Sports

The deal is done. Even if it still isn't done.

On Wednesday, the NFL announced that owners have voted to approve the massive media deal with Disney, which will give ESPN control of assets like NFL Network — and which will give the NFL a 10-percent equity stake in ESPN.

The transaction remains subject to governmental review and approval. Or disapproval.

“There’s a number of steps in a transaction like this and a number of those steps we don’t control,“ NFL executive V.P. of media distribution Hans Schroeder said, via Ben Fischer of Sports Business Journal. ”So we’re going to do all that we can. We’re going to cooperate, we’re going to partner, and in the meantime, we’re going to continue to run our business and work with all our partners as we always would. But certainly when it does close, I think we’re really excited."

There previously was a sense that the owners hadn't voted to approve the deal in order to avoid create the impression that they were being presumptuous. If true, it illustrates the political minefield through which both the league and Disney will be tiptoeing.

Then again, there's not much tiptoeing going on. Disney's quick reinstatement of Jimmy Kimmel and the league's decision to make Bad Bunny the Super Bowl LX halftime performer will not ingratiate the parties to the people, or person, who will be giving a thumb's up, or a thumb's down, to the deal.

Beyond the administration, multiple members of Congress have "serious concerns" about the NFL-ESPN agreement.

Micah Parsons had his best performance with the Packers in Sunday’s win over the Cardinals.

Now Parsons has been named NFC defensive player of the week for the first time with Green Bay.

Parsons had five total tackles with four tackles for loss and a career-high 3.0 sacks in the Packers’ 27-23 victory.

This is Parsons’ fourth career player of the week award — his first since Week 2 of the 2023 season. He also won it in Week 8 of 2021 and Week 5 of 2022.

So far this season, Parsons has recorded 5.5 sacks with five tackles for loss and 13 QB hits.

The Panthers' punter was a significant factor in the team's win over the Jets.

On Wednesday, the league named Sam Martin NFC special teams player of the week.

Martin punted six times, with four being downed inside the 20-yard line. One of them was downed inside the 10, and one was downed inside the 5.

He had the league’s longest punt this week at 68 yards with an average punt of 46 yards.

Martin has now won special teams player of the week four times. This is his first win since Week 1 of the 2016 season when he was with the Lions.