The Minnesota Vikings cleared up their quarterback question this week, signing Kyler Murray to a one-year contract and putting him on track for summer competition against J.J. McCarthy, though most expect Murray to prevail. But that isn’t the only Vikings unsolved mystery.
Free agency answered the quarterback question, but several bigger questions still hover over the roster.
After the first few days of NFL free agency, Minnesota still has some big-ticket items to clear up.
Advertisement
Minnesota’s Next Clues Involve the Secondary, the Draft Board, and the Interior Offensive Line
Pretend Robert Stack is narrating this to you.
Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith (22) lines up on defense during an NFC wild card matchup with the Los Angeles Rams at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on January 13, 2025, as the longtime defensive leader patrols the secondary during postseason action for Minnesota. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images.
Unsolved Mystery No. 1: Harrison Smith
Close your eyes for this: Smith is technically a free agent — for the first time ever.
The Vikings released Smith on Wednesday, a procedural move while the future Hall of Famer decides to retire or return. And that’s the unsolved mystery. Smith played great in December and January, but he turned 37 in February. That’s incredibly old for a safety.
Advertisement
It’s a coin flip on Smith’s return, but conventional logic suggests that he probably would’ve retired by now. We shall see if he pressed the green button for Year No. 15.
Unsolved Mystery No. 2: The First Couple of Draft Picks
Minnesota did not do much in free agency besides signing Murray for “free” and onboarding CB3 James Pierre. They did little to clear up their early-round draft intentions.
For example, the Vikings could’ve signed a cornerback like Jaylen Watson or a safety like Nick Cross, and for the most part, fans may have put those roster spots on the back burner. That didn’t happen.
Advertisement
Instead, the Vikings could quite reasonably draft a player from any of these positions on April 23rd and in Round 2 on April 24:
Center
Cornerback
Defensive Tackle
Linebacker
Safety
Wide Receiver
Mock drafts will be all over the board for Minnesota in the remaining 5.5 weeks until showtime.
Unsolved Mystery No. 3: Big Trades
Interim general manager Rob Brzezinski has three major and theoretical trade pieces as free agency winds down:
Jordan Addison (WR)
Jonathan Greenard (OLB
J.J. McCarthy (QB)
Greenard is all the rage at the moment per the trade rumor mill, with the Philadelphia Eagles allegedly interested. Minnesota is said to want a 2nd-Round pick for the premium EDGE defender.
Minnesota Vikings linebacker Jonathan Greenard (58) celebrates after recording a sack against the Chicago Bears during second-quarter action at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois, on November 24, 2024, as Minnesota’s pass rush disrupts the Bears offense during the NFC North matchup. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images.
Addison and McCarthy probably won’t be traded, but they cannot be ruled out as possibilities.
Unsolved Mystery No. 4: The WR3
Advertisement
Jalen Nailor is gone — and he’s not coming back, at least not for two or three years. The Las Vegas Raiders enticed him with 35 million bucks and WR1-WR2 duty.
So, Minnesota has a WR3 void, if one assumes that last year’s rookie, Tai Felton, isn’t fully trustworthy for the assignment. Felton barely played on offense in 2025, and one would think the lights could be too bright to hand him the WR3 job with so little action last year.
Still, perhaps Minnesota prepared for Felton’s redshirt rookie season. If so, he’s the new WR3 by default. Otherwise, the Vikings must sign someone like Christian Kirk, Hollywood Brown, or draft another rookie in Round 2 or 3, possibly a player like Malachi Fields from Notre Dame.
SI.com‘s Will Ragatz noted on Felton this week after Nailor skedaddled, “The Vikings were clearly high on him after his huge senior season at Maryland. He’s been developing behind the scenes with wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell. And the opportunity might be there for him to take a big step forward in 2026.”
Advertisement
“It was a different coaching staff, but former Vikings WR3 K.J. Osborn went from not playing a snap as a rookie in 2020 to posting a 50-655-7 receiving line in year two. Depending on what else the Vikings do at receiver, Felton might just have a chance to emerge as a key contributor this fall.”
Unsolved Mystery No. 5: Ryan Kelly’s Replacement
Kelly formally retired earlier this week, meaning the Vikings need a new center. Minnesota has about a dozen options.
In-house, the Vikings could promote one of these men:
Advertisement
Blake Brandel
Michael Jurgens
From free agency, these candidates remain and could start in 2026:
Lloyd Cushenberry III
Graham Glasgow
Ethan Pocic
Detroit Lions center Graham Glasgow (60) prepares to snap the ball during second-quarter action against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on December 25, 2025, as the Lions offense sets up a play at the line of scrimmage in the divisional matchup. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.
And in the draft, Minnesota could explore one of these rookies:
Parker Brailsford (Alabama)
Pat Coogan (Indiana)
Sam Hecht (Kansas)
Logan Jones (Iowa)
Connor Lew (Auburn)
Brian Parker (Duke)
Jake Slaughter (Florida)
Coogan is intriguing and could be gettable in Round 5 or so. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein on his scouting report: “Coogan is a veteran center with good size, intelligence, communication skills and leadership that will appeal to offensive line coaches. He’s technically sound and is consistent in centering opponents while latching in with grip strength to increase stickiness.”
“He’s best in a gap scheme and inside zone, but his effectiveness can fade when the job stretches beyond the A-gaps. In protection, he lands well-timed punches and utilizes instinctive hand resets to regain positioning. However, forward lean and shorter arms will invite counters. Coogan has the potential to become a starter, but there are limitations in his game that make scheme fit and protection help important.”
Or — the Vikings could combine these plans. For example, promoting Jurgens might make sense out of the gate in 2026 while the coaching staff determines when a rookie such as Logan Jones might be ready.
The United States has defeated Canada on Olympic ice yet again to secure gold, this time in the Paralympic Games.
After a 6-2 victory over Canada on Sunday, the U.S. took home gold in men’s Paralympics sled hockey.
In doing so, they became the first country to ever win five consecutive Paralympic titles. They were also the first to sweep all three Paralympic and Olympic hockey events at a single tournament.
USA players celebrate after winning the gold medal ice hockey match between USA’ and Canada at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games in Milan on March 15, 2026.(Stefano RELLANDINI / AFP)
Of course, the men’s and women’s ice hockey teams also won gold, doing so in overtime in both gold-medal games at the Milan Cortina Games last month.
But this contest between the sporting rivals didn’t need any extra time, as the U.S. saw Jack Wallace score a hat trick, while notching an assist, to help the Stars and Stripes’ cause over Canada.
“This team is so special,” Wallace, who completed his third Paralympic Games, told NBC after the win. “We love each other. This team grinded it out, a gritty f—ing game. It was unbelievable. I love these guys so much.”
Other than Wallace’s goals, Kayden Beasley, Declan Farmer and Brody Roybal each found the back of the net.
Only Canada’s Liam Hickey could score, tallying two goals that weren’t enough in the end.
USA’ players celebrate with the gold medals after the ice hockey match between USA’ and Canada at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games in Milan on March 15, 2026.(Stefano RELLANDINI / AFP)
While hockey is usually a sport dominated by the Canadians, the Paralympic Games has seen Team USA in that position for quite some time now. And they showcased why throughout the tournament, going through Italy, Germany, China and Czechia before facing Canada in the gold-medal game.
Advertisement
Canada is one of the top teams in the world, too, having seen the U.S. in three straight Paralympic gold-medal games as well as eight straight world championship finals.
But it’s been the U.S. having success at the Olympics, and they continued the trend on Sunday to finish what’s been an exciting time for everyone back home watching the red, white and blue on ice.
USA’ goalkeeper Jen Lee (R) celebrates the gold medal with teammates after the ice hockey match between USA’ and Canada at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games in Milan on March 15, 2026. (Stefano RELLANDINI / AFP)
With the Paralympics at an end, Team USA’s gold marked the 13th total since the event began on March 6. The U.S. finished with a tally of 24 total medals, including five silver and six bronze.
Advertisement
China was the medal leader at the end, notching 44 with 15 gold in the bank.
David Benavidez’s father and trainer, Jose Benavidez Sr, has shelved a potential world title fight while his son targets other champions at light-heavyweight and cruiserweight.
The 29-year-old will face one such fighter on May 2, when he headlines a Premier Boxing Champions card against Gilberto Ramirez at the T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas.
Having never previously fought at 200lbs, Benavidez is entering uncharted waters when he attempts to dethrone the WBO and WBA world champion.
Advertisement
But still, many believe the American’s blistering hands and tremendous engine will be too much for Ramirez, who claimed his titles by dethroning Arsen Goulamirian and Chris Billam-Smith in 2024.
Those two performances were then followed by another unanimous decision victory, this time against Yuniel Dorticos last June, with ‘Zurdo’ having now established himself as a top-flight cruiserweight.
But while Benavidez must remain focused on the task at hand, his father is already mentioning the likes of Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev as potential opponents.
It would therefore appear that, even with a win over Ramirez, the WBC world light-heavyweight champion is likely to move back down to 175lbs.
Speaking with Sean Zittel, Benavidez Sr insisted that a clash between his son and Opetaia is perhaps one for the future, but does not warrant their attention right now.
“I think [Opetaia] gets hurt every [time] he fights; he gets hurt [by] fighters that are not even known. I think he needs a little bit more experience.
“He doesn’t have the experience that David has. I think he is going to be better in about three or four years. I see Beterbiev, Bivol and ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez [as being] more dangerous than Opetaia.
“In the future, anything’s possible. [But] I don’t see ourselves fighting for the Zuffa belt right now. Right now, our mind is on Bivol, Beterbiev and ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez.”
Advertisement
If Benavidez moves back down to 175lbs after facing Ramirez, then an undisputed showdown with Bivol could become increasingly likely.
NASCAR fans are questioning the multinational law firm’s standards after the firm’s blatant disregard for the attorney-client privilege became apparent when courtroom transcripts from the legal fight between NASCAR and two Cup Series teams, 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports, became public.
The antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR filed by 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports began in 2024 and ultimately settled in December 2025. But the court transcripts have just been released to the public, and according to Associated Press reporter Jenna Fryer, they show that former driver Bobby Hillin Jr. was a client of Latham & Watkins, the law firm representing NASCAR.
Thanks for the submission!
Advertisement
Hillin had explored buying part of Richard Childress Racing and had access to the team’s financial information during those talks.
Advertisement
“Regarding the Childress/Bobby Hillin/under NDA portion of the case… Hillin was a client of Latham & Watkins, which was the firm used by NASCAR. The attorneys knew Hillin had attempted to purchase part of RCR, as well as RCR financials, because Hillin was their client,” Fryer shared on X.
Fans reacted online, questioning whether confidential legal information had been mishandled.
“Not sure what’s more shocking: the blatant violation of attorney/client privilege, the unethical sharing of info or Bobby Hillin attempting to buy in to RCR,” a fan wrote.
@JennaFryer Not sure what’s more shocking: the blatant violation of attorney/client privilege, the unethical sharing of info or Bobby Hillin attempting to buy in to RCR.
“Isn’t that a violation of attorney-client privilege 🧐,” another fan asked.
“L&M should surrender their law licenses,” another wrote.
“Talk about an absolute eff up by Latham & Watkins. A complete disregard for Attorney/Client privilege. SMH,” yet another wrote.
During the December trial cross-examination, NASCAR attorney Christopher Yates questioned Childress about Hillin and his involvement with a potential investor group. Childress acknowledged that conversations had taken place about selling an equity stake in the team.
At the time, Childress owned roughly 60 percent of the organization, with Chartwell Investments holding the remaining 40 percent. Their talks explored selling a portion of that ownership to Hillin’s group. Still, the negotiations had been covered by a non-disclosure agreement, and Childress indicated that he did not expect those details to surface in court.
Advertisement
“This is common in large firms and they should have had a conflict wall up to prevent this. It’s inexcusable…,” a fan explained.
Meanwhile, the potential deal between Hillin and team owner Richard Childress never moved forward after an unrealistic proposal.
“They didn’t have the money” – NASCAR team owner on investment talks surfaced during antitrust lawsuit testimony
During the trial cross-examination in December of 2025, Richard Childress said that the talks ended because the group lacked the financial backing needed to finalize a deal.
Jenna Fryer shared the exchange from the courtroom with Childress, where he asked whether Hillin’s investor group had the funding to buy part of the team.
“They didn’t have the money,” Richard Childress said.
RCR, founded in 1969, is one of NASCAR’s most recognized teams, with multiple championships across the Cup Series and other national series.
Novak Djokovic runs up to defend against Jack Draper during their fourth-round match at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif., Wednesday, March 11, 2026.
Six-time Miami Open champion Novak Djokovic withdrew from this year’s tournament due to a right shoulder ailment, the event announced Sunday.
Djokovic reached the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open this past week at Indian Wells, Calif., before falling to Jack Draper in a third-set tie-breaker on Wednesday.
The Serbia native reached the finals at Miami last year before losing 7-6 (4), 7-6 (4) to Jakub Mensik of the Czech Republic.
The 38-year old won the Miami Open title in five times between 2011 and 2016, defeating Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray on two occasions apiece.
Advertisement
Djokovic is 7-2 in 2016 and won his 101th ATP title in November 2025 at Athens.
Igor Tudor insisted never in his career has he thought about his future and all he wants to do is focus on building on his first point as Tottenham’s interim head coach.
Richarlison scored in the 90th minute to snatch a 1-1 draw at Liverpool and slightly ease some of the pressure on the Croatian, who had lost his first five matches after taking over from Thomas Frank as the team continued its slide towards the Premier League’s relegation zone.
But Tudor is far from in the clear with Spurs only a point above the bottom three and with their Champions League campaign looking like ending next week against Atletico Madrid the visit of fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest next weekend will be crucial.
“I am coaching 15 years, never was thinking one second about my future,” Tudor told a press conference after a tetchy exchange in his post-match television interview in which he appeared to think his future was being questioned.
“I never think about my future, my past, I always think about training tomorrow, how to help the players.
Advertisement
“I don’t read nothing, don’t watch nothing, future is just imagination, future don’t exist (sic). It’s a constant thing of today, of tomorrow, training.”
Tudor said the result brought some “fresh air” and helped boost the confidence of players who had been on a seven-match losing run which preceded his arrival.
“(It was a) good team spirit, seeing the circumstances the team was in today coming here at Anfield with 12 players (absent),” he added.
“So this is something big. We stayed in the game, we believed, I felt that we could score the goal, the players also felt it, so it’s nice.
Advertisement
“It’s a long way to our goal, which is to stay in the Premier League, but today was important to show what they showed, independent of the result.”
Liverpool were booed off after conceding in the 90th minute or later for the eighth Premier League match this season with Dominik Szobozslai’s 18th-minute free-kick long forgotten.
“I think it’s understandable for fans to be frustrated because it has happened so many times that they have seen the home team not picking up the points they are expecting, us conceding goals in the last minute,” said head coach Arne Slot.
“Now it is up to us to bring that frustration to Wednesday (as they seek to overturn a 1-0 deficit to Galatasaray in the Champions League) and come up with a big performance because we are all frustrated. That is completely clear.
Advertisement
“It is now up to me and the players to take that frustration to Wednesday evening and show the fans the performance and the result they deserve because they have been supportive throughout the whole season to us.
“Of course, it’s damaging (conceding late goals) but how many times has this been damaging for us? We don’t help ourselves at all.
“So many times this season we have created much more xG or chances than the amount of goals we score.
“The game stays tight until the end and we struggle to keep clean sheets. We haven’t had as many clean sheets as you’d want if you want to go higher up in the table and that’s a bad combination for picking up the amount of points we want to pick up.”
Mar 8, 2026; Newark, New Jersey, USA; Detroit Red Wings left wing Lucas Raymond (23) and New Jersey Devils center Nico Hischier (13) fight in the final seconds of the second period at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Salus-Imagn Images
The struggling Detroit Red Wings are hoping a return home and a visit by the floundering Calgary Flames on Monday will be just the tonic needed to turn their fortunes.
The Red Wings hold the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card position, but after suffering a 3-2 overtime loss to the Dallas Stars on Saturday have lost five of their past six games (1-3-2) to put their perch in jeopardy.
“We’re so excited to get home to Detroit … and play in front of our fans,” said forward Lucas Raymond, who leads the Red Wings with 45 assists and is tied for the lead in points with 66. “We’ve had some stretches down the year where we’ve been pushing for a playoff spot and that just elevates the crowd.”
Detroit, which is pushing to avoid missing the playoffs for a 10th consecutive season, is in a tight battle.
The Red Wings are tied with the Boston Bruins, who hold the first wild-card spot but have played one fewer game. Detroit is also two points back of the Montreal Canadiens for third spot in the Atlantic Division, but only one point ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets, who are just outside the wild-card spots.
Advertisement
The Red Wings have struggled without captain Dylan Larkin and fellow center Andrew Copp due to injuries, but did receive a boost with forward David Perron returning from injury against the Stars.
The Dallas clash ended earning the Red Wings a point in the standings, but was a wasted opportunity after they erased a two-goal deficit in the third period, but could not get a winning goal.
“A good battle back. Lots going on recently, obviously, but we found a way. We kept pushing,” Perron said. “It was nice to get rewarded as a group to have one point there.”
Advertisement
The Flames arrive after suffering a 3-2 loss of their own at the New York Islanders on Saturday.
Calgary, which is ahead of only the Vancouver Canucks in the overall standings and in the throes of a rebuild, trailed 3-0 before the end of the first period, but controlled play the rest of the way in a comeback that fell short.
Despite the end result, the Flames likely deserved a better fate, especially after firing 17 shots on net in the final period.
“When we made a mistake, they capitalized on it,” coach Ryan Huska said. “We also hit two crossbars and had a grade-A chance in front of the net. We progressively got better as the night went on.”
Advertisement
In keeping with a recurring theme, the Flames, who are the league’s lowest-scoring team, could not find the equalizer, which left them with only five wins in their last 17 games (5-10-2).
Despite their offensive struggles — the Flames have gone four games without a power-play goal, and only two man-advantage markers in 10 outings — they continue to battle in close games.
The message as they prepare for the final outing of a five-game road trip is to ignore the standings and keep battling for wins.
“There’s no quit from anyone here,” said captain Mikael Backlund, who moved ahead of Kent Nilsson with his 230th career goal and into fifth spot on the franchise’s all-time list. “All the guys are fighting hard. It doesn’t matter the score. We keep trying until the end. So I’m really proud of the guys.”
The final CBS Sports Bracketology projection is in ahead of the NCAA Tournament Selection Show on CBS. Duke is the No. 1 overall seed, followed by Michigan, Arizona and Florida, who round out the top line.
In the event of a Purdue victory over Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament title game, Arizona and Michigan would swap spots within the No. 1 seed hierarchy and the Wildcats would be the No. 2 overall seed. However, that would not result in any changes to the bracket.
Regardless of the outcome, Duke will be slotted in the East, Michigan in the Midwest, Arizona in the West and Florida in the South. Purdue will remain a No. 2 seed in CBS Sports Bracketology, regardless of the outcome of the Big Ten Tournament title game.
The Blue Devils won the ACC regular season and tournament titles, and they also possess a valuable Feb. 21 head-to-head victory over Michigan on a neutral court that served as a separator in a fierce battle for the top spot in the seeding order.
Advertisement
Arizona mounted an impressive charge for the No. 1 overall seed by stacking a Big 12 Tournament title on top of a Big 12 regular season title. But the Wildcats entered Selection Sunday roughly even with Duke in results-based metrics and lagging slightly behind the Blue Devils in predictive metrics.
Bracketology top seeds
Check out the full field of 68 at the CBS Sports Bracketology hub.
Iowa State gets a No. 2 seed
Vanderbilt entered Sunday’s SEC Tournament title game with a path to being a No. 2 seed. With a win over Arkansas, that’s where the Commodores would have landed in the final CBS Sports Bracketology projection. However, a loss to the Razorbacks led to the ‘Dores being slotted as a No. 3 seed in the final projection.
Iowa State received the nod over Michigan State for a No. 2 seed after a side-by-side “scrub” of the Cyclones and Spartans revealed an edge for ISU in a variety of key indicators. Notably, the Cyclones own 18 victories over Quads 1 and 2 compared to 14 for Michigan State. Iowa State also owns a significant edge in predictive metrics.
Advertisement
Vanderbilt as a No. 3 seed
Vanderbilt is a worthy No. 3 seed in CBS Sports Bracketology after mounting a charge that included three “Quad 1A” victories between March 7-14. Among them was a needle-moving SEC Tournament semifinal win over Florida. The 91-74 drubbing of the reigning national champions was the best win of anyone in college basketball during championship week, and it sent Vanderbilt soaring to a top-10 level in every results-based metric used by the committee.
SMU hangs on to the final projected spot
VCU punched its ticket to the NCAA Tournament as an automatic qualifier with a wire-to-wire win over Dayton on Sunday. The Rams will be a No. 11 seed avoiding the First Four in CBS Sports Bracketology with the win. The win eliminates the possibility of a three-bid Atlantic 10. But the A-10 will likely have two bids in the field since Saint Louis looks solid as an at-large candidate. This result is great news for SMU, which will remain among the Last Four In within CBS Sports Bracketology. A Dayton win would have hurt the Mustangs’ chances of making the field.
The Hall of Famer retired with a 32-0 (16 KOs) record in 2017, having become a world champion at 175lbs after cementing himself as an all-time super-middleweight great.
His last two outings came against Sergey Kovalev who, at the time, was considered one of the sport’s most destructive punchers, ending seven of his previous nine world title fights inside the distance.
Advertisement
Their first encounter in 2016, however, ended in controversial fashion, with Ward claiming a unanimous decision that many felt should have swung in favour of his opponent.
This then meditated an immediate rematch for the IBF, WBO and WBA world titles, which Ward defended with a far more emphatic eighth-round finish.
The American’s performances against Kovalev therefore makes it difficult to back against him in a hypothetical encounter with Benavidez, who defended his WBC world title with a seventh-round stoppage victory over Anthony Yarde last November.
This followed his only other two light-heavyweight outings, which resulted in points victories over David Morrell and Oleksandr Gvozdyk, with the 29-year-old now gearing up to face unified world cruiserweight champion Gilberto Ramirez on May 2.
Advertisement
Speaking on his podcast, former world champion Porter suggested that his fellow Hall of Famer would ultimately have the mental edge over Benavidez in a fantasy matchup.
“[Ward’s] mind’s just different. You’re getting a Floyd Mayweather at 175lbs. What I mean by that is you’re getting a mind that is concrete to any adversity; a mind that is able to just simply move with the water, make the adjustments – see them when they come – and execute.
“It might be the only one that can beat a Benavidez … I don’t see anyone with that kind of mind now.”
— The PorterWay Podcast (@ThePorterWayPod) March 10, 2026
While Benavidez is no slouch when it comes to doggedness and ring IQ, it could be said that Ward is in a class of his own with regards to those two facets.
The volunteers on the right side of TPC Sawgrass’ 13th hole? When it happened, they said they saw it coming.
“I called it,” one said.
“I called it!”
Then there was the rules official. She’d never seen what befell Kevin Roy during Sunday’s final round of the Players Championship. Roy had asked her: “Have you ever seen this?” — and she said simply:
Advertisement
“Never.”
In the end, all of it cost Roy a stroke, and he bogeyed the hole on his way to finishing his round with a 3-over 75 and a 4-over total for the tournament. But what unfolded on 13 was curious, and video of it — which you can watch below — began circulating on Sunday afternoon.
It started with Roy’s tee ball, which drifted right, bounced once and disappeared into a smallish hole in a tree trunk. That excited the volunteers. Roy eventually learned his fate, then laughed when he told playing partner Eric Cole what had happened. “It’s in the hole,” Roy said. “It’s in.” Cole then hit his second shot before walking over to have a look himself.
The official then arrived. The ruling? Roy took a one-stroke penalty for an unplayable lie, then fished into the trunk hole and retrieved his ball. The broadcast announcers were shocked at it all. “Come on,” one said. “That’s unbelievable.” another said.
Advertisement
From there, Roy hit onto the green, and he two-putted for bogey.
Notably, if the hole had been deemed an animal hole, he still wouldn’t have been given relief, and a recent story from GOLF’s rules guy addressed that. It read this way:
My golf buddies were playing a money game. One friend hits his second shot into a hole in the trunk of a large, living tree. His ball came to rest in a burrowing animal hole — likely mole or gopher — inside the trunk. He took a free drop correctly … but was it proper? Without the burrow, the ball was definitely not playable. —Scott Bie, Sacramento, Calif.
Alas, your pal is going to want to crawl into a hole after reading this.
Advertisement
An animal hole that qualifies as an abnormal course condition — from which you get free relief — is defined as “any hole dug in the ground by an animal, except for holes dug by animals that are also defined as loose impediments (such as worms or insects).”
Those three little words, in the ground, did him in. He gets the general penalty (two strokes in stroke play or loss of hole in match play) under Rule 14.7 for playing from a wrong place since he wasn’t allowed to lift the ball in the first place and did not replace it as required by Rule 9.4b.
Had he called it unplayable to begin with, he could have escaped with just one penalty stroke. It’s all enough to make you want to smash your tree-iron. … Sorry, couldn’t resist. What? You expected a “gopher is a varmint” reference? Puh-lease.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy hands the ball to running back Aaron Jones Sr. during first-quarter action against the Baltimore Ravens at U.S. Bank Stadium on Nov. 9, 2025, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Minnesota leaned on its ground game early while easing pressure on the rookie quarterback. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images.
A few waves of NFL free agency remain, but out of the gate for the Minnesota Vikings, the club added a new quarterback and cornerback. And while the club wasn’t as active as in years past, onlookers learned a lot along the way.
Minnesota’s first week revealed more than one roster clue heading toward April.
Free agency will sputter out in the next couple of weeks, and then it’s on to the draft in late April.
Advertisement
The QB Move, Cap Discipline, and Punter Void Molded Minnesota’s Early Plan
The major takeaways from the first week of Vikings free agency.
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) celebrates on the field after Arizona’s overtime victory against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada, on September 18, 2022, following a dramatic comeback that sealed the 29–23 win in an AFC–NFC matchup. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports.
1. It Was Kyler Murray after All
When it became apparent in late December that J.J. McCarthy was not durable and that his performance lacked consistency, it seemed likely that Minnesota would find another quarterback in the offseason, at least to compete with McCarthy in the summer of 2026.
Some said that might be Mac Jones. Others whispered Malik Willis. Many banged the drum on Kirk Cousins. Aaron Rodgers maintains a bizarre fan base among Vikings enthusiasts. The Vikings had options — about 30 of them from free agency and via trade — for the quarterback to challenge McCarthy.
Advertisement
Then, the Arizona Cardinals made Murray available for free, creating a no-brainer to end all no-brainers. The Vikings pounced and faced very little pushback because the whole league just knew that Murray would pick Kevin O’Connell’s team.
And here we are: Murray is the other quarterback.
USA Today‘s Tyler Dragon on Murray to Minnesota: “The NFC North just got a lot more competitive. The division has had a different winner the last two seasons, and the Vikings, Bears, Packers and Lions have each won at least one division title since 2021. There’s no clearcut favorite for the upcoming season.”
“The Vikings offense averaged an NFC-worst 166 passing yards per game a year ago, and they had just one game with at least 300 yards passing. In Week 17 with Max Brosmer under center, the Vikings miraculously won with a meager three net passing yards. It was the fewest passing yards in a win in franchise history. Kyler Murray has a career average of 235 passing yards per game, and the two-time Pro Bowler has produced a career 92.2 passer rating.”
Advertisement
2. The Vikings Like Their Core of Players from Last Year
Interim general manager Rob Brzezinski said before free agency, “We’ve spent a lot of money the last two years in free agency. And so our goal is going to be to keep our core in place, and that’s going to involve making some difficult decisions on some players, which you deal with on a daily basis.”
“But I think for the most part, our goal is going to be to draft and develop and to retain our core, and supplement with free agency. It just makes logical sense that that bill’s coming due. We do have to navigate it, and navigate it responsibly.”
He wasn’t kidding.
Advertisement
Brzezinski added two new players in the first five days of free agency: Murray and cornerback James Pierre. The Vikings like their roster as-is.
3. The 2027 Offseason Will Remain Flexible
The byproduct of not spending big? Well, Minnesota won’t be hamstrung next offseason, as would have been the case if it spent big on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. For example, the Vikings could’ve signed center Tyler Linderbaum for $27 million per year or Malik Willis at $22.5 million — and then next year at this time, the piggybank would be barren.
Minnesota Vikings executive Rob Brzezinski speaks with Vikings.com’s Gabe Henderson during a sit-down interview discussing organizational philosophy and front-office strategy on February 17, 2022, outlining Minnesota’s leadership structure and the hiring of head coach Kevin O’Connell during the in-depth digital segment. Mandatory Credit: YouTube.
Because the club evidently enjoys its core, the 2027 offseason is now flexible. Brzezinski or a new general manager can spend more freely, which may be important if the franchise learns that Murray is the real deal or if it’s starting from scratch with a new head coach.
4. A New Punter Is Needed
Advertisement
Wright signed a four-year deal with the New Orleans Saints, a change for Wright that Vikings fans didn’t see coming. They thought he’d re-sign in Minnesota as a no-brainer.
The club needs a new punter, likely a rookie from this list:
Ryan Eckley (Michigan State)
Tommy Doman (Florida)
Ross James (Oregon)
Tyler Perkins (Iowa State)
Jack Stonehouse (Syracuse)
Brett Thorson (Georgia)
Tyler White (Texas A&M)
Perhaps a bigger question, however, is who will hold. Will Reichard has become a fan favorite in Minnesota and one of the NFL’s best kickers by 2025, a welcome change given the franchise’s history of kicking woes. With Wright, a reliable holder, now gone, the Vikings are back to square one.
Georgia Bulldogs punter Brett Thorson (92) kicks the ball during first-half action against the Texas Longhorns in the SEC Championship Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, on December 7, 2024, as Georgia’s special teams unit executes field-position strategy in the high-stakes conference title matchup. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images.
Finding a new holder and integrating them with Reichard in Eagan sometime in May or June isn’t a crisis, but it is a necessity.
Minnesota had a successful field goal and extra point operation with Reichard and Wright. Now, they need to replace Wright.
5. Must Nail the Draft
Advertisement
The Vikings have set themselves up for a high-stakes draft. In the last four, former general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah largely bungled the process, hitting on about 15% to 20% of picks — an unacceptable percentage that will ruin a team in a hurry.
Because Minnesota didn’t splash loudly in free agency — aside from Murray — it must connect on the nine draft picks in April. It’s mandatory.
The days of trashy draft classes must end. If Brzezinski produces an Adofo-Mensah-style draft, the Vikings will probably be headed to their version of a rebuild. The incoming crop is required to contribute, at least the players selected in Rounds 1 through 4.
