Saquon Barkley ended his sixth season with the New York Giants in a very productive way, scoring two touchdowns in a win over the Philadelphia Eagles. 

Whether Barkley will be with the Giants for a seventh season is the big question — the same one that circled the No. 2 overall pick from 2018 this past offseason. 

The Giants decided to franchise tag Barkley after negotiations for a long-term extension fell through. Barkley was quite transparent about the situation, saying he fully understood how the business of the NFL worked now that he had to deal with it firsthand along with other running backs that didn’t see extensions come their way in a market for the position. 

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As Barkley heads into the offseason, he knows the Giants can franchise tag him yet again if an extension isn’t met. But after experiencing what happened last offseason — Barkley and the Giants eventually agreed to a modified tag with extra incentives before training camp began — he said he’s “numb” to the situation if it arises again. 

“I went through the whole process last year,” Barkley said. “We talked more than enough last year, to be honest. I’m gonna let my agents handle that.”

“They did it last year. So I’m numb to it. I don’t have any feelings toward that at all,” Barkley continued. “If you’re going to do it, just don’t wait until March 5. Just get it over with. If not, let me go. Simple.”

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March 5 is the franchise tag deadline for all NFL teams, which the Giants fully utilized up to the hour after figuring out a long-term deal with quarterback Daniel Jones. 

General manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll were at the center of the discussions last offseason, and the former noted Monday that a conversation with Barkley will be had soon. 

Saquon Barkley #26 of the New York Giants walks off the field after defeating the Washington Commanders at MetLife Stadium on October 22, 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.  (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

“That’s a tool we have at our disposal,” Schoen explained regarding the franchise tag. “I’m not saying we will or we won’t. A lot of those conversations will be had in the next month or so.”

Barkley reflected on what once again could’ve been his final year in New York. 

“If it was my last game playing here — if it is — it was a fun six years,” he said after rushing for 46 yards and catching two passes for 51 yards in the 27-10 win over their NFC East rival on Sunday. “Made a lot of great memories, but it’s not like the last time I’m ever playing football. … If I knew that it was my last game, I probably would feel a little different, but like I said, I have no idea.”

Barkley finished Year 6 with 962 rushing yards on 247 carries with six rushing touchdowns, while hauling in 41 receptions for 280 yards with four receiving touchdowns. 

Saquon Barkley #26 of the New York Giants looks on during the national anthem prior to an NFL football game between the Arizona Cardinals and the New York Giants at State Farm Stadium on September 17, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)

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If it is his final season in a Giants uniform, Barkley would have rushed for 5,211 yards, averaging 4.3 yards per carry with 35 touchdowns on the ground and 12 more through the air. He had 2,100 yards receiving on 288 receptions as well. 

Head coach Brian Daboll seemingly expected him to stay, but apparently Wink Martindale had other plans. 

The New York Giants defensive coordinator resigned from his position on Monday after two seasons with the organization, according to multiple reports.

The news followed early indications by Daboll that Martindale and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka would return next season.

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“It’s my expectation that they’re going to come back,” he said at Monday’s end-of-year presser alongside general manager Joe Schoen.

“I think they’re good coaches, so it’ll be good to have some continuity and bring them back. I know Wink talks about this as a destination place and things like that. It’s good. I appreciate how hard they work, their commitment to the team, so that’s my plan.”

New York Giants defensive coordinator Don Martindale is shown during the game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, on Oct. 15, 2023. (Bryan Bennett/Getty Images)

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Daboll noted during his remarks that he had not yet spoken to those coaches but that it was his “expectation” and “plan” that they would return for the 2024 season.

Martindale joined the Giants in 2022 after several years with the Baltimore Ravens.

Earlier this season, Martindale was seemingly criticized by safety and co-defensive captain Xavier McKinney, which the coach said had surprised him.

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New York Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale resigned from his position on Monday after two seasons with the team, according to reports. (Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Martindale’s exit follows the Giants’ decision to part ways with special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey and offensive line coach Bobby Johnson on Monday.

“Just felt like we’re going to move in a different direction, not going add anything to it,” Daboll said of the move. “These were private conversations, but I do respect both of those guys and what they’ve done the last two years, their commitment to the team, their work ethic, but [we] wanted to make a change.”

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The shake-up came after New York allowed a league-high 85 sacks, 20 more than any other team in the league.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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The New York Jets’ 2023 season did not go at all according to plan, but the good news is Aaron Rodgers, the four-time MVP quarterback that joined the team this past offseason, wants to return healthy to help the team in 2024. 

Rodgers came to Florham Park, New Jersey, looking to break the 12-year playoff drought that is now moving to 13. It’s clear more work needs to be done for the Jets to flip the script, and Rodgers believes more needs to be done within the facility to continue building the winning culture he foresaw when he wanted to be traded to New York. 

“If you want to be a winning organization and put yourself in a position to win championships and be competitive, everything that you do matters,” Rodgers told reporters Monday following the Jets’ final game of the season — a win over the New England Patriots in snow-filled Foxborough. “The bulls— that has nothing to do with winning needs to get out of the building. That will be the focus moving forward.

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“Anything that doesn’t have anything to do with winning needs to be assessed.”

What exactly that is will come from reflection on all levels after going 7-10 on the year. 

First, the Jets know they have one of the best defenses in the league when healthy. Looking at their wins, the defense usually played a vital role in creating turnovers and limiting some of the best offenses in the league. Think the upset at home against the Philadelphia Eagles, or even the Week 1 victory over the Buffalo Bills when Rodgers went down after just four plays. 

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But the worries that were captured in the all-access “Hard Knocks” series by HBO and NFL Films this offseason for the Jets came to light during the regular season, too. The Jets’ offense never clicked, and while players like wide receiver Garrett Wilson and running back Breece Hall shined, they were never consistent enough to win despite the defense giving them chances to do so. 

While many fingers can be pointed around the building, the Jets know the blame game won’t do them any good heading into the new season. They need to be transparent about what’s gone wrong, build on what’s gone right, and like Rodgers said, focus on the only thing that matters in sports. 

“Anything in this building that we’re doing individually or collectively that has nothing to do with real winning needs to be assessed,” he reiterated. “Everything that we do has to have a purpose. When you step in the building, there’s intentionality with everything you do. It’s not a half the time thing. It’s not a sometimes thing. It’s not a most of the time thing. It’s an every time thing.”

Aaron Rodgers #8 of the New York Jets runs onto the field prior to the start of the game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on January 7, 2024 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Kathryn Riley/Getty Images)

Rodgers himself has worked hard to recover from his Achilles injury to the point where there was a shot he would return to play at the end of the season. The Jets, though, were just keeping their season alive with no real playoff hope in sight, leading to his decision not to play.

But head coach Robert Saleh enjoyed watching Rodgers dissect his defense like he did during training camp as the scout team quarterback. However, this was nothing but a difficult year for Rodgers because of all the expectation and promise that his trade brought to the organization, something he took personally. 

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“It kind of hit me last night after the game just feeling like a lost year that I missed out on a lot of opportunity,” Rodgers said. “Just thinking if I had been out there, things would have been a little different. It’s hard to go down that road.”

Hindsight is 20/20, of course, and Rodgers knows that. The focus is moving forward with the intention of making everything in the building about winning. 

And that could go beyond 2024, as Rodgers hinted at. 

Aaron Rodgers #8 of the New York Jets looks on prior to playing the Cleveland Browns at Cleveland Browns Stadium on December 28, 2023 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Nick Cammett/Getty Images)

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“I was thinking when I got traded, it was going to be a one-year thing,” Rodgers explained. “Then I got out here and realized how much fun I was having and kind of falling back in love with the game. And I said to you guys, this is not going to be a one-year thing, and then it gets taken away. And so this is not a one-year [pact] in my mind. I mean, obviously it’s a what have you done for me lately [league]. And I’m gonna have to go out and prove I can still play at a high level, but I’d like this to be more than just next year.” 

German soccer legend Franz Beckenbauer, who won a World Cup for the country as a player and a coach, has died, his family said on Monday. He was 78.

Beckenbauer’s family told Germany’s dpa about his passing. The German soccer federation then announced it.

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“It is with deep sadness that we announce that my husband and our father, Franz Beckenbauer, passed away peacefully in his sleep yesterday, Sunday, surrounded by his family,” the family said. “We ask that we be allowed to grieve in peace and be spared any questions.”

Beckenbauer battled health issues in recent years but no cause of death was immediately given.

Known as the “Kaiser,” Beckenbauer guided West Germany to a World Cup title in 1974 after it had lost to England in the final in 1966. He was the coach when the team won the tournament in 1990.

“The ‘Kaiser’ was one of the best players our sport has ever seen,” German soccer federation president Bernd Neuendorf said. “With his lightness, his elegance and his vision, he set standards on the field…. Franz Beckenbauer leaves a great legacy for the federation and soccer as a whole.”

FIFA executive committee member Franz Beckenbauer smiles during the World Cup award ceremony in Herzogenaurach, near Nuremberg, southern Germany, on Dec. 14, 2010. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, File)

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German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also reacted to his death, writing that Beckenbauer “inspired generations of enthusiasm for German soccer. We will miss him.”

Aside from his achievements with the national team, Beckenbauer was a four-time German Male Footballer of the Year and a two-time Ballon d’Or winner. He scored 60 goals in 427 appearances for Bayern Munich and helped the team to a few Bundesliga trophies.

He also played for the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League.

Franz Beckenbauer, second from right, embraces his teammate, forward Juergen Grabowski, after West Germany beat the Netherlands in the World Cup in Munich on July 7, 1974. (AP Photo, File)

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Beckenbauer has five children from three marriages.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Jake Browning kept the team in playoff contention for the last few weeks of the season as he started the team’s final seven games for an injured Joe Burrow.

Browning finished the year with 1,936 passing yards, 12 touchdown passes and seven interceptions. He was 4-3 in those seven starts, ending with a three-touchdown performance in a 31-14 win over the Cleveland Browns.

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The undrafted quarterback said after the game he believed he’s done enough to vie for a starting job in the NFL.

“I think that I’ve established that I’m capable of being a starter in the NFL,” he said. “So, obviously a weird situation where I feel like I’m one of the top 32 quarterbacks in the world, and I just so happen to be on a roster with a guy who’s proven that he’s a top five quarterback in the world.

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“So, what that looks like going forward, I have no idea, nor do I have any control. So, I’m not going to think about it a ton. I think when I go watch all my film to try to figure out what I’m going to work on this offseason, I’ll be proud of what I put on tape. But, the goal is to go to the playoffs, and we didn’t, so that’s pretty motivating going into the offseason too.”

Browning said the only thing he wished he could do differently was get the Bengals into the playoffs. Cincinnati lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers in his first start, 16-10. The team dropped their second game to them 34-11. 

Bengals quarterback Jake Browning carries the ball against the Cleveland Browns on Jan. 7, 2024, at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati. (Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

It was a key difference between the Steelers making the playoffs and the Bengals staying home.

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“Find a way to win one of the last two games. All three of the losses, just find a way to get one of those,” Browning said. “I don’t think there was really any overarching theme to them, it’s just you have to find a way to go win at Arrowhead, you have to find a way to go win at the Steelers, or at home against the Steelers. 

“So really, just really figure out how to play better against the Steelers would be kind of the main takeaway. I don’t have any overarching theme. I think that I don’t want to have opinions until I watch all my film together, and I think you start to get a feel for what the things you need to improve on are.”

Bengals quarterback Jake Browning looks to pass against the Minnesota Vikings on Dec. 16, 2023, at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati. (Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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It’s unclear if Browning will get another shot somewhere. But he made the most of an opportunity that took five years to achieve. He started in the NFL and won.

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Pat McAfee offered no apologies for his remarks directed toward ESPN executive Norby Williamson on Monday and instead lamented dragging another high-level official, Burke Magnus, into the drama.

McAfee said last week Williamson – the executive senior vice president of studio and event production – was among those attempting to “sabotage” his show. The remarks drew immense scrutiny around the show, and it came just hours after Aaron Rodgers created a stir with his comments about Jimmy Kimmel.

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Broadcasting from NRG Stadium in Houston ahead of the college football national championship, McAfee joked he did not know “anybody was gonna hear it” because the remarks were on the YouTube and ESPN+ show and not the linear version.

“And the only thing I’m like super bummed out about it all is that a guy we like a lot, a man we watched a game with in his suite, Burke Magnus – who is currently new guy in charge at ESPN right below (chairman Jimmy Pitaro) – I guess he was kind of made to look bad because of what I did and how I did it. I would like to let everybody know, we love Burke Magnus. … We also love Jimmy Pitaro. Love (Disney CEO) Bob Iger,” he said.

“But there is quite a transition era here between the old and the new. And the old don’t like what the new be do. So, there’s certainly gonna be a couple of that but we’re very thankful.”

Pat McAfee is seen on the field prior to the game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Georgia Bulldogs in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Dec. 31, 2022 in Atlanta. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

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He thanked the crew that has been with “The Pat McAfee Show” and said he was thankful to ESPN and what the company has done for the show.

The former Indianapolis Colts punter doubled down on his remarks about Williamson.

“Now, there’s certainly people we do not like. Certainly. And they do not like us,” he said. “That’s how it’s going to be. And I don’t take back anything that I said about said person. But the overall storyline about us and ESPN, I think people need to remember (clasps hands) … We are strong, baby.

“We all understand what the future looks like. There’s some old hags that potentially don’t but we will move forward to that.”

ESPN did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The company addressed McAfee’s remarks last week.

Norby Williamson speaks during 26th Annual Sports Emmy Awards – Press Room at Frederick P. Rose Hall at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City. (Jemal Countess/WireImage)

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“No one is more committed to and invested in ESPN’s success than Norby Williamson,” ESPN told USA Today. “At the same time, we are thrilled with the multi-platform success that we have seen from ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ across ESPN. We will handle this matter internally and have no further comment.”

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Olympic hero Mary Lou Retton said a friend found her on the floor of her home struggling to breathe before she was admitted to the hospital and her battle with a rare form of pneumonia started.

Retton shared in an interview on NBC’s “Today” that she had just gotten her nails done with her oldest daughter, Shayla Schrepfer, as they prepared to embark on a trip to Dallas to see her other daughter Emma Jean’s boyfriend play on the road.

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But the five-time Olympic medalist never made it.

She said she was having trouble breathing while she was getting a manicure. The next day, she said she was lying on the floor for about 15 minutes before her friend noticed that her door was open and came over to check on her.

“She came in the house. She knows my code, and saw me and found me,” Retton told NBC’s Hoda Kotb. “And Magda pretty much saved my life.”

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Mary Lou Retton waves to the crowd during the Parade of Olympians Celebration at SAP Center in San Jose, California, on July 9, 2016. (Kyle Terada-USA Today Sports)

Retton was admitted to the hospital soon after and, on Oct. 10, Retton’s daughter said the former Olympian was “fighting for her life.” But after a few days in the hospital, she was sent home.

She reached a dangerously low level of oxygen before she was rushed back to the hospital and into the intensive care unit. The doctor said they were considering putting Retton on “life support,” she and her daughters recalled.

“This is serious, and this is life, and I’m so grateful to be here,” Retton added. “I am blessed to be here because there was a time when they were about to put me on life support.”

Mary Lou Retton in action on the uneven bars during the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. (Darr Beiser-USA Today Sports)

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The 55-year-old is using a portable oxygen tank to help her breathe as she continues to recover.

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Stephanie Niles, the girlfriend of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Jake Browning, had herself a day as she watched the team dominate the Cleveland Browns in the 2023 season finale.

Niles was in the suite at Paycor Stadium wearing a white bodysuit with an orange hat. She was seen cheering on Browning after his first touchdown pass of the game. She quickly went across social media and picked up a couple of thousand Instagram followers along the way.

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After the Bengals solidified a 31-14 victory against the Browns, Niles recapped her day on Instagram. She posted photos of herself with her sister and other family members as they cheered her man on.

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“What a ride!! how INSANE is this life!!!” she captioned her slideshow of pics.

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Jake Browning, of the Cincinnati Bengals, prepares to warm up before the Chiefs game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Dec. 31, 2023, in Kansas City, Missouri. (Ryan Kang/Getty Images)

Niles and Browning both attended the University of Washington. Browning was the star quarterback for the Huskies from 2015 to 2018. He bounced around from the Minnesota Vikings to the Bengals over the course of his career and was able to start his first game this season after Joe Burrow went down with a season-ending injury.

According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, Niles co-founded 7th Street Swim. The brand is a sustainable swimwear company based in New York City. She and Browning have been together for about 5 years.

Bengals quarterback Jake Browning throws a pass against the Cleveland Browns at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024. (Albert Cesare/The Enquirer/USA Today Network)

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She went viral back in December when she wrote on her Instagram Stories she needed something “stronger” than beer as the Bengals topped the Vikings, 27-24.

Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots have been rumored to be heading for a split as the team has failed to maintain its championship winning ways since the departure of Tom Brady.

While Belichick maintained Monday that he’s taking everything day by day, former Patriots great Rob Gronkowski weighed into the waters. He said on NBC’s “Today” that he believes the six-time Super Bowl champion coach wants to stay in Foxborough.

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“I know that coach Belichick definitely wants to stay with the New England Patriots,” Gronkowski said. “He’s a Patriot for life. He’s a six-time Super Bowl champion. He’s like grandfather claused-in. I would say it’s all up to Mr. Kraft on what direction he wants to go with the New England Patriots. 

“In the end, when it really comes down to it, I think he’s going to keep coach Bill Belichick as the head coach for at least another year… He’s going to bounce back. He’s still an unbelievable coach. He knows how to use his talent when they’re out there out on the field. They have to go out there this offseason and bring some offensive players in and then he’ll be just fine.”

New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski gets a high-five from head coach Bill Belichick after his third quarter touchdown against the Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on Dec. 14, 2014. (MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images)

Belichick was asked about his future with the team as coaches began to get fired around the league on what’s known as “Black Monday.”

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He said he was going to meet with team owner Robert Kraft.

“So, I’m under contract, do what I always do, which is every day I come in and work as hard as I can to help the team in whatever way I can,” he said. “So, that’s what I’m going to continue to do. 

“Today was kind of a wrap-up day for us with the players, have a meeting with them and then go from there. So, as far as any decisions or direction or anything like that for next year, it’s way too early for that.”

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick speaks during a press conference after the New York Jets game at Gillette Stadium on Jan. 7, 2024, in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Winslow Townson/Getty Images)

Belichick wouldn’t entertain questions about “hypothetical situations” when he was asked about fielding offers from collegiate programs.

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“I’m going to focus on what I can control and focus on, and that’s my work ethic and my effort to do what I can to help the Patriots organization, which I’m heavily invested in,” he added.

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