AP Sports SummaryBrief at 9:45 p.m. EST

By The Associated Press

Browns restructure Watson’s contract to get under the salary cap, AP source says

Deshaun Watson’s contract has been reworked again by the Cleveland Browns as the team looks to clear salary cap space with the new league year less than one week away. A person with knowledge of the move tells The Associated Press the latest restructuring of the quarterback’s contract will clear nearly $36 million in cap space for the Browns. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team has not announced the move, which was first reported by ESPN. The Browns were nearly $22 million over the cap before restructuring Watson’s deal. It is the second time in three months that Watson’s contract was reworked.

At the bobsled and skeleton world championships, some moms might make their way to the podium

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. (AP) — The latest addition to the list of amenities available to athletes at the bobsled and skeleton world championships is a room inside a lodge just down the hill from the finish line. There are some stuffed animals, tons of toys, Mickey Mouse coloring books and big boxes of crayons. This is the family space. These days, it’s a needed part of the sliding circuit. There are five mothers who qualified to compete in the world championships that got underway Thursday in Lake Placid. They are U.S. skeleton athlete Kelly Curtis, Swiss bobsledder Nadja Pasternack and U.S. bobsledders Elana Meyers Taylor, Kaillie Humphries and Jasmine Jones.

Bengals All-Pro edge rusher Trey Hendrickson receives permission to seek a trade, AP sources say

Two people with knowledge of the move say All-Pro edge rusher Trey Hendrickson received permission from the Cincinnati Bengals to seek a trade. Hendrickson led the NFL in sacks this past season. The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss personnel moves. ESPN first reported the move after receiving a statement from Hendrickson. Hendrickson had 17 1/2 sacks last season for the second straight year. His 57 sacks since joining the Bengals in 2021 are third-most in the league over the past four seasons.

Sports is a powerful tool for grassroots empowerment. A Philly basketball coach made it her focus

Throughout her eight-year coaching tenure, Beulah Osueke built the West Catholic Lady Burrs from an afterthought to a championship-winning program. The Philadelphia high school’s girls basketball team secured six district titles and won the school’s first basketball state title in 2021 under Osueke. But teaching Black teenage girls their worth and how to respond to discrimination is what Osueke considers her biggest victory. That outreach shows how sports can be a tool for empowerment and teaching life lessons, said Ketra Armstrong, director of the Center for Race and Ethnicity in Sport at the University of Michigan. She says that’s more important now than ever as President Donald Trump’s orders dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion programs nationwide.

Devils get Dumoulin, Panthers add Sturm and Golden Knights reacquire Smith as NHL trades pile up

The banged-up New Jersey Devils wasted no time filling an area of need ahead of the NHL trade deadline, the defending champion Florida Panthers made an under-the-radar move that could pave the way for another deep playoff run and the Vegas Golden Knights brought back a member of their recent Stanley Cup-winning team. With roughly 24 hours to go before the deadline, New Jersey traded for veteran defenseman Brian Dumoulin from Anaheim, Florida got depth center Nico Sturm from San Jose and Vegas reacquired winger Reilly Smith from the New York Rangers.

Wyndham Clark handles a stressful test at Bay Hill to lead by 2

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Wyndham Clark has the lead at the Arnold Palmer Invitational after a brutal day of cold and wind at Bay Hill. Clark played in the afternoon and got a slight reprieve with calmer wind. But his 67 was still the highest score to lead at Bay Hill in eight years. He leads by two shots over a group that includes Shane Lowry and Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley. Rory McIlroy bogeyed his last hole for a 70. Defending champion Scottie Scheffler battled to a 71. Only 14 players in the 72-man field of this signature event managed to break par.

One-of-a-kind card featuring jersey patch of Pirates star Paul Skenes is heading to auction

PITTSBURGH (AP) — A one-of-a-kind baseball card featuring Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes is heading to auction. The card is autographed by the National League Rookie of the Year and features a patch of the jersey he wore during his big league debut in May 2024. An 11-year-old in the Los Angeles area found the card in a pack he received as a Christmas present. He turned down an offer from the Pirates that included season tickets behind home plate for 30 years. Fanatics Collect is holding the auction, which runs through March 20. CEO Nick Bell declined to offer an estimate on what the card might fetch but said he expects “a very significant sale.”

Linebacker Bobby Wagner is returning to the Commanders on a 1-year contract, AP source says

A person with knowledge of the move tells The Associated Press that six-time All-Pro linebacker Bobby Wagner is returning to the Washington Commanders. Wagner has agreed on a contract for the 2025 NFL season. He led the Commanders with 132 tackles last regular season and made 25 more during the playoffs on their run to the NFC championship game. Financial terms were not immediately available. Washington re-signed Wagner hours after bringing back kicker Zane Gonzalez on Thursday on a one-year contract for the league minimum $1.17 million.

Man United draws 1-1 at Real Sociedad in Europa League and Tottenham loses to AZ Alkmaar

Manchester United settled for a 1-1 draw with Real Sociedad in the first leg of the Europa League round of 16. United led on Joshua Zirkzee’s goal in the 58th minute but the hosts equalized 12 minutes later after Bruno Fernandes’ hand ball. Mikel Oyarzabal sent Andre Onana the wrong way from the penalty spot. A spot in the Europa League quarterfinals will be on the line at Old Trafford in the second leg next Thursday. Tottenham, also struggling in the Premier League, lost 1-0 at AZ Alkmaar.

Realignment has the ACC, Big Ten spanning 4 US time zones. League play meant long trips — and Ls

The travel miles and losses have piled up for teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference and Big Ten when it comes to cross-country travel created by realignment. Those two leagues span the four contiguous U.S. time zones and have footprints touching the Atlantic and Pacific coastlines with the arrival of former Pac-12 programs. USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington are in the Big Ten. Stanford and California are in the ACC. Overall, men’s and women’s teams traveling between the Eastern and Pacific time zones in the ACC and Big Ten had won 30.6% of their games as of Thursday.