The new golfer brings the bottom of the new-to-her object close to her face and tilts it at a 2 o’clock angle, examining it curiously, before extending it toward a nearby onlooker.
“Is this one right?”
It’s a 4-hybrid club, which the new golfer discovers after being shown its marking. That’s good to know, and it seems correct, but that also depends, especially when you’re a new golfer.
I’d hit whatever feels best.
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“OK, thanks,” says Jenna Smith, who goes with the club, and her ball wanders off to the right, dodging a few trees along the way.
The college golfer then does it all over again.
And again.
Her scores are out there, but keep scrolling down the leaderboard. Two weeks after the hybrid session, at her school’s most important meet of the year, the NAIA-level Appalachian Athletic Conference conference tournament, there were 12s, a 13, some 14s and a 21. After three rounds, Smith finished with a 511, 295-over-par at Governors Towne Club in northern Georgia, and 289 strokes behind the winner. How she got there isn’t complicated. Her school, Reinhardt University, also in northern Georgia, had been down to three women’s golfers, four are needed to field a team, a note went out to Reinhardt’s other teams, and Smith and a few of her volleyball teammates were in. What’s the worst that could happen?
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How about finishing worst?
Was she ready to put herself out there like that? Was she prepared to be embarrassed? She’s really, really good at volleyball, and really, really competitive in just about everything she does, so could she handle being really, really bad at golf?
What if a golf website heard about her story and chose to put her score in the big, bold words that everyone can see? 295-over par at a college event?
But look at the second part of that headline above.
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Here’s the uplifting story behind it.
But maybe not initially. Samantha Roper, Isabella Mobley and Addy Anderson would’ve concurred to that, after their women’s golf coach, Evans Nichols, first told them they’d be joined by volleyballers. He could’ve entered the trio as individuals in events, foregoing a team score, but Nichols said the NAIA sours on that, though his solution wasn’t welcomed, either. His players seemed, well …
“To be frank,” Nichols said, “they seemed pissed.”
Addy?
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Maja Brodzinska is a member of the Reinhardt University volleyball team. And the golf team.
Nick Piastowski
“My first thought was: This isn’t good,” she said.
“This is not embarrassing for our program that we’re bringing in somebody that doesn’t know how to play golf and we’re playing the college sport, but just like, could we not find somebody else?”
Smith had played once before, just nine holes, and she thinks she shot 200. Maja Brodzinska, a volleyball teammate, had previously played for an hour, then played two days for Reinhardt in early March. The weeks leading up to that felt like a midterm cram session, only in this case, you never went to class all semester and the material was written in something akin to Martian. The instruction? Buffet style, as in here’s everything, but eventually you may get stuffed. During one practice round, Brodzinska worked on basics on the practice green with assistant Debbie Blount — in between nines. No one believes in Reinhardt and its women’s golf team like Blount, who, five years ago, joined the team — as a 62-year-old freshman. “She asked me the first time, she said, ‘What is the thing that you put the ball on?’” Blount said. “I said, ‘The tee?’ She said, ‘Oh, tee, tee.’ She said, ‘I don’t have any of those.’” Or anything. Blount gave Brodzinska her clubs; Smith was given a set that had been donated to the school a couple of years ago.
The next day, she shot a 172, 100-over. Progress. She took photos.
But a few weeks later, she needed to go back home, to Poland. Smith was called on, for conference of all places. On the first tee, she said a prayer. Smith does that. Back in late December, she did, and it had to have been heard. How else can you explain her asking to feel a little more unpredictability, and the golfer upstairs gives her tee times? “I want to be in uncomfortable situations as I’m getting older,” Smith said. “I crave uncomfortable situations because I know that’s going to push me to think about things, talk to different people. Think about how I’m going to get through it. And so it is very nerve-wracking, and it is uncomfortable, but it’s very exciting, and it’s something that every day I’m like, ‘Ooh, I don’t know how the next day is going to go.’”
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Or her tee shots. Why the prayer on the first hole?
On the range at conference, her driver had been going right.
“No one knew why,” Smith said. “Coach was like, ‘I don’t know why. The swing looks great. The head face is turning the right way. I don’t know what’s going on.’ And so I was like, ‘Dear Lord, please don’t let this ball go to the right.’ I was literally sitting there thinking that the whole time.
“And I swung and it went to the right. And that just made me so angry.”
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On the first hole, she made an 8. Then a 12. Then a five; hey, that’s a double bogey. Then a 21; that’s a septendecuple bogey. Or a lot. Whatever, she thought. She finished. It became a game. Finish holes, then better them in the next round and the round after that, especially that fourth hole. “I knew that I was going to have to do the same thing tomorrow,” Smith said. “And if I wanted to get better at tomorrow, then I had to finish it today at least.
“And then I ended up — I remember I counted specifically because this hole was so annoying. I got it in 11 strokes the next day. And then the last day, I got it in seven. So I was so happy about that.”
From left, Jenna Smith, Isabella Mobley, coach Evans Nichols, Addy Anderson and Samantha Roper.
Debbie Blount
This, too.
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Afterward, she learned her teammates tried to guess what she’d shoot. The number was 185.
Smith shot 184.
Then 167 in round two.
Then 160 in round three.
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“And so I was like, ‘Hmph.’ So we got the scores in,” Smith said.
“And I got 184. Boom, boom. I beat everyone’s bets.”
She laughed. The question is, could her teammates have done what she did?
Thought of another way, could the golfers have, say, played volleyball, if the Reinhardt volleyball team had been in a similar bind?
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Maybe now, following Smith and following Brodzinska. Maybe there’s beauty in 295-over par. It’s better than a zero. You started, you finished and then you returned wanting to shoot 294-over, which is what golf is all about, ain’t it?
If not more than golf.
295-over par at a college event?
Here’s the uplifting story behind it.
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“One of the things that I’ve tried to take out of this whole experience for volleyball is the sport is not you. You are so much more than the sport,” Smith said. “And after this is all over, it’s not going to matter.
“I’ve talked to one of the girls on the team about that. She was beating herself up and I was like, you know, your score is not who you are. You’re more than that. You have so many qualities that just aren’t bound by golf. And I have to tell a lot of the girls on the volleyball team that as well, because it’s the same thing. It’s the same mindset.
“Even I have to remind myself at the end of the day, if I have a bad game. I am so much more than this sport. And this sport doesn’t last forever.”
Neither did Smith’s driver, the club she kept hitting right. She ditched it after the first hole. A few other clubs, too. She finished with a putter, a wedge, a 7-iron.
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And that 4-hybrid.
They felt best.
They’re also getting new grips soon. Smith’s just a junior, after all.
FRISCO, Texas — Every week during the season, Joey McGuire watches the tape to review how his team played on the field. The best coaches are masters of self-evaluation as it pertains to their teams’ performance. But not much of Texas Tech’s offseason has been about the team’s performance.
It’s been defined by the Brendan Sorsby saga and the war of lawsuits and words over his eligibility. McGuire will not have Sorsby behind center when the season kicks off in September, but with some time to reflect, CBS Sports asked him what he would have done differently.
“If I would have been able to have a crystal ball and see in the future, as far as would they have had a supplemental draft, I would have probably said [earlier], ‘Brendan, let’s don’t do this. Go to the supplemental draft,’” McGuire said this week at Big 12 Media Days.
McGuire was clear that the statements the school made, like the 20-minute video posted on social media and the various long-form written messages from athletic director Kirby Hocutt and board of regents chairman Cody Campbell, were directed at the Red Raiders fanbase, which can be seen in the fact that they were all formatted as letters to the school’s fans. In a sense, Texas Tech was attempting to position its statements as playing to its base.
But the school clearly miscalculated the level of pushback they would face from athletic directors and presidents, both inside and outside the Big 12, which McGuire also admitted. Nebraska, for instance, announced internally that it would not schedule the Red Raiders in any sport.
Outrage reigned in the administrative class, and the league posed a united front, 15-1, opposed to Tech playing Sorsby. A legal threat by the attorney general of Texas drew other state attorneys general into the fray and allowed the Big 12 to sue the school on First Amendment grounds, creating a separate legal battle deemed not worth fighting, but the timing didn’t allow the NFL to formally vet Sorsby. Sorsby was passed over in the NFL’s supplemental draft and denied entry into the CFL. He is effectively banned from the sport at a level commensurate with his talent until next season.
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Beyond saying “we’re going forward as 16 strong,” Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark had no further comment about the situation either at the podium or in an interview with CBS Sports.
Lost in all the Sorsby drama is Will Hammond, the gifted young quarterback who spelled an injured Behren Morton last season and was expected to be the team’s QB of the future until a late-2025 ACL injury knocked him out for nine months. McGuire told CBS Sports he wouldn’t have added Sorsby at all had Hammond’s availability not been in question at the time.
“I would have brought in a vet, just because that’s such a young room, you know, I would, we would have done that, but the whole point of bringing in Brendan, it was, whenever in this day and age, whenever you have the amount of money invested in a roster, you’ve got to make sure that you’re protecting that money from the standpoint of how are they going to come back from the injury, you’re hoping that they come back 100% and ready to roll, but you never know, because different people respond to different injuries,”
McGuire is expecting Hammond to be fully cleared on Aug. 21, exactly nine months from when he suffered the injury in the first place. McGuire confirmed that he’s been participating in player-led seven-on-seven passing drills.
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Sorsby is training in Dallas ahead of next April’s NFL Draft, but is expected to be in Lubbock frequently to visit his girlfriend, and McGuire maintains an open-door policy toward him.
“He chose us, you know, and I expect and hope whenever he’s a starting quarterback for an NFL team, and it’s on a Monday Night Football, it’s ‘Brendan Sorsby, starting quarterback for whatever team, Texas Tech University’, you know, I think that’s what he’s going to say, you know. He might say Lake Dallas High School, that’d be good too.”
The head coach joked that when he coaches a player, they’re stuck together for the rest of the player’s life. The school has said it will continue to support Sorsby’s recovery from gambling addiction and will not ask for the money back paid to him via the rev share agreement before he ended his college career.
Sir Keir Starmer is said to be lining up a bank holiday if England emerges victorious in the World Cup.
To celebrate what would be their first win in 60 years, the prime minister has hinted at a day off for the country, but is not expected to confirm any plans until the final.
It is thought that the bank holiday could be on Friday 24 July, which would give the team enough time to return from the final match on the previous Sunday.
Speaking to reporters at the Nato summit on Wednesday, Sir Keir said: “I don’t want to jinx it, but ask me again if we get to the final.”
After securing a 3-2 win against Mexico, England is gearing up for a quarter-final clash with Norway in Miami on Saturday.
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Keir Starmer and Norway’s prime minister Jonas Gahr Store on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara (AP)
If England wins, they will play either Argentina or Switzerland in Atlanta on 15 July.
Speaking from Ankara, Turkey, Sir Keir praised Monday’s win over Mexico as “one of the best England performances I’ve ever seen”.
He jokingly reminded Norwegian prime minister Jonas Gahr Store that England only win the World Cup under a Labour government.
“I’m a good friend of his,” he told reporters.
“The Norway-UK relationship is as strong as it’s ever been, and he’s a key individual in the coalitions that we’ve been building.
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“But for 90 minutes on Saturday evening, we’ll have to go our different ways as we go into that match.”
England have not won a World Cup in 60 years (PA Wire)
He said he had resisted calls to attempt to overturn Jarell Quansah’s red card against Mexico, after Donald Trump persuaded Fifa to suspend US player Folarin Balogun’s ban and allow him to play against Belgium.
“I can’t tell you how many messages I’ve had to rescind the red card that we received in the early hours of Monday,” he said.
“I hasten to add, I haven’t attempted to do that.”
Many English fans were left disappointed after a bank holiday was declared in Scotland in June to mark the country’s participation in the men’s football finals for the first time in decades.
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King Charles approved the proposal, put forward by First Minister John Swinney, who wanted to allow Scots to celebrate the major comeback.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said she would “probably not” support a bank holiday if England wins the World Cup.
“Sadly, we all know what would happen with a bank holiday – the private sector would still be working and the public sector would take the day off, and you’d all have to pay for it,” she said.
Sami Zayn became the Undisputed WWE Champion at Night of Champions in the biggest moment of his career. Nine days later, he has lost the title, and his future is uncertain. Sportskeeda Wrestling can now exclusively report on the reason for the title run.
Sami Zayn’s position in WWE after his loss to CM Punk on WWE RAW
Thanks for the submission!
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This author spoke to an insider in the company, who revealed that Sami Zayn’s Undisputed WWE Championship loss to CM Punk was something of an open secret. Although Triple H was the one making the call for his win as well, it turns out that he was not too happy about the change, and not all the higher-ups backstage like Zayn and what he brings to the table for WWE. There is also an idea that he talks too much.
“The fact that Sami Zayn was losing on RAW was an open secret. There were a lot of people talking about how Triple H was involved with Sami winning the title, and the call came from him. But he was not too happy about the change all the same. Sami is seen as someone who has earned his stripes backstage, but there are a lot of people, especially among the older creative heads, those who were around for the Vince era, who feels that he talks too much. “
However, when it comes to the real reason Zayn won and lost the title so quickly, it appears that this run is seen as something of an acknowledgment of the work he has put in for the company. Not everyone gets to be a world title holder, and now he is. His run in WWE is far from over, but for now, he’s a former titleholder.
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“That Sami Zayn is so unapologetically himself is something that escapes no one. They know it, and they are afraid that he will say something that the company does not agree with completely while holding the belt. Even more than, say, CM Punk. Cody and Roman are more in line with what they want. But the real reason he won and then lost quickly is because it is seen as an acknowledgment of Sami doing everything the company asked him to for so many years. He’s now a former titleholder. Not everyone gets that moniker. It’s not fully over for him yet.”
For now, Zayn’s future remains unclear.
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Then came Pirates right-hander Jared Jones on Wednesday night. He twirled six perfect innings at the expense of the Braves before Pittsburgh manager Don Kelly gave Jones the Dugout Handshake of Removal prior to the seventh inning of a scoreless game. Pittsburgh’s shot at the first combined perfect game in MLB history ended when Jones’ replacement, Mason Montgomery, permitted a one-out single in the seventh. Jones, at the time of his removal, was at a modest 77 pitches, and Atlanta went on to win 3-0.
One might be tempted to ask: What gives?
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First, this is not new. MLB decision-makers don’t particularly care about perfect games and no-hitters, as they’re aware that the regular season is a six-month slog with serious considerations that reach beyond a given game or single-game performance — even a potentially historic one. They’re likewise aware that even one isolated high-pitch outing can exact a toll down the road, especially in this current era of maxed-out velocity.
MLB teams prioritizing arm health over historic outings
If it’s a veteran arm with an established record of health and durability, the calculus is different. The circumstances were much different when, earlier on Wednesday, Blue Jays manager John Schneider let Dylan Cease set a career-high pitch count in pursuit of a no-hitter, which he lost in the ninth.
In the cases of Pérez and Jones, though, two sets of numbers are worth considering:
The first set includes Pérez’s and Jones’ current ages, and the second set includes Pérez’s and Jones’ current average fastball velocities. Let’s also add two dates for your review:
April 8, 2024;
May 21, 2025.
Those are the dates of Pérez’s and Jones’ respective Tommy John surgeries — or an internal brace procedure in Jones’ case. Yes, each young hard-thrower has a history of arm troubles. Those three things — youth, high velocity, and prior major arm surgery — add up to mean the moundsman in question is going to be treated with caution, especially when it’s not, say, a game that decides the outcome of a playoff game or something of similar import.
In Pérez’s case, Sunday’s start was his third since missing almost a month with a muscle strain in his thigh. Entering the game, the Marlins had a pitch limit in mind and McCullough stuck to it.
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“Going into this game, 90 plus a batter was a pitch count that I felt comfortable with him coming back off the time on the IL and us looking to play beyond the season,” McCullough, the Marlins’ second-year manager, told reporters. “Eury’s gonna be an important part of that. Yeah, he had it really going today and I totally get it. There was a part of my heartstrings pulling at his opportunity to keep going, but I have to think about Eury, one, and our organization, our team, and what’s best moving forward and giving us a chance to win games. I made a calculated decision of where he was with his pitch count.”
As for Jones, the 2026 season marked his return to the mound after missing all of 2025 because of that aforementioned elbow surgery. He’s been on strict pitch counts all season as he gets built back up. Wednesday’s outing was Jones’ eighth of the season and his season-high is just 81 pitches.
Maybe it’s frustrating from the fan standpoint to see bids for history cut short, not because they’re ended on the field but rather because of managerial discretion. With Pérez and Jones and any other young hurler who flirts with perfection in such a way, though, the cautious approach is one embraced by every organization in MLB right now.
Benjamin Sesko missed Manchester United’s final three Premier League games of the season after picking up an injury during the win over Liverpool
Benjamin Sesko appears to have recovered from his injury and is ready for the start of pre-season training at Manchester United. Sesko joined the Reds from RB Leipzig for £73million last summer.
The forward went on to score 11 Premier League goals in his first season at Old Trafford. However, Sesko’s campaign was cut short when he picked up a shin injury during the 3-2 victory over Liverpool at the start of May.
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But in a post on Instagram, the Slovenia international appears ready to return to action, as he wrote: “Rested. Refreshed. Back to preparing for the season.”
Sesko was recently linked with a move to Barcelona, but the MEN understands that the forward is set for a more prominent role in his second campaign at the club.
But United hero Gary Pallister, who won four league titles during his time at Old Trafford, recently told the club’s hierarchy they need to secure an experienced striker this summer who Sesko can learn from.
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“I think a lot of people at Manchester United are really happy that Michael Carrick has got the job,” he said, via NewBettingSites.
“You look at United and the closest we’ve come to having a stereotypical United team was under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. And it kind of feels a bit like what happened with Ole.
“Michael’s come in and he’s got good results. I think he’s brought a resilience into the team. I think he knows what United fans want.
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“I think in the end Ruben Amorim just lost his way and, honestly, almost welcomed the sack. So I’m pleased for Michael and I hope we can back him in the transfer window.
“He’s already made a start. I think they maybe need another centre-forward. [Benjamin] Sesko did alright last year, but I think he’s still got a bit to learn as he’s still a young kid.
“I think someone with a bit more maturity than Sesko would be ideal for the centre-forward slot to fight with him for the position.”
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Switzerland booked their place in the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals after beating Colombia 4-3 on penalties, but they will know they must produce a much stronger performance if they are to stop defending champions Argentina.
Goalkeeper Gregor Kobel was the hero in Vancouver as he made a brilliant save to deny Colombia striker Cucho Hernandez during the shootout. His save proved decisive after a tense match ended goalless following 120 minutes.
Switzerland converted four of their penalties through Granit Xhaka, Zeki Amdouni, Cedric Itten and Ruben Vargas to secure a historic victory and reach the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time since 1954.
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However, the performance itself left plenty of questions.
Switzerland struggled to create clear chances throughout normal time and extra time. Their attack lacked pace and creativity without injured forward Johan Manzambi, one of their standout players at the tournament with three goals and two assists. Vargas also started on the bench because of fitness concerns, although he returned to score the winning penalty.
The Swiss were fortunate that Colombia failed to make the most of their opportunities. Defender Jhon Lucumi hit the crossbar with a header, while substitute Jaminton Campaz wasted a golden chance late in extra time after a defensive mistake by Xhaka.
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Against Argentina, such mistakes are unlikely to go unpunished.
Led by captain Lionel Messi, Argentina have shown throughout the tournament that they can punish even the smallest defensive errors. Their attacking quality, movement and experience will present a far tougher challenge than Colombia managed.
Switzerland’s defence has been organised throughout the competition, conceding few chances, while Kobel has continued to impress between the posts. Those qualities will be essential again, but they will also need much more from their attack.
Creating more chances, keeping possession under pressure and taking opportunities when they come will be crucial if Murat Yakin’s side hope to upset the reigning world champions.
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Their dramatic win over Colombia has earned them a place among the final eight, but if Switzerland want to continue their memorable World Cup journey, they must raise their performance to another level when they face Argentina in the quarter-finals.
Athletes who were subjected to doping by the East German state have “no suitable means for support, even though those affected still urgently need help,” a new report said on Wednesday.
The findings were presented by Evelyn Zupke, the German government’s commissioner for victims of the socialist dictatorship at Hohenschönhausen Memorial, a former detention center of the Stasi, East Germany’s secret police.
According to the report, forced doping constituted “a flagrant abuse of political power,” that reduced athletes “to mere objects of state action, thereby severely violating their human dignity.”
Zupke called for changes to current legislation to ensure victims can access adequate support.
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In a separate report in January, Zupke said she was “convinced that addressing the consequences of state-sponsored doping in the GDR is not just a matter for those affected and for historians.”
“It is equally important for Germany’s self-image as an enthusiastic and successful sporting nation,” she said, pointing to Germany’s bid to host the Olympic Games in the next decades.
The goal was to help the GDR earn more medals at international competitions, who could then be celebrated as evidence of the state’s prowess.
By 1989, an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 young people had been systematically given performance-enhancing substances — predominantly anabolic steroids — often without their knowledge or consent. Some were as young as 13.
Doping helped transform East Germany into a sporting powerhouse, with the country winning second-highest number of medals at both the 1976 and 1980 Olympic games.
Following German reunification in 1990, the full scale of the doping program emerged, casting a shadow over East Germany’s sporting achievements.
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What went wrong with the reunification of German football?
“Our reunified country is on the right track to providing the best possible support and recognition for the victims of the SED dictatorship,” said Zupke, referring to the ruling Socialist Unity Party.
“But the shadow of the dictatorship is long: many victims continue to suffer from the health consequences.”
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Jonathan Aranda drove in three runs, Shane McClanahan pitched 6 1/3 innings and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the New York Yankees 3-0 on Wednesday night to extend their AL East lead to five games.
McClanahan (8-5) scattered four hits and struck out five without a walk on 85 pitches. He had his longest outing of the season and his second consecutive start without giving up a run. Bryan Baker struck out the side in the ninth inning for his 25th save.
The Rays have struck out the Yankees 45 times in the first three games of the series.
Aranda had an RBI single in the third inning off Gerrit Cole (3-4) that scored Yandy Diaz, an RBI double in the fifth inning off Cole that plated Nick Fortes and added another RBI in the seventh against Fernando Cruz when Taylor Walls scored on a sacrifice fly.
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Diaz went 4-for-4 with a run and raised his batting average to .327.
Cole was charged with three runs over 6 1/3 innings. He gave up seven hits, struck out six and walked one on 97 pitches.
New York has lost 11 of its past 13 games.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone and bench coach Brad Ausmus were both ejected in the sixth inning.
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The Yankees will start an opener against Rays RHP Drew Rasmussen (7-4, 2.78) on Thursday in the series finale.
France will bid to reach the 2026 World Cup semifinals when they take on Morocco on Thursday in the first quarterfinal match. Les Bleus have been the standout team of this tournament, winning all six of their games and scoring 17 goals along the way. Morocco have also impressed at this World Cup, but the Atlas Lions are uncertain if star striker Ismael Saibari (hamstring) will be fit to play.
Kickoff for France vs. Morocco is at 4 p.m. ET in Foxborough. The latest France vs. Morocco odds from FanDuel Sportsbook list France at -175 (risk $175 to win $100) on the 90-minute money line, with Morocco at +550 and a draw at +280. The over/under for total goals is 2.5. France are -400 favorites to advance, with Morocco at +300. Before locking in any France vs. Morocco picks or World Cup 2026 predictions, check out the France vs. Morocco predictions from SportsLine’s Martin Green.
After working in the sports betting industry for several years, Green became a professional sports writer and handicapper and has covered the game worldwide. Last year, Green was profitable in multiple areas on his soccer betting picks, including the Champions League (+211.25) and Bundesliga (+100). He’s also been red-hot in 2026, posting an 18-8 record over his last 26 UCL picks, returning nearly $1,000 in profit. He’s also on a an 18-7 roll (+908) on his World Cup picks. Anyone wanting to follow his World Cup betting advice at sportsbooks and on betting apps could see big returns.
After examining France vs. Morocco from every angle, Green is leaning Over 2.5 total goals (-102). France have scored at least three goals in all five of their matches at the World Cup 2026, averaging 2.8 per game. Morocco, meanwhile, have only kept two clean sheets in five matches, but the Moroccans have plenty of offensive upside themselves, scoring 10 total times in the World Cup, including, three goals against Canada in the Round of 32.
“Both teams have the quality to get on the scoresheet, and this quarterfinal has the makings of a high-scoring affair,” Green told SportsLine. See Green’s best bets for France vs. Morocco at SportsLine, and you can bet the Over in France vs. Morocco at FanDuel here:
Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell stood on the field after a preseason matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders at U.S. Bank Stadium, remaining visible as Minnesota wrapped up its afternoon. On August 10, 2024, in Minneapolis, O’Connell watched the postgame scene unfold after the Vikings finished their exhibition opener at home. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports.
Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell didn’t necessarily spill the beans this week about his impending quarterback competition, but he wasn’t afraid to mention his track record in Minnesota, which involves success with seasoned veteran quarterbacks.
O’Connell spoke with D.J. Siddiqi this week, as training camp gets underway in about three weeks.
Murray’s Veteran Edge Becomes a Bit More Apparent
Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell addresses reporters at the Sport Ireland Campus in Dublin as the franchise worked through overseas preparation and league obligations before a rare international appearance. On Sep. 26, 2025, O’Connell discussed the team’s schedule, travel adjustment, and broader messaging while representing Minnesota during the NFL’s global slate. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.
O’Connell on Murray, the QB Competition
The quarterback battle is top of mind for most Vikings fans, and O’Connell weighed in accordingly. He told Siddiqi, “We’ve had a lot of success with different veteran quarterbacks at different stages of their career, whether it was Sam Darnold or Kirk Cousins, and now we want to do everything we can to provide Kyler Murray with a great opportunity and see what he can do with it.”
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“Kyler has always been a player. I’ve known him for a long time, and obviously having coached against him at multiple spots, and the talent you talked about bringing that different dimension. I think what he’s really done over seven years in the NFL is really maintain that dimension.”
Even Nick Mullens dished out massive performances in O’Connell’s offense.
O’Connell added, “But also the growth, the way he sees the field, the way he can throw with anticipation, and ultimately where he’s at in his career is a unique time. Having had the success that he had at his previous stop and ultimately wanting to build upon that and us having the opportunity to bring him to Minnesota, it felt like a great fit.”
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Good with Veterans; Mediocre Without
Murray provides O’Connell with the caliber of quarterback he molds into a solid, sometimes even exceptional, player. It highlights an interesting paradox in O’Connell’s reputation. He has a proven track record of elevating veteran quarterbacks like Darnold, Cousins, Joshua Dobbs, and Nick Mullens — all of whom had prior NFL game experience.
However, his success hasn’t extended to rookies. McCarthy’s full potential remains untapped, Jaren Hall never developed, and Max Brosmer is still an extreme long shot.
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray watches courtside during NBA action at American Airlines Center as Dallas hosted Los Angeles in a high-profile regular-season matchup with national attention. On Apr. 5, 2026, Murray observed the Mavericks-Lakers game while remaining a central figure in offseason quarterback speculation and leaguewide roster chatter around Arizona. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images.
While O’Connell is indeed a “QB whisperer,” his magic seems most effective with players who have already experienced the demands of an NFL Sunday.
That’s precisely why Murray is an ideal fit. He’s not an unproven project and a quarterback who has won games with his undeniable arm talent. Pairing Murray with O’Connell could offer Murray the perfect opportunity for a career resurgence. And it wouldn’t be a situation reminiscent of the Mike Zimmer era, where quarterbacks merely aimed to survive and appease the defense.
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Instead, this would be O’Connell’s chance to reaffirm his “QB whisperer” status with a veteran quarterback talented enough to make everyone a believer.
Two Hungry QBs
Thankfully for the Vikings’ sake, both men want the job badly and have a vested interest in succeeding this season. For example, if McCarthy wins the competition or earns the QB1 job sometime during the regular season, he can regain his footing as the long-term franchise quarterback. That was the original plan two years ago when Minnesota selected him. If McCarthy does nothing of the sort in 2026, well, he’s probably on deck as a trade piece for the 2027 offseason.
For Murray, he faces an ultimatum. He can resume his typical production from the Cardinals days and just become the Vikings’ quarterback for the long haul — like many have suggested Minnesota should’ve done with Darnold. Or, if Murray flunks the Vikings test, he’d hit the 2027 offseason with an unknown future. He can be a starter or a journeyman. It’s up to him.
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Clarity at Camp
The verdict is not far away. The Vikings begin camp in three weeks, and O’Connell has hinted that he doesn’t want the battle to drag forever. While he likely won’t see a practice or two and name a winner, Minnesota won’t take the competition all the way to Week 1.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy releases a pass during first-half action against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium in a matchup loaded with postseason implications for both teams. On Dec. 14, 2025, McCarthy continued his first season as Minnesota’s starter while facing another NFC contender on the road in Dallas. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images.
By early or mid-August, onlookers should have a pretty good handle on who will take the cake at QB1.
Sportsbooks believe Murray is the guy — he has -770 odds, which translates to about 89%.
The Vikings haven’t hosted a real quarterback battle since 2014, when Teddy Bridgewater, Matt Cassel, and Christian Ponder locked horns in Mankato, but one is just weeks away in Eagan.
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The clues suggest O’Connell may roll with Murray and his steady experience. If not, what was the point of signing him — and why would Murray green-light the deal so seamlessly in March?
Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker
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