Sports Express | Sep 08, 2026 Patriots, Gonzalez Agree to Record Extension

1. Patriots, Gonzalez Agree to Record Extension

Source: sportsnet.ca

The NFL has a new highest-paid cornerback. According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, the New England Patriots and cornerback Christian Gonzalez agreed to a record-breaking four-year, $135 million extension with $102 million in guaranteed money. Jordan Schultz was first to report the deal, which is the largest ever given to a cornerback.

The 24-year-old Gonzalez was an All-Pro in 2024 and was one of the most important pieces of the Patriots' defence last season as they returned to the playoffs and reached the Super Bowl. In 2025, he recorded 69 total tackles and 10 passes defended in 14 games, then added 19 tackles and seven passes defended in the playoffs.

Over the weekend, Gonzalez suggested he might not play Wednesday against the Seattle Seahawks without an extension. With his contract now in hand, he should be a big part of the Patriots' defence once again.

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2. Yankees Activate Aaron Judge After Three-Month Absence

Source: sportsnet.ca

After missing more than three months, Aaron Judge is ready to return to the New York Yankees. The three-time MVP was reinstated from the 60-day injured list Monday night, an off day for the Yankees, who open a three-game home series Tuesday night against the Colorado Rockies.

Judge hasn't played since May 31 because of a broken right rib. The 34-year-old took batting practice on the field multiple times last weekend in San Diego and ran the bases as he worked toward his return. He will rejoin the active roster without a minor league rehab assignment first.

Judge is hitting .248 with 17 homers and 38 RBIs. With 19 games remaining, the Yankees (81-62) trail first-place Tampa Bay by four games in the AL East and sit two games ahead of Boston for the top American League wild card.

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3. Ohtani Says He Won't Pitch Again This Season

Source: sportsnet.ca

Shohei Ohtani went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts and a walk in his return to the Los Angeles Dodgers' lineup Monday night in a 6-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds, and the two-way superstar isn't expected to pitch again this season.

Ohtani was returning after a four-day break to deal with lingering left knee and right biceps soreness. He hasn't pitched in a game since July 3 and hasn't thrown since a bullpen session in Detroit on Aug. 28. Speaking to the media for the first time in three weeks, he said he's disappointed not to be pitching.

Ohtani is hitting .277 with 30 homers and 80 RBIs this season. By taking pitching off his plate, the NL West-leading Dodgers hope he will lock in on hitting. They won all four games during his absence, including a sweep of the Washington Nationals.

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4. Morris Confirms Nick Bosa Will Play Season Opener

Source: NBC Sports

49ers defensive end Nick Bosa might need some time to get back to 100 percent, but he will play in the season opener. Defensive coordinator Raheem Morris confirmed that Bosa's surgically repaired right knee is good enough to get him on the field against the Rams.

Bosa, 28, said last week he thought he would be ready for Week 1 and made the trip to Australia. He tore his ACL in a Sept. 21 game against the Cardinals and underwent surgery Sept. 26. As he came back this summer, he experienced soreness and tendinitis in his right knee, and the 49ers backed him down until Sept. 2 when he returned to practice.

Bosa has not had a double-digit sack season since 2023, the last time he played all 17 games. He has played only 17 games over the past two seasons, totaling 11 sacks.

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5. Elks Rally Past Stampeders on Labour Day for Third Straight Win

Source: TSN

The Edmonton Elks rallied for a 38-28 Labour Day win over the host Calgary Stampeders. Justin Rankin's 50-yard touchdown run gave the Elks their first lead with four minutes remaining, after he had minus-1 yard on his first four carries.

Edmonton (9-3) scored 24 points in the final 10 minutes and erased an 18-point deficit from early in the second half. Cole Snyder added a rushing touchdown with 19 seconds left to cap the Elks' third straight victory. They remained atop the CFL's West Division, ahead of the Saskatchewan Roughriders (8-4) and others.

Quarterback Cody Fajardo completed 17 of 31 passes for 181 yards and two touchdowns. Calgary led 18-7 at halftime but couldn't hold on. The two teams meet again Saturday in Edmonton in the second game of the home-and-home.

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6. Falcons Name Tagovailoa Week 1 Starting QB

Source: TSN

Tua Tagovailoa will be the Atlanta Falcons' starting quarterback to begin the season. Head coach Kevin Stefanski said he has "blinders" on when it comes to any long-term decisions beyond the opener Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Falcons announced the decision Monday morning, ending a months-long competition between Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr.

Stefanski said Penix, who is recovering from a knee injury, will be inactive in Week 1 while Cooper Rush serves as Tagovailoa's backup. Atlanta has had a different Week 1 starting quarterback in each of the past six seasons.

Tagovailoa, 28, signed a one-year, $1.3 million contract with Atlanta in the offseason after being released in March by the Miami Dolphins. He led the NFL in passing yards (4,624) in 2023 and in completion percentage (72.9%) in 2024, but struggled with injuries and threw 15 interceptions last season.

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7. Zheng Qinwen's Stunning U.S. Open Comeback

Source: Defector

Zheng Qinwen staged a stunning comeback against Madison Keys at the U.S. Open on Saturday. Down 6-1, 6(3)-7, 5-1 and facing a match point on her opponent's serve, Zheng battled back to win, taking the final six games while Keys never won another.

Keys entered the tournament as the 22nd seed, while Zheng came in ranked outside the top 100 and had to play qualifying to reach the main draw. Simply getting there was meaningful, and after winning her last qualifying match against Elena Pridankina, she fell to the ground in celebration.

Zheng has been ranked as high as No. 4 and has an Australian Open final and an Olympic gold medal to her name. Her 2025 was abbreviated by elbow surgery. The victory gives her a chance to rebuild her ranking and improve a 1-7 head-to-head record against Iga Swiatek, a contender to win the event.

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8. Former F1 Boss Ecclestone Detained at Airport for Carrying Gun

Source: sportsnet.ca

Former Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone was detained at a Portuguese airport on Monday and released hours later for possession of a firearm. The 95-year-old arrived at Tires Airport near Lisbon, where police officers found a shotgun in his possession for which he lacked a permit.

In an interview with the Daily Mail, Ecclestone admitted he brought the weapon from Switzerland for pigeon shooting. He said officers asked about documentation, and after what seemed like hours they sorted it out, but it was "wall-to-wall aggravation."

Ecclestone was at the helm of F1 from 1987 to 2017 and divides his time between homes in Switzerland and Portugal. This is not the first time he has run into trouble for carrying a weapon at an airport — in May 2022 he was detained in Brazil after police found a .32-caliber pistol, and he paid a fine to leave.

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9. Caitlin Clark Leads Team USA in Two Key Categories

Source: Sports Illustrated

After the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup group stage, Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark leads Team USA in two key categories — assists and plus/minus. In her senior national team debut against China, she had 11 assists and zero turnovers to go with 14 points, the most assists ever by a U.S. player in a World Cup debut.

Clark struggled in a narrow win over Italy but bounced back against Czechia with seven assists and nine points. Through three games, she has 19 total assists (6.3 per game) and Team USA is plus-58 with her on the court — both team-leading marks.

The quarterfinals begin Thursday with single elimination, and the road gets tougher from here. Clark has not started so far, but head coach Kara Lawson's rotation choices will be fascinating to watch. Clark has already shown she's Team USA's top contributor in setting up teammates and impacting the score.

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10. Mbappé Eyes First Career Ballon d'Or

Source: TSN

Kylian Mbappé believes this could be the year he wins the Ballon d'Or for the first time. He's optimistic after winning his second consecutive World Cup Golden Boot with 10 goals, the most in 56 years, and overtaking Lionel Messi for the most all-time World Cup goals with 22.

Mbappé scored 42 goals in 44 matches for Real Madrid last season, although the club finished without a major trophy. He said Monday that he's made history in the most important competition and maybe it's a good year, but people can vote according to what they think.

The award will be presented Oct. 26 in London. Mbappé's best finish in the voting was third in 2023. He spoke ahead of Real Madrid's Champions League opener against Inter Milan on Tuesday.

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