Last season

for Rodgers

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Aaron Rodgers says his 22nd season in the NFL will be his last. The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback said “this is it” when asked Wednesday if he will retire at the end of the 2026 season.

The 42-year-old did not expand on why he came to that conclusion. Rodgers signed a one-year deal to return to the Steelers just before the start of organized team activities. The four-time NFL MVP says the hiring of Mike McCarthy as coach played a factor in his decision to return to the Steelers after helping lead the club to the AFC North title last season.

Cavaliers

down 0-1

GREENBURGH, N.Y. (AP) — Jalen Brunson against Donovan Mitchell was the matchup splashed across the screens to hype the Eastern Conference finals. Unfortunately for the Cleveland Cavaliers, it turned into Brunson versus James Harden in the fourth quarter of Game 1.

Brunson continuously attacked the matchup to spark one of the largest postseason comebacks on record, as the New York Knicks rallied from a 22-point deficit in the fourth quarter for a 115-104 victory. As they prepare for Game 2 tonight, the Cavaliers are shrugging off concerns that one of the most accomplished offensive players in league history might be too poor of a defender to give them NBA Finals hopes.

CFP heads

to 24 teams

RANCHO PALOS VERDES, Calif. (AP) — The Big Ten is pushing to expand the College Football Playoff to 24 teams, but the question is who will televise it. Fox supports the idea, but concerns remain about how much networks will pay for games involving less popular teams.

The current ESPN deal is worth $7.8 billion over six seasons. The Southeastern Conference prefers a 16-team playoff, while the Big Ten has support from the Atlantic Coast and Big 12 conferences for 24 teams.

A larger playoff could eliminate conference title games, affecting revenue. The NFL’s dominance in viewership is a factor in negotiations.

Palou hears

some boos

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Alex Palou senses a change among IndyCar fans these days. Instead of hearing the warm, roaring cheers like other great IndyCar champions and popular personalities, Palou has started hearing boos at races.

It’s not an overwhelming sentiment, yet, but the Spaniard got a first-hand glimpse of it during the parade lap of the Indianapolis Grand Prix. Sure, the four-time series champion understands why it’s happening — they’re tired of seeing him win — even if Palou isn’t tired of reaching victory lane.