s most prestigious honor, and we are proud to recognize these 32 outstanding men for the positive impact they make in their
