NFL

Dolphins sign DT Zach Sieler to three-year, $67.75 million contract extension

The Dolphins previously inked Sieler to a contract extension in August 2023.

Why am I relaying that information? Well, I didn’t give the decision high marks. I graded it a ‘C’, referring to Sieler as a solid rotational defensive lineman. Therefore, I didn’t think he was worth over $10 million per season.

Whoops. Sieler turned around and recorded 10 sacks in each of the following two seasons. He should’ve made the Pro Bowl last year, but that event has become a popularity contest more than almost anything. The point is that Sieler is in the second or third tier of defensive tackles. The 29-year-old is really, really good.

The Dolphins are now paying him as such. It’s fair to wonder how Sieler will age into his 30’s, but he’s proven in recent seasons that he’s ascending player. It would be unexpected if he suddenly dropped off.

Despite his high recent sack totals, Sieler is a well-rounded talent. He’s made his mark as a stout run defender, and became the heart of Miami’s front following the free agency departure of Christian Wilkins in 2024. Surrounded by a strong edge rush, Sieler should continue to be both productive and valuable.

Grade: B+

MLB

Braves 4, Reds 2

It was a minor inconvenience to these teams to travel and play this game at Bristol Motor Speedway, but I thought it was cool. A paid attendance of 91,032 is nothing to sneeze at, and getting away from the monotony of the regular season is good.

Eli White certainly benefited from this game occurring. White, not normally a power hitter, slugged two homers — the difference — in this contest. With Ronald Acuna sidelined, the right fielder should continue to receive starts.

This tilt being suspended on Saturday hurt the Reds. Chase Burns started the game, throwing a scoreless inning and fanning two, but he obviously couldn’t continue into yesterday. That resulted in Brent Suter getting thrust into action. It didn’t go well, as the lefty allowed three earned runs over 2 2/3 innings.

Red Sox 6, Astros 1

Maybe Lucas Giolito missing last season was … good? It’s never a perfect outcome for a player to be sidelined for any period of time, but the right-hander is posting a phenomenal comeback season.

Giolito’s year started a bit rocky, as he had a few bad starts across his first four outings. Something changed after that, though. The 31-year-old has been nails since, and lasted eight sparkling innings in this contest, improving his record to 8-2.

It’s rare to see a lineup get to Framber Valdez, but the Red Sox frustrated him yesterday. Allowing five earned runs over six innings, the southpaw lacked his best stuff. That was evident in the strikeout column, as Valdez fanned just three Boston hitters.