Report: 49ers' Fred Warner becomes highest-paid LB

Report: 49ers' Fred Warner becomes highest-paid LB

Four-time All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner has agreed to a three-year, $63 million contract extension to remain with the San Francisco 49ers through 2029, ESPN reported on Monday. The deal would include $56 million in guaranteed money for Warner, a four-time Pro Bowler who has played for the 49ers since he was drafted out of BYU in the third round in 2018. As a result, Warner is in line to become the NFL's highest-paid linebacker -- the second such time he achieved the feat. He signed a five-year, $95 million extension in 2021 that first put him atop the list. Now, he tops Baltimore's Roquan Smith, who landed a five-year, $100 million deal in 2023. Warner has appeared in 115 games for the 49ers, totaling 897 tackles, 10 sacks and 10 interceptions. His 15 forced fumbles rank second in franchise history, just one behind Hall of Famer Patrick Willis. Last year, Warner led the 49ers with 131 tackles, marking the seventh straight year he posted the team's season-high mark. Warner's reported re-signing is just the latest in a string of key moves by San Francisco, which recently agreed to extensions with quarterback Brock Purdy and tight end George Kittle. San Francisco has advanced to at least the NFC Championship Game four times in the past six seasons, including two trips to the Super Bowl. The 49ers, though, are coming off their first missed postseason since 2020 after going 6-11. --Field Level Media

byKevin Jones

in

May 19, 2025

Report: 49ers' Fred Warner becomes highest-paid LB

Report: 49ers' Fred Warner becomes highest-paid LB Four-time All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner has agreed to a three-year, $63 million cont...

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Browns QB Shedeur Sanders signs 4-year, $4.6M rookie deal

Browns QB Shedeur Sanders signs 4-year, $4.6M rookie deal

After dropping to the fifth round of last month's NFL Draft, Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders signed a four-year rookie contract worth $4.6 million on Monday. The former Colorado star's deal includes a $446,553 signing bonus, according to Sportrac. Sanders, who was the most-talked about prospect in the draft, went to Cleveland with the 144th overall selection. The Browns traded the 166th and 192nd overall picks to the Seattle Seahawks to obtain the No. 144 pick. Sanders, 23, was the sixth quarterback selected in the draft and the second by the Browns as they secured Oregon's Dillon Gabriel late in the third round. The Browns also have three veteran quarterbacks on their roster: DeShaun Watson (who's injured and won't play in 2025), recently acquired Kenny Pickett and 40-year-old Super Bowl champion Joe Flacco. Sanders, voted by the Associated Press as the second-team All-American quarterback last season, had his number retired the weekend prior to the draft at Colorado with expectations to learn his new team during the first round. Instead, he heads to rookie camp well down the totem pole and without his NFL Hall of Fame father, Deion Sanders, as his coach for the first time in nearly a decade. During his four-year college career that comprised 50 games, Shedeur Sanders completed 70.1 percent of his passes for 14,347 yards, 134 touchdowns and just 27 interceptions. --Field Level Media

byKevin Jones

in

May 19, 2025

Browns QB Shedeur Sanders signs 4-year, $4.6M rookie deal

Browns QB Shedeur Sanders signs 4-year, $4.6M rookie deal After dropping to the fifth round of last month's NFL Draft, Cleveland Browns ...

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Stanley Cup Final rankings: Which conference finals teams would make best matchup?

Stanley Cup Final rankings: Which conference finals teams would make best matchup?

TheEdmonton OilersandDallas Starsare facing each other in theNHL Western Conference finalsfor the second year in a row, starting Wednesday night in Dallas. In theEastern Conference finals, theFlorida PanthersandCarolina Hurricaneswill meet in a rematch of the 2023 series. That series will open on Tuesday in Raleigh, North Carolina. That leaves four possible matchups in the Stanley Cup Final: Stars vs. Hurricanes, Stars vs. Panthers, Oilers vs. Hurricanes or Oilers vs. Panthers, last year's championship round. Which matchup would be the best one to watch? All have their merits. USA TODAY ranks the four possibilities for the 2025 Stanley Cup Final: Why not a rematch? Last year's Stanley Cup Final certainly was entertaining, at least by the end. Florida won the first three games and appeared poised to sweep, only to beblown out 8-1 in Game 4. The Oilersforced a Game 7, but the Panthers found their game andwon 2-1 at home for their first Stanley Cup title. Both teams are filled with stars and are deeper than they were last season. Edmonton and Florida have the top offenses of the four remaining teams. Plus, the storylines abound. Can the Panthers repeat, and would we call them a dynasty if they do after three consecutive trips to the final? Will the Oilers become thefirst Canadian teamsince the 1993Montreal Canadiensto win the Stanley Cup? Will Edmonton's Connor McDavid, last year's playoff MVP, and Leon Draisaitl win their first championships? The Oilers would have home-ice advantage this time. Want some fresher faces? This one works. Dallas was last in the final in 2020, Carolina in 2006. Plus, there is the Mikko Rantanen factor. He alreadybeat the Colorado Avalanchethis postseason after that teamsurprisingly traded him to the Hurricanesearlier in the season. He would have a chance to knock off another former team because theHurricanes dealt him to the Starswhen they feared he wouldn't sign in Carolina. He has beena force in the playoffswith a league-best nine goals and 19 points. The Hurricanes, though, have been good at neutralizing other teams' stars. Carolina's Andrei Svechnikov is right behind Rantanen with eight goals. These teams were well-represented at the4 Nations Face-Off, so there is top-end talent. The Finnish Olympic team certainly would be paying attention. These teams also have the best remaining power plays. Panthers coach Paul Maurice and Stars coach Peter DeBoer are friends and are highly quotable. We would want this to go to Game 7 becauseDeBoer is 9-0in winner-take-all games andMaurice is 6-0. This would be the top remaining offense (Edmonton) vs. the best defense (Carolina), though the Hurricanes' style isn't always the most exciting to watch. This would also be a rematch of the 2006 Stanley Cup Final. The Hurricanes led that series 3-1, but the eighth-seeded Oilers fought back before Carolina won in Game 7. Rod Brind'Amour was the first player to lift the Stanley Cup as Hurricanes captain. Will he get to lift the trophy for the first time as a coach? This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:NHL playoffs: Ranking Stanley Cup Final matchups among remaining teams

byKevin Jones

in

May 19, 2025

Stanley Cup Final rankings: Which conference finals teams would make best matchup?

Stanley Cup Final rankings: Which conference finals teams would make best matchup? TheEdmonton OilersandDallas Starsare facing each other in...

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Shedeur Sanders contract details: Browns sign fifth-round rookie QB

Shedeur Sanders contract details: Browns sign fifth-round rookie QB

Shedeur Sandersis officially an NFL player. While he had to wait until the fifth round of the2025 NFL Draftto hear his name called, the 144th pick didn't have to wait long before inking his deal to play in the league. TheCleveland Brownsannounced on Monday that they have signed Sanders to his rookie deal. The contract is a four-year deal worth $4.6 million.For reference, fellow 2025 draft pick and current teammateDillon Gabrielwill eventually receive a slotted four-year deal worth $6.2 million for being drafted two rounds earlier. It hasn't been an easy road this offseason, but the ink is dried and now the work begins. Here's what to know about Sanders' first NFL contract. BROWNS QB DEPTH CHART:Cleveland's quarterback room after drafting Shedeur Sanders Sanders signed a four-year deal worth $4.6 million. The quarterback will carry an average annual value (AAV) of about $1.16 million and received a signing bonus of $446,553, according toSpotrac. It represents a steep drop from the contract that is slotted in the first round, which would've been a four-year deal worth over $40 million in total value if drafted inside the top five. Early in the process, Sanders was considered in the running for the No. 2 pick, which later became his college teammate,Travis Hunter. The Jacksonville Jaguars' two-way player received a contract worth $46.5 million in total value. Sanders carried an NIL evaluation of $6.5 million, according toOn3 Sports, but elected to pass on his final year of eligibility to enter the NFL draft. The move hasn't worked out from a monetary standpoint, but he did land on a team that presents an opportunity to start. It's a crowded room in Cleveland, but anyone's guess who eventually ends up with the job. So while it's a rocky start for Sanders in the pros, things change quickly – especially if he outplays that rookie deal. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Shedeur Sanders contract details: Browns, QB agree to rookie deal

byKevin Jones

in

May 19, 2025

Shedeur Sanders contract details: Browns sign fifth-round rookie QB

Shedeur Sanders contract details: Browns sign fifth-round rookie QB Shedeur Sandersis officially an NFL player. While he had to wait until t...

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NBA fines Jalen Williams $25,000 for wearing clothing with profane language after Game 7 win over Nuggets

NBA fines Jalen Williams $25,000 for wearing clothing with profane language after Game 7 win over Nuggets

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams was hit with a $25,000 fine on Monday over profane language. Williams, however, didn't say anything bad in the wake ofthe team's Game 7 win over the Denver Nuggets. Instead, the fine was issued for Williams' choice of clothing. Williams, after theThunder's series-clinching 125-93 win, wore a T-shirt with profanity on it when he met with reporters at the Paycom Center. The shirt in question had the phrase, "F**k art, let's dance" written in red letters across the chest. Williams' shirt read: "F**K ART, LET'S DANCE"https://t.co/CtsVTIBKhEpic.twitter.com/KxmTmF9roF — Brett Siegel (@BrettSiegelNBA)May 19, 2025 So even though Williams didn't use the profanity — which almost always earns such a fine from the league — it's clear the NBA's front office is considering this as the same type of offense. So, it assessed the fine. TheThunder cruised to the 32-point blowout winwithout much issue Sunday, which ended their series against the Nuggets and secured their first trip to the Western Conference finals since 2016. Williams had 24 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds in that win. Williams, 24, averaged 21.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game this season, all of which are career-highs. He has one year left on his initial four-year, $20.2 million rookie deal. The Thunder will take on the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference finals starting with Game 1 on Tuesday night in Oklahoma City. TheThunder opened as big -375 favoritesto win the series on BetMGM, which made thembiggest favorites in the conference finals in franchise history. The Thunder were underdogs in their last four conference finals appearances. The closest they came was in 1996, when the then-Seattle SuperSonics were -270 favorites against the Utah Jazz.

byKevin Jones

in

May 19, 2025

NBA fines Jalen Williams $25,000 for wearing clothing with profane language after Game 7 win over Nuggets

NBA fines Jalen Williams $25,000 for wearing clothing with profane language after Game 7 win over Nuggets Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jale...

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