The Minnesota Vikings may or may not be in the market for a new tight end, depending on T.J. Hockenson’s contractual status, but if the franchise wanted to shoot for the stars with Hockenson’s replacement, Atlanta Falcons playmaker Kyle Pitts is no longer an option, at least not in 2026.

Pitts is off the board, so Minnesota’s tight end options tighten while Hockenson’s contract remains the pivot point.

The Falcons will franchise-tag Pitts, wiping him off the free-agent wire with two weeks to go before legal tampering.

What the Pitts Tag Means for Minnesota’s FA Tight End Plan

The best names always seem to return to their current employers.

ATL to Franchise-Tag Pitts

If you had big dreams of Pitts in purple and gold clothing, cancel those for at least one year.

ESPN’s Marc Raimondi wrote Monday, “The Atlanta Falcons plan to place the franchise tag on tight end Kyle Pitts Sr., likely keeping one of the top tight ends in the league under contract for at least one more season, a source told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Monday. Franchise tag contract numbers are based on the top five annual salaries at each position.”

“Pitts stands to make about $16,319,000 in 2026, the franchise tag salary this year for tight ends, according to OverTheCap.com. Pitts and the Falcons will have until July 15 to agree to a long-term contract or else he will have to play the 2026 season under the franchise tender. The deadline for teams to use the franchise or transition tag is next Tuesday with free agency beginning the week after.”

The wage is actually quite appealing for a tight end, so Pitts is unlikely to protest the arrangement, despite wanting a long-term contract.

Vikings May Not Have the Money for Pitts Anyway

Soon, Minnesota will be cap-compliant, but Monday, February 23rd, was not that day. The club must clear around $43 million in cap space by releasing veteran players or restructuring contracts just to get into the green. Before too long, you will see a flurry of tweets indicating that interim general manager Rob Brzezinski has cut players and restructured deals. They’re coming.

Still, the Vikings may not be in the market for big fish like Pitts. That was last year’s free agency, when the books were clear, and former boss Kwesi Adofo-Mensah chose to spend big on Wil Fries, Javon Hargrave, and Jonathan Allen.

To put it plainly, Brzezinski may not have had $16 million lying around for a luxury tight end.

FA Options at TE without Pitts

The franchise tag on Pitts suddenly makes the tight end market in free agency feel skinny. Per possible big-name breakouts, Isaiah Likely now leads the way, and after him, not too many players would seem like a serious upgrade over Hockenson.

Here’s the list, nevertheless:

• Austin Hooper
• Cade Otton
• Chig Okonkwo
• Dallas Goedert
• David Njoku
• Isaiah Likely
• Jake Tonges
• Kyle Granson
• Noah Fant
• Tyler Conklin
• Tyler Higbee

Likely isn’t an adept run- or pass-blocker, and it’s unclear if the Vikings would sign a player without that tool in his cabinet.

Too, the draft is about eight weeks away. There’s a world where Minnesota severs ties with Hockenson as a cap casualty and drafts Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq, who is considered by leaps and bounds the best tight end in this class and the only one commanding Round 1 stock.

Hockenson’s Future

Brzezinski faces a crucial salary cap decision regarding Hockenson, whose contract ranks him among the highest-paid tight ends. Releasing Hockenson after June 1st would free up nearly $16 million, potentially enabling the Vikings to acquire multiple quality starters at other positions.

However, Hockenson’s role evolved in 2025 due to injuries on the offensive line and J.J. McCarthy’s pass distribution, resulting in increased blocking responsibilities. Consequently, Minnesota was essentially paying a premium for a tight end primarily utilized for blocking and run support.

Ultimately, the decision hinges more on the team’s overall construction strategy than on Hockenson’s individual performance. He remains a reliable veteran, and the Vikings could retain him, anticipating a greater role in the passing game as the offense returns to full strength.

Brzezinski must determine whether allocating those cap savings to other areas would be more beneficial or if retaining a high-priced tight end aligns with the long-term vision. The choice will significantly affect Minnesota’s offense in 2026 and beyond.

Minnesota also has three more tight ends in the 2026 roster orbit: Josh Oliver, Gavin Bartholomew, and Ben Yurosek.

Pitts will trend for free agency again in 2027 if the Falcons cannot work out a long-term extension. He’s still just 25 years old.

Benjamin Sesko came off the bench to score the only goal of the game as Manchester United beat Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium

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Manchester United forward Matheus Cunha avoided a yellow card for celebrating in the face of Everton player Matheus Cunha causing controversial scenes. The Brazilian midfielder looked to shepherd the ball out of play in second-half injury time as Michael Carrick’s side looked to protect their 1-0 lead.

Cunha pumped his fists in the face of the former United midfielder, before falling to the floor where he continued his celebration after winning a goal kick. The Toffees were pushing for a late equaliser and defender James Tarkowski had to be held back by Luke Shaw as the game threatened to boil over.

The United playmaker avoided a yellow card from Darren England with Michael Carrick responding quickly to substitute the midfielder, bringing on Ayden Heaven in his place.

It’s unclear whether the substitution was pre-planned or a result of Cunha’s antics near the deadball line. Former United defender, Gary Neville, felt the Brazilian’s behaviour was ‘antagonistic’ towards Garner.

Speaking on commentary, he said: “They’ve both given each other quite a bit in the game. Garner’s done well. Cunha’s done well. They’ve stuck at it. Cunha’s celebration in Garner’s face is antagonistic.”

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Nevertheless, Cunha avoided a booking, in what would have been only his second yellow card in the top flight this season.

United would hold on to claim an important three points in the race for Champions League football, moving up to fourth in the table.

Benjamin Sesko came off the bench to score the only goal of the game in the 71st minute, with all three of United’s summer signings – Sesko, Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo – combining for the goal.

It wasn’t United’s best performance under Carrick since he took interim charge of the club, but the win moves them three points clear of Chelsea in fifth after their draw with Burnley at the weekend.

United are currently ten games unbeaten stretching back to Amorim’s final few matches at the helm, but appeared to have turned a corner with wins over Manchester City and Arsenal in Carrick’s first games in charge.

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They’ve not been able to repeat those fine displays but are still picking up important points along the way, returning to winning ways after the draw with West Ham United earlier this month.

Speaking after the win over Everton, Carrick praise Cunha’s performance and said: “That was kind of where we were tonight. I think we had to put a lot into the game and everyone did, and I think credit to Everton who made us dig deep, and it wasn’t the prettiest or the most perfect game football-wise for us.

“But Matheus, the defensive work, you put in the effort, the work rate in the end, he’s got the moment that we know we’ve got in the group to create something. He made the difference for us, but it comes from him defending really well in a deep position to then create that transition.

“He’s a great character, I’ve got to know him. Another big moment for Matheus, he’s had a number of them since the very start, starting at City when he came off the bench and he’s a big impact again today for us and he is in a good place as well.”

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In her most recent start, Getta Good Feeling jumped as the odds-on elect in the 2500-metre VRC Oaks, however, she makes her seasonal reappearance over a much shorter trip this Saturday at Flemington.

Trainer Danny O’Brien plans to leverage the $525,000 purchase from the Easter Yearling Sale’s qualification for the Inglis Race Series, kicking off in the $1 million Inglis Sprint at 1200m.

Classy frontrunners Raging Force and Alpha Sophie lead the potential opposition for Getta Good Feeling, yet O’Brien expects a sharp performance on debut after placing third narrowly in an 800m gallop at Flemington last Friday.

“There are not many options for her to kick off, but it’s a nice starting point; 1200 metres down the straight at Flemington, it gets a good gallop into her and sets her up for the rest of the campaign,” O’Brien said.

“She’s obviously more effective at 1400 and a mile, but she’s a preparation older now, she’s sharper, her work so far has been very good and her trial Friday was very good.

“She seems to have come back in really good shape.”

Her first triumph came in the Group 2 Edward Manifold Stakes (1600m), then third in Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m), victory in Group 2 Wakeful Stakes (2000m), and ultimately sixth in the Oaks to Strictly Business when the trip stretched her.

As such, O’Brien passed on entering her for the Group 1 ATC Australian Oaks (2400m) up north, and she bypasses the vital warmup, Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m), even as the second favourite.

Everything points to the $1 million Group 1 Australasian Oaks (2000m) at Morphettville on April 25 as the key objective.

“After Saturday, she’ll then go probably three weeks and run over a mile (at Caulfield) at what was the old Moonee Valley meeting in the three-year-old fillies mile,” O’Brien said, referring to the $200,000 Group 3 Alexandra Stakes (1600m).

“We’ll just space her runs through to the Australasian Oaks.

“There’s an option to go to Brisbane after that. The Oaks in Brisbane is 2200 and we just thought the 2500 in the spring found her out for stamina late.”

Fans can find competitive betting sites offering value on the Inglis Sprint with Getta Good Feeling back in action.

After her semi-final defeat in Dubai, Coco Gauff did not hide her frustration.

The world No 4 fell 6-4, 6-7(13), 6-4 to Elina Svitolina in a three-hour battle at the WTA 1000 event, but it was her struggles on serve and her emotional reaction that drew attention.

Gauff was broken six times, hit 12 double faults, and won just 43 percent of her second-serve points. After double-faulting at 3-3 in the second set, she turned toward her box and directed her frustration at her biomechanics coach.

“I’ve been doing everything you wanted for six months… I’m not better at all,” she said.

The serving issues have followed her across seasons. Gauff recorded the most double faults on the WTA Tour in 2024 (430) and 2025 (431), and the pattern resurfaced at critical moments against Svitolina.

Despite the setbacks, Gauff showed resilience. She recovered from 3-1 down in the first set, saved four match points in a 28-point second-set tiebreak, and forced a decider. She even broke to start the third before losing serve twice as Svitolina closed it out.

In her post-match press conference, Gauff struck a calmer tone.

“It’s tough to be on the losing end of a match like this, but there’s a lot of positives to take from it,” she said. “Elina played great, I thought I played great and it came down to the wire. I’ll definitely learn from this match in the future.”

She added:

“I started off the week just trying to win one match here, and so I’m glad to have made it to the semis and I was really close to making it to the final. Entering a tournament not in my best form and still making the semis means a lot, so hopefully I can take this momentum into Indian Wells and Miami.”

It was an excellent first day for the Welsh players, as Jak Jones, Dylan Emery and Mark Williams all won their first-round matches.

Jones took a comfortable 4-1 win over England’s Liam Highfield, while Emery shocked China’s Lei Peifan with a deciding-frame victory.

Home favourite Williams – who was the last Welsh player to win the title back in 1999 – overcame Michael Holt to win 4-2 and set up a second-round match against Martin O’Donnell.

O’Donnell upset 25th seed Tom Ford 4-2 later on Monday.

England’s Robbie Williams knocked out world number 16 Si Jiahui with a 4-2 win.

Williams will face last year’s runner-up and former Welsh Open winner Stephen Maguire in the second round after his come-from-behind win over Ricky Walden.

Barry Hawkins was forced to go the distance against fellow Englishman David Lilley, though the 12th seed came out on top with a 4-3 win, sealing his win with a 108 break in the decider.

In Monday’s evening session there were comfortable wins for Joe O’Connor, Wu Yize and two-time Welsh Open winner Neil Robertson.

The final two games of the day both produced surprise results, as David Grace knocked out eighth seed Mark Allen – who has not reached a Welsh Open final in his career – with a 4-2 win.

And Anthony McGill beat the 2009 Welsh Open champion Ali Carter in a deciding frame to book his place in the second round.

The pair will face Monday’s Welsh winners, with Grace playing Emery and McGill taking on Jones in the second round in Llandudno.

Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City): The player of the weekend for me, and the player of the month by a country mile. Since O’Reilly has moved into that midfield, Rodri has looked better, Manchester City have looked better, he has looked amazing and the job he has done for the past 18 months at left-back shows his versatility. What a player. Both his goals against Newcastle were great and totally different. He offers so much to Manchester City and is a shoo-in for the England squad. We were looking at him as a left-back but does he now play midfield?

Anton Stach (Leeds): I thought Leeds might falter and fall away. I think they have to be careful with these draws but he was a really good performer against Aston Villa – and that free-kick he scored against a World-Cup winning goalkeeper in Emi Martinez means he goes in my team.

Eberechi Eze (Arsenal): He has to go in this week with his two goals against Spurs on Sunday. He has scored five goals against them now in two games – so Spurs are obviously his team to face. Good for him and good for Mikel Arteta to pick him. He has been up and down this season, in and out of the team, but this will be a real confidence booster for him and Arsenal.

Diego Gomez (Brighton): He got a goal in the win against Brentford, but it was also an important midfield performance from him. Brentford weren’t at their best, with injuries in the squad, but you have to be able to break through the lines and he did that a lot. He was fantastic. It was Brighton’s first win in seven league games and they needed it.

If Sesko broke Everton’s hearts at one end of the field, another summer recruit, Senne Lammens, did it at the other.

The Belgian goalkeeper kept out a blockbuster strike from Michael Keane, which Moyes felt sure was going in, then dealt superbly with a series of corners dropped under his crossbar as Everton literally tried to force an equaliser.

“Their goalie was brilliant tonight,” was Moyes’ blunt reaction.

“The save he made from Michael, the way he dealt with corner kicks. The pressure we had. For me, their goalkeeper was the best player.”

Carrick is the one who benefits though, just as he is benefiting from the decision of United’s recruitment department to block Amorim’s calls to bring in Emi Martinez from Aston Villa on summer transfer deadline day and instead place their faith in a relatively young £18.1m goalkeeper with just one full season of senior football in Belgium behind him.

Lammens is 23. Sesko is 22. United might not quite be winning trophies with kids, but they have a young generation that is beginning to blossom.

It was brought to Carrick’s attention after the Everton game that his former United team-mate and all-time great goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar was analysing the game on TV with Carragher.

Carrick skilfully navigated the question of whether there are comparisons to be drawn between the two men.

“I’ve got to be careful what I say,” he said.

“I don’t want to be comparing them because I don’t think it’s fair to Senne. But there’s definitely similarities.

“You want a goalkeeper to be reliable and trustworthy. Instead of creating a chaos, you want him to take the chaos away and calm things down. I think Senne is that.

“He’s quite quiet at times and unassuming, but he’s got real steel. It’s a big role for some, and it’s about being comfortable in your environment.

“Sometimes it takes time, sometimes not, but he has that calmness and composure. It helps those in front of him an awful lot.”

At the start of the season, United’s stated aim was to get back into Europe.

Even internally, it was felt reaching the Europa League was the most realistic target, and financial estimates were created around that.

However, in the wake of Amorim’s exit, director of football Jason Wilcox spoke to the players about reaching the Champions League.

The difference in status and finance is huge.

United have now gone 10 consecutive Premier League games without defeat for the first time since a run of 14 between January and May 2021 under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

From their current position, with no European distractions, which is something Villa, Chelsea and Liverpool all have, it would be a major disappointment for them if United were not to seal a return to European football’s top table.

“Manchester United are now virtually guarantees for one of the Champions League places,” said Carragher. “I can’t see them not making it.”