After a buzzy, nearly two-month pre-seeding on global tours, Titleist is pulling back the cover on its latest metalwoods.
The company is announcing its new GTS2, 3 and 4 drivers along with GTS2 and 3 metalwoods, the most adjustable club line ever from Titleist, thanks to increased use of Titleist’s Proprietary Matrix Polymer construction.
“When we talk about driver design, it’s never about the one feature or benefit — it’s about all of them,” said Stephanie Luttrell, Titleist’s senior director of metalwood R&D, said in a release. “Ball speed, forgiveness, spin stability, adjustability, exceptional sound and feel … these are all attributes that golfers care about. It’s our job to design a lineup that elevates performance across the board without sacrificing in key areas, and we feel we’ve done that with GTS.”
The drivers launched on the PGA Tour at the Texas Children’s Houston Open in March and have been gamed by more than 50 players, including Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth. The fairway woods launched at the RBC Heritage and Cameron Young quickly added a GTS3 7-wood to his bag. Previously, there was no “3” 7-wood.
Keep reading below for more on the Titleist GTS Metalwoods, including my take on the release.
Splitting it up
Titleist’s GT drivers introduced the company’s Proprietary Matrix Polymer for the crown of the driver. For GTS, Titleist leveraged the material to make up 60 percent of the driver’s surface, dramatically removing weight from the middle of the head.
Despite taking up 60 percent of the surface area, the PMP material takes up just 13 percent of the driver’s mass, allowing designers to re-allocate that mass to the front and back of the head.
Advertisement
A rendering of the new Split Mass construction.
Titleist
“We’ve essentially been able to evaporate the midsection of the head,” Lutrell told GOLF.com. “What it’s allowed us to do is take 40 grams of titanium mass out, and now we’ve got almost 30 grams at our fingertips. In an engineering world, the more discretionary mass we have, the more we can leverage it to improve performance.”
That extra mass was split between the back of the head to increase stability and low and forward to boost speed and launch dynamics.
The split mass construction gives the GTS drivers the ability to hit both inertia targets and ideal CG positions for each head.
Advertisement
Syncing up speed
To add the “speed” component of GTS, Luttrell and the metalwoods team took aim at aerodynamics and the face of the driver.
All three driver heads have new aerodynamic shapes to help reduce drag and get the club to move faster through the air. On GTS2 and GTS3, the tail end of the club is raised to keep airflow closer to the crown.
When it comes to the face, Titleist has morphed the Speed Ring of the previous generation into the new Speed Sync Face construction.
A look behind the new Titleist Speed Sync Face.
Jack Hirsh/GOLF
Advertisement
With Speed Sync, the top of the speed ring has been removed, allowing the top of the face to flex more. This is important because as driver faces have gotten taller, players have responded by hitting the ball higher up on the face.
Speed Sync gets more ball speed out of those high face strikes while also preserving spin retention. The technology is one of the things that allowed the GTS4 to become a much more playable product this generation because of the strike variability introduced by low-spin heads.
The Spin Sync Face is tuned to each head to maximize performance for the unique head shapes.
More adjustable (and fittable) than ever
With the ability to precisely control CG positions in each head, Titleist has created a CG spectrum in which none of the drivers overlap. Each driver now has the ability to move CG forward and aft for the first time.
Advertisement
The GTS2 has adjustable CG for the first time.
Jack Hirsh/GOLF
With the heavyweight in the rear, the GTS2 is the most stable and highest launching driver in the lineup, as in years past. While moving the heavyweight to the forward position moves up the CG position, increasing speed and lowering spin, it doesn’t meet the CG position of the GTS3 with its heavyweight in the rear position.
The same line of demarcation exists between the GTS3 in the forward position and the GTS4 in the rear position. This allows the lineup to fill in all the gray areas of where the CG needs to fall for a player to perform best.
“CG depth is a fitting tool, and it’s a tool that allows us to manipulate launch and spin characteristics as well as dynamic closure for players,” Luttrell said. “The more customization we can provide with CG, the more opportunity we have to unlock performance for players and better fit their unique needs.”
Advertisement
The heel-to-toe adjustable weight track from last year’s GT3 returns to the GTS3 and was added to the GTS4 to add more customization options. While the GTS2 has two adjustable front and back flat weights, fitters can also change the weight in the tracks on GTS3 and GTS4 to move CG forward and aft.
GTS4 has also become a much more useful fitting tool, having been increased in size to 460 cc. Now players can still get the low spin and forward CG performance from the “4” model, but they don’t have trade forgiveness. Luttrell said the new “4” is just as forgiving as the GT3.
The GTS4 is now up to 460 cc.
Jack Hirsh/GOLF
All the drivers will come stock with the heavyweight forward, the fastest position, to help win ball-speed battles against other stock drivers, with the goal of a fitting dialing in the proper CG location.
Advertisement
Brighter face = better strike
The GTS fairway wood line also benefits from an increased use of composite material in the crown that wraps around the sides of the clubhead.
There are two distinct shapes, with the GTS2 being a choice for players who like shallower-faced fairway woods like the last generation’s GT1 fairway wood, which proved popular on the PGA Tour. The GTS3 is both more compact and has a deeper face.
A look at the new silver face of a GTS2 13.5˚ fairway.
Jack Hirsh/GOLF
But the most striking difference is the new high-polish silver faces on the fairway woods, which are designed to promote the player covering the ball more effectively. The silver face appears to show more loft to most players.
Advertisement
This was something derived from Titleist Senior Director of Player Promotions J.J. Van Wezenbeeck, who brought prototype GT fairway woods on Tour with silver faces to see how they’d perform. Cameron Young is using a prototype GT1 3Tour 3-wood with a silver face.
“J.J. brought out silver-faced prototypes on tour, and they had a real impact on how some players delivered the club,” Luttrell said. “When they saw more loft, they started hitting down on the ball more and just struck it better overall.”
There are three driver models (2, 3 and 4) and two fairway wood models (2 and 3) in the GTS lineup.
GTS2 Driver
The GTS2 from all angles.
Jack Hirsh/GOLF
Advertisement
What is it: The deepest CG driver in the lineup that is the most stable. From the previous generation, the GTS2 gains CG adjustability through the use of both a front and back adjustable flat weight.
Available lofts: 8.0, 9.0, 10.0, 11.0 (RH/LH)
Who it’s for: Players seeking the most forgiving model out of the box and the highest launching. Golfers who have typically fit into traditional “max” heads will likely find their fit here with something in the rear weight configuration.
GTS3 Driver
The GTS3 from all angles.
Jack Hirsh/GOLF
Advertisement
What is it: The GTS3 gains a rear flat weight to help dial in CG location in conjunction with the adjustable forward heel-toe CG track. As in years past, the 3 model offers a more compact shape and deeper face compared to the GTS2 and still has heel-to-toe CG adjustability. The GTS3 offers a front-to-back CG location in between what can be achieved by GTS2 or GTS4.
Available lofts: 8.0, 9.0, 10.0, 11.0 (RH/LH)
Who it’s for: Players who want a lower-spinning, precise driver off the tee and perform best with a middle-CG location.
GTS4 Driver
The GTS4 from all angles.
Jack Hirsh/GOLF
Advertisement
What is it: The lowest-spinning and fastest driver in the lineup has been completely redesigned and increased in size to 460 cc to add forgiveness. It still offers the most forward CG of any Titleist driver and gains the adjustable heel-to-toe CG track of the “3” model. Like the GTS3, front-to-back CG can be adjusted using the rear flat weight and the forward CG track. The new, larger shape is designed to look similar to the TSi3 from 2020.
Available lofts: 8.0, 9.0, 10.0 (RH/LH)
Who it’s for: Players who need maxium spin reduction but who do not want to trade forgiveness to get it.
GTS2 Fairway
The GTS2 from all angles.
Johnny Wunder/GOLF
Advertisement
What is it: The shallowest and largest profile fairway wood, the GTS2 is designed to launch easily from the turf. This model gains heel-to-toe CG adjustability in the form of two flat weights on the sole. The stock configuration is an 11 g weight in the heel and a 5 g weight in the toe. There is a 13.5-degree model, which is larger and retains a deeper face for better tee performance.
Available lofts: 13.5, 15.0, 16.5, 18.0, 21.0
Who it’s for: Players with shallower deliveries and who want the best performance from the fairway.
GTS3 Fairway
The GTS3 Fairway from all angles.
Jack Hirsh/GOLF
Advertisement
What is it: The GTS3 is a distinctly deeper-faced and more compact profile than GTS2. The CG track from the previous generation has been replaced bt two adjustable flat weights on the sole. The stock configuration is an 11 g weight in the heel and a 5 g weight in the toe. For the first time, the “3” model is being offered in a 21-degree 7-wood loft.
Available lofts: 15.0, 16.5, 18.0, 21.0
Who it’s for: Players with steeper deliveries and who prioritize off-the-tee performance with their fairway woods.
My take: Titleist is pushing performance in every direction
Titleist was already the category leader in drivers on the PGA Tour when they discounted their lineup by $200 earlier this year, just after every other OEM’s driver launch. Golfers enjoyed a steal picking up GT drivers for that price.
Advertisement
Still, with the gains made from the new GTS line, those bargain-hunters might feel left out.
Titleist took an outstanding platform and made it better in every meaningful way. GT was just as fast as anything else on the market, despite being available for more than a year. During my fitting, GTS was noticeably faster for me.
All GT drivers already had adjustable weighting to change swing weight with two models offering CG adjustment. Now all of the models have adjustable CG and two of the three can move it heel to toe.
I’ve historically struggled with drivers with a rearward CG, despite my goal to gain more stability with my driver. But during my fitting, I found great success with a GTS3 back-weighted but adding a touch of weight forward. By having mass concentrated in both the rear and forward, I was able to get the stability I needed while also feeling weight forward that I’m used to. In this setup, I was basically hitting balls into a bucket down range while not having to toe bias the club, as I typically have to do with my drivers.
Advertisement
With GTS, the fitting combinations are outstanding, and it truly makes it a platform that can be fit to almost anyone. When you see a club pick up as much conversion as it has on Tour, in the middle of major-championship season, there’s obviously something good happening there.
Titleist was so excited to bring this driver out that they moved the launch up months because they knew they had something. Now they get to benefit from launching the newest driver on the market just as we hit the summer season, when golfers want to buy clubs.
Titleist’s new GTS drivers and fairway woods are available for pre-order starting May 13 and will arrive at retail locations on June 11.
Advertisement
Each driver will cost $699 with one of Titleist’s featured shafts (Project X Titan Black, Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White, Blue or Red w/ Rip Technology) or $899 with one of their premium featured shafts (Graphite Design Tour AD DI, Tour AD VF, Tour AD FI).
GTS fairway woods cost $399 with the featured shafts and $599 with the premium feature shafts.
2 min read Last Updated : Jun 10 2026 | 8:36 PM IST
England captain Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson were on Wednesday dropped from the 15-member squad for the second Test against New Zealand due the ongoing investigation into their alleged involvement in a nightclub incident, the country’s cricket board said.
Senior batter Joe Root was named interim captain in place of Stokes. The second Test will played at The Oval here from June 17-21.
“The England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) can confirm that, given the ongoing investigation, Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson have not been made available for selection for the Rothesay second Test against New Zealand, which starts at the Kia Oval on Wednesday 17 June. Yorkshire batter Joe Root will lead the team as Interim Captain,” the ECB said in an official statement.
Advertisement
Sussex fast bowler Jofra Archer and Essex batter Jordan Cox have also been added to the squad.
According to reports, Stokes was allegedly involved in a nightclub incident alongside teammate Gus Atkinson. The incident, also allegedly involving a rugby player, happened on Sunday night after England outplayed New Zealand by 115 runs in the first Test of the summer at Lord’s.
Stokes and Atkinson were present at a nightclub in the early hours of Monday morning when an incident took place, according to reports.
Advertisement
‘TalkSport’ reported on Tuesday that Stokes is likely to step down from his role and could also announce retirement.
The ECB had earlier said that it was investigating a breach of team protocols following the conclusion of the first Test against New Zealand.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Following last month’s win over Junto Nakatani, Naoya Inoue has been linked with Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez. However, Rodriguez, presuming he wins this weekend, sees a ‘perfect storyline’ feturing another name first.
Rodriguez has excelled on the world stage since announcing himself at the elite level with a 2022 victory over Carlos Cuadras, where he claimed the WBC super-flyweight world title on short notice.
Since then. ‘Bam’ has dropped down to capture the unified flyweight world title and returned to 115lbs, where a host of unifications and title defences have thrust him into pound-for-pound contention.
Yet, speaking with Ring Magazine, Rodriguez admitted that he is interested in a showdown with WBC bantamweight champion Takuma Inoue, brother of Naoya, to build additional interest for his challenge for all four 126lb belts.
“Yeah, I think that [beating Takuma] is almost the perfect storyline to the [Naoya] Inoue fight; beating his brother and then going in and fighting the second brother.
“I feel like I just need to stay focussed on this [Vargas] fight. It’s a tough fight that I have in front of me and I know that I can get the job done, I know that I will get the job done. After June 13, then we can talk about the future.”
TimesofIndia.com in Mohali: Day after getting a green signal from the Centre of Excellence (CoE), Rohit Sharma looked in fine touch during India’s optional training session at the IS Bindra PCA Stadium in Mohali on Wednesday.Rohit Sharma was the first to step out of the team bus, and security officials and Punjab Police personnel took out their phones as the former India captain was flooded with selfie requests. He obliged a few before heading straight into the pavilion. The 39-year-old started with a light jog alongside his former Mumbai Indians opening partner Ishan Kishan before walking out to bat at the open nets.Rohit looked a bit rusty initially when Nitish Kumar Reddy struck him on the pads. But as the sun started to set, the right-handed batter looked in great touch. The flicks, pulls, cuts and drives were all on display. None of the pacers, Arshdeep Singh, Gurnoor Brar or Prince Sharma, were able to trouble him.Rohit shared the fast-bowling nets with Shreyas Iyer, with both batters switching ends after every over. In the side nets, Ishan Kishan and Yashasvi Jaiswal went berserk against the spinners.After a good 45 minutes against the quicks, Rohit Sharma was involved in a chat with batting coach Sitanshu Kotak. Thereafter, he moved to the spinner nets, where he faced left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey and Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) net bowlers. One thing missing from Rohit’s batting was that he never charged down the track against either the spinners or the fast bowlers. He completed the session by taking a few high catches with fielding coach T Dilip.India’s new T20I captain Shreyas Iyer also looked in fine touch. The swashbuckling batter, fresh from playing for SoBo Mumbai Falcons in the Mumbai T20 League, hardly looked troubled. He was tested with short-pitched deliveries by Gurnoor Brar.Barring Yashasvi Jaiswal, those who played in the one-off Test against Afghanistan in New Mullanpur opted out of the training session. The notable absentees were captain Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna and Washington Sundar.India won the Test match by an innings and 300 runs. The first ODI of the three-match series will be played in Dharamshala on Saturday (June 13), followed by matches in Lucknow on June 17 and Chennai on June 20.
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaching, the physical demands on professional footballers have never been higher.
Today players need to consistently maintain their strength and upgrade their durability and mobility throughout demanding physical seasons. As a result, elite players are extending their preparation beyond club facilities—into their own homes.
Advertisement
This fitness model is shown in the campaign “Strength Built At Home,” which highlights the new collaboration between the home-fitness brand RITFIT and Marco Reus, former captain of Borussia Dortmund, German football icon, and current LA Galaxy midfielder. The campaign focuses on how athletes can work on their performance and consistency when they are not on the pitch.
Advertisement
The Increasing Physical Demands of Football
A massive amount of pressure is put on modern football players, and conditioning and strength programs have become more important than ever before. In fact, players are now concentrating heavily on their lower-body fitness to prevent injury and improve their mobility and stability.
RITFIT has positioned itself at the intersection of professional-grade performance and home-accessible training and gives athletes the flexibility that they need to implement training, recovery days and off-season months.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Inside Marco Reus’ Home Training Environment
The “Strength Built At Home” campaign looks at how modern athletes such as Marco Reus, can now bring professional-level training into everyday living spaces. Built around a fully integrated RITFIT home gym environment, the setup supports everything from strength and conditioning work to recovery-focused movement, all within a compact and practical footprint. Reus’s home gym showcases equipment such as the M3 Smith Machine package, Gazelle Pro, AURASPIN Grip Plates, and Gator Weight Bench, all of which work together to create a system that is high in performance, and easy to incorporate into daily living.
Because lower-body training is central to a football training, exercises that combine controlled resistance workouts remain particularly important especially when it comes to supporting acceleration, balance, agility, and injury prevention.
The M3 Smith Machine package is central to this system, and players can perform compound movements like presses, rows, pull-downs, and cable exercises.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Upper-body and core training is also an important aspect of building stability and overall physical resilience of players during match time.
For players who want to add to the versatility of their workouts, the Gator Weight Bench supports pressing movements and seated exercises, and the AURASPIN Grip Plates help with progressive resistance training.
The Gazelle Pro adds conditioning and accessory training options for recovery-focused sessions.
Advertisement
Why Home Gyms Appeal to Professional Athletes
Home training is inherently efficient, and this is perhaps one of its biggest advantages, especially when professional players are trying to manage busy schedules and family responsibilities.
Advertisement
A home gym now means that professional athletes can supplement their workouts without adding commute time to already demanding schedules.
Advertisement
Athletes are continually looking at fitness as something that can fit into their daily lives outside of official training sessions.
Overall, the campaign shows us that fitness can become part of a balanced home environment while complementing athletic preparation.
A Shift Toward Long-Term Wellness
Home fitness has gained popularity beyond that of professional sport, and everyday users are now able to train around their work and family commitments.
Advertisement
The biggest challenge of exercising for most people is finding the time to do it; however, home gyms take away these barriers completely and allow users to work out whenever it best suits their daily routines.
Advertisement
This is a massive move towards accessibility and flexibility, which is why multifunctional gym equipment is continuing to grow in popularity.
The Continued Growth of Multifunctional Fitness Equipment
Advertisement
RITFIT, founded in the US in 2015, started off by focusing on beginner-friendly fitness products. Soon after, it expanded into strength- training systems that were able to fit seamlessly into home environments.
Their aim is to make fitness designed for professionals more accessible to everyday users at various levels of experience. Equally important is the brand’s focus on multifunctionality as it recognizes that users prefer equipment that can support varied workouts without needing more space.
Advertisement
A Smith machine package appeals to those who want to do varied exercises all within one easy setup, and with football continuing to demand exceptional fitness, home gyms are likely to become an important part of player performance.
Advertisement
For footballers like Marco Reus, home-based training allows for flexibility to work out of the comfort of their own homes while supporting recovery and long-term physical wellbeing.
Allen Park — For the first time in his career, Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff will be working with a new starting center in three consecutive seasons.
Goff, entering his 11th year in the NFL, has managed transitions at the position before — Tim Barnes (2016), John Sullivan (2017-18), Austin Blythe (2019-20), Frank Ragnow (2021-24) and Graham Glasgow (2025) have all began seasons as the quarterback’s primary snapper — but continuity has especially lacked since Ragnow’s sudden retirement in June 2025.
Fostering an enviornment for chemistry to build between himself and Mays is near the top of Goff’s priority list this offseason.
“We haven’t had much time yet, but we will,” Goff said last week, when asked if he’s had the opportunity to spend much time with Mays off the field. “We’ll do some dinners with the O-line and whatnot. I intend to be intentional about building that relationship with him.”
Mays described the center-quarterback relationship as “very important,” in that “we’ve just got to be on the same page (and) communicate the same.” He’s been relying on Goff to assist in his understanding of Detroit’s offense, which Goff has captained since 2021.
Advertisement
Advertisement
“It’s a new offense for me,” Mays said. “(Goff)’s been a part of it a long time, so just leaning on him, asking him questions, what he sees, what he’s looking for, and seeing it through his lens.”
Mays was selected in the sixth round of the draft in 2022. He played his most snaps last season (793) and allowed 13 pressures across 476 reps as a pass protector, according to Pro Football Focus. He hasn’t been credited with giving up a sack since Week 17 of the 2023 season.
Though he didn’t grade out well as a run blocker — Mays’ 58.4 mark from PFF ranked 28th out of 33 qualified centers (minimum 200 snaps) — Lions coach Dan Campbell explained earlier this offseason how the Lions don’t feel “restricted” in the run game with Mays because “we do feel like we can do the pin and pulls, the wide zones, the gaps with him, we think he’s got enough versatility and all that.”
Whether Mays has what it takes to pull together Detroit’s formerly vaunted offensive line will be determined on the field this fall. In the meantime, he’ll be working closely with Goff, soaking up information from the veteran to best see the game from his perspective.
Advertisement
Advertisement
“In the NFL, I don’t know if there’s ever that point,” Mays said, when asked when he’d feel 100% confidence in his alignment with Goff. “There’s new looks every week, so you just keep growing. But I feel like we’ve done a great job this week. Jared’s been awesome with helping me with the questions I have and the looks (we’re getting from the defense), so it’s been great.”
Fox News contributor and OutKick founder Clay Travis unleashed on the National Football League in a heartfelt testimony regarding the cost of watching games from home.
During his testimony, Travis “advocate[d] for the reasonable fan” in efforts to put an end to what he dubbed unlawful “pay-per-view.”
“Every single day, sports fans are getting gouged now for the opportunity of watching their favorite teams. Fans now pay far more money every year for something that by law in 1961 you all guaranteed for them should be free,” Travis began.
NFL fans walk outside the Super Bowl Experience at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Feb. 6, 2026.(Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
“Most of your constituents are frustrated. They don’t know how to find games, and they are having to pay far too much when they have the opportunity to actually watch those games. I don’t know how many of you remember back in the day when you can have one remote control in your hand, and you can easily flip to any different game… They just want to be able to watch their favorite team and not have to struggle to do so.”
“You guys have an important responsibility and an opportunity to apply the law fairly, freely, and help fans everywhere across the entire nation pay less and get more.”
Netflix and NFL signage advertises the NFL’s two Christmas Day marquee games streaming live on Netflix in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Dec. 1, 2024.(Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images)
“It was designed to make sure that fans get free access to games. Anything that fans are having to pay for, outside of broadcast television, arguably is outside the scope of that 1961 exemption,” Travis said.
Back in March, the Senate Judiciary Committee asked for a revision of the act. Congress passed the act to let leagues pool their media rights and sell them nationally — a move that helped make NFL games a staple of free network television. Today, those same collective rights deals are increasingly being sliced up for streaming platforms, sparking backlash from fans frustrated by paywalls and platform hopping.
If one were to strictly stream all NFL games throughout the 2025 season on Sunday Ticket, Netflix, Peacock, Amazon Prime Video, ESPN Unlimited, and NFL+, it would have cost a minimum of $575, and others (prior Sunday Ticket watchers) nearly $800.
Advertisement
The sports leagues have cashed in on the pivot to streaming, with the NFL landing $1 billion a year to air “Thursday Night Football” on Amazon as an example. The Sports Broadcasting Act exemption passed in 1961 applies only to broadcast television.
The NFL logo is painted on the field at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, prior to Super Bowl LX between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks on Feb. 8, 2026.(Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
Courts have ruled in the past that it does not apply to other media, including cable, satellite, and streaming. The Sports Broadcasting Act includes a rule allowing blackouts of local games, which still applies to out-of-market packages sold by the leagues.
Nike welcomes Serena Williams back with Compton Billboard
Nike has welcomed Serena Williams back to professional tennis with a billboard in her hometown of Compton.
The billboard features a photo of the 23-time Grand Slam champion alongside a simple message:
“The GOAT’s Back.”
Advertisement
The tribute comes shortly after Williams returned to competition for the first time since the 2022 US Open.
The location makes the gesture even more meaningful. Compton is where Serena first learned the game on public courts before becoming one of the greatest athletes in sports history.
Williams marked her return with a doubles victory alongside Victoria Mboko at Queen’s Club, earning her first professional match win in 1,376 days.
Advertisement
Now, the city where her tennis story began is celebrating her comeback.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy speaks with reporters following a minicamp practice at the TCO Performance Center, discussing his development, daily focus, and lessons learned from veteran quarterback Carson Wentz. Captured on June 9, 2026, the media session also included remarks about fullback Max Bredeson and Minnesota’s offseason progress. Mandatory Credit: YouTube.
The Minnesota Vikings have a quarterback competition ongoing this summer, one involving a young quarterback, so there just have to be trade rumors, or so it goes in 2026. Some have suggested that J.J. McCarthy could be traded, but if the decision is up to him, McCarthy enjoys where he’s at — with the Vikings.
McCarthy did not sound like a guy who would request a trade anytime soon; perhaps the rumor mill will die down.
McCarthy Would Rather Just Stay Put. Source? Him.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy celebrates in the end zone after a scoring play during a road game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. On Dec. 21, 2025, the young passer supplied energy and momentum for Minnesota while continuing to build confidence as the franchise’s signal-caller. Mandatory Credit: Yannick Peterhans-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.
McCarthy: This Is Where I Want to Be
A media member asked McCarthy about recent trade rumors, and without hesitation, the 23-year-old replied, “I think I made it very clear I wanted to be here before I got here, and I love this organization. I love the coaching staff. I absolutely love these players and that this is where I want to be.”
Advertisement
“I feel like I can thrive in this system. Everything played out exactly how I wanted it. I wouldn’t want anything else to change.”
The odds of Minnesota trading McCarthy are quite low, but one theory suggests that he could grow disgruntled in a backup quarterback’s role.
A QB2 Role Likely Incoming
Advertisement
While McCarthy, in theory, could dethrone Murray for the QB1 job, it will take a monumental effort and a surprise. Murray didn’t sign with the Vikings to play second fiddle, and as a former first overall pick, Murray has all the tools for the QB1 job, along with seven years of experience.
McCarthy has incumbency, youth, and height on his side — and that’s about it.
Therefore, McCarthy’s commitment to the Vikings could be tested in two months if head coach Kevin O’Connell names Murray the starter, as widely expected. McCarthy doesn’t have much experience as a backup quarterback, meaning on-the-job training is near.
Saying you don’t want to be traded in June when you’re competing for QB1 is a bit different than in late August as a QB2.
Advertisement
McCarthy also said Tuesday about his performance at minicamp, “I feel the best I’ve ever felt playing the game of football, especially in this team. I think things being instinctual when you hear it, being able to pop into your mind very clear and very fast. And that helps a lot with just playing instinctual out there and making the right plays when the ball snaps.”
No Hints from Vikings about a Trade
Trading McCarthy? A shaky idea. Injuries have derailed two of Minnesota’s last three seasons. Trading a young QB now is exceptionally risky, especially since the acquisition of Murray was intended to prevent a single snap from derailing their entire season.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy leaves the field at Ford Field after a divisional battle against the Detroit Lions. On Nov. 2, 2025, McCarthy faced heavy pressure throughout the afternoon while navigating key moments in a competitive NFC North contest that ultimately slipped away from Minnesota late. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images.
Murray provides the Vikings with a crucial element they lacked last year: a robust contingency plan. Both McCarthy and Murray possess a legitimate chance at earning the starting role, which represents a marked improvement. It alleviates the pressure on Minnesota to gamble their entire future on a single young quarterback developing perfectly while disregarding other viable options.
The glaring flaw in the Vikings’ 2025 QB strategy became evident pretty quickly. They had committed entirely to McCarthy, with Sam Howell, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer as their backup plan. The strategy backfired when the quarterbacks underperformed. McCarthy didn’t quite meet expectations, the Vikings missed the playoffs, and now the quarterback situation is once again uncertain.
Advertisement
While Murray isn’t a miraculous solution for flawless QB performance, having both Murray and McCarthy offers Minnesota two credible long-term options, rather than relying solely on one highly speculative prospect.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy drops back to pass during action against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. On Sept. 8, 2025, the former first-round draft pick opened the regular season on the road, directing Minnesota’s offense while adjusting to live-game speed and defensive pressure. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images.
NBC Sports‘ Josh Alper noted on the Vikings’ quarterback battle, “Reports from an open OTA practice in late May pegged Murray as the leader in the battle for the No. 1 job and McCarthy was asked if he’s given any thought to what his future might hold if he fails to win the job.”
“McCarthy may have a different view on that last point if Murray is officially named the team’s starter, but, for now, the next rep is the sole focus for the quarterback.”
Who Could Come Calling?
Suppose McCarthy changes his mind later this summer or before the NFL trade deadline in November. These teams might come calling about his trade price:
Advertisement
Arizona Cardinals
Indianapolis Colts
Los Angeles Chargers
Miami Dolphins
New York Jets
Philadelphia Eagles
Pittsburgh Steelers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Cardinals make the most sense because they’re on deck to feature Jacoby Brissett, Carson Beck, and Gardner Minshew at quarterback — not a dazzling cocktail. The Colts, too, could check some boxes if Daniel Jones‘ Achilles tendon recovery takes a nasty turn.
Ultimately, McCarthy says he doesn’t want to leave, and his word should probably be accepted at face value.
Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker
Scottish Rugby has imposed a 12-month ban on Alloa RFC president Alan Stewart attending matches following an after-dinner speech, described as “racist, homophobic and sexist” by some present.
Stewart has also been suspended from holding any role within the game over the same time period.
Multiple objections were made following remarks by Stewart during Musselburgh RFC’s annual dinner on 18 April and an independent disciplinary panel has upheld a misconduct complaint.
Stewart, who can appeal against the decision, has also been instructed to undergo equality, diversity and inclusion training.
Advertisement
Charges against Musselburgh RFC and their president were not upheld.
In April, the board of Musselburgh RFC issued an apology to those who attended, saying: “We particularly wish to recognise and acknowledge the hurt caused to our women’s team, who we are extremely proud of and to whom we are committed to providing a safe and nurturing environment.”
The club criticised the “very poor judgement of the speaker” and said he had sent a written apology.
In a statement issued at the same time, Scottish Rugby said it is “committed to equality, diversity and inclusion at every level of the game”, adding: “There is no place for discriminatory behaviour in our sport, or in wider society.”
Advertisement
BBC Scotland has approached Stewart and Alloa AFC for comment.
Why World Cup games could face long delays due to lightning strikes
Anyone unfortunate enough to have watched much of the Club World Cup last year will have noted a couple of long weather delays that disrupted the tournament. Such a scenario could occur again over the next few weeks:
Harry Latham-Coyle10 June 2026 16:20
Advertisement
England’s potential route to 2026 World Cup final revealed after draw
Time to get ahead of ourselves – here’s England’s possible route to the World Cup final, which I’m sure will go down well after a shock group stage exit.
Will Castle10 June 2026 16:05
England will ‘physically push’ against Costa Rica in final World Cup warm-up says Thomas Tuchel
Thomas Tuchel says that England’s players are ready to ‘push’ through the rest of their pre-camp as they continue their preparations for the start of the World Cup 2026.
Advertisement
Michael Jones10 June 2026 15:45
What role will Bukayo Saka play tonight?
Thomas Tuchel was pretty cautious over Bukayo Saka’s fitness ahead of England’s clash with Costa Rica, warning that the Arsenal forward would have to be managed during the tournament.
“We still have to take care a little bit about Bukayo, who had an injury in the March camp and carried it through, of course, into his club campaign,” Tuchel said. “He was available and made himself available in the end of the season, and did this brilliantly, but he was managed in-between matches and that continues a little bit at the very moment, so we’re building him up.”
Advertisement
England will monitor Bukayo Saka’s fitness and ‘build him up’ for the start of the World Cup (Getty)
Harry Latham-Coyle10 June 2026 15:26
Key England questions ahead of World Cup: Who plays at No 10?
Will Thomas Tuchel tip his hand with his England selection tonight? The manager now has a full squad with which to work, and his choice at No 10 might be indicative with Jude Bellingham and Morgan Rogers battling for one spot.
Harry Latham-Coyle10 June 2026 15:10
Advertisement
Why England’s Djed Spence will have to wear protective mask for World Cup
It’s about six hours until England kick off their final World Cup warm-up against Costa Rica in Miami, with Djed Spence likely to feature again after providing the assist for Harry Kane against New Zealand. The Tottenham full-back is playing through a broken jaw, and is set to wear a protective mask for the duration of the tournament.
Harry Latham-Coyle10 June 2026 15:00
Gianni Infantino hit with criminal complaint days before start of World Cup
Former Uefa president Platini, one of the most gifted footballers of the 1970s and 1980s, had been favourite to succeed Sepp Blatter as Fifa chief in 2016 until the launch of an ethics probe into a payment he received from Blatter in 2011.
Advertisement
Platini was banned for eight years by Fifa’s ethics committee in 2015 – a sanction which was later reduced to four years by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Press Association10 June 2026 14:40
Inside the world of Gianni Infantino: ‘The ass-kissing of Trump got us nowhere’
Gianni Infantino has attempted to wield the influence that comes with his position on the geopolitical stage – but not, perhaps, positively.
Advertisement
Miguel Delaney10 June 2026 14:30
Fifa and Gianni Infantino have questions to answer after the scandalous treatment of Omar Abdulkadir Artan
How Giannni Infantino deals with the questions related to the refused entry for referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan will be an item of obvious interest. Miguel Delaney has several of his own to put to the Fifa president.
Harry Latham-Coyle10 June 2026 14:15
Advertisement
Gianni Infantino set to speak later
You may remember Gianni Infantino’s pre-tournament press conference as one of the more compelling and curious parts of the last World Cup. One wonders how he is feeling today, with the Fifa president due to speak later with some questions to answer over a chaotic build-up to the tournament.
That press conference in Mexico City is set for a 7.30pm BST start.
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
 "Ben Stokes")
You must be logged in to post a comment Login