March of 2026 is turning into a memorable one for PGA Tour pro Austin Smotherman. His wife is expecting their third child within days. Not only that, but Smotherman holds a share of the lead at the 2026 Players Championship.
On Thursday night following the end of play at TPC Sawgrass, Smotherman revealed that should the baby come early this weekend, “the plan is to stay” and fight for a Players victory. Even if it means missing his baby’s birth.
Here’s what you need to know.
Austin Smotherman explains ‘wild’ plan if baby is born during Players
While Smotherman faces a tricky situation this week, it’s mostly positive. If all goes well, he’ll soon be a dad for the third time. And after shooting an opening-round 67 at TPC Sawgrass, he’s leading the PGA Tour’s biggest tournament, with a winner’s prize of $4.5 million.
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That last fact would have been unthinkable to the veteran pro one year ago. That’s because last year Smotherman didn’t play on the PGA Tour.
Now he’s firmly in contention at the Players Championship. A win this week would be life-changing, both for the huge payout the Smothermans will receive for their growing family, and for the career security and opportunity it would provide.
After play was suspended Thursday evening, Smotherman talked to reporters and shared how he and his wife had decided to deal with the impending birth of their child and his burgeoning career.
“Her due date is March 23rd, Monday of Houston. I left a couple weeks ago to go play the Florida Swing, and my job was just to go play golf until I got back to hopefully Houston and could just drive up to Dallas if the baby came then,” Smotherman began.
As for this week, Smotherman said his wife has approved the plan to “keep rolling” no matter what. Even if the baby comes early.
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“My wife’s giving me the okay to play this week, just keep rolling no matter if I was shooting five-under or five-over, I guess.”
Austin Smotherman’s wife is due March 23.
The plan? Keep playing golf and figure out the baby part later. (third child 🤝)
Oh yeah… he is also 5-under and tied for the lead at the Players Championship. pic.twitter.com/a1w7q78C0m
“The plan’s to still play Valspar next week. We’ll reassess, depending upon whatever goes on here,” Smotherman said. “It’s still just 17 and a half holes in, so just keep playing golf, go have a baby whenever the baby shows up. She’s not getting induced or anything, so we’re just kind of letting it roll. Our first two were a week and two weeks late, so at least an on-time arrival would be early enough, late enough.”
If the baby does arrive during Players week, Smotherman isn’t sure whether his wife will even tell him. That’s because, as he shared, “she doesn’t know” what she’ll do.
“I don’t know what she’s going to do. She doesn’t know if she’s going to try and contact me, contact my caddie, and then figure out if he relays the info or if I just play. We just we don’t know. I’m just playing golf.
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He concluded, “Yeah, yeah. The plan is to stay. Wild.”
NEW DELHI: The Pakistan national cricket team beat the Bangladesh national cricket team by 128 runs via the Duckworth–Lewis–Stern (DLS) method in the rain-hit second ODI at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium on Friday, levelling the three-match series 1-1 with a dominant performance.The star of the match was Maaz Sadaqat, who shone with both bat and ball. He first smashed a quick 75 off 46 balls and later returned to pick up three wickets to help Pakistan seal the victory.
Suryakumar Yadav receives grand homecoming after India’s T20 World Cup win
Pakistan were bowled out for 274 in 47.3 overs after strong contributions from several batters. Sadaqat and Sahibzada Farhan gave the visitors a flying start, putting together a 103-run opening partnership inside 13 overs. Farhan made 31, while Salman Agha later added 64 and shared a 109-run stand with Mohammad Rizwan, who scored 44.Chasing the target, Bangladesh’s innings got off to a poor start. Tanzid Hasan fell for 1, Saif Hassan scored 12, and captain Najmul Hossain Shanto was dismissed for a duck by Shaheen Shah Afridi, leaving the hosts at 27 for 3 in 6.3 overs. At that stage, a sudden thunderstorm with rain and hail forced the players off the field for about two hours.When play resumed, the target was revised to 243 in 32 overs under the DLS method. Litton Das tried to fight back with an attacking 41, hitting a few boundaries and two sixes, while Towhid Hridoy made 28.However, once Litton was dismissed lbw by Sadaqat, Bangladesh quickly collapsed. Haris Rauf and Sadaqat picked up three wickets each, bowling Bangladesh out for 114 in 23.3 overs and sealing a comprehensive win for Pakistan.
Akwa United Head Coach, Paul Offor, has been named the Nigeria National League (NNL) Best Coach for three consecutive months, winning the award for December 2025, January 2026 and February 2026.
The NNL announced the winners of the Prostar/Sportlight Hub Monthly Awards, which recognise outstanding performances by players, coaches, teams and referees across the league.
Under Offor’s leadership, Akwa United currently top NNL Conference B with 25 points from 13 matches, reflecting the team’s strong form this season.
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In December 2025, Offor was named Best Coach, while Daniel Gothom of Akwa United won Goal of the Month. Other winners included Ajibola Joel (Stormers FC) as Highest Goal Scorer, Emmanuel S. Daniel (Ranchers Bees FC) as Best Goalkeeper, Yaro Zakari (Yobe Desert Stars FC) as MVP, Akporogene Ajigeye (Delta State Referees Council) as Best Referee, and Kada Warriors FC as Best Behaved Team.
In January 2026, Offor retained the Best Coach award. Tony Ayang (Rovers FC) was Highest Goal Scorer, Aloysius Thankgod (Akwa United) won Best Goalkeeper, Victor Samuel (Sporting Lagos FC) was MVP, Babarinde Taofeek (Gateway FC) won Goal of the Month, Eke Henry N. (Imo Referees Council) was Best Referee, and Rovers FC were Best Behaved Team.
In February 2026, Offor completed the three-month run by winning Best Coach again. The other winners were Innocent Idi (City FC) as Highest Goal Scorer, Alo Chukwu Pascal (Abakaliki FC) as Best Goalkeeper, Obisesan Sodiq (Osun United FC) as MVP, Jaffar Ojo (Smart City FC) as Goal of the Month, Mudashir Shehu (Kaduna State Referee Council) as Best Referee, and Lobi Stars FC as Best Behaved Team.
“Our captain’s laying there on the ice. It’s nothing more than that…. I don’t think it’s malicious, but our captain’s laying on the ice. Our captain. You don’t want to see that.” —Nick Foligno, Toronto Maple Leafs, 2021
TORONTO — As Auston Matthews writhes and crumples into a ball on home ice, his left knee just smashed into by a dirty Radko Gudas play, the other four Toronto Maple Leafs on the ice turn a blind eye.
They give the villain a pass and their captain plenty of space to realize his pain.
William Nylander, who has ridden the highs and lows alongside Matthews for 10 seasons, tries to help the referees by raising a penalty arm. He sees the knee-on-knee unfold but later says he didn’t really understand the severity and sheepishly admits he “should’ve jumped in there.”
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Morgan Reilly, the longest-serving Leaf, is a zone or two away. He says he didn’t have a good view of the collision, how badly Matthews was hurt in the moment. My fault, Rielly says: “Myself and the other people on the ice have to take responsibility for not being in there earlier. I certainly do. I take it all.”
Brandon Carlo was on the ice, too. He’s a nice man who helped Matthews to the room. But the big D-man, too, doesn’t so much as throw an insult in the direction of the Anaheim Ducks captain, apparently on a mission to eliminate the knees of anyone wearing a Maple Leaf and a captain’s ‘C’ this winter.
So was 20-year-old Easton Cowan, who gives chase to the puck and not Gudas, skating right by his centreman. (We’ll grant the rookie grace; he later attacked the bigger Jackson LaCombe. But we are concerned about the examples being set for the kid.)
In the time between Matthews getting helped off the ice, bound for imaging and possibly an early end to a disappointing campaign all around, and the announcement of a Friday phone hearing for Gudas that, at most, can result in a five-game suspension, a host of thoughts flood the mind.
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To be fair, the Maple Leafs did make the Ducks pay on Gudas’s major, rallied to win the game and played with previously dormant passion and physicality in an excellent third period.
They showed up. Good. However, it was only after being shamed into action.
Nag the teenager enough times, threaten to take away screen time, and he will eventually clean his bedroom. But no one would interpret delayed, reluctant action as proof that he’s all grown up and about that tidy life.
Making up the bed just ain’t in his makeup.
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“We should’ve had four guys in there, doing something about it,” head coach and PIM legend Craig Berube lamented to reporters post-game.
“We all would’ve liked everybody to get in there right away.”
A similar sentiment was echoed early this season, when No. 1 goaltender Anthony Stolarz was getting run over by Mason Marchment in front of bystanders in matching uniforms and feeling like he had to fight his own battles. Yet much of the discourse switched to how Stolarz was out of line for questioning the veterans’ on-ice investment.
“I mean, a lot of guys have been here for a while,” a fed-up and prescient Stolarz said in October. “We do have some time to gel. But at the end of the day, too, it’s more or less just about working hard. And when we work hard, the results come.”
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At its core, this era of Maple Leaf hockey has long been criticized for its lack of grit and compete and connectedness.
When the mood strikes, they’re try-curious.
But it’s not instinctual or consistent enough.
Seeing Matthews down and no one willing to throw down — until what must’ve been one doozy of a Berube intermission rant later — had us remembering poor Timothy Liljegren getting injured by then-Bruin Brad Marchand, another longtime Leafs foe who got away with catching any Blue and White smoke.
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Then-coach Sheldon Keefe was so livid and embarrassed, he called a meeting and showed the Leafs highlights of the Lightning sticking up for one another in such instances. Wrong one of us, wrong us all.
Seeing Matthews down reminded us of brief Leaf Nick Foligno in the 2021 playoff bubble. Foligno didn’t see even how teammate John Tavares got concussed in a double crash with Montreal’s Corey Perry and Ben Chiarot — an incident less deliberate than Gudas’s knee on Matthews.
“Our captain’s laying there on the ice. It’s nothing more than that,” Foligno explained of his instant decision to fight Perry. “I think it’s the right response.”
The Gudas incident had us thinking about Connor McDavid’s response Thursday, too, and how the most skilled player on the planet jumped Justin Hryckowian for shooting a (harmless) puck at Leon Draisaitl.
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We thought about Berube, just a few losses ago, saying he can give his players X’s and O’s and rah-rah pep talks, but he can’t give them this. And he’s tapping his heart.
We even thought about the old “our power play is our enforcer” tactic. And we wondered about the ripple effect of trading away Nazem Kadri way back in 2019 for his overzealousness.
No doubt Kadri got carried away with the whole defending-my-teammates thing. But some franchises would rather tame tigers.
The great irony here in Toronto is that the roster has not been moulded in the image of its makers.
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Ex-president Brendan Shanahan was a walking Gordie Howe hat trick in his heyday.
Coach Berube — he of 3,149 career penalty minutes, he who doesn’t miss a day of work after nearly having his frontal lobe sliced out by heavy gym equipment — still views the game through the eyes of a Broadstreet Bully.
32 Thoughts: The Podcast
Hockey fans already know the name, but this is not the blog. From Sportsnet, 32 Thoughts: The Podcast with NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas is a weekly deep dive into the biggest news and interviews from the hockey world.
And current GM Brad Treliving prefers his rosters snottier than an Ontario daycare in February. Heck, one of his first moves was to (over)pay for Ryan Reaves simply to crank up the volume and toughness in the room.
Alas, we’re learning, that same executive is still seeking to alter the DNA that may be too entrenched. No wonder he’s reportedly entertaining the idea of trading Nylander.
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Passivity doesn’t win championships, let alone a regular-season meeting against the Ducks.
Not until the Leafs felt guilty enough to bother engaging did they win one for their injured captain.
“It shows we need passion, emotion in the game to be successful,” Berube said.
Sunderland fan and BBC Sport commentator Steve Cram charts the highs and lows of supporting the Black Cats – from the depths of League One to the dizzy heights of the Premier League.
Watch Football Focus on the Road, live from Sunderland at 12:00 GMT on Saturday, 14 March on BBC One and BBC iPlayer
To start our story headlined “2026 Players Championship cut: Who’s in danger of missing the weekend,” we turn to Sahith Theegala, who, on Thursday, summed up well what awaits the field for Friday’s second round at TPC Sawgrass.
Chaos.
“Honestly, I don’t think this is a course that really necessarily fully fits anyone’s game,” Theegala said. “It’s such a volatile golf course, which I love. I’m always a proponent of chaos. Not silly chaos, but good shots are really rewarded here and bad shots are really punished here. …
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“There’s a bunch of birdie opportunities out here, which is also nice, but it’s just, there’s a double bogey waiting on every hole. So the winning score never gets too low, which I love that, starting the week knowing that you don’t need to shoot 27-under. I’m sure 20-under has won here a few times, but I feel like the typical winning score is somewhere around 15. … I really like this golf course.”
With that, here’s a look at the Players Championship cutline and who’s in danger of missing the weekend.
2026 Players Championship cutline
The Players Championship cutline is set at the top 65 players and ties.
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Who’s in danger of missing the weekend?
2 p.m. ET update
At 2 p.m. ET, the PGA Tour estimated the cutline to be +2, while Data Golf put a +1 cutline at 61.5 percent of happening and a +2 cutline at 35.5 percent.
Below is a look at notable players at even, +1, +2 and worse:
Even: Adam Scott, Daniel Berger, Brooks Koepka, Scottie Scheffler, Robert MacIntyre
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+1: Nicolai Hojgaard, Rory McIlroy, Daniel Berger, Patrick Cantlay, Harris English
+2: Chris Gotterup
Worse: Rasmus Hojgaard, Brian Harman, Ben Griffin, Shane Lowry, Joel Dahmen
1 p.m. ET update
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At 1 p.m. ET, the PGA Tour estimated the cutline to be +1, while Data Golf put a +1 cutline at 58.3 percent of happening and a +2 cutline at 37.9 percent.
Below is a look at notable players at even, +1, +2 and worse:
Even: Keegan Bradley, Chris Gotterup, Min Woo Lee, Daniel Berger, Brooks Koepka, Scottie Scheffler, Robert MacIntyre
+1: Nicolai Hojgaard, Adam Scott, Sam Burns, Patrick Cantlay, Harris English
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+2: Rory McIlroy
Worse: Brian Harman, Rasmus Hojgaard, Ben Griffin, Joel Dahmen, Shane Lowry
Noon ET Update
At noon ET, the PGA Tour estimated the cutline to be +1, while Data Golf put a +1 cutline at 48.5 percent of happening and a +2 cutline at 44 percent.
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Below is a look at notable players at even, +1, +2 and worse:
What is it that makes a champion? Is it enough to simply win, or could there be more nuance to those on whom we bequeath the title?
There have been many winners of the Cheltenham Gold Cup but fewer champions. The race was first run in 1924 and, excepting a few occasions, has been run every year since.
The horses which history remembers as champions have triumphed in this race multiple times – Golden Miller, Arkle, Best Mate, for example. Eight horses have won the race in consecutive years, with Al Boum Photo (2019 and 2020) and Galopin Des Champs (2023 and 2024) the most recent achievers. In the 2000s, Kauto Star became the only horse to regain the title, having first won it in 2007 before triumphing again in 2009.
That is a feat Galopin Des Champs would have tried to replicate this year, had he not suffered a setback before the Festival, but with Willie Mullins’s champion horse absent, others had to fill the hole he left behind, to step into the spotlight and declare, ‘this is my time’. And there were plenty that tried.
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Paul Townend and Gaelic Warrior won the Gold Cup (Adam Davy/PA Wire)
No jockey has matched Townend’s five Gold Cup triumphs (AP)
The Gold Cup is the grandest of horse races and is staged at a racecourse that is the highlight of luxury and opulence. It almost feels like a remnant of a previous British age, where prestige was defined by money or power, and if you were bereft of those, you had to earn recognition in other ways. You had to fight to be seen, not just as a winner but as a champion. Winning here, and in this race, means more than a season of triumphs at lesser meetings. It is where champions are made.
Irish-trained horses had won nine of the last 10 runnings, with the British-trained Native River being the anomaly in 2018. They now have 10 from the last 11.
Gaelic Warrior, a former winner at Cheltenham – he took the Arkle in 2024 – now adds the Gold Cup to his repertoire. In Mullins, he has the best trainer; in Paul Townend, he now officially has the best jockey to ever ride in the race; and in himself, he had the best chance to be the successor to Galopin Des Champs. His two previous races of this quality, the King George VI Chase and the Irish Gold Cup, didn’t go his way, but perhaps this was the one he was made for all along.
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Townend rode superbly. With Haiti Couleurs setting a quick pace out front, he positioned Gaelic Warrior on the rail and rode behind the leading trio of horses, which included Grey Dawning and The Jukebox Man. Alongside the stayer and fellow joint-favourite Jango Baie, Gaelic Warrior was eased further wide coming from the backside of the course towards the turn. He leapt the fourth from home and was asked to move past The Jukebox Man, which he duly did.
Those behind him tried to respond but they couldn’t. There are levels to this horse; he is a champion in waiting, now a Gold Cup winner.
Townend held Gaelic Warrior on the rail before making his move (AFP/Getty)
In the Guinness Village beforehand, there were many cries of support for The Jukebox Man, the horse owned by Harry Redknapp – a man from a working-class background and a champion in his own right.
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For most of the week, Redknapp has done a sterling job at building support for his contender, enthusing about his trainer, Ben Pauling, and his jockey, Ben Jones, and telling stories of his nan’s love of racing and his lucky tie. His charm and appeal helped make The Jukebox Man the horse of the everyman.
Despite being heavily backed, there was still an underdog nature to him, and the well-wishes of many Cheltenham racegoers followed him for three miles and two furlongs. “Go on, Jukebox!” came cries from the Paddock as Redknapp watched his contender fall away.
“He travelled well. At two out, I’m looking at Gaelic Warrior. The winner was fantastic and really impressive,” Redknapp said on ITV afterwards.
“I think he’s got a little win problem that we need to sort out. But no excuses. It’s been amazing. What a week it’s been to be here and have a runner in the Gold Cup.
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“I’ve loved every minute of it. It would have been the icing on the cake to win it, but it wasn’t to be.”
And what about Inothewayurthinkin? He was the forgotten star, the one who bested Galopin Des Champs in this very race last year. Back then, with the cheers of the crowd fresh in his ears, he would have believed he was on the path of champions. Not so.
Harry Redknapp’s The Jukebox Man (red and white cap) was favoured but fell away over the closing stages (Bradley Collyer/PA Wire)
A horrendous season has seen him easily beaten in the John Durkan and the Savills Chase before he fell during the Irish Gold Cup a month ago. Despite his third-place finish, he now feels like just another Gold Cup winner who could fall into obscurity and never match the level of a champion like the great Galopin.
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Gaelic Warrior’s owner, Rich Ricci, had never had a Gold Cup-winning horse. He does now.
“I’ve been trying to win this race for 21 years; it’s just magic. It’s been a great week, incredible, great racing, great winners, I’m pleased for the horse,” he enthused.
“I love the game, it’s kept me involved for all these years, the passion, the people… I’ve said before, the people take me as they find me. I’m loud, obnoxious, I love the sport, and long may it last.”
When Irish trainer Henry De Bromhead’s Air Of Entitlement won the final race of the Festival, it meant Ireland maintained their hold on the Prestbury Cup for the eighth successive year, a 15-13 win over their hosts. It proved a bittersweet success for De Bromhead, whose Envoi Allen had what a medical official described as “almost certainly a very acute cardiovascular collapse” and died after finishing ninth in the Gold Cup.
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Envoi Allen became the third horse to die at the 2026 Cheltenham Festival (Brian Lawless/PA Wire)
The 12-year-old was having the final start of his glittering career, with owners Cheveley Park Stud having confirmed he would retire following his run in the blue riband.
Envoi Allen had won three times at the Festival, landing the 2019 Champion Bumper, the 2020 Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle, now known as the Turners, and the 2023 Ryanair Chase, as well as placing on a further three occasions.
Cheveley Park Stud director Richard Thompson said: “We didn’t see it. The vets OK-ed them all [after the race] and Darragh [O’Keeffe, jockey] said he was pricking his ears, then he came up and went over as he was coming out of the chute.
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“He had just retired and he’s just gone in a minute or two.
“He’s finished the race, the vets have had a look, he’s walked on and he’s gone down before the chute.”
The overall attendance of 226,223 spectators at the Festival this year is an uptick of almost 8,000 from the year before. Of those, 67,016 watched on from the concourses as Gaelic Warrior wrote his name into the history books.
If winning the Gold Cup once is good enough to become a champion, then he has achieved that goal. If repeating that feat is the true mark of greatness, well, he’s now on his way.
Gaelic Warrior (11/4 joint-favourite) won the 2026 Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup on Friday afternoon.
The Rich Ricci-owned German-bred ran out a highly impressive eight-length winner of the blue riband of chasing at Prestbury Park this afternoon.
It was another Grade 1 success this week for Paul Townend and Willie Mullins.
Incredibly the jockey and trainer won the Champion Hurdle on Tuesday with Lossiemouth – also for owner Rich Ricci – the Champion Chase with Il Etait Temps on Wednesday, and then the week’s main feature, the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup.
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It makes Townend the winningmost jockey and Mullins the joint-winningmost trainer in the history of the Cheltenham Gold Cup. Townend now has five victories on his CV following wins with Al Boum Photo (2019, 2020), Galopin des Champs (2023, 2024) and now Gaelic Warrior (2026).
Mullins join Tom Dreaper with five sucesses, namely, Boum Photo (2019, 2020), Galopin des Champs (2023, 2024) and Gaelic Warrior (2026).
Mullins delighted
“It was just extraordinary,” Mullins admitted. “I’m just delighted for the Riccis, I think they are the first owners to have won the Champion Hurdle and the Gold Cup in the same season (they are actually the second after Dorothy Paget). I’m delighted for Paul Townend, who gave him such a great ride. He was so cool on him. Could you imagine what was going through his head going to the last fence? I know what was going through mine! We’ve had so many last fence mishaps around here. It’s fantastic and the way he did it was just spectacular.
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Gaelic Warrior looked the winner for most of today’s three miles 2 furlongs and 70 yards race. When he cruised into the lead two fences from home, his and Townend’s only dangers look in front of them – the last two fences.
Both were taken with aplomb and the eight-year-old son of Maxios bounded up the Cheltenham hill to record an eight-length victory over Jango Baie (11/4 joint-favourite) – the Nicky Henderson and Nico de Boinville horse.
Last season’s Gold Cup winner, Inothewayurthinkin (11/1), was positioned last for most of the race under jockey Mark Walsh. His jumping throughout wasn’t fluent during the race, though he stayed on for third place in the J.P. McManus colours, two lengths behind the runner-up.
A sad postscript to the race was the death of Envoi Allen. The 12-year-old collapsed after the Gold Cup and the former Ryanair Chase winner sadly died.
Minnesota Vikings fans react from the lower bowl during fourth-quarter action against the Detroit Lions at U.S. Bank Stadium on Dec. 24, 2023, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The crowd’s tension reflected the stakes of the NFC North matchup as Minnesota fought to stay competitive while Detroit pushed its advantage late. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports.
Some have maintained that “less is better” for the Minnesota Vikings free agency, but Yahoo Sports‘ Frank Schwab disagrees. Through the first few days of free agency, Minnesota added just two new players, cornerback James Pierre and quarterback Kyler Murray. And according to Schwab, that inactivity nets the Vikings a ‘D’ grade.
A prominent NFL analyst gave Minnesota a rough report card for its early 2026 offseason work.
Only the Denver Broncos ranked lower in his estimation, with Sean Payton’s team fetching a ‘D-.’
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One NFL Analyst Thinks the Vikings Fell Short in Free Agency
The Vikings are minimalists this offseason.
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) releases a pass toward running back James Conner (6) during first-half action against the Seattle Seahawks, Jan. 7, 2024, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Murray orchestrated Arizona’s offense while working through early pressure from Seattle’s defensive front in the divisional matchup. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports.
Schwab: Early Vikings Free Agency Is a ‘D’
With the NFL entering the second wave of free agency, Schwab reflected on the first and was not impressed by the Vikings’ strategy.
“The salary cap caught up to the Vikings. They didn’t make any huge signings right away in free agency while running back Aaron Jones ,and defensive tackles Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen were released, and center Ryan Kelly retired. Receiver Jalen Nailor is gone too, having signed with the Raiders,” Schwab wrote.
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“The Vikings could also trade defensive end Jonathan Greenard. Maybe they sign quarterback Kyler Murray, but there’s a reason the Cardinals moved on. This has been a rough offseason so far for Minnesota, who is operating underneath interim general manager Rob Brzezinski. Grade: D.”
Minnesota still has time to add players, but signing the cream of the crop is rapidly falling by the wayside.
The Spending Sprees Were in 2024 and 2025
In 2024, former Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah signed Blake Cashman (ILB), Sam Darnold (QB), Stephon Gilmore (CB), Jonathan Greenard (OLB), Shaquill Griffin (CB), Aaron Jones (RB), Jalen Redmond (DT), Jerry Tillery (DT), and Andrew Van Ginkel (OLB).
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Last offseason, they handed out even larger contracts to these men: Jonathan Allen (DT), Will Fries (RG), Javon Hargrave (DT), Ryan Kelly (C), Rondale Moore (WR), Isaiah Rodgers (CB), and Eric Wilson (ILB).
Now, the chickens have come to roost. Despite clearing loads of cap space earlier this week, Minnesota is playing the long game in free agency, refusing to splurge “just to splurge” right off the bat.
Remaining Roster Needs
Depending on the eye of the beholder, the Vikings have the following roster needs, as the second week of free agency nears:
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Center
CB3-CB4
DT
OT2
Safety (if Harrison Smith retires)
WR3-WR4
Young RB
The club would need a third outside linebacker if Jonathan Greenard is traded — there are rumors of that — so keep that in mind. The top need after the Kyler Murray signing on Thursday evening is arguably center, unless Minnesota is completely content with Blake Brandel or Michael Jurgens in a starter’s role.
Minnesota Vikings guard Blake Brandel (64) sets a block as quarterback Sam Darnold (14) looks downfield during the NFC wild card matchup against the Los Angeles Rams, Jan. 13, 2025, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Minnesota’s offensive line worked to protect Darnold against Los Angeles’ aggressive pass rush in the playoff showdown. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images.
SI.com‘s Jonathan Harrison noted Thursday on Minnesota’s need at center, “The prices for free agent centers have been steep this offseason. It’s possible that the inflated asking price could lead Minnesota to address the position in the draft in April. If Minnesota does look to bring in a free agent at the position, former Browns center Ethan Pocic leads the list.
“He allowed just 14 pressures in over 500 pass block snaps in 2025. Tennessee’s Lloyd Cushenberry and Detroit’s Graham Glasgow could also be options, though both are likely to fetch deals that could be out of the Vikings’ spending range.”
He also mentioned the CB spot: “Minnesota already addressed its cornerback room once with the Pierre signing. Coming off a season-ending foot injury and largely failing to impress in Cincinnati, Taylor-Britt could be a good option for a one-year prove-it deal that we’ve seen this front office hand out numerous times over the past couple of seasons. Former Cowboys and Packers corner Trevon Diggs could also be another candidate in that realm.”
Rams Lead the Way per Schwab
The Rams were the only team to earn a solid ‘A’ grade from Schwab.
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He wrote, “The Rams know what they’re doing. There was a severe need at cornerback, so they added a couple of Chiefs. They traded for elite corner Trent McDuffie and then signed Jaylen Watson. There were no other major additions, but the Rams didn’t need to make a ton of moves. Just the ones that addressed their biggest need.”
“The Rams didn’t have any free agents that absolutely needed to be retained, so there won’t be any significant losses. The Rams were a Super Bowl contender coming into the offseason and probably leave it as the Super Bowl favorite. Grade: A”
Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay watches the field during second-half action against the Philadelphia Eagles, Oct. 8, 2023, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. McVay monitored his team’s adjustments along the sideline while the Rams battled Philadelphia in a matchup that featured two playoff-caliber NFC teams. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports.
The Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers pulled down an ‘A-‘ apiece.
The NFL Draft is the next big step of the Vikings’ offseason, and that’s 41 days away.
Envoi Allen collapsed and died after finishing ninth in the Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup.
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The 12-year-old was having the final start of his glittering career in today’s race – his eighth appearance in all at the historic event – with owners Cheveley Park Stud having confirmed he would retire following his run in the blue riband.
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Envoi Allen won 10 Grade Ones in total, having started out with Gordon Elliott before moving to Henry de Bromhead.
He was widely regarded as one of the most talented horses of his generation, particularly during an unbeaten streak that spanned his first 13 races.
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While the race was overshadowed by the loss, the Willie Mullins-trained Gaelic Warrior secured a dominant victory under Paul Townend, leading home a field that included runner-up Jango Baie and third-placed Inothewayurthinkin.
Earlier this week, Richard Thompson of Cheveley Park Stud described him as the “horse of a lifetime”.
“To have a horse run at eight Festivals in a row and win 10 Grade Ones is truly unbelievable,” he added.
Next month’s edition of the annual men’s Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge universities will feature French captains for the first time in the rowing event’s long history.
When the two boats take to the River Thames in London on April 4, three-time defending champion Noam Mouelle will lead the Light Blues of Cambridge against the Dark Blues of Oxford captained by Tobias Bernard, a Londoner born to a French father and a Franco-American mother.
“As Noam said, it’s a fun fact, it’s amusing,” 23-year-old Bernard, who studies chemistry at Oxford, said on the sidelines of the team announcements.
Mouelle, 24, said the nationality of the two captains meant little in an event that was first run in 1829.
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“The cool thing is that it shows that no matter where you come from or what you did before, as long as you commit 100 percent to the project, the training programmes and the club’s culture, it doesn’t change anything,” he said.
Mouelle, a physics PhD student at Cambridge, took his first strokes aged nine at his local club in Le Perreux-sur-Marne outside Paris and represented France at world championships up to Under-23 level.
He said he chose Cambridge to combine research with his love of rowing.
“The Boat Race has always been in my imagination,” he said. “It’s a hugely publicised event in rowing, there are lots of videos on YouTube, sometimes you see it on TV.
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“After that, it’s true that when I lived in France, it was hard to imagine that I would be part of this world one day; it’s funny that I’m here and that I’m even the ‘president’ of the club,” he said, using the Boat Race term for captain.
The role involves finding the coaches, selecting the team and choosing the boat as well as devising the training programme.
“You have to know how to support the other teammates, motivate them, and also communicate with the coach to know how the team is feeling,” Bernard said.
He has vivid memories of his debut in the race last year, despite Oxford’s defeat by Cambridge.
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“It’s like being in a stadium that’s seven kilometres long; the atmosphere is incredible,” he said.
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