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Shanahan
takes blame
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) -- San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan took the blame for the car crash that left him with a concussion and other injuries, saying he took his eyes off the road to reach for his fallen cell phone before hitting another vehicle.
Shanahan crashed into a 21-year-old woman driving in the other direction in Palo Alto on July 14 and was left with a concussion, broken ribs, a broken nose and broken left hand and stitches for a large cut above his right eye.
Shanahan was briefly hospitalized following the crash and hasn’t been able to coach the team at the start of training camp.
Final season
for Rodgers
LATROBE, Pa. (AP) -- Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers says there’s “zero debate” that this season will be his last.
The four-time MVP’s status beyond 2026 is one of the few certainties for the Steelers as training camp begins. They have a new head coach, Mike McCarthy, who brings fresh ideas to the team. The team will practice earlier in the day and tackling will be limited.
Pittsburgh will begin camp with defensive backs Joey Porter Jr. and Jalen Ramsey on the physically unable to perform list.
Browns’ Ward becomes NFL’s highest-paid DB with 2-year, $62.2 million extension, AP source says
Denzel Ward
rewarded
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Denzel Ward has agreed to a two-year extension with the Cleveland Browns that will make him the highest-paid defensive back in the NFL, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press. The five-time Pro Bowl cornerback will sign a two-year extension worth $62.2 million -- including $52.3 million guaranteed, the person told the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been publicly announced.
The $31.1 million average surpasses the $31 million average when Trent McDuffie signed a four-year, $124 million contract with the Los Angeles Rams after being traded by Kansas City in March.
The 29-year old Ward had two years remaining on a five-year, $100 million contract he signed in 2022.
Vikings suspend
DB coach
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) -- The Minnesota Vikings have suspended defensive backs coach Gerald Alexander for three weeks without pay following a drunken driving charge for an incident in April. Alexander’s suspension will be in effect until Aug. 13.
That’s two days before their first preseason game. Hennepin County court records show Alexander pled guilty July 16 to a gross misdemeanor charge of third degree driving while impaired. He was arrested at about 4 a.m. on April 26 after his vehicle was stopped in the middle of an intersection in a Minneapolis suburb.
A police officer found him unresponsive and witnessed him failing field sobriety tests.
Warriors
keep Green
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Draymond Green has agreed to a one-year, $27.7 million deal to return to the Golden State Warriors. A person familiar with the decision says Green will sign the deal that essentially matches the deal he opted out of last month before the Warriors made an unsuccessful bid to sign LeBron James.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal hadn’t been announced. Green is now set to play his 15th season with the Warriors and if he plays in 51 games he will join Stephen Curry as the only players in franchise history to appear in at least 1,000 contests.
Carter gets
$106 million
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- The Philadelphia Eagles are set to make two-time Pro Bowl selection Jalen Carter the highest-paid defensive tackle in NFL history, according to a person with knowledge of the deal.
The sides announced that they agreed to terms on a four-year extension through the 2031 season. The person, speaking on condition of anonymity because financial terms hadn’t been announced, said the contract includes $106 million guaranteed. Carter has 13 1/2 sacks in 43 career games and was crucial in the Eagles’ Super Bowl win in the 2024 season.
This offseason, the Eagles also extended defensive tackle Jordan Davis, a key player in their defensive line, with a three-year deal for $65 million guaranteed.