Sports briefs
Linebacker Spillane re-signs with Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers have re-signed linebacker Robert Spillane to a one-year contract.
When the linebacker position was hit with injuries last season, Spillane filled in for former No. 1 pick Devin Bush.
Spillane played in 12 games, starting seven, before an injury landed him on the Reserve/Injured List for the last four weeks of the regular season. He was activated for the AFC Wild Card game.
Spillane made 43 tackles, 37 of them solo stops, two sacks, four tackles for a loss, four pass defenses, three quarterback hits and an interception and fumble recovery. He has his best game in a Week 9 win over the Baltimore Ravens. Spillane had his first career interception, picking off a Lamar Jackson pass and returning it 33 yards for a touchdown. He also had a career-high 11 tackles, forced a fumble and had two pass breakups.
The Steelers also signed offensive lineman Joe Haeg to a two-year contract, defensive back Miles Killebrew to a one-year contract, and re-signed Cassius Marsh to a one-year contract.
Haeg spent the 2020 season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played in 12 games, starting three.
Haeg was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the fifth round in 2016 out of North Dakota State. He has played in 67 career games with 38 starts.
Killebrew was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the fifth round in 2016 NFL Draft out of Southern Utah. He has played in 78 games in four seasons, starting four.
Marsh was signed off the Indianapolis Colts’ practice squad by the Steelers late in the 2020 season.
In the NFL
Wide receiver T.Y. Hilton tested the free-agent market and came to the same conclusion he made last summer – he wanted to stay in Indianapolis.
So on Wednesday, the longtime Colts receiver agreed to a one-year contract worth $10 million and $8 million in guaranteed money.
- Defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh has agreed to a one-year contract worth $9 million to remain with the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a person familiar with the deal told the Associated Press.
- The Jacksonville Jaguars signed former San Francisco 49ers quarterback C.J. Beathard on Wednesday, giving them an experienced backup if they trade Gardner Minshew.
Responding to a question about Minshew potentially being on the block last week, coach Urban Meyer said “at this point, no.”
Signing Beathard could change that. He started 12 games over four years in San Francisco, throwing for 3,469 yards, with 18 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions. He was a third-round draft pick from Iowa in 2017. NFL Network reported he signed a two-year deal worth $5 million.
In the NHL
Rookie Filip Gustavsson made 28 saves, Chris Tierney broke a third-period tie and the Ottawa Senators beat the Calgary Flames 3-1 on Wednesday to sweep the two-game set.
- Jared Spurgeon had two goals, and Nico Sturm scored the tiebreaker as the Minnesota Wild beat the Anaheim Ducks 3-2 and swept the teams’ two-game set.
In the NBA
Caris LeVert scored 28 points and the Indiana Pacers snapped a six-game home losing streak with a 116-111 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night.
LeVert’s fourth 3-pointer with 4.7 seconds remaining clinched the victory. It’s the first time LeVert has surpassed 20 points in seven starts with the Pacers since being acquired in a three-team trade.