NFL

Bears release TE BrauneckerLAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) The Chicago Bears released tight end Ben Braunecker on Thursday.Undrafted out of Harvard in 2016, Braunecker caught 13 passes for 142 yards in 47 games for Chicago. The Bears now have eight tight ends on their roster, including second-round draft pick...

AP Sports WriterGolden surprised by tender, frustrated by free agencyBy TOM CANAVANFree agency has not been good to linebacker Markus Golden.The 29-year-old pass rusher had to settle for a one-year deal from the New York Giants in 2019 because he was coming off a so-so season with the Arizona...

AP Sports WriterColts run new route with younger, faster, cheaper playersBy MICHAEL MAROTINDIANAPOLIS (AP) Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard followed his gut.Watching game tapes only reinforced the notion that his team needed to get younger, faster and tougher.So Ballard spent the offseason releasing aging team leaders, allowing...

AP Sports WriterChargers' Joey Bosa signs $135 million contract extensionBy JOE REEDYCOSTA MESA, Calif. (AP) Joey Bosa has become the NFL's highest-paid defensive player after signing a five-year contract extension with the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday.Bosa and the Chargers reached agreement on a new deal Tuesday night.The...

Associated PressDespite loss, Bills in good shape going into playoffsBy JERRY SULLIVANORCHARD PARK, NY. (AP) The Bills lost again to the Patriots on Saturday, 24-17. They have never beaten Tom Brady in Foxborough in a game that mattered to the Pats. New England wrapped up its 11th consecutive...

AP Sports WriterParalyzed at 19, Buoniconti has mixed feelings on footballBy STEVEN WINEMIAMI (AP) With the Super Bowl coming to town, Marc Buoniconti sat in his office talking about the Chiefs-49ers matchup and wondered who was favored, so he looked at the phone strapped on the right arm...

AP Sports WriterBills swap 1st-round picks and trade tackle Glenn to BengalsBy JOHN WAWROWBUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) A person familiar with the deal has told The Associated Press the Buffalo Bills have moved up nine spots in the draft by swapping first-round picks with the Cincinnati Bengals, who also...

CLEVELAND (AP) Browns coach Kevin Stefanski doesn't plan a trip downstairs to his basement any time soon. "Those walls were closing in on me," he said. Stefanski returned to the team's facility Thursday, 10 days after the first-year coach tested positive for COVID-19 and he was forced to miss Cleveland's playoff...

AP Pro Football WriterAP Sources: Rooney Rule to require for more interviewsBy BARRY WILNERThe NFL is amending the Rooney Rule to require more interviews of minority candidates for head coaching and coordinator positions, two people familiar with the decision tell The Associated Press.Reacting to a lack of diversity progress...

AP Sports WriterJets release Purdum, waive Simon among cuts to 53By DENNIS WASZAK Jr.NEW YORK (AP) The New York Jets released long snapper Tanner Purdum, the team's longest-tenured player, as they reduced their roster to the 53-player maximum Saturday.Defensive lineman Deon Simon, a promising seventh-round pick in 2015...

AP Pro Football WriterDelayed surgery not a red flag but symbol of receiver's gritBy ARNIE STAPLETONBOULDER, Colo. (AP) A lingering core muscle injury prevented Laviska Shenault from showcasing his skills and speed at the NFL scouting combine, where the former University of Colorado superstar posted a slower-than-expected...

Saints tackle Armstead on COVID-19 list, out vs. BroncosNEW ORLEANS (AP) The New Orleans Saints placed starting left tackle Terron Armstead on their COVID-19 reserve list on Saturday, leaving him ineligible for Sunday's game against the Broncos in Denver.The Saints also ruled out return specialist Deonte Harris, who...