The verdict is still out on J.J. McCarthy’s trajectory as a long-term starter for the Minnesota Vikings, but wide receiver Justin Jefferson believes McCarthy has youth on his side. When asked recently to describe McCarthy in two words, Jefferson didn’t hesitate, replying, “Young bull.”

Jefferson didn’t overthink it — his short answer landed as a real endorsement as Minnesota leans toward McCarthy.

McCarthy faces a crucial Year No. 3 in the NFL, and the 2026 campaign will tell all about his immediate future.

Jefferson’s Two-Word Message for McCarthy

No one has ever questioned the man’s youth.

Jefferson on McCarthy

Yahoo Sports caught up with Jefferson this week, asking him to play the Word Association Game, and the 2022 NFL Offensive Player of the Year obliged.

Between the interviewer and Jefferson, the conversation went like this: “J.J. McCarthy? Young bull. Sam Darnold? Doubted. Drake Maye? Unpredictable. Jaxon Smith-Njigba? Smooth. Puka Nacua? Feisty. Justin Jefferson? Icy.”

Jefferson has been asked rather frequently in the last several weeks about McCarthy, and his answers remain consistent: Jefferson has his back.

“His Quarterback”

Kay Adams chatted with Justin Jefferson two weeks ago, and the conversation quickly turned to Minnesota’s quarterback conundrum. She asked about McCarthy’s future as the 2026 QB1.

Jefferson said, “That’s not my decision. I don’t care who’s throwing me that ball. That’s not my main priority. That person that’s throwing that ball needs to throw that ball, and lead us to into that big dance at the end of the season. As of right now, JJ is my QB. For me, it’s to get him to where we need to go; it starts off right now in the offseason and getting better now.”

While that sounds like a vote of confidence for McCarthy, the “as of right now” caveat is notable. Jefferson’s statement leaves open the possibility, perhaps intentionally, that the team might pursue a quarterback through free agency or trade.

Jefferson added, “If you look at the film, he’s done very good things. Obviously, it wasn’t the most spectacular thing, those are things he understands that there are some things to work on. JJ is a really good QB.”

McCarthy’s Wacky 2025 Performance

McCarthy performed all over the board in 2025. He started the season with an absolute bang, winning the NFC Offensive Player of the Week award in his first-ever start after delivering a 4th Quarter comeback at the Chicago Bears. Fans rejoiced. A week later, he suffered a high ankle sprain and missed five games. He returned on the road at a hostile Detroit Lions house and played quite well in a crucial win.

Then, the doldrums set in. McCarthy struggled with basic quarterback functionality, seeming to get hot only in the 4th Quarter with the game on the line. A brutal three-game stretch after the high ankle sprain ended with a concussion against the Green Bay Packers.

When McCarthy returned from the concussion, he tore apart lousy defenses, sponsored by the Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, and New York Giants, even looking like a fringe Pro Bowler in spots.

Of course, he sustained a hairline hand fracture at New York. The injury woes continued.

The Vikings finished 2025 knowing they had a young quarterback with the juice for big-time throws, questionable mechanics, a clutch gene, and an utterly alarming tendency toward injuries.

He May Have to Win a Battle

When the 2025 season ended, head coach Kevin O’Connell spoke to reporters at his year-end press conference, proclaiming his team’s goal was to create a deep quarterback room this offseason. That seemed to put McCarthy on notice — or at least insinuate that a veteran quarterback was on the way to compete with McCarthy.

Most believe Minnesota will find a way to add a prominent quarterback in the coming weeks, a list that might include Kyler Murray, Mac Jones, Malik Willis, Kirk Cousins, Derek Carr, Aaron Rodgers, Tua Tagovailoa, or Geno Smith.

SI.com‘s Mark Morales-Smith wrote about the possibility of Murray joining the Vikings, “This would be an ideal landing spot for Murray. Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell has proven that he can get the most out of quarterbacks and was the coach who helped Sam Darnold turn his career around.”

“Murray has shown significantly more upside and potential than Darnold did before heading to Minnesota. If he landed in Minnesota, he would immediately sneak his way into the low-end QB1 conversation heading into the 2026 fantasy season.”

The Vikings could also add a better QB2 — they preferred Sam Howell, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer last season — like Jimmy Garoppolo or Gardner Minshew, instead of Kyler Murray or Mac Jones type.

We shall see who enters the mix to challenge the Young Bull. Free agency is 17 days away.

Once again, the Minnesota Vikings are facing an annual tradition of having question marks in their secondary going into the offseason.

As of now, the Vikings have just four cornerbacks under contract for 2026, and two of them are former undrafted free agents in Dwight McGlothern and Zemaiah Vaughn. They also have question marks at safety after Josh Metellus had a relatively disappointing season, and we may finally have to face the reality that Harrison Smith has played the final snaps of his illustrious career.

Inevitably, Minnesota will have to add more depth in their secondary, and PFF has picked the Vikings as the top landing spot for a veteran cornerback as free agency approaches.

Vikings Picked for Veteran CB

That cornerback is Mike Hilton, who PFF has ranked as the 58th-best free agent this offseason.

Hilton is a rags to richest type of story as he began his NFL career as an undrafted free agent picked up by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2016. After bouncing around a little bit during his rookie year, he found a landing spot with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Ultimately, Hughes would become a staple on defense in the 2017 season, appearing in all 16 games with four starts. Since then, he has put together nearly a decade of consistent NFL play before appearing in just two games during the 2025 campaign with the Indianapolis Colts.

Interestingly, though, Hilton has largely played as a slot cornerback throughout his NFL career. In fact, it’s overwhelmingly his top spot on defense. He has played 4766 snaps in the slot compared to just 140 snaps as a boundary cornerback in his nine NFL seasons.

If the Vikings were to bring Hilton in, that would mean Byron Murphy remains as one of the starting boundary cornerbacks in Brian Flores’ defense, which is the opposite of what many fans and pundits have advocated for.

The reasoning behind this move from Mason Cameron, the PFF analyst who picked the spot, is interesting though. Take a look:

“Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores has a reputation for running the most aggressive, blitz-heavy defenses in the NFL. That scheme requires multifaceted cornerback play, particularly in the slot, where the Vikings frequently deploy Byron Murphy Jr. Although talented, Murphy struggled inside in 2025, ranking in the sixth percentile in slot PFF coverage grade (49.3). Adding a full-time slot cornerback to better fill out the roster would allow Murphy to remain outside, where he’s far more effective.”

Hilton also turns 32 years old in March, which means he likely isn’t a long-term solution for the Vikings at the cornerback spot. Especially after a 2025 season in which he was released by the Miami Dolphins after training camp and then suffered a season-ending injury in October, the end of his prime may be coming soon.

However, Cameron has an answer for that too:

“While Mike Hilton saw limited time on the field in 2025, his overall profile suggests he has far more to contribute in the right situation. Hilton could step in and man the slot role to a high level, evidenced by his 76.3 slot PFF coverage grade since the start of 2023 — the seventh-highest mark in the NFL over that span.

Additionally, the veteran cornerback could be used as a versatile weapon in blitz packages, as he has been in previous stops with the Bengals and Steelers, with whom he generated seven or more pressures in each full season of his career.”

We’ll see; maybe Brian Flores can make more magic happen in his defense this year.

Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this article.

Josh Frey is a senior writer at both PurplePTSD.com and VikingsTerritory.com, with a fascination for the NFL Draft. To … More about Josh Frey

After his unexpected defeat to Jakub Mensik in Doha, Jannik Sinner remained composed as he reflected on the loss and looked ahead to the rest of the season.

Mensik’s serving made the difference, particularly early on.

“In the first set he served very well, almost 90% of first serves in. It was difficult to return and in the third I suffered a hard break,” Sinner said. “I made a couple of too many errors, but it can happen. I’m a little disappointed with how I handled some moments, but it can happen.”

He pointed to the start of the deciding set as a turning point.

“I started badly in the third set, which was perhaps the key moment. There I made a few errors. I took that break there and after that I didn’t serve very well. Mensik played an excellent tie-break. Maybe I could have played the point at 4-3 better, but it’s easy to talk after the match.”

Despite the result, Sinner made it clear he is not concerned about his level.

“Every player faces ups and downs. I’ve had two incredible years and now I’m having a little downturn, but it’s not something that worries me. I know I can play better tennis.”

He added:

“It’s normal to go through some tough times; I’ve had even tougher ones in the past. I know how to come back.”

Looking ahead to the season, Sinner identified his main objective.

“One of my biggest goals will be Roland Garros, but that goal is still far away. I also have to remember what I’ve done in the last three years, where I’ve won a lot of matches and lost very few. The confidence to play good tennis is there.”

On suggestions of fatigue, he responded calmly.

“I wouldn’t call this ‘fatigue’ yet. I’ve only lost a couple of matches.”

Sinner confirmed he is feeling physically fine.

“I felt good, I didn’t suffer from the humidity. We’re working physically. I had some problems after Australia, but now I feel pretty good again. Everything is fine. I’m not worrying about anything at the moment.”

Indian Wells is next, followed by Miami, and then the clay season with Roland Garros firmly in his sights

Remember the summer sentiment last year from Minnesota Vikings fans, suggesting the club sign cornerback Mike Hilton after the first few waves of free agency? The same guy is back in the rumor mill, and Pro Football Focus recommended the purple team sign Hilton next month when the free agency window opens.

Hilton’s name keeps circling back to Minnesota, and the fit makes sense if the Vikings want proven slot help fast.

Hilton is a seasoned veteran, a decent option for the team’s CB3 role if it prefers an older presence over a rookie draft pick.

PFF Connects Vikings to Veteran Slot Corner Mike Hilton

It’s the return of a popular name in Vikings free agency.

PFF: Hilton to Vikings Checks Out

PFF’s Mason Cameron sized up the best destinations for the NFL’s five best free-agent corners on Thursday, and Hilton earned a mention — news to many because Hilton isn’t necessarily considered a premier cornerback in this free-agent class. Nevertheless, Cameron claimed Minnesota is the best fit for Hilton.

He explained, “Best Landing Spot: Minnesota Vikings. Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores has a reputation for running the most aggressive, blitz-heavy defenses in the NFL. That scheme requires multifaceted cornerback play, particularly in the slot, where the Vikings frequently deploy Byron Murphy Jr. Although talented, Murphy struggled inside in 2025, ranking in the sixth percentile in slot PFF coverage grade (49.3).”

“Adding a full-time slot cornerback to better fill out the roster would allow Murphy to remain outside, where he’s far more effective. While Mike Hilton saw limited time on the field in 2025, his overall profile suggests he has far more to contribute in the right situation.”

Hilton’s modus operandi has always been blitz-happiness, so connecting him to Flores is no surprise.

Cameron added, “Hilton could step in and man the slot role to a high level, evidenced by his 76.3 slot PFF coverage grade since the start of 2023 — the seventh-highest mark in the NFL over that span.”

“Additionally, the veteran cornerback could be used as a versatile weapon in blitz packages, as he has been in previous stops with the Bengals and Steelers, with whom he generated seven or more pressures in each full season of his career.”

The Scorecard from Hilton

Hilton played just two games in 2026. The Indianapolis Colts scooped him after the Miami Dolphins cut him in August 2025. How PFF called Hilton a Top 5 free agent cornerback of 2026? Nobody knows.

Before playing just 70 snaps in 2025, Hilton, indeed, was quite fantastic. Here’s his resume:

• Jacksonville Jaguars (2016)
• New England Patriots (2016)
• Pittsburgh Steelers (2016–2020)
• Cincinnati Bengals (2021–2024)
• Miami Dolphins (2025)
• Indianapolis Colts (2025)

His marks from Pro Football Focus:

• 2025: 60.0
• 2024: 75.9
• 2023: 77.4
• 2022: 67.1
• 2021: 70.2
• 2020: 63.7
• 2019: 67.7
• 2018: 69.9
• 2017: 83.1

And the passer-rating-against:

• 2025: 78.5
• 2024: 92.0
• 2023: 66.5
• 2022: 78.8
• 2021: 99.8
• 2020: 60.2
• 2019: 84.8
• 2018: 82.2

It’s concerning that Hilton only played two games in 2025 — at age 31. That would usually suggest a career downturn. Somehow, though, PFF profiled him as a starter and covered free-agent asset.

A Fit if Vikings Don’t Swing for the Fences at CB

The Vikings haven’t drafted a productive cornerback since Trae Waynes and Mackensie Alexander in 2015 and 2016, respectively. Eight times in the last decade, two general managers have selected corners in all rounds of the draft, and none have translated to long-term staying power. Zero.

So, it’s probably time for Minnesota to draft a CB competently, assuming youth in the pipeline is the preferred strategy.

Adding Hilton as a 2026 solution would not address the future, but Hilton could likely hold down the fort in his age-32 season.

Other FA Options at CB

Interim Vikings general manager Rob Brzezinski — Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was fired three weeks ago — could also sign a non-Hilton free agent, such as:

• Montaric Brown (JAX)
• Jamel Dean (TB)
• Trevon Diggs (GB)
• Cordale Flott (NYG)
• Josh Jobe (SEA)
• Roger McCreary (NYG)
• Greg Newsome II (JAX)
• Jonathan Jones (WAS)
• Asante Samuel Jr. (PIT)
• Eric Stokes (LV)
• Alontae Taylor (NO)
• Jaylen Watson (KC)
• Tariq Woolen (SEA)

The Athletic‘s Michael-Shawn Dugar wrote about Woolen, arguably the top corner available in free agency, this week: “Woolen was essentially Seattle’s No. 3 outside cornerback but would upgrade several secondaries if signed elsewhere.”

“In 2021, Shaquill Griffin left Seattle and signed a three-year, $40 million contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars that would be worth around $22 million per year under the updated salary cap. Woolen may not command that much but like Griffin back then, Woolen should have multiple suitors.”

Generally speaking, Hilton should be considered a fallback plan if Minnesota does not prefer a young cornerback.

Such has been Pollock’s impact that already children at rugby clubs across England have been spotted running around with black head tape on, scoring tries and imitating his pulse-checking celebration.

Northampton’s club shop does a roaring trade in sales of black head tape, which Pollock wears to protect his ears.

But his influence goes further than that.

Former Ireland captain Brian O’Driscoll came home from covering last Saturday’s game against Italy in Dublin to find his son dressed as Pollock.

Bordeaux Begles players mocked Pollock, who ended up in a final-whistle scuffle, in their post-match celebrations after winning last season’s Champions Cup final.

“Pollock is an outstanding rugby player and I think he is brilliant for the game,” former Scotland scrum-half Andy Nicol told Radio 5 Live.

“My daughters are 25 and 22 and they don’t know who Tom Curry or Ben Earl are. They know who Henry Pollock is.”

In less than six months, he went from being an England Under-20 player to playing for the British and Irish Lions.

“He is a great character and I got on well with him on the Lions tour in a weird kind of way,” said assistant coach Johnny Sexton, who received a tongue-in-cheek 40th birthday message on tour off Pollock.

A number of solo tries – one which cut open Leinster in a Champions Cup semi-final win and a remarkable chip-and-chase against Sale Sharks – showed Pollock has the speed and finishing prowess of a Test winger.

That ability to turn a game on its head, with a moment of magic, was missing for England in their defeat by Scotland last weekend.

Former Ireland wing Shane Horgan added on BBC 5 Live: “He does things that few others can, I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a spectacular moment by him [against Ireland] that galvanises England’s performance.

“You’ve got an extremely highly skilled, massively talented individual who has enormous self-confidence, and that confidence has not been blunted by anything yet.

“That is when you get those generational players. They have all the components but also this bullet-proof confidence, which means they can just keep on delivering throughout their career.”

Bruno Fernandes has been a talisman for Manchester United during a difficult period and he has been told to make a decision on his future despite his importance to the club

Bruno Fernandes’ importance to Manchester United in recent seasons cannot be understated. “Shut down Bruno, United won’t score!” said Ange Postecoglou of his Tottenham side’s plan in the Europa League final.

The Portugal international has been central to most positive actions on the pitch for United since he arrived at Old Trafford. It has not been enough to reestablish the club at the top of the Premier League, but no opposition coach can take on United without thinking about how to contain him.

“I knew if we shut down Bruno [Fernandes], they weren’t going to score,” Postecoglou said. “I just felt with United, the way they set up with Ruben [Amorim] and the kind of ways they would try to break us down if we were really solid defensively, as long as we scored, we had to get a goal.”

Since that devastating result, Fernandes’ future has been thrown up in the air. While the club signed figures such as Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha in a bid to alleviate the pressure on Fernandes, the talisman still has 18 goal contributions this term, six more than any of his teammates.

That was not always destined to be the case. Fernandes has admitted he weighed up a move to Saudi Arabia and spoke to Al-Hilal over a potential transfer last year after United showed little determination to keep him. The star ultimately preferred to stay put despite the Saudi club being prepared to bid £100million and offer weekly wages of up to £700,000.

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Fernandes has since admitted he was saddened by United’s stance. “From the club I felt it was, ‘If you go it’s not so bad for us.’ It hurts me a bit,” he said.

“More than hurting me, it makes me sad. I’m a player that no-one can criticise, I’m always available, I always give my best. I could have left in this transfer window, I would have earned much more money. I would have won many trophies this season but I decided not to go, not only for family reasons but because I genuinely love the club.”

But now, Fernandes has been told to consider his future once again. Former United striker Louis Saha believes it is imperative for the playmaker to be selfish.

Saha told CasinoHawks: “I think for the respect that we all have for Bruno Fernandes, I think he’s a terrific player, he has to consider his future because, looking at the strategy of INEOS, the way they think is very uncertain. It’s really difficult to anticipate.

“I can imagine a player of his stature, who has delivered as much as he has over the years, has to think about himself at some point. Those people at the top think about the club, and they think about their own position. The reality is, you can love the club as much as you want, it doesn’t matter. At some point, you have to make your own decision.

“This isn’t to say, ‘Bruno, you have to go.’ No, he has to think about his own career. It’s not only about trophies because we know 100%, I have no doubt about that, that Bruno wants to win a major trophy with Manchester United.

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“It would be his proudest moment because he really loves the club and he’s shown that with his dedication. He was disappointed because he has seen, he has heard some behaviour around his future that he didn’t like, so it’s up to him to make the decision.

“But he also has to consider staying as well if he feels that the club and the staff are really behind him, because he needs the support to go out there and be the captain we need.”

Elina Svitolina defeated Coco Gauff 6-4, 6-7(13), 6-4 in a gripping semifinal at the Dubai Tennis Championships, to advance to her first WTA 1000 final in eight years.

Svitolina was forced to save multiple break points at 4–4 in the deciding set before holding firm and eventually closing out the victory. Thus win marks her second win over Gauff this season and gives her a 3–2 lead in their head-to-head series.

This will be Svitolina’s 24th WTA final, her sixth at the WTA 1000 level, and her third in Dubai, the first since 2018. It is also her first WTA 1000 final since becoming a mother. With the win, she secured her 46th career victory over a Top 10 opponent and extended her record as the player with the most match wins in Dubai history (24).

After the match, Svitolina reflected on the intensity of the contest.

“I’m speechless after that fight. I was really trying to put myself out there and was playing like there is no tomorrow. Trying to put all the effort. Thank you so much for your support. Really really special to be again in the final here after a few years and have another chance to lift that beautiful trophy.”

She also acknowledged the challenge posed by Gauff.

“Coco is such a big fighter. I was expecting that she would come back in the match. She won so many big battles, big tournaments. I had to keep fighting, keep pushing. I’m very pleased with the fight and with the win today.”

Svitolina will face Jessica Pegula in the final. Pegula leads their head-to-head 5–3, though Svitolina has won two of their last three meetings, including their most recent encounter in Indian Wells last season.

Constitution Hill – one of National Hunt racing’s biggest names – returned to winning ways with a commanding switch to the Flat at the Road To Cheltenham Novice Stakes.

Having triumphed in his first 10 races, the once-seemingly unbeatable horse had fallen three times in four outings.

In an attempt to get back on track, trainer Nicky Henderson entered him in the mile-and-a-half Flat race at Southwell, before a possible tilt at March’s Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival, which he won in 2023.

Starting 6-4 favourite and with five-time champion jockey Oisin Murphy in the saddle, the move paid off as the nine-year-old took to the front well before the line and held firm to win by nine-and-a-half lengths from Square Necker and Gambino.

“He felt like a machine,” Murphy told ITV afterwards.

“It went to plan. It would’ve been very easy for me to blast off in front, but I wanted to get in among them and give him an idea of what a Flat race is like.

“For a big horse that’s been jumping, he has a lot of speed and he’s a joy to ride.”

Henderson, meanwhile, said the emphatic display under the Nottinghamshire course’s floodlights would “open up a lot of doors”.

“We’ve been through a few tears over the last year or so,” he admitted. “It’s nice to be back with positive vibes.

Brazil forward Neymar is reportedly considering retirement at the end of the current season, stating he is “living year to year”.

The 34-year-old, who joined boyhood club Santos last year from Saudi side Al-Hilal, has faced recent injury problems, including a knee issue.

Despite this, he hopes to feature for his country in this summer’s World Cup, though he remains under contract until the end of 2026.

“I don’t know what will happen from now on, I don’t know about next year,” he told Brazilian channel Caze.

“It may be that when December comes, I’ll want to retire. I’m living year to year now.

“We will see what my heart decides. It depends on what my heart says later in the year.

“This year is a very important year, not only for Santos, but also for the Brazilian national team, as it’s a World Cup year, and for me too. I wanted to play this season totally 100 per cent.”

Neymar, who is Brazil’s leading scorer of all time with 79 goals in 128 caps, has played at three World Cups. The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star has not featured for the five-times World Cup winners since 2023 due to a succession of injuries.

In December, Neymar underwent successful surgery on his knee by the Brazilian national team’s doctor Rodrigo Lasmar.

“An arthroscopy was performed to treat a medial meniscus injury. The surgery was a success, and the athlete is doing well,” Santos said at the time.

Neymar previously shared the stage with singer Thiaguinho to issue a bold promise to the nation, trying to incentivise Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti to bring him back into the fold.

“We are going to do everything possible, even the impossible, to bring this World Cup back to Brazil,” declared the forward. “In July, you can hold me accountable. Come on, Ancelotti, help us out, okay?”

When once asked about Neymar returning to the national team, Ancelotti said he must be fit if he is to earn a recall to the squad for next summer’s tournament held across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Brazil will face Scotland, 2022 World Cup semi-finalists Morocco and Haiti in Group C.