Bill O’Brien doesn’t want to get into specifics of Texans QB Deshaun Watson contract talk

Houston Texans coach Bill O’Brien doesn’t want to get into specifics yet about the contract extension talks that could happen with Deshaun Watson.

Now that quarterback Deshaun Watson has completed his third professional season with the Houston Texans, he is eligible to enter into contract extension talks with the club that drafted him in the first-round of the 2017 NFL draft.

However, coach Bill O’Brien, who is an influential part of the Texans’ five-man general managing council, doesn’t have any specific information on when the club would start negotiations with their franchise quarterback.

“Relative to those things, I really don’t want to talk about those things publicly,” O’Brien told reporters Monday. “I can tell you publicly, though, that we obviously want the Deshaun Watson here for a long, long time. We want him to be a Houston Texan for his career. He is a great person, he’s a great football player and he means a lot to this organization, to this city, to this league.”

Watson instantly brought promise and hope to quarterback his rookie season, even though he hadn’t taken a single snap for the organization. Until his untimely ACL tear in practice on Nov. 2, 2017, the Texans were 3-4 on the season and possibly could have won the division that year, as the eventual winner, the Jacksonville Jaguars, were 10-6. Or, the Texans could have qualified as a wild-card as both the No. 5 and No. 6 seeds were 9-7 each that year. Instead, the Texans faded to a 4-12 finish without Watson.

With Watson under center for two full seasons, the Texans are 21-11 with two AFC South titles and a playoff win. There is no question that the former Clemson Tiger gives Houston the best chance at postseason success.

“I just don’t want to get into the nuts and bolts of when you would do that and all those different things,” said O’Brien. “Those things take time, but we want him here for a long time.”

Watson will be entering the fourth and final year of his contract, unless the club exercises a fifth-year option. The Texans may want to get out ahead of the QB signings as Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is also on a similar timeline and could set the market for the Texans if they get a deal done sooner.

Austin Rivers out for Rockets vs. Lakers game with sprained thumb

Mired in a recent shooting slump, reserve guard Austin Rivers will miss Saturday’s Rockets game versus the Lakers with a sprained thumb.

Houston Rockets reserve guard Austin Rivers will miss Saturday’s home game versus the Los Angeles Lakers with a right thumb sprain.

It’s unclear when the injury was suffered by the 27-year-old, who was first listed as out on the team’s Friday night injury report. The Rockets have yet to say whether Rivers could miss more time beyond Saturday’s game.

The 6-foot-3 guard is averaging 7.7 points and 2.3 rebounds in 22.9 minutes per game with the Rockets (26-14) this season.

Rivers still provides capable perimeter defense for the Rockets, but he’s slumped offensively with just a 30.3% clip on 3-pointers in the 2019-20 season. In his last 17 games since Dec. 7, Rivers has shot just 38.2% overall and 25.5% on 3-pointers.

It’s not known how long the thumb on his shooting hand has been injured, but it could potentially explain some of the downturn.

With Rivers out, that likely means more minutes for guards Ben McLemore and Eric Gordon. Rookie Chris Clemons is next on the depth chart, but it seems doubtful that head coach Mike D’Antoni would go that far down his bench in a game against the West-leading Lakers (33-8).

Saturday’s game tips off at 7:30 p.m. Central from Toyota Center in Houston, and it will be broadcast nationally on ABC.

[lawrence-related id=22278,21958]

Zack Martin passes on Pro Bowl, undergoes ankle surgery

The 6-time Pro Bowler will watch someone else take his spot as he recovers from minor ankle surgery, according to the Cowboys.

Guard Zack Martin earned his sixth Pro Bowl trip for the 2020 all-star game, one for each year he’s been in the league. This time around, though, he’ll have to watch from the couch as someone else takes his place.

Martin underwent “minor clean-up surgery” on his ankle this week, the team says. The 29-year-old Notre Dame product was bothered at times this season by ankle and back ailments; the back issue kept him out of the majority of training camp.

But 2014’s 16th overall draft selection started every game in 2019 en route to another All-Pro nod, and has missed just two games in his stellar career. The club expects Martin to be back at full strength for the team’s offseason program.

Larry Worford of the New Orleans Saints will take Martin’s place along the NFC’s offensive line in Orlando, alongside Cowboys Tyron Smith and Travis Frederick.

Furkan Korkmaz explodes, sparks Sixers to 100-89 win over Bulls

Furkan Korkmaz came off the bench and erupted for a career-high 24 points to help lead the Sixers to an 11-point win over the Bulls.

The Philadelphia 76ers got their second straight win with a 100-89 victory over the Chicago Bulls Friday night. It’s a win that will be remembered as “the Furkan Korkmaz game.”

Throughout the first half, there was concern that the Sixers may be on their way to a disappointing home loss. The team continued to struggle from beyond the arc, and the Bulls were getting to the rim at will. As a result, Chicago took a three-point lead after the first quarter and maintained a one-point lead into the break.

That changed in the third quarter as the Sixers broke out, led by Korkmaz, posting 35 points in the frame and turning the one-point deficit into a 10-point lead. They were able to maintain the advantage throughout the fourth and cruise to an 11-point win.

It was all sparked by a career night from Korkmaz. He came off the bench for a career-high 24 points and a career-high six 3-pointers. Korkmaz added four rebounds and a block, knocking down 8-of-11 from the floor and 6-of-9 from 3. It wasn’t all just 3’s for Korkmaz either. He had an impressive drive to the basket that he finished with an emphatic dunk and knocked down a pretty floater. He also took a charge on Zach LaVine. Just how good was Korkmaz? Consider that he had two 3-pointers taken away, one because the Sixers hilariously had six players on the court and one on a questionable illegal screen call on Al Horford. Also consider that the rest of the Sixers were 3-of-20 from 3.

Korkmaz’s impact can’t be overstated, but he wasn’t alone. Al Horford had a very good game with 20 points, six assists, and five rebounds. Ben Simmons had 20 points as well, adding 11 rebounds and seven assists. Mattise Thybulle chipped in seven points, four rebounds, three blocks, two assists, and two steals.

The Sixers shot 58.4 percent on 2-point attempts and assisted on 30 of their 40 made shots. They only committed 11 turnovers and only allowed 42 second-half points. Philadelphia was also +7 on the glass and piled up nine steals and seven blocks.

It maybe wasn’t the dominant performance you might expect against a team that entered the game with a 15-27 record, but there was a lot to like about the showing. The Sixers improved to 27-16 on the season and 20-2 at home with the victory.

They’ll look to keep things going, and try to find a remedy for their road woes, on Saturday when they travel to Madison Square Garden to take on the Knicks.

Geno Atkins again named finalist for Alan Page Community Award

Geno Atkins is again making a big impact in the community.

On a team littered with players who work hard away from the field to make a difference in communities, Geno Atkins stands tall.

The Cincinnati Bengals defensive lineman is now a finalist for the Alan Page Community Award alongside Brandon Carr, Brandon Copeland, Demario Davis and Bobby Wagner, the NFLPA announced.

Atkins’ work away from the field is extensive, with one of his notable recent achievements being the Week 15 NFLPA Community MVP thanks to his “Atkins Week of Giving.”

Atkins’ NFL peers vote on the outcome of the award, which will get announced during the Super Bowl. He was a finalist last year too, though former teammate and current Los Angeles Rams tackle Andrew Whitworth won the top prize.

[vertical-gallery id=27041]

Burton Burns expected to leave Alabama, join Joe Judge and Giants

Matt Zenitz of AL.com has reported Burton Burns will be leaving the Crimson Tide staff to join the New York Giants and be their running backs coach. Can confirm that longtime Alabama staffer Burton Burns is expected to be hired by the New York …

Matt Zenitz of AL.com has reported Burton Burns will be leaving the Crimson Tide staff to join the New York Giants and be their running backs coach.

Burns has helped Nick Saban and the University of Alabama produce some of the top running back talent during his time in Tuscaloosa.

He coached three Heisman finalists: Mark Ingram, Derrick Henry and Trent Richardson – Ingram and Henry went on to win their respective Heisman’s, Alabama’s only two recipients of the award.

Recently, Burns had added “associate head coach” for the Crimson Tide to his resume, which also includes seven years as the running backs coach at Clemson and four years with Tulane.

Burns will join a fresh coaching staff in New York, and won’t be the only member to have spent time in Alabama.

New Giants head coach, Joe Judge, was the special teams assistant for the Crimson Tide from 2009-2011.

The presence of Burns and his impact on the running backs will surely be missed, but the Nick Saban coaching tree continues to expand and plant its roots with the New York Gants

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

WATCH: Chase Young works out with Arnold Schwarzenegger?

Ohio State defensive end Chase Young was spotted working out with Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Predator, meet the Terminator.

We’re not quite sure what the story is behind it all, but it appears as though Ohio State defensive end Chase Young has spent at least a little time pumping iron with Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year and Heisman Finalist was videoed either taking tips or simply socializing with Schwarzenegger. The moment was captured while Young used a workout machine at a Gibson Performance Training near Young’s home in Capitol Heights, Maryland.

It’s not a long video, and we’d love to know what words were exchanged between Schwarzenegger and Young, but that will most likely stay between those two.

You can get a look at the two sharing a moment in the below video appearing on the Twitter feed of @GibsonTraining. Is this the beginning of the Predanator?

Young is no doubt putting in some work and getting ready for the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft.

Blair O’Neal is six months pregnant and crushing it against the men at TOC

Blair O’Neal mapped out the bathrooms before she played the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions. That intel proved important.

[jwplayer 6ji44vXR-9JtFt04J]

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – For a little while at least, a woman who is six months pregnant led an otherwise all-male field packed with all-star athletes.

Blair O’Neal, 38, mapped out the bathrooms before she even played one hole at the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions. That intel proved important, maybe more important, than the whipping wind on Friday at Tranquilo Golf Club. Bathroom breaks come every half hour these days.

O’Neal ultimately finished the day in sixth place on the celebrity board, eight points behind a trio of players including John Smoltz, Chad Pfeifer and Mardy Fish. Smoltz, an MLB Hall of Famer, won this tournament in 2019. Pfeifer, an Iraq vet who lost his left leg in an IED explosion, picked up golf as a form of therapy. He called the game a lifesaver and will keep a grounded perspective as he battles to stay at the top.

“I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing,” said Pfeifer, “keep having fun, and keep playing golf. Nobody is trying to blow me up or shoot at me, so life’s pretty good.”

Tournament of Champions: Photos | Leaderboard | Celebrities

Inspiration abounds here at Tranquilo Golf Club, where Hall of Famers pepper the tee sheet.

O’Neal, who played at Arizona State, is a former Symetra Tour player turned model and TV personality. This week is a family affair for O’Neal as she has husband Jeff Keiser on the bag.

Keiser works in finance at PetSmart’s corporate headquarters in Phoenix, so numbers are his thing. But this week he’s also in charge of making sure his wife stays comfortable and rested.

Blair O’Neal at the 2020 Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

O’Neal could count on one hand the number of rounds she has played these past six months. She wasn’t sure how her lower back would take five rounds of golf. Little things like a sun umbrella, naps and on-course PB&J sandwiches are high on the priority list and could mean the difference in stamina over the weekend.

O’Neal is due to give birth to a boy on April 13, the Monday after the Masters. She taped several shows for Golf Channel’s “School of Golf” in Orlando ahead of the tournament and will film more before heading back home to Scottsdale, Arizona.

“Once I go into the clubhouse and eat and sit down,” said O’Neal, “that’s when it hits, and that’s when he starts kicking around. When I’m out there, he’s quiet and sleeping.”

It’s already a dream week.

[lawrence-related id=778020699,778020484,778018677]

Behind Enemy Lines: Previewing NFC championship with Packers Wire

Zach Kruse of the Packers Wire chats with us about the NFC championship and offers his prediction on the game.

The 49ers blew out the Packers in Week 12, and Green Bay hasn’t lost since. Now the teams square off Sunday at Levi’s Stadium in the NFC championship game.

Green Bay, at least in the win column, is a dramatically different team than the one the 49ers faced at the end of November.

To get a better gauge on where they’re at ahead of Sunday, we chatted with Zach Kruse of the Packers Wire. He answered a few questions for us and offered a prediction on how he thinks it’ll go:

Niners Wire: The 49ers did a nice job limiting Davante Adams and Aaron Jones in their Week 12 matchup. If that happens again, who do the Packers lean on offensively?

Zach Kruse: Good question. It’s a capable but limited supporting cast after Adams and Jones, the offense’s two stars. Veteran tight end Jimmy Graham made three big catches last week, receiver Allen Lazard has been a sparkplug at times over the final two months of the season and backup running back Jamaal Williams can grind yards as both a runner and receiver. An extreme wildcard is Marquez Valdes-Scantling, the fastest pass-catcher of the bunch and a potential big-play threat if he can somehow finally get on the same page as Aaron Rodgers. I’ll say this: If Adams and Jones are both shut down again, it’s hard to see the Packers scoring enough points to win. They’ll need their stars to make big plays.

NW: It looked like Aaron Rodgers played his best game of the year in the divisional round despite not putting up huge numbers. Is he hitting his stride at the right time, or was that just a matter of the Seahawks making mistakes?

ZK: Level of competition must be considered, but there were encouraging signs coming out of last week’s win. Rodgers played from the pocket, threw decisively and on time, confidently attacked down the field and made big throws in clutch situations. It really was one of his best performances of the entire season. There was extreme confidence in the gameplan and a synergy with the playcaller, Matt LaFleur. Is it sustainable for another week? Rodgers and LaFleur spent the bye week finding concepts they liked from the season and trimming stuff that didn’t work, so it’s possible a refined plan will keep Rodgers playing at a high level. He’s gotten hot before, and maybe the offense’s vision is finally starting to come together. The 49ers will put all that to the ultimate test on Sunday.

NW: Za’Darius and Preston Smith headline the Packers defense, but who’s another player on that side of the ball who needs to show up Sunday for Green Bay?

ZK: I know you asked for just one, but I’m going to give you a couple. Defensive lineman Kenny Clark is a highly disruptive player and could have an advantage over the interior of the 49ers’ offensive line. He’ll be important for stopping the run and creating inside pressure. The Packers also need mistake-free games from linebacker Blake Martinez, cornerback Kevin King and safety Adrian Amos. The 49ers are going to stress all three to cover across the middle of the field. The one potential difference maker? Cornerback Jaire Alexander. He’s one of the best and most competitive young cornerbacks in football. He feels due for a breakout performance. The Packers will likely need a game-turning defensive play at some point, and Alexander could be the provider.

NW: If you were the 49ers’ offensive coordinator, who’s the one player on Green Bay’s defense you’d try and go after?

ZK: Probably linebacker Blake Martinez. He’s a tackle machine, but teams can get chunk plays in the run game by getting linemen to the second level and getting a hat on Martinez, who doesn’t take on or shed blocks well. If the 49ers are consistently getting a blocker in his face, they’ll run for a bunch of yards. He’s also beatable in man coverage and unthreatening while playing zone. The Packers give up big plays against the run and pass in part because they’re really average at inside linebacker. Expect Kyle Shanahan to really stress Martinez to play gap-sound against the run and assignment-sound covering the middle of the field.

NW: How’s this game go, and what’s the final score?

ZK: I’m confident this game won’t be 23-0 at halftime. The gamescript should be far more favorable for the visitors but there’s no denying who the more complete team is. The 49ers stress teams in so many ways. The offense is cutting edge and hard to defend, the defense is fast and talented at all three levels and the special teams can create big plays. The Packers really need to play a near-perfect game to pull off the upset. If they play to their strengths (pass protection, pass rushing, turnover differential and in the red zone) and Rodgers is effective and clutch, I expect the Packers to be right in it late with a chance to win the game. But it’s too difficult to pick against the 49ers in the rematch, especially with all the returning talent on defense. The Packers hang in there but fall late to the superior football team. 49ers 23, Packers 18

Blair O’ Neal talks competing in golf while 6 months pregnant

Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols talks with Blair O’ Neal as she leads the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions – Celebrities.

Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols talks with Blair O’ Neal as she leads the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions – Celebrities.