On the bright side for Smith, he is bringing a friend along with him – Jalen Ramsey. The tight end and cornerback were dealt by the Miami Dolphins on June 30 to the Pittsburgh Steelers, ending the rumors that swirled around both players all offseason.

While Smith didn’t want a trade, he is excited about the new opportunity. Smith joined Terron Armstead’s podcast on July 2 to talk about the situation with the now-retired Dolphins offensive tackle.

‘You always want to be where you’re most valued and appreciated, and that’s the situation that I found myself in with Pittsburgh. So I’m excited, bro,’ Smith said.

Considering Pittsburgh’s run of success, it’s a situation that both Smith and Ramsey are looking forward to.

‘Pittsburgh is a team that’s historically going to always be in the dance,’ Smith said of his conversations with Ramsey about preferred destinations. ‘Just maybe a couple of missing pieces like us, that can fill that void and get over that hump. One thing we both admired about the situation is the culture. The culture that [head coach] Mike [Tomlin] established.’

While Smith welcomes the new opportunity, the tight end wasn’t looking to be on a one-way flight out of Miami after a career year in South Florida. He finished with 88 receptions, 884 yards and eight touchdowns in 2024 – setting career-highs for receptions and yards.

He indicated that his desire was to remain in Miami, with the hopes to eventually end his career with the Dolphins. That never came to fruition, with the deal being finalized over a month after the initial report of a possible trade surfaced on May 29.

Smith wanted to renegotiate his contract with the Dolphins and the team responded by discussing a trade with the Steelers, according to a report.

‘I didn’t foresee this happening with how the season went for me individually,’ Smith said. ‘Obviously I had aspirations of ending my career in Miami, with it basically being home for me, my children, my family. But I understand the business side of it, and it didn’t work out. I’m grateful. I’ve got no ill feelings toward Miami and nobody in the organization. I can’t sit here and lie and say it didn’t sting when the process was playing itself out.’

Now on his fifth NFL team, Smith considered himself to be a key piece in helping Miami succeed going forward.

‘We go through the year, bro, and obviously as a team it was a disappointment, and that does play a factor in a lot of decision making after the season,’ Smith said. ‘But for me I felt that I was in a position that I thought that I was one of the key ingredients to helping this team succeed. And after the season ended, me and my agent, we’re like, ‘This is a no-brainer, we’ll be here forever.”

He mentioned buying a bigger place to live for his family, while even eyeing what life could look like in the area after football.

‘Going through that process, I was hurt. I didn’t think that collectively – as an organization, players, coaches – I didn’t think that [they believed] trading Jonnu Smith, that’s where our success starts,’ Smith said.

For the third time in three years, Smith will be wearing a new jersey. Perhaps with another Pro Bowl-caliber season, it could be the only one he’s wearing for a long time.

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The Los Angeles Lakers have a better idea of what its depth at center will look like with Jaxson Hayes expected to return to the team for another season.

Hayes has agreed to a one-year deal with the team, according to multiple reports. ESPN’s Shams Charania was the first to report this development. A contract figure for Hayes’ deal with the Lakers is not known at this time.

The news of Hayes’ return comes one day after ESPN reported that the team had agreed to a deal with center DeAndre Ayton.

Ayton is expected to take on the role as the starting center with Hayes likely coming off the bench.

Jaxson Hayes stats

Hayes averaged 6.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 0.9 blocks in 19.5 minutes per game this past season for the Lakers. The former first-round pick started 35 of the 56 games he played last season. He shot a career-high 72.2% from the field during the regular season.

Hayes took on a bigger role with the team after the Lakers decided to trade away Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks as part of the Luka Doncic trade. Hayes saw his role diminish during the postseason, where he averaged just 7.8 minutes per game in the first-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Lakers were eliminated from the playoffs after losing the series, 4-1.

American Taylor Fritz looks to move onto the fourth round of Wimbledon when he faces No. 27 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina on July 4.

Fritz, the No. 5-ranked player in the world, defeated Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the first round and Gabriel Diallo in the second round to set up the third-round matchup with Davidovich Fokina. Both of Fritz’s wins so far came in five sets, with him needing three consecutive set wins over Perricard in the first round.

Fritz has faced Davidovich Fokina twice already in 2025, and the two are 1-1 against each other. Fritz defeated Davidovich Fokina 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 at the Eastbourne tournament, before Davidovich Fokina won 7-6, 7-6 at Delray Beach.

Fritz is still looking for his first Grand Slam win of his career. The Ranchos Palos Verdes, California, native’s best finish at Wimbledon is the quarterfinals, which he reached in 2022 and 2024.

Here’s when Fritz’s next Wimbledon matchup is, along with how to watch:

When does Taylor Fritz play next?

Time: 8:30 a.m. ET
Date: Friday, July 4
Location: All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (Wimbledon, London)

Fritz’s third-round matchup against Davidovich Fokina is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. ET on Friday, July 4, in Wimbledon, London.

How to watch Taylor Fritz at Wimbledon

TV channel: ESPN
Streaming: ESPN app, ESPN+

Fritz vs. Davidovich Fokina will air live on ESPN+, which requires a subscription. Wimbledon matches will also air on ESPN, with the network bouncing between different matchups, starting at 6 a.m. ET.

Taylor Fritz matchups at Wimbledon

Here are Fritz’s results at Wimbledon in 2025:

First round: Taylor Fritz defeats Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 6-7, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 6-4
Second round: Taylor Fritz defeats Gabriel Diallo 3-6, 6-3, 7-6, 4-6, 6-3

Aaron Rodgers didn’t sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers until June 7. The 41-year-old is doing his best to make up for lost time by hosting some of his teammates for offseason workouts in Malibu, California.

Rodgers revealed the workout in a photo shared to his Instagram on Wednesday. The new Steelers quarterback was joined by many of his receiving weapons – Scotty Miller, Ben Skowronek, Pat Freiermuth, Calvin Austin, DK Metcalf and Roman Wilson – at the session.

Rodgers had dropped a hint about the Malibu workout in one of his recent appearances on ‘The Pat McAfee Show.’ He didn’t say exactly who would be joining him but noted he had invited his wide receiver, tight ends and running backs to work out.

‘I know coming out to Malibu might not be that high on everybody’s list,’ Rodgers told McAfee. ‘But we do have some guys coming out next week. So it’ll be fun to spend a little time with them.’

The group did appear to have some fun. Notably, Skowronek posted a video of Rodgers throwing him an alley-oop off the glass to his social media accounts.

Perhaps that will allow the teammates to quickly build chemistry ahead of what is a critical season for the Steelers, who haven’t won a playoff game since the 2016 NFL campaign, and Rodgers, who said he is ‘pretty sure’ this will be his last season.

Cleveland Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz was placed on leave and is under Major League Baseball investigation for gambling, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.

The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity due to the ongoing investigation.

The June 15 pitch to the Seattle Mariners’ Randy Arozarena was low and away leading off the bottom of the second. Arozarena walked and the Mariners went on to score four runs that inning. 

On June 27, Ortiz’s first pitch of the third inning, to Pedro Pagés, was even wilder, bouncing in the opposing batter’s box and going to the backstop. Pagés homered in the at-bat and the Cardinals scored three runs in the inning. 

The league did not specify what the investigation was about, but said in a statement Ortiz ‘has been placed on non-disciplinary paid leave through the end of the All-Star break.’ The Guardians also issued a statement declining to comment on specifics, saying only the club ‘will respect the league’s confidential investigative process.’

Ortiz was originally scheduled to pitch Thursday, June 3 against the Cubs, the same day the league and club announced the investigation and his leave.

Ortiz, 26, is in his first season with the Guardians after being acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates over the winter. In 16 starts with Cleveland, Ortiz has a 4-9 record and 4.36 ERA.

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NFL teams have doled out hundreds of millions of dollars in free agency during the 2025 offseason, but they may not be done spending yet.

Several prominent NFL stars are still negotiating contract extensions. This includes a handful of players who are set to become free agents in 2026, young talents nearing the end of their rookie contracts and MVP-level performers who are being paid at a below-market rate.

Not all of these players will ink long-term extensions, and some could eventually be traded if they reach an impasse with their teams.

Nonetheless, NFL fans will be closely watching players like Micah Parsons, Lamar Jackson and T.J. Watt as they look to lock in lucrative – and perhaps record-breaking – contracts ahead of the 2025 season.

Here’s what to know about negotiations between the teams and players seeking extensions.

Micah Parsons

‘I understand that it’s up to [Jerry Jones],’ Parsons told reporters in June. ‘He gives the green light on everything, so hopefully something is done by next month.’

Despite Parsons’ optimism, his representation hadn’t yet had any contract extension talks with Jones at the time of his comments, per USA TODAY’s Tyler Dragon.

Still, neither side was concerned with the pace of negotiations. Parsons even acknowledged he could potentially benefit from waiting until players like T.J. Watt or Trey Hendrickson eventually sign their big-money deals.

‘It’s going to cost them more,’ Parsons told Clarence Hill of All City DLLS of the Cowboys waiting to sign his extension.

Lamar Jackson

Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta acknowledged in a June appearance on the ‘BMore Baseball Podcast’ the team was exploring a contract extension with Jackson.

‘We’ve had some conversations before the draft, after the draft, in person last week,’ DeCosta said. ‘I think we’re in the introductory sort of stage of looking at what an extension might look like.’

DeCosta cautioned the Ravens had ‘a lot of business’ to conduct with several players at the time of the interview. Jackson is under contract through the 2027 NFL season, so Baltimore has spent the 2025 offseason inking extensions with players under shorter-term contracts, including running back Derrick Henry and receiver Rashod Bateman.

Still, the Ravens would likely prefer to extend Jackson before the 2026 NFL offseason, as his cap hit will rise to $74.5 million, per Over the Cap.

And the Ravens appear to have every expectation they will eventually sign Jackson to another record-breaking extension.

‘The value is the top. When Lamar gets paid, he’s going to be the highest paid player in football, just like he was last time,’ John Harbaugh told reporters in May. ‘I think every contract he signs probably until he decides to hang up his cleats, he’s going to be that guy.’

T.J. Watt

At the time, Watt’s contract made him the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history. Now, he ranks seventh among edge rushers in average annual value (AAV), and well behind Myles Garrett’s $40 million AAV price tag.

Watt’s decision to skip minicamp has prompted trade rumors about the pass rusher. ESPN reported ‘multiple teams’ reached out to the Steelers about the veteran pass rusher after the team traded Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Miami Dolphins as part of the Jalen Ramsey trade.

However, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the Steelers ‘are adamant they want Watt to finish his career in Pittsburgh,’ while NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports they ‘have no interest’ in trading the perennial All-Pro.

Trey Hendrickson

Hendrickson and the Bengals appeared to be heading toward a split earlier in the offseason. The 30-year-old received permission from the Bengals to seek a trade – marking the second consecutive year he had requested a trade away from the team – and criticized the team for consistently failing to communicate with him about a potential contract extension.

However, Hendrickson and the Bengals resumed contract talks in mid-June, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. The report came just over a month after Hendrickson released a statement saying there had been ‘no communication’ between the two parties following the conclusion of the 2025 NFL Draft on April 26.

‘The offers prior to the draft did not reflect the vision we shared and were promised last offseason if I continued to play at a high level,’ the statement read. ‘Coaches are aware of these past conversations. Rather than using collaboration to get us to a point to bring me home to the team, THEY are no longer communicating. I have been eagerly awaiting a resolution of this situation, but that’s hard to do when there is no discussion and an evident lack of interest in reaching mutual goals.’

It’s worth noting the Bengals also remain embroiled in a contract dispute with rookie edge rusher Shemar Stewart. It isn’t clear whether Cincinnati’s inability to reach a deal with its first-round pick has impacted its approach to negotiations with Hendrickson.

Sauce Gardner

The New York Jets had opened contract extension discussions with both Gardner and Garrett Wilson as of June, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

How have those talks gone? Gardner described his dealings with the Jets as ‘productive’ in a July 2 appearance on ‘The Pat McAfee Show.’

‘We have our goals, in terms of numbers and stuff like that, and the Jets are aware of that,’ Gardner said. ‘And I’m aware of the rest of my peers, like [Jaycee Horn], [Derek Stingley Jr.], even [Patrick Surtain II] got paid, obviously before me, but those are all guys that are well-deserving of the money that they got. It’s definitely something that my team and the Jets are talking about.’

Gardner did not provide a timetable for reaching an extension. He is under contract with the Jets through the 2026 NFL season, as New York exercised his $20.2 million fifth-year option in April.

Garrett Wilson

As mentioned, the Jets didn’t just open negotiations with Gardner; they also did with Wilson. He told reporters at OTAs there had been ‘a few discussions, here and there’ about an extension.

‘I’m hopeful I’m a Jet for life and that we get this thing rolling and that all of our best days are ahead of us,’ he said at the time.

The comments were a departure from his tone at the end of New York’s disappointing 2024 season, when he was asked point-blank whether he wanted to stay with the Jets long-term.

‘I don’t know, man,’ Wilson told reporters in December. ‘I just do whatever, go about my day, be where my feet at and if they do [offer an extension], that would be a blessing. That would be awesome. I love the Jets. At the end of the day, they were the ones that believed in me. I can’t be worrying about all that. Just going to finish these three games the right way.’

Terry McLaurin

McLaurin held out from Washington Commanders minicamp as he seeks a new contract. It stemmed from the receiver being ‘frustrated with the lack of progress on a long-term deal,’ per Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz.

McLaurin, 29, is entering the final season of a three-year, $68.4 million deal in 2025 and is hoping to cash in after posting a fifth-consecutive 1,000-yard season and a career-high 13 touchdowns in his first season working with Jayden Daniels.

Will that happen soon? Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer intimated extension talks were ‘not in a great place’ in late June. However, he acknowledged ‘there’s plenty of time to get something done’ before the season.

James Cook

Cook is hoping to get a new contract with the Buffalo Bills and is reportedly seeking a deal paying him $15 million in AAV. The two sides were far apart in their hopes for his next contract, as Bills general manager Brandon Beane expressed in March, and haven’t yet bridged the gap.

Despite this, Cook decided to attend Buffalo’s mandatory minicamp and participated in all three sessions.

‘I like my money,’ Cook said when explaining his decision to participate, per ESPN.

Cook expects to be in attendance at training camp as well. The bigger question is whether he will participate fully in workouts or ‘hold in’ to gain leverage in contract negotiations.

‘I don’t know, man,’ Cook said. ‘We will see when camp comes.’

There was no championship hangover for the Indiana Fever on Thursday, July 3.

Two days after winning 2025 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup over the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday, July 1, the Indiana Fever defeated the Las Vegas Aces, 81-54, in a wire-to-wire victory in Indianapolis on Thursday, holding the Aces to a season-low in points (54) and field-goal percentage (26.2%). The victory ended the Fever’s 16-game losing streak to the Aces and marked Indiana’s first win over Las Vegas since 2019.

‘There is a lot of resilience and perservances in our group,’ said Kelsey Mitchell, who finished with a team-high 25-points in the win. ‘For us, (the goal) was to make sure we defend the whole game and that is what I think you guys saw.’

The Fever forced the Aces in 19 turnovers, which ties Las Vegas’ season-high, and effectively eliminated every player not named A’ja Wilson. Wilson scored a game-high 29 points, but was the only Aces player to reach double-digits. Jackie Young finished with six points, while Chelsea Gray added two points.

The Fever improve to 5-4 without All-Star Caitlin Clark, who missed her fourth consecutive game due to a groin injury. Aliyah Boston added 20 points and seven rebounds, while Natasha Howard recorded another double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Here is a recap of the Indiana Fever vs. the Las Vegas Aces on Thursday night:

Fever vs. Aces highlights

End of Q3: Fever 68, Aces 47

Indiana has stretched its lead over Las Vegas to 24 points heading into the fourth quarter. Kelsey Mitchell leads the team with 23 points and six assists, while Aliyah Boston added 14 points. Natasha Howard is already up to a double-double with 10 pints and 10 rebounds. The Fever are collectively shooting 52.0% from the field and 30.8% from three, while holding the Aces to 28.9% from the field and 25.0% from three.

A’ja Wilson is the only Aces player to reach double-digits with 29 points. The next highest scorer on the team is Jackie Young, who has six points (2-of-8 FG, 1-of-3 3PT). The Aces are in danger of setting a new season low. Las Vegas’ current season-low is 62 points scored in the Aces’ loss to the Minnesota Lynx on June 17.

Halftime: Fever 46, Aces 24

The Fever are heading to the locker room with a 22-point lead over the Aces, which marks the largest of the game and the Fever’s largest halftime lead of the season. Aliyah Boston leads the Fever with 14 points, six rebounds and two assists, while Kelsey Mitchell has 12 points and Natasha Howard has 10 points. The Fever are putting on a defensive clinic, holding the Aces to 25.8% from the field and forcing 10 turnovers.

A’ja Wilson has accounted for nearly all the Aces’ points. She has 17 of the Aces’ 24 points, shooting 6-of-13 from the field. The remainder of the team is 2-of-18 from the field and 2-of-7 from three.

End of Q1: Fever 21, Aces 14

The Fever came out the gate red-hot and quickly jumped to an seven-point lead in the first quarter, thanks to an efficient start from center Aliyah Boston, who is up to eight points and four rebounds. Kelsey Mitchell added seven points, while Natasha Howard has six points.

The Fever is collectively shooting 52.9% from the field, compared to the Aces shooting 28.6% from the field. Indiana is dominating Las Vegas in the paint (16-4), while the Aces have a slight edge in fast break points (4-0).

A’ja Wilson has 10 of the Aces’ 14 first-quarter points. Jackie Young has four points.

Is Caitlin Clark playing today?

What time is Las Vegas Aces vs. Indiana Fever?

The Indiana Fever will host the Las Vegas Aces at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, July 3, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Fans can watch the game live on Prime Video.

How to watch Las Vegas Aces vs. Indiana Fever: TV, stream

Date: Thursday, July 3
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse (Indianapolis)
TV: None
Live stream: Prime Video

The game will be available to view on demand on WNBA League Pass after it concludes.

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