Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson points across the field after a play against the Green Bay Packers during Week 18 action at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Jan. 4, 2026, as Jefferson reacted during game highlights from the 2025 NFL season finale between the longtime NFC North rivals in a late regular-season showdown. Mandatory Credit: YouTube.
To begin, a tip of the cap to Matthew Berry, the top fantasy football writer on planet earth. If memory serves, Mr. Berry does a “10 things he thinks” piece (or something vaguely similar). Berry is therefore my muse in this one.
The Minnesota Vikings are walking into a pivotal season. Last year, the Vikings finished off with a 9-8 record, a humdrum win/loss total that needed a five-game winning streak to clear .500 by the end of the season. Brian Flores’ crew, in particular, deserves credit for getting to a winning record. The Vikings are now facing a pile of pressure. Check out some things I think I know about this team going into 2026.
10 Things I Know about the Minnesota Vikings (I Think)
1 — Special Teams Coordinator Matt Daniels Doesn’t Get the Credit He Deserves
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Maybe a pile of people think Coach Daniels is excellent at his job. If that’s the case, they need to advertise that perspective more. The Sp/T coach has coaxed All Pro out of Will Reichard and Andrew DePaola. He developed Ryan Wright to a point where he became a wonderful punter. A lot of less obvious players (think gunners) have been great, too. Coach Daniels is a great coach.
2 — Tai Felton is Skating on Thin Ice
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Tai Felton (13) fields the ball and turns upfield during first-quarter action against the Green Bay Packers, Jan. 4, 2026, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Felton accelerates into space as Minnesota looks to generate early momentum in a key division matchup at home. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.
At minimum, Mr. Felton is a monster out at gunner who has potential as a deep threat on offense. Does Nolan Teasley find room on the 53-man roster for him? Whoever wins the WR4, WR5, and maybe a WR6 spot is going to have done so after winning a fierce battle. Presumably, there’s a team or two out there willing to trade for somebody who was a 3rd-Round selection in 2025, albeit at a discounted price.
3 — Rick Spielman is Still Being Felt on the Vikings’ Roster
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Consider a tweet to summarize the odd reality:
The #Vikings currently have 5 Rick Spielman draft picks on the roster. There will be 6 if Harrison Smith comes back.
There are then 12 Kwesi Adofo-Mensah draft picks. The number appears likely to diminish by the end of August.
The Spielman picks who remain: Brian O’Neill, Justin Jefferson, Blake Brandel, Josh Metellus, and Christian Darrisaw. Not too shabby, right?
4 — Kevin O’Connell Needs to Get Out of His Own Way by Running the Darn Football
Dec 21, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) and head coach Kevin O’Connell hug before the game at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images
Every so often, very smart people do dumb things. Kevin O’Connell is not somebody who lacks for brains or an understanding of the game. He may, nevertheless, overthink things. Simplify the game. Run the ball.
5 — TE1 T.J. Hockenson Isn’t a Lock for the 53-Man Roster
He’s a well-paid tight end even after getting a financial hair cut earlier in 2026. Does he still demand a spot on the final roster? Nobody from among the other tight ends can match him as a pass catcher but maybe that’s not needed. Presumably, some team out there would be willing to shuffle over a Day 3 pick to snag the 29-year-old tight end.
6 — Jalen Redmond, Levi Drake Rodriguez, and Domonique Orange are MIN’s Top DTs in 2026
Dec 21, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive lineman Jalen Redmond (61) reacts with linebacker Eric Wilson (55) during the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Jalen Redmond is going to be the unquestioned DT1. In 2024, he was an upside depth piece. He then proved to be better than Jonathan Allan and Javon Hargrave in 2025. The 2026 season sees him play even better as he starts getting noticed around the NFL instead of just within Minnesota’s borders. What’s missing: Caleb Banks, who has missed valuable on-field time due to injury.
7 — Dallas Turner Will Struggle to Replace Jonathan Greenard
Mr. Greenard is a great player (check out a piece from Tyler Dunne to get a sense of why the former Viking works so hard). Injuries are a problem, but when he’s out there he’s equally excellent at walloping passers and shutting down the run. Does Turner prove so formidable? I haven’t seen it yet.
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8 — LG1 Donovan Jackson Turns into a Complete Bulldozer Who Makes the Old GM Look Smart
Jun 10, 2025; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings guard Donovan Jackson (74) practices during minicamp at the Minnesota Vikings Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
The 1st-Round selection from the 2025 NFL Draft had a solid rookie season. Solid, not sizzling. Rather than a sophomore slump, Jackson proves to be a great player who makes a dent in the line of scrimmage on a weekly basis.
9 — The Eric Wilson Contract Ages Poorly
Opting for Leo Chenal, young and with great size, would have been better. These LBs went for very similar deals but Minnesota went with the in-house option on the wrong side of 30. That ends up being a mistake as the late-career breakout ended up being unsustainable.
10 — J.J. McCarthy Starts More Games than Kyler Murray
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Jan 4, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) talks with a referee before the game against the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
For a little while, I’ve had an educated guess. Kyler Murray is the starter in Week 1 but J.J. McCarthy starts more games in the 2026 season. I’ve yet to be convinced that isn’t a correct take. Doesn’t mean I’ve hit the bullseye, folks. Rather, that’s a guess based off what I’ve observed.
NEW DELHI: Australia batter Travis Head has spoken publicly for the first time about the controversy involving Virat Kohli during the IPL 2026 match between Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The incident gained attention after cameras appeared to show RCB star Kohli skipping a handshake with SRH’s Head after the game, leading to speculation about a rift between the two cricketers.Head, however, has dismissed the rumours, saying there was no issue to resolve.“I don’t think there’s anything to patch over. That’s just that’s what it is. That’s yeah. No surprises with how the competition went or what went on. So as expected,” Head told Code Sports.
Family affected by online abuse
The controversy took a personal turn when Head’s wife, Jessica Davies, revealed she received abusive messages from fans on social media. Head admitted the online backlash was difficult, especially for his family, although he believes such attention is part of being a professional athlete.“I think Jessica and I have a great perspective on things. That’s the world we live in, and I think she’s amazing in how she handles that kind of stuff. It was more the family stuff was built around it, flowing on to other family members who don’t particularly see that sort of stuff,” he said.Head also praised his wife for staying calm throughout the episode, adding, “Everyone forgets about it in a few days’ time. She handled it extremely well. It’s probably handling it with others and what other people’s perspective of what things are like.”Meanwhile, Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bengaluru successfully defended their IPL title by defeating Gujarat Titans in the 2026 final in Ahmedabad.
Scott was not being caught, though. Not tonight. Not here. Not with his Scotland kit on and his team looking to him to spark their Games.
A Games which he has backed vocally since Glasgow salvaged it from the wreckage of Victoria’s aborted bid.
Almost exactly 12 years after he won his first Commonwealth medal in this very building, he was taking his 14th in his fourth Games. And it was going to be gold.
“I don’t usually feel the expectation, but that one I probably did,” he told BBC Sport Scotland. “Simply because it’s day one and I love representing Scotland and you want to try and get the whole team off to a good start.
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“I think there was a bigger picture of trying to get good momentum for the crowd involvement for the rest of the week, and the team as well. So I felt that expectation, but it’s nothing I couldn’t deal with.”
You got the sense there was little that could have discomfited the Alloa native – a momentary loss of his accreditation apart – and even a post-race visit to the drugs testers wasn’t going to trouble him.
Scott’s got the weekend off now – he’s an old boy among the swimming set, after all – but he’s more than done his bit to set Glasgow 2026 off on the right note.
Manchester City are reportedly interested in signing Pedro Neto from Chelsea. The Portuguese star is one of the wingers they have on their radar this summer.
According to a report in the Daily Mail, Neto is seen as the ideal replacement for Savinho, who has been linked with a move away. Enzo Maresca is looking to reunite with his former Chelsea player and is pushing the club to sign him.
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Neto is reported not to be among the ‘untouchables’ at Stamford Bridge, and the Blues are open to selling the 26-year-old. Apart from the Portugal star, Paris Saint-Germain’s Ibrahim Mbaye and RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande.
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Maresca was quizzed about his time at Chelsea in his first press conference, and he was quick to talk about Leicester City too. He said that the main aim was to return to Manchester City and said:
“I feel quite lucky in terms of my former clubs – Leicester, Chels – I think we did a great job. In both clubs, the identity of the team was clear, the success of the team was clear, and I feel very lucky to be part of these clubs. But now I think we are here today. That is the most important thing, just about City. And nothing to add.”
“I think there was a clear identity at Leicester and Chelsea, probably the reason the club decided for me is they can see similar concepts with the previous manager. We always try to be aggressive on the ball, be the ones that push our idea and try to do the most important thing in football, which is win games.”
Manchester City have been linked with France defender Malo Gusto, while midfielder Enzo Fernandez is also said to be a target.
Former Chelsea manager on Manchester City transfers
Former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has not shut the door for Rodri leaving Manchester City for Real Madrid. He recalled that the Spaniard is undergoing surgery and said:
“First of all we have to say that around big players there is always speculation. I am not worried about that because it is normal. I think every manager wants to have Rodri, for now surgery. He needs a holiday, he needs rest, recovery and then he will be back here with us.”
The two sides agreed a £17 million deal in the summer, after the Cityzens held talks with the manager while he was in charge of the Stamford Bridge side.
It’s LeBron-mania in Philadelphia, and everyone wants to get in on the party that comes with The King taking his talents to the 76ers.
On Friday night at Citizens Bank Park, it was the Phillies’ mascot, the Phillie Phanatic, who kept the celebrations going as Philadelphia played host to the New York Yankees.
The Phanatic pulled out the welcome wagon for James by carrying around a sign that read, “Welcome Lebron,” and tried his hand at the four-time NBA champion’s famous chalk toss.
After the chalk dust settled, the Phanatic climbed down from the tarp he was standing on in foul territory, picked up a basketball from the ground and proceeded to dunk on someone wearing a New York Knicks jersey.
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As those in Philly have shown time and time again, there are few fan bases that have as much passion for their teams, regardless of sport.
And with the Phillies once again in contention in the National League, the Eagles looking to three-peat as NFC East champions and the Flyers coming off their first post-season berth in six years, the 76ers adding James to an already stacked lineup is sure to only push the city’s sports fever to another level this fall.
Duncan Scott spoke of his “relief” after thrilling Tollcross international swimming centre by winning Commonwealth gold in the men’s 200m individual medley final.
The 29-year-old, an eight-time Olympic medallist, set a games record time of one minute 56.28 seconds for Scotland’s first gold medal of the 2026 competition.
The Scot took the lead in front of a boisterous crowd on the backstroke leg and increased that advantage in the breaststroke before finishing ahead of New Zealand’s Lewis Clareburt, with Englishman Tom Dean, triple Olympic gold medallist, taking the bronze.
Scott said: “I just wanted to try and take it out, a really good backstroke split in there and good learning.
“So I guess from the swimming side, that was the focus, but also from a more emotional standpoint and from the team, it was like, try and get the momentum going and a bit of a weight on the shoulders for that.
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“But I’m glad and (it’s) more of a relief rather than anything else.
“The swim team this morning did a great job. Obviously, the final session tonight has just begun, so hopefully (there are) plenty more medals to come.”
Duncan Scott won gold for Scotland (Owen Humphreys/PA) (PA Wire)
Scott will wait until the games are over before he assesses another success.
He said: “It doesn’t matter how high or low I feel emotionally, it doesn’t matter if it’s a really good performance or if it’s a really bad one.
“I think something I’ve always done quite well at a lot of major meets is evaluated at the end of the week.
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“I guess when you’re reflecting, sometimes I’m probably not taking the highs as well as I could have, but that also means that I can be really good when it comes to day six, seven days, of competitions and things like that.
“So, yeah, it’s one that I’ll probably savour and really think about once the meet’s over.”
Adam Ramsay-Peaty, three-time Olympic gold medal winner, won the Men’s 100m breaststroke semi-final in a time of 59.19.
Fellow Englishman Gregory Butler, who finished third, also made the final with a time of 1.00.12.
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Scotland’s Faye Rogers had the home fans cheering when she won gold in the Women’s 200m individual medley SM10 final and her medal ceremony also drew huge applause.
Earlier in the night, British Paralympic swimmer Stephen Clegg won silver for Scotland in the Men’s S13 100m freestyle, while 22-year-old Scot Katie Shanahan won silver in the Women’s 200m backstroke.
England took silver in the Women’s 4 x 100m freestyle relay final, finishing behind a strong Australia side.
In the final event of the night, England again picked up silver in the Men’s 4 x 100m freestyle relay final with Australia proving too strong for the field with a Commonwealth Games record of 3:09.49.
Gerwyn Price produced a clinical display to beat Ross Smith 16-12 in the World Matchplay quarter-finals, setting up a meeting with Gian van Veen in the last four.
The Welshman looked to be in control of the last-eight tie at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens before Smith fought back from 12-8 down to draw level.
However, Price was able to raise his game again to seal victory with a 102.78 average as he bids to reach the final of the tournament for the first time.
“Ross played a decent game as well, so it’s nice to play well when someone is playing well. It gives you a bit of confidence going into the next round,” Price told Sky Sports.
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“For him to get back to 12-12, I thought ‘here we go again’, but thankfully I rode off four legs on the bounce.”
Price will play Van Veen of the Netherlands in the semi-finals on Saturday after the Dutchman chalked up a 16-13 win over spirited James Wade.
Van Veen seized the upper hand early on and had a three-leg cushion at 11-7, only for Wade to battle back and get on level terms at 11-11.
Englishman Wade kept pegging Van Veen back until the third seed produced a 118 checkout to break Wade’s throw to go 14-12 up before he wrapped up victory.
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“It was a tight battle, but I’m glad I got the job done,” Van Veen said.
“I was so lucky James wasn’t scoring as well and my finishing got me through. Hopefully in the semis I will be a lot better.”
Defending champion and world number one Luke Littler faces unseeded Dirk van Duijvenbode in the other semi-final, after they won through on Thursday.
Follow live coverage of the semi-finals on the BBC Sport website and app from 19:30 BST on Saturday.
Errol Spence Jr suffered the first defeat of his career at the hands of Terence Crawford and opted not to take a rematch despite it being on the table.
Though the undisputed welterweight contest, which took place in July 2023, was viewed as a pick ’em contest by many, Crawford dominated, dropping Spence three times before forcing a stoppage in the ninth round.
Spence did activate his contractual rematch clause, which had been agreed to take place at welterweight again, but the time limit on the option lapsed, and Crawford moved on. He vacated his four belts at 147lbs to move up to super-welterweight and defeat Israel Madrimov before a further jump to super-middleweight to beat Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez before announcing his retirement.
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Speaking to Fight Hub TV, Spence was asked directly why he didn’t force the second fight.
“When was the rematch gonna be? Within a year? I wouldn’t have been ready, so how would I take a rematch if I’m not gonna be ready?”
Buoyed by new trainer Ronnie Shields, Spence has promised fans that he feels rejuvenated and ready to return at 36. His return will answer many questions about his future in the sport, and whether a world title push at super-welterweight or middleweight is on the cards.
Tszyu, however, plans to spoil any plans the American has, vowing to send him into retirement.
Sha’Carri Richardson is once again a national champion.
Richardson won the women’s 100 at the 2026 USA Track and Field Championships on Friday, July 24.
Richardson crossed the finish line with a time of 10.77 to win. Her time equaled a season best. Kayla White ran a 10.90 to place second and Tamari Davis posted an 11.00 to take third.
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Running out of lane five, Richardson got a decent start. She pulled even with the field around 40 meters, surged passed the other sprinters and crossed the finish line with a comfortable victory.
Sha’Carri Richardson reacts as she wins the women’s 100 final during the 2026 USATF Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Icahn Stadium on July 24, 2026 in New York City.
“It feels phenomenal to be back in a better place. Healthy, physically, mentally and emotionally,” Richardson told NBC Sports after the race. “It shows that hard work pays off.”
Richardson came in with the top time in the U.S. this year (10.77). She had the fastest time (10.78) during the semifinal round but it was wind-aided.
Richardson was the heavy favorite to win the women’s 100 after her training partner and main U.S. rival Melissa Jefferson-Wooden decided to focus just on the women’s 200 at this year’s U.S. championships. Jefferson-Wooden edged Richardson in the 100 at the Prefontaine Classic earlier this month.
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Richardson is the second woman to win three U.S. 100-meter titles since 2000. The 26-year-old sprinter also won a world championship title in the event in 2023. She was second in the 100 at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Richardson’s personal-best of 10.65 is tied for the seventh fastest ever in the history of the event.
BLAINE, Minn. — Sometimes, it behoves players to not think about the big picture. One shot at a time. Lots of golf left. Don’t look at the leaderboard. That sort of thing.
A couple of weeks ago at the Evian Championship, Haeran Ryu tallied up her scorecard on the 18th green and was shocked when she realized she shot 60, the lowest major round in women’s golf history.
But as for Michael Kim? He knew exactly where he stood on Friday.
The 33-year-old, world No. 57 torched TPC Twin Cities, never made a bogey and birdied his last four to shoot a 12-under 59 — just the 16th sub-60 score in PGA Tour history. At 14 under, he leads the 3M Open with the afternoon wave still to finish.
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Kim capped his epic second round by ramming in a 24-footer on the par-5 18th hole for birdie, a putt he never planned to leave short.
“It was just really uphill,” Kim said. “It didn’t look like there was a ton of break. I played it about a ball outside the left. I tend to leave those short when it’s that uphill, and last thing was just get it there, just don’t leave it short. It got there pretty easy.”
Long before the majority of fans flooded in around the lunch hour, ready to enjoy a happy-hour stroll with Scottie Scheffler and his late tee time, Kim teed off at 7:07 a.m. local, the third group of the day, and got rolling with five straight birdies on holes 3-7. He added another on 9 and turned in 29.
Kim had been playing good but not great golf this season — his best finish a T2 at the Valero Texas Open — but entered this week coming off three straight missed cuts. He almost didn’t even play. This is his sixth straight start in as many weeks, but he wants to make a run in the FedEx Cup standings before the playoffs, so after a few days at home in Texas following his missed cut at Royal Birkdale, he talked himself into traveling north for the 3M.
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He opened with 69 on Thursday and said he struggled playing shots when the wind was off the right. He worked on it with coach Sean Foley and on Friday mastered those. He added birdies on 10 and 12 and stood on the 15th tee needing four birdies in the final four holes to break 60.
On 15 he made a 12-footer for birdie. On 16, where he first noticed his gallery start to swell, he made one from 14 feet. And on 17, a par-3, he drained a 17-footer.
“I kind of remember thinking on 18 that you have to go for it, 60 or 61 doesn’t really make too much of a difference,” Kim said.
The par-5 18th here is gettable in two, although there’s water along the entire right side and fronting the green. It’s produced big numbers just as often as birdies. Kim hit driver — “I made the most bailout, don’t-go-right swing I made all week” — laid up and wedged on to 24 feet, 4 inches. He then drained it. It’s the first sub-60 score since Jake Knapp’s 59 at PGA National last year.
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Kim ranked first in Strokes Gained: Approach and SG: Putting. He made eight putts from 10 feet or longer, taking just 21 putts on the day.
“When I play tournament golf, I’m most proud of the moments where it’s, you know, this is kind of where you have to step up, you have to take the shots, you have to make the swings and really go for the shots you’re trying to hit and not kind of be too protective,” Kim said. “I made a really nice birdie putt on 16. It had a lot of break to it and it went in dead-center. There’s a lot of water on 17 and 18 and I just kind of told myself like, this is the way — this is the moment to get into the history books and let’s go for it.“
Kim’s been on the PGA Tour for a decade and has one career win, which came at the 2018 John Deere Classic. He had just one second last year and so far one this year. (He’s also one of the best social media follows in golf.) Now he’s in prime position for another good week, but he’s only halfway there. He mentioned Scheffler is still in the field. Anything can happen.
Thirty-six holes to go. But first, he was off to grab lunch.
Tom Johnstone and Lachlan Walmsley scored doubles as 12-man Wakefield ran in nine tries to demolish shell-shocked West Yorkshire derby rivals Castleford 52-14.
The hosts looked to be in trouble at the DIY Kitchens Stadium when they trailed 10-6 after Matty Storton’s early dismissal, but they turned in a rampant display to clinch a sixth successive Super League win.
Wakefield were ahead inside 45 seconds of kick-off when Johnstone found space down the left and drew his man before slipping the ball inside to Storton to cross before Max Jowitt added the conversion.
Cas had to fight for their lives amid an early onslaught, but they were back in it with 16 minutes played when Tom Weaver pounced after a deflected grubber kick fell nicely into his path, the half-back converting his own try to make it 6-6.
The Tigers’ evening took a further turn for the better within six minutes when Storton was dismissed for a high tackle on Alex Mellor, and they swiftly made their numerical advantage count when winger Jason Qareqare blasted his way over in the left corner.
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However, Trinity were back in front on the half-hour when replacement Caius Faatili forced his way over and Jowitt added the two points before himself darting over from dummy half and converting his own score to make it 18-10 at the break.
Wakefield extended their lead further within three minutes of the restart when Isaiah Vagana collected Jake Trueman’s lofted kick and exchanged passes with Cameron Scott before touching down, and Johnstone snatched a quick-fire double with Jowitt adding all three kicks to leave the score at 36-10.
Corey Hall muscled his way over the line and Walmsley added his name to the scoresheet after Vagana had tapped down Trueman’s up and under before doubling his tally after Qareqare had succumbed under another aerial assault from Truman, Jowitt taking his tally to 20 points before Qaraqare’s late consolation try.
Asked about his side’s end-of-season prospects, Wakefield head coach Daryl Powell told Sky Sports: “We just keep ticking along and doing our jobs, stay consistent – we’ve got a tough away trip at Catalans next week – just keep doing what we’re doing, don’t get too carried away.
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“We’ve been saying that, but I think we should be excited as a team. We play some smart stuff and the boys are tuned in with each other. It’s a pleasure to play the game when you feel like that – I remember those times – and as a coach, you’ve got a team you can trust, which is awesome.”
Disappointed opposite number Ryan Carr said: “How we started the game is how we wanted to play the game, and then we didn’t touch the ball for the next 65 minutes pretty much after that through our own doing.
“Unfortunately, you can’t win if you don’t have the ball, and you won’t have the ball unless you want to make tackles. It’s a simple game.”
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