Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has confirmed that he submitted requests as part of his contract extension talks with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

In recent days, a confidential document detailing Chelle’s proposed terms for continuing as Nigeria’s national team coach was leaked on social media, sparking debate among fans and analysts. The leak came after Nigeria finished third at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, a result that prompted the NFF to open discussions over extending Chelle’s stay despite him still having about a year left on his current contract.

Chelle, a Franco-Malian coach, explained that the 19-point proposal he submitted covered technical structure, working conditions and financial terms. Public attention, however, quickly focused on his request for an increase from a reported $50,000 monthly package to about $130,000, which drew strong reactions across Nigeria’s football community.

Speaking about the situation, Chelle admitted he was surprised that the private negotiation documents became public.

“Today, the first question I ask myself is how these documents ended up in the media,” Chelle said. “They are part of a negotiation, absolutely. There are many things in those requests. Look, if I’m being honest with you, I don’t really know. The first question I ask myself today is: how did these documents end up in the media?”

Chelle insisted that he neither leaked the document nor believes the NFF was responsible, leaving questions about people previously involved in his professional representation. The coach recently ended his relationship with his former agency before moving to Wilders Sport, a step he says was purely professional.

“As a man and as a coach, you don’t have unanimous support,” Chelle said. “I know that through my actions, some people like me and others like me less. So I’m the Nigerian national team manager, and I decided to give a new direction to my career. I made a choice.”

He explained that the agency change was aimed at helping him grow and reach a higher level in his career.

“I analysed the situation and told myself I need to put this structure around me that will allow me to reach the next level, with all the ambition that defines me, and with my vision of where I want to go. So maybe some people were hurt by that. If they think I disrespected them or undervalued their abilities, no, not at all. I simply decided to choose another agency that I identified with more and that would allow me to take a few steps forward. I’m not saying it was those people who leaked these documents, but my first question remains: how did these documents get out?”

Chelle also defended his salary request, noting that much of the proposed increase would cover the salaries of his technical staff, an expense that coaches in African national teams often pay themselves.

“When you look at the document and examine it carefully, in the end, what I asked for is nothing more than what I’m entitled to,” he said. “They are requests to ensure I have the right conditions to do my job. When you talk about $130,000, first of all, those aren’t euros, they are dollars. And what people don’t know is that in Africa, in the national teams I’ve been with, I have to pay my own technical staff.”

Chelle was appointed Super Eagles manager in January 2025 after impressing with Mali at the Africa Cup of Nations. Despite the controversy, contract negotiations with the NFF are expected to continue as both sides aim to build on Nigeria’s recent continental progress.

The Minnesota Vikings finished 2025 ranked 13th in rushing offense DVOA, its highest standing since the Dalvin Cook days. They ran the ball 43% of the time, which ranked 19th leaguewide. And because these marks still need improvement, the team’s running back strategy is among the top topics this offseason. So, here’s what we would do.

It’s a balanced blueprint: salary cap, touches, and an upside swing.

Yes, it’s the VikingsTerritory RB endorsement plan of 2026.

A Three-Step RB Blueprint That Fits Minnesota’s Budget and Backfield Identity

A blend of in-house solutions, free agency, and the draft.

Step 1: Release Aaron Jones

Minnesota can save up to $7.7 million by cutting Jones. It’s time. He’ll turn 32 in December, and he will not improve as a playmaker. The team needs a youth injection at running back for the first time since the aforementioned Cook nine years ago. Jones is the antithesis of youth.

Jones is a fabulous locker room guy, and he’ll be missed, but the experiment has run its course. The business aspect of the NFL should prevail, and Minnesota should seek more pop in the ground game by severing ties with an aging tailback.

Step 2: Temporarily Nominate Jordan Mason for RB1

In 2025, despite Minnesota’s quarterback carousel, Mason received 159 carries and rushed for 758 yards, averaging 4.8 yards per attempt. He also recorded 14 receptions for 51 yards and scored 7 total touchdowns, maintaining consistent production despite the team’s offensive instability.

Mason’s performance mirrored his 2024 season in San Francisco, where he gained 789 rushing yards on 153 carries. Although his yardage remained similar after joining the Vikings, he found the end zone more frequently.

However, a costly fumble against Cleveland in London allowed Jones to reclaim the lead running back role. It’s time to move back toward Mason as the RB1, at least for a while in 2026.

There is also this encouraging stat to consider:

Step 3: Sign Kenneth Gainwell from Free Agency

In 2025, Gainwell quietly amassed 1,023 scrimmage yards and 8 touchdowns, showcasing his reliability and versatility as both a runner and receiver, and providing consistent offensive production throughout the season.

Notably, Gainwell delivered an efficient, momentum-shifting performance against Minnesota after Jaylen Warren’s pre-game injury in Dublin back in October.

If Minnesota moves on from Jones and promotes Mason to the lead back role, Gainwell would be a good fit, especially considering his next contract is projected to be in the $3–5 million per year range.

Gainwell is also one of the best pass-blocking running backs in the NFL. The Steelers seem to cultivate and covet such players. Minnesota’s coaching staff, too, is all about its halfbacks who can pass-block. Gainwell is therefore a fit.

Step 4: Use a Mid-Round Pick on Nick Singleton of Penn State for Eventual RB1 Duty

Singleton is big, fast, young, and versatile. What more do you need? That’s enough for the Vikings to take the plunge in the draft on his services. He’s 6’0″ and 225 pounds with 4.39 speed. The man can catch the ball out of the backfield. And from Round 3 or 4, he’s easily attainable.

He played 53 games at Penn State, totaling 4,448 yards from scrimmage and 54 touchdowns. The production gene is there.

The Consensus Big Board has Singleton listed at No. 111 as of late February, meaning Minnesota can probably get him in Round 4. The only problem? The Vikings don’t have a 4th-Rounder because of the ill-fated Adam Thielen trade. They’d either have to “reach” for him or trade down into Round 4.

Here’s some of Singleton’s early Penn State footage:

Pro Football Focus‘s Trevor Sikkema on Singleton’s scouting report: “At 6-foot and 220 pounds, Singleton is a gifted athlete who converts top-tier speed and acceleration into power. He is also utilized frequently as a receiver out of the backfield. While he possesses all the physical tools teams look for in a running back, his style is fairly straightforward — when runs are blocked well, he maximizes yardage, but when they are not, he can leave evaluators wanting more.”

“That limitation stems from inconsistent creativity with his vision and an inability to consistently force missed tackles in space. At times, his tempo can feel one-speed and linear. If he develops more playmaking nuance to complement his athletic profile, he has the potential to be an impactful NFL back. If not, he risks becoming more of a “what if” than a consistent contributor.”

For a mid-rounder, Singleton is more than worth it. Mason, Gainwell, and Singleton would do the trick for the 2026 Vikings.

Canelo Alvarez has held back a degree of credit for Terence Crawford, which he will only give the American under one condition.

The pair squared off in a super-middleweight encounter last September, with Crawford moving up from 154lbs to claim a monumental unanimous decision victory.

In doing so, ‘Bud’ became a three-division undisputed champion against Canelo, who had unified all four major titles at 168lbs earlier that year.

The Mexican therefore entered their showdown as a slight favourite, having established himself at the weight with previous victories over the likes of Caleb Plant and Callum Smith.

A truly masterful performance, however, ultimately saw Crawford become a five-weight world champion, only to then announce his retirement in December.

Prior to confirming his exit from the sport, the unbeaten technician had reportedly been exploring a potential rematch with Canelo, whose next outing has since been slated for September of this year.

Not only that, but while extending his partnership with boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh, the 35-year-old is set to secure a world title shot in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

But despite looking forward to enhancing his legacy, Canelo has told Ring Magazine that, without being given the opportunity to exact his revenge, he cannot quite bring himself to give Crawford all the credit he deserves.

“I always give [Crawford] credit, but we need to run it back.

“After the fight I said, ‘We need to run back this fight’, because I don’t feel I really won and I need to make this fight happen again. [If the rematch happens], it’s going to be different.

“For him to deserve all the credit, he needs to give me the rematch. But he decided to retire, and we need to accept that and move forward.”

While an opponent is yet to be confirmed, it appears likely that Canelo will face a world champion at 168lbs later this year.

Potential options include Christian Mbilli and Jose Armando Resendiz, who respectively hold the WBC and WBA titles, while Crawford’s old IBF and WBO belts remain up for grabs.

Four-time super-middleweight world champion Carl Froch has continuously flirted with a return to the fight game since his retirement in 2014.

Froch hung up the gloves after a legendary knockout of George Groves at Wembley Stadium settled their fierce rivalry and allowed him to walk away from boxing off the back of a phenomenal win.

Ever since, Froch has toyed with the idea of returning to professional boxing, calling out fellow super-middleweight and British boxing legend Joe Calzaghe to settle a long-running debate on who would come out on top. He has also expressed an interest in facing Jake Paul.

There could now be an opportunity for the Nottingham-born fan-favourite to make a move into the bare knuckle scene.

In an interview with Boxing Social, BKB CEO David Tetreault unveiled that he has held talks with Froch regarding a move into bare knuckle boxing.

“We have had conversations with Carl, we have. Carl was at one of our events just this past summer and there is an open door there.”

Should Froch opt to compete over at BKB, the reigning middleweight and super-middleweight BKB champion, and thus assumed target, is Colorado-based Lorawnt T Nelson, who boasted a 5-4 pro boxing record before taking off the gloves.

Although, if Froch can no longer make 168lbs, he may instead eye up a fight with current BKB light-heavyweight ruler, Nicholas ‘Cub’ Hawkins, who has won by stoppage in eight of his nine bare knuckle victories. The promotion has recently welcomed former world champions in Yuriorkis Gamboa and Lee Selby.

Another option for Froch is to glove up and settle a feud with John Fury, father of two-time heavyweight champion, Tyson. The pair have been going back and forth online after Fury looked to confront the younger man at a recent press conference. Both have, perhaps surprisingly, said they may be interested in making it happen under the Misfits banner.

Professional golfer Andrea Pavan withdrew from the DP World Tour’s Investec South African Open due to injuries he sustained in a freak elevator accident.

Pavan, 36, was hospitalized and “thankful to be alive” after he fell down an elevator shaft in the building he was staying in near Cape Town, South Africa, for the tournament, according to Monday Q Info.

“By all accounts, he’s in good spirits, thankful to be alive and FaceTiming with his kids,” Pavan’s former Texas A&M coach, J.T. Higgins, told the Golf Channel. Higgins hadn’t spoken to Pavan yet, but he was updated on his condition.

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Andrea Pavan of Italy tees off on the sixth hole during round one of the Qatar Masters 2026 at the Doha Golf Club in Doha, Qatar, Feb. 5, 2026. (Noushad Thekkayil/NurPhoto)

Golf Channel learned through sources within Pavan’s inner circle the golfer had called for an elevator within the building where he was staying. However, when the doors to the elevator opened, a cab had not come up.

Pavan didn’t realize that as he stepped through the doors and fell three stories below.

Pavan sustained multiple injuries, including to his back and shoulder. He underwent “extensive surgeries” Wednesday night to repair the damage.

Andrea Pavan of Italy tees off on the sixth hole during round one of the Qatar Masters 2026 golf tournament at the Doha Golf Club in Doha, Qatar, Feb. 5, 2026. (Noushad Thekkayil/NurPhoto)

No known recovery timeline for Pavan has been released.

The Italian golfer has eight professional wins in his career, including two on the DP World Tour. His latest was in 2019 when he took home the BMW International Open.

Pavan defeated Matt Fitzpatrick, a fixture on the PGA Tour, in a playoff at the event.

Andrea Pavan of Italy tees off on the 16th hole at the Qatar Masters 2026 at Doha Golf Club Feb. 6, 2026, in Doha, Qatar. (Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

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During this season, Pavan has tallied two top 15 finishes, which includes a tie for ninth at the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship earlier this month.

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The opening day of on-field drills at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis presented defensive linemen, edge rushers and linebackers at Lucas Oil Stadium, the home of the Indianapolis Colts. Some prospects uplifted their stock with standout efforts while others caused teams to go back and look at their college film with a fine tooth comb.

Here are some of the intriguing things from Thursday’s on-field drills for the linebacker position, beginning with the measurements and testing numbers of the top prospects in CBS Sports’ top 50 rankings, courtesy of NFL Draft analyst Mike Renner:

Measurements/testing numbers for top LB prospects

Grading top LB prospects

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Grade: A+ 

Ohio State first-team All-Big Ten linebacker Sonny Styles entered the combine as a projected top-10 pick, and after displaying jump-out-of-the-gym athleticism with a 43.5-inch vertical, he may be making a case to go in the top five in April, positional value be damned. NFL Media reported fellow linebackers were rooting him on and jumping in unison during his attempt. He blew away his positional peers.

His 11-foot-2 broad jump put an exclamation point on his elite athleticism. Styles recorded the highest vertical jump by a player 6-foot-4 or taller since at least 2003, when NFL Network began collecting combine data.

His combine performance was so explosive that he tested similarly to Pro Football Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson, the artist formerly known as Megatron. 

That helped him generate a nearly perfect Relative Athletic Score, ranking as the No. 4 linebacker in the metric since 1987.

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Grade: B+ 

Anthony Hill Jr. is similar to Arvell Reese as a linebacker with edge-rush experience, though he is not quite on the same level as Reese or Styles. Still, he acquitted himself well Thursday. A 4.51-second 40-yard dash at Hill’s size is a strong result, and his 9.93 Relative Athletic Score reflects an excellent day in Indianapolis.

He remains a tier below Styles, who delivered a historic performance, but Hill’s showing was strong enough to earn a B+.

Grade: B

Jake Golday measured and jumped well at the combine. He did not get out of the blocks quickly in the 40-yard dash, as reflected in his early split times, but he showcased strong closing speed to finish with a 4.62. Overall, Golday helped himself Thursday.

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Grade: N/A — Josiah Trotter opted out of doing on-field drills on Thursday. 

CJ Allen, Georgia: N/A

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Grade: N/A — CJ Allen chose not to participate in on-field drills on Thursday. 

NFL combine 2026: Grades for top DL/EDGE prospects, plus other standouts from on-field workouts

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Josh Edwards

Other standouts

• Measurables: 6-foot-1, 231 pounds, 9¼-inch hands, 30⅞-inch arms

Grade: B

Texas Tech‘s Jacob Rodriguez was the most decorated linebacker in college football in 2025. He earned the Bronko Nagurski Award (nation’s top defensive player), the Chuck Bednarik Award (defensive player of the year), the Dick Butkus Award (top linebacker), the Vince Lombardi Award (top lineman), unanimous All-American honors and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year recognition.

His tape is outstanding, and he moved smoothly during Thursday’s workouts in Indianapolis, posting a 38.5-inch vertical, a 10-foot-1 broad jump and a 4.57-second 40-yard dash. Rodriguez’s measurables were decent, but the way he moves — combined with his production at Texas Tech — earns him a B grade.

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• Measurables: 6-foot-6⅝, 221 pounds, 10½-inch hands, 35-inch arms, 86¼-inch wingspan

Grade: A 

Eric Gentry is a certified freak. He is both the tallest linebacker and owns the largest wingspan recorded at the NFL Scouting Combine since NFL Media began tracking data in 2003. A creative defensive coordinator could have plenty of fun deploying him at the next level.

Brady Tkachuk has found himself in a rather awkward position.

Days after crushing the hearts of Canadians by helping the United States win a gold medal over its northern neighbor, Tkachuk is back with his Senators, who play in Canada’s capital of Ottawa, for a playoff push.

A TikTok posted by the White House probably didn’t help matters because it featured footage of Tkachuk’s conference at a 4 Nations game last year that was doctored by artificial intelligence to make it appear as if he spoke disparagingly of Canada and its citizens.

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Brady Tkachuk of the United States celebrates after winning the gold medal during the men’s gold medal game against Canada at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena during the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games Feb. 22, 2026, in Milan, Italy.  (Catherine Steenkeste/Getty Images)

“They booed our national anthem, so I had to come out and teach those maple syrup-eating f—- a lesson,” Tkachuk allegedly says in the video. Tkachuk and his brother, Matthew, were part of three fights in nine seconds against Canada last year.

Tkachuk celebrated his gold medal in Washington, D.C., but was not pleased with the video.

“Well, it’s clearly fake, because it’s not my voice, not my lips moving. I’m not in control of any of those accounts. I know that those words would never come out of my mouth. So, I can’t do anything about it,” Tkachuk told reporters Thursday ahead of his NHL return, via ESPN.

When asked if he enjoyed the video, he repeated his sentiments.

Brady Tkachuk (top) of the U.S. fights Canada’s Sam Bennett (9) during first-period 4 Nations Face-Off hockey action in Montreal Feb. 15, 2025.  (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)

“It’s not my voice. It’s not what I was saying,” he added. “I would never say that. That’s not who I am. So, I guess I don’t like that video because that would never come out of my mouth and never had that thought.”

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

Some have also accused Tkachuk of saying, “Close the northern border” while on the phone with President Donald Trump after the team won gold.

“I’ve been seeing stuff that people think it’s me. But if you watch the video, it’s not my voice or something that I never say,” Tkachuk said. “I don’t know how that took a storm on its own when I give everything I have here.

“It’s crazy when things go on social media, how fast they go. I would never say anything like that.”

Brady Tkachuk (7) and Matthew Tkachuk (19) of the United States celebrate after their game against Canada during the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena Feb. 22, 2026. (Geoff Burke/Imagn Images)

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Tkachuk will play as a member of the home team in Canada Thursday at 7 p.m. against the Detroit Red Wings.

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We are at the NFL Combine stage of the pre-draft process, where the Vikings brain trust will watch this year’s potential draftees perform physical and mental tests in front of coaches, general managers, and scouts. The chance for players to give their draft stock a boost by showing elite traits or proving fitness if there have been injury issues.

Seven Names That Match Minnesota’s Biggest 2026 Draft Priorities

I have picked out seven prospects who should be high on the Vikings’ agenda and worth extra attention this weekend. Mainly focusing on defense, the area of the team that I think is a priority in this draft, but also a couple of players on offense, too.

Caleb Banks (DT), Florida

Many are focusing on the Vikings’ secondary in this draft, but my early draft crush has been Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks. The Gators DT can be a long-term partner for Jalen Redmond in the center of the Vikings’ defensive line.

At 6’6″, 325 pounds, with arms over 35″, Caleb Banks has overwhelming size, length, and forklift power, to pair with inhuman burst and quickness at that size. An impressive display at The Combine can confirm his round one status. Given the history of injuries, the medical side will be closely monitored.

Dillon Thieneman (S), Oregon

Dillon Thieneman has been earmarked as the Harrison Smith replacement should Minnesota choose to do that through the draft rather than free agency. Brian Flores’ defense demands safeties who can blitz, drop into coverage, and diagnose plays pre-snap — Thieneman does all of this while reading the field like a veteran at 21 years old.

Thieneman’s draft projection is hovering around the early Day 2 and late first-round range. His Combine performance may dictate where the Vikings have to go to get him, should they want to.

Jermod McCoy (CB), Tennessee 

The search for an outside CB ready to shut down WR1s has been a long one for Minnesota. Jermod McCoy can provide that while also being a ball hawk. He’d likely be well out of reach for the Vikings at 18 if it weren’t for the fact that McCoy tore his ACL in a preseason workout and missed the entire 2025 season.

Interestingly, McCoy won’t work out at The Combine, which leaves more mystery around his recovery. Teams will look closely at his medical reports, which will be one of the big stories of the weekend.

Avieon Terrell (CB), Clemson

A CB in a different mold to McCoy, Avieon Terrell is an undersized but feisty corner who also has a knack for taking the ball away. Terrell – younger brother of Falcons All-Pro A.J. Terrell – has inside/outside versatility but would probably find more success playing in the slot in the NFL.

He will hope to impress with his elite quickness and short-area burst, convincing a team like Minnesota he is worth a mid-first-round pick.

Kenyon Sadiq (TE), Oregon

Kenyon Sadiq provided Oregon with a big play whenever it needed one last season. A dependable threat on third down or in the red zone, Sadiq is the top-rated TE in this year’s draft. He caught a team-high 51 passes for 560 yards and eight touchdowns, showing a penchant for getting open at various levels.

Sadiq is big and strong and moves as well as any tight end in this class. A good 40 time will put Sadiq’s draft over the top and start a serious conversation over whether he’s an option to replace the highly paid TJ Hockenson.

Colton Hood (CB), Tennessee

Another option to be the lockdown CB the Vikings need is McCoy’s teammate at Tennessee, Colton Hood. At 6’0, and 195 lbs, Hood has an enticing blend of explosiveness, corrective twitch, proportional length, and physicality.

He had the opportunity to step up in McCoy’s absence and did just that. An impressive outing at The Combine can secure him first-round status and put him firmly on the Vikings’ radar.

Nick Singleton (RB), Penn State 

The Vikings need a young, exciting prospect at RB, but with Jeremiyah Love likely to go in the top 10. The next group of RBs is, at best, Day 2 prospects. One player who can boost his draft stock at The Combine is Penn State’s Nick Singleton.

Penn State has a history of producing freak athletes, and Singleton is the latest at 220 lbs while expected to run in the low 4.4s on top of a massive broad jump. With three Day 2 picks to play with, that sort of performance will put Singleton in the Vikings’ eyeline.

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

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