The Los Angeles Football Club announced the re-signing of Brazilian defender Marlon Santos on Tuesday.

Originally signed through 2024 with a club option until June 2025, Marlon’s new agreement adds a club option for the remainder of 2025 and the 2026 season.

Santos, 29, joined LAFC as a free agent signing in September, making eight appearances in all competitions.

“In a short period of time last year, he had a positive impact for us as a great teammate and player and brought a strong, composed presence to our back line,” LAFC co-president and general manager John Thorrington said in a statement. “We look forward to Marlon’s increased involvement and believe he will become a top center back in the league.”

Santos’ most memorable contribution last season came on the offensive end when he scored the second goal of his career to give LAFC the tiebreaking margin it needed on Decision Day to surpass the Galaxy and win the Western Conference.

“I think LAFC has one of the best structures from all the teams I’ve been on,” Santos said following his first month with the club. “It’s definitely among the best structures that I’ve seen. Also I can see that the people do their work and there’s a lot of attention to detail, so it’s almost clinical, and they all work in a free manner. I can see that off the bat.”

The sturdy defender joined LAFC after a year on loan with his boyhood Brazilian club Fluminense, which won its first Copa Libertadores and appeared in the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup while he was on the roster.

Santos nearly signed with Al Ain in Abu Dhabi before agreeing to come to Los Angeles last summer.

“I had always talked to my wife about coming to the U.S. and Los Angeles,” he said. “It so happens I’m a big believer in the plans of God. When I’m sitting out for a bit the opportunity for LAFC comes by and considering that I had already expressed to my wife that I’d love to come here one day I think it was all part of the plan.”

— Josh Gross

Football

Longtime assistant coaches Dick Hoak, Elijah Pitts and Jim McNally will be honored with the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Awards of Excellence for the 2025 class.

The three assistants were announced Tuesday as the fourth class of assistant coaches to receiver the award given to coordinators or position coaches.

Hoak played 10 years for Pittsburgh before joining Chuck Noll’s staff in 1972 as running backs coach. He held that job for 35 straight seasons and helped tutor Hall of Famers Franco Harris and Jerome Bettis. Hoak was part of five Super Bowl champions and the Steelers led the NFL in rushing during his time as an assistant.

Pitts won five NFL championships and two Super Bowls as a running back in Green Bay in the 1960s before starting a long coaching career that included making four straight Super Bowl trips with the Bills — all losses— before retiring after the 1997 season.

McNally spent 43 seasons in the NFL with as an offensive line coach and consultant beginning in Cincinnati in 1980 and helped the team reach two Super Bowls.

The three coaches will be honored at a ceremony in June.

Coach Brian Callahan is sticking with Mason Rudolph at quarterback for a second straight game to see if the Tennessee Titans can build on the veteran who’s played in four of their highest scoring games this season. Rudolph is 2-4 in the six games he’s played in this season.

New York Jets QB Aaron Rodgers insists there’s nothing uncertain about his status Sunday’s game at Buffalo. Rodgers acknowledged he has “a little MCL” issue in a knee, but added: “I’ve had a lot worse.”

Baseball

The Red Sox continued to rebuild their pitching staff, acquiring left-hander Jovani Morán from the Twins in exchange for catcher and infielder Mickey Gasper.

The 27-year-old Morán appeared in 79 games as a reliever for the Twins from 2021 to 2023, posting a 4.15 ERA, striking out 112 with 52 walks and holding opponents to a .208 batting average. He missed all of last season recovering from Tommy John surgery.

In Gasper, the Twins are getting a 29-year-old who made his major league debut last season and appeared in 13 games with Boston

Winter sports

Sophie Hediger, a member of Switzerland’s snowboard cross team at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, died following an avalanche at a mountain resort.

The incident occurred Monday at the Arosa resort in Switzerland.

Hediger, 26, competed at the Beijing Games in the women’s snowboard cross and the mixed team version of the same event.

NBA

Miami Heat guard Dru Smith suffered another season-ending injury, this one a torn Achilles.

It is the third consecutive season Smith has been cut short by injury.

Surgery to repair the Achilles will be scheduled, followed by months of rehab.