Dec 27, 2025; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Malik Willis (2) throws a pass during the third quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Kayla Wolf-Imagn Images.
Malik Willis, the top free-agent quarterback on the market in 2026 (if one assumes the Indianapolis Colts re-sign Daniel Jones), will not be cheap. If the Minnesota Vikings are interested in his services, it will cost at least $30 million per year, says the latest intel from the NFL Combine.
If Willis is suddenly a $30M-a-year bet, Minnesota’s cap plight gets tight in a hurry.
The Vikings don’t have $30 million lying around, so if they want Willis, the salary cap magic must be sophisticated.
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Willis’s Market Could Price Him Beyond Minnesota’s Comfort Zone
A miniature Willis bombshell just 12 days before the start of free agency.
Tennessee Titans quarterback Malik Willis prepares during pregame warmups before a matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Nov. 6, 2022, in Kansas City, Missouri. Willis went through his routine as Tennessee evaluated the young quarterback’s readiness during a challenging road environment. Mandatory Credit: George Walker IV / Tennessean.com.
Jordan Schultz: Willis to Be a $30M per Year Man
There will be no prove-it discount for Willis if NFL insider Jordan Schultz has it right.
He tweeted Wednesday, “Packers free agent QB Malik Willis is in demand, as expected, and interested teams I’ve spoken to at the Combine in Indianapolis believe him getting at least $30M per year is a foregone conclusion.”
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Until the Schultz tweet, recent deals for passers like Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield suggested Willis might pull down $20 million to $25 million annually. That forecast has changed.
The Vikings’ Salary Cap Situation
The “legal tampering” phase of free agency begins on March 9th, and the Vikings are over the cap by approximately $43 million. What does that mean? They’ll have to release several players or backload many existing contracts to free up any money at all.
The likelihood of a team over the cap by $43 million, some 12 days before free agency, finding $32 million to spend on a quarterback feels low. We’re talking about a $75 million gap. A team with cap problems isn’t usually in the market to sign the top available quarterback in free agency.
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And, not for nothing: if Minnesota wanted to spend around $30 million on a quarterback, it should’ve re-signed Darnold last year.
Daily Norseman‘sWarren Ludford recently floated the idea of restructuring Justin Jefferson’s contract: “Jefferson has a $25 million base salary this season and a contract that runs through 2029 with a void year so converting that base salary to a signing bonus would spread the cap hit over the remaining years of his contract and save the Vikings around $20 million in cap space this year.”
“That’s probably enough to accommodate the signings of free agents such as Jalen Nailor, Eric Wilson, Ryan Wright, Andrew DePaola, Jalen Redmond (EFRA), Bo Richter (EFRA), Ivan Pace Jr. (RFA), and a few others, along with Mac Jones and Anthony Richardson if the Vikings opt to trade for them.”
Willis’s GB Production
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Willis started three games for the Green Bay Packers over the last two years, leaving general managers around the sport drooling, according to Schultz’s reporting. In fact, a quarterback with three starts under his belt fetching a $30 million per year contract is wild.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Malik Willis throws a touchdown pass during second-quarter action against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium, Nov. 16, 2025, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Willis delivered the scoring throw while working through the pocket as the Packers tested their offensive rhythm in a road matchup. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images.
Still, if one translates Willis’s statistics from those three starts to a 17-game sample, a full season would look like this:
3,468 Passing Yards
34 Total TDs
0 INTs
6 Fumbles
79.6% Comp
986 Rushing Yards
Those are Lamar Jackson numbers. Some team will take the risk.
The Frontrunners for Willis
Where will Willis land? A handful of teams may need quarterbacks in March. Here’s the theoretical list:
Arizona Cardinals
Cleveland Browns
Miami Dolphins
Minnesota Vikings
New York Jets
Pittsburgh Steelers
In the court of public opinion, the Dolphins and Jets are considered the frontrunners as of late February. In fact, the Green Bay Packers’ defensive coordinator, Jeff Hafley, landed the Dolphins’ head coaching job last month, and then Miami hired an executive from Green Bay’s front office as its general manager.
For the Jets, they have no quarterback solution on the horizon at all, unless they draft Alabama’s Ty Simpson in April and call it good.
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Tennessee Titans quarterback Malik Willis takes part in pregame warmups before facing the Atlanta Falcons at Nissan Stadium, Oct. 29, 2023, in Nashville, Tennessee. Willis worked through throwing drills and preparation routines as Tennessee evaluated depth at quarterback during the regular-season stretch. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports.
Pro Football Network‘sZachary Johnson noted on Willis’s free agency this week, “The Jets, meanwhile, signed former first-round pick Justin Fields to a two-year contract last spring. He’s entering the final year of his deal, but an uninspiring, injury-plagued campaign left head coach Aaron Glenn wanting more out of his signal-caller. The Cardinals are expected to release Kyler Murray for contractual reasons.”
“The former 1st overall pick is likely to have played his last down in Arizona, and, in the eyes of many, a divorce appears to be on the horizon. As for the Dolphins, the connections with Willis are obvious. Jon Eric-Sullivan was just hired as the team’s next general manager after ascending the ranks in the Packers’ front office over the last two decades.”
NFL franchises have watched in the last three seasons as Baker Mayfield and the aforementioned Darnold have reclaimed their careers. Willis is the next in line, or so goes the theory.
Pakistan’s captain Salman Ali Agha, right, with teammate Saim Ayub during a practice session. (PTI Photo)
NEW DELHI: New Zealand knocked co-hosts Sri Lanka out of the T20 World Cup with a comprehensive 61-run win in Colombo on Wednesday, but the result has also kept Pakistan in contention for a dramatic semi-final qualification. With England already through, the race for the final spot from Super Eights Group 2 will now be decided over the last two matches.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Chasing 169, Sri Lanka needed a convincing victory to stay alive but faltered badly, crawling to 107/8 and exiting the tournament with one game still to play. The heavy defeat ended their campaign and confirmed a fifth straight failure to reach the semi-finals since their 2014 title triumph. The win also significantly boosted New Zealand, whose net run rate jumped to a healthy +3.050, putting them in pole position to qualify alongside England.
T20 World Cup: Shaheen Shah Afridi press conference after England vs Pakistan
However, Pakistan’s hopes hinge on the outcome of England versus New Zealand in Colombo on Friday. If New Zealand defeat England, they will finish on five points and qualify directly, rendering Pakistan’s final Super Eights clash against Sri Lanka irrelevant.Pakistan’s opportunity opens up only if England beat New Zealand. In that scenario, England will top the group with six points, leaving New Zealand on three and Pakistan with a chance to draw level if they beat Sri Lanka in their final match in Kandy.If Pakistan win and both teams finish on three points, qualification will be decided by net run rate. The current projections underline the scale of the task facing Pakistan.
T20 World Cup Super 8s Group 2 Points Table
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P
W
L
NR
Points
NRR
England (Q)
2
2
0
0
4
+1.491
New Zealand
2
1
0
1
3
+3.050
Pakistan
2
0
1
1
1
-0.461
Sri Lanka (E)
2
0
2
0
0
-2.800
For instance, if England beat New Zealand by 50 runs, Pakistan would need to defeat Sri Lanka by roughly 20 runs to edge ahead on net run rate, assuming a first-innings score of around 170.If Pakistan chase instead, the equation becomes tougher. They would need to complete the chase in approximately 17.5 overs to surpass New Zealand’s net run rate. Any slower victory could still leave them behind the Blackcaps.England’s dominance in the Super Eights has simplified the group standings, but Sri Lanka’s exit has ensured the final semi-finalist will be decided in a tense finish. Pakistan must now deliver not just a win, but a big one — and hope England do them a favour — to keep their World Cup dream alive.
If you spend any time at all around golf’s crop of TV analysts, you realize something unusual: By the letter of the law, almost none of them are qualified.
The reason for this is not broadcast training or golf skill, but something much simpler. In the history of golf television, there have been only a handful of so-called “Lead Analysts” — the talking heads atop each network’s broadcast — and all but one of them have been major championship winners.
On Wednesday morning, that group added a surprise new voice to the mix: Jim Furyk, who will call two PGA Tour events on the Florida swing — the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Players Championship — in the lead analyst chair for Golf Channel.
The 55-year-old U.S. Open winner and former Ryder Cup captain is no stranger to life inside the ropes. Over the past several years, he’s been a fixture on the PGA Tour Champions, winning the Tour’s rookie of the year award in 2021 and hosting an annual Champions Tour event through his charity, Furyk and Friends. His TV and radio history is less thorough, though he has been no stranger to media scrums in his three decades and 17 victories on the PGA Tour — and has served as a frequent guest on SiriusXM throughout the years.
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“It’s probably on a trial basis, see how much I like it, get a feel for it,” Furyk told the Associated Press’ Doug Ferguson. “With any new endeavor, it’s a learning process. There’s a feel and flow for how the show is done. I’m focused on doing the best job for two weeks.”
The 17-time PGA Tour winner may not have a preponderance of TV experience, but he does have a deep well of professional experience to lean on. He has competed as a pro for more than three decades, and enters the Players Championship with five top-5 finishes in the event, including two runner-up finishes, most recently as an out-of-nowhere 48-year-old in 2019. Furyk never won the Arnold Palmer Invitational, but he was just the third pro ever (following Palmer and Bruce Fleisher) to win his first two starts on the Champions Tour.
It’s early to forecast exactly what the tryout period means for Furyk’s TV future (in large part because he does not currently have a TV past to speak of), but he enters the job with something every fellow golf analyst craves: his 2003 victory at the U.S. Open at Olympia Fields. While Furyk might ultimately choose not to pursue a pathway to a lead analyst role with any of golf’s major networks, the major championship pedigree provides him with a potential pathway to a lead analyst chair that, until NBC’s Kevin Kisner, had only ever been occupied by major championship winners.
Ironically, Kisner’s path to the lead chair at NBC could provide clues for Furyk as he tries to navigate the journey forward. Kisner was a full-time PGA Tour player when he first stepped into NBC’s “tryout” to replace Paul Azinger in the lead analyst chair, then spent a year flirting with the job on a part-time basis before being named Azinger’s permanent replacement at the end of 2024.
May 31, 2025; Paris, FR; Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands returns a shot during his match against Ethan Quinn of the United States on day seven at Roland Garros Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Susan Mullane-Imagn Images
Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands used his strong serve to upset No. 2 seed Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan 6-3, 7-6 (4) in the Round of 16 at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Wednesday.
Griekspoor fired off 14 aces without a double fault and won 35 of 40 first-service points (87.5%). He also saved three break points and had just 10 unforced errors to 30 winners. Bublik had 29 winners but committed 23 unforced errors.
In another pair of upsets, Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech toppled No. 4 Jack Draper of Great Britain 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-4, and Jenson Brooksby beat No. 7 Karen Khachanov of Russia 7-6 (6), 6-4. In similar fashion to Griekspoor, Rinderknech racked up 20 aces without one double fault.
No. 1 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada moved on to the quarterfinals by beating French qualifier Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 6-4, 6-4, while Russian third seed Daniil Medvedev defeated Swiss veteran Stan Wawrinka 6-2, 6-3. No. 5 seed Andrey Rublev of Russia beat Frenchman Ugo Humbert 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-3, while a pair of Czech natives, No. 6 Jakub Mensik and No. 8 Jiri Lehecka, advanced in straight sets.
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BCI Seguros Chile Open
A pair of upsets saw the fourth and seventh seeds bow out in the Round of 16 in Santiago, Chile.
Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann racked up a 28-12 edge in winners in beating No. 4 seed Camilo Ugo Carabelli of Argentina 6-4, 6-3. Italian qualifier Andrea Pellegrino benefited from his opponent’s 50 unforced errors, including 11 double faults, in a 7-6 (3), 6-7 (2), 6-3 win over No. 7 seed Francisco Comesana of Argentina.
Lithuania’s Vilius Gaubas rallied past Croatia’s Dino Prizmic 5-7, 7-5, 6-3 in a match lasting three hours, two minutes. The final match of the day was set to pit No. 2 seed Luciano Darderi of Italy against Mariano Navone of Argentina.
Mohamed Salah would be happy to stay at Liverpool until 2027, there are six Premier League clubs interested in Eintracht Frankfurt’s Nnamdi Collins, while Casemiro wants to keep playing in Europe.
Egypt forward Mohamed Salah, 33, is happy to see out the remainder of his Liverpool contract, which runs up to the end of next season, should a move to the Saudi Pro League not materialise this summer. (Football Insider), external
Manchester United‘s Brazil midfielder Casemiro, 34, wants to continue his career in Europe when his contract ends at Old Trafford in the summer, and Italy is a possible next destination. (Sun), external
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German agent Volker Struth, who has worked with Florian Wirtz in the past, says he offered the Germany midfielder to RealMadrid last summer before his £116m move from Bayer Leverkusen to Liverpool. (Phrasenmaher via Mirror), external
Manchester United plan to sell Cameroon goalkeeper Andre Onana, 29, this summer, but expect to receive significantly less than the £50m they paid Inter Milan to sign him in 2023. (Talksport), external
However, Onana wants to fight to re-establish himself as Manchester United‘s number one when his loan spell at Trabzonspor finishes in May – and believes he will be given a chance to do so. (Guardian), external
Vinicius Jr was on target as Real Madrid booked their place in the last 16 of the Champions League after defeating Benfica at the Bernabeu.
The Brazilian forward had been at the centre of attention before the match. In the first leg, he alleged that he was racially abused by Gianluca Prestianni shortly after scoring. Prestianni later received a one-match suspension and was absent for the return fixture.
Before kick-off in Madrid, home supporters displayed a banner reading “No to racism” in Spanish, showing their backing for Vinicius.
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When the match began, the winger let his football do the talking. With 10 minutes remaining, he calmly fired the ball past the goalkeeper to seal a 3–1 aggregate win for Los Blancos.
Benfica had started brightly and took the lead in the 14th minute. Rafa Silva reacted quickly to a loose ball after Thibaut Courtois stopped Raúl Asencio’s attempted clearance from ending up in his own net.
However, their advantage lasted only two minutes. Aurelien Tchouameni responded with a superb strike from outside the box to score his first Champions League goal.
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Real Madrid were without the injured Kylian Mbappe and at times felt his absence in attack, as Benfica continued to threaten and searched for a way back into the tie.
In the end, Vinicius’ decisive goal — his sixth in five matches — ensured Real Madrid progressed. They will now prepare to face either Manchester City or Sporting in the next round.
An unfortunate update has surfaced regarding popular AEW star Eddie Kingston amidst his brief absence from the company. This has been due to the health issues he has been facing.
At All Out: Toronto last year, the Mad King made his long-awaited return to the company after more than a year. His hiatus was due to a severe leg injury he sustained when he defended one of his titles at an NJPW show. He has been on a great run of his own following his return, with his last match being earlier this month. This was an eight-man tag team parking lot fight.
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PWInsider has reported that Eddie Kingston is not backstage for AEW Dynamite tonight. He has also pulled out of his commitments this weekend for events on the independent circuit. It was revealed that this was due to severe migraine headaches he has been having.
MJF recently fired shots at Eddie Kingston’s health issues
MJF is one individual who doesn’t mince his words when he is in character, which is the case for all his public appearances. He has gotten personal with several of his rivals over the years.
In a recent interview with the Kairouz Bros in Australia, he fired shots at Eddie Kingston, claiming he was the exact opposite of him. He took the smart road out and competed in fewer matches, while Kingston was someone whom he claims had full-blown CTE due to the matches he had competed in. Friedman claimed this was the reason why the Mad King had been avoiding a match with him.
“It’s not a bad thing at all. It’s less bumps I’ve got to take and less CTE I’m walking towards. A guy like Eddie Kingston, he’s already got full-blown CTE. Let’s be honest, the guy doesn’t even know where he is anymore. That’s why he refuses to wrestle me. He’s scared of me, and as he should be, because I think if he took one punch from me, he’s out,” said the AEW World Champ about the former Continental Champion. [H/T Fightful on X]
MJF explains why being a part-timer in wrestling is not bad. “It’s not a bad thing at all. It’s less bumps I’ve got to take and less CTE I’m walking towards. A guy like Eddie Kingston, he’s already got full-blown CTE. Let’s be honest, the guy doesn’t even know where he is
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The timing of the quote is unfortunate, but it seems like Eddie Kingston won’t be around for some time once more. There has yet to be further information on his recovery timeline, but we at Sportskeeda hope this is nothing bad, and that he recovers quickly.
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Real Madrid recovered from an early scare to beat Benfica 2-1 on Wednesday and secure a 3-1 aggregate victory to reach the Champions League last 16 after a pulsating game at the Bernabeu.
Aurelien Tchouameni and Vinicius Jr struck either side of half-time to cancel out Rafa Silva’s opener and send the record 15-times European champions through, with either Manchester City or Sporting Lisbon awaiting in Friday’s draw.
Benfica, trailing 1-0 from a first leg in Portugal marred by Vinicius accusing Benfica‘s Gianluca Prestianni of directing a racist slur at him, started brightly and sliced through a makeshift-looking Real defence missing Eder Militao and Dean Huijsen, with forward Kylian Mbappe also out due to a knee injury set to sideline him for multiple games.
Benfica manager Jose Mourinho was absent from the touchline after receiving a red card in the first leg for complaining, and Prestianni was not involved after being provisionally suspended by Uefa following the incident with Vinicius in Lisbon.
The visitors went ahead in the 14th minute in chaotic fashion. Thibaut Courtois produced a stunning left-footed save to prevent Raul Asencio turning Pavlidis’s cross into his own net, but the rebound dropped invitingly for Rafa Silva, who controlled the ball inside the six-yard box before firing past the keeper.
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Real’s response was swift and slick. Two minutes later Gonzalo linked up smartly with Federico Valverde on the right wing, the Uruguayan cutting the ball back towards the edge of the box where Tchouameni guided a low finish just inside the right post.
With the tie finely poised, the game opened up and Arda Guler thought he had put Real ahead in the 32nd minute, only for VAR to rule the effort out for offside in the build-up.
Vinicius Jr slots in the decisive goal for the home team (Reuters)
Benfica continued to threaten, Richard Rios drawing a superb save from Courtois with a fierce strike in the 38th minute but the home side began to find more rhythm after the break.
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Asencio headed narrowly wide from a corner and Trent Alexander-Arnold flashed an angled effort past the post, but Real were almost punished for their profligacy.
On the hour mark, Vinicius was caught as Real attempted to play out from the back, allowing Rafa Silva to unleash a thunderous shot from the edge of the box that crashed against the crossbar.
Rafa Silva scores a cracking goal for Benfica, who had the brighter start (Getty)
The tension lingered until the 80th minute, when Valverde seized on a loose ball in midfield and threaded a precise pass through to Vinicius who timed his run to beat the offside trap, surged into the box and slotted a composed finish into the bottom corner to settle the tie.
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“We didn’t start very well, but we remained confident and knew the goals would come eventually,” Tchouameni told Movistar Plus.
“We did things a little better as the match progressed and now we’re going to keep going as we move forward. We need to tweak our defence a little and get into the game better, but we won, and that’s the most important thing.”
Victor Osimhen continued his remarkable UEFA Champions League campaign with his seventh goal of the season as Galatasaray S.K. sealed a commanding 7-5 aggregate victory over Juventus F.C. in their knockout play-off clash.
Holding a 5-2 advantage from the first leg, Galatasaray were made to work at a packed Turk Telekom Arena, where 49,977 fans witnessed a thrilling 5-2 win on the night to complete the job in style.
Although the hosts had built a healthy cushion in the tie, Osimhen once again underlined his importance on Europe’s biggest stage. The Nigerian striker was a constant menace to the Juventus backline from the opening minutes, forcing early saves and stretching the Italian defence with his movement and physical presence.
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His decisive contribution — his seventh goal in this season’s Champions League — ensured Galatasaray maintained firm control of the contest and the aggregate scoreline. With that strike, Osimhen moved closer to the club’s single-season Champions League scoring record, further cementing his status as the team’s talisman in Europe.
The match itself was a rollercoaster. Gabriel Sara opened the scoring early on before Teun Koopmeiners struck twice to briefly give Juventus hope. However, Galatasaray responded emphatically in the second half through Noa Lang’s brace, a close-range finish from Davinson Sánchez, and a late effort from Sacha Boey to cap off the victory. Juventus’ challenge was further dented when Juan Cabal was sent off in the 67th minute.
Despite the attacking contributions from across the pitch, the spotlight firmly belonged to Osimhen. His seventh goal of the campaign not only highlighted his clinical form but also proved pivotal in guiding Galatasaray safely into the next round of the competition.
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With momentum on their side and their star striker in red-hot form, Galatasaray now look ahead with growing belief as their Champions League journey continues.
