Patriots Terminally Ill 10-Year-Old Fan Dies

By ESPN

Logan Schoenhardt, the terminally ill 10-year-old fan whose connection with New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was profiled on ESPN's E:60 in December, died Monday night.

Schoenhardt, of Connecticut, had been diagnosed with a brain tumor when he was 3. As he underwent multiple surgeries, radiation treatments and rounds of chemotherapy over the next six years, his passion for the Patriots and Brady provided him happiness.

"He knows he's never going to play football, which he would dearly love to do. So he lives through them, especially Brady," Jo Schoenhardt, Logan's mother, said in the E:60 feature.

The Patriots passed along their condolences with a post on Twitter and a statement from team owner Robert Kraft.

"We are so saddened to hear the news of Logan's passing," Kraft said. "We have met some great fans over the years, but none that could rival Logan's passion for the Patriots and his love for Tom Brady. It was great to meet Logan and make him our honorary captain for our game against the Rams. Our thoughts and prayers are with Jo, Matt and Keara and all those who are mourning Logan's loss."

After a sixth brain surgery in March 2016, Schoenhardt received a video message from Brady in which the quarterback said he was one of Logan's biggest fans. The two met at Gillette Stadium the weekend of the Patriots' victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Dec. 4, with Schoenhardt watching warm-ups from the sideline.

"He is a special young man. Just to have a chance to know his story has been very humbling and certainly gives me a lot of perspective, and certainly all of us a lot of perspective on the very difficult challenges a lot of families face, and certainly that he has faced," Brady said after the meeting.

"It's very tough circumstances, but he has showed a lot of courage under some very trying circumstances, so it was great to get to meet him. He's a sweet young boy."

Jaguars, Abry Jones Near Deal

The Jaguars and nose tackle Abry Jones are nearing a deal that would pay the fifth-year player $16 million over four years, according to a league source and multiple reports.

The Florida Times-Union first reported that the sides were close to agreeing on a contract.

The 25-year-old Jones took over as the starter for the final nine games of 2016 after Roy Miller suffered a torn Achilles. Jones finished the season with 32 tackles (four for loss) and one batted pass.

Jones signed as an undrafted rookie free agent in April 2013 and played in eight games that season. The following year he appeared in all 16 of the Jaguars' games, making two starts, and finished with 39 tackles, three sacks and a forced fumble.

In 2015, he recorded 16 tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble in 15 games.

Jones' play last season showed that he can handle the starting job and might make the 30-year-old Miller expendable. Even if the Jaguars keep Miller -- who is due a $400,000 roster bonus on March 13 and is scheduled to make $3.64 million in 2017 -- and he continues to play as well as he did before he was hurt, Jones has shown he can handle a bigger load.

Miller has been the starting nose tackle for four seasons and played well, but he turned 30 in July and has had knee issues that required surgery following the 2014 season to repair meniscus damage.