Drew Brees has officially entered the great halls of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, as he, alongside other legends of the game, were inducted earlier this month.

Brees’ career resume speaks for itself: second all-time in passing yards and passing touchdowns, Super Bowl XLIV winner and MVP, 13 Pro Bowls, and the list goes on. Brees was always going to see his golden bust on that stage in Canton one day.

Others, though, have to wait their turn – if it ever comes. And one name in particular has been debated about since he retired from the game.

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Former NFL quarterback Drew Brees is introduced before the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game between the Carolina Panthers and the Arizona Cardinals at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium on Aug. 6, 2026, in Canton, Ohio. (Getty Images)

Eli Manning, a fellow quarterback, spent 16 years in the NFL leading the New York Giants to two Super Bowl victories, while joining Brees, though further down, on the all-time passing leaders lists. Surely, Manning should join Brees, his older brother Peyton, and the many others in the Hall, right?

Over the last two years, though, Manning hasn’t received enough votes to be inducted. He missed being one of the 15 modern-era finalists for the second straight time this past voting period.

So, does Manning deserve to be in the Hall of Fame? Brees gave his stance.

“Yeah, he is,” he told Fox News Digital, while also highlighting his work with DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS. “It’s always funny to hear how people want to evaluate the quarterback position. I mean, look, there’s so much that goes into it. It’s body of work, it’s consistency, certainly championships factor into it. I think when you look at all those things, it’s hard to argue the things that he accomplished in his career with his two championships, and then, you know, his body of work and his consistency. “

ADAM VINATIERI SHAMED INTO OFFERING APOLOGY AND EXPLANATION FOR HALL OF FAME SPEECH THAT WAS EPIC

Brees called what Manning did across his 16 seasons leading one of the most iconic franchises in the sport “impressive.” And it’s hard to ignore the fact it was done against a generation of fantastic quarterbacks like himself, Peyton, Tom Brady, who Eli beat in his two Super Bowl appearances, and more.

“I think overall I look at this era that we had a chance to be a part of,” Brees explained. “It started with Peyton [Manning]. You go Peyton, Tom Brady, my draft in ’01, and that ‘04 draft was impressive with Eli, with Philip [Rivers]. With Ben Roethlisberger and then Aaron Rodgers coming the year after that.

“I kind of look at that as kind of an era of quarterbacks that we all battled against each other, man. It was some epic battles , too, when you look at them. I think we all brought out the best in each other in a lot of ways because we knew what we were going up against week in and week out.”

Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints and Eli Manning of the New York Giants meet after their game at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on Sept. 30, 2018. (Getty Images)

The argument against Eli, however, is that there was too much mediocrity in his career despite the greatness he showcased. He owned an even 117-117 record in the regular season. Eli also never made a first-team All-Pro squad, while never once receiving a vote for AP NFL MVP.

Then, there’s the turnovers. Eli was never afraid to fit the football in any window, or allow his receivers to make a play – the David Tyree helmet catch in Super Bowl XLII is a prime example of that. But he led the NFL in interceptions three separate times, while owning a completion rate of 60.3% on his passes.

But then again, Manning’s durability (210 consecutive regular-season games played for the Giants), career totals and the ability to clutch up in the playoffs against a dynasty in the New England Patriots twice in the biggest game on the gridiron, let alone other postseason moments, is too great a resume to ignore.

At least, it is for Brees, who believes Manning will eventually hear his name called to Canton one day.

Drew Brees is congratulated by Eli Manning after the New Orleans Saints defeated the New York Giants 48-27 at the Louisiana Superdome on Oct. 18, 2009, in New Orleans, La. (Getty Images)

FOOTBALL ALL IN ONE PLACE

Outside of football, Brees is also a businessman, being a co-owner and partner in Walk-on’s Sports Bistreaux, one of the fastest-growing sports bar franchise concepts in the country. It began in Louisiana, has grown to 80-plus units, and it continues to pave its way through the country.

As a sports bar concept, there’s nothing that matters more than having any game, any time, for customers walking into the establishment.

Football is king in the Southeast, as well as throughout the rest of the country, and DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS makes it easy for those like Brees to bring together live TV and streaming networks all in one place. More than 300,000 bars and restaurants have access to local, national, college and pro games for fans to watch through DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS.

New Orleans Saints retired quarterback Drew Brees (9) reacts during his hall of fame ceremony at halftime against the Denver Broncos at Caesars Superdome on Oct. 17, 2024. (Matthew Hinton/Imagn Images)

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“We pride ourselves on Louisiana-inspired cuisine. It’s unbelievable food,” Brees said of Walk-on’s Sports Bistreaux. “My kids crave it all the time. But like a really family-friendly atmosphere, you know, whether it’s date night, bring the family, bring the little league after the game — something for everybody. Obviously, it’s sports, and high energy, and excitement on the TV all the time. Thanks to our partnership with DirecTV for Business, that’s what allows us to basically have access to every college and pro game around the country. And that’s not just football. We’re talking basketball, baseball, hockey, soccer. So big events like March Madness and the Kentucky Derby, Masters — you name it. So, we’re really appreciative of that DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS partnership. It allows us to help create that energy and excitement around our establishments.

“And for the fans themselves, sportsbarfinder.com allows them to find those sports from DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS at their local spot anywhere in the country, which Brees loved to see.

“There’s a saying: fans have more friends. You know, they really do. You step into your local sports bar wearing the local jersey. Man, all of a sudden, next thing you know, you’re high- fiving everybody and you just made 100 more friends. That’s the kind of atmosphere and that’s what sports does, it brings people together,” he said.

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Overall, building out from the back has been a promising part of United’s game in pre-season and where we have most clearly seen some of the principles Carrick has tried to instil in his squad.

Going back to Amorim’s United once more, when they did play out from the back, they would execute pre-planned passing routines.

Carrick’s United instead look to escape pressure through trios of players passing the ball between each other in a less choreographed manner.

Pre-season coaching has reinforced the players’ understanding around supporting team-mates to create clusters of threes.

Which three players converge differs throughout the game and the players are given a level of personal responsibility to interpret the match during it.

More specifically, a collective principle being taught to the players is to look to make third-man runs – often off the back of their marker – to receive the ball with time and space.

Once United have broken the opposition’s initial pressure in the described manner, they often find themselves in open space with pacy attackers ahead of them ready to attack in a more direct fashion.

The signings of technical, deep-lying midfielders aid these overarching concepts.

Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Mason Mount in particular have combined well to help United get up the pitch. This style of play suits the strengths of Kobbie Mainoo too, who returned to action with a cameo in Saturday’s 4-2 defeat by AC Milan.

Aryna Sabalenka celebrates her win against Xinyu Wang of China during day eight of the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 18, 2026 in Mason, Ohio. Matthew Stockman/Getty Images/AFP

Aryna Sabalenka unleashed her big game with devastating effect on Tuesday, hammering China’s Wang Xinyu 6-1, 6-3 to reach the fourth round of the ATP-WTA Cincinnati Masters.

The world number one took only 20 minutes to blow through the first set against her 36th-ranked opponent and began the second set with a break of serve.

Sabalenka kept up the pressure in the second set with Wang double-faulting on the top seed’s first match point after 54 minutes.

READ: Aryna Sabalenka squeezes out win on 6th match point in Cincinnati

Statement Start from Sabalenka 🐯

Aryna Sabalenka takes the first set against Wang.#CincyTennis pic.twitter.com/wgTXV5VE9s

— wta (@WTA) August 18, 2026

The victory marked the 45th in a row for Sabalenka at the Masters 1000 level.

“I cannot complain. She’s a tough opponent,” Sabalenka said. “To win in straight sets like this in under an hour is insane.

“I’m super happy to be through. I really trusted myself and went for my shots. I wasn’t over-thinking. I was able to stay focused and be in every point.”

Sabalenka next plays Czach Sara Bejlek, a 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 winner over Ekaterina Alexandrova.

Fourth seed Coco Gauff needed to battle following a sizzling first set in a 6-1, 7-6 (7/3) victory over fellow American Ann Li.

The 2023 champion had it all her own way in the opening set against her 29th-ranked foe, winning in 30 minutes. The pair exchanged early breaks in the second on the way to a tie-breaker, in which Gauff seized a 4-1 lead and won on her third match point.

“She played better in the second set and I missed a couple of break opportunities,” Gauff said. “I tried to forget about those.

“It was hard to control the ball for both of us and it was my first time playing a day match on this center court so I had to adjust to that.”

Mirra Andreeva’s French Open reigning champion status counted for little as the fifth seed struggled to close out a 6-1, 7-6 (7/5) victory over Janice Tjen.

The Indonesian challenger ranked 37 was bowled over in the first set but made Andreeva work to finally advance.

“In the first I was in command and she had unforced errors here and there, but in the second after a couple of games I started getting nervous, she made fewer mistakes — it turned into a match of mentality and physicality,” Andreeva said.

Eighth seed Elina Svitolina was forced to withdraw before her match against Wang Xiyu with an ankle injury.

“I’ve been advised by the doctors to take a little bit of time to rest and recover completely,” the Ukrainian said in a statement.

Canada’s second-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime eliminated Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerundolo 7-5, 6-1 in 90 minutes.

“It was a tricky start, finding my rhythm,” the Canadian said. “Lefties are tricky, you don’t play them so often. You can prepare all you want but until you step onto the court you can’t find your right adjustments. Then you feel comfortable.”

Washington winner and fifth seed Taylor Fritz fired eight aces in defeating Daniel Merida 6-3 6-4 in 83 minutes. The Spaniard made 25 unforced errors as Fritz booked a fourth-round match against Australian Chris O’Connell, who is 0-3 against the American.

‘I played amazing’

Last week’s Montreal finalist Brandon Nakashima came from the brink to upset fourth seed Daniil Medvedev 6-7 (3/7), 7-6 (7/4), 6-1.

Nakashima led 5-2 in the first set before falling in the tie-breaker, then saved three match points in the 10th game of the second set on the way to forcing a third, which he dominated.

Italian 10th seed Lorenzo Musetti defeated American Michael Zheng 6-1, 6-3 in 71 minutes.

Portugal’s Nuno Borges defeated 2021 runner-up Andrey Rublev 6-3, 6-4 in 72 minutes.

The 47th-ranked Borges ended a five-match loss streak in the rivalry while Rublev will drop from the ranking top 20 for the first time since January 2020.

“I played amazing,” Borges said. “It means a lot to be in the fourth round. It’s a big moment for me.”

Ivan Pace Jr. is the Vikings’ bulldog at linebacker. He’s unusually aggressive and physical at a position that attracts people who boast those some attributes.

What’s been missing has been consistent growth. Worse yet, he may have been declining over these past several years, failing to shore up the deficiencies in his coverage. There were then the missed tackles that led to him getting bumped down from LB2 to RB3 in favor of veteran add Eric Wilson. Very few on that defense needs a huge week in the same way as Pace.

The Vikings’ Bulldog ‘Backer Needs to Step Up

No matter how this thing goes, Ivan Pace has been a fantastic success.

Pace has started a pile of games across three seasons. As an undrafted pickup, Pace has done well by sticking around, helping on specials, and getting into plenty of snaps for Brian Flores.

Most undrafted young fellas get axed before long. Even living on the practice squad can be deemed a success for plenty of undrafted players. Not so with Pace.

So, why the pessimism? Why the insistence on him needing a huge week?

Well, he’s now the LB4. Blake Cashman and Wilson remain, gobbling up the LB1 and LB2 job along the way. The 2026 NFL Draft then featured going for the long-and-strong Jake Golday in the 2^nd. He’s a rangy, physical player who is going to surprise onlookers with how much work he earns in his debut NFL season. Pace may therefore be left a lesser role after already seeing his role diminish across the past pair of seasons.

Consider, as well, that Kwesi Adofo-Mensah isn’t in town any longer. GM Nolan Teasley is coming over from the Seahawks, a franchise that’s well-known for terrific defensive football. What does the new front office executive think of the small ‘backer with snarl?

Part of the cruel reality of training camp is that bodies go down. Guys get hurt, creating voids in the lineup that didn’t exist just a few weeks ago. Is there an open spot somewhere within the NFL’s other 31 teams to play more at linebacker? A trade isn’t that hard to foresee.

Again, there doesn’t appear to be an obvious path toward playing time in Minnesota short of injury. Special teams will remain central to what he’s going to offer but does the cap charge — $3.52 million (OTC), the entirety of which could get wiped off the books – make sense if he’s only doing specials work?

Pace is a young player who is at his best when allowed to be really aggressive. Upon first glance, that basic description means seeing what should be a perfect marriage between Flores and Pace. The reality, though, is that Flores craves being unpredictable.

Look at edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel. The edge rusher could be sent forward all the time but isn’t. Look at safety Josh Metellus. He, too, could be sent forward all the time but he isn’t. Why? Because being aggressive is just a means to an end; being unpredictable due to being multiple better fits the Flores ethos than just plain ol’ aggression.

Ivan Pace, with his limitations in coverage, is reasonably predictable: he’s almost certainly going to go in a certain direction and it’s not backwards. The other side knows that when seeing the linebacker on the field and can therefore plan accordingly. Problems that give rise to predictable solutions aren’t as potent as problems with an uncertain solution.

Now, all of the dot connecting can come to a screeching halt if the ‘backer shows huge growth. The Vikings’ opening preseason game involved some fantastic run defense from Mr. Pace (so says PFF alongside some of the film clips). That’s a nice step but then he needs to offer more.

Consider a trio of factors that would make Pace a compelling fit for the final roster:

1) Sensational Run Defense and an Unusual Level of Blitz Aggression
2) All-Out Effort on Specials that Means Gaining Field Position
3) At Least Passable Ability to Hang in Coverage, Creating a Possibility to Start if Needed

Seeing Ivan Pace tick off all the items on checklist will mean that he’s not going anywhere for the 2026 season. Seeing Ivan Pace show evidence of being able to complete his checklist throughout the upcoming week will therefore be huge.

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

At WWE Sunday Night’s Main Event, Bron Breakker and Oba Femi will lock horns to decide the company’s next real future star. Over the past few weeks, The New Big Dog and The Ruler have appeared in several interesting segments.

This culminated in Heyman announcing a match between them for the SNME show next month. Meanwhile, there are already major signs that indicate Bron will lose to the Nigerian star.

In this listicle, we’ll take a quick look at the three signs signaling Bron Breakker’s loss at Sunday Night’s Main Event.

#3. Oba is fresh off retiring Brock for good

At WWE SummerSlam 2026, Oba Femi and Brock Lesnar competed in a rubber match, which ended with The Ruler slaying The Beast again. In the post-match, Lesnar put Oba over in front of the live crowd, asserting him as WWE’s future.

Following this big momentum, Bron is his first opponent, and this gigantic moment signals that Breakker will lose to him at Sunday Night’s Main Event. As Oba is fresh off retiring the Mayor of Suplex City for good, it’s unlikely that the Triple H-led creative regime will book him to lose and derail his momentum.

#2. Bron has been too emotional, while Femi is calm

Since Brock Lesnar hailed Oba Femi as the future of the company, Bron Breakker is highly focused on proving himself. He has sought validation from Heyman multiple times on RAW, and this eventually led to his upcoming match against the former NXT Champion.

Breakker is not only preparing himself for a match, but his emotions are also running high as he looks to prove himself as the next future star of sports entertainment. On the other hand, Oba Femi is calm and treating this match like a normal bout rather than a high-profile contest.

So, it wouldn’t be a surprise if his emotions eventually got the better of Bron Breakker and cost him at Sunday Night’s Main Event. The Ruler’s calmness could favor him and help him defeat the current WWE World Tag Team Champion.

#1. Bron needs a reason to leave The Vision on WWE RAW

Bron Breakker is seemingly stuck in The Vision. The alliance also appears to be an obstacle in his singles run in the company. Losing to Oba Femi at Sunday Night’s Main Event will give The Vision member a reason to leave the group and focus on his singles career.

There are already considerable hints that Bron Breakker is leaving The Vision group. Even nowadays, he is more focused on himself than on being a villainous faction member.

Losing to Oba Femi at WWE SNME will give him a valid reason to finally leave the Austin Theory & Logan Paul-led faction and start a singles run on the main roster again.