The Steelers hosted edge rusher Terrell Tilmon for a visit Monday, PennLive’s Nick Farabaugh reported.

Undrafted in 2026, Tilmon posted a 6.70 RAS coming out of college. The 6’4, 242-pound outside linebacker reportedly ran a 4.72-second 40-yard dash pre-draft.

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Tilmon spent the final three years of his college career at Texas Tech, where he played under now-Steelers outside linebackers coach C.J. Ah You. Tilmon was also a tryout player at Steelers rookie minicamp in the spring.

Tilmon was a rotational player with the Red Raiders. He recorded eight total tackles in 2025 and one sack, finishing his college career with 5.5 in total. He played notable special teams snaps on kickoff return, kickoff coverage, punt return and punt coverage teams for much of his time with Texas Tech.

The Steelers have not immediately signed Tilmon following his tryout. Reports indicate he was the only player Pittsburgh worked out Monday.

The Steelers will resume their second week of training camp Tuesday.

Rookie running back Demond Claiborne is in town to put a fright into the opposition due to his blistering speed. Unfortunately, he’s sorting through some early bumps and bruises, leading to time away from the main action so he can return to full health.

Kevin Seifert of ESPN was among those to make note of the Vikings’ runner working off to the side: “Running back Demond Claiborne is in full pads but running on the rehab field during the early part of practice.”

Similarly, Warren Ludford of Daily Norseman noted that Claiborne was mostly off to the side, explaining, “Claiborne present but not participating – baseball cap on.”

On the most basic level, seeing the kid lose reps isn’t a great sign. What’s encouraging, though, is that he’s out there. Clearly, he can’t be hurting too much. Some work is better than no work. Consider, as well, that Minnesota just moved on from a depth runner before adding a corner. In all likelihood, the Vikings would have snagged some fresh legs if there was major concern inside TCO Performance Center for when the rookie could come back.

The Vikings Keep Young Fella Off to Side in 1st Padded Practice

Best guess as of early August is that Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason are going to get the meatiest portion of the workload. Mason, in particular, looks like somebody who could explode.

There’s then the presence of rookie fullback Max Bredeson, somebody who is inspiring a lot of optimism in the Twin Cities. The Vikings believe that the Michigan blocker can do good things early in his career. Quite possibly, the move will be to ask the rookie to line up in the backfield, inline as a tight end, and in the slot. He, too, is going to be a crucial piece of the puzzle for the ground attack, albeit as somebody who doesn’t carry the ball very often (if at all).

The Vikings are leaning on Claiborne to be a bolt of lightning, a quick flash to ignite the field as he chews up yards fast. He’ll need to get healthy to do so.

Last year, Claiborne offered the Wake Forest Demon Deacons some excellent football. His final stats show 179 carries for 907 yards and 10 touchdowns. The 5.1 yards-per-carry average is very healthy. Proving capable of replicating that level of production as a pro will mean that Claiborne has a long NFL career.

Claiborne’s job as a rookie is to function as the RB3. Can he turn a screen into an explosive gain? Maybe turn the corner on an outside toss?

But then there’s another path toward touching the football: as a kickoff returner. In college, Claiborne brought 22 kickoffs back for a total of 579 yards and 2 scores. Pretty tidy.

“He’s become my little brother, him and (Kejon Owens). I love having them in the facility, love being around them. We’re going to spend some time this offseason in Miami working out together.” – @showtyme_33 on Demond Claiborne pic.twitter.com/GdhH88Emog

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) June 10, 2026

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Kevin O’Connell keeps vowing that the Vikings are going to offer up a reinvigorated ground attack in 2026. In the past, the skipper has said something similar, so some skepticism is warranted. What’s clear is that the Vikings like the rookie runner, as evidenced by their willingness to trade up into the 6th to pick him. He has a path toward early touches, even if the workload is likely to be modest initially.

The Vikings tend to be careful with injury, preferring to play things pretty cautiously rather than rush somebody back. Look for Minnesota to try to thread the needle. Claiborne’s injury doesn’t appear too serious, so the hope is that he’ll get back in action sooner rather than later.

Claiborne, 22, can hopefully get going in practice before too long.

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

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USA cricketer Bodugum Akhilesh Reddy has been banned from all forms of cricket for eight years after being found guilty of breaching the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Anti-Corruption Code.According to a press release from the ICC, the 26-year-old’s punishment is linked to corruption during the 2025 Abu Dhabi T10 tournament in the UAE. The ban has been backdated to November 21, 2025, when he was provisionally suspended. The ICC, which was overseeing anti-corruption matters for the tournament on behalf of the Emirates Cricket Board, found him guilty on three counts.According to the ICC, Reddy violated: “Article 2.1.1: Attempting to fix, contrive or otherwise influence improperly, or being party to an agreement or effort to fix or contrive in any way or otherwise influence improperly, the result, progress, conduct or other aspect of matches in the ADT10 2025.“Article 2.1.4: Soliciting, inducing, enticing, instructing, persuading, encouraging or intentionally facilitating (or attempting to do the former) another Participant to breach Article 2.1.1 of the Code in one or more Matches in the ADT10 2025.“Article 2.4.7: Obstructing the DACO’s investigation through deletion of data and messages from a mobile device which may have been relevant to the DACO’s investigation.”

How the case unfolded

The case relates to an incident on November 19, 2025, before the opening match of the Aspin Stallions. The tribunal found that Reddy approached a teammate, identified as ‘Player A’, and asked him to “give runs” while bowling, allegedly on the instructions of team management.After the teammate refused and reported the approach to the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit, he was dropped from the playing XI. Investigators also found that Reddy deleted WhatsApp chats and call logs with the player before the probe. Although he claimed it was routine “data hygiene,” the tribunal ruled that he had deliberately destroyed evidence.Reddy has played four T20Is for the USA, claiming one wicket. The verdict was delivered by a three-member ICC Anti-Corruption Tribunal.

A simple question from Pat McAfee led Pittsburgh Steelers four-time MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers to unload on Dr. Anthony Fauci, mocking the former Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for recently invoking the Fifth Amendment during a Senate hearing this past week.

“Can you tell us about your mindset coming into your last season?” McAfee asked.

The ESPN personality couldn’t have guessed where the four-time NFL MVP was about to take this.

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Aaron Rodgers of the Pittsburgh Steelers stands for the national anthem before the AFC Wild Card playoff game against the Houston Texans at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Jan. 12, 2026. (Getty Images)

“I’m gonna plead the Fifth,” Rodgers said, as McAfee and the Steelers fans watching at training camp laughed in unison, “like that absolute coward Tony Fauci. Absolute coward. Are you kidding me? You get a pardon and you’re and you pleaded over 100 times at the White House? What are you scared of, Tony? I thought you were the science. ‘I am science,’ and you get up there and can’t answer a question? What are we doing?”

Rodgers is referencing an infamous remark by Fauci during a 2021 interview, where he defended his public health policies during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying “I am the science.”

PAT MCAFEE POKES FUN AT ANTHONY FAUCI PLEADING THE FIFTH AMENDMENT LIVE ON ESPN

Fauci pled the Fifth 111 times during a Senate hearing, on the advice of his attorneys, to answer questions from the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, chaired by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. He was questioned over his response to the pandemic and his policy decisions, where the former White House COVID advisor was accused of funding gain-of-function research in Wuhan, China.

Paul argued Fauci using the Fifth Amendment was unsupported because former President Joe Biden, whom Fauci advised during the pandemic, pardoned him. Paul said the committee will vote this week on a resolution to hold Fauci in contempt of Congress.

“Spending the entire time writing in his diary about how fun it is to be famous. You gotta be kidding me,” Rodgers’ diatribe continued. “What are you going to say about me now? Seriously, what are they going to say about me now? Now, you can’t talk about the COVID stuff because obviously it was made in a lab in China. That’s like not even questionable anymore. Tony Fauci is an absolute criminal.

“It’s been a great life and a great career, and it’s nice to be sitting on this side now especially after that coward pled the Fifth over 100 times. I thought you had a pardon there, Tony. Why couldn’t you answer one question the entire time?”

Former NIH Director Anthony Fauci listens during a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on July 29, 2026, in Washington, D.C. Fauci declined to answer questions, asserting his Fifth Amendment right. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

But Rodgers wasn’t just airing out his grievances with Fauci, which he’s had many since the days of the pandemic. He pointed the finger directly at the network he was being interviewed on.

No matter how McAfee and his supporting cast tried to get the conversation back on track, Rodgers took aim at ESPN, the sports network giant which airs “The Pat McAfee Show” daily.

Rodgers was vilified for his own 2021 COVID saga, where his “immunized” remark in August, months prior to testing positive for COVID-19 in November of that season, led to immediate backlash in the media.

SEN RAND PAUL QUESTIONS WHETHER FAUCI’S INVOKING THE FIFTH AMENDMENT WAS VALID AFTER BIDEN PARDON

“How much time did the network spend on that? How much time did they spend on my responses every week? On my vaccination status? On Taylor’s [Swift] and Travis’ [Kelce] wedding? Did they do even a minute on Tony Fauci? No, I bet they didn’t,” Rodgers said on Monday.

Rodgers even mentioned his recent reconciliation with his family, as he shared pictures with his parents, as well as his brother Luke and his children, after a decade-long estrangement. 

“I’m on good terms with my family – what are you going to say now?” Rodgers said right into the ESPN camera lense. 

Rodgers even brought up the Dianna Russini scandal and the lack of coverage from ESPN with it. Russini, who worked for ESPN before joining The Athletic, was entrenched in a scandal as an inappropriate relationship with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel was exposed this offseason, ultimately leading to her exit from The Athletic and Vrabel leaving the Patriots during the NFL Draft to enter counseling.

In 2021, Rodgers was asked by reporters if he was vaccinated, to which the then-Green Bay Packers signal caller said he was “immunized”. He later sought an appeal from the NFL and the NFLPA to treat his alternative antibody treatment as equivalent to being vaccinated for COVID-19. The league denied it.

Rodgers was officially classified an unvaccinated player, and then he tested positive for COVID-19 on Nov. 3, 2021, leading to a mandatory 10-day quarantine period that forced him to miss a game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Two days later, he used McAfee’s show to explain his stance, stating he had an allergy to an ingredient in mRNA vaccines, and explained his alternative treatment. Rodgers later admitted on another episode of the show that he “misled people” by calling himself immunized, though he doubled down that he did not lie.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers looks on after being sacked during the first half of the NFL Wild Card game against the Houston Texans at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Jan. 12, 2026. (Michael Longo/For USA Today Network-PA / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

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Now, Fauci’s refusal to answer has Rodgers going full tilt years after dealing with constant scrutiny, whether it’s the man himself or the network he has issues with. Rodgers has never shied away from sharing his feelings about certain individuals, media networks, or anything in between.

This season marks 22 years Rodgers has starred in the NFL, and he doubled down recently saying this will be his final year.

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The Arizona Diamondbacks are set to acquire outfielder Lars Nootbaar from the St. Louis Cardinals minutes before Monday’s Major League Baseball trade deadline, ESPN reports. The Cardinals are receiving two pitching prospects, right-hander Daniel Eagen and left-hander Sandro Santana, the Athletic reports, as well as a player to be named later. 

Nootbaar, 28, underwent offseason surgery to correct a congenital deformity on both heels and didn’t make his 2026 debut until early June. Since being activated, he’s put up a 96 OPS+, albeit with much better quality-of-contact metrics and with time spent at all three outfield positions. For his career, the lefty-swinging Nootbaar has an OPS of .764 against right-handed pitching with 212 walks in 1,601 plate appearances in such situations. He’s not eligible for free agency until after the 2027 season, and he’s owed the balance of a $5.35 million salary for this year. 

Nootbaar in Arizona will join former Cardinals teammates Nolan Arenado, who was traded to the Diamondbacks this past offseason. 

On the Cardinals’ side of the trade, Eagen is the most notable addition. The 23-year-old former third-rounder out of Presbyterian College in South Carolina has made 20 starts for Amarillo in the hitter-friendly Texas League this season. He has a 4.95 ERA for them, but he’s also struck out 109 batters in 87 ⅓ innings. Eagen has a four-pitch repertoire fronted by a mid-90s fastball with good carry at the top of the zone. Santana, 21, has a 3.46 ERA and a 2.30 K/BB ratio over 71 relief appearances and four starts spread over parts of four minor-league seasons. In 2026, he’s taken a step forward at the Double-A level, with an 0.57 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 15 ⅔ innings since his promotion. 

Now for some grades. 

Arizona Diamondbacks: B+

Injury history makes Nootbaar a risk, but he’s a boon regardless

Nootbaar isn’t a star by any means, and his offensive numbers have been down across the last two seasons. He does have a long history of very strong batted-ball metrics, and perhaps on Arizona’s watch, his outputs will rise to match those. Even if they don’t, the Diamondbacks badly needed help against right-handed pitching as they strive to remain in wild-card position in the NL. This season, the Arizona offense has an OPS of .784 against lefties, but that figure falls to .677 against right-handers. Nootbaar should help that figure increase, and his OBP-first, patient approach at the plate can have some cascading positive effects that don’t show up in his numbers. As noted, the D-backs are also getting Nootbaar for the 2027 season. 

St. Louis Cardinals: B+

Chaim Bloom has a vision

It’s not a massive return, but it wasn’t expected to be given Nootbaar’s substantial injury history and merely okay offensive numbers this season. As has been the case since Chaim Bloom assumed the big chair in St. Louis, they’ve continued to add arms and swing-and-miss to a system that needed it. Eagen has real potential to be a bat-misser at the highest level, and the Cardinals under Bloom have built out the player-development system to help pitchers like him reach their full potential. The trade of Nootbaar also clears the decks for the call-up of power prospect Joshua Báez at some point down the stretch.

Lennox Lewis suspects one man is closer to his prime as Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua remain on a turbulent collision course.

The two British heavyweights are expected to lock horns later this year, though there has been no announcement regarding a specific date and location.

Nevertheless, they both completed their respective warm-up fights last weekend, with ‘AJ’ coming through a tougher-than-expected shootout against Kristian Prenga.

While far from a formidable contender on paper, Prenga managed to floor Joshua in the first 20 seconds of their contest, landing an unassuming right uppercut in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The 36-year-old then scrambled back to his feet but was dropped a second time in the opening round, before ultimately stopping his man in the following three minutes.

Fury, on the other hand, was afforded a straightforward night’s work against the 46-year-old Mariusz Wach, who he stopped in seven rounds in Pattaya, Thailand.

This followed his unanimous decision victory over Arslanbek Makhmudov in April, when the ‘Gypsy King’ ended 16 months of inactivity after suffering back-to-back points defeats to Oleksandr Usyk in 2024.

Based on their recent performances, former undisputed heavyweight champion Lewis has told The Ring that he wonders whether Joshua should even still be fighting, let alone preparing for arguably the biggest showdown of his career.

“Does he really belong in the ring right now? A virtual novice put him on the ground twice in the first round. Is that it, have we seen the last of him? It’s not like he’s his old self.

“Fury is closer [to his prime] but both are shadows of their former selves. I’d side with Fury – he showed me more in his two fights [against Makhmudov and Wach] than Joshua has recently.

“He boxed a YouTuber [Jake Paul in December], now boxed a guy who knocked him down twice and next faces Fury? That’s a big step up.”

With Joshua’s punch resistance having been plunged into serious doubt, many will be agreeing with Lewis and backing his 37-year-old domestic rival.

The modest home of an agricultural daily wage worker in Settisathiram here erupted in celebration as Indian athlete Praveen Chithravel secured the silver medal in the men’s triple jump at the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

Praveen’s father, Chithravel, expressed immense pride in his son’s international achievement while reflecting on the family’s humble beginnings.

“I am an agricultural daily wage worker,” he told PTI Videos.

“We educated our children and supported their dreams with the income I earned through daily wage work,” he said.

Recalling the early days of Praveen’s athletic journey, he said, “Wherever I went, I took him on my bicycle. I showed him the world little by little, and step by step, he improved and went on to compete at the international level.” 
Praveen clinched the silver medal on Saturday with a best leap of 16.58 metres in freezing conditions, narrowly missing the gold medal.

Acknowledging the close finish, his father said the family had hoped for gold but was immensely proud of his achievement.

“He missed it by a hair’s breadth, but that’s okay,” he said, adding, “Next time, my son will certainly win the gold medal and bring greater pride to India and Tamil Nadu.” 
The father, whose daughter works as a teacher and whose two sons are athletes, credited the entire community for Praveen’s success.

“The youth of this village encouraged him as though he were their own child,” he said.

“Teachers, relatives, and the entire village guided me in ways I did not know and helped my son progress to the next level,” Chithravel added.

He also expressed gratitude to the authorities.

“I am deeply indebted to both the State and Central governments for extending all the assistance and support we needed,” he said.

The family and villagers watched the event unfold on television, celebrating Praveen’s latest international medal.

The athlete had earlier won a bronze medal at the Asian Games.

Looking ahead, Praveen’s father said he hoped his son’s achievements would inspire the next generation.

“I pray that my son wins the gold medal next time,” he said.

“More importantly, I hope his success brings immense pride to this village and inspires at least ten more youngsters from here to take up sports and excel,” he added.

Manu Bhaker (Image credit: Instagram)

NEW DELHI: Double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker has urged young people to avoid using abusive language, saying that “using bad language is not cool” and that the words people use reflect their personality.The 23-year-old shooter, who won two medals at the Paris Olympics, shared a long message on X on Sunday. She did not mention any particular incident but spoke about the increasing use of abusive language in everyday conversations.

‘Choose your words wisely’

Bhaker said people should be careful about the words they use because they shape a person’s character over time.“The language we choose reflects our personality and the kind of person we are. Choose your words wisely, because over time, you become what you think, what you speak, and what you practice.”“Using bad language is not cool. Abusing is not cool,” she said.Bhaker also said that being “cool” has nothing to do with abusive language.“Let’s keep the definition of cool simple: being hardworking, kind, respectful towards others and yourself, striving to be successful through honesty, and making your parents and your country proud. That’s cool,” the Indian shooter said.Bhaker later explained why she decided to speak about the issue. She said abusive language has slowly become normalised, especially among youngsters.

“I’m speaking about this because, over the past few years, the way we perceive abusive language has changed. For many, using such words has become so normal that it’s even considered ‘cool’. Without realising it, people casually use degrading and disrespectful language in everyday conversations,” Bhaker said.Manu created history at the Paris Olympics 2024 by becoming the first Indian athlete in the post-Independence era to win two medals at a single Olympic Games. She won bronze in the women’s 10m air pistol and another bronze in the 10m air pistol mixed team event.