FOOTBALL

Robert Griffin III is poised to resume his NFL career about 35 miles away from where he started it.

The former Washington quarterback reached agreement on a 1-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens, who love the idea of having the 2011 Heisman Trophy winner backing up 10-year starter Joe Flacco.

“Obviously, his personality, he’s a confident guy. He’s a very talented quarterback,” Coach John Harbaugh said of Griffin on Wednesday. “He’s had a lot of success in this league early on. We’re excited about it. We felt like we needed a No. 2 quarterback.”

Griffin’s last previous stop in an injury-riddled career came in 2016 with the Cleveland Browns. He started five games, winning only one of them.

The terms of the deal with Baltimore were finalized late Tuesday night, and General Manager Ozzie Newsome expects RG3 to sign the contract next week.

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“I feel like we got a steal,” Harbaugh said. “I felt like (Griffin) really wanted to be here. He really wanted to be a Raven.”

Griffin won the Heisman Trophy with Baylor before being selected second overall in the 2012 draft by Washington. He enjoyed a sensational rookie season, throwing 20 touchdown passes and only five interceptions, but his career took a decisive downturn after he tore knee ligaments in a playoff loss to Seattle.

SOCCER

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Liverpool blew away Manchester City with three goals in the first 31 minutes to secure a 3-0 first-leg win at a rocking Anfield in Liverpool, England, and close in on its first semifinal appearance in a decade.

Mohamed Salah, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Sadio Mane all scored.

A pair of own goals by Daniele De Rossi and Kostas Manolas helped host Barcelona beat Roma 4-1 in the opening leg of their quarterfinal.

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Gerard Pique and Luis Suarez added goals for Barcelona. Edin Dzeko scored for Roma.

TENNIS

VOLVO CAR OPEN: Kristyna Pliskova rallied from a set down to knock out two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova at Charleston, South Carolina.

Kvitova, of the Czech Republic, won six of the first seven games to take the opening set before countrywoman Pliskova came back for a 1-6, 6-1, 6-3 victory to advance to the round of 16 in the WTA’s first clay-court event of the season.

Seventh-seeded Madison Keys, the U.S. Open runner-up last year, needed three sets to take down Lara Arruabarrena of Spain 6-1, 3-6, 6-3.

COACHING CHANGE: Novak Djokovic is done working with Andre Agassi and Radek Stepanek after the latest in a series of coaching changes for the 12-time major champion who has gone nearly two full years without winning a Grand Slam title.

Djokovic announced on his website that he has split from Agassi after less than a year and Stepanek after less than six months.


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