LOUISVILLE, Ky. — There’s no doubt Mike Repole believed it when he said on the morning before the 2011 Kentucky Derby that there would be more chances to win in his future.

“He’s 43 and I’m 42,” Repole said at the time, referring to himself and trainer Todd Pletcher. “He looks a lot older than I do, but the bottom line is that we’re going to be around awhile.”

Nobody would have doubted Repole’s ambition or his pocketbook, having co-founded the company that created Smartwater and Vitaminwater and then selling it to Coca-Cola for more than $4 billion. If he wanted to be around the racetrack at the highest level, he was going to be around.

Then again, horse racing has seen guys like Repole come and go. They sink millions on expensive Thoroughbreds, think they’ve got it all figured out after they hit it big once or twice, then eventually sour on the game after setbacks and bad luck.

And there’s nothing unluckier than having to scratch the Kentucky Derby favorite, as Repole did in 2011 when Uncle Mo came down with an illness. 

“If you can scratch the favorite the day of the Kentucky Derby, how much tougher can this game get?” Repole said Monday. “If you can survive that, you can probably handle pretty much anything.”

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As promised that day a dozen years ago, Repole did not stop coming back to Churchill Downs — even though his Derby dreams have never come close to being realized.

But at this point, Repole is either going to win a Derby or “I’m going to die trying,” he said. And he may never have a better shot than Saturday when 2-year-old champion Forte goes into the gate as the favorite. 

“It would be absurd (to win),” Repole said. “I can’t put into words now, and if I was blessed enough to win it, I’d probably have less words then. There’s nothing more special.”

Despite his humble origins in horse racing, sitting in the cheap seats as a teenager at the New York tracks, Repole is now firmly entrenched among the most successful owners in the sport. One by one, his horses have collected some of the game’s biggest prizes, including Vino Rosso in the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Classic and his first Triple Crown breakthrough last year with Mo Donegal. 

“I wanted to win the Belmont and was very open about it,” Repole said. “The good news is we won the Belmont and now this is the race I want to win.”

Uncle Mo, who was never the same horse after suffering through the liver condition that kept him out of the Derby, ostensibly got revenge in 2016 when one of his offspring, Nyquist, won the roses.

That meant a lot to Repole, who believes Uncle Mo was the most brilliantly fast horse he’s owned. 

“He (could have been) American Pharoah before American Pharoah,” Repole said, referring to the 2015 Triple Crown winner. 

But as an owner, Repole’s subsequent attempts to win the Derby have not gone well. The seven horses he’s entered since Uncle Mo have finished 12th, 11th, 14th, 17th, ninth, 17th and fifth.

Still, the results haven’t deterred Repole from loading up on expensive horses in pursuit of one Derby crown. At the 2021 September yearling sale alone, Repole and his partners bought 43 horses for a total of $16 million.

Most of them haven’t amounted to much yet, including Abstract ($975,000 purchase, 0 wins), Dreamlike ($975,000, 0 wins), Bailout Money ($950,000, 0 starts), Point Proven ($675,000, one win) and Fearless Soldier ($700,000, one win).

Interestingly, it was a horse Repole spotted toward the end of the auction — typically, the place where the leftovers are sold — that became the best of the bunch.

At $110,000, Forte was not one of the least expensive horses Repole and partner Vincent Viola bought during the sale. On looks, the horse reminded Repole of his sire, a fast horse named Violence that Pletcher trained a decade ago but had to be retired after an injury early in his 3-year-old season.

By that point in the sale, most of the big owners had already exhausted their budget and gone home. But Repole just kept collecting talent. In the moment, he thought he might have overpaid for Forte since most of the owners willing to spend six figures on a horse were done buying. 

It’s turned out to be a bargain: Forte showed early potential, won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile last fall and has had an ideal path to the Derby this spring with wins in the Fountain of Youth Stakes and the Florida Derby. He has already made $2.4 million on the track and will be worth several times that as a stallion, particularly if he were to win Saturday.

‘It’s about being there, hanging round the rim at all times,” he said. “We (might buy) 100 but I’ll get outbid on 150. Most owners like me would say, ‘I’m just going to get 20 and not get outbid.’ When they run out of money, I’ve still got money, so I’m OK. I’m fine. In fact, if I keep bidding and cost you a lot of money I’m OK with that also.”

Whether in business, horse racing or his other interests like St. John’s basketball, Repole knows what he wants and understands what it takes to get it. Recently, Repole shared a photograph on social media of himself and new Johnnies coach Rick Pitino, of whom he joked ‘I have to get him some players.”

In the old days, that would have been taboo for a booster to make inferences about paying athletes. But in the world of athletes earning money off their name, image and likeness, someone like Repole can potentially make or break a program’s recruiting efforts. 

“I love winning,” he said. “If you want to win in college basketball, you hire the best of the best. We’re going to have a lot of fun with him.”

And win or lose, Repole insists he’s going to have fun at the Derby this weekend with dozens of friends and family coming to Louisville. He has spent the early part of this week palling around with his brother, a former New York City cop, and friends that used to go with him to the harness track at Yonkers Raceway where his love for the sport grew as a teenager. 

All these years later, Repole wants to win the Derby more than ever — and has spent a fortune trying. But a dozen years after the Uncle Mo disappointment, he has even more enjoyment in the experience no matter what happens when the gate opens.

“We’ve been so blessed,” Repole said. “I just think as I get older, I started this game in my 30s and now I’m in my 50s, you always appreciate it more. I’m enjoying it more than ever before. I feel confident in the horse. I told my family yesterday, ‘Listen, if we win this it’s going to be great. And if we don’t win this, it’s going to be great.’ ”

Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Dan Wolken on Twitter @DanWolken

Eight athletes made at least $100 million in total earnings over the past 12 months – twice as many as any other year, according to the latest Forbes list released Wednesday. 

International soccer stars Cristiano Ronaldo ($136 million), Lionel Messi ($130 million) and Kylian Mbappe ($120 million) are the top three highest-paid athletes, while all-time NBA scoring leader LeBron James ($119.5 million) and Mexican boxing champion Canelo Álvarez ($110 million) round out the top five. 

Golfers Dustin Johnson ($107 million) and Phil Mickelson ($106 million) catapulted to No. 6 and No. 7 on the list thanks to their involvement with LIV Golf, while four-time NBA champion Stephen Curry will earn $100.4 million. 

Mbappé, Álvarez, Mickleson, Johnson and Curry each topped $100 million for the first time, while Ronaldo, Messi and James have each reached the threshold before in their careers.

Retired tennis legend Roger Federer ($95.1 million) and NBA star Kevin Durant ($89.1 million) rank ninth and 10th, respectively, among the highest-paid athletes, according to Forbes, whose calculations include on-field and off-field earnings calculated between May 1, 2022, and May 1, 2023.

Forbes calculates on-field earnings based on prize money, salaries and bonuses, while off-field earnings are an estimate of sponsorship deals, appearance fees and memorabilia and licensing income. It also includes cash returns from businesses that are operated by the athlete.

The influx of money from the Middle East, both in soccer and golf, respectively, has helped the soccer and LIV golf stars make more money over the past year. According to the report, the world’s ten highest-paid athletes combined made $1.11 billion before taxes and agents’ fees over the last 12 months, making it the highest total ever.

Johnson missed the top 50 last year, but finished with $35.6 million in prize money from LIV Golf over the past 12 months, according to Forbes. Mickelson, 52, was ranked 31st in the last release at $45.3 million, but returns to the top 10 after being a fixture on it from 2006-16.

Ronaldo, whose $136 million set a record for soccer players, made about $90 million off the field. His 2023 figure takes into account the tail end of his pay from Manchester United before parting ways last November to sign with Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr in January.

Messi, whose playing future consists of rumors to return to Barcelona, joining Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia, or jumping to MLS team Inter Miami, made $20 million alone last year from his deal with blockchain-based fan platform Socios, according to Forbes.

Mbappé, the only athlete under 30 on the top 10, made $100 million from his on-field salary last year.

Jackson Mahomes, the brother of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and a social media influencer, was arrested Wednesday in Kansas and charged with battery and three counts of aggravated sexual battery.

The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office booked Jackson Mahomes in jail at 7:42 a.m. with a $100,000 bond, according to inmate records.

In March, police confirmed Mahomes, 22, was the subject of an investigation for two separate incidents that occurred on Feb. 25 at Aspens Restaurant and Lounge in Overland Park, a suburb of Kansas City. Mahomes allegedly forcibly kissed the 40-year-old owner and shoved a 19-year-old waiter more than once, the owner and waiter told the Kansas City Star.

Mahomes is scheduled to appear in court Friday. Brandon Davies, an attorney for Mahomes, said the court has prohibited Mahomes and his lawyers from commenting. Davies appeared in court remotely Wednesday.

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Mahomes has 1.1 million followers on TikTok and has been a constant presence around his two-time Super Bowl champion brother.

Follow Chris Bumbaca on Twitter @BOOMbaca.

World champion sprinter and three-time Olympic medalist Tori Bowie has died at the age of 32, her management team and USA Track and Field each confirmed on social media Wednesday.

The Orange County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office said its deputies were conducting a welfare check at a home in Winter Garden, Florida at about 1 p.m. on Tuesday after receiving reports that a woman in her early 30s ‘had not been seen or heard from in several days.’ They found the woman, tentatively identified as Bowie, dead in the home.

The sheriff’s office said ‘there were no signs of foul play’ and did not release any additional information. In response to questions about Bowie, a spokesperson for the Orange County Medical Examiner’s Office said cause and manner of death are pending.

‘We’ve lost a client, dear friend, daughter and sister,’ the sports agency that represented Bowie, Icon Management Inc., wrote on Twitter. ‘Tori was a champion…a beacon of light that shined so bright! We’re truly heartbroken and our prayers are with the family and friends.’

Bowie, whose given first name was Frentorish, grew up in Sandhill, Mississippi – a tiny unincorporated community in the middle of the state. She was raised by her grandmother, who took Bowie in after she and her younger sister were left in foster care.

Bowie graduated from Pisgah High School in 2008 before starring as a long jumper at Southern Miss, where she was a three-time All-American. Her career skyrocketed after she shifted her focus from jumping to the sprinting events in 2014, and she quickly blossomed into one of Team USA’s fastest women.

‘She was a very enthusiastic, sparkling personality,’ Bowie’s one-time coach Craig Poole told The Associated Press.

Bowie went on to win a three medals at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, including silver in the 100-meter dash and bronze in the 200. She also ran the anchor leg in the women’s 4×100 relay, in which Team USA won gold. She returned to the U.S. as one of the country’s breakout performers on the track and received a hero’s welcome in Mississippi, where Nov. 25 was dubbed ‘Tori Bowie Day.’

‘I’ve never even thought about anything like this,’ she told The Hattiesburg American, which is part of the USA TODAY Network. ‘It’s like back in Sandhill, they have a sign right when you turn inside (the campus at Pisgah High, her alma mater), they actually have a sign, it says ‘Tori Bowie Lane.’ To see things like that and like this, it’s just like miracles, I guess.’

By the end of 2017, Bowie had become a world champion in both the women’s 100 and 4×100 relay. She also placed fourth at the 2019 world championships, in the long jump. She last competed professionally in June, placing fifth in her only race of the season.

Bowie’s death came as a shock to the track and field community Wednesday. Fellow Olympic medalists Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Noah Lyles and Brittney Reese were among those who paid tribute to her on social media.

‘A great competitor and source of light. Your energy and smile will always be with me,’ Fraser-Pryce wrote on Twitter.

Thomas Bach, the president of the International Olympic Committee, also offered his condolences, saying in a statement that he was ‘shocked and deeply saddened’ by Bowie’s death. USA Track & Field offered a similar statement.

‘Her impact on the sport is immeasurable, and she will be greatly missed,’ the national governing body said.

Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on Twitter @Tom_Schad.

The New York Jets are bringing in another familiar face for Aaron Rodgers next season.

Veteran receiver Randall Cobb, Rodgers’ teammate for 10 seasons with the Green Bay Packers, is joining the Jets on a one-year deal, according to ESPN.

While Cobb’s production has dwindled in recent seasons, his familiarity with Rodgers could help the Jets in their attempt to reach the postseason for the first time since 2010.

Cobb walked off Lambeau Field with Rodgers during their last game with the Packers, a loss to the Detroit Lions in the season finale that ended Green Bay’s postseason hopes last season.

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Rodgers also lobbied the Packers to sign Cobb again in 2021, after Cobb played with the Dallas Cowboys in 2019 and the Houston Texans in 2020.

Cobb, 32, caught 34 passes for 417 yards and one touchdown last season, while missing four games due to an ankle injury. He had just 28 catches for 375 yards and five touchdowns in 2021.

Cobb joins former Packers receiver Allen Lazard, who joined the Jets on a four-year, $44 million deal, this offseason.

Together, they join a Jets receiver room that features reigning offensive rookie of the year Garrett Wilson, Super Bowl champion and former Chiefs receiver Mecole Hardman, Corey Davis and Denzel Mims.

Florida Derby winner Forte is the worthy favorite, but Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs offers several intriguing betting options.

Blue Grass winner Tapit Trice and Arkansas Derby titlist Angel of Empire are improving colts with solid chances to wear the roses.

And, of course, there are plenty of long shots who have created buzz on the backside the last two weeks.

With that in mind, The Courier Journal offers its annual breakdown of why each horse can and can’t win the Kentucky Derby — many serious, a few tongue in cheek, one destined to be right.

Horses are listed in post-position order:

1. Hit Show

Why he can win: His Beyer Speed Figures have improved every time he’s raced, and another jump Saturday would put him right in the mix.

Why he can’t win: Trainers say the new starting gate has alleviated some of the crowding issues involved with the No. 1 post position, but it’s still not ideal. The last winner from the No. 1 post was Ferdinand in 1986.

2. Verifying

Why he can win: Watch Brad Cox’s eyes light up when he speaks of this horse, and you get the feeling he’s sitting on a big one. Hard to knock a horse that finished just a neck behind Tapit Trice in the Blue Grass.

Why he can’t win: If you believe in the Derby gods, how do you feel about a son of Justify winning? Yes, Justify won the Triple Crown in 2018. But a failed drug test before the Kentucky Derby at least put an unofficial asterisk next to his accomplishments.

3. Two Phil’s

Why he can win: His victory in the Jeff Ruby Steaks produced a 101 Beyer Speed Figure, the fastest number posted by any horse in the Derby. He’s also won at Churchill Downs, taking the Grade 3 Street Sense in October.

Why he can’t win: The “wise-guy” horse never wins the Derby, and Two Phil’s seems to be the one this year.

4. Confidence Game

Why he can win: He’s won twice at Churchill Downs and fired a bullet workout Saturday, going five furlongs in 59 seconds. Horse for the course?

Why he can’t win: He hasn’t raced since winning he Rebel on Feb. 25, and horses don’t win the Kentucky Derby off 10-week layoffs. He’s also never raced beyond 1 1/16 miles.

5. Tapit Trice

Why he can win: He’s won four straight races at four different tracks and may have caught Forte as the best horse in Todd Pletcher’s barn. A $1.3 million purchase, he’s the most expensive horse in the field.

Why he can’t win: Tapit is one of the top sires in North America, but his progeny is 0 for 13 in the Kentucky Derby. Tapit finished ninth in the 2004 Run for the Roses.

6. Kingsbarns

Why he can win: He’s undefeated in three career starts and has improved his speed figures every time. In a race with little early speed, he could be the one to beat at the quarter-pole.

Why he can’t win: The Louisiana Derby was slow, and that won’t be the case here. Only two horses have won the Kentucky Derby without racing as a 2-year-old — Apollo (1882) and Justify (2018).

7. Reincarnate

Why he can win: He’s never been worse than third in seven career starts, and he’s another who has early speed and should be close to the lead early. If he can sustain it, watch out!

Why he can’t win: Before being transferred to Tim Yakteen, Reincarnate was trained by Bob Baffert, who currently is suspended at Churchill Downs. Again, the Derby gods are watching.

8. Mage

Why he can win: If you like Forte, it’s hard to ignore Mage, who finished just a length behind the Kentucky Derby morning-line favorite in the Florida Derby.

Why he can’t win: Like Kingsbarns, Mage didn’t race as a 2-year-old and faces the Curse of Apollo/Justify. Jockey Javier Castellano is 0 for 15 in the Derby and never has finished better than third (Audible in 2018).

9. Skinner

Why he can win: Three straight Beyer Speed Figures in the 90s, and he was charging late while finishing third in the Santa Anita Derby. Trainer John Shirreffs knows how to win the Run for the Roses with long shots, as his Giacomo won in 2005 at 50-1 odds.

Why he can’t win: With just one victory in six career starts, he feels like the classic “close but no cigar” type.

10. Practical Move

Why he can win: Three straight victories and two straight Beyer Speed Figures of 100 are hard to ignore. Yakteen seems more comfortable this year than he did last year in his Kentucky Derby debut, and that can only translate to good things for the horse.

Why he can’t win: A son of Practical Joke, there are serious doubts Practical Move can last the mile-and-a-quarter distance of the Kentucky Derby.

11. Disarm

Why he can win:Steve Asmussen has to win the Kentucky Derby some time, right? After last year’s runner-up heartbreak with Epicenter, maybe it’s justice for Asmussen to win with a relative long shot.

Why he can’t win: His speed figures don’t match up with the best in this field, and his third-place finish three weeks ago in the Lexington at Keeneland was, at best, dull.

12. Jace’s Road

Why he can win: Maybe he gets away with a moderate early pace and steals it.

Why he can’t win: He’s the fourth-best horse in the race from his own barn and hasn’t exactly loved Churchill Downs, finishing third and eighth in his two races there.

13. Sun Thunder

Why he can win: If Rich Strike can win the Kentucky Derby, why can’t another late runner like Sun Thunder?  

Why he can’t win: Trainer Kenny McPeek and jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. are easy to like, but there’s not much else to like about this one.

14. Angel of Empire

Why he can win: Improving colt was impressive in a 4 ¼-length romp in the Arkansas Derby. Seems to get better the farther he runs.

Why he can’t win: Do you really trust a $70,000 horse that was bred in Pennsylvania and got his racing start at Horseshoe Indianapolis?

15. Forte

Why he can win: With six wins in seven races, he has the best résumé of any horse in the field. The move he made to win the Florida Derby was eye-popping, and he has arguably the best jockey in the world in Irad Ortiz Jr. A worthy favorite.

Why he can’t win: Only two winners of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile have gone on to win the Kentucky Derby (Street Sense and Nyquist), and there are concerns Forte isn’t the same horse he was as a 2-year-old because of declining Beyer Speed Figures.

16. Raise Cain

Why he can win: He has the same sire, Violence, as Forte. Maybe he’s the favored son.

Why he can’t win: There’s little to no history to suggest he belongs in this field. A fifth-place finish in the Blue Grass doesn’t inspire confidence.

17. Derma Sotogake

Why he can win:Japanese horses have made a splash on the world stage in recent years, and it’s just a matter of time before one wins the Kentucky Derby. His numbers from the UAE Derby suggest he’s fast enough to compete with the best here.

Why he can’t win: Horses coming from the UAE Derby are 0 for 18 all-time in the Kentucky Derby and have never even hit the board. The best finish came from Master of Hounds, who was fifth in 2011. The No. 17 post is 0 for 43 all-time in the Kentucky Derby.

18. Rocket Can

Why he can win: Perhaps it rains Saturday and Rocket Can repeats his victory in the slop in October at Churchill Downs. Adding blinkers could help with focus.

Why he can’t win: Nothing in his history suggests he’s fast enough to compete with the best here. The fourth-place finish in the Arkansas Derby doesn’t inspire confidence.

19. Lord Miles

Why he can win: He produced the best race of his career last time out, winning the Wood Memorial by a nose at 59-1 odds. Perhaps he takes another step forward here.

Why he can’t win: No horse coming out of the Wood Memorial has won the Kentucky Derby since Funny Cide in 2003. Even worse, since 2016, only one horse out of 13 coming out of the Wood has finished in the money — Tacitus (third in 2019).  

20. Continuar

Why he can win: Because you believe in miracles?

Why he can’t win: Exhaustion from all the time spent training at Churchill Downs the past few weeks.

Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com; Twitter: @KentuckyDerbyCJ.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. − Rory McIlroy shot 5 under on the second nine at Augusta National on the eve of the Masters and said he never felt more ready to win the Masters and complete the career Grand Slam.

‘I honestly thought I was going to have the best Masters I ever had,’ McIlroy said on Tuesday evening at a private event at Puttery, the indoor modern spin on mini-golf of which he’s an investor.

And yet as golf fans know all too well, the quest for the elusive Green Jacket goes on as McIlroy missed the 36-hole cut.

‘It sucked,’ McIlroy said. ‘I shouldn’t be thinking about if I’m going to be having a good week or a bad week. I should only be thinking about that first tee shot on Thursday. That’s getting ahead of myself and feeling really good about my game but having those thoughts of, jeez, I’m going to have the best week I’ve ever had at Augusta isn’t the right mindset going into it. You need to be thinking about staying in the present. I feel like at Augusta I didn’t do a good job of that because of how well I was playing. I was almost too − not overconfident − but maybe got ahead of myself.’

McIlroy remained coy about why he skipped the RBC Heritage, his second missed designated event. Players are allowed one absence, which he took at the season-opening Sentry Tournament of Champions. The second miss receives a steep fine − Commissioner Jay Monahan Wednesday confirmed that McIlroy will lose $3 million of his Player Impact Program bonus from 2022.

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‘I knew the consequences that could come with missing one of those. It was an easy decision. It was worth that for me to get some other things in place,’ McIlroy said Tuesday. ‘I had my reasons to not play Hilton Head and I’ve expressed those to Jay. … I understood the consequences of that decision before I did it. So whatever happens, happens.’

When McIlroy passed on the first designated event of the season in Hawaii, he didn’t envision a scenario where he’d miss another. ‘My mind wouldn’t have been there. It was more important for me to be home,’ he said of electing to bypass Harbour Town. ‘I would’ve been doing myself a disservice and I would’ve been doing the people around me a disservice if I had gone to play.’

McIlroy used his extended three-week break to reset, reassess and put his disappointment at Augusta in the rear-view mirror. He said he didn’t touch a club for two weeks. He spent one of those weeks in Manhattan celebrating his anniversary there with wife Erica. To hear McIlroy tell it, he was desperate for a mental escape from the game.

‘I feel like it’s totally consumed my life for the last 12 months. There’s other parts of my life that are important as well,’ he said.

Despite the $3 million fine, which is a drop in the bucket for a guy with McIlroy’s earning potential, his decision seems sensible in the bigger picture except for the fact that McIlroy signed off on the designated events being mandatory and when there initially was player pushback after it was announced in August at the Tour Championship, McIlroy took a strong stance. In a meeting with PGA Tour chief tournaments and competitions officer Andy Pazder captured in the Netflix documentary ‘Full Swing,’ McIlroy said if he was willing to do it, they should too. ‘I say to these guys, ‘No other athletes in the world get to choose when and where they play.’ We’ve all just gotten a little soft.’

But on Tuesday, McIlroy was quick to point out that the burn out he’s been suffering from had little to do with his golf. His involvement as a director on the PGA Tour policy board and his unofficial role as Tour spokesman during the civil war with LIV Golf has taken its toll. He still managed to win the FedEx Cup in August and regain World No. 1 for a stretch, beginning in October, but all those demands eventually caught up to him even if he said he still was able to attend a seven-hour board meeting and nearly win the Arnold Palmer Invitational a few days later.

‘It was everything that we’ve all had to deal with in the golf world over the past 12 months and being right in the middle of it and sort of being in that decision-making process that’s what gassed me,’ he explained.

‘I’ve always thought I had a good handle on the perspective of where golf fits within my life and trying to find purpose outside of golf in some way. I think over the last 12 months I lost sight of that. I lost sight of the fact that, you know, there’s more to life than the golf world and this little silly squabble that’s going on between tours and all sorts of stuff. I think I just gained some perspective. Once I disconnected, I could see things a little clearer and where everything fits within my life. It was a good reset.’

A refreshed McIlroy picked up the clubs last Monday and expressed excitement about going back to work at Quail Hollow, where he’s won the Wells Fargo Championship three times. As McIlroy put it, ‘there are three more majors ahead, the entire golf season still to play.’

Jalen Hurts and Lamar Jackson signed lucrative contract extensions this offseason. Their deals might lay the framework for other big-name quarterbacks eligible for extensions like Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow.

Or will it?

Los Angeles Chargers general manager Tom Telesco declared that there isn’t a “blueprint” for Herbert’s imminent new deal.

“Any time there is a contract signed at that position, yeah, it’s going to come up in conversation,” Telesco said, via SiriusXM NFL Radio. “I wouldn’t say there is any quarterback contract out there that is a blueprint. I wouldn’t say that at all. But, like anything else, there’ll be contracts that’ll be talked about. We’ll cherry-pick some things out of that contract we like. The agent will cherry-pick some things out of that contract that he likes. In the end, we’ll get to a compromise at some point, something that works for everybody. That’s what we’ll do here. I don’t really have a timeframe for it, to be honest with you, but we’ll get there.”

Hurts signed a five-year, $255 million deal with $179.3 million guaranteed. Jackson inked a five-year extension worth $260 million, that included $185 million in guaranteed money.

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Chargers coach Brandon Staley expressed similar optimism about Herbert’s contract situation in March.

‘Those talks are ongoing,’ Staley said at the NFL owners meeting. ‘We all know how we feel about him. I think navigating this process, we have a very good relationship with his team. I’m confident Justin Herbert is gonna be our quarterback for a very long time, and that we’ll make sure that we get a great deal done.’

Herbert is currently signed through the 2024 season and the team granted him his fifth-year option.

The Chargers quarterback is off to a record-setting start to begin his NFL career. Herbert’s compiled 14,089 passing yards, 94 touchdowns and 35 interceptions in 49 career regular-season games. His 14,089 passing yards are the most ever by a quarterback in their first three seasons.

Hurts and Jackson’s contracts might not be a blueprint for the Chargers, but the club will certainly have to bring out the Brinks truck for their franchise quarterback that they hope will be in Los Angeles for the foreseeable future.

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on Twitter @TheTylerDragon.

The announcement was worthy of the gold medal Tamyra Mensah-Stock held in her hand.

The Tokyo Olympics women’s 68 kg wrestling champion walked away from competitive wrestling Wednesday, announcing her retirement in an interview with ESPN.

However, Mensah-Stock will still be wrestling — this time with ropes surrounding her, as the two-time world champion is joining World Wrestling Entertainment.

Mensah-Stock signed with the company and will start Monday in the developmental program, NXT. This will be her first time doing show wrestling, she said, but plans on debuting on RAW and Smackdown within a year. Mensah-Stock is already living near WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.

‘I feel like I have done everything that I can in Olympic wrestling,’ she said.

After Tokyo, where she became the first Black female gold medalist in wrestling, Mensah-Stock took bronze in the subsequent world championships before climbing the mountaintop again and winning the 2022 world title.

‘I was like, ‘Man this is not fun anymore. I need a change,” Mensah-Stock said. ‘It’s been an honor representing the country. Traveling the world with my team has been incredible.’

Mensah-Stock called being in the WWE ‘a dream of mine’ and wants to model her career after Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.

‘I just see their personalities shine through the television. I see their strength. Everything about them resembles me. I just want to be a part of that.’

Mensah-Stock said she won’t miss having to weigh a certain amount. If Mensah-Stock can progress to WWE events, she certainly has the personality that would fuel storylines against other female wrestlers.

‘What I did for 15 years is pin people,’ Mensah-Stock said. ‘Going into WWE, that’s how you win.’

Follow Chris Bumbaca on Twitter @BOOMbaca.