I Dig Sports
Leverkusen need Alonso miracle to stage comeback vs. Bayern
MUNICH -- Xabi Alonso and Bayer Leverkusen need to write another remarkable chapter in their recent history if they are to salvage the seemingly lost cause of their UEFA Champions League round-of-16 tie against Bayern Munich after a brutal 3-0 first-leg defeat at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday.
The only good news for the reigning German champions is that achieving the unthinkable has become their thing under Alonso, having claimed their first-ever Bundesliga title last season without suffering a single league defeat. Leverkusen recorded a 3-0 win against Bayern at the BayArena on their way to that title success, and they need the same result again in Tuesday's second leg to keep this tie alive after two Harry Kane goals -- one a second-half penalty -- and a Jamal Musiala strike secured what would appear to be a decisive victory for Vincent Kompany's team.
Everything that could go wrong for Leverkusen did on a humbling night in Bavaria.
Bayern scored early -- Kane headed them into the lead on nine minutes -- and the home side doubled their lead when Musiala pounced on a huge mistake by goalkeeper Matej Kovar, who inexplicably dropped a cross in the six-yard box, with the ball falling to Musiala's feet.
It got even worse for Leverkusen.
Right-back Nordi Mukiele was sent off for two yellow cards on 62 minutes, forcing his side to play with ten men for half an hour. A harsh VAR intervention 12 minutes later resulted in a Bayern penalty -- scored by Kane -- after little more than a two-way wrestling scrap between the England forward and Edmond Tapsoba.
The only thing that went right for Leverkusen was when Joshua Kimmich and João Palhinha wasted clear chances in stoppage to make it 4-0 and banish any hope of a comeback in the second leg.
In Champions League history, only Barcelona have overturned a 4-0 first-leg deficit to win the tie. In 2016-17, Luis Enrique's team gave us "La Remontada" (The Comeback) by beating Paris Saint-Germain 6-1 in Camp Nou after losing 4-0 in Paris in the first-leg of their Round of 16 clash.
That was a Barca team including Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suárez, so anything was possible with that array of talent. Leverkusen aren't quite so well stocked, but Liverpool (against Barcelona in 2018-19), Barcelona (against Roma in 2017-18) and Deportivo La Coruña (against AC Milan in 2003-04) have all fought back from losing a first leg by a three-goal margin to win the tie with a four-goal victory in the return leg at home.
Leverkusen must somehow do the same against Bayern -- a team that is eight points clear of Leverkusen at the top of the Bundesliga this season -- and add their name to the elite group of teams that have pulled off a sporting miracle.
Alonso has his own history of doing that.
The former Bayern and Real Madrid midfielder was part of the Liverpool team that trailed AC Milan 3-0 at half-time in the 2005 Champions League final in Istanbul before levelling the score and winning on penalties. That win has since become known as the "Miracle of Istanbul," so Alonso might yet decide to dig out the tape and show it to his players next week to prove that anything is possible.
"Absolutely," Alonso said when asked about using Liverpool's win as inspiration. "It will take time to analyse and go through this result because we have been beaten well. Everything went against us because of us, bBut it is not over until it is over and, as you said, anything can happen. The mindset has to be that and if there is a chance, we will fight for it.
"We have to fight back. We will learn from this and believe in our return leg. We don't give up so easily. Three goals? You never know. One goal can change anything."
Bayern are strong, however, and they arguably forced Leverkusen into their worst performance under Alonso.
Atalanta shocked Leverkusen with a 3-0 win in last season's UEFA Europa League final in Dublin -- a result that cost Leverkusen an incredible treble without defeat -- but that win was more down to the brilliance on the night of hat-trick hero Ademola Lookman than Leverkusen's shortcomings. Against Bayern, they were outclassed in every department and also had luck go against them.
Don't underestimate this Leverkusen team, though. Alonso has made them German champions and one of the best teams in Europe, so they will still believe next week.
If Leverkusen score first, stand by for fireworks.
Heist at the Parc des Princes: How Liverpool stole the first leg
PARIS -- Liverpool have put themselves in the driver's seat to secure qualification for quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League after substitute Harvey Elliott scored late on to seal a 1-0 victory in the first leg of their round-of-16 tie against Paris Saint-Germain.
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot warned ahead of the match that his team must be prepared to "suffer" against the French champions and that certainly proved to be the case as the Premier League leaders were outclassed for much of the match at the Parc des Princes.
PSG's January signing Khvicha Kvaratskhelia thought he had given the hosts the lead with a sublime curling finish in the first half, but his effort was ruled out for offside following a VAR check. Ousmane Dembélé and Bradley Barcola also had chances to put Luis Enrique's side in front, but Alisson Becker turned in an stellar performance in the Liverpool goal to keep the score level.
That opened the door for Elliott -- on for the surprisingly lacklustre Mohamed Salah five minutes from time -- to slot home past Gianluigi Donnarumma to win it in the 87th minute. Liverpool will now carry their narrow advantage into the second leg at Anfield next Tuesday.
Slot's Liverpool know how to suffer
Over the course of this season, Liverpool have beaten Real Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen and Manchester City (twice). But it is this victory, against a formidable PSG team at a ferocious Parc des Princes, that might just turn out to be their best win of the campaign.
Not in terms of performance; make no mistake, Liverpool were outplayed and outclassed for most of Wednesday night's match. They finished with less than 30% of the possession and having registered only the one shot on target compared to PSG's 10.
Crucially, though, Liverpool's solitary shot found the back of the net to hand the Premier League leaders a precious advantage.
"Tomorrow, we have to see if they are on top of us and if they are we have to suffer like we did against [Manchester] City," Slot said in his prematch news conference.
The Dutchman's words proved prophetic and, while neither Slot nor his players will be satisfied with the standard of their performance in the French capital, Liverpool -- as they did in their 2-0 victory at the Etihad last month -- showed they are not too proud or too blindly wedded to their principles to do what it takes to win ugly.
Of course, qualification has not yet been secured. Liverpool rode their luck at times and PSG, based on Wednesday's evidence, will surely fancy themselves to create plenty of chances at Anfield.
But Liverpool have now added the French champions to their collection of vanquished opponents this term and, should they progress to the quarterfinals, they will surely eel they are capable of beating anyone in this competition. -- Beth Lindop
PSG won everywhere, except the scoreboard
Dominating is not winning. Not always. PSG learnt that the hard way on Wednesday night in Paris, where they outplayed Liverpool in a way that no other team has done this season. Luis Enrique's side beat the Reds in every stat possible, creating a hatful of chances and leaving the visitors only crumbs -- and yet they will go to Anfield next week down a goal.
This is a young Paris team that is still growing and learning, and Wednesday's defeat will teach them a valuable lesson. The old adage about not taking your chances coming back to haunt you was on everybody's lips at the Parc des Princes and in front of their televisions. The counter-pressing applied by the Parisians was so effective -- perhaps the best we have seen this season in this competition -- that it made Liverpool look like a mid-table Ligue 1 them.
When Paris play the way they did Wednesday, they force the opposition to play long balls, and don't allow them to settle into their own game. The Reds had two shots all night, one on target. And yet they won 1-0. Paris completed three times more passes than them, had 27 shots and 10 on target. And they lost. -- Julien Laurens
Craig Burley wonders how Ibrahima Konaté managed to avoid getting sent off in Liverpool's win vs. PSG.
Alisson is still one of the world's best
Dembélé, along with everyone else in the stadium, was just waiting for the net to bulge when out came the leg of Alisson to smother his goal-bound shot.
The Brazil international's 30th-minute save was just one of a number of excellent stops he made at the Parc des Princes to keep Liverpool not just in the game, but in the tie against a sparkling PSG.
Rarely under Slot have Liverpool been so under siege as Dembélé, Barcola and Kvaratskhelia took it in turns to torment their visitors' creaking defence. Alisson's display offered an emphatic reminder of the 32-year-old's quality at a time when his long-term future at Anfield is perhaps more uncertain than ever.
While there can be no disputing that Alisson remains, when fit, one of the best goalkeepers in the world, Liverpool's purchase of Georgia international Giorgi Mamardashvili last summer has raised questions about whether the club are already planning for his successor.
Having impressed at the European Championship, MamardashvilIi -- who is spending this season on loan at Valencia -- views himself as a No. 1 and would surely be reluctant to spend too long in Alisson's shadow. There is also the future of Liverpool's reserve goalkeeper, Caoimhín Kelleher, to consider.
Alisson's sketchy injury record has afforded the Republic of Ireland international with plenty opportunities to show his class over the past couple of seasons and he will not be short of suitors this summer. But, while concerns over Alisson's fitness linger, his performance against PSG showed why he is still such an asset for Slot's side. -- Lindop
Kvaratskhelia shows why Luis Enrique wanted him in Paris
He could have been, maybe even should have been, the standout of the night. All game long, Kvaratskhelia terrified the Liverpool defence, causing problems left, right and centre, scoring a fantastic goal eventually ruled out for an offside by a centimetre, and forcing Alisson to pull out some great saves.
There was a question before the game about who would start up front for PSG with Dembélé and Barcola. Désiré Doué was the other option, but Luis Enrique went for the Georgian because of his experience and one-on-one qualities, and he justified his manager's pick.
"Kvaradona" was unstoppable at times, tormenting Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konaté and the rest of the Liverpool defence. He played on the right, on the left, as a false nine, and was a constant threat until he came off late for Gonçalo Ramos. At 70 million, Kvaratskhelia was an expensive move for PSG to make in January, but coach Luis Enrique had eyes only for him.
The 24-year-old has settled quickly since his move from Napoli -- which he deserves credit for -- but it has also made easy by the fact that Luis Enrique has this PSG team playing exactly the way Kvaratskhelia likes: with flair and skill. -- Laurens
Saud Shakeel timed out in President's Trophy final
The rare dismissal is not the only thing that makes the President's Trophy final unusual. Owing to Ramadan, a period when devout Muslims do not eat or drink between sunrise and sunset, the PCB decided to play the entire tournament at night, with a day's play running from 7:30pm to 2.30am, with tea and dinner breaks between sessions.
Shahzad's hat-trick helped PTV dismiss State Bank of Pakistan for 205, with former Pakistan opener Imran Butt scoring 89.
Ravindra and Williamson set up title bout with India
New Zealand 362 for 6 (Ravindra 108, Williamson 102, Mitchell 49, Phillips 49*, Ngidi 3-72, Rabada 2-70) beat South Africa 312 for 9 (Miller 100*, van der Dussen 69, Bavuma 56, Santner 3-43, Phillips 2-27, Henry 2-43) by 50 runs
New Zealand are into their seventh ICC final and fourth in the ODI format after posting the highest score in Champions Trophy history and beating South Africa by 50 runs in their semi-final in Lahore. They will play India in Sunday's final in Dubai on the back of a major confidence boost following their commanding win.
This is the fifth semi-final that New Zealand have won at an ICC ODI event while South Africa have lost nine out of 11 (and only won one), and their search for a second major title after the inaugural Champions Trophy in 1998 goes on.
Much of the focus may be on South Africa's batting given that they have not won any of the five semi-finals they have chased in, but this time they lost the game in the field. Their bowling effort was unusually off-colour as they failed to take advantage of early swing, bowled too many pace-on deliveries despite seeing the efficacy of pace-off, and they put down two catches. Lungi Ngidi was their best bowler with his steady selection of slower balls and picked up the early wicket of Will Young with the new ball and the important one of Mitchell with the older one, but both Marco Jansen and Keshav Maharaj went wicketless.
After winning the toss, Santner decided to bat first, in the hope that the breeze would negate the possibility of dew in the evening, and he could put scoreboard pressure on South Africa. He was right on both counts.
New Zealand started streakily when Young edged Ngidi over Jansen at slip, but soon found their touch. Ravindra led the way with a takedown of Jansen's short balls. He pulled a bumper through square leg and then hit him for three fours in his fourth over, through cover, midwicket and extra cover, leaving Jansen wondering which of the cutter, the full ball or the bouncer was his best option. Ngidi stemmed the tide when he had Young caught at mid-off and New Zealand ended the first powerplay on 56 for 1.
Williamson scored 11 off his first 14 balls before Rabada bowled a stunning maiden over to him that coonstantly kept him on his toes with changes of pace and length, and Williamson was happy to bide time. Ravindra brought up his half-century off 47 balls in the 18th over, in which he hit Wiaan Mulder for three fours. South Africa had brought on Maharaj in the 17th and his first four overs were tight - he conceded just 14 runs - before Ravindra decided to take him on. He was not fully in control when he fetched Maharaj from outside off to hit through long-on but then charged and smashed a straight six next ball. That over cost 13 runs, and Maharaj's next 12, and he was replaced by Ngidi, who almost made an important breakthrough.
Williamson, on 56, slashed at the last ball of that over, Ngidi's sixth, and got a healthy edge but Klaasen, diving one-handed to his right, could not hold on. Ngidi caused problems for Ravindra too and beat him outside off in his next over. He was on 97 and South Africa asked for a caught-behind review in vain. Ravindra went on to bring up his century off Rabada in the next over, off the 93rd ball he faced. New Zealand also brought up their 200 in that over, the 32nd, as Rabada went for 17 with Williamson changing gears.
He was on 80 off 77 balls when Ravindra was caught behind off Rabada, and took another 14 deliveries to get to his hundred with a ramp off Mulder. The same shot didn't work later in the over, and Williamson was caught at short fine, but New Zealand had the platform to go big. They were 252 for 3 after 40 overs before Jansen and Rabada squeezed, bowling four overs for 27 runs and the wicket of Tom Latham.
But then carnage. Mitchell tonked Ngidi for a six and two fours, Phillips took four successive fours off Jansen's penultimate over, and New Zealand were on their way. They scored 83 runs in the last six overs to cross 360 and leave South Africa with a mountain to climb.
And at least one of them started the ascent slowly. When Ryan Rickelton was out for 17 off 11, Bavuma was batting on 3 off 17. He continued to labour, and moved to 10 off 24 before cutting loose. In the ninth over, he walked down the pitch to Matt Henry and hit over mid-off, and in the 10th, hooked Kyle Jamieson behind square for six. South Africa rescued the first powerplay and finished it on 56 for 1, exactly the same as New Zealand. With the in-form van der Dussen with him, Bavuma demonstrated an ability to kick on and the pair formed a dangerous combination.
They took on the spinners, with both batters bringing up their fifties in successive Michael Bracewell overs, and their stand grew to 105 before Bavuma became Santner's first victim. He tried to hit his counterpart over cover, but was undone by flight and miscued the ball to Kane Williamson at backward point. Still, South Africa were on track. New Zealand had been 143 for 1 at the halfway stage; South Africa were 143 for 2.
But Santner was to have the decisive say. He bowled van der Dussen with a quicker one that straightened past his edge as he looked to work into the leg side, and then had Klaasen caught by Henry diving forward at long-on. Henry tumbled onto his right shoulder and left the field in some discomfort, which forced New Zealand to turn to Ravindra as a sixth bowler. It worked a charm when Aiden Markram popped a catch back to him that he took in front of his face.
Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo's correspondent for South Africa and women's cricket
Bavuma laments 'soft dismissal', says target was 'above par'
"Ideally, you would've wanted the both of us to keep going - at least till the 30th over. We know how destructive our middle order can be when they're coming in that last 20 overs," Bavuma said at the post-match presentation. "Unfortunately, we weren't able to set that foundation for them. Little bit of a soft dismissal, at least from my side. I think that just left too much for our middle order."
For New Zealand, both Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson smashed hundreds, and Bavuma felt either he or van der Dussen needed to match those efforts and stay right till the end.
"Yeah, look, I do think it [target] was above par. I think as well as they bat, we felt that if [the target was] anything around 350 - not over 350 - we'd back ourselves to chase the score with the wicket hopefully getting better," Bavuma said. "From a batting point of view, we just weren't able to really get those partnerships. There were one or two partnerships there, but I think you probably needed either myself or Rassie van der Dussen to go on and emulate what their top four batters did.
"But yeah, 360 was always going to be tough. It was always going to require someone to play well. We had David who did that, but we probably needed someone else as well."
Bavuma also heaped praise on the New Zealand batters. While Ravindra scored 108 and Williamson 102, Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips contributed a quick 49 each to put the target beyond South Africa.
"They really put us under pressure from the get-go, [with] the way they were able to pierce the off side, and I think even in the middle [overs], how they were able to just keep scoring boundaries," Bavuma said. "Normally, we pride ourselves in our ability to take wickets - especially in that middle period - but we weren't able to. Obviously, if you go into the death phase with wickets in hand, it always becomes difficult to contain them, especially on these type of wickets. So yeah, kudos to them.
"Credit to their betters, Kane Williamson, Rachin, and even the guys who came in as well - Mitchell, as well as Phillips. They put us under pressure with the bat."
"Yeah, he keeps doing it," Santner said. "I think that partnership [with Ravindra] was massive for us. It looked like he might've been frustrated at times but he was able to keep going and get through little periods where South Africa had challenged us. I think they decided to flip the switch a little bit earlier and were able to kind of cash in, and then the boys to back that up and the finish to get us up to 360, where probably 320 may not have been enough."
New Zealand meet India in the Champions Trophy final in Dubai on Sunday, in a replay of the title match from 25 years ago.
'I always gave my 100%' - Mushfiqur Rahim retires from ODIs
Mushfiqur finishes as Bangladesh's second-highest ODI run-getter with 7795 runs at an average of 36.42, with nine hundreds and 49 fifties from 274 matches. He is one of only five wicketkeepers to play more than 250 ODIs, and his seven centuries are the fourth-most by a keeper, behind only Kumar Sangakkara, Adam Gilchrist and MS Dhoni.
Mushfiqur's form had been in the spotlight in recent times, though, and he came under more scrutiny during the Champions Trophy. Mushfiqur was out for a golden duck against India, and scored just 2 against New Zealand. His last ODI fifty was against Sri Lanka in March last year - he was injured for two ODIs against Afghanistan in November, and the West Indies tour in November and December.
"I am announcing my retirement from the ODI format as of today," Mushfiqur wrote on his official Facebook page. "Alhamdulillah for everything. While our achievements may have been limited on a global level, one thing is certain: whenever I stepped onto the field for my country, I gave more than 100% with dedication and honesty. The last few weeks have been very challenging for me, and I have come to realize that this is my destiny.
"Lastly, I would like to deeply thank my family, friends and my fans for whom I have played cricket for the last 19 years."
Mushfiqur also holds the Bangladesh record for most consecutive ODIs, having played 92 matches between 2010 and 2016.
Miller puts weight behind New Zealand after 'not ideal' semi-final scheduling
That congeniality between the two turned out to be more than just a passing sentiment as Miller expressed his preference for the final that his side will yet again miss out on. "I'll be honest with you. I think I'll be supporting New Zealand," he said.
"It's only an hour-and-40-minute flight, but the fact that we had to do that [was not ideal]," Miller said. "It's early morning, it's after a game, and we had to fly. Then we got to Dubai at 4pm. And at 7.30 in the morning we had to come back. It doesn't make it nice. It's not like we flew five hours, and we had enough time to recover and recuperate. But it was not an ideal situation still."
In this semi-final, however, he acknowledged New Zealand were the better side and deserved winners. The game ended on a bittersweet note for Miller, who got to an unbeaten 67-ball hundred off the final ball of the contest. It gave him the opportunity to rock his arms back and forth to celebrate the recent birth of his son but Miller said he would "rather have played badly" if South Africa had won.
"There were really good contributions, a couple of 50s up front. We had a really good foundation. Unfortunately, in the middle, we lost a couple of wickets too many. At the end of the day, it's a team effort. Everyone's trying out there to do their best. It would have been nice to have a rematch against India. But life is not fair sometimes. Anyone has to work really hard to achieve trophies."
Ultimately, perhaps, the tie was snatched out of South Africa's hands in the first innings, despite Miller's destructive ability. New Zealand won the toss and batted first, having what Miller thought were the better of the conditions, particularly with the lack of assistance for spin under the sun.
"It's not easy chasing 360 even if it's a good wicket. There was no dew, so I think the wicket just deteriorated as the game went on. They spun the ball a lot more than us. It's just they got a little bit more purchase out of the wicket."
Though he made his preference clear, it did not amount to a prediction. "They're both incredibly good teams," Miller said. "India have shown the world how really good they are. They've been playing some good cricket for a number of years now and they've got some seriously good players. It's going to be a great game."
Source: Cowboys rework Dak, add $36.6M to cap
FRISCO, Texas -- Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott no longer has the highest 2025 salary cap figure in the NFL.
The Cowboys have restructured Prescott's contract and created $36.6 million in cap space, a source told ESPN on Wednesday. The Cowboys converted $45.75 million of Prescott's base salary to a signing bonus, reducing his cap figure from $89.89 million to $53.29 million.
In the past two days, the Cowboys have created $56.6 million in cap room by restructuring the contracts of Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. But that doesn't mean they will spend big when free agency begins next week.
"I'm not looking at free agency as a place to fill voids," owner and general manager Jerry Jones said.
That doesn't mean the Cowboys don't have needs for their roster.
"Not if you include what might work for us in the draft and what we're doing with our own roster relative to who we want to sign," Jones said.
The restructures do not impact a potential extension for All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons, who is set to play the 2025 season on the fifth-year option of his rookie deal at $22.06 million. A contract extension would lower that number, creating more cap room for the Cowboys.
Parsons told ESPN late last season that he does not need to be the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL and said after the season ended that he wanted the Cowboys to be a player in free agency. The Cowboys recently opened discussions with Parsons' agent on an extension.
The timing of when a deal gets finalized is not overly important to Jones. Last year, the Cowboys did not sign Lamb until the end of training camp and signed Prescott hours before the season opener.
"We get criticized because we wait until the end or what you would call the end, and that is lining up for the first game," Jones said. "It just happens that way. I've been one of the earliest out there on several contracts in my 35 years."
On Tuesday, the Cowboys signed Parsons' running mate, defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa, to a four-year, $80 million deal that included $52 million guaranteed. His 2025 cap number is $6.25 million.
Executive vice president Stephen Jones said the Cowboys would be "selectively aggressive" in free agency this year, compared to a year ago when they lost key free agents such as left tackle Tyron Smith, running back Tony Pollard, center Tyler Biadasz, defensive ends Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler, and defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins from a 12-5 team in 2023 and did little to replace them.
"As opportunity would come up from [outside], not the draft, not from within, as the opportunity comes up, we'll weigh it," Jerry Jones said. "Last year, we would have waited, but we'll look and see the opportunity to improve on the plan that basically both defense and offense is to complement what we're wanting to do with a Dak-led team."
With free agency looming next week, the Cowboys have a number of pending free agents they would like to keep, including cornerback Jourdan Lewis, punter Bryan Anger and running back Rico Dowdle. Last year's leading tackler, linebacker Eric Kendricks, is set to be a free agent, as is longtime defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence.
If Lawrence leaves and with the retirement of All-Pro right guard Zack Martin, Prescott, a fourth-round pick in 2016, would be the longest-tenured member of the Cowboys.
As for Prescott's contract, the drop in this year's cap number will lead to a $9.15 million increase in his 2026 cap number to $76.8 million.
Source: Seahawks star WR Metcalf requests trade
SEATTLE -- Seahawks star wide receiver DK Metcalf has requested a trade away from Seattle and prefers to be dealt to a contending team, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Metcalf, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, made his trade request Wednesday after a series of conversations over the past two weeks, the source told Schefter. The request came on the same day the Seahawks announced the release of franchise great and fellow receiver Tyler Lockett in an expected move.
The Seahawks are upset that news of Metcalf's trade request was leaked on a day the organization was celebrating Lockett's 10-year career in Seattle, a source told ESPN. The source said the team will explore a Metcalf trade, adding, "We will do what's best for the Seahawks."
Metcalf's agent did not respond to a request for comment from ESPN.
The team had already engaged in trade discussions regarding Metcalf before Wednesday, according to a source, though it's not clear if they were actively shopping the receiver or merely listening to trade offers.
Metcalf, 27, is seeking a new deal as he enters the final year of the three-year, $72 million extension he signed in 2022. He's set to make a little over $18 million in 2025. Trading him before June 1 would clear nearly $10.9 million in salary cap space but would force the Seahawks to take on $21 million in dead money this season.
Metcalf is coming off a 66-catch, 992-yard, five-touchdown season, having missed two games with a knee injury.
With speculation mounting about his future in Seattle as he entered a contract year, general manager John Schneider brushed off a question about the receiver's situation at the scouting combine in Indianapolis. Coach Mike Macdonald has talked publicly about Metcalf being a focal point of Seattle's offense in 2025, reiterating at the combine that they had to get him more involved after he finished last season with 108 targets in 15 games.
Macdonald previously talked about how his interviews with offensive coordinator candidates included questions about how they would maximize Metcalf, and that his pick for the job, Klint Kubiak, had a strong plan.
Metcalf averaged nine targets over the Seahawks' first six games last season. He hurt his MCL in Week 7, missed two games and then averaged just under six targets the rest of the season. Macdonald noted that Metcalf still wasn't 100% healthy while citing the emergence of second-year receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba -- who led the team with 100 catches, 1,130 receiving yards and six touchdowns -- as another factor.
The Seahawks traded up to draft Metcalf with the final pick of the second round in 2019. Despite running a 4.33 second 40-yard dash at the combine at 6-foot-3 and 228 pounds, he had fallen in the draft due in part to concerns about his route running as well as a serious neck injury that had ended his final college season at Ole Miss.
But Metcalf quickly became a star, finishing with 900 receiving yards as a rookie before setting a franchise record with 1,303 in 2020. He made the Pro Bowl in his second season and again in 2023. His 6,324 receiving yards are the most in team history over a player's first six seasons. That total ranks 11th among wide receivers since 2019, while Metcalf's 48 receiving touchdowns are fifth most in that span.
Metcalf's 38 total penalties are 10 more than any other wide receiver had since 2019. He has drawn criticism for a sometimes-undisciplined playing style, with several of his penalties coming for after-the-whistle infractions.
Belichick: Up to UNC players to buy into product
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Bill Belichick has seen North Carolina run through only two practices this spring -- players in shorts and jerseys without names or numbers -- so he's not making any grand pronouncements about the caliber of team he's working with.
But the one thing he says he feels confident in is the Tar Heels will be built his way and without compromise.
"I don't really have any expectations," Belichick said. "It's going to be up to each individual. I know we've got a good plan, I know we can do the right things to put a good product on the field. Everybody that buys into it and wants to be a part of it, will be a part of it. And if they don't, they can go somewhere else. That's their decision."
Belichick said he has been encouraged by the team's progress since he arrived, though he said the early days of spring practice haven't offered many insights.
But unlike his time in the NFL, the 72-year-old Belichick said he expected to use the spring as an opportunity to develop players through contact and physicality -- particularly in the run game and along the line of scrimmage, something that was difficult to do during minicamps and OTAs in the pros.
"We didn't have pads to do things like that," Belichick said. "Contact is very limited in the NFL in the spring. There really isn't any."
One group that won't have much contact is the quarterbacks. UNC's depth chart at the position is thin, with Purdue transfer Ryan Browne and true freshman Bryce Baker. Last season's Week 1 starter, Max Johnson, remains as well, but he's recovering from a broken leg sustained in the opener.
Belichick said Johnson was "getting better," and UNC was adjusting his workload each day based on how he responded to the previous day's efforts.
Beyond that, Belichick said the first few practices at UNC have been as much an onboarding for players as a chance for the staff to evaluate what it has.
"It's kind of similar to what a rookie minicamp would be and time with the rookies," Belichick said. "... We're starting to put everything together -- here's how we do things, here's what our expectations are, this is what you need to do to be successful. They've embraced that and tried to do it.
"We haven't accomplished anything, but we're a lot further along than we were five weeks ago. We're getting there."
It's also a chance for Belichick to get back to doing what he does best.
"That's the great thing about being a head coach -- I can coach anybody I want," Belichick said. "I can coach the line, I can yell at the tight ends, I can yell at the DBs, I can yell at the kickers.
"I can go to any group I want and coach them. And honestly, that's the fun part."
Phone: (800) 737. 6040
Fax: (800) 825 5558
Website: 
Email: 
