ASHBURN, Va. — The Washington Commanders are retiring Hall of Fame cornerback Darrell Green’s No. 28 next season, the latest step in the organization's efforts to honor players of the past since new ownership took over last summer.
The team announced Thursday that Green will become the fifth player in franchise history to receive that honor after Sonny Jurgensen’s No. 9, Bobby Mitchell’s No. 49, Sammy Baugh’s No. 33 and Sean Taylor’s No. 21. No one has worn 28 since Green retired in 2002, but it was not officially retired under previous owner Dan Snyder.
"I am beyond grateful for this honor and to new ownership, who embraced my wife and me from day one,” Green said. “I am humbled to have my jersey retired here. The team means everything to this community, and I am encouraged not only for us to win a Super Bowl but to win the community back.”
Green played all 20 of his NFL seasons with Washington, winning the Super Bowl twice and being name first-team All-Pro in 1991. He holds the record for the most consecutive seasons with an interception at 19 and played until he was nearly 43 years old.
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“For 20 years, Darrell Green gave everything he had to this organization and fanbase,” said controlling owner Josh Harris, who grew up a fan of the team. “No one on our team will ever again wear No. 28. Thank you, Darrell, for embodying what it means to be a Washington football player, both on and off the field.”
Green, a first-round pick in 1983 out of Texas A&I, now called Texas A&M-Kingsville, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008.
AP source: Brown gets extension with Eagles
PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Eagles and wide receiver A.J Brown have agreed to a three-year contract extension that includes $84 million in guaranteed money, according to a person familiar with the situation.
The person spoke Thursday to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the financial terms were not announced.
Brown is set to become the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL at $32 million a season and he could earn as much as $96 million over the life of the extension.
Brown had 106 catches for 1,456 yards receiving last season after he had 88 catches for 1,496 yards in 2022 in his first season with the Eagles.
The Eagles acquired Brown in a trade with the Tennessee Titans during the 2022 draft and was signed to a four-year deal worth $100 million.
NFL to open Australian academy
The NFL will expand its international search for talent by opening an academy in rugby-mad Australia to develop promising teenagers in the Asia-Pacific region into college and pro prospects.
The NFL Academy will open in September for student athletes aged 12 to 18, following recruitment camps taking place this summer in Australia and New Zealand, the league announced on Thursday.
Ahead of the NFL Draft, the announcement says the region is full of talent such as Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Jordan Mailata, a 6-foot-8 (2.08-meter) Australian who was deemed too big for rugby league.
“Football has changed my life, and opening an NFL Academy in Australia will no doubt help many more young people change theirs,” Mailata said in the league announcement.
The academy will be housed at A.B. Paterson College on the Gold Coast and the plans include construction of a high-performance facility on the college grounds — to be completed in 2026 — also available for community use.