NASCAR is quietly putting the groundwork for one of the most important shifts in its modern era, starting with a major renovation of Talladega Superspeedway and culminating in an expanded, refreshed 2027 Cup Series schedule with potential new venues.
Talladega Superspeedway is one of sports’ most historic and largest racetracks on the schedule. The venue is set to undergo a major renovation, a previously unreported renovation as part of sport’s long-term infrastructure plans, according to recent reports from Sports Business Journal’s Adam Stern.
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While specific details are still emerging, the project is expected to modernize facilities, improve fan amenities, and enhance the overall race-day experience at the 2.66-mile-long Talladega racetrack located in Lincoln, Alabama.
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In Stern’s report, according to NASCAR Holdings Executive Vice President Ben Kennedy, the sanctioning body is exploring “a couple of potential new venues” for the 2027 schedule and beyond.
While no tracks have been officially revealed, Stern’s report indicates that several cities and regions are actively courting NASCAR, including offers to host big events such as the championship race.
Julie Giese, who successfully oversaw the Chicago Street Race launch, has been tapped to steer NASCAR’s scheduling efforts for 2027 and beyond.
According to Kennedy, she is already deep into shaping the next generation of the Cup Series calendar, including evaluating the venues of the Clash exhibition and the Championship Race in 2027 and beyond.
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NASCAR will begin a rotation system for the Championship race with this season. The 2026 season finale will be held at Homestead-Miami Speedway before future locations are announced. The next year’s finale race will be held at a different venue.
Kennedy, who also serves as chief venue and racing innovations officer, confirmed that several cities expressed interest in hosting series’ title race in 2027.
The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season is set to kick off this weekend at Daytona
The 2026 Cup Series season officially starts with the 68th running of the Daytona 500 on Sunday, February 15, 2026, the first of 36 points-paying races of the season. The race will begin at 2:30 pm ET.
However, the 2026 season unofficially kicked off with the preseason exhibition Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium last Wednesday, where RFK Racing driver Ryan Preece emerged victorious.
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Now, it’s time for the biggest race of the year, the Daytona 500, often called “The Great American Race,” which kicks off Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway.
All the track activity of the season-opening weekend will be telecast on FS1 and FOX.
Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior says he is not “bothered at all” by memes comparing him to television characters.
The 43-year-old has won seven of his first nine games in charge of the Blues but fans online have poked fun at his mannerisms.
Rosenior says he is not on social media so his teenage children have informed him of the comparisons to popular TV characters that are being made, which include Inbetweeners character Will McKenzie and David Brent from the Office.
“I’m not afraid to be myself,” said Rosenior.
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“If I wear glasses, if I sound a little bit over the top when I speak, or articulate myself in a certain way, or I don’t look like a manager, it doesn’t bother me at all.”
Former Strasbourg boss Rosenior says the memes affect his family but he is not troubled by them because he expected the reaction from the moment he took the Chelsea job.
Rosenior was a surprise appointment for the role after Enzo Maresca’s departure in January following a breakdown in his relationship with the owners.
“The reason I know is because I’ve got teenage children,” added Rosenior
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“They’re on social media. It affects them, it affects my parents and my family. But I knew walking in to this job it was going to happen. It’s normal.
“When you’re prepared for it, it makes you smile. I’m a confident person. If you’re affected by things like that, you shouldn’t be in this job.”
Since joining Chelsea, Rosenior has become just the second English manager to win his first four Premier League matches.
Last month he also guided Chelsea to the last 16 of the Champions League following a 3-2 win at Napoli.
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The Blues sit fifth in the Premier League – one point behind fourth-placed Manchester United – and host 16th-placed Leeds on Tuesday.
Trent McDuffie has developed into a star cornerback under the direction of Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.
With his rookie contract set to expire after the 2026 season, should Chiefs general manager Brett Veach consider extending McDuffie’s deal in the coming months?
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Here’s a look at McDuffie’s current contract:
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Trent McDuffie 2026 salary
Sep 28, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie (22) takes the field prior to a game against the Baltimore Ravens at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
The Chiefs have already exercised McDuffie’s fifth-year option for 2026. Next season, the star defensive back will earn a base salary of $13,632,000 with no signing proration, roster bonus, or workout bonus.
In total, his 2026 earnings are set to amount to $13,632,000, which will take up 4.6% of Kansas City’s cap space.
How much money could K.C. save in 2026 by extending Trent McDuffie?
Aug 9, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie (22) against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason NFL game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
OverTheCap.com projects that the Chiefs could save $9,933,600 in cap space by extending McDuffie’s contract during the 2026 offseason.
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Should Brett Veach extend Trent McDuffie’s contract?
Dec 17, 2023; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie (22) warms up before a game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
Given that the Chiefs could save nearly $10,000,000 by extending McDuffie’s contract — and that the veteran cornerback is among Kansas City’s most valuable defenders — it seems likely that general manager Brett Veach will consider giving the former Washington Husky a new deal this year.
Good news for fans of the Course Whisperer: Roger Maltbie, beloved NBC Sports/Golf Channel inside-the-ropes foot correspondent, is coming back for nine more events this year, starting this week with the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Rajah played in the Pebble tourney as a PGA Tour rookie. That was in 1975.
It brings to mind this Steven Wright bit:
“How ’bout those Stones? Still doing it after all these years.”
Suitable pause.
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“Fred, Barney.”
Along with Fred and Barney, and Mick and Keith, you can add Roger to that list. Still at it, after all these years. When Roger gives you an observation or an insight, it’s a considered one.
“In my opinion,” Maltbie said in a recent phone interview, “the Tap Room at The Lodge at Pebble Beach is the best watering hole in golf.” As for gardens, he’ll take the backyard at the La Playa Hotel in residential Carmel, a couple miles from The Lodge. Maltbie and his wife, Donna, were married there in 1980.
In the fall of 2022, when it became known that NBC Sports was not renewing Maltbie’s contract for 2023, golf fans staged peaceful protests at 30 Rockefeller Center. Well, no — but there were a lot of upset people. Maltbie knows the game inside and out but never presents it as a life-and-death matter. Plus, you could hear his famous mustache ruffle the microphone speaker now and again. He worked tournaments in ’23 and ’24 and ’25, but they were nothing like prime-timer affairs. This year Maltbie will be working nine events, including some of the biggest of the year, the Players Championship among them. When Maltbie says the Players is very, very close to a major, it’s a considered opinion. His take on the Tap Room at The Lodge, the same. His views are his own and they are earned. His love of the game and life shines through all of it.
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For some years, Maltbie’s partner at the Pebble Beach pro-am was Eddie DeBartolo, the owner of the San Francisco 49ers. In the football season, DeBartolo would organize little outings, Maltbie among the invited, in which various co-conspirators would play Pebble on a Monday, watch Monday Night Football in the Tap Room, then play Cypress the next day. Maltbie was back at Cypress last year, for the Walker Cup. He was in fine form, and he knows the course well. In Maltbie’s first decade on Tour, the Cypress Point Club course was part of the three-course rotation for the Pebble Beach tournament.
Now the tournament is a so-called Signature event — 80 players, no cut, two courses, Pebble and Spyglass Hill. But there are certain constants at the AT&T. Clint Eastwood has been associated with the tournament forever. The legendary actor, director and make-my-day golfer is now 95. Jim Nantz has been covering it for decades, as a CBS Sports broadcaster. Maltbie, as a TV talent, has always been associated with Golf Channel and NBC Sports, going back to the late 1980s. This week, on the weekend, Maltbie will be roaming the fairways for Golf Channel for all four rounds. On the weekend, there will be coverage, as is customary, on Golf Channel before the hot mics get passed to Nantz and Co. “I haven’t seen Jim in forever,” Maltbie said. “Look forward to that.”
Maltbie will also be returning to Muirfield Village for Jack Nicklaus’s Memorial tournament in early June. “Haven’t been there in years,” Maltbie said. “That will be fascinating, to see what Jack has done to the course.” Maltbie won the first Memorial, in 1976. “If I was born the day I won that tournament, I’d be eligible for the senior tour pretty soon here,” Maltbie said.
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Maltbie will be working the U.S. Open at Shinnecock and the U.S. Senior Open at Scioto, where Nicklaus learned the game in the 1940s and ’50s. Some of Maltbie’s most exciting broadcasting was covering, at close range, the extreme intensity of Woods competing in U.S. Opens, most particularly at Torrey Pines in 2008. Maltbie called shots Woods played before, during and after with the fewest and most incisive words possible, and could often corral Woods for post-round interviews when Woods was still breathing fire. Woods liked Maltbie — you could tell. Maltbie was as chill as Woods was wired. Both are native Californians. Woods went to Stanford. Maltbie, under considerably less pressure, went to San Jose State.
Maltbie will also be working the Senior PGA Championship at the Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Fla., right after the Masters. Woods could make his senior major debut there. He’s eligible, to say the least. “I’m hoping what everybody’s hoping,” Maltbie said — that Woods will be healthy enough to play the 72-hole walking-only tournament.
Maltbie will work two other Florida tournaments that are mainstays of the NBC Sports calendar, the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Players Championship. The Players, you may have heard (per recent commentary by Brandel Chamblee), is not only a major but the best of the majors. “I can see how you could make that case,” Maltbie said. “Great field, great course, improving all the time. But would I want to win the Players over the other four majors? No.”
As player and broadcaster, the Tour was a way of life for Maltbie. If you’re at a watering hole and Maltbie is around and somebody is tinkling the keys, chances are good Roger will be listening intently. That was the case for a fortnight at the Pinecrest Inn in Pinehurst, when two U.S. Opens, one for men and one for women, were played on the No. 2 course in consecutive weeks in 2014. The piano player each night was Randy Carmichael, son of the legendary pianist and composer Hoagy Carmichael. At the Bohemian Grove, a vast private campground where Roger pitches tent now and again, Maltbie would sometimes hear Bob Weir, the late Grateful Dead member, strumming an acoustic six-string under the stars. Good times.
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When all those people were upset a few years ago, when NBC didn’t renew its deal with Roger, they were protesting a corporate effort to extinguish a singular voice that celebrates golf’s good times, whether the player is making a 2 or a 7. What Maltbie’s commentary really adds up to is this: Golf is a good time. He played in 520 PGA Tour events. He’s worked at least 400 as a broadcaster. He doesn’t know the precise number, and doesn’t particularly care. But he’s adding one more to the grand total this week. He’s working the Pebble stop, and it’s all good.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy drops back in the pocket during first-half action at U.S. Bank Stadium, with the play unfolding on Dec. 7, 2025, as Minnesota faced Washington while McCarthy scanned coverage, set his feet, and worked through progressions behind a forming pocket early in the game. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.
What’s to come for J.J. McCarthy after the Minnesota Vikings’ ownership fired general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah? All bets are off, says ESPN.
ESPN’s reporting paints McCarthy as less secure than expected, which drags veteran options, trade chatter, and summer competition into the spotlight.
The Worldwide Leader in Sports painted McCarthy’s future in a cloudy light late last week, and there’s no clear path for him to the QB1 job in 2026, the gig he held undisputedly last year.
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ESPN Report Creates Fresh Doubt around J.J. McCarthy’s Vikings Outlook
Change may be on the way.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy drops back to pass at U.S. Bank Stadium as the offense settles into its early rhythm, with protection forming and receivers breaking into routes. The preseason scene unfolded on Aug. 10, 2024 in Minneapolis during Minnesota’s matchup with Las Vegas, offering a clear look at McCarthy operating within the pocket. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports.
ESPN on McCarthy
Kevin Seifert examined the purple team’s offseason in the wake of Adofo-Mensah’s termination, and noted on McCarthy, “The best way to put this, based on what sources have said, is that all bets are off. The general manager who drafted McCarthy No. 10 in 2024 has been fired, and the coach who was in full agreement with that decision is now under considerably more scrutiny.”
“In the big picture, McCarthy is a talented player who just turned 23 and has a total of 10 NFL starts. Few NFL teams would give up on a quarterback with that profile, and many team builders are particularly enamored with optimizing a quarterback’s rookie contract.”
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Minnesota basically controls McCarthy’s affordable deal for two more years — three if he turns out to be good-good and the Vikings don’t mind paying about $40 million in 2028.
“Adofo-Mensah was one of them, but his departure is a reminder of the range of outcomes that approach can lead to. If anything, these events increase the chances that the Vikings will take a big swing at finding a veteran quarterback who could start in 2026,” Seifert continued.
“The only thing more damaging than making the mistakes the Vikings made last season would be to repeat them this year.”
The key takeaway? All bets are off.
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Expect Competition
The Seifert reporting didn’t expressly say that McCarthy would be jettisoned from the Vikings’ roster via trade, but it did imply someone else is on the way — and that guy won’t be another Sam Howell or Carson Wentz-type.
Because of McCarthy’s already lengthy injury history, plus his ranking as the NFL’s worst quarterback in 2025 by almost all efficiency metrics, Minnesota may not have time wait out his development. The current regime faces win-now stakes, and to hedge their bets, it probably needs a quarterback who can win football games if McCarthy falters — or someone to take his job based on better summer performance.
How High to the Stars Do the Vikings Shoot?
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The question quickly becomes: in the wake of the ESPN reporting, what type of quarterback will the Vikings seek?
Some are holding out hope that Minnesota could finagle a blockbuster trade for Joe Burrow or Lamar Jackson, but those theories are predicated on the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens, respectively, selling their Top 5 quarterbacks, which just doesn’t seem likely.
If Minnesota wants a veteran passer to push McCarthy to the limit this summer, the options might look like this:
Davis Mills (trade)
Drew Lock (trade)
Gardner Minshew
Jake Browning
Jameis Winston (trade)
Jimmy Garoppolo
Joe Flacco
Kenny Pickett
Marcus Mariota
Mitchell Trubisky
Russell Wilson
Teddy Bridgewater
Tua Tagovailoa (trade)
Tyrod Taylor
Suppose they want a young passer with upside who could still salvage his career and eventually latch on as the full-time starter. That list looks like this:
Anthony Richardson (trade)
Davis Mills (trade)
Jalen Milroe (trade)
Malik Willis
Spencer Rattler (trade)
Will Levis (trade)
Zach Wilson
Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis pauses near the sideline as game introductions wrap up and the offense prepares to take the field, framed by the crowd and stadium lighting. The moment occurred on Sep. 22, 2024 in Nashville before Tennessee’s home matchup with Green Bay, capturing Levis in a calm, anticipatory pregame setting. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images.
And then there are the players who would probably take McCarthy’s job, somewhat easily:
Aaron Rodgers
Daniel Jones
Kyler Murray (trade)
Mac Jones (trade)
That’s the mystery right now: which path does head coach and de facto team CEO Kevin O’Connell prefer? With all bets are off lingo, it sure sounds like the splashiest method is on the table, whether that’s landing Kyler Murray or prying Joe Burrow away from Cincinnati.
McCarthy in 2025
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McCarthy put some wonderful moments on tape; don’t forget those. Against the Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, and New York Giants, the second-year passer played phenomenally and even looked the part of a Pro Bowler in those contests.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy goes through pregame warmups on the MetLife Stadium field, cycling through footwork and timing drills as teammates finalize preparations. The routine took place on Dec. 21, 2025 in East Rutherford, New Jersey ahead of a late-season road game, highlighting McCarthy’s focused approach before kickoff. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images.
But aside from those games, McCarthy battled two things: persistent injuries and poor performance. He finished 2025 ranked dead last in EPA+CPOE, and since joining the Vikings in 2024, McCarthy has missed 24 of 34 eligible games.
If the Vikings prefer free agency for the “other” quarterback, well, that process kicks off in one month. Trades can be negotiated and agreed upon at any time.
A potential groundbreaking decision was made in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on Monday that could change NCAA eligibility forever.
A judge denied Charles Bediako’s motion for a preliminary injunction that would allow him to continue playing basketball for the Alabama Crimson Tide after he returned despite declaring for the 2023 NBA Draft.
So, after just five games, Bediako’s season is over, per AL.com’s Nick Kelly.
Charles Bediako of the Alabama Crimson Tide waits to enter his first collegiate game in two years during the first half against the Tennessee Volunteers at Coleman Coliseum on Jan. 24, 2026 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.(Brandon Sumrall/Getty Images)
“Common sense won a round today,” NCAA president Charlie Baker said in a statement, per Yahoo Sports. “The court saw this for what it is: an attempt by professionals to pivot back to college and crowd out the next generation of students. College sports are for students, not for people who already walked away to go pro and now want to hit the ‘undo’ button at the expense of a teenager’s dream.
“While we’re glad the court upheld the rules our members actually want, one win doesn’t fix the national mess of state laws. It’s time for Congress to stop watching from the sidelines and help us provide some actual stability.”
Bediako filed a lawsuit against the NCAA in order to return to his Crimson Tide squad, where he last played during the 2022-23 season. The 7-foot center declared for the NBA Draft after that year, but he went unselected in the two rounds.
Bediako eventually spent time in the G League over the past three seasons, which includes six games for the Motor City Cruise this season.
However, he was granted a temporary restraining order in January, allowing him to return to Alabama to play for his old team despite the NCAA initially denying the Crimson Tide’s request to have him on the roster.
Bediako isn’t the first player who has tried to head back to college after going pro hasn’t gone swimmingly.
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James Nnaji, who was actually taken in the same draft as Bediako, shocked everyone when he committed to Baylor. While he hadn’t played in an NBA game, Nnaji was the first former draftee to be cleared to play in college.
Charles Bediako of the Alabama Crimson Tide reacts during the second half in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at KFC YUM! Center against the San Diego State Aztecs on March 24, 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky.(Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
It started a wave of similar commitments, which include G League players Thierry Darlan and London Johnson heading to Santa Clara and Louisville, though it is for next season.
Alabama head coach Nate Oats told The Athletic that Bediako will remain on scholarship even if he can’t play.
“Charles has done nothing wrong. I will stand by our guys every single time, no matter what the outside says when they’ve done nothing wrong, and Charles has done everything right,” Oats told the outlet.
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Meanwhile, Arkansas head coach John Calipari unloaded on the current state of college basketball for allowing players to head back into college.
“Does anybody care what this is doing for 17- and 18-year-old American kids?” Calipari questioned in his nearly seven-minute monologue in December 2025. “Do you know what this opportunity has done for them and their families? There aren’t gonna be any high school kids. Who, other than dumb people like me, are gonna recruit high school kids? I get so much satisfaction out of coaching young kids and seeing them grow and make it, and their family’s life changes, that I’m gonna keep doing it. But why would anybody else, if you can get NBA players, G-League players, guys that are 28 years old, guys from Europe — do we really know their transcript? Do we have somebody over there? Do we really know their birth certificate? Or don’t we?
“If you put your name in the draft, I don’t care if you’re from Russia and you stay in the draft, you can’t play college basketball. ‘Well, that’s only for American kids.’ What? If your name is in that draft, and you got drafted, you can’t play college because that’s our rule. ‘Yeah, but that’s only for American kids.’ OK. OK.”
But Alabama feels that it has been done wrong by the NCAA considering players have been allowed in other programs to play this season despite going pro, Nnaji being an example.
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“I respectfully ask the Court to uphold the NCAA eligibility rules challenged in this case, which are essential to the integrity of college sports, to the educational mission they serve, and to the opportunities they provide for current and future student-athletes,” SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said in a four-page affidavit filed last week.
Charles Bediako of the Alabama Crimson Tide makes his return to the college court during the first half against the Tennessee Volunteers at Coleman Coliseum on Jan. 24, 2026 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.(Brandon Sumrall/Getty Images)
The university added a statement following the court’s ruling, per Yahoo Sports.
“While we understand the concern around competitive and developmental implications of former professional athletes participating in college, it is important to acknowledge reality,” the statement read.
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“The NCAA has granted eligibility to over 100 current men’s basketball players with prior professional experience in the G League or overseas. Granting eligibility to some former professionals and not to others is what creates the havoc we are currently in and why consistency from decisions-makers is so desperately needed.”
The Crimson Tide went 3-2 with Bediako back on their bench.
Man Utd face West Ham in the Premier League on Tuesday as Michael Carrick looks to make it five wins in a row since being appointed head coach until the end of the season.
Teenager Tyler Fletcher is in the Manchester United squad for the trip to West Ham on Tuesday after coming off the bench to make his debut in the win against Tottenham at the weekend. United took the train from Stockport to London on Monday afternoon ahead of the fixture at the London Stadium tomorrow night, when Carrick will be looking to continue his perfect start to life as the club’s latest head coach.
Saturday’s 2-0 win against Tottenham was a fourth successive win for United under Carrick and Fletcher, 18, followed in the footsteps of twin brother Jack by making his first-team debut this season, coming off the bench in the 89th minute.
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Carrick had already ruled Mason Mount and Matthijs de Ligt out of the trip to the capital, although Mount is expected back when United face Everton in two weeks. Patrick Dorgu is out for a couple of months with a hamstring injury.
Photographers snapped 20 players boarding the train, and the only member of the squad from Saturday who wasn’t seen was Leny Yoro, although that doesn’t necessarily mean he won’t be involved. Three of the 20 were goalkeepers and with Tom Heaton likely to drop out of the matchday squad, it would still leave United one player short of naming nine substitutes.
United will face a West Ham team who have just started to find some form. Although they remain in the relegation zone they have won three of their last four Premier League games and will present a different kind of test for Carrick, who is looking to continue a perfect start since being appointed head coach until the end of the season.
“I think you’ve got to go into the game understanding the situation of both teams,” he said. “We’ve tried to paint that picture to the players in every game we’ve played so far and it’ll be the same come Tuesday night.
“The type of game, the feel of the game, what kind of skills we’re going to have to try and draw on. Different games throw up different things. Teams towards the bottom of the league are really fighting for things, but so are we, and we’ve got a lot to fight for, so you’d like to think that balances out in some ways and it’s who can come out on top at the end of it.”
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Confirmed travelling squad members: Senne Lammens, Altay Bayindir, Tom Heaton, Diogo Dalot, Noussair Mazraoui, Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martinez, Ayden Heaven, Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia, Casemiro, Manuel Ugarte, Kobbie Mainoo, Tyler Fletcher, Bruno Fernandes, Matheus Cunha, Amad, Joshua Zirkzee, Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko.
According to The Ring, Spence is set to take on Australian star Tim Tszyu, provided that Tszyu first comes through a warm-up bout beforehand.
“Errol Spence Jr will return to the ring vs. Tim Tszyu this summer, sources tell @ringmagazine. Spence hasn’t fought since his July 2023 loss to Terence Crawford. Tszyu will first take a tune-up fight in Australia prior to their bout, per sources.”
Tszyu became WBO super welterweight champion in 2023, defeating the likes of Tony Harrison and Brian Mendoza on his way to accumulating a 24-0 record, before he lost his belt to Fundora in a bloody battle that was also for the vacant WBC strap.
A brutal third round stoppage defeat to IBF champion Bakhram Murtazaliev then followed, before a seventh round retirement loss to Fundora in their rematch. The Aussie fighter has since changed his team around and bounced back with a unanimous decision win against Anthony Velazquez in December.
If the report is correct, Tszyu will have his interim bout at some point in the next couple of months, before then turning his attention to the showdown with Spence in the summer, who will be competing for the first time in three years when he returns.
The frequency of the Minnesota Vikings’ trade regimen may reduce this offseason with Kwesi Adofo-Mensah no longer in the seat as general manager, but Bleacher Report believes the purple team could target three players nevertheless: Kyler Murray (QB), Mac Jones (QB, and Deonte Banks (CB).
Minnesota may never pull the trigger, but the trio shows the range of outcomes on the table, from QB swing to cheaper insurance and CB help.
The Vikings, in theory, can explore trades at anytime and agree to them in principle, even before the start of free agency in one month.
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Three Trade Targets Suddenly Linked to the Vikings
It’s two quarterbacks and a cornerback per BR for Minnesota’s trade needs.
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray works through pregame warmups at State Farm Stadium, with the scene unfolding on Nov. 12, 2023, as anticipation built for Atlanta, capturing Murray’s footwork, posture, and focus during the final stretch before kickoff under stadium lights in a calm, field-level moment ahead of live action. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports.
1. Kyler Murray | QB
BR’s Alex Ballentine named the trio as Minnesota’s trade options and opined on Murray, “It would be much harder to figure out the money for a trade involving Kyler Murray. He would cost any team that trades for him $24.9 million. He would also pose a much bigger threat to McCarthy. Still, the Vikings have the defense and the skill talent to be a contender in the NFC and Murray could unlock that in O’Connell’s offense.”
Based on his career production to date and draft stock seven years ago — the first overall pick in 2019 — Murray is the best quarterback option the Vikings can find this offseason, unless one believes a trade for Joe Burrow or Lamar Jackson, for example, is realistic.
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The Cardinals hired a new head coach, Mike LaFleur, and appear ready to move on from Murray after seven seasons and just one postseason trip.
In the last seven years, Murray’s EPA+CPOE sits ahead of Baker Mayfield, C.J. Stroud, Trevor Lawrence, and Daniel Jones — all quarterbacks currently projected to open 2026 as starters for their teams.
2. Mac Jones | QB
Ballentine noted on Jones as a Vikings’ trade candidate, “Mac Jones would be an ideal candidate. He has experience with Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco and he’s only going to cost a team that trades for him a $3.5 million cap hit.”
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The problem here — unlike Murray — is that the 49ers are in no rush to trade Jones. He’s arguably the best QB2 insurance policy in the NFL, and San Francisco QB1 Brock Purdy is not Iron Man.
ESPN’s Nick Wagoner wrote Sunday, “Despite continued speculation, the San Francisco 49ers have no plans to trade quarterback Mac Jones this offseason and fully intend to bring him back as Brock Purdy’s backup, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Sunday.”
“In an ever-uncertain quarterback landscape, Jones has been a potential offseason trade target for teams in need of a starter. But at least for now, the Niners don’t plan to part with Jones, who is under contract for another year at a salary cap number of $3.07 million. Niners coach Kyle Shanahan said as much at his end-of-season news conference when asked about dealing Jones, though he also left the door cracked open.”
New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones confers on the sideline at Gillette Stadium, with the exchange dated Dec. 24, 2022, as Jones checks in with Bill Belichick and Matt Patricia during second-half action against Cincinnati, a snapshot of in-game communication amid shifting momentum, coaching input, and late-game decision-making pressure. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports.
The case for Jones landing in Minnesota — or anywhere — is simple. He started eight games in 2025, and San Francisco went 5–3 during that stretch. Stretch those eight games across a full season, and you’re looking at roughly 4,570 passing yards, 28 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, and a 69.6 percent completion rate.
That production tracks closely with Sam Darnold’s 2024 output, the same season Minnesota went 14–3. Nothing in Jones’ recent tape or efficiency suggests he would walk into Minnesota and suddenly fall apart.
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It’s whether the 49ers price-gouge for his services, and whether the Vikings take the bait.
3. Deonte Banks | CB
The final former 1st-Rounder of BR’s exercise, Banks would evidently be a welcome addition to Brian Flores’s secondary. It’s just that fans would have to hope that he fundamentally improved upon arriving in Minneapolis.
His numbers through three seasons are grim. Here’s his passer-rating-against:
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2025: 126.7 2024: 124.2 2023: 79.6
New York Giants cornerback Deonte Banks breaks free on a punt return at Allegiant Stadium, with the play unfolding on Dec. 28, 2025, as Banks accelerates through traffic and turns special-teams execution into a game-swinging touchdown against Las Vegas during a wild second-half stretch that flipped momentum dramatically late. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.
Full disclosure: these numbers suggest Banks is absolutely terrible. But maybe he could be fixed in Minnesota if Bleacher Report is on to something.
GMEN HQ‘sMatt Sidney on Banks last month: “It’s time for Joe Schoen to move on from Deonte Banks. If you’ve watched this team play football, Banks’ lack of effort, head-scratching angles, and not being able to turn his head around has likely made you want to throw the clicker through the television — I’m not just projecting, right? If Schoen can convince a team he just hasn’t been utilized properly (return game not included… maybe?), then perhaps there’s a market for the 24-year-old.”
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“Every team needs a corner, and it shouldn’t be too hard for someone else to get tricked into believing the former Maryland star can turn things around. It’s amazing what youth, an ideal build, an athletic profile, and a first-round pedigree can do for you during negotiations. Giants fans can only wait for the Adam Schefter post reporting the news.”
Mark Chapman is joined by T20 World Cup winner Tymal Mills, former England spinner Phil Tufnell and Chief Cricket Reporter Stephan Shemilt to discuss the opening few days of the World Cup.
The big news today is that Pakistan will play India in the Group match on Sunday after Pakistan’s government lifted their boycott with Bangladesh’s blessing. Wisden editor Lawrence Booth joins the panel to talk about the internal politics of world cricket.
England are off to a winning start, just, so what did we learn about Harry Brook’s captaincy?
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And are the smaller nations catching the established powers in international cricket?
You can hear ball-by-ball commentary of every match of the T20 World Cup on BBC Sounds
American skier Hunter Hess appeared to backtrack on the “mixed emotions” he said he had about representing the U.S. at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.
Hess drew backlash from President Donald Trump and others when he made his initial comments to reporters last week. But after a few days, Hess made clear what it means to wear the red, white and blue on one of the biggest stages in sports.
Hunter Hess reacts while competing in the men’s freeski halfpipe final during the Toyota US Grand Prix on Dec. 20, 2025, in Copper Mountain, Colorado.(Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
“I love my country,” he wrote with an American flag emoji. “There is so much that is great about America, but there are always things that could be better.
“One of the many things that makes this country so amazing is that we have the right and the freedom to point that out. The best part of the Olympics is that it brings people together, and when so many of us are divided we need that more than ever. I cannot wait to represent Team USA next week when I compete.”
Hess’ comments came as the Trump administration faced backlash over the use of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in enforcement operations. An incident with ICE agents in January left Renee Good dead in Minnesota. Border Patrol agents also had a deadly encounter with Alex Pretti.
Hunter Hess after competing in the Dew Tour on Feb. 25, 2023, in Copper Mountain, Colorado.(Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Those incidents were apparently used as the catalyst for the comments from Hess and his teammate Chris Lillis. Hess said he had “mixed emotions” about representing the U.S.
“It brings up mixed emotions to represent the U.S. right now, I think. It’s a little hard. There’s obviously a lot going on that I’m not the biggest fan of, and I think a lot of people aren’t,” Hess said.
“I think, for me, it’s more I’m representing my friends and family back home, the people that represented it before me, all the things that I believe are good about the U.S. If it aligns with my moral values, I feel like I’m representing it. Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S.
President Donald Trump arrives to speak about the economy at a rally on Jan. 27, 2026, in Clive, Iowa.(Charlie Neibergall/AP Photo)
“I just kind of want to do it for my friends and my family and the people that support me getting here.”
;)
