Teddy Bridgewater’s time as a starting quarterback in the NFL is coming to an end, for now.
Bridgewater is expected to sign a deal with the Miami Dolphins to serve as Tua Tagovailoa’s backup. Bridgewater, 29, is from Miami, so this would be a homecoming of sorts for him.
Bridgewater spent last season as the Denver Broncos’ quarterback. He completed 66.9 percent of his passes for 3,052 yards, 18 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. Denver went 7-7 in games he started.
Bridgewater is a serviceable quarterback whose stats and performance would have been great 20-30 years ago. But in today’s passing era where 300-yard games are expected, Bridgewater can’t keep up with the league’s best. He is good enough to push Tagovailoa though, which is what Miami is likely hoping for.
Photo: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Los Angeles Angels manager Joe Maddon is setting the record straight after creating a bit of a snowstorm about Mike Trout’s status for 2022.
Over the weekend, Maddon sparked some rumors about the three-time MVP Trout potentially moving from center field to a corner spot following the calf strain that cost him most of last season.
“To play center field every day in the big leagues coming off a severe injury, that’s not gonna be easy,” said Maddon, per Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. “No conclusions have been made, but I’d be disingenuous if I didn’t tell you that this hasn’t been part of the conversation, because it has.”
Those comments created a bit of a stir. Thus, Maddon clarified the rumors Monday, saying that Trout will, in fact, be playing center field this season.
Trout himself also met with reporters on Monday. The 30-year-old said that he was surprised by the talk of him moving to a corner spot and added that he wants to remain in center field.
Center field is a tougher position with more ground to cover than a corner outfield spot. The Angels also have an excellent defender in Brandon Marsh who can play center field full-time instead. But Trout is the Angels’ franchise player and has been in center field for his entire career. As such, they would be wise to leave any such decision on a position change to Trout alone.
It sounds like Trout is content to stay in center field, so that figures to be the end of that conversation. It also means that we can probably look forward to more moments like this from Trout in the outfield.
Photo: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
The San Diego Padres announced on Monday that Fernando Tatis Jr. will miss up to three months due to a fractured wrist. There has been some speculation that the injury may be related to the motorcycle accident Tatis was involved in a few months ago, and the star shortstop had an interesting response when asked about that.
In December, Tatis got into what was described as a minor motorcycle accident in his native Dominican Republic. An initial report out of the country said he was taken to a local medical facility for treatment. However, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune was told Tatis suffered only minor scrapes.
Padres general manager A.J. Preller said Monday that Tatis suffered the wrist injury during the offseason, but he did not share any details. According to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman, some people who are close to the situation wonder if Tatis fractured his wrist in the motorcycle accident.
Tatis was asked about that by reporters. He said there were “a couple incidents” during the offseason that could have led to the injury. He also indicated he had multiple falls off his motorcycle.
“I had one more fall but it was nothing crazy,” Tatis said. “It was something like just small pain that goes away when you’re doing normal activities. When you kind of ramp it up and push it out there, that’s where it got me.”
Tatis was then asked when the accident was, and he replied, “Which one?” He smirked and said it happened “when the reporters were reporting it.”
Something doesn’t seem right. It’s also worth noting that Tatis’ father Fernando Tatis Sr. got very defensive about the original report that his son needed to be treated at a medical center. Unless Tatis was trying to hide something, why would his father care?
Whatever the case, Tatis probably should not be riding a motorcycle. The 23-year-old has dealt with numerous injuries during his career. He might want to play it as safe as possible going forward.
The first big contract for a free agent wide receiver was great news for his peers, including Tyreek Hill.
Multiple reports indicated that free agent wide receiver Christian Kirk had agreed to a four-year, $72 million deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The contract could potentially be worth as much as $84 million.
The reaction was swift, particularly with regard to other, more accomplished wide receivers who are also in the process of negotiating new deals. That includes Hill, who is working on a new deal with the Kansas City Chiefs. Hill is significantly more accomplished than Kirk, so it’s safe to say he was pleased to see those terms.
In fact, Hill reacted on Twitter by simply posting a tweet with the eyes emoji.
Hill will not be alone in that reaction. There are other receivers who will definitely be taking notice of Kirk’s deal, and putting pressure on teams as a result.
Photo: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
LeBron James apparently failed to read the room after Sunday’s game against the Phoenix Suns.
During the game, the Los Angeles Lakers star became the first player in NBA history to reach at least 10,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, and 10,000 assists in his career. James made sure to let everybody know about it afterwards, posting about the feat to his Instagram page and including a highlight against the Suns where he recorded his 10,000th career assist.
While the achievement is definitely noteworthy, it wasn’t exactly the best look for James. After all, the Lakers lost the game … and lost badly. They were absolutely clobbered by the Suns by a 140-111 final, dropping them back to nine games under .500 on the season.
At this point of his career, James seems to care more about his statistics, particularly about catching Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time scoring record, than about winning basketball games. He often remains in games late even if the Lakers are behind by double digits and have zero chance of winning, which gives him an opportunity to pad his numbers. James being so giddy about a somewhat arbitrary accomplishment in a game where his team got dismantled only seems to confirm his priorities.
Of course, there is the argument that James simply needs to put up numbers in order for his team to win — the Lakers still have not won a game after the All-Star break without The King scoring 50 or more points. But by now, we probably should not be surprised by this kind of extra behavior from James, who never wastes an opportunity to boast about himself.
Photo: Jan 21, 2022; Orlando, Florida, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) against the Orlando Magic during the first quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Pete Alonso told reporters on Monday that he feels fortunate to be alive after he was involved in a car accident over the weekend. When you see the damage to his vehicle, you will understand why the New York Mets star is so grateful for his health.
Alonso revealed at spring training that he was T-boned on Sunday by another driver who ran a red light. He said his car rolled over multiple times and that he had to kick the windshield out to escape. Remarkably, he suffered no serious injuries.
Not long after Alonso shared the news, his wife Haley posted some videos and photos from the scene of the crash on Instagram. She said she was driving behind Pete in a separate car and witnessed the crash. She ran over to Pete’s truck and was shocked to learn he “only had a single scratch on his arm.” You can see the shocking scene below:
“It’s a miracle that he’s safe after this horrifying of an accident. I thought I watched my husband die in front of me and I will never forget that feeling,” Haley wrote. “This could’ve easily unfolded much differently and that’s what is so scary. Life can be taken from us in an instant. Please do not drive distracted and wear your seatbelt. This happened 5 minutes from our house, it can happen anytime, anywhere.”
That obviously could have ended much worse.
Alonso said he will return to full baseball activities on Tuesday. It’s hard to imagine how difficult that was for Alonso’s wife to watch, but fortunately it all turned out as well as it could have.
The 2022 MLB season has not yet begun, but Jacob deGrom has already made an announcement about the 2023 season.
DeGrom told reporters on Monday that he will opt out of his contract following this season. The 33-year-old ace signed a 5-year, $137.5 million contract with the team prior to the 2019 season. He is earning $33.5 million this season and has the option to terminate his contract following the year.
DeGrom says that he will be exercising his opt-out.
DeGrom says he likes the direction the team’s ownership is taking and that he plans to be in close contact with the front office after the season. However, he made his announcement now to get the matter out of the way; it’s not an issue he wants to discuss during the season.
DeGrom has established himself as the premier pitcher in MLB when healthy. He has won two Cy Young awards and has a 2.50 career ERA. The Mets already added Max Scherzer during the offseason and recently acquired Chris Bassitt. They mean business moving forward, and deGrom is an important piece to retain beyond this season.
Photo: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
The Atlanta Braves agreed to a big trade on Monday that could signal the unofficial end of Freddie Freeman’s time with the franchise.
All-Star first baseman Matt Olson has been traded to the Braves from the Oakland A’s. Oakland will receive several big-name prospects in return.
Multiple reporters say that outfielder Cristian Pache, catcher Shea Langeliers, and pitchers Ryan Cusick and Joey Estes are being sent to Oakland as part of the deal.
Freeman is a free agent, and there have been signs that the Braves were going to put a cap on how much they would offer him. There has been talk linking the long-time Braves first baseman to teams like the Dodgers.
Atlanta giving up so much to get Olson signals they are closing the door on the return of Freeman, who is likely to cost in the range of $30 million per season.
Olson is an Atlanta native and turns 28 at the end of the month. He is a big power hitter and coming off his best season as a pro. He batted .271 with 39 home runs and 111 RBIs last season for the A’s, while posting a .911 OPS.
Rob Gronkowski has yet to commit to playing in the NFL next season, but many are wondering if Tom Brady’s return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will make Gronk’s decision easier. The Bucs are hoping so.
Brady stunned the sports world on Sunday when he changed his mind about retiring. Now that Brady is committed to playing, Jeff Howe of The Athletic says the Bucs are trying to re-sign Gronkowski.
Gronkowski said after the season that he would need some time to decide if he wants to play in 2022. He has since been linked to some teams other than the Bucs. Gronk has praised one AFC quarterback in particular, leading many to believe he had a preferred destination in mind.
Obviously, Gronkowski’s plans could be linked to Brady’s. The two have won four Super Bowls together and are close friends. Gronk has battled injuries throughout his career and had another painful one last season, but he still managed 55 catches for 802 yards and six touchdowns. It would be a surprise if he plays somewhere other than Tampa.
Photo: Nov 15, 2020; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) on the sidelines in the third quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Isiah Kiner-Falefa is the newest member of the New York Yankees, and he made the trade official with his latest actions.
Kiner-Falefa was acquired by the Minnesota Twins in a trade with the Texas Rangers on Saturday. A day later, the Twins traded Kiner-Falefa to the New York Yankees along with Josh Donaldson for Gary Sanchez and Gio Urshela.
Kiner-Falefa used to wear a beard, but he knew about the Yankees’ facial hair policy. So the versatile infielder quickly got to work with a razor and shaved off the beard. He shared a video on Monday morning showing the transition.
The Yankees have had a policy prohibiting hair grown past the collar and facial hair anywhere but above the upper lip. The grooming policy has been in place since the late George Steinbrenner implemented it in 1973 and has been continued by his sons.
Some players have publicly expressed issue with the policy. But many others recognize that shaving or getting a haircut is one of the small prices to pay to play for one of the most well-known and respected sports franchises in the world. Kiner-Falefa certainly seems to have embraced the rule.
