The Golden State Warriors will approve the four-team trade they agreed to at the deadline, but not before filing a complaint to the NBA about Gary Payton II's injury not being disclosed.

Payton, who was a member of the Warriors' championship-winning team in 2022, left the franchise to sign a free agent deal with the Portland Trail Blazers in the offseason.

He had been battling a number of injuries that kept him out of action until the new year, but he has managed 15 appearances since January 2.

Payton's return to action had the Warriors believing his injury problems were behind him, and they were given no indication during negotiations that he was still struggling.

However, their medical examination of him revealed a core muscle injury that the Warriors' medical staff believe will take months to heal.

It meant the Warriors had the ability to void the deal – which was a complicated four-team trade that also sent James Wiseman to the Detroit Pistons, while the Atlanta Hawks received Saddiq Bey – but with the deadline already passed, Golden State would not be able to make any further moves.

That is a crucial point because while the acquisition of Payton was important, the Warriors were just as interested in parting ways with Wiseman. 

The Athletic reported that because of Golden State's status as a luxury tax repeater, the franchise were going to have to pay over $50million for Wiseman's $9m salary this season, and over $80m for his $12m salary in 2023-24.

With how little the former number two draft pick has proven, the Warriors decided his time with the team had run out, and they would prefer the playoff-proven Payton on a cheaper contract.

While they are still going through with the trade, the Warriors filed a complaint to the league about the Trail Blazers providing misleading information about Payton's injury status, prompting the league to launch a review.

It is also being reported that Payton was being pushed by Portland's training staff to play through his injury with the help of pain relief medication.

Andy Reid made it clear retirement is not on his agenda after his coaching masterclass helped the Kansas City Chiefs prevail in Super Bowl LVII.

The Chiefs trailed 24-14 to the Philadelphia Eagles at half-time at State Farm Stadium and appeared to be in some what desperate straits when Patrick Mahomes came up limping after a scramble late in the second quarter.

But Reid produced a masterful gameplan in the second half, tormenting the Eagles’ defense with a varied run-game approach and intelligent use of motion to give Mahomes easy completions.

Those easy completions propelled the Chiefs to a 38-35 win, sealed with a Harrison Butker field goal with eight seconds remaining after a drive on which a remarkable 26-yard scramble from Mahomes put Kansas City in position to complete the comeback.

Reid had faced questions about potential retirement prior to the game and was again asked on the podium as he collected the Vince Lombardi Trophy, saying simply that he was going to "enjoy this one".

He declared his intentions more definitively in his post-game press conference, indicating he will back for a run at a third Super Bowl with Kansas City.

Travis Kelce remembers everyone who picked his Kansas City Chiefs to lose in Super Bowl LVII, and he told the doubters to "look at us now" after proving them wrong.

Kelce caught the Chiefs' opening touchdown in their 38-35 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, going on to finish with six catches for 81 yards and a touchdown from his six targets.

It meant he finished with at least six catches, 78 yards and a touchdown in each of the Chiefs' three playoff games this season, having led all tight ends with 1,338 yards and 12 touchdowns in the regular season.

The 33-year-old future Hall of Famer now has two titles to go with his seven All-Pro selections, and although the Chiefs are viewed as a dynasty in the making, Kelce still felt his team were being discounted ahead of the big game.

"Not a single one of y'all said the Chiefs were gonna take it home this year," he told FOX Sports. "Feel that s***. Feel it, and on top of it, next time the Chiefs say something, put some respect on our name."

During the celebrations, Patrick Mahomes called Kelce "the greatest ever" at his position, while Kelce also had some kind words for his quarterback.

"Pat Mahomes, M-V-Pat," he said. "You can't say nothing about what this guy means to Kansas City and this team."

When asked why he always seems to be able to get open, Kelce again pointed to the infrastructure around him.

"Come on, baby. I've got Andy Reid and Pat Mahomes," he said. "I have a great team, we had a great run, and, man, it feels good. Not one of y'all said the Chiefs were going to win it, and look at us now." 

The Chiefs trailed by 10 at half-time, and Kelce indicated the weight of the moment may have been getting to some, but everything flipped after the break.

"That first half – it was a big moment, a big game – a lot of guys playing a little uncharacteristic," he said. "We were able to regroup at half-time and figure it out – in that second half, man, we were flying around.

"[Coach Reid] just told everybody to be yourselves. We were a little uncharacteristic in the beginning, but everyone had that determination, that look in their eye, coming out here in the second half. 

"They were going to pour everything out on that field. That's what you saw. You saw everybody pour everything out on the field for the second half, and the Chiefs came away with the victory, baby."

LeBron James was one of a number of NFL fans upset by a decisive holding call in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LVII, but James Bradberry, the man penalised, accepted it was the right decision.

Bradberry's Philadelphia Eagles agonisingly lost 38-35 to the Kansas City Chiefs in Glendale, Arizona on Sunday.

The Eagles had led by 10 points at half-time, before Patrick Mahomes led the Chiefs' rally to tie the game going into the closing stages.

But the prospect of a dramatic finish in keeping with the rest of a thrilling game was taken away by the penalty against Bradberry for holding JuJu Smith-Schuster.

That soft call allowed Mahomes to run down the clock before Harrison Butker came out to kick a game-winning field goal.

The finale upset many watching at home, including NBA great James, who posted on Twitter: "Sorry but I don’t like that call! Not for the Super Bowl man!

"His hand on his back had no effect on his route! This game was too damn good for that call to dictate the outcome at the end. Damn!

"By the way I have no horse in the race. Just my professional opinion."

However, Bradberry was asked about the incident in the locker room afterwards and did not share the frustrations of others.

"It was a holding," the cornerback said. "I tugged his jersey. I was hoping they would let it slide."

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid dismissed the idea he might retire after winning his third Super Bowl on Sunday.

Reid was an assistant coach for the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XXXI and has now twice celebrated success while in the top job in Kansas City.

His latest triumph, in Super Bowl LVII, came against the Philadelphia Eagles, a franchise he coached for 13 years.

Between his stints with the Eagles and the Chiefs, Reid has been a head coach for 24 years.

Now 64, he was asked during the Chiefs' Super Bowl celebrations if he might be ready to quit the sport, but his focus was on the party that lay ahead.

"No, I'm going to enjoy this one right here," Reid replied. "Let me tell you, this is unbelievable.

"Philadelphia, you did a great job, it was a great game. But how about those Chiefs?"

Reid had been introduced on the podium by Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt as "one of the best coaches in the history of the National Football League".

"We couldn't have done it without [him]," Hunt said, although Reid was keen to share the praise around.

In his FOX Sports interview, Reid said of the Chiefs' second-half rally in a 38-35 victory: "I'll give the credit to the big O-line and Pat Mahomes and all those guys around him. [Offensive coordinator] Eric Bieniemy was phenomenal also."

Of Mahomes, who has been playing with a high ankle sprain, Reid added: "He's the MVP. That's all that needs to be said, right? He's the MVP, and you saw it tonight."

Patrick Mahomes says the Kansas City Chiefs "are not done" after securing their second Super Bowl title in Sunday's 38-35 triumph over the Philadelphia Eagles.

Mahomes was named Super Bowl LVII MVP after throwing three touchdown passes as the Chiefs rallied from 24-14 down at half-time, scoring with every second-half possession.

That marked Mahomes' second Super Bowl MVP award, having also claimed the gong in 2019 when the Chiefs triumphed over the San Francisco 49ers.

The Chiefs' triumph came after they were Super Bowl runners-up in 2020 and lost the AFC Championship Game in 2021, but Mahomes insisted it was not a dynasty yet.

"I'm not going say dynasty yet. We're not done, so I'm not going to say dynasty yet," Mahomes said during the post-game on-field presentation.

The Chiefs QB, who completed 21-of-27 attempts for 182 yards, became the first player to win the NFL MVP and Super Bowl in the same season since Kurt Warner in 1999.

That ended a run of nine straight NFL MVPs to lose the decider, but he was eager to deflect the praise.

"It's everybody. It didn’t come from one person," Mahomes said.

"Everybody said we've got to step our game up. Our defense played their ass off in that second half and our offense found a way. I just want to thank everybody."

The 27-year-old quarterback appeared hampered by an ankle injury which has troubled him throughout the playoffs, but played on valiantly.

"I told you all this week there's nothing that'll keep me off this football field," Mahomes added. "I just want to shout out to my teammates. We challenged each other. It took everybody to win this football game. We're Super Bowl champs, let's go."

Patrick Mahomes again got the better of his injured ankle as his Kansas City Chiefs won an epic shoot-out with Jalen Hurts' Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII.

A 38-35 Chiefs victory on Sunday added to Mahomes' now undeniable legacy, even if the result was harsh on Hurts, who went toe-to-toe with what is now the first league MVP since Kurt Warner in 1999 to go on and win it all.

Hurts, who scored three rushing touchdowns, and the Eagles would have been deserving champions had they faced anyone other Mahomes.

The Chiefs' hopes of winning the title had appeared remote when their quarterback suffered a high ankle sprain in the Divisional round against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

But a hobbling Mahomes saw off the Jaguars, the Cincinnati Bengals and then, in Glendale, Arizona, the Eagles, taking a hit late in the second quarter but recovering to finish with three passing touchdowns and another title. 

A clinical opening drive from the Eagles ended with a quarterback sneak from Hurts for the opening score.

Neither the Chiefs nor the Eagles had trailed in the playoffs to that point, but Mahomes had an instant reply with a TD pass to Travis Kelce.

The response was not initially so impressive in the second quarter, which began with a 45-yard Hurts bomb to A.J. Brown, yet the Chiefs were back level again when the Philly QB's fumble was recovered by Nick Bolton for a defensive TD.

Hurts quickly regained his composure and ran straight up the middle for his second rushing TD, before the Chiefs' next drive saw Mahomes limp away from a tackle, facing a 10-point deficit by the time he returned for the second half.

Mahomes led the Chiefs down the field for Isiah Pacheco to run in, and Kansas City had their first lead after the QB found Kadarius Toney wide open after some tricky pre-snap motion to walk into the endzone.

Momentum was now firmly with the Chiefs, and Toney's 65-yard punt return – the longest in Super Bowl history – put Mahomes in position for another straightforward TD pass to Skyy Moore.

Hurts was not done as a 46-yard pass to DeVonta Smith teed the QB up for another short TD run, followed by a successful two-point conversion.

That tied the game, yet Mahomes managed the clock to allow Harrison Butker to kick the decisive field goal and leave only eight seconds before the celebrations could start.

Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown says he is "day to day" in his recovery from a facial fracture and has not ruled himself out of next weekend's All-Star Game.

Brown suffered the injury when he collided with the elbow of team-mate Jayson Tatum during last Wednesday's 106-99 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.

The two-time All-Star was ruled out indefinitely by the Celtics, but Brown offered an update on his status prior to Sunday's 119-109 win over the Memphis Grizzlies.

"I'm taking it day to day right now," Brown said. "I'm just letting the swelling go down, letting the pain subside, and then I'll kind of go from there. I can't make any determinations long-term because I'm just taking it day to day."

Brown, who was voted into the upcoming All-Star Game as a reserve by the league's coaches, confirmed he had avoided surgery and was on the mend.

"Feeling a lot better for sure," Brown said. "Still having a little bit of pain but feeling better from the first couple days.

"Had to get a couple scans, see a bunch of specialists and different doctors to get all the info. But they came to the determination I don't have to have surgery, so that's the good thing.

"I'm just happy that I don't have to go through that process because I probably would have missed a lot more games. I don't think it'll be too long. I figure I'll be fine."

Brown is enjoying an outstanding season, with career-high averages for points (26.5), rebounds (7.0) and field goal percentage (48.7 per cent).

Argentina's Sebastian Baez tasted success in his home country on Sunday as he defeated Federico Coria 6-1 3-6 6-3 in the Cordoba Open final.

In the fourth ATP Tour final of his career, Baez secured his second title, showing a slight edge both in his service game and with his returns.

He rattled through the first set in just 31 minutes, winning 17 of his 20 total service points (85 per cent), while Coria could only convert at a 48 per cent rate (11 of 23).

Coria tightened things up in the second set and turned the tide, winning 81 per cent of points on his serve while Baez plummeted to 61 per cent, not allowing a single break point opportunity.

Each player created two break point chances in the deciding set, and while Coria failed to convert either, Baez got the job done at the first attempt, jumping out to an early lead and serving it out the rest of the way.

Coria shot himself in the foot with five of the six total double faults, while Baez served the only ace of the match.

The 22-year-old Baez, who entered the contest ranked 47th in the world, will now climb into the top 40 as he edges closer to his career-best ranking of 31st.

The Golden State Warriors will approve the four-team trade they agreed to at the deadline, but not before filing a complaint to the NBA about Gary Payton II's injury not being disclosed.

Payton, who was a member of the Warriors' championship-winning team in 2022, left the franchise to sign a free agent deal with the Portland Trail Blazers in the offseason.

He had been battling a number of injuries that kept him out of action until the new year began, but he has since managed 15 appearances since January 2.

Payton's return to action had the Warriors believing his injury problems were behind him, and they were given no indication during negotiations that he was still struggling.

However, their medical examination of him revealed a core muscle injury that the Warriors' medical staff believe will take months to heal.

It meant the Warriors had the ability to void the deal – which was a complicated four-team trade that also sent James Wiseman to the Detroit Pistons, while the Atlanta Hawks received Saddiq Bey – but with the deadline already passed, Golden State would not be able to make any further moves.

That is a crucial point because while the acquisition of Payton was important, the Warriors were just as interested in parting ways with Wiseman. 

The Athletic reported that because of Golden State's status as a luxury tax repeater, the franchise were going to have to pay over $50million for Wiseman's $9m salary this season, and over $80m for his $12m salary in 2023-24.

With how little the former number two draft pick has proven, the Warriors decided his time with the team had run out, and they would prefer the playoff-proven Payton on a cheaper contract.

While they are still going through with the trade, the Warriors filed a complaint to the league about the Trail Blazers providing misleading information about Payton's injury status, prompting the league to launch a review.

It is also being reported that Payton was being pushed by Portland's training staff to play through his injury with the help of pain relief medication.

The Las Vegas Raiders are expected to release quarterback Derek Carr after he informed the team he would not accept a trade to the New Orleans Saints.

Carr's refusal to join the Saints, in a trade deal that had already been agreed between the teams, was reported on Sunday by ESPN and NFL Network.

Reports earlier in the week had detailed Carr's plan to visit the Saints after he was given permission to speak to the team.

However, it is said the contract on offer in New Orleans would require Carr to take a pay cut.

That was not something the QB was willing to do, refusing to waive his no-trade clause, and with only the Saints approaching the Raiders about a trade, the obvious alternative was for the player to be released.

The Raiders would have to cut Carr by Wednesday to avoid paying his full salary in 2023 and instead allow him to enter free agency.

Carr has been with the Raiders since he was selected in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft, but he said goodbye to fans in an emotional social media post in January.

Las Vegas had hoped for a big season in 2022 but finished third in the AFC West as Carr struggled for form.

Scottie Scheffler reclaimed the world number one ranking after successfully defending his Waste Management Phoenix Open title with a two-stroke victory on Sunday.

Scheffler – after posting rounds of 68, 64 and 68 – closed in style with a six-under 65 to finish at 19-under overall.

He went bogey-free in his final round with four birdies and an eagle, showing his affinity for the TPC Scottsdale course after winning his first PGA Tour event at this tournament last season.

Scheffler's lead was down to only one stroke heading into the famous 16th hole, and while he could only muster a par, that proved to be enough as second-placed Nick Taylor made bogey, and Scheffler extended the lead to three strokes for a comfortable finish with a birdie on 17.

Speaking to CBS after stepping off the final green, Scheffler said he was proud of the way he battled through some average shots.

"I'm just proud of how I fought today," he said. "I didn't have my best stuff, so I grinded it out today. I wasn't hitting it good off the tee, my irons didn't feel sharp, but I played a great round of golf today."

Taylor birdied the 18th to finish alone in second at 17 under for his best result since winning the 2020 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

The red-hot Jon Rahm ended up in sole possession of third at 14 under, fellow major champion Justin Thomas finished fourth at 13 under, and former world number one Jason Day continued his return to relevance with a fifth-place result at 12 under.

The highlight of the day came from Rickie Fowler, punctuating his T10 finish with an ace on the par-three seventh hole.

The Boston Celtics received terrific performances from Derrick White and Robert Williams III to defeat the visiting Memphis Grizzlies 119-109 on Sunday.

With Celtics All-Star Jaylen Brown out of action due to a broken bone in his face, and Jayson Tatum struggling on his way to a three-of-16 shooting performance, it was up to the role players to step up in what was a playoff-quality matchup.

After his best game of the season on Friday – scoring a season-high 33 points with 10 assists – White followed it up with another terrific showing. He led the Celtics with 23 points on eight-of-20 shooting and a game-high 10 assists.

Meanwhile, Williams – who set a season-high with 16 rebounds on Friday – matched that figure again, including five on the offensive end, while the Grizzlies only grabbed three offensive rebounds as a team. 

Tatum ended up salvaging a respectable stat line of 20 points, seven rebounds, two steals and two blocks, but he was nowhere to be found in a close fourth quarter.

Instead, it was Al Horford providing the game-winning scoring burst, with 11 of his 16 points coming in the final five minutes to repel any late Grizzlies charge.

Ja Morant led the visitors with 25 points (nine-of-18 shooting), seven assists and six rebounds.

With the win, the Celtics improved their league-leading record to 41-16, while the Grizzlies sit second in the Western Conference at 34-22.

VanVleet and Siakam lead Raptors to victory

The combination of Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam provided the scoring punch in the Toronto Raptors' 119-118 home win against the Detroit Pistons, but a new addition held things together defensively.

VanVleet led all scorers with 35 points (12-of-26 shooting) and eight assists, while Siakam put together a strong performance with 28 points (10-of-19 shooting), six assists and two blocks.

On the defensive end, it was trade acquisition Jakob Poeltl showing exactly why the Raptors traded a first-round pick for him at the deadline, leading the game in both blocks (three) and steals (two) before fouling out in 25 minutes. Toronto were plus 11 with him on the court, and minus 10 while he was on the bench.

Clyde Edwards-Helaire is inactive for Super Bowl LVII, the Kansas City Chiefs running back unable to make his return from a high ankle sprain.

Edwards-Helaire was activated from injured reserve ahead of Sunday's showpiece at State Farm Stadium, having been sidelined since Week 11 because of the injury.

But the former first-round pick will not feature in Glendale, Arizona, meaning Isiah Pacheco and Jerick McKinnon will shoulder the bulk of the workload in the backfield.

Rookie Pacheco has enjoyed an outstanding season, rushing for 830 yards and five touchdowns.

He has done an excellent job of creating yards even when the opposing defense creates disruption in the backfield. Pacheco has averaged 3.68 yards per carry on runs where there was a disruption, the third most among backs with at least 100 carries.

McKinnon's impact has been primarily been as a receiver, catching nine touchdowns in the regular season.

One player who will return from an ankle injury to play in the Super Bowl is the Eagles' Australian punter Arryn Siposs, who was confirmed as active for the game having been out since December. He will reassume the punting duties from Brett Kern.

Wu Yibing triumphed in an extraordinary final against local hero John Isner at the Dallas Open to become China's first winner of a singles title at ATP tour level in the Open Era.

Isner served 44 aces but still lost, with the 37-year-old going down 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (14-12) in a match that saw neither player break serve at any point, climaxing in a marathon tie-break.

Former world number eight Isner was chasing a 17th singles title, and a first at an indoor tournament, and he saw a match point slide by at 6-5 in the second set.

Wu resisted one of the best serves in tennis history and took the match all the way. The first 22 points of the third-set tie-break went with serve, before Wu hit a super backhand winner to interrupt the sequence. Incredibly, Isner won the next rally to bring it back on serve, but the match then got away from him, and a stray forehand from the American gave Wu the title.

Dallas resident Isner, famed for his 11 hours and five minutes win over Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon in 2010, featuring a 70-68 final set, said of this loss: "That kind of stunk for me."

Wu said: "It's a very tough match today. I'm not even moving when he serves. I made history here for my country. I'm very proud of myself."

 

The New Orleans Pelicans were hopeful they would be getting star Zion Williamson back shortly after next week’s All-Star break, but that will no longer be the case.

Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin said Sunday that Williamson suffered a setback during his rehab for a hamstring injury and will miss several weeks after the All-Star Game.

Williamson, who missed the entire 2021-22 season with a broken foot, has been sidelined since injuring the hamstring in a loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on January 2.

The 22-year-old had been participating in three-on-three work as part of his rehab, and his latest setback occurred while on the court, according to Griffin.

He will be re-evaluated after next Sunday’s All-Star Game.

The former number one overall draft pick was voted an All-Star starter after averaging 26 points, 7 rebounds and 4.6 assists in 29 games.

The Pelicans were 23-14 and had the Western Conference’s third-best record at the time of Williamson’s injury, but have gone just 6-14 since to drop into seventh place in the West.

England boss Steve Borthwick believes his team took "a couple of steps forward" with their hard-fought win over Italy at Twickenham on Sunday.

After losing at home to Scotland in the first round of the Six Nations, England began to make amends by grinding out a 31-14 victory over the Azzurri.

It means England preserved their 100 per cent record against Italy in the championship, with this a 24th successive win in the one-sided rivalry, and it allowed England to reflect on a positive week on the training pitch.

Borthwick, who celebrated on the pitch with his young son Chase after the game, is still getting to grips with his new task, having been appointed in December to replace Eddie Jones. The players are also still learning what the former Leicester Tigers head coach wants from them.

"I think we took some steps forward and that's an important thing to recognise," Borthwick said.

"But there's plenty of areas to improve upon. I think we left some chances out there we should have taken. Our ball speed could have been a bit quicker, and we conceded a couple [of tries] that we wouldn't want to do.

"So there's always things to work upon, but ultimately it was a couple of steps forward."

Borthwick said England's ruck speed could have been quicker but spoke positively in general, as England move on to preparations for a trip to face bottom side Wales on February 25.

England had tries from Jack Willis, Ollie Chessum, Jamie George and Henry Arundell, plus a penalty try.

Rugby World Cup-winning coach Clive Woodward, now working in the media, said the performance against Italy was "really workmanlike" in the first half, contending the team lost their shape after going to the interval with a 19-0 lead.

Lawrence Dallaglio, the former England captain who is also now a pundit, told ITV the performance was "miles off" what was seen on Saturday, when Ireland beat France in Dublin.

Dallaglio spoke of it being "a messy game", but he agreed there were "small steps forward" to offer cheer for England.

The current captain, Owen Farrell, took the same view, saying: "In terms of the performance, it felt better. I thought it was a step forward, as it would be a week on into our new journey.

"There's a lot to get better at, and we feel like there's loads more to go, but it's a step in the right direction.

"We're trying to look after each other, trying to build a togetherness on the pitch, fighting for each other for 80 minutes, and I think you've seen that for the past two games, and we were hopefully more on top of that this week."

Player of the match Ollie Lawrence spoke of both small steps and greater gains.

"We took a massive stride forward after last week," Lawrence said. "We're rebuilding as a team, and we're taking those small steps each week.

"The progression's getting there. We're nowhere near the finished product yet, but we're all believing in where we're going as a team. It just needs to get better and better, and we're pushing together."

Trent McDuffie perhaps did not have the profile of a typical first-round draft pick.

Undersized even for a cornerback at 5ft 11in and 193 pounds, McDuffie did not have the standout college production of a top selection, registering only two interceptions in three seasons for the Washington Huskies.

But McDuffie's long speed and coverage ability convinced the Kansas City Chiefs he was worthy of their opening selection in the 2022 NFL Draft, taking him with the 21st overall pick.

That decision now looks an extremely astute one, with McDuffie shining as the starting nickel corner for a secondary that features five rookies and will be critical to the Chiefs prevailing when they face the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII on Sunday.

McDuffie has allowed receivers to get open on 21.54 per cent of his matchups across man and zone coverage, giving him the fourth-best such ratio among all cornerbacks in the NFL.

He believes his immediate success, and that of seventh-round rookie corner Jaylen Watson, second-round safety Bryan Cook and fourth-round corner Joshua Williams, is the product of an outstanding learning environment and the culture of a team playing in a third Super Bowl in four seasons, having reached the AFC Championship Game in each of those years.

"It feels so long since I was drafted, I've just been learning so much," McDuffie told Stats Perform.

"This year I've been able to be around vets who know the game, be around coaches who know the game and understand what an organisation that has gone back to back to back, what that looks like, the environment, the culture, it's been huge.

"When I first got there, I was like, you can tell something's a little different, and I think the biggest thing is they want to teach us so much that just the learning environment is huge.

"You don't get that in a lot of places, but it's just constantly people trying to develop you, trying to teach you, trying to help you learn, and with that I feel like that's why so many rookies are able to play so quickly and come in to this."

McDuffie has yet to register an interception in his pro career but knows that strong play at the catch point, even if it is simply preventing receptions, will be pivotal against two excellent ball-winners in A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith.

Brown finished his first regular season in Philadelphia with 1,496 receiving yards and 11 touchdown receptions, while Smith racked up 1,196 yards and seven touchdown catches.

"I feel like the Eagles offense is super dynamic in terms of the offensive line is strong, their wide receiver core is strong, their depth at each position, they're so strong," added McDuffie.

"All 11 [starting defenders] are needed, that's something that, one, it's going to be fun because the dogs are going to go hunt, but again it's a challenge I'm excited to take on.

"After a full year of being in the NFL, the confidence is definitely there. We know we can play, we know we can do it.

"We've gone against the guys at the top of the league. It's going to come down to attacking the ball at the point of the catch because A.J. Brown, DeVonta, have really strong hands, so we're going to have to go out there and be a receiver on our own pretty much."

Jannik Sinner claimed his first title of the season with a 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 victory over Maxime Cressy at the Open Sud de France.

Cressy defeated top seed Holger Rune in the semi-finals but could not repeat that level of performance against Sinner, who is set to rise to 14th in the ATP rankings.

Sinner is the first Italian champion in the history of the tournament, having failed to win a match in his previous two appearances in Montpellier.

He has now collected seven Tour-level titles, with six of those coming on hard courts.

"To be honest, the first key was to hold the serve. In the tie-break I knew he may miss something," said Sinner, who saved all three break points he offered to his American opponent.

"I tried to keep my serve, which I have done, so I am very happy about the first set.

"The second set was a little bit different. I had a couple of good chances but he then served very well.

"I am very happy I broke him here and then I served very well at the end of match."

Sinner claimed two early mini breaks in the first-set tie-break to nose into a 4-0 lead, holding his nerve to win the set at the first time of asking.

A crucial break in the second came in the eighth game, with Sinner clinching victory when Cressy sent a weak volley into the net.

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