A change in ownership has translated into renewed business for the Washington Commanders.

Anheuser-Busch, which dropped its sponsorship of the Commanders in March 2022, said Thursday it has agreed to a new multi-year deal with the team.

“We are excited to have the Commanders back on our NFL roster,” said Matt Davis, the vice president of partnerships at Anheuser-Busch, in a statement. “Our history with the Washington franchise runs deep.”

Before the start of the 2022 season, the last one of former owner Dan Snyder’s tumultuous reign, the beverage giant joined healthcare provider Inova and medical billing company Medliminal as companies to end their alliance with the team.

Earlier this week, Verizon agreed to a deal with the Commanders to become the team’s official 5G network.

NFL owners voted unanimously on July 20 to approve the $6.05 billion sale of the Commanders to Josh Harris, the principal owner of the Philadelphia 76ers and the New Jersey Devils.

–Field Level Media

C.J. Stroud will start the Houston Texans’ preseason game against the Miami Dolphins on Saturday.

Stroud, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft in April, started the preseason opener against the New England Patriots on Aug. 10 with disappointing results. He was 2-for-4 passing with an interception, a 15-yard sack and a 13.3 passer rating in the 20-9 Houston win.

Davis Mills, who started last season for the Texans, was 9-for-12 for 99 yards and a touchdown. Veteran Case Keenum threw for 79 yards and a touchdown on 9-for-14 passing.

“All our players will play,” first-year coach DeMeco Ryans said. “All our players will see time in the game, and that’s how we’ll go about it. C.J. will go out first, again as he did last week, and we’ll judge the game as it goes along.”

In 2022, Stroud, 21, finished third in the 2022 Heisman Trophy voting after passing for 3,688 yards with 41 touchdowns and six interceptions in 13 games for Ohio State.

–Field Level Media

Buccaneers receiver Russell Gage will have season-ending surgery this week to repair a ruptured patellar tendon, the Tampa Bay Times reported Thursday.

He was carted off the field Wednesday after sustaining the knee injury during a joint practice session with the New York Jets in Florham Park, N.J.

Gage, 27, caught 51 passes for 426 yards and a career-high five touchdowns in 13 games (four starts) in his first season with the Buccaneers in 2022.

He has 244 receptions for 2,491 yards and 14 scores in 74 games (25 starts) with the Bucs and Atlanta Falcons, who drafted him in the sixth round in 2018.

Gage had been listed as a starter on the Bucs’ depth chart, along with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. His absence opens the door for Trey Palmer, Deven Thompkins and David Moore, among other wide receivers on the roster.

–Field Level Media

Miami Dolphins left tackle Terron Armstead was carted off the field with an apparent right leg injury during the team’s joint practice session with the Houston Texans on Thursday.

“I’ll be good,” Armstead later texted to an NFL Network reporter, adding that he is scheduled for an MRI to make certain the injury is not serious.

Armstead, 32, signed a five-year, $75 million contract — including $43.37 million guaranteed — in the offseason. He is working his way back from arthroscopic surgery on his knee.

Armstead started all 13 games in which he played last season en route to being selected to his fourth Pro Bowl. He has started 106 of his 110 career games with the New Orleans Saints (2013-21) and Dolphins.

Kendall Lamm, Cedric Ogbuehi, Geron Christian and rookie Ryan Hayes would be candidates to start at left tackle should Armstead be sidelined.

–Field Level Media

Philadelphia Eagles pass rusher Haason Reddick will have thumb surgery, multiple outlets reported Thursday.

The Pro Bowl linebacker, who was injured in practice on Monday, is expected to be back on the field by Week 1.

Reddick, 28, collected a team- and career-high 16 sacks in 17 starts in his first season with the Eagles in 2022.

He has registered 372 tackles, 47 sacks and 16 forced fumbles in 97 games (64 starts) with the Arizona Cardinals (2017-20), Carolina Panthers (2021) and Eagles. Arizona drafted him 13th overall in 2017.

Rookie linebacker Nolan Smith, a 2023 first-round pick from Georgia, is expected to receive the majority of the first-team reps in Reddick’s absence.

The Eagles host the Cleveland Browns on Thursday night for their second preseason game. The defending NFC champions open the regular season at New England on Sept. 10.

–Field Level Media

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Ashton Dulin is out for the season with a torn ACL, multiple outlets reported Thursday.

The Colts placed Dulin on the injured reserve list on Thursday and signed fellow wide receiver Tyler Adams to the roster.

Dulin’s injury reportedly occurred during Wednesday night’s practice.

The speedy Dulin, 26, had been listed as the backup to Michael Pittman Jr. on the Colts’ official depth chart.

Dulin caught 15 passes for 207 yards and one touchdown in 16 games (12 starts) with Indianapolis in 2022.

Since joining the Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2019, he has tallied 33 catches for 450 yards and three TDs in 55 games (three starts).

The undrafted Adams rejoins the Colts after previously being signed by the club on May 8. He had 39 catches for 689 yards with five touchdowns in 11 games last season with Butler.

–Field Level Media

A Cincinnati judge found Bengals running back Joe Mixon not guilty of aggravated menacing charges on Thursday.

Mixon, 27, had been accused of pointing a gun at a woman during a downtown road rage incident on Jan. 21.

“After a careful review of all of the evidence presented at trial, including the stipulations and the testimony presented today, I cannot say the city sustained its burden,” Hamilton County Municipal Court judge Gwen Bender said before rendering her verdict.

Mixon’s agent, Peter Schaffer, issued a statement on behalf of his client, who had entered a not-guilty plea in April.

“Knowing the facts, knowing Joe as a person and having tremendous faith in the legal system’s ability to get to the truth, we had no doubt of the eventual outcome,” Schaffer said. “This vindicates Joe as a person and that is what’s most important. Back to the business of football. Huge shout out to both Joe’s legal team and Mark Herron, the Bengals’ security director.”

According to police, the alleged incident happened shortly before Mixon was due to be at Paycor Stadium to leave with the team for a road playoff game against the Buffalo Bills.

The initial charge against Mixon was dismissed in early February before being refiled by Cincinnati police on April 7.

“The organization is pleased that this matter is now behind everyone, and we look forward to an exciting season with Joe being an important part of the football team,” the Bengals said in a statement.

Heading into his seventh season with Cincinnati, Mixon has rushed for 5,378 yards and 40 touchdowns and added 231 catches for 1,763 yards and 10 scores. He has topped 1,000 rushing yards three times.

The Bengals selected Mixon in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft. A potential first-round pick, he dropped in the draft after concerns about his character. While at Oklahoma in 2014, Mixon pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge for punching a woman in the face.

Mixon, who signed a four-year, $48 million extension in 2020, agreed to restructure his deal last month. He was due to make $10.1 million this season with a $12.8 million cap hit. The revised deal freed up cash and cap room for the Bengals.

–Field Level Media