Burke Sports Talk

NFL Chiefs sign K Harrison Butker to four-year, $25.6 million contract extension This extension makes Butker the highest-paid kicker in the NFL on a per-year basis — a fair deal considering the 29-year-old is one of the league’s top players at the position. Last season, Butker converted 94.3 percent of his field goal attempts, including…

NFL Cardinals sign EDGE Zaven Collins to two-year, $14 million contract extension The Cardinals declined Collins’ fifth-year option earlier this offseason, creating some questions whether the 25-year-old would be with the organization long term. Those questions can be put to rest — Arizona’s new regime values Collins and wants him around for years to come.…

NBA Suns sign PG TyTy Washington to two-way contract Washington, a 2022 first-round pick, has seen his career get off to a rough start. The Kentucky product has been shipped around the league and has struggled when on the court, shooting just 35.6 percent from the floor in 42 games. The 22-year-old is still worth…

NFL It’s nice to have football back, isn’t it? Even if it’s just the Hall of Fame Game. Buccaneers sign OT Tristan Wirfs to five-year, $140.6 million contract extension Wirfs isn’t quite the NFL’s best tackle — that honor goes to either Penei Sewell or Trent Williams — but the 25-year-old basically had the right…

NFL Patriots sign DT Davon Godchaux to two-year, $21 million contract extension Godchaux is a quality nose tackle, but this extension will keep him in New England past his 32nd birthday. For a rebuilding club like the Patriots, that’s too much of a commitment for a player that’s too old. This pact also contains $16.5…

NBA Hawks sign PF Dominick Barlow to two-way contract I was surprised when the Spurs declined to give Barlow a qualifying offer this summer. The big flashed his athleticism in 33 games with San Antonio last season, averaging 4.4 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. The 21-year-old is worthy of a look with the Hawks.…

NFL Lions sign OT Taylor Decker to three-year, $60 million contract extension Smart organizations lock in good players, and that’s what Detroit is doing here. Good might be an understatement when describing Decker — the left tackle was borderline elite last season — as the 29-year-old and Penei Sewell combine to form arguably the league’s…

MLB Cubs receive: 3B Isaac Paredes Rays receive: 3B Christopher Morel, RP Hunter Bigge and SP Ty Johnson Jed Hoyer wasn’t kidding when he stated the Cubs would target players that could help in 2025 and beyond. Under team control through 2027, Paredes fits that notion, but he’ll help Chicago this season, too. In 101…

NBA Suns sign PG Tyus Jones to one-year, $3.3 million contract The collective sound you just heard were Western Conference general managers banging their fists against their desks. The Suns, in luxury-tax hell, had no business signing a player of Jones’ caliber, yet here we are. The 28-year-old posted 12.0 points and 7.3 assisters per…

NFL Patriots sign S Jabrill Peppers to three-year, $24 million contract extension The Patriots are going all in on locking up their core, a group that won … four games in 2023. Win-loss record aside, New England was actually fairly stout on the defensive side of the ball last season, and Peppers was a large…

NBA Heat sign SG Josh Christopher to two-way contract Christopher, still only 22, was thrust into action on some messy Rockets teams in 2022 and 2023. Predictably, the guard wasn’t ready, struggling with turnovers and poor outside shooting. Things may be different now, as Christopher had a strong summer with the Heat, earning him this…

NFL Seahawks sign S Julian Love to three-year, $36 million contract extension Love shined in his first season with Seattle, recording 123 tackles and four interceptions, earning him a trip to his first Pro Bowl. Now, the mission for the safety is to captain the back end of new head coach Mike Macdonald’s defense, where…

NFL Vikings sign OT Christian Darrisaw to four-year, $113 million contract extension The left tackle market was lagging compared to other high-value positions; this deal changes that, at least to a degree. In an overdue development, Darrisaw raises the top of the market for the position to over $28 million per year, an appropriate figure…

NBA Mavericks sign PG Spencer Dinwiddie to one-year contract This pact is presumably for the league minimum, the most Dinwiddie should be earning at this stage of his career. The 31-year-old split time between the Nets and Lakers in 2024, averaging 10.5 points and 4.7 assists per game. The point guard can’t be counted on…

NFL Packers sign DT Kenny Clark to three-year, $64 million contract extension Clark, 28, is coming off arguably the best season of his career, where he recorded 7.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. Green Bay is wisely rewarding the three-time Pro Bowler here, especially before the rest of its young, well-rounded roster gets expensive. The…

NBA Cavaliers sign PF Evan Mobley to five-year, $224 million contract extension Mobley is the most promising player from the 2021 draft, so it’s only right that he joins classmates Cade Cunningham, Scottie Barnes and Franz Wagner in signing max deals. The next step for the former No. 3 overall pick is a more featured…

NFL Ravens sign S Eddie Jackson to one-year contract The veteran safety market has been slow — I can’t believe Justin Simmons hasn’t signed yet — but the Ravens apparently didn’t want to wait any longer to fill a void. Baltimore is set at starting safety, though Marcus Williams is prone to injury, but there…

NBA Clippers receive: PG Kris Dunn Jazz receive: PG Russell Westbrook, second-round pick and cash There were talks of Los Angeles waiving Westbrook, and it would’ve been better off doing that instead of this trade. Kris Dunn is a fine defensive-minded guard, but a three-year, $17 million contract is too rich for a player of…

This week is the quietest of the year on the sports calendar — a time to refresh and peak ahead to what’s to come. NBA Summer League is ongoing, but there’s not a ton that can be gathered from the event. Most happenings from Las Vegas don’t translate to the real thing. Olympic basketball and…

NCAAF Fresno State head coach Jeff Tedford steps down Tedford is stepping down due to health reasons and will be replaced by Tim Skipper. Fresno State enters 2024 with a case for being the Mountain West’s second-best team, so we’ll see if Skipper can guide the expectation-laden Bulldogs. He has a nice starting point with…