Category: Sports

HOUSTON — The Texans have hired San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans as their new head coach, the team announced Tuesday.

The deal is for six years, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Ryans will be officially introduced as the franchise’s sixth full-time coach on Thursday. The Texans, meanwhile, become the first team in NFL history to have hired three consecutive Black coaches.

Ryans had his first interview with the Texans on Jan. 20 and met again with the franchise on Tuesday. Other NFL teams that had requested permission to talk with Ryans about head-coaching vacancies were the Broncos, Panthers and Colts.

“For so many reasons, DeMeco is everything we are looking for in a leader and coach for our organization,” Texans owner Cal McNair said in a statement. “He has a proven track record for developing high-quality players and constantly innovated his defensive scheme over the last six seasons in San Francisco.

“We started this process with the goal of finding someone our fans and city can be proud of and we’ve done just that. While we received a lot of incredible feedback and support for DeMeco from different people, it was our discussions with him and his vision for our football team that made him the right coach to lead us as we continue to evolve as an organization.”

Ryans’ hiring ends a three-week search since the Texans fired Lovie Smith on Jan. 8. Ryans, a former Texans standout linebacker, will be the fourth coach in Houston in four years after Smith and David Culley were each fired after one season.

Former coach and general manager Bill O’Brien was fired after starting the 2020 season 0-4. O’Brien led the Texans for six full seasons before that, and his 52-48 record (.520) leaves him as the only Texans coach over .500.

The franchise hired Nick Caserio as GM in 2021. Caserio hired Culley (4-13) in 2021 and promoted Smith (3-13-1) from defensive coordinator in 2022.

Now Caserio has hired Ryans, who took over the 49ers’ defensive unit in 2021.

“DeMeco is a proven coach with a track record of success who has an innate ability to lead people,” Caserio said in a statement. “… We are working to build a sustainable program that has long-term success and DeMeco is the coach we feel is the best fit to help us achieve our goals. We know how important it is to get results now and we have a lot of work to do, but I’m excited to partner with DeMeco to build our football team together.”

In his first season, the 49ers allowed the third-fewest yards per game (310), and in 2022, San Francisco allowed the fewest points (16.8) and yards (300.6) per game. Ryans’ unit also tied for the second-most takeaways (30).

Ryans’ defense helped lift the 49ers to a 13-4 record in the regular season before they fell to the Philadelphia Eagles 31-7 in the NFC Championship Game as the No. 2 seed.

Before becoming a coach, Ryans had a 10-year career with the Texans and Eagles. He was a second-round pick out of Alabama by the Texans in 2006 and was named Defensive Rookie of the Year after finishing second in league tackles (156). His 126 solo tackles were second most for a rookie in NFL history.

The following season, Ryans earned second-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors. The two-time Pro Bowler played for the Texans for six seasons and is currently the franchise’s all-time leader in tackles (479).

“Being the head coach of the Houston Texans is my dream job and my family is thrilled to be back in H-Town,” Ryans said in a statement. “I have been around the game of football my entire life and I’ve always had a natural ability to lead others. I know what it takes to win and be successful in this league as both a player and coach.

“We’re going to build a program filled with players who have a special work ethic and relentless mindset. I understand the responsibility I have to this organization and to the fans of Houston to build a winner and I can’t wait to get to work.”

Ryans, 38, has spent the past six years coaching; his first role was a defensive quality control coach for the 49ers in 2017 under coach Kyle Shanahan. In 2018, he became the inside linebackers coach, and was elevated to defensive coordinator when Robert Saleh left to become the New York Jets’ head coach in 2021.

“I’d like to first thank the San Francisco 49ers, Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch for six incredible seasons where I grew as a coach and a man,” Ryans said. “I couldn’t be prouder of what we accomplished together, and I will always cherish the relationships I built there.”

One of the biggest tasks for Ryans will be fixing the league’s worst rush defense, which allowed 170.2 yards per game. No team has allowed over 170 rushing yards since the 0-16 Lions (172.1) in 2008. The Texans also have finished 27th in points allowed per game three seasons in a row.

The pass defense was a bright spot for a team that allowed the third-most total yards per game (379.5). The Texans finished 10th in the league in passing yards allowed per game (209.3) and had more interceptions (16) than touchdowns allowed (15).

The team’s 16 interceptions were tied for fourth, and the 15 touchdowns allowed were tied for the fewest.

Beyond fixing the defense, Ryans must fix the Texans’ offensive struggles and find an answer at quarterback.

The unit averaged 17 points (30th), and the Texans’ 19 interceptions were second most. Opening-day starting quarterback Davis Mills had 15 of those in 15 games and was tied for the league high, and Kyle Allen, who started when Mills was benched, threw the other four in two games.

The Texans have two first-round draft picks (No. 2 and No. 12 overall) in the 2023 NFL draft and could use one of those on a quarterback. They also could address the position via trade or free agency. The NFL informed teams on Monday that the salary cap will increase to $224.8 million for the 2023 league year. The Texans are estimated to have about $40 million in cap space.

After making the biggest splash move last offseason by trading two first-round and two second-round picks for Russell Wilson, the Denver Broncos were back at it Tuesday with another blockbuster trade.

The Broncos agreed to compensation with the New Orleans Saints in return for Super Bowl-winning head coach Sean Payton, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Payton went 152-89 in 15 seasons as Saints head coach, including a win over the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV. The Saints will receive the Broncos’ 2023 first-round pick (No. 29 overall) and their 2024 second-round pick for Payton and the Saints’ 2024 third-round selection, sources said.

Denver will hope for better results from this move after Wilson struggled for most of the season. The Broncos finished last in the league, averaging 16.9 points per game, which resulted in first-year coach Nathaniel Hackett being fired after a 4-11 start.

ESPN Broncos reporter Jeff Legwold, Saints reporter Katherine Terrell and draft analyst Matt Miller break down the deal from all sides.

What’s the history of coaches being traded for first-round draft picks?

Before the Payton trade Tuesday, three coaches had been traded for packages that included a first-rounder:

In 1997, Bill Parcells was traded from New England Patriots to New York Jets for four picks (1997 3rd, 1997 4th, 1998 2nd, 1999 1st). In 2000, Bill Belichick was traded from the Jets to the Patriots for three draft picks (2000 1st, 2001 4th, 2001 7th). The Patriots got two picks (2001 5th, 2002 7th) back from the Jets. In 2002, Jon Gruden was traded from the Raiders to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for four picks (2002 1st, 2002 2nd, 2003 1st, 2004 2nd) and $8 million.

The Baltimore Colts also ended up getting a first-round pick from the Miami Dolphins for Don Shula. The NFL ruled Miami violated tampering rules in its recruitment of the coach and made them surrender the pick. — ESPN Stats & Analysis

Why did this move make sense for Payton?

Payton loves a challenge and is fond of saying “crisis or carnival,” referring to how a team will respond to the weekly tests that come up during the season. Wilson will be a big part of that challenge. Payton has offered up his plan to “fix” Wilson in public interviews this year. Not only does Payton get a chance to try to return a veteran quarterback to his previous winning form, but he also inherits a unit that finished seventh in total defense. It’s also Payton’s chance to show that he can win without future Hall-of-Fame quarterback Drew Brees, who was with him for 15 seasons in New Orleans. — Terrell

Why did Denver believe it was worth giving up draft picks — including a first-rounder — for Payton?

The fact the Saints were willing to take the No. 29 overall pick was likely a key piece of the deal. General manager George Paton acquired the pick from the Dolphins (the Dolphins originally got it from the San Francisco 49ers) in exchange for Bradley Chubb in November. The Broncos did not have the draft capital of some other teams in the pursuit of Payton because they surrendered five picks, including first- and second-round rounders in 2022 and 2023, as part of the Wilson trade. They had hoped to keep their 2024 first-rounder and not surrender more than one first-rounder in any potential deal for Payton. The willingness of the Saints to agree to a deal that included that 29th pick to go with a second-rounder in 2024 (they don’t have a second-rounder this year) means the Broncos won’t pick until the third round next year, but it was still a price they were willing to pay to get the kind of résumé Payton brings with him. — Legwold

Why did the Saints decide this was the right move?

The Saints knew from the day Payton stepped away that he could be back on the sidelines by 2023 — whether it was with them or not. Saints general manager Mickey Loomis didn’t want to prevent Payton from returning, but he also wanted adequate compensation. That compensation would’ve dropped drastically if Payton didn’t find a team until 2024, which would’ve been the final year of his Saints deal. The Saints now get a chance to get back into Day 1 of the draft and won’t walk away empty-handed after losing their coach unexpectedly last year. Their future at quarterback is murky enough that Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan was tweeting his desire for the Saints to draft one minutes after the Payton news broke. The first-round pick could certainly help them get back into the mix – including giving them more draft capital if they wanted to try to trade up to draft a quarterback. — Terrell

What does this mean for Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson?

Wilson called Payton “one of the world’s best” after the Broncos’ win over the Los Angeles Chargers in the season finale and said “the wizardry you would have on the field was magnificent” with Payton’s teams. So, it’s safe to say he’ll be on board with this move. After a career-low 16 touchdown passes in a season when his team finished with the worst record (5-12) of any season in his career, Wilson will be ready to turn the page. When Broncos owner and CEO Greg Penner said he wanted the new coach to bring a “culture of accountability,” Penner meant everybody, including Wilson, was going to have to be better in 2023. And Payton will be tasked with making that happen. — Legwold

The Saints now have a first-round pick. What is their biggest need and who could fit there?

The Saints’ biggest need by far is at quarterback. Andy Dalton is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent, and while Jameis Winston has a year left on the two-year contract he signed in 2022, there’s no guarantee that he will return to New Orleans. But at pick No. 29, I don’t have a late first-round grade on any quarterback in this class. They could pivot to look for upgrades on the defensive line. Keion White (Georgia Tech), Derick Hall (Auburn) and Tuli Tuipulotu (USC) could all be targets for New Orleans, which also owns the No. 40 overall pick early in Round 2. — Miller

How much power, beyond that of a head coach, will Payton wield?

Even as Penner cited the mistakes made this past season, including all of the things that led to Hackett’s firing, he has said Paton would have a significant role in the construction of the roster. Paton was also part of the group Penner had working on the coaching search. Payton has conveyed to the Broncos during the interview process that he is comfortable working with Paton. Both will answer to Penner, so he may have to settle an argument or two along the way, as the Broncos are poised to have what Penner had called a “traditional” setup with the head coach and general manager each answering to the owner. — Legwold

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Titans are tearing up the grass field at Nissan Stadium and replacing it with a synthetic surface before the 2023 season.

The Titans announced the change Tuesday. The team, which already has started work, is making the change after reviewing injury rates and knowing how difficult it has been to grow grass at Nissan Stadium since it opened in 1999.

“Ultimately there’s just a limit to how much can be done for a natural grass surface in this part of the country,” said Burke Nihill, the team president and CEO. “This turf is cutting-edge technology and will be a huge improvement in terms of consistency and performance.”

The Titans have led the NFL in each of the past two seasons for most players used, including setting a league record with 91 players in 2021 — the most in a strike-free season — because of injuries.

The franchise also learned from the NFL that games at Nissan Stadium have had more lower-body injuries than games at the league’s stadiums with monofilament synthetic turf fields over the past few seasons and that their stadium was among the league leaders for games with players with lower-body injuries.

Nissan Stadium will be the NFL’s first to use the technology featuring a monofilament, Matrix Helix turf with an organic infill that retains moisture better than synthetic fields using rubber. The Titans installed the surface at their indoor practice field last year.

Coach Mike Vrabel said he noticed the grass becoming slick even when replaced with new sod, causing players to slip. Vrabel said players responded favorably to the new indoor surface.

“Just witnessing our practices inside and how they feel and how they respond on that product,” Vrabel said. “We’re excited to be able to add this product to our stadium.”

MOBILE, Ala. — Heisman Trophy runner-up Max Duggan was among the NFL prospects to report on Monday after accepting his invitation to the Senior Bowl.

The TCU quarterback declared for the NFL draft after a near-storybook ending to his college career, where he went from losing his starting job to leading the Horned Frogs to their first national title appearance since 1938, where they came up short.

Although this Senior Bowl isn’t projected to have a first-round quarterback for the first time in nearly a decade, executive director Jim Nagy sees this as an opportunity for Duggan to ascend on draft boards similar to late-rising quarterbacks such as the Philadelphia Eagles‘ Jalen Hurts and San Francisco 49ers‘ Brock Purdy.

“Really excited about this year’s quarterback class,” Nagy said at Tuesday’s news conference. “Really, based on our grades, our Senior Bowl grades and when we do our grade-sharing calls around the league in November, this class is all in that fourth-, fifth-round group which is where Jalen Hurts was just three short years ago and now it’s pretty awesome to see Jalen in the Super Bowl and Jalen jumped into second that year so I think it’s going to be a guy or two that gets into Day 2. There’s some Day 2 guys that went back to school.”

Nagy also touched on the meteoric rise of going from a “seventh-round PFA to fourth or fifth round, that’s a massive jump.”

Duggan passed for 3,698 yards and 32 touchdowns in his senior season.

“It was pretty special. A lot of ups and downs, but I was supported and surrounded by a lot of great people whether it was family and friends, teammates, coaching staff, people at the university,” Duggan said. “It was just so many people in my corner that helped me get to this point.”

Duggan said he hasn’t had time to reflect on his accomplishments, but wants to use the Senior Bowl experience as a chance to showcase his football knowledge, ability to execute playcalling and run a full operation to NFL front offices.

“I think it can help in the sense that you’re always trying to self-scout yourself, and these teams are all doing that, and everyone’s thinking, ‘well why didn’t we take Purdy in the fifth or sixth or even before that?’” Nagy said. “And I know when I got into scouting, we used to value experience a ton at quarterback and guys that like lifted programs and that’s why I loved Desmond Ridder so much last year because Desmond really lifted that entire Cincinnati program, but with Max, he’s played a ton of football so for anyone that’s going back and doing the Purdy study, they’re going to look at a guy like Max who’s started 40 or whatever career games and that can certainly probably help him.”

This year also marks the first time in the Senior Bowl’s history that two full staffs from NFL squads will not be coaching the game. Nagy didn’t view the new coaching format as a con, but admitted that it “created a lot more work for our staff.”

The Detroit Lions and New York Jets were the coaching staffs at the 2022 Senior Bowl.

“That was a call by the league office. Like I said, I was taken off guard a little bit with the call in June and you just deal with it,” Nagy said. “We’ve dealt with a lot in the last five years since I’ve been here with a stadium move, COVID, trying to pull a game off fully bubbled. So, the coaching staff move is nothing we would’ve proactively done, but again, it’s not just a great opportunity for our players, I think it’s great for the players, too. It’s been great having those guys in town.”

Chelsea have signed midfielder Enzo Fernandez from Benfica for a British-record £106.8m.

The deal for the Argentine surpasses the £100m Manchester City paid for Jack Grealish from Aston Villa 18 months ago.

The 22-year-old, who only joined Benfica last summer for around £10m, has signed an eight-and-a-half-year deal at Stamford Bridge to keep him at the club until the summer of 2031.

Chelsea had been in talks to sign the World Cup winner throughout January, but Benfica had refused to do business unless the Blues paid his €120m release clause.

But Chelsea agreed a deal of €121m at 9.15pm on Deadline Day after 12 hours of talks led by Chelsea’s co-owner Behdad Eghbali from London.

The Blues will pay a first instalment of £30m with the rest of the fee paid in five further instalments.

Fernandez was left out of Benfica’s squad for their game against Arouca on Tuesday night, with the 22-year-old undergoing a medical in Portugal ahead of his switch to Stamford Bridge.

According to Portuguese broadcaster SIC, Fernandez will fly to the UK on Wednesday morning, with a private jet scheduled to leave Lisbon airport at 10.20am.

Fernandez will help to replace Jorginho, who joined Chelsea’s London rivals Arsenal on Deadline Day in a £12m deal.

How much did Chelsea spend in January?

Following the arrival of Fernandez, Chelsea spent £323.3m in January. Here are the deals the Blues made:

• Benoit Badiashile – Monaco, £35m
• David Datro Fofana – Molde, undisclosed (reported £10m deal)
• Andrey Santos – Vasco da Gama, undisclosed (reported £18m deal)
• Joao Felix – Atletico Madrid, £9.7m loan
• Mykhailo Mudryk – Shakhtar Donetsk, £88.5m
• Noni Madueke – PSV Eindhoven, £29m
• Malo Gusto – Lyon, £26.3m
• Enzo Fernandez – Benfica, £106.8m

Analysis: What Fernandez will bring to Chelsea

Sky Sports’ Ron Walker:

“Fernandez’s attributes make it clear how he can help. Still only halfway through his first season with Benfica, he has racked up the second-most assists in the Primeira Liga, and created 30 chances for his team-mates – some of them particularly eye-catching, and a stunning pinpoint set-up for Goncalo Ramos against Sporting earlier this month perhaps the pick of the bunch.

“It is that kind of playmaking potential which had Manchester City and Real Madrid interested in bringing him in from boyhood side River Plate last summer before he settled on a move to Lisbon.

“No one in the Portuguese top flight has made more passes than the Argentine, and if he does prove to replace Jorginho at Stamford Bridge, he will also provide something extra in the final third where he tops the charts for passes too.

“Should Chelsea want to play with a midfield two, he would offer a better option there too. Fernandez has already taken responsibility without the ball at Benfica, slotting into an anchorman role regularly as required. He has been one of the league’s top tacklers, and only 10 players across the division have won the ball back more in the middle third despite his considerable output further up the pitch.”

Read the full feature here

PGRpdiBjbGFzcz0ncmEtY29udGFpbmVyIGRpc3Ryb19hZCc+CjxkaXYgY2xh
c3M9J3ZpZGVvLWFkLXdyYXBwZXInPgo8c2NyaXB0IGFzeW5jIHNyYz0nLy9j
LmpzcmRuLmNvbS9zL2NzLmpzP3A9MjI1NDYnIHR5cGU9J3RleHQvamF2YXNj
cmlwdCc+PC9zY3JpcHQ+CjxkaXYgY2xhc3M9J3ZpZGVvLWNvbnRhaW5lcicg
aWQ9J2RzX2RlZmF1bHRfYW5jaG9yJz48L2Rpdj4KPC9kaXY+CjwvZGl2PgoK

{{ timeAgo(‘2023-01-31 18:24:19 -0600’) }}
football
Edit

David Berry
•
Rivals.com

Video Director

Woody Wommack and Adam Gorney discuss Jaden Rashada and what seems to be between Arizona State and TCU for the quarterback.

All the top stories and transfer rumours from Wednesday’s papers after a nail-biting Deadline Day…

DAILY MAIL

Manchester City are interested in a move for James Maddison this summer.

Hakim Ziyech’s loan move to Paris Saint-Germain was held up because Chelsea have been “greedy” in their negotiations, according to reports in France.

Jadon Sancho is set to make his return to the Manchester United matchday squad for the first time since October.

Enner Valencia claims his fellow Ecuador international Moises Caicedo should not have written the Instagram post which signalled he was leaving Brighton.

The 12 clubs involved in the European Super League project have had their protection against any UEFA sanctions restored, at least until the European Court of Justice rules on the case later this year.

Conor Benn is expected to be permitted to return to the World Boxing Council rankings when it releases its findings from a three-month investigation into his failed drugs tests.

THE SUN

Manchester City “really like” Arsenal star Bukayo Saka, reports claim.

Juventus star Dusan Vlahovic wants a move to Real Madrid amid interest from Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal.

Marc Cucurella was shocked to learn Jorginho had completed his transfer from Chelsea to Arsenal.

THE ATHLETIC

Crystal Palace’s first-team coach Shaun Derry has left his role with the Premier League club.

DAILY TELEGRAPH

Aston Villa have dismissed a campaign from their own supporters to abandon a shirt sponsorship deal with controversial online casino BK8.

England are facing an extraordinary stretch on their resources for the white-ball tour of Bangladesh with around 15 players set to be unavailable for the start of the tour.

LIV Golf has signed yet another PGA Tour winner, with Colombian Sebastian Munoz set to be announced as the newest recruit for the Saudi-funded league, which begins in three weeks’ time.

THE INDEPENDENT

Everton have turned to Andre Ayew late in the window to try and solve their scoring issues, and are in advanced talks about a deal.

DAILY STAR

Ex-Manchester United boss Ralf Rangnick was full of praise for Manchester United new-boy Marcel Sabitzer from when the pair worked together at RB Leipzig.

Train tickets from Newcastle to London on the day of the League Cup final all but sold out just 20 minutes into Tuesday’s semi-final second leg.

THE TIMES

Chelsea’s Ben Chilwell, who Manchester City almost signed from Leicester City in 2020, is among their targets for a new left-back.

Liverpool are considering their former base at Melwood as a site for the training ground for their women’s team.

DAILY RECORD

Former Poland manager Czeslaw Michniewicz is interested in becoming the new manager of Aberdeen, according to reports.

THE SCOTSMAN

Jonny Hayes insists he and his Aberdeen team-mates did not “throw Jim Goodwin under the bus” but knows they have no defence to accusations being levelled at them.

PGRpdiBjbGFzcz0ncmEtY29udGFpbmVyIGRpc3Ryb19hZCc+CjxkaXYgY2xh
c3M9J3ZpZGVvLWFkLXdyYXBwZXInPgo8c2NyaXB0IGFzeW5jIHNyYz0nLy9j
LmpzcmRuLmNvbS9zL2NzLmpzP3A9MjI1NDYnIHR5cGU9J3RleHQvamF2YXNj
cmlwdCc+PC9zY3JpcHQ+CjxkaXYgY2xhc3M9J3ZpZGVvLWNvbnRhaW5lcicg
aWQ9J2RzX2RlZmF1bHRfYW5jaG9yJz48L2Rpdj4KPC9kaXY+CjwvZGl2PgoK

{{ timeAgo(‘2023-01-31 18:21:33 -0600’) }}
football
Edit

David Berry
•
Rivals.com

Video Director

Woody Wommack and Adam Gorney break down tight end Walker Lyons and make predictions on where he will end up on National Signing Day.

PGRpdiBjbGFzcz0ncmEtY29udGFpbmVyIGRpc3Ryb19hZCc+CjxkaXYgY2xh
c3M9J3ZpZGVvLWFkLXdyYXBwZXInPgo8c2NyaXB0IGFzeW5jIHNyYz0nLy9j
LmpzcmRuLmNvbS9zL2NzLmpzP3A9MjI1NDYnIHR5cGU9J3RleHQvamF2YXNj
cmlwdCc+PC9zY3JpcHQ+CjxkaXYgY2xhc3M9J3ZpZGVvLWNvbnRhaW5lcicg
aWQ9J2RzX2RlZmF1bHRfYW5jaG9yJz48L2Rpdj4KPC9kaXY+CjwvZGl2PgoK

{{ timeAgo(‘2023-01-31 18:19:47 -0600’) }}
football
Edit

David Berry
•
Rivals.com

Video Director

Woody Wommack and Adam Gorney discuss top-rated athlete Nyckoles Harbor and where he will sign on National Signing Day.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper, despite hiring Frank Reich over Steve Wilks as the team’s sixth head coach, insisted on Tuesday he’s doing what he can to break up the “old boys’ network” in the NFL.

The old boys’ network of mostly white owners has a history of not putting minority candidates in positions of power, particularly as it pertains to head coaches.

There currently are only four Black head coaches, Todd Bowles of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Mike McDaniel of the Miami Dolphins and DeMeco Ryans of the Houston Texans. Ryans was hired Tuesday.

The Panthers hired Reich, who is white, over Wilks, who is Black. Tepper insisted race had nothing to do with the decision.

He pointed to his executive team that includes: his wife, Nicole, the chief administrative officer; Kristi Coleman, the chief administrative officer; Kisha Smith, a Black woman who is a senior vice president that oversees human resources; and Tanya Taylor, a general counsel who is a Black woman.

“We have probably the most diverse executive team in the NFL right now,” Tepper said. “We are probably a minority of white men on our executive team right now. That’s where it starts. That’s America.

“How do you break that old boys’ network? How do you break that process? You break the process by trying to get the best people possible in every role you can do. Whether it’s the new [general counsel] we hired, who happens to be an African American woman. Whether it happens to be Frank Reich, who is a Caucasian male.”

Tepper insisted the decision to hire Reich, 61, had more to do with his offensive background. The coaching search supported that. Seven of the nine candidates had an offensive background, and all but Jim Caldwell were white.

The two defensive-minded coaches were Black.

“Every year we get in these NFL meetings, and every year they put in some new rules to benefit the offense … every single year,” Tepper said. “And it’s never going to end. It’s never going to end.

“And the reason it is, scoring brings eyeballs. That’s what the league is about, getting eyeballs to watch the thing. So, I can tell you again, the new rules will be offensive-minded rules. So, you have that challenge, first.”

Reich is the first offensive-minded coach hired in team history, which began in 1995, when Reich was the starting quarterback for the expansion franchise for the first three games.

Tepper never addressed whether the defensive-minded Wilks had a legitimate shot at the job because of the direction of the search. Wilks led Carolina to a 6-6 finish after Matt Rhule was fired following a 1-4 start.

General manager Scott Fitterer did, however.

“He had a legitimate shot,” Fitterer said. “He did a heck of a job leading this team. He’s a great man.”

Fitterer said what separated Reich from Wilks and other candidates was the interview process when he was “dialed in” with his plan and his “second-level” thinking.

He also admitted it’s an advantage hiring an offensive-minded coach in today’s NFL.

“If you want to go offense, there are some advantages to that,” he said. “And there are advantages to playing aggressively on the offensive side of the ball. … You saw it this past weekend [in the NFC and AFC Championship Games, where all four head coaches were offensive-minded].”

The law firm that represents Steve Wilks in the discrimination lawsuit he joined against the league after being fired as the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals after one season (2018) saw things differently. Wigdor LLP put out a statement saying it was “shocked and disturbed” by Carolina’s decision to hire Reich over Wilks.

“There is a legitimate race problem in the NFL, and we can assure you that we will have more to say in the coming days,” the firm said on Thursday after Reich was hired.

Reich kept the focus of his news conference on the challenge he faces taking over a team that has gone 29-53 since Tepper purchased the organization in 2018.

He didn’t commit to calling the plays, saying the trend in the NFL is going away from the head coach doing that. He said whether that happens depends on his offensive coordinator.

“Obviously, I have always enjoyed doing that and felt like I’ve had a good bit of success doing that,” he said.

One of Reich’s first jobs, outside of hiring a staff, will be finding a starting quarterback. The Panthers have had five different starters since 2020. Reich went through seven starters in four-plus seasons with the Indianapolis Colts before being fired in November.

Reich is thankful for another opportunity so fast after his dismissal.

“It’s a passing league, but you have to be able to run the ball to be a championship team,” he said. “That’s one reason I’m excited about this roster. I know we can do that. We’ll get the pass game right, but I know we can run the football.”

The New Orleans Saints and Denver Broncos have agreed to compensation in return for Super Bowl-winning head coach Sean Payton, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The Saints will receive the Broncos’ 2023 first-round pick (No. 30 overall) and their 2024 second-round pick for Payton and the Saints’ 2024 third-round selection, sources said.

This clears the way for Payton to sign with the Broncos to become the franchise’s next head coach.

The Broncos had traded their first-round pick to the Seattle Seahawks in last year’s blockbuster trade to acquire Russell Wilson but then acquired a first-round pick from the Miami Dolphins in the trade that sent Bradley Chubb to Miami last season. That pick originally belonged to the San Francisco 49ers, who sent the pick to Miami in the trade that allowed them to pick Trey Lance in the 2021 draft.

When he agrees to a contract, Payton will replace Nathaniel Hackett, who was fired during his first season as the Broncos’ head coach.

Denver also had interest in Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh and San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans, among others. Ryans was hired as the Houston Texans‘ new coach on Tuesday, sources told Schefter.

Arsenal have signed Jorginho from Chelsea in a Deadline Day deal worth £12m, boosting their midfield ahead of a push for the Premier League title.

The 31-year-old midfielder has signed an 18-month contract, with an option to extend for a further year.

The Italian was into the final six months of his Chelsea contract, with the Blues trying to land a British record transfer for Benfica central midfielder Enzo Fernandez.

Under Mikel Arteta, Arsenal tried to sign Jorginho from Chelsea in the summer of 2020, just after he won the Champions League with the Blues and the year before he lifted the European Championships with Italy.

Arteta was also the assistant coach at Manchester City when they tried to sign him in 2018 – but Jorginho turned down the move to join Maurizio Sarri instead at Chelsea from Napoli.

Speaking to the Arsenal website about Arteta, Jorginho said: “He was a big influence because I know that he tried a few times to get me before and it didn’t happen due to other reasons, not because of my wishes.

“I’m very excited for this new challenge, and I just can’t wait to be on the pitch to be honest! Everything has happened so fast. I was a bit surprised, but I took the opportunity of this amazing challenge.”

Arsenal are short on options in midfield and revealed on Deadline Day that Egypt international Mohamed Elneny has suffered a “significant” knee injury.

A club statement read: “Following an injury sustained in a recent training session, subsequent assessments have confirmed that Mohamed Elneny has a significant injury to his right knee. Mo has had successful surgery in London and will be ruled out for an extended period of time.”

Meanwhile, Arsenal midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga is due to join Crystal Palace on loan. There are also ongoing injury concerns over Thomas Partey, who has picked up a rib injury.

The Gunners twice bid for Moises Caicedo in the final week of the January window but Brighton remained adamant that the midfielder was not for sale.

Analysis: Carragher positive on Jorginho move

Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher:

“With maybe 10 games to go in the season, when they might actually need cool heads, when there is a pressure moment and the nerves are coming on in that title run-in with seven or eight games to go, he may actually be a really good signing in terms of slowing things down with a cool head.

“He is a player that has won the Champions League, he has won a European Championship in the last few years, so he is a top player, there is no doubt about that, but he is a different style of player.

“But I think that could be a big help for them towards the end of the season as they get nervous.”

FLASHBACK: When Arsenal tried to sign Jorginho on a 2020 Deadline Day

We’ve been here before with Arsenal looking to sign Jorginho on Deadline Day. Rewind to October 2020 when Mikel Arteta first tried to tempt the Italian to make the switch across London.

Here’s how Sky Sports reported it at the time…

Squad depth, Europe, experience… why Arsenal went for Jorginho

Sky Sports News’ Gail Davis:

“People may be surprised, when you look at the profile of players Arsenal had been signing but Arteta had made the point on the day they signed Leandro Trossard that they need players who are fit and ready to go straight off in the Premier League. That’s what Jorginho is.

“Arsenal are short in the midfield area. The squad is looking thin there.

“Europe is about to start and they’ll be going Thursday-Sunday-Thursday-Sunday and they want somebody else in.

“When you look at where Arsenal are now, they’ve got a great chance of winning the Premier League for the first time in 20 years. Arteta understands the demands on his squad are going to be greater over the next few months and that’s why he had to get bodies in.”

Analysis: Arsenal can’t wait for a new midfielder

Sky Sports’ Nick Wright:

One of the most important factors behind Arsenal’s success this season is that they have been able to keep Partey fit. The Ghanaian was sorely missed during his periods on the sidelines last term and Arsenal’s record with and without him proves it.

In fact, factor in the current campaign as well and Arsenal’s win rate stands at 74 per cent in the Premier League games he has started compared to just 50 per cent in the ones he has missed.

The gulf in quality between him and his deputies, Elneny and Albert Sambi Lokonga, is simply too large and the Egyptian’s injury exposes Arsenal’s lack of depth even more glaringly.

Waiting until the summer, when the club hope to recruit Declan Rice from West Ham, is now even riskier than it was and that means action is required before the end of January window.

Arsenal’s schedule has been relatively kind since Christmas, but it ramps up with a run of four Premier League games in 14 days at the start of February, and that’s followed by the resumption of their Europa League campaign in March.

Partey’s load will need to be managed in order to minimise the risk of injury and that will only be possible if Mikel Arteta is granted his wish for a viable alternative in the 29-year-old’s position.

Arsenal’s recruitment in recent years has centred on the long-term but right now, top of the Premier League and with the added burden of European commitments to come, a short-term solution is needed.

PGRpdiBjbGFzcz0ncmEtY29udGFpbmVyIGRpc3Ryb19hZCc+CjxkaXYgY2xh
c3M9J3ZpZGVvLWFkLXdyYXBwZXInPgo8c2NyaXB0IGFzeW5jIHNyYz0nLy9j
LmpzcmRuLmNvbS9zL2NzLmpzP3A9MjI1NDYnIHR5cGU9J3RleHQvamF2YXNj
cmlwdCc+PC9zY3JpcHQ+CjxkaXYgY2xhc3M9J3ZpZGVvLWNvbnRhaW5lcicg
aWQ9J2RzX2RlZmF1bHRfYW5jaG9yJz48L2Rpdj4KPC9kaXY+CjwvZGl2PgoK

{{ timeAgo(‘2023-01-31 13:51:13 -0600’) }}
football
Edit

Adam Friedman
•
Rivals.com

National Recruiting Analyst

Adam Friedman joined Rivals.com as the East Coast Recruiting Analyst in 2012 and covers D1 CFB recruits from SC to Maine & out to PA & WV. Media requests- RivalsFriedman@gmail.com

Penn State, Michigan State, and Ole Miss hosted offensive tackle Chimdy Onoh this month for official visits and each have a shot at landing his signature on National Signing Day tomorrow. The Dundalk, Md. star is set to announce his decision during a ceremony at his school tomorrow at 2 p.m. Onoh previews his decision with Rivals.com in the video below.

You must be a member to read the full article. Subscribe now for instant access to all premium content.

• 
  

  Members-only forums

• 
  

  Predict prospect commits with FanFutureCast

• 
  

  Exclusive highlights and interviews

• 
  

  Exclusive coverage of Rivals Camp Series

• 
  

  Breaking recruiting news

The Baltimore Ravens announced Tuesday that they’re sending a quarterback to the Pro Bowl.

No, it is not Lamar Jackson. It’s — surprise — Tyler Huntley.

A fourth alternate, Huntley was added to replace Josh Allen (elbow injury), becoming one of the most unlikely participants ever in the Pro Bowl.

Huntley threw two touchdown passes this season, the fewest by far for a quarterback selected to the Pro Bowl since the 1970 merger, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. The previous low was six touchdown passes by the Philadelphia Eagles‘ Mike Boryla in 1975. In filling in for the injured Jackson for six games, Huntley passed for a total of 658 yards, which ranked 48th in the NFL this season.

When the initial Pro Bowl rosters were announced in December, Patrick Mahomes was named the starter, and Allen and Joe Burrow were selected as backups. The alternates were: Tua Tagovailoa (first), Justin Herbert (second) and Jackson (third).

Mahomes can’t attend the Pro Bowl because the Kansas City Chiefs are playing in the Super Bowl. Four other quarterbacks are unable to play because of injury: Allen (elbow), Tagovailoa (concussion), Herbert (shoulder) and Jackson (knee).

All of these banged-up quarterbacks opened a spot for Huntley, who struggled in throwing two touchdowns and three interceptions this season. Huntley becomes the first quarterback since Vince Young in 2006 to make the Pro Bowl after throwing more interceptions than touchdowns.

In addition to Huntley, quarterbacks Derek Carr of the Las Vegas Raiders and Trevor Lawrence of the Jacksonville Jaguars were also added to the Pro Bowl roster Tuesday.

Carr tweeted out his news.

😂😂😂😂
Well… maybe this invitation got lost in the mail from past seasons but I’m going back to pro bowl #4. See you soon Vegas!

— Derek Carr (@derekcarrqb) January 31, 2023

The “Pro Bowl Games” are being held in Las Vegas this week. The flag football game will take place at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday. All of which may serve as a farewell for Carr, whose time with the Raiders appears to be over.

Carr had been the Raiders’ starting quarterback since being selected in the second round of the 2014 NFL draft while the team was still in Oakland. But he was benched ahead of Week 17 in favor of Jarrett Stidham and stayed away from the team. Carr finished with 3,522 passing yards, 24 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 15 games for the Raiders.

Lawrence rebounded from a rough rookie season and completed 67.3% of his passes for 4,113 yards and 25 touchdowns with eight interceptions. He surged in the second half of the season, throwing 15 touchdown passes and only two interceptions in Weeks 9-18.

Lawrence led the Jaguars to come-from-behind victories over the Ravens, Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers. He also rebounded from a fumble with less than two minutes to play to lead the Jaguars to a game-tying field goal as time expired in regulation against the Dallas Cowboys.

Lawrence threw four interceptions in the first half of the wild-card playoff game against the Chargers, but then threw four touchdown passes to rally the Jaguars from a 27-0 deficit. The Jaguars won 31-30 on Riley Patterson’s 36-yard field goal as time expired.

This marks the first year that the NFL is replacing the Pro Bowl with weeklong skills competitions and a flag football game. The new event will replace the full-contact showcase that started in 1951.

Information from ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez was used in this report.

CAA is now representing women’s hockey players, hoping to minimize the gender gap and help grow the sport, the agency told ESPN on Tuesday.

The Creative Artists Agency has signed eight women’s hockey players, including two-time Canadian Olympic medalist Blayre Turnbull and Boston College captain Hannah Bilka, to its initial roster, promising to provide the same level of services it does for NHL clients.

“Women’s hockey has grown immensely in the last 20 years but still has a long way to go,” said Jen Kardosh, who is the head of operations, marketing and client management for CAA Hockey. “We are excited to use the experience we have from the men’s game to help these women grow their personal brands while also helping with the overall growth of the game.”

The Premier Hockey Federation is the only women’s professional league in North America and is in its eighth year of existence. Although the league has made great strides — including a plan to double its salary cap to $1.5 million in the 2023-24 season — many of the sport’s top players, including most Canadian and American Olympians, are holding out for a different league where they say they can make a sustainable, living wage.

At large, women’s hockey has shown promising signs of growth. The gold-medal game at the 2022 Olympics between Canada and the United States averaged 3.54 million viewers on NBC. In November, the U.S. topped Canada in a game at Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena featuring 14,551 fans — the highest attendance ever for a women’s hockey game in the U.S.

“We want to help these women grow their careers on and off the ice and want to help them reach their goals,” said CAA Hockey’s Dominique DiDia, a former collegiate hockey player. “The women’s game is fast, entertaining, filled with incredibly skilled players — and has proven recently how much people do want to watch and be fans of the women.”

CAA represents some of the top players in the NHL, including Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon and David Pastrnak. The agency’s women’s representation plan is an all-hands-on-deck approach, with leading NHL agents Pat Brisson and JP Barry planning to be involved.

Kardosh said the goal is to help women’s players navigate their careers, while “showcasing these incredible female athletes through strategic partnerships promoting their well-rounded personalities and interests on and off the ice.”

CAA’s women’s clients also include American goalie Aerin Frankel, the 2021 Patty Kazmaier winner, and Canadian Claire Thompson, who set the record at the 2022 Olympics for most points by a defenseman. Thompson is enrolled at NYU’s medical school and plans to train for the 2026 Olympics.