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US DOJ charges Hamas leaders over ‘terrorist atrocities’ in October 7 Israel attack

The U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday unsealed criminal charges against Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar and other leaders of the brutal organization over the ‘terrorist atrocities’ of the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre in Israel.

The criminal complaint filed in federal court in New York City includes charges of conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, conspiracy to murder U.S. nationals and conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction, resulting in death. 

It also accuses Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah of providing financial support and weapons, including rockets, that were used in the attack.

The complaint marks the first time that U.S. prosecutors have formally called out the masterminds of the Oct. 7 massacre. 

‘The charges unsealed today are just one part of our effort to target every aspect of Hamas’ operations,’ Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a video address. ‘These actions will not be our last. The Justice Department has a long memory. We will pursue the terrorists responsible for murdering Americans – and those who illegally provide them with material support – for the rest of their lives.’

Hamas stormed into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 Israelis and taking hundreds more hostage. 

Tuesday’s charges come days after Israel Defense Forces recovered the bodies of six hostages – including 23-year-old Israeli American Hersh Goldberg-Polin – in the tunnels beneath Rafah in the Gaza Strip.  

Hamas chief Sinwar is believed to be hiding out somewhere in Hamas’ vast tunnel network beneath Gaza. It’s unclear how much contact he has with the outside world.

Sinwar was appointed the overall head of Hamas after the killing of Ismail Haniyeh in Iran and sits atop Israel’s most-wanted list. 

Other Hamas leaders charged include Haniyeh; Marwan Issa, the deputy leader of Hamas’ armed wing in Gaza who helped plan last year’s attack and who Israel says was killed when fighter jets struck an underground compound in central Gaza in March; Khaled Mashaal, another Haniyeh deputy and a former leader of the group; Mohammed Deif, Hamas’ longtime shadowy military leader, who is thought to be dead following an Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza in July; and Ali Baraka, Hamas’ head of external relations.

The DOJ said at least one person – whose name they did not specify in the complaint – is ‘expected to be first brought to and arrested in the Southern District of New York.’ 

Fox News’ David Spunt and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Chip Roy says voters ‘don’t give 2 flying s—s’ about government shutdown fight

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, is convinced that American voters care more about having secure elections than the politics of a possible government shutdown, he said Tuesday, 

‘My constituents want [honest elections], they want a secure border, they don’t really give two flying s—s about the government funding,’ Roy told Fox News Digital in an interview.

Members of Congress will be back in Washington, D.C., next week after their summer recess, returning with just three weeks to find an agreement to avoid a partial government shutdown by Oct. 1.

It’s all but certain that a short-term funding extension called a continuing resolution (CR) will be needed to buy negotiators more time to hash out spending priorities for fiscal 2025.

Roy and other conservative rebels in the House have been pushing Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to pair a CR with the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, a bill to require proof of citizenship for registering to vote. 

But the SAVE Act has been deemed a nonstarter by the White House and Senate Democrats, and both sides are wary about the optics of a partial government shutdown just weeks before Election Day.

Roy declined to say whether he would support a shutdown but told Fox News Digital the blame would be on Democrats rather than Republicans.

‘I’m not going to play the shutdown game … the press wants to make it about a shutdown. Democrats want to make this about a shutdown,’ Roy said. ‘Our point is pretty simple. We’re offering to fund the government – all manners of sin, by the way, in that government…we’re willing to do that, but these guys need to make sure our elections are secure.’

‘If [Democrats] want to shut the government down, that’s on them.’

Two sources told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that pairing the bill with a CR through March is at least one plan being discussed by House GOP leadership. 

Johnson’s office did not return a Friday request for comment on the record on whether that would be his plan. Fox News Digital followed up on Tuesday.

Former President Trump said on Monica Crowley’s podcast last week that House Republicans should ‘shut down the government’ if such a proposal isn’t passed.

Meanwhile, House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole, R-Okla., previously said he would support a CR through December but cast doubt on whether the SAVE Act would be attached, noting any final product would have to pass the Democrat-controlled Senate.

But Roy’s comments are an early warning sign that the fight to fund the government in the next fiscal year could be as messy as last year’s protracted battle that resulted in the ouster of ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.

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Stocks

Why the S&P 500 Going Sideways is the Best Case Scenario

In this video from StockCharts TV, Julius evaluates the completed monthly charts for August, noting the strength of defensive sectors. He then analyzes a monthly RRG and seeks alignment for the observations from the price charts. Could “sideways” be the most positive scenario for the S&P 500 these next few weeks?

This video was originally published on September 3, 2024. Click anywhere on the icon above to view on our dedicated page for Julius.

Past episodes of Julius’ shows can be found here.

#StayAlert, -Julius

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Sports

NFL power rankings: Shakeup occurs behind champion Chiefs

NFL power rankings entering Week 1 of the 2024 season (previous rank in parentheses):

1. Kansas City Chiefs (1): They’d hardly scored the winning touchdown in overtime to successfully defend their crown in February before QB Patrick Mahomes, TE Travis Kelce and Co. were openly talking about the quest to become the first team to achieve a Super Bowl three-peat. With new weapons like blazers Hollywood Brown and Xavier Worthy at wideout, it’s quite possible these Chiefs will be more explosive than they’ve been in recent years. But to go back-to-back-to-(behind-the-back)-to-back, K.C. will have to overcome personnel losses on defense, hope WR Rashee Rice’s legal issues don’t come to a head at an inopportune time for the club and trust rookie LT Kingsley Suamataia is up to the task of safeguarding Mahomes.

3. Green Bay Packers (5): Like their NFC North rivals in Detroit, the Pack nearly knocked off the 49ers on the road in last season’s playoffs but couldn’t manage to hold a second-half lead, either. However if QB Jordan Love’s ascent continues, free agent additions Josh Jacobs and Xavier McKinney pay off, and this defense performs closer to the sum of its numerous first-round parts? No top-tier team in the league may have more room for upward growth.

4. Baltimore Ravens (3): Yes, the AFC’s No. 1 playoff seed last season has added RB Derrick Henry and is banking that his bruising style will mesh with MVP Lamar Jackson’s evasive (option-driven) one. But the AFC North rulers also lost a lot defensively, including coordinator Mike Macdonald. Perhaps most concerning are the turnover on the offensive line and the health of Pro Bowl C Tyler Linderbaum’s neck – those issues compounded by the sudden death of longtime O-line coach Joe D’Alessandris. Tragedy and adversity can fuel a team … but can also derail one.

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5. San Francisco 49ers (2): The reigning NFC champs arguably own the league’s best top-to-bottom roster. However despite their recently resolved business with WR Brandon Aiyuk and, now, All-Pro LT Trent Williams – arguably the club’s top player – neither has practiced in months, and (consequently?) the first-team offense hardly looked to be in sync during preseason auditions. There are also a fair amount of injuries (S Talanoa Hufanga, LB Dre Greenlaw, G Jon Feliciano, CB Ambry Thomas) that are going to linger for some time – and that’s on top of first-round WR Ricky Pearsall getting shot Saturday. Don’t be surprised if the Niners get off to a rocky start.

6. New York Jets (10): A third-ranked defense, RB Breece Hall and HC Robert Saleh probably don’t get sufficient credit for keeping a team that played with one hand tied behind its back relevant for so long in 2023. QB Aaron Rodgers need not win a fifth MVP for this talent-laden team to break its Super Bowl hex – he mostly just needs to stay upright and available enough to stabilize the franchise’s decades-long, well, positional Achilles. The Jets are so loaded, the absence of holdout OLB Haason Reddick might be more of a champagne problem than a front-burner one.

8. Philadelphia Eagles (6): And the rich get richer – EVP/GM Howie Roseman tantamount to a talent hedge fund manager after buying low on new WR3 Jahan Dotson. He might have been a first-round disappointment in Washington, but few teams will have a more dangerous player in his role than Dotson, who’s likely to be routinely covered by the opponent’s No. 4 corner.

9. Cincinnati Bengals (9): Speaking of distractions, they’ve got a WR1 (Ja’Marr Chase) who’s intermittently practicing while seeking a new contract, a WR2 (Tee Higgins) who’s less than thrilled with his franchise tag, and a DE1 (Trey Hendrickson) who asked for a trade in April before backing off. Still, all of those issues should be overridden by the healthy return of QB Joe Burrow, who’s gotten Cincy at least as far as the AFC title round in the two seasons when he’s made at least 16 regular-season starts.

10. Los Angeles Rams (12): For a team coping with life AAD – after Aaron Donald – the fact that offensive pillars like QB Matthew Stafford, RB Kyren Williams and WR Puka Nacua have all been dealing with various physical issues in recent weeks and months is something of a concern. But assuming everyone’s good to go moving forward, this should be one of the league’s most fun offenses to watch.

12. Atlanta Falcons (19): With the additions of OLB Matthew Judon and S Justin Simmons, has any team improved more in the past month than one that was widely considered to be the NFC South favorite prior to those acquisitions?

13. Buffalo Bills (7): Though the spotlight has been focused on WR Stefon Diggs’ exit, there’s been so much roster churn – on both sides of the ball – since the perennial AFC East champs’ heartbreaking playoff loss to Kansas City. And to then lose All-Pro LB Matt Milano (biceps) for another extended stretch? The Mafia should expect a hit job to their recent aspirations.

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17. Chicago Bears (15): A team on the come in the latter part of last season courtesy of its ascending defense, the offensive reinforcements – obviously led by rookie QB Caleb Williams – could very well mean the franchise’s first postseason win in 14 years.

18. Dallas Cowboys (18): With WR CeeDee Lamb successfully extended, the 2023 NFC East champs … have checked off a major objective even as they’re likely on the way to being a lesser version of last year’s team.

21. Pittsburgh Steelers (13): QB2 Justin Fields came in second during a positional battle he probably should have won. The team came in second in a bid to land Aiyuk … that always felt a little far-fetched. Close but no cigar already seems to be defining this squad.

24. Minnesota Vikings (23): Finding a positive spin to rookie J.J. McCarthy’s season-ending knee injury isn’t easy. But quarterback certainty, the arrival of CB Stephon Gilmore and a near lack of expectations could make the Vikes far more dangerous than they’re being given credit for.

26. Denver Broncos (29): Yes, it was preseason – but it was impossible not to notice how much more efficiently HC Sean Payton’s offense operated with rookie QB Bo Nix than it did last year with Russell Wilson.

30. New England Patriots (30): No Judon. No Aiyuk, either, despite what the Pats were apparently willing to pay him. No problem? After all, QB Jacoby Brissett does have a .500 record here … in his two starts with the Pats … as a rookie … eight years ago.

31. Carolina Panthers (32): It can’t really get any worse, right? And it really should improve if rookie HC Dave Canales’ QB track record in recent years (Wilson, Geno Smith, Baker Mayfield) is any indication.

***

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter, @ByNateDavis.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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Manning brothers release show schedule with Broadway-style performance

ESPN and Omaha Productions’ “Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli” announced Tuesday its full schedule for the upcoming NFL season in style. 

Two-time Super Bowl champion Peyton Manning and two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning will return for the fourth consecutive season of their hit telecast, kicking off with the Jets facing the 49ers on Sept. 9 and featuring a much-anticipated Harbaugh brothers showdown between the Ravens and Chargers on Nov. 25.

The brothers revealed the 11-episode schedule with a star-studded, elaborate 10 minute video announcement entitled “ManningCast: The Musical,” which included several cameo appearances from sports stars and celebrities such as Snoop Dogg, Jimmy Kimmel, Andy Reid, Jason Kelce and Kevin Hart.

The promo showcased the Manning brothers in several Broadway-style performances, jokingly declaring their ambitions to win a Tony Award for their theatrical efforts. 

Former Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick will join the brothers as their featured guest for the first half of the game on all 11 episodes. Additional sports and pop culture guests will accompany the Mannings for the second half of each game. 

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Belichick will also collaborate with Peyton Manning on a new show called ‘The Breakdown with Peyton and Belichick.” The 30-minute show will air on Fridays and feature Belichick and Peyton Manning analyzing the upcoming Monday night games.

“Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli” averaged 1.24 million viewers last season and won the ‘Most Outstanding Live’ award at the 2024 Sports Emmys. 

ManningCast schedule 2024

The Mannings will be back on most Monday nights in 2024, including for a pair of Week 7 matchups for double the fun. Here’s the complete schedule:

Week 1 (Sept. 9): Jets at 49ers (ESPN2, ESPN+)
Week 2 (Sept. 16): Falcons at Eagles (ESPN2)
Week 5 (Oct. 7): Saints at Chiefs (ESPN2)
Week 6 (Oct. 14) Bills at Jets (ESPN)
Week 7 (Oct. 21): Ravens at Buccaneers (ESPN2, ESPN+)
Week 7 (Oct. 21): Chargers at Cardinals (ESPN+)
Week 8 (Oct. 28): Giants at Steelers (ESPN2, ESPN+)
Week 9 (Nov. 4): Buccaneers at Chiefs (ESPN2)
Week 11 (Nov. 18): Texans at Cowboys (ESPN2)
Week 12 (Nov. 25): Ravens at Chargers (ESPN2)
Week 14 (Dec. 9): Bengals at Cowboys (ESPN2, ESPN+)
Wild card game (Jan. 13): TBD (ESPN2, ESPN+)

How to watch ManningCast

All ‘ManningCast’ broadcasts will be aired on ESPN2, with some shows available to also stream on ESPN+.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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Republicans, pro-life advocates split on Trump’s proposal to federally subsidize IVF

In vitro fertilization (IVF) accounts for only 2% of all U.S. births, but that hasn’t stopped it from becoming a major campaign issue dividing some Republicans from their party standard-bearer, former President Trump, who recently indicated he would push for federally funding the procedures if elected.

But some Republicans and pro-life religious conservatives aren’t fully on board with federally funded IVF procedures.

Sen. Lindsay Graham, R-S.C., — a Trump ally — said on ABC’s ‘This Week’ on Sunday that he would rather support a tax-credit for IVF users ‘to encourage people to have children.’

‘We’ve been accused — the party has — of being against birth control,’ Graham, who voted with most Republicans against the Democrat-led Right to IVF Act this year that would have protected access to IVF this year, said. ‘We’re not. We’ve been accused of being against IVF treatments. We’re not.’

‘I’ll talk to my Democratic colleagues,’ he added. ‘We might be able to find common ground here.’

Meanwhile, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said on NBC’s ‘Meet the Press’ Sunday that ‘all Republicans, to my knowledge, support IVF in Congress.’ 

‘And there’s no state that prohibits or regulates IVF in a way that makes it unacceptable,’ he said. ‘It is expensive for many couples. I understand that. So, it’s something I’m open to, [and] that most Republicans would be open to.’

Nearly all of California Republicans likewise voted against a Democrat-led bill last week aimed at expanding IVF access, too.

While former President Trump skirted attacks from his pro-life base last week for suggesting he may oppose Florida’s six-week abortion ban — calling it ‘too short’ — he later came out in opposition to Amendment 4, an initiative on the Sunshine State’s ballot this November that critics say would enshrine abortion rights into the state constitution.

Trump also said he’d subsidize the costly IVF treatments, because ‘we want more babies,’ despite leaving abortion access up to the states. The Trump campaign did not directly respond to what constitutes a state issue versus a federal one when asked via email last week.

‘President Trump also supports universal access to contraception and IVF. Contrarily, Kamala Harris and the Democrats are radically out of touch with the majority of Americans in their support for abortion up until birth and forcing taxpayers to fund it,’ Trump campaign press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.

IVF is a fertility treatment for couples struggling to have children that involves freezing eggs to use later for conception. But some religious pro-lifers believe the procedure is a moral dilemma. The treatments also cost tens of thousands of dollars per couple. 

Illume Fertility, a leading modern fertility treatment network, reported in May that when their clinic retrieves 12 eggs, approximately 80% — or nine to 10 eggs — are viable. Of these viable eggs, around 80% will successfully fertilize, resulting in about seven to eight embryos per patient, the report noted.

Eric Sammons, executive director of faith-based magazine Crisis Pub, said, ‘No child created via IVF is evil any more than a child created via rape is evil. But that fact doesn’t make the method of creation good.’

Live Action social media consultant Samantha D. wrote, ‘We still need to keep the pro-life pressure on Trump. Government funded IVF is CRAZY. So many lives will be lost.’

Lila Rose, the founder of Live Action, also sparked controversy last week for her comments suggesting she would not vote for Trump unless he made more public anti-abortion statements. She has also slammed the notion of funding IVF treatments. 

‘Trump just announced his admin would either pay for IVF with tax dollars or force all insurance companies cover it,’ Rose wrote last week on X, ‘How is this morally different than the contraceptive mandate under Obama?’

An Alabama Supreme Court ruling earlier this year established that frozen embryos created in the IVF process are considered children. However, IVF treatments have a success rate of around 50% for women under 35, dropping further with age. To increase the likelihood of a successful pregnancy, critics argue that clinics reportedly create more embryos than needed, leading to the freezing or disposal of millions of excess embryos.

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Trump outperforming 2020 support among Hispanics, who prefer him on immigration, poll shows

Republican presidential nominee former President Trump is outperforming his 2020 support among Hispanics, who prefer him on immigration during the 2024 race, according to a new poll. 

Hispanic voters give Trump a 42% to 37% advantage over Democrat presidential candidate Vice President Harris regarding immigration policy, Reuters/Ipsos polling shows. 

Among the broader electorate, 46% preferred Trump on immigration over the 36% who preferred Harris, according to the Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted on Aug. 21-28. 

Hispanics, described as a diverse and fast-growing section of the electorate in the United States, prefer Harris’ approach over that of Trump by 18 points for health care and 23 points for climate change, according to the poll. On the economy, the survey found registered voters overall prefer Trump’s platform over that of Harris by 45% to 36%. 

But Trump and Harris drew equally on the economy among registered Hispanic voters, garnering 39% support from that base each. 

That means Democrats have gained some ground since Biden backed out of the race. In May, Reuters/Ipso polling showed Biden behind Trump by four points among Hispanic voters regarding the economy. 

Trump’s performance among Hispanics overall looks to see a significant improvement compared to 2020. Harris currently has a 13-point lead among registered Hispanic voters, the poll showed. The Hispanic vote went to Biden by 21 points four years ago, according to a 2020 Pew Research exit poll analysis. A 2020 Fox News Voter Analysis, conducted in partnership with the Associated Press, showed 35% of Hispanic or Latino voters preferred Trump while 63% preferred Biden.

In 2022, Census Bureau data showed Hispanics made up about 14% of voting-age U.S. citizens, an increase from the 9% for 2005-2009, Reuters reported. 

‘The Latino vote is probably the most pure swing group of voters in America right now and will be for a long time,’ Chuck Rocha, a Democrat strategist who advised Bernie Sanders’ 2016 campaign, told Reuters.

‘Hispanics have historically strongly favored the Democratic Party, so for Trump to be breaking even with Harris on the economy has to be seen as a win for him,’ said Giancarlo Sopo, a Republican strategist who handled Trump’s 2020 media outreach to Hispanic voters.

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Caitlin Clark dispute drives wedge between women’s basketball legends

A rift in the friendship between a pair of women’s basketball legends may be beyond repair in light of comments made by both Nancy Lieberman and Sheryl Swoopes over the past 24 hours.

Differing opinions about the impact current star Caitlin Clark is having on the game has driven a wedge between the Hall of Famers, with Lieberman saying the two no longer have a relationship anymore.

‘My life is going to be good with or without Sheryl Swoopes,’ Lieberman said Monday in an appearance on ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith’s podcast.

Later that evening, Swoopes fired back on social media saying, ‘my life is good without you too (and him).’

The disagreement, Lieberman told Smith, goes back to comments Swoopes made in February on former NBA star Gilbert Arenas’ podcast in which she downplayed Clark breaking the NCAA career scoring record.

Swoopes incorrectly stated that Clark had benefited from an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID pandemic when she passed Kelsey Plum as the all-time women’s Division I points leader. Lieberman said she called Swoopes as a friend to let her know about the error.

‘Well, she got upset with me on the phone,’ Lieberman told Smith. ‘And I was like ‘Sheryl, I’m not doing anything to hurt you. I’m just sharing.’ And so our relationship pretty much is not happening at this point.’

Lieberman also called out Swoopes for not even mentioning Clark on a recent episode her own podcast despite praising several other members of the Indiana Fever for the team’s hot streak since the Olympic break.

However, Swoopes countered the impression she has anything against Clark, even going so far as to post screenshots of an apparent text exchange between the two from February on her X account Monday afternoon.

In the exchange, Swoopes admits she ‘made a mistake on what this year is for you. Covid year has me all confused…Lol! I also have nothing but respect for you and your game.’

Clark responded by saying she had ‘no hard feelings’ toward Swoopes and adding, ‘I appreciate what you have done for women’s bball and for inspiring girls like me …’

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Paralympics 2024: Two Americans win gold medals in equestrian

VERSAILLES, France — Rebecca Hart sat quietly at the end of the Chateau de Versailles, taking in the para-equestrian venue with the historic backdrop. As the five-time Paralympian readied for her event, she wanted to make sure she wouldn’t lose focus in the grand arena. 

Hart’s experience after was much different. 

She knew she would have to set a personal best to take home a gold medal after seeing the scores before her. So when she heard her score and looked up at the grandstand, she couldn’t contain the emotion. 

Hart sobbed the entire trip out of the venue after learning she had won gold: 16 years of pent-up emotions. It is a dream turned into reality, culminating on a rainy Wednesday morning with a final score of 77.900 in the para-equestrian individual event grade III.

“I couldn’t have imagined a better scenario,” Hart said. “I took in the moment, but it also still feels surreal.”

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Alongside Hart was her horse, Floratina. The 16-year-old mare was a professional able-bodied equestrian horse until a year ago when Hart began riding her. From day one, the two have been partners. 

There was still some growing to do for the horse. As Hart put it, Floratina asked questions about how to learn to ride with a para athlete. Hart offered answers, and it has turned into a successful relationship. 

Just like her rider, Floratina had no issue with the venue after taking the early training sessions to get accustomed to the massive competition area. There were few adjustments with the less-than-ideal surface and rain, as well — Floratina just knew it was her job to perform. 

“She is so smart,” Hart said. “She is so smart and she fights for you out there. She wants and she enjoys the atmosphere. She enjoys the competitions. She’s a queen and she knows it.”

Since fighting for a bronze medal in Tokyo in the team event, it has been about both team and individual development for Hart.  Building off of that 2021 performance was important for her, and that is what she did. 

She improved and now owns the gold medal in the para-equestrian individual event grade III — the classification for those with reasonable balance and abdominal control. 

“We’ve put in so much work and to have it actually come together in the moment, in the rain on the day that we needed it to, was surreal,” Hart said.

Fiona Howard goes gold in Paralympic debut 

Fiona Howard has only been with her horse, Diamond Dunes, since March. The Paralympics is by far the largest environment that Howard has taken her relatively new horse. 

The mutual trust between the new Paralympian and the new horse made for a gold medal performance in the individual event grade II. 

“I just really went in there and was like, ‘I trust you,’ and he was like, ‘Don’t worry, I’ve got you,’” Howard said. “He gave me confidence throughout the whole test and I couldn’t have asked for a better partner to do my first Paralympic games on.”

Howard — originally born in Great Britain to an American mother and English father — joins a veteran US para-equestrian team. Leaning on her teammates’ experiences is something that has made the debut easier. 

Howard couldn’t hide her smile while riding out the venue. 

“It’s such a beautiful venue and all the people have been so great,” Howard said. “It’s just been surreal.”

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49ers standout ends holdout with new deal almost complete

The San Francisco 49ers might be golden heading into Week 1 after all.

As their regular-season opener against the New York Jets on ‘Monday Night Football’ approaches, the reigning NFC champions are on the verge of finalizing a contract extension with All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams, according to his agency, Elite Loyalty Sports.

Williams, formerly the league’s highest-paid offensive lineman and widely regarded as its premier left tackle, had dropped to sixth in terms of average annual salary ($23 million per) over the past year. He held out of training camp seeking a new deal after tackles Tristan Wirfs, Penei Sewell and Christian Darrisaw overtook him on the pay scale during the offseason. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Wirfs is currently the best-compensated blocker at $28.1 million annually after getting a five-year extension worth $140.6 million.

The 49ers had had competing priorities in recent weeks, yet finally reached an extension with wideout Brandon Aiyuk last Thursday, bringing his ‘hold-in’ to an end.

Now Williams is set to rejoin the fold not a week before the Niners initiate their latest attempt to win a record-tying sixth Super Bowl. And his presence is certainly predictive of the team’s success, San Francisco suffering four of its five regular-season losses in 2023 when Williams was inactive (twice) or wasn’t on the field for at least half the snaps.

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An 11-time Pro Bowler and first-round pick of Washington in 2010, Williams was recently ranked the seventh-best player in the league by his peers in an annual NFL Network survey, the highest spot ever earned by an offensive lineman.

***

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