With a record deal now his, Donald heard from his NFL brethren, heaping their praise on the All-Pro.
1 Related
The deal is worth $135 million, including $87 million guaranteed, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
It’s the richest defensive deal in NFL history and could keep Donald with the Rams for the next seven years, through the 2024 season.
Donald, who has held out of training camp this season, will be ready for the team’s Monday night opener against the Oakland Raiders on Sept. 10, according to Schefter.
A first-round pick in 2014, Donald was entering the final year of his rookie contract and scheduled to earn $6.9 million this season.
ESPN Stats & Information
Donald, a three-time All-Pro, four-time Pro Bowl selection and 2014 Defensive Rookie of the Year, has 39 career sacks and nine forced fumbles.
Donald’s extension has been a work in progress dating to 2017, as he held out for a contract that would make him the highest-paid defensive player, if not among the highest-paid players in the league.
Negotiations began after the Rams’ 4-12 2016 season, in which Donald — then a third-year pro — finished with 8 sacks, 5 deflected passes and 2 forced fumbles. Donald did not attend the voluntary offseason program but reported to mandatory minicamp to avoid fines. He then held out of training camp and reported to the team’s practice facility on the eve of the 2017 season opener, without a new contract in place. He was activated in Week 2.
Donald’s absence through training camp hardly affected his play, as he went on to finish his fourth season with 11 sacks and five forced fumbles in 14 games and was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year as the Rams clinched the NFC West and made their first playoff appearance since 2004.
Donald then resumed his holdout pattern as the Rams entered the offseason. He did not attend organized team activities and did not report to mandatory minicamp.
Monaco – UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said on Friday he is enthusiastic about the prospect of a joint United Kingdom bid to host the 2030 World Cup finals.
The English Football Association recently revealed it was looking into the idea of putting itself forward to host the tournament, and a joint bid with Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland could be a possibility.
The fact that the World Cup is set to increase from 32 to 48 teams for the 2026 tournament in North America means going alone would be a greater challenge for England, which last hosted the World Cup in 1966.
“I think it would be a wise idea. The infrastructure in the UK is very good. In a way, if more countries bid there is more chance to win, but from the other point of view, you have less votes,” Ceferin told journalists in Monaco, where UEFA have been hosting the draws for the group stages of their club competitions.
England went out in the first round of voting to host this year’s World Cup, but has made little secret of its interest in trying again.
It last hosted a major tournament with the European Championship in 1996, although the semi-finals and final of the continent-wide Euro 2020 will be played in London, at Wembley.
However, UEFA only want there to be one European bid, with the 2030 battle set to be against a Moroccan-led North African bid as well as a joint candidacy from Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
Ceferin added: “I have said before that after all those years it is time for that part of Europe to get the World Cup but the only thing that I will insist is that there is only one European bid.
“I don’t want Europe to be divided because of the World Cup bid and it would be divided because the voting is public.”
England has submitted a bid to host the women’s Euro in 2021, with Friday the deadline for other possible hosts to come forward.
Meanwhile, UEFA say they are not worried about any possible consequences of Brexit on Euro 2020, with seven matches to played in London in total and four more in Glasgow.
“It may add some complexity but we are used to organising tournaments inside and outside the EU,” said Giorgio Marchetti, the deputy secretary general of European football’s governing body, as he pointed out that matches will also be played in other non-EU venues, such as Baku and Saint Petersburg.
“They gave guarantees and we expect them to be respected.”
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Not long after the New England Patriots used a second-round selection in the 2014 NFL draft on him, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was walking around one of the NFL’s rookie-focused events.
Garoppolo made the rounds to various displays set up by businesses who could one day want him to endorse their products. He stopped in the Under Armour and Adidas sections before coming to another room with an unmistakable emblem and an imaginary velvet rope.
Inside the Nike room was a section solely dedicated to their most famous brand, the one belonging to Michael Jordan and the logo that’s instantly recognized as his.
“They weren’t letting anyone back there,” Garoppolo said. “I was like ‘How do you get back there?’ The one guy was like, ‘It’s a tough group to get into’ and was kind of giving me a hard time and joking about it.”
The moment confirmed something Garoppolo already knew: When his time came, he wanted to be a part of Jordan brand. Landing an endorsement with Jordan was, in fact, one of the first non-football related goals Garoppolo had when he entered the league. Now, more than four years later, it’s a reality, as the San Francisco 49ers QB signed with the eponymous brand over the summer.
“Since I got in the league, it was one of my dreams to be with Jordan and it came true,” Garoppolo said.
Jimmy Garoppolo sports a pair of Jordan 11s while practicing with the 49ers this summer. Nick Wagoner/ESPN
Garoppolo’s affinity for Jordan’s brand began long ago with Jordan the player.
Growing up in Arlington Heights, Illinois, a suburb about 25 miles northwest of Chicago, Garoppolo couldn’t help but take part in the Jordan-mania that swept the city through the better part of the 1990s. He went to his first Bulls game when he was about 3 and though he doesn’t remember attending, he has a photo as a reminder.
The Garoppolo family basement doubled as a shrine to their favorite Chicago teams: the Bulls, baseball’s White Sox and the NFL’s Bears. Jordan was well-represented in multiple forms of memorabilia (one of his brothers owned the obligatory “Wings” poster), including 1998 championship hats featuring all six trophies that each member of the family wore proudly.
“If you looked at our house, you’d be like ‘These guys are the biggest Chicago fans ever,'” Garoppolo said, laughing. “It was excessive.”
Although he was born in 1991 and too young to remember much of Jordan’s early championship runs, many of Garoppolo’s earliest childhood sports memories are Jordan-centric. He counts Jordan’s game and 1998 Finals-winning jumper over Utah forward Bryon Russell as his favorite Jordan moment and cites Jordan’s flu game as another.
“Ever since I was a little kid, he’s been my favorite athlete,” Garoppolo said. “It’s pretty cool to be part of his brand now.”
While Jordan’s career was mostly over by the time Garoppolo was old enough to grasp its greatness, Garoppolo was able to re-live many of the best moments, whether through the YouTube rabbit hole or a trip with his grandparents to see “Michael Jordan to the Max” when it was released in IMAX in 2000.
As he grew older and became more involved in playing sports at higher levels, Garoppolo’s appreciation for Jordan deepened beyond his feats on the court and into how he handled his business away from it. As a burgeoning football player at Rolling Meadows High, Garoppolo began to get some acclaim for his play as a junior.
Along with that success, Garoppolo found himself facing cameras and voice recorders on a regular basis. By his own account, Garoppolo “sucked” at interviews. So his father Tony pointed him in the direction of Jordan, eschewing the YouTube dunk highlights in favor of Jordan press conferences.
“My dad told me, ‘Jordan always takes a second, thinks about the question and then responds, try doing that,'” Garoppolo said. “And he would show me things like that and it was just, he was very, very smooth with everything he did.”
While Garoppolo has not yet met Jordan, he has spent time in his presence. When one of his older brothers played one of Jordan’s sons in basketball, Garoppolo remembers how Jordan walking into the gym altered the entire atmosphere.
“He just had a way, an aura about him that just stood out,” Garoppolo said.
While there was no shortage of Jordan merchandise in the Garoppolo house, shoes were rarely part of the equation. With four boys to buy for and the high cost of Jordans, Garoppolo said he only owned the one pair his uncle bought for him when he was in elementary school.
Now that Garoppolo is part of the Jordan family (and signed one of the most lucrative contracts in NFL history in February), his collection is quickly growing. He counts the Jordan 3’s as his favorite pair so far with the 11’s not far behind.
Should Garoppolo need some guidance on getting up to speed, there are no shortage of experts in the Niners locker room. Wide receiver Marquise Goodwin is one of the team’s biggest collectors, with an extensive stockpile of Jordans. He’s already offered Garoppolo advice on which shoes work and which ones don’t.
“I think he’s got a lot of swag but when it comes to Jordans, he’s not very knowledgeable about these J’s so I have got to put him on game,” Goodwin said. “He needs to get all the exclusives. You cannot be wearing team J’s out here. It’s got to be all retros. As long as it says retro in front of that number then you’re good.”
Since he arrived in the Bay Area in October of last year, Garoppolo has been reticent to talk about anything aside from football. In a recent interview, it was clear that the deal with Jordan was big enough to him to make an exception.
Still, Garoppolo said there are no current plans to take part in any sort of major marketing campaign or to suddenly approach Peyton Manning-level pitch man status. As he’s maintained all along, Garoppolo wants to prove himself further before he worries too much about building his own brand.
“[Jordan] is a credit to the idea that you have to live a different lifestyle [to be great],” Garoppolo said. “You’re sacrificing things in order to put in time to your profession. Whether you’re used to it or not, that’s just what it is as an athlete.”
Which is why, when Garoppolo looks at his feet and sees that famous Jumpman insignia, he doesn’t see validation that he’s arrived. He sees just how far he still has to go.
Thursday’s Champions League draw produced tantalizing matchups, compelling storylines, and some fantastic quartets. Here’s what to expect from each group during the continental competition:
Related – Champions League draw: Heavyweight matchups across the board
Group A
Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Monaco, Club Brugge
Predicted to advance: Atletico, BVB
Best matchup: Atletico vs. BVB
Player to watch: Aleksandr Golovin
Group A feels like the hipster’s choice. With Atletico’s pedigree, Dortmund’s colorful supporters, Monaco’s youthful exuberance, and Brugge’s unknown quantities, there’s enough on tap to keep the most casual fan interested. Any of the top three teams should fancy their chances of getting into the knockout stages, leaving Brugge as the odd one out. Keep an eye on Monaco’s latest summer signing, Aleksandr Golovin, and Atletico’s Gelson Martins as the two take on defenders and make things happen from midfield.
Group B
Barcelona, Tottenham, PSV, Inter
Predicted to advance: Barcelona, Tottenham
Best matchup: Tottenham vs. Inter
Player to watch: Hirving Lozano
This one feels like the Group of Death. There’s a lot of attacking potential from this quartet, with the likes of Lozano, Ivan Perisic, Ousmane Dembele, and Heung-Min Son set to entertain on the flanks. Tottenham and Inter should contest the best matches of the group, especially considering Spurs’ recent success against Italian teams. It’s a difficult run of games for the Nerazzurri, though there was always a risk they would face a tough draw as a lowly fourth seed. PSV have a difficult go as well, but now’s the opportunity to show Dutch football in a positive light.
Group C
Paris Saint-Germain, Napoli, Liverpool, Red Star
Predicted to advance: PSG, Liverpool
Best matchup: Napoli vs. Liverpool
Player to watch: Naby Keita
Joining the headliners is Group C, which offers emotional storylines, cross-continent travel, and the prospect of scintillating football. Edinson Cavani’s return to Napoli – where he first shot to fame as a raw, greasy-haired striker – will draw cheers in southern Italy. That match between PSG and Napoli is a fantastic test for the Partenopei and an opportunity for Carlo Ancelotti to face his former side. However, Liverpool’s meeting with Napoli is arguably the pick of the bunch. The potential for goals is high between these two sides, a clash of relentless brands of football featuring high lines and rigorous pressing. Keita is at the heart of Liverpool’s push, representing a massive upgrade in midfield following his arrival from RB Leipzig.
Group D
Lokomotiv Moscow, Porto, Schalke, Galatasaray
Predicted to advance: Porto, Lokomotiv
Best matchup: Porto vs. Galatasaray
Player to watch: Henry Onyekuru
Group D isn’t one for the neutrals. There’s not much that grabs headlines here, unless it’s in the stands of Galatasaray’s stadium. Porto have every reason to feel they can win the group and reach the round of 16 for a third consecutive season. Who else will advance is a toss-up, as none of Lokomotiv, Schalke, or Galatasaray seem head and shoulders above the competition. The 2017-18 Russian Premier League champions have made some decent signings, including Benedikt Howedes and Grzegorz Krychowiak, but no one player stands out. Nineteen-year-old midfielder Onyekuru, who’s on loan at Galatasaray from Everton, may be the most promising player to watch.
Group E
Bayern Munich, Benfica, Ajax, AEK Athens
Predicted to advance: Bayern, Ajax
Best matchup: Benfica vs. Ajax
Player to watch: Hakim Ziyech
Group E is deceiving. Although it may look like Bayern have a direct route to the next round, Benfica and Ajax are good enough to complicate matters. Bayern did little to reinforce their team, putting more pressure on the likes of Robert Lewandowski and Arjen Robben to win matches on their own. Benfica have continued to hone their talent – Ruben Dias is a fine defender in the making – while Ajax did well to avoid a firesale this summer. Moroccan midfielder Hakim Ziyech is a fantastic playmaker who can set up goals and score from distance, and teammate Dusan Tadic is a capable matchwinner whose linkup play could prove troublesome. It’s not as straightforward as it seems.
Group F
Manchester City, Shakhtar Donetsk, Lyon, Hoffenheim
Predicted to advance: City, Lyon
Best matchup: Lyon vs. Hoffenheim
Player to watch: Houssem Aouar
Here’s another group with a few traps. City stumbled against Shakhtar in last season’s group stage, and the youthfulness of Lyon and Hoffenheim could send a jolt through the Premier League champions. The latter two opponents have average ages of 24.1 and 25 years, respectively, with the 20-year-old Aouar already holding the keys to Les Gones’ midfield. Hoffenheim’s innovative training techniques have also paid dividends. City will have to work hard to break down each of their opponents.
Group G
Real Madrid, Roma, CSKA Moscow, Plzen
Predicted to advance: Madrid, Roma
Best matchup: Madrid vs. Roma
Player to watch: Justin Kluivert
A classic case of two halves. Madrid and Roma are destined to make it out of Group G, with CSKA and Plzen set to compete for the right to claim third and the Europa League spot that goes with it. Los Blancos swept aside the Giallorossi in the quarterfinals of the 2016 Champions League, and considering their superiority in midfield, they could deal their Italian brethren another blow. Manager Eusebio Di Francesco either aces his tactics or bombs completely, so it’s imperative he gets his approach right against the three-time defending European champions.
Group H
Juventus, Manchester United, Valencia, Young Boys
Predicted to advance: Juventus, United
Best matchup: Juventus vs. United
Player to watch: Goncalo Guedes
This is a nice group to round out the competition. Paul Pogba will face the Old Lady for the first time since his €100-million transfer to United, Cristiano Ronaldo will return to Old Trafford, and Valencia will try to break up the love-in with some good football of their own. The Bianconeri clearly have the most competitive squad of the four teams, but Mourinho’s record in cup competitions cannot be ignored. Valencia also boast some fantastic speed on the wings, especially with Guedes rejoining the side on a permanent basis.
