KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs are exercising their fifth-year option on Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes, a person familiar with their decision told The Associated Press, though both sides remain optimistic that they will agree on a long-term contract before the start of the season. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the Chiefs had not announced the move. Teams are allowed to use a fifth-year option on players selected in the first round of the NFL draft. If the Chiefs are unable to sign Mahomes to a long-term deal, he would be due a base salary of $25 million for the 2021 season.
UNDATED (AP) — The NCAA is facing a lawsuit accusing the organization of failing to address gender-based violence by male athletes against female students at colleges and universities. Plaintiffs in the suit, filed this week in U.S. District Court in Michigan, include women who have been athletes at Michigan State, Nebraska and an unidentified America East school. Other plaintiffs in the suit have been students at Michigan State or Nebraska. The lawsuit accuses the defendants of negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress and other issues. The NCAA did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment.
UNDATED (AP) — The Las Vegas Raiders have re-signed free agent wide receiver De’Mornay Pierson-El. Pierson-El spent training camp in 2019 with the Raiders before playing in the XFL this season for St. Louis. He had nine catches for 70 yards and one TD for the Raiders in four preseason games last summer. He also returned 15 punts for 81 yards before getting cut before the season.
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. (AP) — Swingman Tray Jackson has signed an offer to transfer from Missouri to Seton Hall. Pirates coach Kevin Willard made the announcement Thursday. The 6-foot-8 Jackson will sit out the 2020-21 season. He will have three years of eligibility remaining. Jackson played in 26 games at Missouri. He lives in Detroit. The Pirates recently added Harvard guard Bryce Aiken as a graduate transfer. Seton Hall posted a 21-9 record last season and finished tied for first place in the Big East Conference.
UNDATED (AP) — College athletes may be permitted to earn money for their names, images and likenesses without compromising their eligibility by this time next year. There are plenty of questions left to answer for the NCAA. A big one is whether Congress might get around to passing a law on the issue that has divided college sports for years. The NCAA for now will work on rules on how athletes will be able to start earning compensation.
CINCINNATI (AP) — The Cincinnati Bengals have released quarterback Andy Dalton, clearing the way for reigning Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow to lead a team that remade itself in the draft. Dalton set several Bengals passing records in his nine seasons and led the team to a club-record five straight playoff berths without winning a postseason game. Coach Zac Taylor benched Dalton for three games last season, an indication his time in Cincinnati was finished. Burrow was taken first overall in the draft last week.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — Wake Forest has hired East Tennessee State’s Steve Forbes as its men’s basketball coach, less than a week after the school fired Danny Manning. Forbes is coming off a five-year run at ETSU that ended with a 30-win season and the Southern Conference Tournament championship. He went 130-43 with the Buccaneers, winning at least 24 games each year while also capturing the league tournament in 2017 to reach the NCAA Tournament.
UNDATED (AP) — The PGA Tour has issued a memo to its members saying players exempt for this season will keep the same status for the 2020-21 season that is scheduled to start in September. However, players can earn a higher ranking after this shortened season. The memo to outline the changes was another step in the tour trying to figure out what's equitable in a season that will be without 13 previously scheduled events due to the COVID-19 pandemic.