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FOOTBALL
NFL suspends Chase
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase was suspended without pay for one game on Monday for spitting on Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Chase spat on Ramsey during a confrontation in the fourth quarter of Sunday's game. Ramsey grabbed Chase by the face mask and punched him, which resulted in Ramsey's ejection. In announcing the suspension, the NFL said Chase was disciplined under a rule that applies to "any act which is contrary to the generally understood principles of sportsmanship." Chase denied having spat after the Bengals' 34-12 loss, but a Cincinnati television station had video of the incident. Chase did not speak to reporters in the Bengals' locker room on Monday. When asked if officials saw Chase spit on Ramsey, referee Bill Vinovich told a pool reporter after the game that "we did not see anything that rose to that level at all." Chase will miss the Bengals' home game against New England this weekend. He has a right to appeal the suspension. Cincinnati is 3-7 and has lost three straight.
Penix heads to IR
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix will be placed on injured reserve and miss at least four games with a left knee injury, leaving Kirk Cousins as the starter. Penix suffered the injury in Sunday's 30-27 overtime loss to Carolina, extending the Falcons' losing streak to five games. Cousins will make his second start of the season when the Falcons (3-7) play at New Orleans (2-8) on Sunday. Atlanta's top wide receiver, Drake London, also could miss at least one week with a knee injury. Coach Raheem Morris on Monday said London's status is "week to week." Penix left in the third quarter with Atlanta leading 21-16. Penix missed the Falcons' 34-10 loss to Miami on Oct. 26 with a bone bruise on his left knee. He may have suffered a more significant injury when he was hit by Panthers safety Tre'von Moehrig after throwing an incomplete pass. Morris said Penix was seeking a second opinion after having an MRI on the knee Monday morning. Morris would not confirm there is concern Penix has damage to his ACL in the knee. Penix had two ACL injuries in his college career at Indiana and Washington.
Jets bench Fields
Justin Fields is heading to the bench and Tyrod Taylor is replacing him as the New York Jets' starting quarterback. Coach Aaron Glenn decided to play Taylor over the embattled Fields at Baltimore on Sunday, a person with knowledge of the decision told the Associated Press on Monday. Glenn said last week he would evaluate all positions over the weekend, leaving the door open for a change at quarterback. And he decided to make the switch to Taylor, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the team didn't announce the move, which was first reported by The Athletic. Glenn told the team of his decision during a meeting Monday morning, when the Jets returned to work after a few days off. The Jets (2-8) are coming off a 27-14 loss at New England last Thursday night. Fields' subpar play has been a major reason for the struggles of the passing offense, which ranks last in the NFL with 139.9 yards per game -- 20 fewer than 31st-ranked Cleveland.
Man charged in Beam murder
A 27-year-old man was charged Monday with murder in the shooting death of celebrated former football coach John Beam, who died Friday after being shot in the head on the junior college campus in Oakland where he worked. Cedric Irving Jr. could face 50 years to life if convicted, said Alameda County District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson at a Monday news conference. Irving also faces enhancement charges alleging he personally fired a gun that caused great bodily injury and that the victim was particularly vulnerable, possibly due to age, according to the charging complaint. Beam, 66, was a giant in the local community, a father figure who forged deep relationships with his players. The Netflix docuseries "Last Chance U" focused on Beam and the Laney Eagles in its 2020 season. He'd most recently been serving as the school's athletic director after retiring from coaching last year. The district attorney said Irving had no criminal record. He is being held without bail, and is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday. The Alameda County Public Defender's Office said it has not been appointed to represent Irving and declined comment.
Sanders' home burglarized
Shedeur Sanders' uneven performance in his NFL debut wasn't the only bad thing to happen to him on Sunday. The Browns rookie quarterback discovered Sunday night that his suburban Cleveland home had been burglarized during the game, a person with knowledge of the situation confirmed to the Associated Press on Monday. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing. Pro Football Talk was first to report the break-in. No suspects have been identified and it's uncertain if anything was stolen, the person said. Sanders joins a growing list of NFL players who've had their homes burglarized during games. Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, and New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan have dealt with break-ins since the start of last season.
BASEBALL
Hendricks retires
Kyle Hendricks, the right-handed pitcher who helped the Chicago Cubs win the 2016 World Series and end a 108-year championship drought, is retiring, the team announced on Monday. The 35-year-old went 105-91 with a 3.79 ERA over 11 seasons with the Cubs and one with the Los Angeles Angels. He was an All-Star in 2016, going 16-8 with a major league-best 2.13 ERA. He pitched 4 1/3 shutout innings as the Cubs lost Game 3 of the World Series to Cleveland 1-0 and 4 2/3 innings in Chicago's 8-7, 10-inning win in Game 7.
BASKETBALL
Wemby out 2-3 weeks
Victor Wembanyama will miss the next two to three weeks, at minimum, after an MRI confirmed that the San Antonio Spurs center has a strained left calf, a person familiar with the diagnosis said Monday. The working plan, the person said, is for Wembanyama to be evaluated after that window and then a return-to-play timetable will likely be finalized. Wembanyama is averaging 26.2 points, 12.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists and a league-leading 3.58 blocks per game.
Bucks star injured
Milwaukee All-Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo left the Bucks' 118-106 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday during the second quarter due to a left groin strain. Antetokounmpo, who entered Monday tied for second in the league in scoring at 32.6 points per game, had 14 points and was 6 of 10 from the field in 13 minutes, with 5 rebounds and 4 assists. He was probable coming into the game due to left knee patellar tendinopathy.