Vinson named to TSWA 4A All-State Team

The Washington Commanders released kicker Brandon McManus on Sunday night, several days after the veteran player was accused of sexual assault in a lawsuit. McManus and his former team, the Jacksonville Jaguars, are being sued by two women identified as Jane Doe I and Jane Doe II. The lawsuit was filed May 24 in Duval County, where Jacksonville is located, and it was made public on Monday. They allege McManus of rubbing and grinding against them during a team flight to London last fall. Jane Doe I said McManus tried to kiss her and Jane Doe II said McManus "smirked and walked away" after she confronted him about grinding against her. The women said the Jaguars did not provide a safe environment for staff on the flight. The Commanders, who signed McManus to a one-year, $3.6 million deal in March, said in a statement Monday that they "take allegations of this nature very seriously and are looking into the matter." McManus' attorney, Brett R. Gallaway, released a statement to news outlets Sunday night that thanked Washington for giving McManus an opportunity with the team. "However, we reiterate that the allegations against Brandon are and remain absolutely false and importantly, are contradicted by indisputable evidence and the accusers' own prior inconsistent statements and omissions," the statement continued. "While we are disappointed with the team's decision to release Brandon before he had the opportunity to defend against these fabricated claims, we will aggressively defend and clear Brandon's name and reputation through the legal process. We intend to defeat these claims, fully exonerate him and look forward to seeing him back on the field where he belongs." The women are being represented by attorney Tony Buzbee, who also worked for many of Deshaun Watson's sexual misconduct accusers. Buzbee said on Instagram that his team attempted, "without success," to settle the matter with McManus out of court before resorting to the lawsuit. McManus, 32, spent the first nine years of his 10-year NFL career with the Denver Broncos and signed with the Jaguars in May 2023. --Field Level Media

Commanders cut K Brandon McManus in wake of lawsuit

PARIS (AP) — Catch up on the French Open with a guide that tells you everything you need to know about what happened at the clay-court Grand Slam tennis tournament, what the upcoming schedule is, how to watch, what the betting odds are and more:

A resolution in the potential free agent tampering cases involving the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles likely is expected this week, ESPN reported Sunday morning. The NFL confirmed in March that it was looking into the possibility of tampering by the teams prior to the start of free agency. The reviews focus on quarterback Kirk Cousins agreeing to a four-year, $180 million contract with the Falcons, and running back Saquon Barkley signing a three-year, $37.75 million deal with the Eagles. ESPN cited one league source as indicating that the Falcons' situation is considered more significant, and the discipline is expected to be more severe. The Miami Dolphins forfeited their first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and a third-round selection in 2024 for tampering with quarterback Tom Brady and coach Sean Payton. The Kansas City Chiefs lost their third-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft and a sixth-round selection in 2017 for tampering with wide receiver Jeremy Maclin in 2015. The Dolphins and Chiefs also were fined as part of their respective punishments. --Field Level Media

Report: NFL tampering rulings expected this week

Former Brown guard Kimo Ferrari announced Saturday that he has transferred to San Diego State. Ferrari is a San Diego native who played high school basketball at Francis Parker School. He was a two-time first-team all-county selection. "Back Home!" Ferrari said on his Instagram page while displaying a picture of himself in a San Diego State uniform. The 6-foot Ferrari averaged 6.7 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists last season for Brown, and knocked down 44.8 percent (43 of 96) of his 3-point attempts. He averaged 26.4 minutes in 26 games with seven starts. In three seasons at Brown, Ferrari made 92 3-pointers and shot 38.5 percent from 3-point range. He averaged 4.9 points and 2.5 rebounds and accumulated 65 steals in 75 games (eight starts). --Field Level Media

Retired quarterback and Super Bowl champion Drew Brees made it clear he wants a second chance to be on the call of NFL games. After retiring following the 2020 season, Brees immediately went to work for NBC. He largely split his time as an analyst for Notre Dame football and as a voice on the network's "Sunday Night Football" studio show. He was in the booth during two NFL games. He spent one year with the network, which announced before the 2022 season that Brees wouldn't be back for family considerations. A New York Post report at the time said Brees wanted to be in the booth for NFL games and out of the studio, adding that NBC didn't see a future for Brees as a backup for, or heir apparent to, Cris Collinsworth. But in a post to social media on Saturday, Brees, 45, said he would welcome a return to "SNF" or one of its primetime competitors. "SNF, MNF or Thursday Night Football. Come get me when you're ready! Until then I'm coaching ball," the father of four wrote on X, formerly Twitter. He accompanied his post with a clip from a news conference earlier this week in which he addressed his broadcasting aspirations. "The thing that I wanted to do most that I felt like I could bring the most value at was broadcasting NFL games," Brees said. "And it was the thing I had the least opportunity to do, right? I was able to do a little bit of college at Notre Dame. Just two NFL games broadcasting that were eight weeks apart and then the studio stuff, right? But, man, I love the game and I would love to broadcast NFL games, you know, at some point again. I think I could be the best at it." With the NFL spreading the rights to broadcast games beyond the traditional networks -- Netflix has the Christmas Day package in its first foray into the NFL, for example -- Brees could have a chance to get back in the booth. But the primetime jobs Brees said he covets are taken. Collinsworth is entrenched at NBC and at "SNF." Troy Aikman provides the commentary for longtime partner Joe Buck for ESPN's "Monday Night Football." And Kirk Herbstreit handles the Thursday night duties on Amazon Prime. No. 1 jobs at CBS and Fox Sports are taken, too. Tony Romo is a fixture at CBS alongside partner Jim Nantz. And Tom Brady is scheduled to make his much-anticipated debut as the top analyst for Fox Sports this fall, bumping Greg Olsen to the No. 2 team. Brees has something to look forward to down the road, however. He is likely to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on the first ballot when he becomes eligible in 2026. Brees spent his career with the San Diego Chargers (2001-05) and New Orleans Saints (2006-20). A 13-time Pro Bowl selection and a 2006 All-Pro, Brees was the MVP of Super Bowl XLIV in 2010. He is second to Tom Brady in a number of career statistical categories, including passing yards (80,358), touchdown passes (571) and completions (7,142). --Field Level Media

Chiefs celebrate back-to-back Super Bowls at White House

Members of the back-to-back Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs reunited on Friday at the White House to celebrate their Lombardi Trophy win with President Joe Biden on the South Lawn. "Welcome back," Biden said to applause. Biden teased tight end Travis Kelce, who found his way to the microphone at last year's celebration in Washington, that he would "have Travis come up here, but God only knows what he'd say. Travis ... come up here." Kelce, in a tan suit standing in the first of three rows of teammates and coaches, made the shuffle step from a few feet away and took the microphone. "My fellow Americans," Kelce said to laughter. "It's nice to see you all yet again. I'm not going to lie, President Biden. They told me if I came up here I'm going to get tased. So I'm going to go back to my spot, alright?" Cornerback L'Jarius Sneed, who was traded to the Tennessee Titans, and wide receiver Rashee Rice, who began the offseason training away from the team after being involved in a high-speed accident in Texas that left multiple others injured, were with the 2023 team on Friday at the White House. So was kicker Harrison Butker. Butker's commencement speech at Benedictine College in May drew attention when he criticized Biden as "delusional" based on what he considers "hypocritical" views on abortion. Biden was gifted a Chiefs helmet, the traditional red headwear with the arrowhead K.C. logo on the side, and was urged to put it on -- which he did after resisting initially. --Field Level Media

Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson is getting off the wrestling mat and trying his hand on the gridiron. Steveson's agent, Carter Chow of Red Envelope Sports, told ESPN on Friday that his client will sign a standard three-year rookie contract with the Buffalo Bills. The team officially announced the signing later Friday. The 5-foot-11, 266-pound Steveson worked out for the Bills on May 15. He is expected to play on the defensive line. "I have been fortunate to compete at the highest level of competition in my sport but am looking forward to the challenge of seeing how my wrestling skills may translate to football," Steveson said, per ESPN. "I am grateful to Coach (Sean) McDermott, (general manager) Brandon Beane and the Buffalo Bills organization for giving me this opportunity." Steveson, 24, captured gold in the super heavyweight division of freestyle wrestling at the 2020 Tokyo Games. He also won two national championships at Minnesota (2021, 2022) and three Big Ten championships (2020, 2021, 2022). He is a two-time recipient of the Dan Hodge Trophy, which is awarded to the best college wrestler in the United States. Steveson was released by WWE earlier this month. Also on Friday, the Bills released left-footed punter Matt Haack. Haack, 29, played in one game with the Cleveland Browns last season before joining the Bills' practice squad as insurance for the injured Sam Martin ahead of the team's divisional playoff game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Haack averaged 44.5 yards per punt in 99 career games with the Miami Dolphins (2017-20), Bills (2021), Indianapolis Colts (2022) and Browns (2023). --Field Level Media