GREEN BAY – Less than a year ago, while still rehabbing from his torn ACL late in the 2024 season, Christian Watson got a little patience from the Green Bay Packers with a one-year extension.
It provided a runway for Watson to return without the pressure of a contract expiration hanging over him. More time to prove he was back to full speed.
Turns out, he didn’t need it.
Watson reached an agreement on a second extension June 4, a four-year, $110.5 million deal that will retain the Packers’ top receiver long term, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The deal includes a $31 million signing bonus and dwarfs the one-year extension worth up to $13.25 million he signed last September.
The new extension makes Watson the NFL’s 15th-highest-paid receiver at $27.625 million annually. Watson might have scaled higher on the market with a healthy season this fall, but much like Jayden Reed did earlier this offseason, opted for more security up front.

Notre Dame is getting its fair share of preseason hype — which is going to just annoy the ******* out of the Irish haters out there. One pundit who’s been known to be an Irish hater, but is actually just a math nerd (with all love and respect, respectfully) is ESPN’s Bill Connelly who is the creator of the SP+ index.
The Irish are 3rd right now in the SP+ (OFF 3, DEF 9, SOS 62) which projects Notre Dame to be right where we all want them to be come time for the CFP.
Here is a recent prediction from Bill over at ESPN:
This year, the two marquee games don’t come until Weeks 7 (at BYU) and 10 (Miami at home), and the question marks are minimal. CJ Carr could be the nation’s best QB, and coordinator Chris Ash’s defense returns 14 of the 20 players who saw at least 200 snaps and adds four solid transfers. The Irish are projected favorites of at least 17.4 points in 10 games. If they are reliant on the CFP committee to let them in, that’s on them.
With Carr, leading receiver Jordan Faison, 2024 playoff hero Jaden Greathouse and players responsible for 41 of 60 offensive line starts returning, Mike Denbrock’s offense has the basics covered. The Irish will need some new burst in the skill corps, though, without running backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price and receiver Malachi Fields. It’s easy to ******* ume that some combination of RB Aneyas Williams (9.3 yards per carry), Greathouse (14.1 yards per catch in 2024), sophomore WR Micah Gilbert, young Ohio State receiver transfers Mylan Grahamand Quincy Porter, and any number of recent blue-chippers could provide the necessary pop, but we’ll still need to see it happen.

At the beginning of this series, Mark Grace remarked that the Diamondbacks needed to take advantage of the starting pitching matchups in the first two games because – on paper at least – they favored the D-Backs. The first game featured a resurgent Eduardo Rodriguez against youngster Emmet Sheehan while the second one pitted the reinvented Michael Soroka against journeyman Eric Lauer. Grace's recommendation was certainly heeded in the first game when Rodriguez went six innings and allowed just one run, but Soroka wasn't quite able to take the baton the next night even if he ended stronger than he started. Frustratingly, the script flipped on starting pitching beginning with Shohei Ohtani and his otherworldly 0.82 ERA going tonight while Justin Wrobleski and his excellent 2.87 ERA will round out the series. As expected, the D-Backs ran headlong into the buzzsaw that Ohtani has been on the ***** p this season while Zac Gallen labored through just five innings and gave up five runs. There were essentially no highlights for the D-Backs tonight, just lowlights. Seriously, if you're a Diamondbacks' fan, go read a book or talk to a friend instead.
The vibes for the night started off poorly with Ketel Marte being scratched from the lineup late with "full body fatigue" that was later clarified to be more focused on his hamstring as Torey Lovullo explained that he would prefer to give him a day off today than push him through the pain. They did not improve through the night. After a scoreless first, Mookie Betts leadoff the second inning by reaching on a slightly off-target throw from Geraldo Perdomo that was immediately cashed in on a mammoth home run from Kyle Tucker off a flat Gallen fastball that sat middle-middle. The third also started with a pair of leadoff base runners with a walk to Ohtani, a double from Andy Pages, and a two-run single from Freddie Freeman. Max Muncy would add another run on a single that somehow eluded Gallen and Perdomo to reach the outfield and allow Freeman to motor around for a fifth LA run. Brandon Pfaadt came into the game in relief and failed to provide much confidence in his role moving forward. After collecting a couple quick outs, he loaded the bases on a Muncy double, a Will Smith walk, and an Alex Call hit by pitch that was again quickly cashed in by an Alex Freeland single up the middle that once again eluded the infield defenders.
Meanwhile, the Ohtani show was in full effect tonight. He extended his no-hit streak another 3.2 IP until Gabriel Moreno broke up his no-hitter with a two-out double in the fourth – one of just two hits and three baserunners the ***** anese ace allowed over six innings of work. The D-Backs would muster just two more baserunners for the remainder of the game with a two-out walk to Jose Fernandez and a fielding error on a ball Moreno put into play on the left side of the infield. They did little to generate any baserunners and continued to struggle to find any kind of offensive rhythm aft

Jalen Brunson scored 30 points as the New York Knicks erased a 14-point second-half deficit to stun the San Antonio Spurs 105-95 and take a 1-0 lead in the NBA Finals on Wednesday.
Knicks talisman Brunson shrugged off an early injury scare to inspire a magnificent fightback and give New York a precious early advantage in the best-of-seven series.
Brunson upstaged Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama with a masterful clutch fourth quarter display, scoring 13 points in the final frame as the Knicks closed out a win to silence an expectant home crowd in Texas.
The game was tied with just over two minutes to go, but Brunson marshalled the Knicks brilliantly and a late burst of scoring put the game out of the Spurs' reach.
"Just sticking together -- it wasn't really our night and wasn't really my night most of the night but we kept finding a way, kept chipping away," Brunson said afterwards.

Terry Rozier’s efforts to continue his NBA career are hindered by a court order barring him from any contact with the Charlotte Hornets, his attorney argued in a motion Wednesday.
Rozier is accused of conspiring with friends to help them win bets on his performance during a March 2023 game when he played for the Hornets. He has pleaded not guilty to charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering. Last week, he was charged in a new indictment with bribery in sporting contests and honest services wire fraud conspiracy.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Former Hornets guard Terry Rozier pleads not guilty to wire fraud, money laundering charges
Rozier has denied participating in the gambling scheme, and has been fighting to have the case dismissed.
In the new motion, filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Rozier’s lawyer, Jim Trusty, asked for the dismissal of a court-imposed ban on contact with anyone from the Hornets.

Mets beat writer reveals plan for Jorge Polanco upon return from lingering achilles injury originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The New York Mets ended the offseason on the right note after starting out very sluggishly. The Mets were able to bring in players like Freddy Peralta, Bo Bichette, and others.
There were high expectations for the Mets coming into the season, and they have not been met. In fact, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza recently sounded the alarm.
“There's so much I could sit here and say that we worry - we've got to go out and do it ourselves. We're not putting ourselves in good positions. It's not early anymore. Whatever I say here doesn't matter, we've got to go out there and do it,” Mendoza told the media.
A big-time acquisition in the offseason was Jorge Polanco, whom they planned to move to third base. However, after battling an injury for a significant stretch of time, they decided to place him on the injured list.

Iowa Cubs RHP Yacksel Rios was released.
Shortstop Alex Madera was demoted from Double-A Knoxville to Single-A South Bend.
Right-hander Jhon Rosario was promoted from rookie ball ACL Cubs to Low-A Myrtle Beach.
The Dominican Summer League started on Monday. As always, I don’t report on the comings and goings of the DSL because I can’t think of much that’s more worthless to player evaluation than DSL stats. Or at least the daily comings and goings of a bunch of 17-year-olds. But I did want you to know that the DSL is underway.
The Iowa Cubs laid an egg against the Toledo Mud Hens (Tigers), 16-1.

Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi added his name to a rare list on Tuesday after taking a wicket with the first ball of the second ODI against Australia at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

Opening the bowling for Pakistan, Shaheen dismissed Australia batter Alex Carey with the first delivery of the match. Carey was bowled, giving Pakistan an early breakthrough.

With that wicket, Shaheen became the third Pakistan captain to take a wicket with the first ball of an ODI, as per a News18 report.

The first Pakistan captain to achieve the feat was Wasim Akram, who dismissed Zimbabwe batter Andy Flower with the opening delivery of an ODI in Karachi on December 24, 1993.

Waqar Younis became the second Pakistan captain on the list when he removed England batter Marcus Trescothick with the first ball of an ODI at Headingley in Leeds on June 17, 2001.

Former Pakistan captain Imran Khan was the first player from the country to take a wicket with the opening ball of an ODI. He achieved the feat against India in Sharjah on March 22, 1985, when he dismissed Ravi Shastri with the first delivery of the match.

Imran went on to take five more wickets in that game and finished with figures of 6 for 14.

Shaheen is also now the third Pakistan bowler, after Wasim Akram and Mohammad Irfan, to take a wicket with the first ball of an ODI on more than one occasion.

He had previously achieved the milestone in April 2022 when he dismissed Australia's Travis Head with the opening delivery of an ODI.

Despite some suggestions of a possible return to Roma, it is now reported Atalanta have extended Gianluca Scamacca’s contract to 2028.
His current deal had been due to expire in June 2027, meaning this summer was the last chance to sell before the risk of losing him as a free agent.
This had prompted some reports that he could be snapped up by Roma, his hometown club and where his career began in earnest at their youth academy.
BERGAMO, ITALY – MARCH 07: Gianluca Scamacca of Atalanta BC in action during the Serie A match between Atalanta BC and Udinese Calcio at New Balance Arena on March 07, 2026 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
However, Tuttomercatoweb claim that Atalanta have an option to extend unilaterally and have already activated it, so the contract now runs to June 2028.

CATOOSA — A month removed from conquering 26.2 miles in Oklahoma City, Steven Baker proved he still had plenty left in the tank over 3.1.
The Tulsa runner, fresh off his victory at the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon on April 26, dominated the Blue Whale Run in Catoosa, pulling away from a field of 505 runners on a humid Saturday morning near the newly renovated Blue Whale Park along historic Route 66.
Baker crossed the finish line in 15 minutes, 31 seconds, winning by exactly two minutes over runner-up Carter Gibson of Claremore.
“That’s pretty good on this course,” Baker said. “I’ll take it.
For Baker, the performance continued a remarkable stretch of racing that began with his marathon victory in Oklahoma City, where he posted a winning time of 2:23:18.

There's still no reason to believe the Tennessee **** ans are interested in trading All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, but days like June 1 are reminders as to why the conversation comes up so frequently.
In a span of just a couple of hours, the Cleveland Browns traded defensive end Myles Garrett, the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for three draft picks and Pro Bowl edge defender Jared Verse. Then the Philadelphia Eagles punctuated months of speculation by dealing Pro Bowl receiver A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots for a pair of picks.
Other than the timing, these trades don't have all that much in common. The Eagles are contenders who spent the entire offseason bracing for this deal by drafting and signing Brown's potential replacements. The Browns are in total tear-down mode but now have multiple first-round picks in the much-ballyhooed 2027 draft and one of the league's best young defenders as a cornerstone.
The state of the **** ans is somewhere between, though closer to Cleveland's than Philadelphia's. And that's fitting because Simmons' value, coming off a year where he was the NFL's unquestioned best and most productive interior defensive lineman, is somewhere, though a little closer Garrett's than Brown's.
In exchange for Garrett, who is 30, the Browns got from the Rams a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick, a 2029 third-round pick and Verse, a 25-year-old two-time Pro Bowler who hasn't yet reached his prime.

Indiana Fever superstar guard Caitlin Clark has brushed off any concerns about the viral video showing her and coach Stephanie White having an argument on the bench during Saturday's Portland Fire loss.
As teammate Lexie Hall alluded to earlier on Monday, Clark said that **** ody on the Fever's staff or roster thought twice about the viral moment.
COMMENTARY: The Caitlin Clark double standard is real and suffocating
"Two people being competitive; two people that really want to win, and I think a lot of those things happen all the time," Clark said about what's happening in the video that shows White and Clark seemingly debating about how the latter is playing defense. "I know there's a camera on me, and that's how it's going to be.
"There’s a lot of people out there in the media or on TV that, they think they know a lot of things, and they’re just blatantly wrong about a lot of things... I ride for Steph [White]; I ride for these girls. Steph has my back more than anybody."

The Kansas City Chiefs continue Phase 3 of voluntary OTAs today as players and coaches build on last week. The mix of new players, rookies, and veterans provided moments for everyone to mesh and build chemistry, including the addition of prized free-agent signing Kenneth Walker III.
"He's (Ken Walker) doing a good job. He's got a ton of energy, and you can tell he loves to play the game (and) wants to learn what we're doing here," said Chiefs head coach Reid during last week's press conference, "He's coming from a great program, and he gets that it takes work to be good and he's willing to do that. Stronger than an ox, I mean, he's put together now."
Walker signed a maximum of $45M over three years, with $28.7M of his contract fully guaranteed to join Kansas City's backfield. His presence is expected to help make Patrick Mahomes' life easier on offense.
"First off, he's (Ken Walker) a great dude. That's the first thing I noticed. You can tell he truly cares about football (and) he cares about his teammates. If he's not in the play, he's helping the guys on the sideline, and he's trying to learn and asking me questions and doing those things," said Mahomes during last week's press conference. "He's a great football player, even from what y'all saw today, it's special. The way he's able to run the football, catch the football (and) do everything. I said, 'I'm kind of built like him (laughter), but not just built like him yet.' He's going to help us a lot on this team, by his mindset and the football player that he is."
Last season with the Seattle Seahawks, Walker rushed for 1,027 yards and five touchdowns. He was also impactful in the passing game with 31 receptions for 282 yards.

Saturday, May 30
Cape Henlopen 17, Tower Hill 11
Saturday, May 30
Salesianum 15, Cape Henlopen 5
Wednesday, June 3