LeBron James will play a 24th season in the NBA … and it won’t come with the team people expected. James announced Friday that he’ll sign with the Philadelphia 76ers as he seeks one more championship.

The decision was met with … shock, mostly. Coming into Friday, the 76ers weren’t considered among the favorites to sign James. Two of James’ former franchise, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat, as well as the Golden State Warriors, were considered the most likely landing spots for the superstar.

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But it wasn’t meant to be, as James opted for the surprising 76ers instead.

The news came as a massive shock to Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark, who got the news as she was in the middle of a press conference ahead of WNBA All-Star weekend.

This is how our writers think United should line up this evening:

Tyrone Marshall

Carrick showed his hand last week by picking a strong team in the first half and then ringing the changes at the break. I’d keep the pattern reasonably similar this half, with a couple of changes. One of them is moving Yoro to centre-back alongside Maguire. There has to be a chance that this is the partnership that begins the Premier League season, so let’s see them together now.

I would also bring Tyler Fletcher in to play alongside Andrey Santos, with Mason Mount as the No.10, and would hand Joshua Zirkzee a chance through the middle.

Steven Railston

I’d largely pick the same team that started against Wrexham last weekend, but would make a handful of changes. The first would be bringing Vitek into the XI at the expense of Heaton, who can play in the second half when wholesale changes are made.

Tyler Fletcher should swap roles with his brother, Jack, who started in Finland. He is the more likely of the pair to stay with the first-team squad in the new campaign, so it makes sense for him to start.

Playing Zirkzee up front is fine in the first two pre-season games, which are essentially fitness exercises, but it will be concerning if he’s the only fit forward on the eve of the new campaign. Carrick should give Gabriel minutes in the second half.

Read the rest here>>>

The preseason gives young and sometimes lesser known players a time to shine.

Had it not been for the preseason, Victor Cruz might never have become a star for the New York Giants. He made the roster as an undrafted rookie with an impressive preseason, and ended up with 1,536 receiving yards for a Super Bowl championship team in his second season.

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Not everyone breaks out like Cruz did, but we’ll see some players impress their teams and either make the roster or elevate their role with a big preseason. Here are our 10 breakout candidates for the preseason:

Preseason really is for the backups, after all, and there might be no more intriguing QB2 than Caleb Williams‘ understudy. Bagent was one of the preseason standouts a year ago, throwing for five TDs and 511 yards in the three outings, which included a standout performance against the Chiefs in the finale.

There was trade chatter this spring around Bagent, given the intriguing skills the former undrafted free agent had shown, including four emergency regular-season starts as a rookie in 2023. The Bears have balked to this point, reportedly holding out for more in return, perhaps even a Day 2 draft pick.

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If Bagent lights it up again this preseason, could those trade calls return? There’s always at least one team worried about its QB situation every August, so it can’t be dismissed, even with Bagent signing an extension last year through 2027. The Bears still have Case Keenum as a veteran, and offensive coordinator Press Taylor sounded somewhat intrigued with 2026 UDFA Miller Moss.

Even if the Bears don’t move Bagent, we’ll see him thrive again this preseason. He’s a talented thrower with some decent athleticism. —Edholm

The Jaguars saw Travis Etienne Jr. leave in free agency, and while Chris Rodriguez Jr. got a healthy two-year, $10 million deal to come to Jacksonville, he has 920 rushing yards in three seasons. Everything is lined up for Tuten to have a really nice second season.

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Tuten had just 307 rushing yards as a rookie last season, but has talent and now he should have a great opportunity to be a lead back in a good offense. Tuten’s usage in preseason will be interesting to track. If Tuten looks good in the preseason, he should enter the regular season as at least the leader in a timeshare with Rodriguez. And there’s a chance he’s a preseason star, and that’s a harbinger for a very good second season. —Schwab

Carter had an odd rookie season. He came in with a ton of hype as the third overall pick of last year’s draft, and had only four sacks. But the pressure stats were very good. He had the most quick pressures of any player in the NFL last season.

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The best guess is Carter turns a lot of those pressures into sacks this season. There’s no better way to get off to a good start than having a strong preseason, which would be a good sight for new Giants head coach John Harbaugh. Everyone would be excited to see Carter have a big preseason heading into his second NFL season. —Schwab

On the surface, you might say that Ferguson’s rookie season was a disappointment, given that he caught only 11 passes on 25 targets in 350-plus snaps last season. Even for a slower-developing position such as tight end, the catch total is lean.

But Ferguson also flashed quite a bit on those 11 catches, averaging 21 yards per grab and catching three TDs. The Rams continued to funnel the ball his way more and more as the season went on, and though it didn’t always result in big plays, it showed how much faith Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford had in the rising prospect.

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Ferguson also showed he could hold his own as a blocker, which was something that wasn’t viewed as a major strength entering the league. Although Tyler Higbee and Colby Parkinson remain options, it feels like Ferguson will get every opportunity to shine this season, and that will include some preseason flash plays. —Edholm

Everyone has been waiting for the big Downs breakout season. While he has been good, and efficient, he hasn’t passed 70% of the Colts’ offensive snaps in a season yet. With Michael Pittman Jr. off to Pittsburgh in a trade, that could change.

Downs, at 171 pounds, might never be an every-down receiver but this is his opportunity to prove he can do it. Alec Pierce is the Colts’ No. 1 receiver after signing a massive contract, but even he could miss a lot of training camp as he recovers from ankle surgery. Downs still has to show that he can be a staple in two-receiver sets for the Colts, and he might make strides toward that in the preseason. If he can become an unquestioned full-time player, he could have a huge regular season. —Schwab

Jets TE Kenyon Sadiq

There have been some flashy TE rookies in recent years who have parlayed a strong preseason into productive first years in the NFL. Colston Loveland and Tyler Warren both looked good in August a year ago. Sadiq is a clear choice for rookie TE standout of this year’s preseason.

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Sadiq was a surprise pick to the Jets, but it was clear they badly needed to add more firepower to a limited offense. From a physical perspective, Sadiq could be a real ace for the Jets, even if he’s not a complete player nor is he guaranteed a high-volume role as a receiver in the regular season.

But the Jets were awful on third downs and even worse in the red zone. These are two clear areas where the 6-foot-3, 245-pound Sadiq can make his money — and make his impact starting in preseason. Expect a heavy workload this August as a way of determining what Sadiq can do for the Jets’ offense come Week 1. —Edholm

Lions WR Isaac TeSlaa

TeSlaa was a star of last preseason, tying for the NFL lead with three touchdown catches. He made some highlight plays during his rookie regular season too, but he wasn’t a high-volume player in the offense. He caught six touchdowns on only 16 receptions.

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The Lions have a crowded offense, and TeSlaa has to do something special to improve his playing time. He should play plenty in the preseason, and he clearly has the ability to star on that stage. If he has another big preseason, it could force the Lions to find ways to get him on the field more with increased targets. —Schwab

Seahawks DT Rylie Mills

A play you might have forgotten amid the hoopla of the Seahawks’ Super Bowl LX dominance was a sack from a player with fewer than 40 NFL snaps. When Seattle drafted Mills in Round 5 last year, it was considered a wait-and-see pick while Mills was recovering from a torn ACL. He earned playing time down the stretch and was effective enough to earn Super Bowl snaps.

This was Mills walking Patriots OG Jared Wilson back into Drake Maye for a 10-yard sack, and it was just a snapshot of the player he was at Notre Dame before suffering the injury in the College Football Playoffs against Indiana. Mills had only five Super Bowl snaps, but he made them count.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport has set a date for a hearing over Senegal’s appeal against being stripped of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title.

Hosts Morocco were declared the tournament winners after the Confederation of African Football (Caf) overturned the result of the final in January, which Senegal won 1-0.

The Senegalese players walked off the field after Morocco were awarded a stoppage-time penalty with the match goalless.

Following a delay of about 17 minutes, the players returned and Brahim Diaz’s penalty was saved before Senegal’s Pape Gueye scored an extra-time winner.

Senegal lodged their appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) on 25 March, seeking to set aside Caf’s decision and reinstate them as tournament winners.

Caf deemed that Senegal had forfeited the final and awarded Morocco a 3-0 victory.

Caf and the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) did not agree to expedite the procedure so there will now be a hearing on 8 October.

According to a Cas statement, that follows the standard timeline.

Caf and the FRMF did not request that the hearing is made public so it will take place behind closed doors at the Cas headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Cas cannot state when a final decision will be announced but it will not be on the day of the hearing.

My positional rankings for the NFC North moves to the back end of the defense and the all-important cornerback position – click here for last year’s rankings.

NFC North Cornerback Rankings for 2026

For a division that is full of wide receiver heavyweights the roll call for cornerbacks feels somewhat lackluster in comparison. However, there are a couple of big names and some solid rankings. Here are my rankings for this year.

1. Detroit Lions

DJ Reed, Rock Ya-Sin, Roger McCreary, Ennis Rakestraw, Keith Abney

Last year, Detroit made the big acquisition of DJ Reed, with the Lions signing him to a three–year, $48 million contract. Reed wasn’t at his best in his first season in Detroit, which included a spell on injured reserve due to a strained hamstring but he is still a good cornerback.

Former second round pick Ennis Raketraw should be back after missing all of last season due to a shoulder injury that required surgery. Rock Ya-Sin returns to give the team a solid veteran presence while there are two new faces in town in the shape of Roger McCreary and Keith Abney. McCreary was a second round pick for the Titans back in 2022, while Abney was selected in the fifth round of this year’s draft.

The depth looks solid. If Reed can return to his best this could be a very strong unit.

2. Chicago Bears

Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon, Tyrique Stevenson, Malik Muhammad, Terrell Smith

The Chicago Bears are home to the best CB in the division in Jaylon Johnson. Johnson needs a return to full health and form in 2026 as the Bears look to win back-to-back NFC north titles for the first time since 2005/2006.

Chicago spent second-round picks in consecutive years (2022/2023) on Kyler Gordon and Tyrique Stevenson. Both have played plenty of football and done OK without ever without ever reaching the levels the Bears would have hoped.

Terrell Smith will hope to return from a torn patellar tendon that ended his 2025 season during the preseason while Chicago have looked towards the draft again with fourth round rookie Malik Muhammad. There is potential for a good unit here which largely hinges on Johnson getting back to his best we here he can go toe-to-toe with the best receivers in the game.

3. Green Bay Packers

Keisean Nixon, Carrington Valentine, Benjamin St-Juste, Brandon Cisse

The Packers CB room may lack star power but it looks solid if somewhat unspectacular all the way down the depth chart. Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine return after solid seasons in 2025 but aren’t exactly a starting duo to strike fear into the hearts of the high powered wide receivers that call the NFC North home.

Green Bay signed Benjamin St-Juste in free agency, adding a good veteran with inside/outside versatility. The key to the team’s success defensively on the perimeter likely falls to the development of second-round draft pick Brandon Cisse. If he can have success early then things will look much brighter at the position for the Packers. If he struggles early on then it could be another difficult season at corner in Green Bay.

4. Minnesota Vikings

Byron Murphy, James Pierre, Isaiah Rodgers, Dwight McGlothern, Charles Demmings

The Vikings’ search for answers at cornerback moved to the signing of James Pierre, who had an excellent 2025 as a depth player for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Minnesota looks set to hand him an increased role and will hope he can maintain his standards from last year.

Doing so could push Isaiah Rodgers’ playing time down. His peak performance last season was exceptional but not seen often enough. Byron Murphy will hope to return to the production levels that saw him named to the Pro Bowl in 2024.

The depth chart is rounded out by Dwight McGlothern, a former undrafted player still waiting for a real chance and rookie Charles Demmings who has been getting buzz as a draft steal with the potential to develop into a starter.

Proud UK Viking. Family Man. Enjoy writing about my team. Away from football an advocate for autism acceptance.

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England’s Mark Swan won the first gold medal of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games with a lift of 222kg in the lightweight powerlifting competition.

Swan set a new European record with a lift of 220kg in the up to 80kg category at the European Open Championships in March.

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He improved that to secure gold and then attempted a world record-equalling lift of 232kg in his final attempt but was unsuccessful.

“To get the first medal, especially gold, for Team England in the very first medal event, it’s absolutely huge,” Swan told BBC Sport.

“Hopefully this motivates the rest of the athletes in Team England to go out and push.”

The silver medal went to Roland Ezuruike of Nigeria, while world record holder Malaysia’s Bonnie Bunyau Gustin claimed the bronze after failing to lift 230kg in his final attempt.

Swan won silver at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022.

The Ciaron Maher stable is commencing the campaigns of two young horses at Caulfield this Saturday, with the hope that they can step up to more significant assignments in the upcoming spring racing season.

Ghana’s Akan and Milsons Point are slated to compete in the Stow Robotics Handicap (1100m), their initial outings since the autumn racing period concluded.

Milsons Point has been gelded following his participation in the VOBIS Showdown (1200m) at Caulfield in March. Jack Turnbull, National Assistant Trainer for Ciaron Maher Racing, commented that Saturday presents a suitable starting point with larger races in mind.

“He’s a big lad,” Turnbull remarked about Milsons Point. “Last prep he was strong as a colt, but he has softened up a touch as a gelding. He is a miler, that’s his future, so he’ll go up in trip pretty quick.”

Milsons Point has undergone two jump-outs in preparation for his return to racing and won an 800-metre heat at Caulfield last week.

“We’re pleased with how he’s come back, but his Grand Finals are down the track,” Turnbull stated. “The Caulfield Guineas would be his Grand Final, but we don’t know if he’s good enough. We’ll give him his chance to get there in races like the Mike Moroney at Flemington, the Prelude or the Stutt Stakes.”

Ghana’s Akan is yet to secure a victory in four career starts, but she has achieved two second-place finishes and accumulated prize money just shy of $470,000.

The daughter of Street Boss finished second in the Inglis Millennium at Randwick before concluding her previous preparation with a fifth-place finish in the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield.

Despite not having won a race, Ghana’s Akan has been assigned the top weight of 59kg, which will be mitigated by the 3kg claim from jockey Jabez Johnstone.

“We were sort of surprised in a way with the weight, but she’s a talented filly that put the writing on the wall last prep,” Turnbull said. “She’s strengthened up but will be better again coming out of the spring into the autumn. She’s quick, she had a nice trial last week and she’s cleaned up in the skin.”

Turnbull indicated that Ghana’s Akan would be kept to sprinting distances throughout the spring, with the Group 3 Quezette Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on August 15 being a potential early target.

“The three weeks should work well, so that’s her path,” Turnbull added. “I think she’s more short course. That’s the way we see her, and I think the 1100 and 1200 metres is her go this prep.”

Saturday’s Stow Robotics Handicap provides a good starting point for these two stablemates to kick off their spring campaigns.

Check the latest racing odds on the action at Caulfield through Australian betting sites.

Ask Kevin O’Connell and he’ll say that some news coaches have been helping. Frank Smith is a tremendous mind for the rushing attack. Meanwhile, Keith Carter comes to work prepared and determined. Combined, these two are meant to push the Vikings’ rushing attack to a new level.

All eyes are on the quarterbacks in the Twin Cities. Perhaps the best way to support whoever wins the job will be through a potent ground game. Being able to control the clock, grind down defenses, remain unpredictable, and setup play action will pay dividends whether Kyler Murray or J.J. McCarthy get the nod. Kevin O’Connell has consistently praised these two new coaches, Smith and Carter, for what they’re contributing to the rushing attack.

Kevin O’Connell Points Toward Pair of New Coaches

Quite possibly, leaning on Jordan Mason is the way to go. After all, he’s a 27-year-old runner who hasn’t had a huge workload to this point in his career. The fresh, physical runner boasts a nasty demeanour even if he does have limitations in the passing game.

Otherwise, the main names to know are Aaron Jones, Demond Claiborne, and Max Bredeson (the 5th-Round rookie fullback). Jones, in particular, is going to receive a meaty workload. A touch less athletic than the Jones of yesteryear, the veteran is only hindered by injury. A healthy Jones is an effective Jones; expect him to be featured prominently

In fact, Jones has been outspoken about the brilliance of Coach Smith, pointing to Miami’s former OC as somebody who understands the game at a very high level. Jones is a smart guy who has been around for a while. Impressing the veteran therefore says something.

Check out some of what Kevin O’Connell had to say back in June about these coaches: “I think Keith’s done a phenomenal job. Really being the engine behind the technique and fundamentals. And can’t understate Frank’s impact from a schematical, big-picture standpoint of really being what we want to be as an offense.”

— READ MORE: Ian Rapoport Offers His 2 Cents —
— READ MORE: The Former Vikings GM’s Training Camp Preview —
— READ MORE: Is Kyler Murray the Answer that Justin Jefferson Needs? —

To clarify, O’Connell is discussing o-line coach Keith Carter and assistant head coach Frank Smith, both of whom are bringing a fresh perspective to the coaching staff.

More broadly, O’Connell is responding to a question of running wide zone. Picture the offensive line moving horizontally as a runner glides toward the sideline. That runner needs good vision and decisiveness. When a sliver of daylight appears between the large lads, explode vertically. The basic philosophy sounds simple but it’s the sort of thing that needs extensive practice to perfect. Football is all about the details.

And, no doubt, there’s plenty of merit in sticking with the ground game. A run that went for 3 yards in the 1st quarter may go for 13 yards in the 4th quarter due to the fatigue that sets in on the gridiron. Can these new coaches push O’Connell toward being more patient with the ground attack?

In fact, Coach Carter spoke to that reality not too long ago when he chatted with the Vikings’ Tatum Everett. “The run game isn’t always pretty,” the coach said, “it’s not always even exciting. But you need belief that it’s getting better as the game goes. And the more ops we get, the more we’re going to be able to make it better as the game goes.”

Carter is speaking toward a central issue for Kevin O’Connell: being too reluctant to commit himself to calling run plays consistently.

The Vikings are moving into the fifth season with Kevin O’Connell as the head coach. Continuing to struggle on the ground could plausibly be a central reason for the team failing to live up to its potential. Or, perhaps, the opposite occurs as the O’Connell offense figures out how to arrive at a healthy balance. Doing so would position the Vikings to get into the playoffs and do damage once there.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.