Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has announced that his upcoming 22nd NFL campaign will mark the conclusion of his professional football career. When questioned Wednesday about retirement plans following the 2026 season, the veteran player stated “this is it.”
The 42-year-old did not elaborate on the reasoning behind his decision to call it quits after next season. Rodgers recently inked a one-year contract to continue with the Steelers just prior to the beginning of organized team activities.
The four-time NFL MVP indicated that the appointment of Mike McCarthy as head coach influenced his choice to return to Pittsburgh for another campaign after contributing to the team’s AFC North championship run last season.
In basketball news from the Eastern Conference finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers are dismissing defensive worries about James Harden as they gear up for Game 2 against the New York Knicks on Thursday. The anticipated showdown between Jalen Brunson and Donovan Mitchell took a different turn in Game 1’s final quarter when Brunson repeatedly targeted Harden defensively, leading the Knicks to overcome a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit for a 115-104 win in one of the largest postseason rallies ever recorded.
Dallas Mavericks president Masai Ujiri revealed Wednesday that the choice to part ways with head coach Jason Kidd after five seasons was entirely his own difficult decision. Speaking one day after the team announced Kidd’s exit, Ujiri explained he believed the franchise required a fresh start. The former Toronto Raptors executive assumed control as team president and governor just two weeks ago, emphasizing that Kidd’s removal was unrelated to the February 2025 Luka Doncic trade or any associated personnel.
College football’s playoff expansion discussions continue as the Big Ten pushes for a 24-team format, though questions persist about television partnerships and financial arrangements. While Fox backs the expansion concept, networks express concerns about compensation for games featuring less prominent teams. The current ESPN agreement totals $7.8 billion across six seasons. The Southeastern Conference favors maintaining a 16-team structure, while the Big Ten has garnered support from the Atlantic Coast and Big 12 conferences for the larger format. An expanded playoff system could potentially eliminate conference championship games, impacting revenue streams, with the NFL’s television dominance playing a role in ongoing negotiations.
Congo’s national soccer team has scrapped a three-day World Cup preparation camp and fan send-off event in Kinshasa due to an Ebola outbreak in the country’s eastern region. The cancellation comes amid an outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which has reportedly claimed over 130 lives with nearly 600 suspected infections. Team spokesman Jerry Kalemo confirmed to The Associated Press that Congo’s World Cup warm-up matches against Denmark in Liege, Belgium on June 3 and Chile in southern Spain on June 9 will proceed as scheduled. Congo is set to face Portugal in their World Cup opener in Houston on June 17.
Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby faces significant challenges in his legal battle against the NCAA’s permanent gambling ban, according to a former NCAA infractions arbitrator. Sorsby filed suit in Lubbock, Texas this week seeking court intervention to allow him to compete for the Red Raiders this season. The director of the Sports Law Clinic at Brooklyn Law School noted that courts have traditionally supported sports governing bodies when enforcing rules related to game integrity.
The Montreal Victoire captured their inaugural PWHL championship Wednesday night, defeating the Ottawa Charge 4-0 in Game 4 of the Walter Cup Finals. Abby Roque netted two goals while Ann-Renée Desbiens stopped 23 shots in the victory. Maggie Flaherty and Lina Ljungblom contributed additional goals for Montreal. The Victoire had opened the best-of-five series with two overtime home victories before dropping a 2-1 decision in Ottawa on Monday. The Minnesota Frost had claimed the league’s first two titles, including last year’s four-game championship series win over Ottawa.
Aston Villa ended a three-decade trophy drought by defeating Freiburg 3-0 in Istanbul to claim the Europa League title, with manager Unai Emery securing his record fifth championship in the competition. Prince William, a devoted Villa supporter, was among the celebrating fans at Tupras Stadium as his team captured their first major trophy in 30 years.
Southampton’s challenge of its removal from the Championship playoff final due to spying violations has been rejected. An arbitration panel confirmed the English Football League’s decision to exclude Southampton from Saturday’s Wembley final, allowing Middlesbrough to take their spot against Hull for Premier League promotion. The ruling is final. Southampton faced expulsion Tuesday after acknowledging repeated spying activities, including unauthorized filming of Middlesbrough’s training sessions before their semifinal encounter. The club also admitted additional violations this season involving matches against Oxford and Ipswich, resulting in a four-point deduction for next season.
