Vikings running back Aaron Jones was an obvious cut candidate entering this year’s offseason, but the franchise and the player agreed on a revised deal to keep him around for a third season. That ruined another organization’s plans.
It turns out, the Washington Commanders were interested in his services for the upcoming season.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter revealed in his pre-draft nuggets, “Even if Love does not wind up going No. 3, he will not slide far. The Commanders at No. 7 would seem to be his floor. Last spring, the Commanders planned to pursue Aaron Jones Sr. before he returned to the Vikings.”
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Jones’ exit was a foregone conclusion at one point, and even reports about his release surfaced. Too tasty were the $7.75 million in cap space the club could have saved by releasing the ball-carrier.
Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones Sr. (33) finds a gap and charges forward for yardage during the first half against the Atlanta Falcons on Sep 14, 2025, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The veteran back has been instrumental in establishing Minnesota’s run game balance early this season, providing consistent production and leadership for a young offense. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.
Ultimately, Jones took a pay cut and avoided a move. The difference between a pay cut and potential savings ended up too insignificant for a divorce to make sense for Minnesota. Finding a replacement would’ve cost more and perhaps still be a downgrade.
Schefter added about Washington’s possible draft plans: “This offseason, Washington added Rachaad White and Jerome Ford to join Jacory Croskey-Merritt, but the team still does not have much money invested in the position. If the opportunity presents itself, some expect the Commanders would rush to turn in the card for Love, giving Washington a great offensive tandem with him and Jayden Daniels.”
Jeremiyah Love, the crown jewel of this year’s running back class, might be off the board before the Commanders are on the clock, but if he’s there, the prospects of pairing the dynamic runner with quarterback Jayden Daniels are intriguing.
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The Vikings were considered a potential destination for Love throughout the 2025 season, but the strong finish with a five-game winning streak ended that speculation.
Instead, it’ll continue to be a timeshare between last year’s trade acquisition, Jordan Mason, and 2024 free-agent addition Jones. The reality that both enter the season with free agency looming next March could put running back on this year’s draft menu.
Dec 7, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones (33) reacts after the game at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images
In addition to the short-term contract, his age rules out any long-term plans. At 31, a significant decline could happen at any point, especially for a player who has dealt with injuries for years. A hamstring injury cost him five games last year.
Still, he was solid in 2025, ranking in the middle of the pack in EPA/rush (23rd/49 eligible RBs), success rate (16th/49), and TFL percentage (19th/49). The counting numbers showed 548 rushing yards and two touchdowns, with a receiving output of 199 yards and one score.
Jones is one of the premier third-down backs in the league, as he brings a rare combination of sure hands and blocking talent to the table. Most receiving backs are smaller and lack the oomph in pass protection.
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He’s also a key component in the leadership structure. When the club and the runner agreed on a new deal, NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero noted, “The Vikings never wanted to let go of Aaron Jones, who is a strong locker room presence and still effective when healthy at age 31. The sides worked towards a new deal and found common ground to keep in purple for another season.”
Jan 4, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Jordan Mason (27) runs for a gain against the Green Bay Packers during the game at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dan Powers-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images
The pairing between Mason and Jones is a good fit on paper, as Jones is the more shifty technician, while Mason brings the size and power to run over defenders. Adding a rookie in the draft could complete the running back room for the upcoming season. Depth rusher Zavier Scott remains from last year, while 2022 draftee Ty Chandler was not retained in free agency.
Jones will wear the purple colors in the 2026 season and it’s good to know that at least one other team was interested in his services. The veteran is just one year removed from a season with over 1,500 scrimmage yards.
The filly Snitzel Dancer proved trainers Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou right by notching her stakes debut win in the Group 3 $250,000 James HB Carr Stakes (1400m).
Ryan expressed confusion over Snitzel Dancer’s two early-season Warwick Farm runs.
But her rebound success at Hawkesbury led Ryan and Alexiou to target the Carr Stakes.
“This filly shows us a lot at home so we couldn’t work out what happened in those two Warwick Farm runs,” Ryan said.
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“It’s possible she just doesn’t like Warwick Farm because she was back to her best at Hawkesbury.
“I know she was big odds today but we were confident she would run very well. I told the owners she would finish top three.”
Kerrin McEvoy guided the $21 Snitzel Dancer to a strong finish, winning by near a length from resilient Plaintiff ($2.15 favourite) who had a wide passage with cover and placed second closely, while Karinska ($7.50) overcame interference to grab third half a length away.
Snitzel Dancer has now qualified for the stable’s Brisbane winter carnival squad, per Ryan, with the Group 1 Queensland Oaks in sight.
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“We will go to perhaps the Guineas against the boys or the Bracelet on the Gold Coast, because I’ve always believed this filly will run 2000 metres.
“The Oaks is only 2200m, but we’ll just see how she’s going. We won’t stretch her too far.
“It’s good to see her live up to what she’s shown all the way along.”
McEvoy feels Snitzel Dancer can handle extended journeys.
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“She hit the line strongly late and will get 1600m at least,” McEvoy said.
“I think she’ll stay further because she’s such a nice attitude. She’ll keep developing and no doubt strengthen a bit more.
“If Gerald and Sterling want to head towards the Oaks, then it’s worth a try because she’s a promising filly who is only going to get better.”
Plaintiff aimed for a perfect record and Jordan Childs praised her.
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“She has gone extremely well,” Childs said.
“We had a nice run in transit, got into the three wide moving line and travelled up like the winner. “She probably just didn’t quicken up as good as she did the other day, being fresh. This was her first go 1400m I thought it was a good run.”
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Myles Garrett and his girlfriend, Chloe Kim, are enjoying their downtime away from their respective sports. On Sunday, the three-time Olympic snowboarder posted a photo on her Instagram Story of her laying next to Garrett.
Kim smiled in the photo and used just a simple caption to proclaim her excitement in the moment.
Thanks for the submission!
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“yay!!” Kim said.
•
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(Image via Instagram/@chloekim)
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Kim and Garrett have shown support for each other since debuting their relationship in 2025. The Olympian was spotted at several Cleveland Browns games throughout the regular season.
The reigning NFL defensive player of the year made the trip to Milan, Italy to support Kim at her third Olympic games. She won the silver medal in the halfpipe event.
Chloe Kim shared heartfelt post for Myles Garrett for first Valentine’s Day
Just two days after she claimed her third Olympic medal, her first silver, Chloe Kim celebrated her first Valentine’s day with Myles Garrett. She shared a carousel of photos of their relationship and expressed her gratitude for him.
Amongst the photos, she included a glimpse of Myles Garrett wearing a shirt that read, “I heart my Super Hot Beautiful Girlfriend so please stay away from me,” to which the Olympian revealed she bought him.
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“blinked and suddenly I had a Valentine ❤️ and yes I bought him the shirt,” Kim said.
Kim and Garrett debuted their relationship in May while attending the Crunchyroll Anime Awards. In a recent interview the snowboarder revealed that they were introduced by a mutual friend, who happened to her physical therapist. She was unaware at first that Garrett was a football player until after she attended an NFL game.
Mar 14, 2026; Cleveland, OH, USA; Toledo Rockets guard Leroy Blyden Jr. (2) dunks against the Akron Zips during the first half of the men’s Mid-American Conference Championship at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
Kansas snagged MAC Freshman of the Year point guard Leroy Blyden Jr. from Toledo in the transfer portal.
He made the All-MAC Third Team in 2025-26 after averaging 16.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.8 steals while shooting 40.7% from 3-point range in 34 games (32 starts) for the Rockets.
Blyden visited St. John’s but opted to join the Jayhawks, who previously received a transfer commitment from Utah forward Keanu Dawes.
Blyden was runner-up to Michigan freshman Trey McKenney for Michigan’s Mr. Basketball honor in 2025.
Matt Fitzpatrick thoroughly enjoyed silencing a rowdy group of American golf fans after his playoff victory over World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler at the RBC Heritage on Sunday.
The Englishman began the final round of the PGA Tour signature event with a three-shot cushion over Scheffler, but as is often the case, the best player in the world refused to go away. Fitzpatrick carded his lone bogey of the afternoon on the 72nd hole to fall back to 18-under and into a playoff against the American, who posted a bogey-free round of 67 on Sunday.
Matt Fitzpatrick plays from the rough during the first round of the British Open at the Royal Portrush Golf Club, Northern Ireland, July 17, 2025.(Francisco Seco/AP)
As Fitzpatrick’s par putt from just inside 25 feet slid past the cup on the final hole, chants of “USA-USA-USA” broke out among the crowd on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. The 31-year-old is no stranger to hearing it from American fans, having represented Europe in the Ryder Cup four times.
Fitzpatrick drew something not only from his experiences competing in the Ryder Cup, but also from winning the biennial event in 2023 and 2025, a fact he was sure to remind folks of after defeating Scheffler on the first playoff hole on Sunday.
Matthew Fitzpatrick hits from the bunker at the Ryder Cup, Sept. 28, 2025, in Farmingdale, New York.(Robert Bukaty/AP)
“Americans are incredibly patriotic, and I think that was amazing,” Fitzpatrick said when asked if he thought the “USA” chants were strange. “I guess the only issue is they just have shorter memories because we won in October.”
While walking off the 18th green after making a birdie to win the playoff, Fitzpatrick put his finger to his ear to playfully taunt the pro-American crowd.
Aside from the Europeans taking down the Americans in dramatic fashion, the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black will be remembered for the fan experience getting out of hand. Fitzpatrick and his European teammates were berated by fans throughout the three-day event in New York, and while the majority agrees things crossed the line at the Ryder Cup, it certainly wasn’t the case during the closing moments at the RBC Heritage.
“No, it didn’t get out of line in terms of no one was shouting on backswings or anything like that, which was great. I’m all for it. I love the people – they’re supporting Scottie; that’s great,” Fitzpatrick explained. “You want golf to have an atmosphere in my opinion. I grew up watching football. I’m paid so much money to be out there in front of those crowds, having them chanting at you every week, it’s a great feeling.
“However, there’s no better feeling than coming out on top against that. There isn’t a better feeling.”
Matt Fitzpatrick acknowledges the crowd during The 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club on July 17, 2025, in Portrush, Northern Ireland.(Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Fitzpatrick’s victory on Sunday marked his second RBC Heritage title and his second win in his last three starts on Tour after winning the Valspar Championship in March. The Englishman won the RBC Heritage in 2023 in a playoff over Jordan Spieth.
Following his unanimous decision defeat to Conor Benn last Saturday, Regis Prograis has considered how a clash between ‘The Destroyer’ and Ryan Garcia might unfold.
The two-time world champion faced Benn on the undercard of Tyson Fury vs Arslanbek Makhmudov, announcing his retirement shortly after losing their contest at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Fighting at a catchweight of 150lbs, this was Benn’s first outing since his middleweight rematch with Chris Eubank Jr, which saw him claim a dominant points victory in November.
The American secured his world title at 147lbs in February, dethroning Mario Barrios with a unanimous decision victory after scoring a first-round knockdown.
In doing so, Garcia claimed his first win since stopping Oscar Duarte in 2023, which was followed by his controversial clash with Devin Haney in 2024.
Despite managing to edge a majority decision on the night, ‘King Ry’ was ultimately handed a year-long ban – and had his career-best triumph overturned to a no-contest – after it emerged that he had twice tested positive for banned substance ostarine.
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Similarly, Benn twice tested positive for clomifene in 2022, a few months after his last welterweight outing saw him stop Chris van Heerden in the second round.
With Benn now looking to return to 147lbs and face Garcia, though, Prograis has offered his take in an interview with Fight Hub TV.
“Ryan is fast. Ryan might catch him, but I think that Conor could catch Ryan [as well].
“Conor does have some power, and Conor reminds me of me when I was younger. I was just a dog – I came to fight and I was unpolished.
“That’s what Conor is. He’s strong; he’s going to come to fight; he has a chin; he’s durable.
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“With Ryan, it would be interesting. It depends [on] who catches who first.”
Indeed, both Benn and Garcia appear to carry plenty of power, but have not engineered any stoppages since 2022 and 2023, respectively.
A new name has entered the spotlight for Mumbai Indians as 21-year-old Danish Malewar made his IPL debut against Gujarat Titans in the 2026 season clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium.Born on October 8, 2003, in Nagpur, Malewar is a right-handed top-order batter who also bowls right-arm leg-spin. He has been steadily building a reputation in domestic cricket, particularly for his consistency in the longer format and his aggressive intent in white-ball cricket. His rise earned him an IPL contract with Mumbai Indians, who secured him at his base price of INR 30 lakh.
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Malewar’s cricketing journey began early at the City Gymkhana Academy under coaches Swaroopraj Shrivastava and Nitin Gawande. Joining at just seven years old, he quickly progressed through the ranks and was representing Vidarbha at the Under-14 level by the age of 12.His breakthrough came in the 2024–25 Ranji Trophy season, where he played a key role in Vidarbha’s title-winning campaign. Malewar amassed 783 runs in nine matches at an impressive average of 52, including two centuries and six fifties, finishing as the team’s third-highest run-getter.He has also shown his prowess in the shortest format. In the Vidarbha T20 League, he emerged as the second-highest run-scorer, piling up 318 runs at an average of 79.5 and a strike rate of 161.42, underlining his ability to shift gears.Malewar’s debut comes at a crucial time for Mumbai Indians, who are struggling in IPL 2026 with four consecutive losses after their opening win and currently sit near the bottom of the table. With senior players under pressure, the franchise has turned to fresh talent in search of a turnaround.Facing a confident Gujarat Titans side led by Shubman Gill, who opted to bowl first after winning the toss, Malewar now has an early opportunity to showcase his potential on one of the biggest stages in franchise cricket.
The protracted disagreement over the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final between the Senegal national football team and the Morocco national football team is likely to drag on for months, with proceedings at the Court of Arbitration for Sport still ongoing.
Legal experts in sports say the arbitration could last between nine and twelve months. Without a fast-tracked process, a final decision may only arrive after the 2026 FIFA World Cup, prolonging uncertainty over who should officially be crowned champions of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The delay is largely due to the complicated nature of the case, as CAS judges aim to carry out a detailed review and deliver a solid legal ruling. It is understood that Morocco has chosen the standard arbitration route instead of an expedited hearing, a decision seen as a way to strengthen its legal arguments.
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This has led to a rare situation in African football. While officials have provisionally acknowledged Morocco as winners, the trophy is reportedly still in Dakar and linked to Senegal. The unusual arrangement has continued to stir debate and confusion among supporters and stakeholders across the continent.
Until CAS reaches a final verdict, the dispute over the AFCON final will remain unresolved, leaving the competition’s official outcome uncertain.
Matias has entered the Queensland Derby discussion thanks to his commanding success in the Group 3 $250,000 Frank Packer Plate (2000m).
This came just 35 minutes on from his stablemate Snitzel Dancer’s win in the Group 3 Carr Stakes.
Prior to his stud career at Arrowfield, Ryan had Snitzel capture the Oakleigh Plate; there, the stallion excelled, claiming four Australian Sires Premierships and producing 27 individual Group 1 winners, three of whom won the Golden Slipper.
Snitzel died last year aged 22, but with Matias and Snitzel Dancer, he is set for a fifth Sires title this season, reaching 15 individual stakes winners (others max 8), progeny prize money over $20.5 million, $4 million ahead of The Autumn Sun.
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“Snitzel is just a freak of a horse,” said Ryan, who now trains in partnership with Sterling Alexiou.
“He was outstanding on the racetrack and a phenomenon at stud – and he’s still throwing stakes winners.”
As the $2.70 market elect, Matias became Snitzel’s newest stakes victor with a lengthier-than-expected margin in the Frank Packer Plate over Providence ($7.50), Pictor ($13) third by a half-length.
The trainer announced Matias heads to the Queensland Derby, alongside Snitzel Dancer targeting the Queensland Oaks in Brisbane’s winter three-year-old carnival.
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“This race was the deciding point, whether he ticked the 2000m box,” Ryan said.
“I know he’s by Snitzel but his first three dams either won or ran a place in the Oaks.
“The Queensland Derby has always been the aim since he won the Grand Prix up there in December.
“I think we will run in the Rough Habit Plate. I know it’s a month between runs, I know he’s a big, gross horse but you can’t overwork him. Then it’ll be a fortnight into the Derby.”
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Ryan hailed jockey Nash Rawiller’s performance aboard Matias as “a beautiful ride.”
Matias exhibited solid staying power according to Rawiller in taking the Frank Packer Plate.
“I don’t know what time they ran (2m 02.43s) but it was a genuinely run race,” Rawiller said.
“My bloke was turned out to perfection. He’s been a horse that’s been building to this now for 12 months.
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“You know, I think we just saw the furnished product, the sort of horse we thought he would be from day dot.
“Like I said, it was a genuinely run, staying-type race and he just thrived on that and he loved it.”
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