The New York Mets wanted Juan Soto to know his future with them could be set in stone.

When the free agent outfielder traveled to owner Steve Cohen’s house in Beverly Hills, California, for a presentation last month, the team unveiled a video that included an image of a future Soto statue outside Citi Field, next to the one erected of franchise great Tom Seaver.

“Everything that they showed me, what they have, what they want to do, it was incredible,” Soto said. “But my favorite part was the video.”

Juan Soto was introduced at Citi Field after his record $765 million, 15-year contract was finalized. He was flanked by Mets owner Steve Cohen, president of baseball operations David Stearns and agent Scott Boras. 

Cohen purchased the Mets ahead of the 2021 season and has boosted them to baseball’s highest payroll in search of the team’s first title since 1986.

The value of Soto’s contract eclipsed Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million, 10-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers last December. The 26-year-old Soto batted .288 with 41 homers, 109 RBIs and 129 walks this year and has a .285 career average with 201 homers, 592 RBIs and 769 walks over seven seasons with Washington, San Diego and the Yankees.

Soto’s success will be determined by World Series titles. The Yankees have 27, the Mets two.

Malik Nabers exploded for 171 yards and two touchdowns and Ihmir Smith-Marsette broke a 100-yard kickoff return to give the New York Giants their highest scoring output under Brian Daboll in a 45-33 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. 

Drew Lock threw four touchdown passes and accounted for a fifth on the ground to seal the win, breaking a 10-game losing streak in the process.

Lock took a perfect 158.3 passer rating deep into the fourth quarter, completing 14 of his first 17 attempts for 254 yards and four touchdowns. He finished 17 of 23 for 309 yards and accounted for five total touchdowns, including a five-yard run to put the Giants ahead 42-33 with 2:57 left in the game.

Sixteen years passed between Joe Flacco’s first start against the Giants as a rookie with Baltimore in 2008 and his most recent. 

Safety Dane Belton intercepted Flacco on the opening drive of the game, diving to make the catch inside the Giants 10-yard line. The Giants went 11 games without an interception this season but have notched one in three of the past four outings. Rookie Dru Phillips put an exclamation point on the game with his first career interception after Lock’s touchdown run.

The latest in a string of talented running backs that the Giants have faced, Jonathan Taylor ran for 125 yards and two touchdowns on 32 carries.

The Jets (4-11) started fast and held the ball for nearly an entire  quarter but could not convert on a pair of timely fourth downs that resulted in 9 points and fell to the Rams (9-6), 19-9, at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.

Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams picked up where they left off last week at Jacksonville as the Jets scored first on an 11-yard strike from Rodgers to Adams, who leaped in the back of the end zone to secure the pinpoint pass over Rams safety Kam Curl. The touchdown, which capped a 14-play, 99-yard drive in the first quarter, was No. 499 of Rodgers’ career and the 82nd to Adams, tying Dan Marino and Mark Clayton for the third-most touchdowns for a QB-WR duo in league history.

The Jets’ fast start in the coldest home game since the 2009 season continued as S Tony Adams intercepted Rams QB Matt Stafford, his first in the last six games, on the ensuing possession. That set up Rodgers & Co. on their 24-yard line, but the offense gave LA the ball back on the New York 33-yard line 4 plays later. Interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich elected go for it on fourth-and-1, but Breece Hall was stopped for no gain and a turnover on downs.

On the ensuing drive, Rodgers turned the ball over for the first time since Week 13. Curl punched the ball out from Rodgers’ hands and rookie edge rusher Jared Verse recovered on the Jets’ 21-yard line. Stafford’s touchdown pass to TE Tyler Higbee put the visitors up, 16-9, and the Rams later added a field goal with 5:22 remaining to seal the game.