FRISCO, Texas -- Considered the front-runner for the job when Brian Schottenheimer was hired as Dallas Cowboys head coach, Matt Eberflus is now the team's defensive coordinator, the team announced Tuesday.

Eberflus served as the head coach of the Chicago Bears for nearly three seasons before he was fired on Nov. 29 in the midst of a six-game losing streak. He had a 14-32 record as coach, but he had a solid run as the defensive coordinator of the Indianapolis Colts from 2018 to 2021.

In his first season, the Colts went from No. 30 in scoring and total defense to Nos. 10 and 11, respectively. In three of his four seasons, the Colts had a top-10 scoring defense and twice they were top 10 in yards.

Eberflus served as a Cowboys assistant coach under Jason Garrett for seven seasons. He joined the team as a linebackers coach with Rob Ryan as defensive coordinator, running a 3-4 scheme and remained when the Cowboys switched to a 4-3 under Monte Kiffin and Rod Marinelli.

In 2016-17, he was the defensive passing game coordinator. Anthony Spencer and Sean Lee made their first Pro Bowls as Cowboys with Eberflus as their coach.

Eberflus inherits a defense from Mike Zimmer that finished 28th in yards (355.2) and 31st in points (27.5) per game but was done in by injuries to defensive ends DeMarcus Lawrence, who played only four games with a foot injury, and Micah Parsons, who missed four games with a high ankle sprain. Cornerback Trevon Diggs and linebacker DeMarvion Overshown also finished the season on injured reserve with knee injuries.

Their injuries could lead to them missing time when the 2025 season starts. Diggs had surgery last week, while Overshown suffered anterior cruciate, posterior cruciate and medial collateral tears in his left knee.

The Cowboys are also expected to hire former San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen as special teams coordinator, sources told ESPN. Sorensen would replace John Fassel, who joined the Tennessee Titans after his contract expired.

Sorensen worked with Schottenheimer with the Seattle Seahawks and Jacksonville Jaguars.

Schottenheimer is not traveling to the Senior Bowl this week in Mobile, Alabama, so he can focus on completing his coaching staff.

Brothers Jake Paul and Logan Paul made social media announcements Tuesday that suggested their next fight will be against each other and air on HBO Max.

Calling it the "moment you've waited a decade for," the posts featured a head-to-head shot of the brothers with a March 27 date and the HBO Max logo. Further details were not included in the posts.

Jake Paul, 28, and Logan Paul, 29, are both YouTube stars who know how to create a buzz. Their exhibitions have drawn the interest of the biggest names in combat sports. Jake Paul defeated Mike Tyson in November in an eight-round unanimous decision. Logan Paul went the distance in an exhibition against Floyd Mayweather in 2021.

An HBO Max fight would be a first for the Pauls, who have had their bouts aired on platforms such as DAZN, Showtime, Fanmio, ESPN+ and Netflix.

Jake Paul and Tyson, the former heavyweight champion, broke records. Promoters said in November that the Tyson-Paul fight was the highest-grossing combat sports event ever in Texas, pulling in $18.1 million. BetMGM said the bout was by far its most-bet boxing or mixed-martial arts fight, taking three times the number of bets and four times the money of any combat sport event in its history.

Logan Paul is a part-time performer for World Wrestling Entertainment. He has been wildly successful in WWE, having claimed the United States Championship and participated in several premium live events. The fight with his brother would be just weeks before WrestleMania, the biggest event on the pro wrestling calendar.

A potential fight between Logan Paul and former UFC champion Conor McGregor will not happen. McGregor said in December that he was in "preliminary agreements" with the family of billionaire industrialist Mukesh Ambani to fight Logan Paul in India. However, he said this week the UFC would not grant him permission.

The Associated Press and ESPN's Brett Okamoto contributed to this report.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Brian Belichick, who spent the past five seasons as the New England Patriots' safeties coach, will not return to the team in 2025, according to a league source.

Belichick, the youngest son of former Patriots coach Bill Belichick, grew up a fan of the team and spent the past nine years on staff -- first as a personnel assistant (2016), then a coaching assistant (2017-19), before being elevated to safeties coach in 2020.

"He just brings a different level of how he sees the game, how he thinks the game," safety Jabrill Peppers said in 2024. "He holds us to a very high standard and has coached a lot of great DBs back there."

The Patriots' coaching staff is in transition for the second year in a row. New head coach Mike Vrabel replaced Jerod Mayo following a 4-13 season.

Vrabel hired former Titans and Lions defensive line coach Terrell Williams as his defensive coordinator. There was a question of whether Vrabel would consider retaining Belichick and cornerbacks coach Mike Pellegrino to pair with Williams, with Pellegrino's status uncertain.

Bill Belichick enters his first season as head coach at the University of North Carolina, where his oldest son, Steve, will serve as an assistant coach. Bill Belichick was out of football in 2024, while Steve Belichick served as defensive coordinator at the University of Washington last season.

One theme among new defensive assistants is ties to Vrabel from his tenure as Titans head coach (2018-23), with Clinton McMillan and Zak Kuhr set to join the staff, according to sources.

Other parts of Vrabel's staff are also being put into place, with former Bills and Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone and former Bears interim head coach Thomas Brown among the key hires on offense to work under coordinator Josh McDaniels, according to sources.

Vrabel also retained special teams coordinator Jeremy Springer and top special teams assistant Tom Quinn.

Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis said that adding Tom Brady as a minority owner brought a needed piece that has been missing from the organization since Jon Gruden resigned.

"Bringing in Tom Brady was bringing in somebody on the football side that I had been lacking having here in the organization," Davis told reporters. "Back in I guess it was '18, with Jon Gruden. He was somebody that I brought in and really expected to be that person on the football side that would bring stability to the organization. He had a 10-year contract and all that, and his head was chopped off. And we were put in a really bad position as an organization."

Davis made his comments Monday after the Raiders introduced Pete Carroll as the team's new coach and John Spytek as the new general manager.

Gruden resigned as the Raiders' head coach in 2021 after reports surfaced that emails he wrote over a 10-year period included racist, misogynistic and anti-gay language. Gruden was employed by ESPN as the lead analyst for "Monday Night Football" at the time he sent the emails.

Gruden sent emails to Bruce Allen, then the president of Washington's NFL franchise, and others during a seven-year period that ended in 2018. The emails came to light during the NFL's investigation into workplace misconduct with Washington under former owner Daniel Snyder.

Since that time, the Raiders have tried to replace Gruden first with Josh McDaniels and then Antonio Pierce before now turning to Carroll.

Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl champion, was approved to buy into the Raiders last October. He was part of the team interviewing prospective head coaching candidates, Davis said.

Davis said he hopes he's found the pair to turn around the Raiders in Carroll and Spytek.

"We want to build something here and again, that's been the process and that mindset all along," Davis said. "Like I said, it got offset or kind of blown up when Jon Gruden was sent away and so we've been trying to get it right since then and we'll see, but I've got patience to get it right, and I think we've got the people now -- again I've always felt that -- results are what speak to me and that's what we'll see."

The Raiders went 22-31 under Gruden in his second stint with the franchise after he initially coached the Raiders from 1998 to 2001. He was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and beat his former team in Super Bowl XXXVII in 2003.

The Raiders finished 4-13 this season.

The Phoenix Mercury are finalizing a trade to acquire five-time All-Star forward Alyssa Thomas from the Connecticut Sun, sources told ESPN on Tuesday.

Thomas, who had played her entire career with the Sun, leaves Connecticut as one of the greatest players in franchise history after helping the organization to six consecutive semifinal appearances as well as Finals berths in 2019 and 2022.

Thomas was an unrestricted free agent, but the Sun cored her, meaning the only way she could leave the team was to be traded. Thomas also had to sign off on her ultimate trade destination. Because the transaction involves a sign-and-trade, the move can't be made official until Feb. 1.

The 6-foot-2 Thomas is regarded as one of the best defenders and facilitators in the league, establishing herself as one of the top players in the world as she has finished top-five in MVP voting each of the past three seasons.

Thomas, also a 2024 Olympian with USA Basketball, earned six All-Defensive Team nods in her career and is the league's all-time triple-double leader with 11 in the regular season and four more in the postseason. She averaged 10.6 points, 7.9 assists and 8.4 rebounds last year with the Sun.

Aside from bringing in Thomas, the Mercury were already poised to look different next season. Brittney Griner is exploring free agency for the first time in her career, and Diana Taurasi is considering retiring.

In their first season under Nate Tibbetts, the Mercury were swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Minnesota Lynx.

Connecticut recently hired former Belgium national team coach Rachid Meziane to lead the organization, replacing Stephanie White, who left for the Indiana Fever.

NEW YORK -- The San Antonio Spurs-Los Angeles Lakers game that got postponed earlier this month due to the wildfires in Southern California will now take place on March 17 instead.

The NBA also announced on Tuesday the new date for the Milwaukee Bucks-New Orleans Pelicans matchup from last week that got postponed due to the New Orleans snowstorm. That game will now take place April 6.

Seven other games slated for March or April also were rescheduled Tuesday to accommodate the new dates for the Spurs-Lakers and Bucks-Pelicans matchups.

The Orlando Magic had three games moved. A home date with the Chicago Bulls was switched from March 12 to March 6, a road game with San Antonio was pushed back from March 17 to April 1 and a road game with New Orleans was moved up from April 6 to March 13.

The Bucks had the dates flipped for two March road games with the Lakers and the Golden State Warriors. The Lakers game was pushed back from March 18 to March 20, while the trip to Golden State was moved up from March 20 to March 18.

The Toronto Raptors' road game with Golden State was moved from March 19 to March 20. Milwaukee's home game with New Orleans was switched from April 9 to April 10.

The Golden State Warriors announced they will retire Andre Iguodala's No. 9 jersey on Feb. 23 when they host the Dallas Mavericks.

Iguodala is just the seventh Warriors legend to have his jersey raised to the rafters at Chase Center. Iguodala joins Wilt Chamberlain (No. 16), Chris Mullin (No. 17), Nate Thurmond (No. 42), Alvin Attles (No. 16), Rick Barry (No. 24), and Tom Meschery (No. 14).

Iguodala becomes the first Warrior from the four-championship Golden State dynasty core to be honored with the jersey gesture. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green will certainly join Iguodala once they retire.

"Without those guys, I wouldn't be in this position," said Iguodala, who retired in October 2023. "I think they understand how important I was. But obviously Steph, Klay and Draymond, just being so unique in who they are, it's just a powerful formula. It would be really hard to duplicate."

Iguodala helped Golden State win titles in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022. It seems appropriate that Iguodala will have his jersey raised when Thompson returns to face his old team again. Iguodala helped the Warriors' Big Three reach six NBA Finals in his eight seasons with the club, including five straight. The 6-foot-6 swingman won Finals MVP in 2015, averaging 16.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists in the six-game Finals win. He was inserted into the starting lineup after Golden State trailed 2-1 in the series to Cleveland Cavaliers and the Warriors won three straight games.

He averaged 6.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 26.0 minutes over eight seasons (2013-19, 2021-23).

"Andre will go down as one of the smartest, shrewdest and most unique and successful players ever to wear a Warriors uniform," Joe Lacob, Warriors co-executive chairman and CEO, said in a statement. "We thought all of that could be true when we acquired him in 2013, but the reality -- four titles, six Finals appearances, a Finals MVP -- exceeded even our wildest imaginations.

"He was the perfect player and person at the perfect time for our team, and the sacrifice he made in coming off the bench in 2014 sent a message that he came here to help us do one thing: win. The proof is in the rafters, and his number belongs alongside the banners he helped us raise."

Iguodala is one of only 11 players to win four NBA championships and an NBA Finals MVP, joining Curry, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, John Havlicek and Tony Parker.

Tampa Bay Rays ownership has yet to decide whether it will proceed with the development of a $1.3 billion baseball stadium in St. Petersburg, Florida, principal owner Stuart Sternberg said.

The plan to build the stadium in the Historic Gas Plant District to replace outdated Tropicana Field was met with excitement last summer when the team and public officials announced the deal. Despite local government agencies approving the sale of bonds to pay their share, the stadium plans remain up in the air, apparently over delays that likely would cost the Rays millions of dollars.

The team has until March 31 to meet specific conditions to gain public financing, including showing proof that the Rays can meet their minimum $700 million obligation toward the project. The team is responsible for that amount, plus any cost overruns -- and the latter appears to be the sticking point.

The project already is behind schedule, with construction initially set to begin this winter in time for a 2028 opening.

"We'll decide how we want to proceed at that point, well before that point," Sternberg told the Tampa Bay Times on Monday of the upcoming deadline. "We have to make a decision, so we'll have something by then."

If the team doesn't meet the deadline, the public financing portion of the deal could collapse.

These were the first public comments by Sternberg this year. In a letter sent to the Pinellas County board of commissioners last fall, the team said delays meant the 30,000-seat ballpark wouldn't be ready for the start of the 2028 season, and that a 2029 opening would be too costly.

The lack of commitment from Sternberg left at least one public official frustrated.

"Sell the team," Pinellas County commissioner Chris Latvala posted to X on Monday.

This is just the latest stadium problem for the Rays, who averaged 16,515 fans in 81 home games last season -- third worst in Major League Baseball.

Tropicana Field sustained significant damage in October due to Hurricane Milton, rendering the stadium unplayable in 2025. Instead, the Rays will use the New York Yankees' spring training site in Tampa as their home field this season.

The Rays have played at Tropicana Field since 1998, their inaugural season.

PITTSBURGH -- Adam Frazier is heading back to the Pittsburgh Pirates, according to multiple reports.

The club has agreed to terms with the veteran second baseman/outfielder on a one-year deal worth $1.525 million, per the reports. The deal is pending Frazier passing a physical.

Frazier, 33, spent the first five-plus seasons of his career with the Pirates from 2016 to '21. He hit .283 with 39 homers and 204 RBIs in 608 games with Pittsburgh. Frazier made the All-Star Game in 2021 before being traded to the San Diego Padres.

Frazier has bounced around recently, playing for the Seattle Mariners in 2022, Baltimore Orioles in 2023 and Kansas City Royals last season. Frazier hit .202 in 104 games with the Royals in 2024.

The deal gives the Pirates a versatile option who can play a corner outfield spot or second. Pittsburgh could have an immediate opening in right field after opting not to retain Bryan De La Cruz.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

MLB The Show 25 will feature three athletes for the first time, with Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz, Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson and Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes gracing the cover as the video game embraces a "dynamic era" of young MLB talent.

The decision to go with younger stars coincides with the video game franchise celebrating its 20th anniversary with its release on March 18.

"Historically, we've chosen a single cover athlete for MLB The Show, someone who is at the pinnacle of the sport," Todd Liss, group manager of MLB The Show's global marketing team, told ESPN. "However, with the unprecedented young talent coming into the league, we wanted to represent the changing current climate of baseball and showcase it on our cover. These three players are changing what's possible in baseball, and we're changing how many players can be on the cover of The Show."

The stars of today and tomorrow:

Elly De la Cruz
Paul Skenes
Gunnar Henderson

Your #MLBTheShow25 Cover Athletes! #ForgeYourJourney and pre-order on February 4th.
Available on March 18.

Learn more at https://t.co/baliy5VGpN pic.twitter.com/5npCRnCTv9

MLB The Show (@MLBTheShow) January 28, 2025

Skenes, the National League Rookie of the Year, is the first full-time pitcher on the global cover of the game.

Shohei Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers' two-way star, appeared on the cover of MLB The Show 22, and others to get the honor include Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (2024), Fernando Tatis Jr. (2021), Bryce Harper (2019) and Aaron Judge (2018).

The Pirates brought Skenes up to the majors last May, and the 22-year-old phenom posted an 11-3 record with a 1.96 ERA. In July, he became the fifth rookie pitcher to start an All-Star Game.

De La Cruz debuted in the majors in June 2023, appearing in 98 games. Last season, he became the youngest player in MLB history to hit 25 home runs and steal 60 bases.

In his first full season in 2023, Henderson hit 28 home runs with 82 RBIs, aiding in Baltimore's first playoff berth since 2016. Last season, Henderson earned All-Star honors for the first time with 37 home runs and 92 RBIs.

"Testament to the guys that have been drafted and gone through the minor leagues to get to this point," Henderson told ESPN about the up-and-coming group. "They don't brag about it, and they just go out there and continue to work hard and try to be the best player that they can [be]. I feel like that's what you want as a fan and that's what we try to go do each night out."

Skenes referred to his fellow cover stars as "so dynamic." He jokingly said Henderson seems like "just a good old country boy from Alabama," and he highlighted De La Cruz's work ethic and ability to make "unbelievable plays all the time."

"Just a guy that you don't really want on the basepaths because he's just gonna wreak a lot of havoc," Skenes said.

All three players agree on the impact that placement on the video game's cover can potentially have on baseball's youth.

"There are a lot of other guys who weren't finalists for Rookie of the Year or MVP or anything like that who are very, very good young players that aren't as well-known as guys like me or Elly or Gunnar," Skenes told ESPN. "But it's just the talent pool is so deep from young guys, and it's cool to kind of see."

De La Cruz said it sends a message to other young talent in the minors to keep working hard to achieve their dreams.

Skenes, who grew up a fan of the Los Angeles Angels, said current young stars are benefiting "a little bit" from past athletes, using Mike Trout as an example of a player that has helped pave the way for younger stars.

"Those guys making a difference in the big leagues and growing the game from a very early point in their career, I think that's kind of [what] put us in this position," Skenes said. "So, I think it's kind of our job to continue that so that the next generation can reap the benefits as well."

Henderson and De La Cruz said they played the video game growing up, and Henderson said he frequently took in the "Diamond Dynasty" mode, where users can collect cards to build their team. De La Cruz said MLB The Show 15, which featured Cuban-born outfielder Yasiel Puig on the cover, and MLB The Show 17, which had Ken Griffey Jr., are his favorites.

Skenes, on the other hand, admitted he didn't play the game consistently.

"I'm not very good at it, to be honest," he quipped.