With the NFL preseason about to kick into full gear, you’d be hard pressed to find a team with worse vibes at present than the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Their five-year postseason streak and four-year streak of NFC South division titles ended last season.

Their QB1, Baker Mayfield, aired out the team’s dirty laundry when he told reporters that he felt disrespected and undervalued by the contract extension offers he’s received from Tampa Bay.

An anchor on the Bucs defense, defensive tackle Vita Vea, has also formally requested a trade after extension talks sputtered out.

Coach Todd Bowles is back for a fifth season against the wishes of many in the fanbase.

Is this a salvageable situation at this point? I’m not sure.

Mayfield has redeemed his career in Tampa, brought on after Tom Brady’s retirement and throwing for 12,237 yards, 95 touchdowns and 37 interceptions over three seasons.

The former No. 1 pick’s immediate impact was rewarded when Tampa Bay signed him to a three-year, $100 million contract after one season leading the team. But Mayfield made it clear that his next deal needed to be nailed down before training camp for the final year of his current contract began.

That didn’t happen, with the Buccaneers reportedly holding firm to offering a two-year contract while Mayfield was seeking more years.

Now, it’s very much up in the air if Mayfield will hold to his words, not discuss a new contract during the season and instead elect to pursue free agency next offseason.

Given his brash attitude throughout a career spurred on by spite, I wouldn’t bet against him holding firm.

While Mayfield is at least practicing, Vea still hasn’t participated at the team’s training camp. He’s holding in, although the team is spinning the on-field absence by saying that he tweaked his back during a conditioning workout in July.

Even if that’s true, it doesn’t seem likely Vea — who is saying that the only way he sees this saga ending is with a trade — would be practicing even if he was 100%.

As if that wasn’t enough, the Buccaneers are also adjusting to life without franchise receiver Mike Evans, who surpassed 1,000 yards in each of his first 11 seasons before an injury-prone 2025 led to Tampa Bay moving on and Evans landing in San Francisco.

Tampa is not lacking in other receiver options, with Chris Godwin Jr. and breakout 2025 rookie Emeka Egbuka able to fill the void.

But it’s just more adversity that a team which appears to be entering the season on shaky ground will need to overcome.

The potential saving grace for the Buccaneers could be the state of the NFC South division.

They failed to win the division last year for the first time since 2020 due to a three-way tiebreaker which didn’t go their way.

Despite that, the Carolina Panthers, who won the division, don’t seem ready to be a perennial contender, the Atlanta Falcons are an enigma and the New Orleans Saints seem more ready to compete for the No. 1 overall pick in next year’s draft than for a division title.

Still, the Buccaneers haven’t exactly separated themselves despite the success, winning double-digit games just once in the last four seasons.

This could be the year that things catch up with Tampa Bay, leaving a bleak near-future.

At his first press conference since causing a car crash that left him with broken ribs, a broken nose, a broken left hand, facial lacerations and a concussion, San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan announced he’ll return to the sideline for his team’s first preseason game this week.

But Shanahan wasn’t done announcing.

He also made it clear his head-on collision in July, for which he’s taken responsibility, has left him with a new perspective on Tesla’s autopilot feature that seemingly drives the car by itself, and concussions, which are a significant part of all NFL seasons.

NFL EMPLOYEES’ TROUBLING DRIVING INCIDENTS MOUNT, COSTING JOBS AND PUTTING OTHERS AT RISK

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan speaks at a news conference after an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams in Santa Clara, Calif., Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

“When you’re going at 20 miles an hour, and you’re on autopilot, I honestly have zero worries,” Shanahan told reporters. “I have so much trust in that stuff. That was a good lesson that you can’t ever have zero worries. I think it definitely could be an example for a lot of people.”

Shanahan is not a Tesla hater. He didn’t protest the brand or Elon Musk back in 2025. In fact, he’s owned Teslas for years.

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But this crash has made him see his driving experience differently.

“Dropping a phone, it falling all the way to my back seat to where I have to fully take my eyes off the road, it’s something that I normally wouldn’t do,” Shanahan said. “I’ve had autopilot for nine years, so I’m pretty comfortable with it. Who knows what happened when I turned around. Whether it malfunctioned or whether I knocked it off, that’s something I don’t know yet.

“But regardless, it is always your fault, whether you’re on autopilot or not. You can’t take your eyes off the road. It’s a partnership driving. You don’t just turn it over to a computer. It’s a good lesson, no matter how comfortable I am with that, that I believe someday could save my life or someone else’s. It’s really helped me have perspective on that stuff.”

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, left, reacts next to defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, middle, during the first half of an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Santa Clara, California, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Shanahan hasn’t been coaching the Niners at the outset of training camp to the degree he normally would. Even now, with the stitches on his face finally out, and Thursday’s preseason opener against the Tennessee Titans looming, he’s still walking around with a cast and some lingering effects of the crash.

And that has led him to view his players’ concussions in a different light.

Shanahan, like many NFL coaches, is not intimately involved in the journey of his players through the league’s concussion protocol. They do not determine when a player is cleared to return to practice or games.

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But now, Shanahan admits, he “no doubt” has a new perspective on concussions.

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan watches from the sideline during the second half of an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Tampa, Florida, on Oct. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)

“Just little things, like when they label things, like whether it’s severe or mild,” he said. “You hear someone has a mild one, I’m like, ‘Oh, alright. It might be one game, but usually that’s two.’ Then you kind of learn those are just words. Each one’s a little bit different.

“I definitely can relate to how scary it is when you don’t know if you will feel right again. It’s definitely made me more educated on it. Usually I just listen, and like, ‘Tell me when, OK,’ and I move on. But I understand it a lot better and what guys got to go through the protocol to get back.”

Shanahan admits he’s still not 100% following his concussion. He reports he still experiences headaches and fatigue.

Noise, particularly the soundtrack played over loudspeakers at practice, is no longer the challenge it was earlier.

“AC/DC hurt a lot more than some smoother hip-hop, but I think those days are over,” he said. “Noise doesn’t bother me like it was. I actually have two symptoms, I feel like, and that’s headaches and fatigue. That’s all I’m feeling right now.”

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It’s prediction time. Here, I will review each of the Minnesota Vikings’ 17 regular-season games, giving my thoughts and a prediction for the outcome. Eventually, we will have a win-loss record for the entire season.

Adam New’s Win-Loss Prediction for the 2026 Vikings

Last year, I predicted 11 wins for the Vikings and it proved to be a touch optimistic, with Minnesota ending up with just nine wins. I obviously didn’t foresee so much turmoil at the quarterback position where three different starters were needed. Since becoming the Vikings’ head coach Kevin O’Connell has seen his team reach the playoffs and then fail to do so in alternate years. He needs that to continue this season otherwise he will find himself under pressure.

The NFC North was the only division that saw every team finish with a winning record in 2025 – only two wins separated all four teams. I expect the division to be just as competitive this season. Here is how I see things playing out for the Vikings in 2026.

Week 1-6

Minnesota starts the season with back-to-back games within the division and follows that up with a home game against Miami, sandwiched between road trips to NFC South opposition. For the second season in a row, the Vikings have an early bye in Week 6.

Week 1: Win vs Packers 1-0

Week 2: Loss at Bears 1-1

Week 3: Loss at Buccaneers 1-2

Week 4: Win vs Dolphins 2-2

Week 5: Win at Saints 3-2

Week 6: Bye Week

I have Minnesota starting the season off with a win on home turf against Green Bay, then following that up with a loss on the road at Chicago. Splitting the two divisional games that start the season would be a respectable start.

Next comes what could be one of the season-defining games from outside of the division. The four games against NFC South opposition are ones the team that wins the NFC North probably needs to win, but those wins won’t come easy, especially on the road in Tampa Bay. I have the Vikings going down to a narrow defeat but I do have them winning in Week 5 against New Orleans. A home win against Miami between those two games would see the Vikings head into the bye week with a winning record.

Week 7-12

The next six games are the toughest part of the 2026 schedule for the Vikings, and I have them winning only two games. It includes three very difficult road games and hosting Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills.

Week 7: Win vs Colts 4-2

Week 8: Loss at Lions 4-3

Week 9: Loss vs Bills 4-4

Week 10: Loss at Packers 4-5

Week 11: Loss at 49ers 4-6

Week 12: Win vs Falcons 5-6

It starts well for Minnesota as I have them beating Indianapolis at US Bank Stadium. However, I then have them losing four, including three road games at Detroit, Green Bay, and against San Francisco in Mexico. With those three road games broken up by a home game against Buffalo that is an incredibly tough run of games. I have the Vikings coming out empty-handed, but if they could find a win somewhere it could be hugely significant for the season. Minnesota is back at home against Atlanta for the last of this block of six games and I have the Vikings down for a much-needed win.

Week 13-18

Finally, we come to the last six games of the season, the business end when the pressure will be on, and I have the Vikings finishing strong. Four of the last six games are at home including two huge divisional games that could well go a long way in determining the fate of the division.

Week 13: Win vs Panthers 6-6

Week 14: Loss at Patriots 6-7

Week 15: Win vs Lions 7-7

Week 16: Win vs Commanders 8-7

Week 17: Win at Jets 9-7

Week 18: Win vs Bears 10-7

Minnesota starts with a home win against Carolina before moving on to a loss on the road in New England – that is the last game I have the Vikings losing. Finishing the season with four wins in a row including a win at home against Washington and on the road against the New York Jets. 

My official win-loss prediction for the 2026 Vikings is 10-7

The two home games against Detroit and Chicago are massive. With those two wins and a 10-7 record, the Vikings should be playing playoff football as a wild card. If those games go the other way then it is a very different story. For all the problems that Minnesota had last season and needs to fix (most notably at quarterback), 10 wins would only be an improvement of one game from 2025. It shouldn’t be an impossible task.

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

Three of the standout three-year-olds of this generation, Apocalyptic, Green Spaces, and Savvy Hallie, appear poised for significant spring carnival campaigns following impressive barrier trial efforts at Rosehill Gardens this morning.

The Michael Freedman-trained Apocalyptic was not unduly taxed in her 900m heat but still managed to secure a narrow win in 55.57 seconds, with a final 600m sectional of 33.41s. She finished ahead of Chilly Girl.

1⃣ Apocalyptic
2⃣ Chilly Girl
3⃣ Headwall

A solid trial win for the @MFreedmanRacing mare, taking out a 900m Rosehill heat on Friday. Behind the placings were Private Eye, Screen Icon, Generosity, Mal Coupe and Lazzura. @tabcomau pic.twitter.com/aLV6yM5DHj

— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) August 6, 2026

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Freedman gave Apocalyptic a lengthy spell after her autumn campaign, where the filly wasn’t at her best across two starts. Her trial performance suggests she is ready to recapture the outstanding form shown last spring, which included wins in the Group 2 Furious Stakes, Group 2 Tea Rose Stakes, and Group 1 Flight Stakes.

“I’m really happy with Apocalyptic, she seems to be in great order,” Freedman commented.

The filly is being pointed towards the Group 3 Toy Show Quality (1100m) at Royal Randwick in a fortnight, scheduled for August 22. Meanwhile, Chilly Girl, trained by Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou and a winner of the Widden Stakes, showed her class competing against older horses.

Apocalyptic’s trial victory was hard-earned, with only a half-length separating the top four finishers. Headwall claimed third, and Private Eye finished fourth, both producing eye-catching efforts.

Headwall, a candidate for The Everest, is on the comeback trail and is being readied for a return in the Group 3 Concorde Stakes (1000m) at Royal Randwick next month. Private Eye, the durable nine-year-old with close to $13 million in prize money, has maintained fitness from a Brisbane winter campaign and is set to defend his title in the Group 2 Lawrence Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 15.

“He’s a great, old horse,” said Pride of Private Eye.

“It’s a pleasure to train him, he’s so tough and is going really well. He will be hard to beat at Caulfield next week.”

Chris Waller’s mares, Generosity and Lazzura, were given very low-key trials behind Apocalyptic.

In the opening Group and Listed barrier trial over 1000m, Matcha Latte finished strongly to defeat Stardom in 59.99 seconds. Cherry Bomshell, winner of the Group 2 Percy Sykes Stakes, ran a pleasing third, just ahead of the Australian Derby hero Green Spaces.

Godolphin’s Green Spaces, prepared by Bjorn Baker, finished the trial powerfully and is on track for a return in the Group 1 Winx Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick on August 22.

The Matthew Smith-trained Idle Flyer, a winner of the Queen Of The Turf Stakes last autumn, had an easy trial but showed good closing speed to finish sixth, less than two lengths behind Matcha Latte.

Idle Flyer, a stablemate of Headwall, is expected to resume in either the Toy Show Quality or the Group 3 Show County Quality (1200m) on Winx Stakes Day.

The third Group and Listed trial at Rosehill was won by Savvy Hallie. The Brad Widdup-trained Savvy Hallie, who previously defeated Apocalyptic in the Group 2 Light Fingers Stakes and was narrowly beaten in the Group 1 Surround Stakes, led for most of her 900m trial to win by nearly two lengths in 56.09 seconds.

El Castello showed good early speed to claim second, just ahead of Declichy Boulevard, while emerging three-year-old Berzelius finished the trial strongly to take fourth.

Punters interested in the Toy Show Quality can find the latest racing odds from top Australian betting sites.

Betting sites are a great resource for the upcoming races.

Ric Flair is known for his flamboyant promos and extravagant pro wrestling career that included several world championship runs across multiple promotions at his peak.

Outside the ring, Flair has seemingly been in an off-again-on-again relationship with Wendy Barlow. The two separated in 2024. In an unusual manner, the 77-year-old announced that he and Barlow were getting close again.

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Wendy Barlow and Ric Flair attend a basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the New Orleans Pelicans at Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif., on Feb. 25, 2020. (Getty Images)

“I Told You. It Was Only A Matter Of Time Until You Came Running Back!! At Least I Know I Am In Good Hands Because You Have Always Taken The Best Care Of Me Out Of Anyone In The Whole World,” Flair wrote in a post on X on Sunday.

“She Finally Figured Out There Is Only One Ric Flair And One James Bond, And Currently Ric Flair Is Available For Any Kind Of Action. Let’s See If Wendy Still Has It! LFG!”

On Monday, Flair clarified his original post.

“Wendy And I Are Not Renewing A Relationship. We Are Renewing A 34 Year Friendship. She Has Her Own Residence And I Have Mine. She Is Coming To Tampa Primarily To Take Care Of Her Parents, Who Are Both In Their 80s And Not In Good Health,” he wrote on X. “Wendy Will Continue To Do What She Does Best, Travel The World, And Help People Who Are Struggling In Other Countries. I’ll Resume What I Do And Love Most Which Is Attending Public Events And Signing Autographs At Meet & Greets.

“Please Don’t Turn Something Positive Into Something Negative. If That’s All You Have To Do, Find Something Better To Do. The One Part I Am Sure Of, Which She Reminds Me Whenever We Speak, Is That She Will Always Be There For Me If I Get Sick Again, And I Was SICK For Two Years! Her Whole Family Took Care Of Me. Find Someone Else To Hate On! Wendy And I Are Good.”

Wendy Barlow, Josh Reddick and Ric Flair are pictured at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas, on Aug. 21, 2019. (Getty Images)

Flair announced he and Barlow split after being in a relationship for 13 years.

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He was previously married to Leslie Goodman, Elizabeth Harrell, Tiffany VanDemark and Jaqueline Beems, according to TMZ Sports. He has four children — two with Goodman and two with Harrell.

Flair has been in and out of wrestling for the last few years. His so-called “Last Match” took place in 2022 — a tag-team match with his then-son-in-law, the wrestler known as Andrade, against Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal. He later revealed he passed out twice during the match.

Flair made his All Elite Wrestling debut in 2023 and was a brief part of Sting’s final professional match at AEW Revolution where Sting and Darby Allin took on the Young Bucks.

Ric Flair stands with fiancée Wendy Barlow prior to the 101st Indianapolis 500 on May 28, 2017, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Ind. (Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

He was a World Championship Wrestling world heavyweight champion eight times, National Wrestling Alliance world heavyweight champion nine times and a WWE champion twice during his career.

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The WWE inducted Flair into its Hall of Fame in 2008 as a singles wrestler and as a member of the Four Horsemen in 2012.

Most don’t see Vikings receiver Myles Price as a Vikings receiver. After all, he was almost exclusively a returner as a rookie, but that could be changing.

Special teams coordinator Matt Daniels stepped in front of the Minnesota media a couple days ago. Getting asked about Price led to the underrated coach calling Price “day and night” in his improvement. In fact, Daniels is offering that assessment on behalf of the “offensive guys,” playing the role of messenger. Quite possibly, that update will foreshadow an increased role as Price pushes for the WR4 job in the Twin Cities.

Vikings Receiver Myles Price is Pushing for Reps

Nobody is going to mistake Mr. Price for Calvin Johnson. Standing at 5’9″ and weighing roughly 185 pounds, Price is somebody who thrives due to shiftiness, grit, and acceleration rather than being a hulking bruiser.

How good can he become?

That’s an ongoing debate that’s still being answered. As a rookie, Price played just 17 snaps for Kevin O’Connell and Wes Phillips. In contrast, Price put in 139 snaps for Coach Daniels on specials, proving to be a weapon for the group that has been lacking a true threat at returner for several years.

Of the two options — kickoff and punt — Myles Price is more of a natural at punt returner.

He turned 30 punt returns into 298 yards in 2025. The 9.9 yards-per-return average is healthy and the long of 43 yards is promising. Onlookers can sometimes be quick to note that Price could have been more potent had it not been for some ill-timed penalties.

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As a kickoff returner, Price also did some good things, averaging 25.9 yards. He’s not Cordarrelle Patterson or Percy Harvin back there but solid enough. His long went for 61 yards.

So much of what makes Price compelling is that he offers swagger. Who can thrive as a returner without outsized confidence? An NFL punt can travel 45 yards while hanging in the air for 4.5 to 5 seconds. The returner needs to track the ball with the understanding that 11 massive and explosive athletes are sprinting down the field trying to land a huge hit. Not for the faint of heart.

Turning that special teams promise into production on offense would represent a nice boost for the Vikings.

Daniels, for his part, was quick to praise how Price has improved on offense while nevertheless bringing things back around to special teams. “He’s consistently been making plays out here from an offensive standpoint,” Daniels says before pivoting. “From a returner standpoint, it’s how good can we be at premium ball security?”

Price had 4 fumbles last year.

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“We all know Myles is a very aggressive guy when it turns to returning balls,” Daniels notes, “but we just have to make sure that those aggressive decisions don’t lead to reckless actions afterwards.”

No doubt, that’s a tough balance. Putting a home run batter into the lineup means accepting some strikeouts. Can the same be said of a returner who has the capacity to chew up the field?

Myles Price slipped out of the 2025 NFL Draft despite playing strong football for the Indiana Hoosiers. He then got added in Minnesota with guaranteed money coming in at $0. Price, in short, has earned everything through plenty of hard work.

The sophomore is 24.

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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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Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy returned to practice on Monday for the first time since his wife was shot at their Virginia home last month.

The couple’s 27-year-old son, Elijah Bieniemy, was arrested following the shooting, which took place on the evening of July 26.

Bieniemy was greeted by a handful of fans on Monday as he walked down the long hill to the training fields at Missouri Western State University, where the Chiefs are holding their pre-season training camp. He subsequently jumped right into his first practice since Mia Bieniemy was shot.

Elijah Bieniemy has been charged with malicious wounding, the use of a firearm in commission of a felony and discharge of a firearm inside a dwelling. His court appearances have been delayed after he was ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation.

Eric Bieniemy, who returned to the Chiefs earlier this year, had been staying in touch with coach Andy Reid and the rest of the staff, and had been watching streams of some practices. In one case, he called Chiefs manager Brett Veach — who was sitting next to Reid — and asked him to hand over the phone, then proceeded to tell the head coach a point of instruction for a running back.

Eric Bieniemy was part of coaching staffs that helped Kansas City reach three Super Bowls and win two of them.

But because Reid is the primary play-caller, Bieniemy left to serve as the offensive coordinator with the Washington Commanders, where he would be able to call his own plays and perhaps better position himself for a head coaching job in the NFL.

The Commanders struggled in his lone season there, though, and Bieniemy and the rest of the staff were let go. He spent a season with UCLA and last season coaching the running backs with the Chicago Bears before returning to Kansas City as the offensive coordinator.

He replaced Matt Nagy, who was hired as the offensive coordinator of the New York Giants.

Eric Bieniemy rejoins the team with the 2026 season just over a month away. The Chiefs are due to take on the Denver Broncos in their opening game on September 14.

PV Sindhu (Photo by @BAI_Media on X)

PV Sindhu has reacted to the unusual but detailed preparations being made to keep animals away from the BWF World Championships in New Delhi.The tournament begins on August 17, with organisers taking extra precautions after pigeons and a monkey disrupted the India Open earlier this year.Organisers have even hired three men who can imitate langur calls to scare monkeys away.“You can laugh at the solution, but you have to love the effort,” PV Sindhu wrote on X.“So many people are working behind the scenes to make sure India is ready to welcome the world. Our solutions may be uniquely Indian, but so are our warmth, our spirit and our hospitality. Can’t wait for the badminton world to experience it all in Delhi. See you soon!”“Monkeys are very afraid of langurs, which are much bigger than them, so when we make these sounds, monkeys usually flee. We have worked in the South and North Block in New Delhi and Gurgaon previously. It is very effective,” Zafar, one of the men, said.The Badminton Association of India (BAI) and Sports Authority of India (SAI) have upgraded the Indira Gandhi Stadium ahead of the World Championships, which return to India after 17 years. Vents have been sealed, wooden doors replaced with double-door entrances and an automatic outer door installed.Organisers have also used a non-toxic gel around the stadium’s ducting to keep birds and insects away. Machines producing sounds similar to predatory birds have been placed inside the venue as another deterrent.SAI Executive Director Ambar Pratap Singh said officials are working with the MCD to prevent monkeys and stray dogs from entering the wider campus.“We have introduced double doors, automatic closing system… now it is not possible for monkeys to enter the arena. As far as the whole campus is concerned, there can be a possibility (of stray monkeys) but we are in touch with the MCD. For dogs also we are regularly in touch with the MCD. They will do whatever is there to be done… send them (dogs) to shelters,” he said.