Tuesday Sports in Brief

NFL

Tom Brady is an NFL free agent for the first time in his career.

The 42-year-old quarterback with six Super Bowl rings said Tuesday that he is leaving the New England Patriots.

He officially hits the league’s open market Wednesday. His representatives were in serious talks with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

A four-time Super Bowl Most Valuable Player and three-time league MVP, Brady has been the enduring face of the Patriots and the most-celebrated player of his generation. Now, he will be leading another NFL team.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - The Panthers have found a replacement for Cam Newton - and it didn’t take long.

The Panthers have agreed to a three-year, $63 million contract with free agent quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity on Tuesday because the deal cannot be announced until the start of the league year on Wednesday.

The Panthers announced earlier Tuesday they were parting ways with Newton, their No. 1 overall pick in 2011.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The Saints and record-setting quarterback Drew Brees have agreed on a two-year, $50 million contract, a person familiar with the situation said.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity on Tuesday because the deal has not been announced.

Brees has said repeatedly that he is taking career decision one year at a time. His new contract gives the 41-year-old, 19-year veteran the leverage to decide after this season whether he wants to continue playing.

Brees missed five games with a throwing hand injury that required surgery but was still productive last season while leading New Orleans to a third straight playoff appearance. Brees’ 74.3% completion rate ranked second in NFL history behind only his 2018 record of 74.4%.

He also passed for 27 touchdowns while throwing just four interceptions and was selected to a fourth straight Pro Bowl, the 13th of his career.

-By AP Sports Writer Brett Martel.

HORSE RACING

The Kentucky Derby was postponed until September on Tuesday, the latest rite of spring in sports to be struck by the new coronavirus along with the Masters, March Madness and baseball season.

The Derby, America’s longest continuously held sports event, had been scheduled for May 2. It will now be run Sept. 5, kicking off Labor Day weekend.

It’s the first time the Derby won’t be held on its traditional first Saturday in May since 1945, when it was run June 9. The federal government suspended horse racing nationwide for most of the first half of the year before World War II ended in early May, but not in time to hold the first leg of the Triple Crown that month.

The date change still must be approved by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission at its meeting Thursday. Still to be decided are the dates of the next two legs of horse racing’s showcase series - the Preakness and Belmont.

NBA

NEW YORK (AP) - Four Brooklyn Nets players, including Kevin Durant, have tested positive for the new coronavirus, bringing the total to seven known players in the NBA.

The Nets did not name the players Tuesday, but Durant confirmed he was one of them to The Athletic, saying: “Everyone be careful, take care of yourself and quarantine. We’re going to get through this.”

The Nets announced that one player is exhibiting symptoms, while the other three are asymptomatic. All four players have been isolated and are under the care of team physicians.

MLB

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - A second New York Yankees minor leaguer has tested positive for the new coronavirus.

The player, while in self-quarantine, reported fatigue and an elevated temperature to medical personnel with the Yankees, according to the team. The player was tested Sunday and returned to self-quarantine after the positive result.

“We can also report that within the past 48 hours his symptoms have dissipated,” the team said.

New York had announced a first positive test on Sunday, and general manager Brian Cashman said the player had been isolated and the Florida Department of Health notified.

The two Yankees minor leaguers are the only baseball players known to have tested positive.

NHL

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) - The Ottawa Senators announced late Tuesday night one of their players has tested positive for COVID-19, has mild symptoms and is in isolation.

Ottawa is notifying those who came in contact with the player and have told other members of the team to monitor their health and seek advice from the medical staff.

TENNIS

The French Open was postponed for about four months because of the coronavirus pandemic, shifting from May to September and juggling the tennis calendar.

The French tennis federation said Tuesday it will hold its 15-day clay-court event at Roland Garros in Paris from Sept. 20 to Oct. 4, instead of May 24 to June 7, “to ensure the health and safety of everyone involved in organizing the tournament.”

The French Open’s new dates place it right after the hard-court U.S. Open, which currently is scheduled to be held in New York from Aug. 31 to Sept. 13. Having just one week between two major championships, played on different surfaces, would be unusually short.

This is the first instance of a Grand Slam tournament being affected by the virus that has spread around the world. The next major tennis championship currently on the calendar is Wimbledon, which is slated to start in late June in England.

GOLF

The PGA Championship is being postponed, according to a person involved in the discussions. It was scheduled for May 14-17 at Harding Park in San Francisco. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday because the decision has not been announced.

It follows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation that events of 50 people or more not be held for eight weeks. That would last until the Sunday before the PGA Championship.

-By Golf Writer Doug Ferguson.

SOCCER

GENEVA (AP) - This year’s European Championship was postponed for one year on Tuesday because of the coronavirus outbreak.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said the spreading virus currently “makes football and all life in Europe quite impossible.”

The tournament is now scheduled to be played from next June 11 to July 11.

The UEFA executive committee made the decision after hosting a video conference call with its 55 national member federations.

The European Championship final typically attracts a broadcast audience of 300 million worldwide and made UEFA a profit of 830 million euros ($912 million) four years ago.

OBITUARY

LAS VEGAS (AP) - Roger Mayweather, a former world champion who also trained his nephew Floyd Mayweather Jr., has died at the age of 58.

Floyd Mayweather announced the death in a statement on Tuesday. Roger Mayweather had been ill with diabetes and other long-term health issues.

Mayweather, whose nickname was the “Black Mamba,” held titles at 130 and 140 pounds in a pro career that spanned 72 fights. A native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, he fought such names as Julio Cesar Chavez and Pernell Whitaker and was 59-13 with 35 knockouts in an 18-year career that began in 1981.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) - The Denver Broncos say general manager John Elway’s mother, Janet Elway, has died after battling pancreatic cancer.

The team said she died in Palm Desert, California, on March 4.

Janet “Mimi” Elway was raised in Hoquiam, Washington, where she met and married Jack Elway in 1958.

The couple had three children, Lee Ann and twins John and Jana. Jana died in 2002, a year after Jack Elway’s death.

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