Maybe Kevin O’Connell will be a fullback guy by the time it’s all said and done.

Upon arriving in the Twin Cities in 2022, Coach O’Connell was an 11-personnel assassin who had to grow into using a fullback. C.J. Ham, second to none in leadership and ruggedness, had become a Vikings mainstay before many Minnesotans even knew who Kevin O’Connell was.

So, there was an adjustment period.

Over the years, the pass-first skipper figured out more ways to lean on Mr. Ham. Oftentimes, the plan involved using the bowling ball of a man to help in pass pro. Sometimes the approach was so obvious he would line up directly behind the interior of the offensive line; no disguise needed, apparently. Or, at times, he would chip a defensive end trying to fly off the line of scrimmage. Moreover, Ham was always an underrated athlete, somebody who could catch better than most at his position.

Ham opted for retirement following the most recent season. Minnesota’s pivot was toward Max Bredeson, much to the delight of J.J. McCarthy. O’Connell thinks that the new add has been doing well, especially once the players were allowed to increase the physicality.

Kevin O’Connell Thinks Max Bredeson is Doing Well

Ham was a bowling ball. Bredeson looks like a sledgehammer.

A touch taller than his predecessor, Bredeson stands at 6’2″ and is listed as weighing 252 pounds. The rookie should be more athletic than the retired FB. Quite possibly, he’ll arrive with increased ability to get shuffled around.

A lot of the time, Bredeson played tight end while with the Wolverines. His college career featured 12 catches for 132 yards, good for a reasonably explosive 11.0 yards-per-catch average. Not too shabby, at least in terms of the average yardage per catch.

“Max Bredeson is off to a really, really good start,” O’Connell explained, “I felt his pads popping yesterday with some contact at the point of attack.” High praise.

If you’re not familiar with the football lingo, fret not. What O’Connell is referring to is the sound that Bredeson’s pads make when he blocks a defender. There’s a distinct sound in football that coaches love to hear. Think of the sound that the bat makes in baseball when the contact is just right. Or, perhaps, the sound of the net in basketball when the perfect 3-point shot falls through without once touching the rim.

— READ MORE: Christian Darrisaw’s Claim Would Be a Boost for Vikings —
— READ MORE: Vikings Draftee Lands Gig to Catch Passes for Lions —
— READ MORE: Young Vikings Trenchman Breaks into Starting Lineup —

A fullback getting that audible pop when blocking somebody is what coaches love to hear.

Part of what makes the Bredeson add sensible is that he doesn’t need to touch the ball a lot to make an impact. He magnifies the guys around him by doing the dirty work rather than requiring the spotlight. That’s a vital detail from within the context of Minnesota Vikings football since guys like Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and the rest of the skill is going to demand a pile of attention.

In all likelihood, the Vikings will continue featuring the pass prominently. However, the wise approach would be to turn down how lopsided the play calling is. The 5th-Round rookie might help.

Either Kyler Murray or J.J. McCarthy is going to claim the Vikings’ QB1 spot. Regardless of who wins, the Vikings will benefit from a head coach who at least pretends to prioritize the run. Max Bredeson is a fullback who can function as a pass catcher. Quite possibly, that will lead to some pre-snap uncertainty between the run/pass that will prove fruitful for the team more broadly.

Regardless of whether he’s blocking for the run or pass, Bredeson needs to keep bringing the pop that’s impressing O’Connell.

Mr. Bredeson is 23.

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

Advertisement

Carlos Alcaraz’s comeback has been delayed after the Spaniard withdrew from the Cincinnati Open due to an “ongoing” wrist injury.

The seven-time grand slam champion has been sidelined since suffering the problem during the Barcelona Open, missing the defence of his French Open title and Wimbledon.

In the lead-up to the tournament, Alcaraz posted videos of himself making a tentative return to the court.

But on Tuesday, organisers announced on X that the 2025 champion would be missing the tournament: “Carlos Alcaraz has withdrawn from the Cincinnati Open.

“Wishing all the best to our 2025 champion in his recovery process. Can’t wait to welcome you next year!”

Tournament director Bob Moran said in a statement provided to the BBC the 23-year-old was suffering from an “ongoing wrist injury”.

“We know Carlos is doing everything he can to get back to playing tournaments as soon as possible,” he said.

“We wish him the best with his recovery and look forward to welcoming him back to Cincinnati in the future.”

Alex Eala of the Philippines returns a shot during a women’s singles match against Naomi Osaka of Japan on day six of the Mubadala DC Open 2026 at William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center on August 01, 2026 in Washington, DC. Emilee Chinn/Getty Images/AFP

MANILA, Philippines — Fresh off winning her first WTA Tour title, Alex Eala seeks to carry her momentum into the Canadian Open.

Eala is riding high after claiming the biggest title of her career at the DC Open on Tuesday and she looks to continue her winning ways against American Alycia Parks in the round of 64 in Toronto on Thursday, 8:10 a.m. (Manila time), at Center Court.

READ: Alex Eala: Filipino dreamer to WTA winner

The Filipino ace, who got a first-round bye as the 25th seed in the WTA 1000 hard court tournament, takes on her Australian Open tormentor, Parks.

Eala was beaten by Parks, 6-0, 3-6, 2-6, in the opening round in Melbourne last January.

The 21-year-old Eala, however, is playing her best tennis yet this season with a historic run at Wimbledon and a maiden WTA 500 crown in Washington when she stunned American World No. 3 Jessica Pegula in the final.

The Filipino trailblazer, who is now the World No. 20, dazzled in DC, rallying past Olympic gold medalist Zheng Qinwen, defending champion Leylah Fernandez in the first two rounds and sweeping second seed Elina Svitolina, and four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka in the quarterfinal and semifinal, respectively, before defeating Pegula, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0, in the title round.

READ: Alex Eala just getting started after WTA Tour breakthrough title

Parks took down qualifier Victoria Kasintseva, 6-4, 6-4, in the first round of the Canadian Open, also known as the National Bank Open.

If Eala, the heavy favorite, handles Parks, she moves on to face either Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova or American Caty McNally in the second round.

Eala bowed out in the round of 128 of the Canadian Open last year in Montreal, losing to Marketa Vondrousova, 6-3, 1-6, 2-6.

Joey Cantillo and the Cleveland Guardians took the field against the New York Mets, the day after a successful trade deadline. The pieces have been moved and the Guardians got a first look at the rest of the season.

Unfortunately for Joey, the Mets were on their better game. Joey looked like he was struggling with control, pitching a bit wild, and a throwing error in the second wasn’t helpful. With two outs, Gabriel Arias made a throwing error to first that allowed Marcus Semien to reach. The next batter walked and the batter after him hit a three-run home run on a 90.9 mph four seamer down the middle. Cantillo ended the night having gone 5.0 innings. He allowed five runs, two earned, on seven hits and two walks and struck out five.

Advertisement

Slade Cecconi came on in the sixth in his new role in the bullpen. Slade went 2.2 innings, allowing a solo home run, two hits, and striking out four batters. Tim Herrin finished the eighth and closed the game, only walking one batter.

Recent acquisition Jo Adell went 2-for-4 with a run and a walk. He also reached on a error. In the bottom of the third Adell doubled to lead off the inning. Chase DeLauter drew a walk and, with one out, Angel Martínez slapped a double to left that bounced off of the foul line on the walk to score Adell from second.

Your browser does not support the video tag.

With one out in the bottom of the fifth, Chase DeLauter singled on a sharp liner to left. Angel Martínez, with now two outs, drew a walk. Travis Bazzana hit a RBI single up the center, through both defenders to score CDL for the Guards’ final run of the night.

Advertisement

Your browser does not support the video tag.

On a night where there are a lot of frustrating little mistakes and issues that piled up to a loss, there were some positives. Jo Adell looks to be a good addition that the team needed. Chase DeLauter is an on base machine, going 1-for-2 with three walks. Steven Kwan is one of the best defensive outfielders in the game.

Your browser does not support the video tag.Your browser does not support the video tag.

These two teams will face off again tomorrow at 6:40PM EDT. It will be a righty face off with Christian Scott and Tanner Bibee starting for their teams.

LATROBE, Pa. — Does Aaron Rodgers still have what it takes to finally capture that elusive second Super Bowl ring? For Steelers defensive back Brandin Echols, that question is downright laughable. 

“Oh yeah, of course,” Echols told CBS Sports following Tuesday’s training camp practice. “Sometimes, he calls out stuff I’m doing, and I’m like, ‘Bro, how’d you even call this out? I didn’t even show an inch of what I’m gonna do!’ That just shows the type of IQ he has for the game.”   

New Steelers running back Rico Dowdle, who previously played with Dak Prescott in Dallas, hasn’t needed much time with Rodgers to come to a consensus on how good Rodgers is heading into his age-42 season.  

Clearly, Rodgers’ teammates still see greatness in the future Hall of Fame quarterback. Their belief appears to be well warranted, as there are several reasons to believe that a special season may be in store for the Steelers and Rodgers, who has already announced that the upcoming season will be his last.

Silencing his critics 

The biggest story so far from Steelers training camp took place about 200 or so yards away from the practice field on Monday afternoon, when Aaron Rodgers went on a fiery diatribe that included challenging his critics to find another way to try to dent his armor. 

Based on his comments on “The Pat McAfee Show,” it’s safe to say that Rodgers feels vindicated and either no longer feels the sting of past criticisms or simply doesn’t care anymore. He’s at peace with who he is on and off the field and the legacy that he’s built across a lengthy and decorated career. Mental clarity is a valuable thing, and it’s something that Rodgers appears to have in spades. 

Rodgers enters his final NFL season a happily married man. He’s reunited with his family after a prolonged estrangement. And based on his comments on Monday, he clearly feels that his stance on COVID — and the handling of it — has been justified. 

From a football standpoint, Rodgers has quelled the narrative that he hasn’t been a good teammate during his time in Pittsburgh. He’s playing for a team that believes in his ability to lead it to the promised land, and for a coach whom he reached the mountaintop with during the crowning moment of their careers. 

Sound mind and body 

Rodgers also has two other things at his disposal: his legendary throwing touch and the mind of a four-time league MVP who has seen every conceivable scenario one can envision on a football field. 

Unfortunately for athletes, the body often goes well before the mind does. If anything, a player’s mental prime is later than their physical one. Fortunately for Rodgers, his ageless arm and razor-sharp mind have helped him overcompensate for some of the physical things one loses with age. 

Rodgers is trying to become the fourth starting quarterback over 38 to win a Super Bowl, joining Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and John Elway. Manning largely leaned on his mind when he and the Broncos won Super Bowl 50. Brady still had plenty of physical gifts when he won two Super Bowls after turning 40, but he also relied greatly on his football IQ during those last championship seasons. Elway walked away at age 38 after winning back-to-back titles. Rodgers has both the physical and mental tools to join all three. 

Rodgers also has the leadership qualities that will undoubtedly be needed if the Steelers are going to make a serious Super Bowl run. Clearly comfortable in his own skin, Rodgers isn’t afraid to be direct with his teammates, who by all account are embracing his leadership style. 

“A-Rod takes every day the same,” Echols said. “High intensity, very vocal. From an offensive or defensive side, he’s trying to bring out everybody’s best.”    

A talented supporting cast 

Obviously, Manning and Brady were on talanted teams that helped them win those Super Bowls. The Steelers are nobody’s pick to win the Super Bowl, but they nonetless have the talent to complement Rodgers. 

While it was a year late, the Steelers finally upgraded their receiving corps this offseason with Michael Pittman, Dowdle (who is expected to be a key component in the passing game) and rookie Germie Bernard. Rodgers has also continued to strengthen his rapport with DK Metcalf (who continues to be Rodgers’ unquestioned primary option) and tight end Pat Freiermuth. Roman Wilson, after two tumultous seasons, has had a strong training camp and at this point has a firm hold of the starting slot position. 

Rodgers also has a young, promising offensive line in front of him and the talented running back duo of Dowdle and Jaylen Warren behind him. Warren told CBS Sports that his individual goal is to run for over 1,000 yards for the first time, and he feels that Dowdle is capable of topping 1,000, too. 

“Great addition for us,” Warren said of Dowdle, who has run for over 1,000 yards each of the last two seasons. “He’s definitely a dude. I’m excited to work him him. … Our O-line, they’ve definitely built that chemistry. Everybody’s on the same page.” 

Defensively, the Steelers don’t appear to be negatively impacted by the fact that they no longer have a defensive-oriented head coach. In fact, it appears to be the opposite. 

Led by new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, the Steelers’ defense made a bevy of notable plays during the first two days of padded practice. That was the case even with the absence of defensive backs Jalen Ramsey and Joey Porter Jr. 

From a coaching standpoint, Mike McCarthy has given the Steelers the revitalization that Mike Tomlin himself acknowledged might be needed when he decided to step away after 19 seasons. But while the coach might be different, the goal remains the same. 

“It’s different, but ultimately it’s the same message,” Warren said. “Everybody is trying to win the Super Bowl.” 

Super Bowl? For a team that hasn’t won a playoff game in a decade? While that is indeed a lofty goal, it’s worth noting that Manning’s Broncos and Brady’s Buccaneers weren’t trendy Super Bowl picks. In fact, the defending champion Seahawks were not a popular choice to win it all this time a year ago. The NFL has achieved its goal of parity, and the result is that more teams than ever are capable of hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy. 

That may be true, but it’s also still true that — in this era of passing — you need a talented quarterback if you are going to have a chance at climbing the mountaintop. Rodgers has already done that once, and he is more than capable of doing it one more time for a franchise that is hoping to recapture its past glory. 

Quordle Answers (August 05, 2026): Struggling to solve today’s Quordle? No worries. We have today’s Quordle hints and answers for you to solve it on your own!

If you’re a fan of word puzzles, you probably already know that Quordle is a more challenging version of Wordle. Instead of guessing just one word, Quordle requires you to guess four five-letter words simultaneously within nine attempts.

We’ll offer a few hints to nudge you in the right direction for solving today’s Quordle (August 05, 2026) on your own. If you’re still struggling, we’ll reveal the Quordle answers as well.

Oh, and yes, we also have today’s answers for Quordle Chill and Quordle Extreme modes. And if you still want more, we have the answers for Quordle Sequence and the Quordle Weekly Challenge.

Ready to tackle today’s Quordle? Let’s dive in!

WARNING: Spoilers ahead! Only read on if you want to know today’s Quordle answers.

PS: We’re revealing the Quordle answers for Wednesday, August 05, 2026. If you’re looking for yesterday’s answers, find Quordle answers for Tuesday, August 4, 2026 here .

Today’s Daily Quordle Hints

Let’s start with the Daily Quordle. Here are a few hints to help you solve the puzzles:

Daily Quordle Hint 1: How many vowels are in each word?

• The first word (top-left) has 0 vowels.This narrows down the options significantly!
• The second word (top-right) has 0 vowels.This narrows down the options significantly!
• The third word (bottom-left) has 0 vowels.This narrows down the options significantly!
• The fourth word (bottom-right) has 0 vowels.This narrows down the options significantly!

Daily Quordle Hint 2: How many double letters are there in today’s words?

• The first word (top-left) has no repeated letters
• The second word (top-right) has no repeated letters
• The third word (bottom-left) has no repeated letters
• The fourth word (bottom-right) has no repeated letters

Daily Quordle Hint 3: What is the starting letter for each word?

• The first word (top-left) starts with “”.
• The second word (top-right) starts with “”.
• The third word (bottom-left) starts with “”.
• The fourth word (bottom-right) starts with “”.

If you still need help with today’s Quordle Answer, you can try our Wordle Solver. Although it was built for Wordle, it can still help you narrow down the possible answers for Quordle as well.

Today’s Daily Quordle Answers

Spoiler alert: The Daily Quordle answers for today are provided below.

Are you ready?

Today’s Quordle answers for Wednesday, August 05, 2026, are:

If you managed to crack all four, great job! If not, don’t sweat it—there’s always another chance with tomorrow’s puzzles. If you can’t wait till tomorrow, the Quordle game has many modes that you can try today. And yes, we have the answers and hints to help you out here as well.

Today’s Daily Chill Quordle Hints

The Daily: Chill mode gives you 12 tries to get the 4 words. Here are some Quordle hints to help you get started.

Quordle Chill Hint 1: How many vowels are in each word?

• The first word (top-left) has 2 vowels.
• The second word (top-right) has 2 vowels.
• The third word (bottom-left) has 2 vowels.
• The fourth word (bottom-right) has 3 vowels.

Quordle Chill Hint 2: How many double letters are there in today’s words?

• The first word (top-left) has no repeated letters
• The second word (top-right) has 1 letter repeated twice
• The third word (bottom-left) has no repeated letters
• The fourth word (bottom-right) has 1 letter repeated twice

Quordle Chill Hint 3: What is the starting letter for each word?

• The first word (top-left) starts with “A”.
• The second word (top-right) starts with “L”.
• The third word (bottom-left) starts with “D”.
• The fourth word (bottom-right) starts with “U”.

Those are today’s Quordle hints for the Daily: Chill mode.

Today’s Daily Chill Quordle Answers

If you haven’t solved it yet, we have the Quordle answers for the Chill mode right here.

Today’s Quordle answers for the Daily Chill mode for Wednesday, August 05, 2026, are:

Let’s look at the Quordle hints and answers for the Daily Extreme mode next.

Today’s Daily Extreme Quordle Hints

Let’s look at the Quordle hints for the Extreme mode. Please note that you only have 8 tries!

Quordle Extreme Hint 1: How many vowels are in each word?

• The first word (top-left) has 1 vowel.
• The second word (top-right) has 2 vowels.
• The third word (bottom-left) has 1 vowel.
• The fourth word (bottom-right) has 2 vowels.

Quordle Extreme Hint 2: How many double letters are there in today’s words?

• The first word (top-left) has no repeated letters
• The second word (top-right) has no repeated letters
• The third word (bottom-left) has no repeated letters
• The fourth word (bottom-right) has 1 letter repeated twice

Quordle Extreme Hint 3: What is the starting letter for each word?

• The first word (top-left) starts with “T”.
• The second word (top-right) starts with “V”.
• The third word (bottom-left) starts with “S”.
• The fourth word (bottom-right) starts with “K”.

If you’re still working on it, the Quordle answers for the Extreme mode are the next thing you’ll see.

Today’s Daily Extreme Quordle Answers

If you didn’t get a single answer, I hope you have four turns remaining. You will need them to enter the Quordle Extreme answers that are shared below.

Today’s Quordle answers for the Daily Extreme mode for Wednesday, August 05, 2026, are:

Today’s Quordle Sequence Hints

You’ve got 10 chances to solve Sequence, but be strategic and don’t waste them all on your first guess. Check out these hints to help you:

Quordle Sequence Hint 1: How many vowels are in each word?

• The first word (top-left) has 2 vowels.
• The second word (top-right) has 2 vowels.
• The third word (bottom-left) has 2 vowels.
• The fourth word (bottom-right) has 2 vowels.

Quordle Sequence Hint 2: How many double letters are there in today’s words?

• The first word (top-left) has no repeated letters
• The second word (top-right) has no repeated letters
• The third word (bottom-left) has no repeated letters
• The fourth word (bottom-right) has no repeated letters

Quordle Sequence Hint 3: What is the starting letter for each word?

• The first word (top-left) starts with “F”.
• The second word (top-right) starts with “S”.
• The third word (bottom-left) starts with “L”.
• The fourth word (bottom-right) starts with “D”.

One tip to solving Quordle Sequence is to use 3 words with completely different letters. This will create a base when you try to solve the next word.

Today’s Quordle Sequence Answers

We have today’s Quordle Sequence answers for you right below.

Today’s Quordle answers for Sequence for Wednesday, August 05, 2026, are:

That wraps up all the daily Quordle answers. Let’s try solving the Weekly Challenge next (if you haven’t already).

Previous Quordle Answers

Looking for the answers to the previous Quordle puzzles? Here is a list of answers for Quordle’s Daily: Classic mode for the last 7 days:

Quordle Answers – 4 August 2026:

Quordle Answers – 3 August 2026:

Quordle Answers – 2 August 2026:

Quordle Answers – 1 August 2026:

Quordle Answers – 31 July 2026:

Quordle Answers – 30 July 2026:

Quordle Answers – 29 July 2026:

If your thirst for word games hasn’t been quenched yet, may I suggest Blossom? It’s available on Merriam-Webster — the same place you’re playing Quordle. If you need help in this game, you can use our Spelling Bee Solver tool. Yes, we made it for a different game but it works for Blossom.

We also have the answers for many word games you can play on NYT Games. Check out today’s Connections Helper or Crossword Answers for NYT Mini.