Tuesday’s Sports in Brief – The San Diego Union-Tribune
PRO FOOTBALL
SEATTLE (AP) — Denver Broncos general manager George Paton agreed to send a massive haul of players and draft picks to the Seattle Seahawks for nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson, two people familiar with the negotiations confirmed to The Associated Press.
The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the blockbuster trade, which is pending Wilson passing a physical, can’t become official until the start of the new league year on March 16.
The NFL Network reported the Seahawks agreed to send Wilson and a fourth-round pick to Denver in exchange for two first-round picks, two second-round picks, and a fifth-rounder, along with quarterback Drew Lock, defensive end Shelby Harris and tight end Noah Fant, the Broncos’ first-round draft pick in 2019.
Seattle also informed linebacker Bobby Wagner that he is being releaesd. Wagner confirmed the news to the AP, and Seattle is expected to make Wagner’s release official Wednesday. ESPN first reported Wagner was being cut.
Wagner’s departure isn’t surprising but is another sign of the massive rebuild about to take place in Seattle.
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers is planning to come back to the Green Bay Packers for an 18th season, a move that keeps the reigning MVP off the trade market and answers the question that had dominated NFL offseason discussions.
Rodgers sent out a tweet confirming his return.
“YES, I will be playing with the Packers next year,” Rodgers said. “However, reports about me signing a contract are inaccurate, as are the supposed terms of the contract ‘I signed.’ I’m very excited to be back.”
NFL Network and Pat McAfee, the host of “The Pat McAfee Show” on SiriusXM and YouTube, had both reported earlier in the day that Rodgers was staying with the Packers. Rodgers makes a weekly appearance on McAfee’s show during the season.
BASEBALL
NEW YORK (AP) — Negotiators for locked-out players and Major League Baseball bargained past midnight for the second time in a week, and Commissioner Rob Manfred’s Tuesday deadline to reach a deal preserving a 162-game season passed with no announcement.
There was no word from Manfred of additional canceled games as the lockout entered its 98th day. The sides were exchanging numbers on the key economic issues of the luxury tax, the amount of a new bonus pool for pre-arbitration-eligible players and minimum salaries.
The sides continued speaking later in the day by telephone from their separate offices. In addition to exchanging numbers, MLB pushed for its long-held goal of an international amateur draft.
Yet, it remained unclear whether this more intensive phase of talks would lead to an agreement or yet another breakdown in oft-strained negotiations that have dragged on for nearly a year.
CUPERTINO, Calif. (AP) — Apple will enter the live sports coverage arena with “Friday Night Baseball.”
Apple and Major League Baseball announced that Apple TV+ will carry a weekly doubleheader on Friday nights in eight countries when the regular season begins. Games will initially be available without the need for an Apple TV+ subscription.
The games will be exclusively on Apple TV+ and will not be available on teams’ regional sports networks.
The broadcasts on Apple TV+ will include pregame and postgame shows and will not be subject to local broadcast blackout restrictions. They will be produced by MLB Network.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Deion Sanders had two toes on his left foot amputated due to blood clots stemming from a previous surgery.
The Jackson State head coach and NFL Hall of Famer revealed the severity of his foot injury in an episode of his “Coach Prime” documentary series that will air Tuesday night on Barstool Sports.
Sanders was hospitalized for around a month in the middle of last season when the Tigers finished 11-2.
He had a dislocated toe along with an inflamed nerve. His initial procedure was in September and he later returned to the field for practice using a golf cart and crutches. He roamed the sideline for a game with the help of a push scooter.
As he healed, his toes began to darken under the bandages.
