NFL

Bills sign WR Khalil Shakir to four-year, $60.2 million contract extension

I said this yesterday, but there’s a new caveat with most NFL contracts. This deal is worth up to $60.2 million, meaning Shakir may or may not see the full value of this contract. This new tactic, of course, is a ploy by agents to make their clients’ deals look better. In reality, though, we can all see right through it.

This extension is a pretty big bargain for the Bills. Perhaps Shakir places high value on playing with Josh Allen. If so, I can’t blame him — he’s made his way from a 2022 fifth-round pick to the reigning MVP’s top target. It’ll likely remain that way in Buffalo, even with last year’s second-round selection Keon Coleman’s development and the presence of tight end Dalton Kincaid.

Just 25, Shakir should get even better. He posted 76 receptions for 821 yards and four touchdowns in 2024, and it feels like a 1,000 yard season is inevitable at some point. I wouldn’t rule out the Bills adding another receiver this offseason — the trade for Amari Cooper was mostly a flop — but Shakir’s status as a primary target for Josh Allen will remain unchanged.

Grade: A-

NCAAB

Georgetown C Thomas Sorber out for season with foot injury

Sorber is having an outstanding freshman season, averaging 14.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Losing that production will surely hurt Georgetown, but it takes the program’s at-large chances from zero percent to zero percent. While there’s negligible impact on the Hoyas this season, foot injuries are unpredictable, so the impending surgery could affect Sorber’s near-term future.

A projected first-round pick, Sorber will have the option of turning pro, but this injury could tempt him to return to school for another year. If that happens, the center should be a preseason All-American.

MLB

Nationals sign RP Kyle Finnegan to one-year, $6 million contract

I didn’t expect it to take this long for Finnegan to sign, but it’s back to Washington for the 33-year-old. Pitching for the Nationals since 2020, Finnegan boasts a career 3.56 ERA and 88 saves. If Washington remains uncompetitive, the right-hander could be an attractive trade candidate this summer, even at a $6 million salary.

Grade: B-