Sports News Roundup: Brady 'open-minded' about his NFL future; Porzings close as Mavs set to face Clippers and more

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Brady 'open-minded' about his NFL future

Approaching free agency for the first time, Tom Brady says he is keeping an open mind and will embrace the future with "open arms." The 42-year-old quarterback will officially become a free agent on March 18 if he does not reach a new deal with the New England Patriots. The six-time Super Bowl champion recently addressed his situation during an interview with Westwood One radio.

Porzingis close as Mavs get set to face Clippers

After missing 10 games with right knee soreness, Kristaps Porzingis could return Tuesday when the Dallas Mavericks host the Los Angeles Clippers. "The way I'm feeling, I don't see why there should be any hurdles," said Porzingis after participating in a full practice Sunday, according to the Dallas Morning News. "But you never know, so I'm just putting in the work, making sure the knee is strong, the leg is strong."

Woods and Snead tied with 82 PGA Tour wins, but no comparison, says former commissioner

As Tiger Woods makes his first attempt this week at surpassing Sam Snead for the most all-time PGA Tour victories, the man largely responsible for pegging Snead's number at 82 has weighed in with his thoughts on how the two greats compare. Many of 'Slammin' Sammy's' victories - achieved from 1936 to 1965 - came before the tour existed in its current form, back in an era when there were was a looser affiliation of events, rather than today's highly structured circuit.

Toronto's Bradley faces four months out after ankle surgery

Toronto FC captain and U.S. men's national team midfielder Michael Bradley will undergo ankle surgery and could be out for up to four months, the Major League Soccer (MLS) club's general manager said on Monday. Bradley, who suffered the injury during his team's loss to Seattle in the MLS Cup last November, is scheduled to undergo surgery in New York on Tuesday, according to Toronto General Manager Ali Curtis.

Titans quarterback Tannehill named a Pro Bowl replacement

Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill was named to the AFC Pro Bowl roster Monday as one of five replacements for the Super Bowl-bound Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs beat the Titans 35-24 in the AFC Championship game on Sunday to advance to Super Bowl LIV on Feb. 2 against the San Francisco 49ers.

Athletics: Lyles, many top sprinters skipping indoor season

Even with outstanding hurdles races at U.S. indoor meetings and talented field event competitions in Europe, international athletics is continuing to be impacted by the long 2019 outdoor season. Many top sprinters are skipping or limiting their indoor season, often because the 2019 world outdoor championships extended into October, more than a month later than usual, managers and coaches told Reuters.

Iran's only female Olympic medalist moving to Germany: coach

Iran's only female Olympic medalist Kimia Alizadeh, who has said she had left her homeland because she had had enough of being used as a propaganda tool, is moving to Germany, her Dutch coach said. Alizadeh, who won taekwondo bronze at the Rio 2016 Olympics, had been training in the southern Dutch city of Eindhoven, after leaving Iran several weeks earlier.

Champion Djokovic digs deep to beat Struff in Melbourne opener

Second seed Novak Djokovic was forced to work hard by Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff in his first match of the Australian Open on Monday before prevailing 7-6(5) 6-2 2-6 6-1 to stay on course for a record-extending eighth title at Melbourne Park. Playing against an opponent he defeated both times in straight sets in the past, Djokovic lost his serve four times in the match on Rod Laver Arena, where he beat Rafa Nadal in last year's final to pick up a seventh Australian Open title.

Freestyle skiing: Former Olympic halfpipe champion Bowman calls time on career

American Maddie Bowman, who won the women's halfpipe freestyle skiing debut at the 2014 Sochi Olympics, announced her retirement from competition on Monday, saying she had given everything she could to advance the sport. The 26-year-old Bowman, who became one of the most decorated athletes in her sport, said she now intended to pursue her bachelor's degree in biology with the goal of becoming a high school science teacher.

49ers and Chiefs to clash in Super Bowl after conference wins

Raheem Mostert rushed for four touchdowns as the San Francisco 49ers beat Green Bay 37-20 to book a spot in the Super Bowl where they will face Kansas City, who advanced to the NFL championship game for the first time in 50 seasons with a 35-24 win over Tennessee on Sunday. Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes was instrumental in their victory in the American Football Conference championship game, breaking the Titans' backs with a dazzling 27-yard first-half touchdown run as the Chiefs overcame a 10-0 deficit.

(With inputs from agencies.)