With just three playable wide receivers on the current roster, the Minnesota Vikings appear to be in the market for another rookie, evidenced by a draft workout this week with Georgia State’s Ted Hurst.

Minnesota keeps digging into the mid-round receiver market.

Hurst will meet with the Vikings, and anytime a wideout is connected to the purple team, fans get excited because drafting WR talent is what Minnesota does best.

Hurst Might Make Sense for the Vikings in the Mid-Rounds

Get to know a little about Hurst.

Vikings Meet with Hurst

Minnesota is dipping its toes in the mid-round WR pool, as SI.com‘s Jonathan Harrison wrote this week, “The Vikings reportedly have a top-30 visit scheduled with wide receiver Ted Hurst. The 6-foot-4 Georgia State product is likely a Day 2 selection, with NFL Network’s Lance Zierlein saying Hurst is a ‘long-legged, vertical-minded wideout with the speed and ability to stress corners from snap to whistle.’”

“At the combine, Hurst ran a 4.42 40-yard dash. In two seasons at Georgia State, he caught 127 passes for 1,965 yards and 15 touchdowns.”

Hurst currently ranks 84th on the Consensus Big Board, so a prospective 3rd-Round pick.

The Hurst Scouting Report

Hurst is 6’3″ and 195 pounds, known for his size, physicality, and contested catch prowess. He’s not an elite route-runner and has trouble separating from defensive backs.

Our Janik Eckardt on Hurst: “Hurst is a productive, physically imposing receiver who rose from Division II football to become one of the Sun Belt’s most effective pass catchers. His size, catch-point ability, and consistent production make him an intriguing mid-round option for teams seeking a developmental boundary receiver.”

“While improvements in separation and route refinement will be important for his long-term ceiling, his combination of physical tools and production gives him clear NFL potential. Hurst projects as a mid-round selection in the 2026 NFL Draft, likely falling in the third- to fifth-round range.”

Hurst has an NFL comp somewhere between Alec Pierce and Donovan Peoples-Jones.

Eckardt added, “His production, size, and strong pre-draft performances have elevated him from under-the-radar prospect to a legitimate Day 2 or early Day 3 candidate. His best fit is as a boundary receiver in offenses that emphasize play-action and vertical concepts.”

“Systems that utilize back-shoulder throws and contested-catch opportunities can maximize his strengths. He also offers value in red-zone packages due to his size and ball-tracking ability. Early in his NFL career, Hurst should compete for a rotational outside receiver role while contributing on special teams.”

Hurst has 4.42 speed and logged 1,004 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns in 2025 at Georgia State.

The Current WR Corps from Head to Toe

If Minnesota parleys the Hurst visit into a draft pick while signing no additional free agents, the WR room would look like this in the summer:

• Justin Jefferson
• Jordan Addison
• Tai Felton
• Ted Hurst
• Myles Price
• Jeshaun Jones
• Dontae Fleming
• Joaquin Davis

The Vikings could also peruse free agency, as veterans like Tyreek Hill, Deebo Samuel, Stefon Diggs, and DeAndre Hopkins remain available.

Other WR Options in the Draft

Finally, suppose the Vikings are mid-round wide receiver shopping again — they just picked Felton in Round 3 last year — but don’t end up picking Hurst, these rookies should be on the board in late Round 2, in Round 3, and Round 4:

• Skyler Bell (WR) — UConn
• Germie Bernard (WR) — Alabama
• Zachariah Branch (WR) — Georgia
• Deion Burks (WR) — Oklahoma
• Malachi Fields (WR) — Notre Dame
• Bryce Lance (WR) — North Dakota State
• Elijah Sarratt (WR) — Indiana
• Brenen Thompson (WR) — Mississippi State
• Antonio Williams (WR) — Clemson

The Vikings also met with Williams from Clemson, and NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein describes his profile in this way: “Williams is a bona fide ball player with good size and an ability to make mischief when he totes the pigskin. There is freestyling inside his routes that create uncertainty for corners but teams might drill down on attention to detail and better efficiency to keep him on schedule.”

“He’s not a field-stretcher but he plays fast from snap to whistle and has the ball skills to bring in challenging catches. He’s more slippery than explosive with outstanding run-after-catch ability. Williams projects as a productive slot receiver with legitimate run/pass/catch talent that should appeal to creative play-callers.”

Back to Hurst, he has extreme youth on his side; he’s 21.

The NFL draft is 28 days away. Minnesota has nine picks this time, with four in the Top 100.

As subscription streaming services grab more and more games from free TV and basic cable, many fans are crying foul.

A new Fox News national survey of registered voters finds that majorities of both sports fans (72%) and non-fans (60%) think major sporting events should be required to stay on free broadcast television, not behind streaming paywalls. Only 27% of fans and 38% of non-fans say leagues should be allowed to shift games to paid streaming services.

FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS OPPOSE ACTION IN IRAN BUT GIVE US MILITARY POSITIVE MARKS

For those who like to catch their favorite team from their favorite couch, the price is becoming a serious penalty. Nearly 6 in 10 sports fans say they’ve skipped watching a game at least a few times in the past year because it was too expensive, including about one-third who say this has happened “many times.”

Nearly half of fans say they’ve skipped watching games on television because it was too difficult to find or access them. (Steven King/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

And even when fans are willing to pay, figuring out how to watch can feel like a blocked shot. Nearly half of fans (47%) say they’ve skipped games because it was too difficult to find or access them. Then again, roughly the same share (46%) say they’ve only rarely or never been sidelined. When it comes to TV viewing, they’ve really got game.

FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS EXPECT AI TO TRANSFORM OUR LIVES — BUT TODAY IS NOT THAT DAY

CLICK HERE FOR CROSSTABS AND TOPLINE.

Nearly three-quarters of registered voters consider themselves sports fans (73%).

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Conducted March 20–23, 2026, under the direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News survey includes interviews with a sample of 1,001 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (104) and cellphones (641) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (256). Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error of ±3 percentage points. Sampling error for results among subgroups is higher. Results among sports fans have a margin of sampling error of ±3.5 points and non-sports fans ±6 points. In addition to sampling error, question wording and order can influence results. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education, and area variables to ensure the demographics are representative of the registered voter population. Sources for developing weight targets include the most recent American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis, and voter file data.

Fox News’ Victoria Balara contributed to this report.

Bill Sweeney, the chief executive of the Rugby Football Union (RFU), has admitted that there has been no dialogue with Andy Farrell about the prospect of taking over England after the 2027 Rugby World Cup – though stopped short of giving Steve Borthwick his full backing after a worst-ever Six Nations campaign.

Borthwick is facing a review process after overseeing England’s first one-win Six Nations, with Sweeney leading an otherwise anonymous panel that includes figures within rugby and outside of the sport to determine what went wrong during the championship.

The review is expected to be concluded in the coming weeks, and Sweeney insisted that his “primary focus is to support that coaching team and take them forward”. While the RFU will not set win targets for the start of the Nations Championship in July, improvements will need to be seen as England face South Africa, Fiji and Argentina in a demanding schedule.

It is thought that Borthwick is likely to be backed through those fixtures and probably beyond, although much will depend on the outcome of the review. The England head coach is under contract through next year’s World Cup.

Beyond that, though, there is uncertainty, with Farrell also out of contract with Ireland after the tournament. The 50-year-old said after the Six Nations that he expected contractual discussions to take place with the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) imminently, while he has also been linked with a return to Saracens.

But though insisting that some succession planning has taken place, Sweeney suggested that there a discussion with Farrell, who previously worked with England as an assistant between 2011 and 2015, is not currently taking place.

“He’s under contract to the 2027 World Cup,” Sweeney said. “We’re not in a dialogue, we’re not in a discussion with him at the present.”

Of succession planning more generally, the RFU CEO added: “That’s an ongoing process. You’d have that regardless of how we’d perform in the Six Nations.

“You’ve got to have that in place, not just in terms of the head coach, but we’ve got succession planning for every senior exec[utive] in the RFU, including myself. That would continue and does continue regardless of the outcome of one tournament.

“We want to see the most robust coaching succession planning process that we can possibly have. We’ve seen too many ups and downs perhaps over the years in terms of consistency.

“You’re always going to have some setbacks. It’s just the nature of high-performance sport. Again, we haven’t got to the bottom of everything yet. Clearly, we want to be consistently performing along the lines of the French game. We want to have a consistent and reliable source of talent coming through both players and also in terms of coaching. The objective, short, medium, long term is to have a reliable process in place that gives us the best chance of consistent success.”

England have not won the men’s Six Nations since 2020, with much of the optimism that surrounded a 12-match winning run that continued into this year’s championship diminished by the four consecutive defeats that have followed subsequently.

A meeting with the Springboks at Ellis Park on 4 July represents a tricky start to the inaugural Nations Championship. Sweeney admitted it was not yet clear what squad would be at Borthwick’s disposal for the tournament as England and other nations battle a crowded calendar and the impacts of last year’s British and Irish Lions series.

“We’ve got to look and see who’s available,” he explained. “There are quite a few players yet to come back in. So we need to see who’s available, coming into those July fixtures, and then we’ll have conversations with Steve and the coaching team, but also with the players involved in their clubs in terms of welfare and where they are in terms of playing or resting.

“We are really focussed on seeing progress again, seeing consistent performances and seeing better performances going forwards. That is the focus, it is not a set number of wins or a percentage. It is getting back to the way we were playing.

“You have heard Steve talk about playing big, and that has been the intention, you saw that in the final match so our focus is really getting onto that. You plan for scenarios but the real focus is focussing on the immediate problem. We still think this is an extremely strong squad and we still think it has got the potential and capability to do some really good things.”

Over the course of the last few weeks of March and the first few of April, many NFL teams are moving around the national circuit, doing their due diligence to research as many draft prospects as they can. The New Orleans Saints have been reported to have meetings with a significant number of players in this span of time, including nearly every position at this point in time.

A position that has been looked into a few times is offensive tackle, and recently, they sent run game coordinator T.J. Paganetti to Boise State to watch Kage Casey during the team’s pro day.

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Casey is a promising left tackle prospect who could end up being a sought-after prospect in the upcoming draft. In 2025, across 942 snaps, he allowed only four sacks and 10 pressures, while being penalized twice (both of which came in one game). His best game of the year by far came against Utah State, where he played a whopping 94 snaps, not allowing a single pressure or sack, and not accruing a single penalty either.

The play-offs to determine the last four European teams to qualify for the World Cup kicked off on Thursday. Italy are now 90 minutes away from a return to the world stage after beating Northern Ireland 2-0, while Sweden and Poland also advanced to Tuesday’s play-off finals.

Paris Saint-Germain‘s request for their top-of-the-table clash against Lens to be postponed has been approved, handing the league leaders a full week’s rest between their Champions League quarter-final legs against Liverpool. The league authorities’ decision, however, has frustrated the Parisians’ title challengers.

Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev will face off again in Friday’s Miami Open final four, while the other semi-final sees France’s Arthur Fils take on Jiří Lehečka for a shot at a career-first final at a Masters tournament.

Thomas Tuchel has packed out his England squad this month with a bumper 35-man squad for friendlies with Uruguay and Japan.

Even amid that swollen squad, there’s still some serious talent that failed to make the cut. We’ve put together a best exclusion team of England-eligible names left on the sidelines this month.

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Goalkeeper: Nick Pope

With five shot-stoppers already in the squad and goalkeepers not an area of great depth for England, this was an obvious pick. Pope has 10 caps for England and is closing in on 250 appearances in the Premier League.

Right-back: Trent Alexander-Arnold

The headline omission of March’s break.Trent Alexander-Arnold is one of England’s most gifted talents but Thomas Tuchel is the latest head coach unsure about his credentials. The Real Madrid right-back splits opinion but boasts world-class attacking output.

Centre-back: Joe Gomez

A tougher selection at centre-back, given the also absent Levi Colwill, Jarell Quansah, and Trevoh Chalobah are all sidelined by injuries.

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Joe Gomez, a two-timePremier League title winner and owner of 17 England caps, earns the nod over the likes of Tosin Adarabioyo and James Tarkowski.

Centre-back: Jarrad Branthwaite

Jarrad Branthwaite’s international career is still waiting to get off the ground. TheEverton defender has made just one substitute appearance for the Three Lions, despite a reputation that has seen him touted for big-money moves. A regular run of games after recent injury issues should see him back in the frame.

Leftback: Luke Shaw

Thomas Tuchel has opted for youth over experience at left-back, with Nico O’Reilly or Lewis Hall the likeliest candidates for the role this month. It leavesLuke Shaw sweating over his England future, despite an important role in Manchester United‘s mini-revival under Michael Carrick.

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Midfield: Conor Gallagher

Out of the picture since last summer, Conor Gallagher returned to the Premier League in January to improve his visibility to Thomas Tuchel. However, his transfer toTottenham Hotspur has been challenging. Spurs are winless in the Premier League since his arrival.

Midfield: Morgan Gibbs-White

Morgan Gibbs-White can count himself unfortunate to have been snubbed this month. The Nottingham Forest midfielder has scored six times in his last 12 league appearances, a purple patch that has been well-timed as Forest look to escape the drop.

Midfield: Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall

The only uncapped player on this list but one who will be knocking on the door if performances continue. Dewsbury-Hall has thrived at Everton after a frustrating spell at Chelsea. Competition is fierce for a role but the 27-year-old has not given up hope.

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Forward: Ivan Toney

Plundering goals at a rapid rate in Saudi Arabia has not been enough to earn Toney an England recall. The 29-year-old’s scored34 times in 38 games for Al-Hilal this season but has fallen behind Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Dominic Solanke in the England pecking order.

Forward: Ollie Watkins

Alongside Alexander-Arnold, the exclusion of Watkins is the decision that stirred up the most debate.

TheAston Villa forward has not been at his best this season but has been an almost ever-present in England squads in recent years.

Forward: Danny Welbeck

Dat Guy Welbz is the Premier League’s leading English scorer in 2025-26. The 35-year-old has scored 12 times forBrighton

In a major decision that will greatly impact the future of sporting events at the Olympic level, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Thursday announced that all transgender women will be banned from participating in the women’s division of any event in the Olympic Games, starting with the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

According to IOC President Kirsty Coventry, the decision to limit women’s events to biological women has been taken to keep the competition fair and safe for all athletes. She also confirmed that all sex tests conducted for athletes will be a once-in-a-lifetime assessment.

How will the IOC determine athletes’ eligibility for women’s sports?

The IOC will determine eligibility for the women’s category primarily through SRY gene screening, a scientific test used to identify the presence or absence of the SRY gene, which is associated with male sex development.

Athletes who test negative for the SRY gene will be considered eligible to compete in the female category. This test is typically conducted using a saliva sample, cheek swab, or blood test, and in most cases, it is treated as a one-time assessment unless there is reason to question the result.

IOC to consider exceptions

While confirming that the result of the SRY gene screening will be final, the IOC also said there are rare exceptions, such as athletes diagnosed with Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (CAIS) or certain other differences in sex development (DSDs), where individuals do not benefit from testosterone-related performance advantages. In such cases, eligibility may still be considered.

Athletes who are not eligible for the women’s category can still compete in other classifications, including men’s events, mixed categories, or open divisions, depending on the sport.

Why did the IOC decide to ban transgender athletes from women’s sports?

The IOC introduced stricter eligibility rules following a comprehensive review conducted between September 2024 and March 2026. The process incorporated recommendations from the Working Group on the Protection of the Female Category, along with broader consultations and evolving considerations in international human rights law.

According to the IOC, the policy is also closely tied to its broader objectives around gender equality and representation. These include ensuring equal opportunities for female athletes in finals and podium finishes, as well as maintaining balanced participation across Olympic events.

Gender-based controversies in the Olympics

The 2024 Paris Olympics saw two major gender-based controversies over the participation of boxers Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting in the women’s category. Both athletes had previously been disqualified from a 2023 world championship by the International Boxing Association (IBA) after failing unspecified sex verification tests.

However, the IOC allowed them to compete in Paris, arguing that the earlier disqualifications were based on “sudden and arbitrary” methods. Notably, both boxers went on to win gold medals in their respective events.

The decision triggered widespread debate, with many raising concerns about fairness and athlete safety, while the IOC maintained that its eligibility rules were more consistent and appropriate.

The episode became a key flashpoint, accelerating discussions around clearer and more uniform policies for the women’s category in global sport.

Eligibility policy limited to IOC events only

The IOC has clarified that its new eligibility policy is strictly limited to Olympic-level competition and applies only to events conducted under its authority.

The guidelines are intended to be adopted by International Federations (IFs) and other governing bodies such as National Olympic Committees (NOCs), national federations, and continental associations — but only when implementing rules for IOC events.

This policy also replaces all previous IOC frameworks on the issue, including earlier guidelines on fairness, inclusion, and non-discrimination based on gender identity and sex variations.

Importantly, the IOC has stressed that the rules do not extend to grassroots or recreational sport, meaning local and community-level participation remains unaffected.

How have critics reacted to the IOC’s restrictions on transgender athletes?

The IOC’s new eligibility guidelines have drawn strong criticism from human rights, sports, and scientific organisations, including voices linked to the United Nations.

Critics have described the policy as a “blunt and discriminatory response” that they argue is not supported by scientific consensus and may violate international human rights law. Concerns have been raised over the introduction of mandatory genetic sex testing and rigid biological criteria, with experts saying such measures could infringe on athletes’ rights to equality, non-discrimination, dignity, privacy, and bodily autonomy.

According to a media report from The Guardian, legal and academic experts, including Professor Paula Gerber of Monash University, have also warned that strict binary definitions of sex risk reinforcing harmful stereotypes and undermining progress towards gender equality.

Additionally, several UN-linked experts have emphasised that any eligibility testing should be individualised and evidence-based, rather than broad, uniform measures that could be seen as arbitrary or invasive.

The Minnesota Vikings may not have to be in a rush to lock extensions down, but a handful of players will need new deals before too long: Jordan Addison (WR), Jonathan Greenard (OLB), and Brian O’Neill (RT).

Rob Brzezinski has a few major money decisions to line up.

Now’s the natural time for each man to knock on interim general manager Rob Brzezinski’s door to talk about new money.

Minnesota’s Next Extension Wave Could Start Soon

The deals can come together as early as now.

1. Jordan Addison | WR

Addison averages 52 receiving yards per game and has banked 22 touchdowns in 46 career games. He basically hits paydirt every other game. The man is electric, with many holding out hope that he’ll bust into a new tier of stardom, assuming the Vikings have competent quarterback play in 2026 and Addison stays out of trouble.

With the May 1 deadline looming for Addison’s fifth-year option, the Vikings face a critical decision. This date carries significant weight, especially given the persistent trade rumors surrounding Addison, whether substantiated or not.

The rumors likely stem from a series of off-the-field incidents that have plagued Addison since he entered the league. In 2023, he was stopped near the Twin Cities for driving 140 mph in a 55-mph zone, citing a dog emergency. Although the charge was reduced to a misdemeanor, it generated concern both within and outside the Vikings organization.

The following year, Addison was found intoxicated and asleep in his car on a Los Angeles freeway. This deed cast a shadow over the team for months and ultimately resulted in probation and a three-game suspension.

In 2025, the issues continued when Addison missed a walkthrough in London, leading Kevin O’Connell to bench him for a quarter the following week. More recently, reports surfaced that he was removed from a casino in Florida and briefly detained for trespassing.

These behaviors, viewed together, suggest a concerning pattern. The Vikings must now determine whether Addison’s talent outweighs the associated risks.

Approximate Price per Year for Next Deal: $26m — $30m

2. Jonathan Greenard | OLB

After signing Greenard to a four-year contract in the 2024 offseason, the Vikings’ next move appears clear: capitalize on their existing investment. Having already paid his guaranteed money, Minnesota can create cap space and secure Greenard long-term by extending his contract at market value.

While his sack totals in 2025 sparked debate — 3 in 12 games — largely due to a decreased pressure-to-sack conversion rate, his overall performance remained robust, and such fluctuations typically even out over time.

Following ESPN’s Adam Schefter’s suggestion that Greenard was a player to watch in a trade earlier this month, rumors emerged that the Philadelphia Eagles and Indianapolis Colts were interested. However, trading a quality EDGE rusher runs counter to the conventional approach for building a playoff contender, especially when that player is already on the roster.

The Athletic‘s Alec Lewis noted on the Greenard trade sweepstakes last week, “The Vikings know they have a budding edge rusher in Dallas Turner waiting in the wings. They could also add more depth at the position with their nine picks in late April.”

“Neither makes it likely that the Vikings part with Greenard for anything less than a significant return. Anything other than a Day 2 pick would presumably be a non-starter. But the precise ask depends on a multitude of factors like player availability, pick swaps and the willingness of opposing teams to part with future picks.”

Approximate Price per Year for Next Deal: $27m — $35m

3. Brian O’Neill | RT

There’s no controversy or trade smoke for O’Neill; he’s not that kind of guy.

But the extension he signed five years ago — can you believe it’s been that long? — is nearing an end, and 2026 is actually the final year of his deal. His cap hit this season is $23.1 million, and Minnesota could extend him, lower that number for 2026 if it needs more cash to spend on newcomers, and connect O’Neill to the franchise for the rest of his career.

O’Neill has represented a beacon of offensive line consistency, even when OL operations were at a low point during the end of the Mike Zimmer era, when that regime just could not figure out how to find good interior linemen. There was always O’Neill on the right edge, holding down the fort while a revolving door of turnstile guards struggled — mightily.

The longtime Viking will turn 31 this September, and good offensive tackles can play well into their 30s. There’s no reason to believe Minnesota would offload O’Neill or let him depart in 2027 free agency for a younger option.

Approximate Price per Year for Next Deal: $20m — $25m