Oct 14, 2018; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Brandon Zylstra (15), running back CJ Ham (30), wide receiver Adam Thielen (19) and Arizona Cardinals defensive end Zach Moore (56) and linebacker Dennis Gardeck (92) pose for a photo following the game at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
On Monday, the Minnesota Vikings announced that superstar running back Adrian Peterson would be the next inductee into their Ring of Honor. Of course, the future Hall of Famer is a worthy candidate, and his celebration will be met with raucous applause.
Who gets the next nod has been a topic of debate since Peterson’s name was announced. Harrison Smith will get there one day, but it’s still entirely plausible that he plays for Minnesota again this season. There is also a typical waiting period post-retirement, but that shouldn’t stop either C.J. Ham or Adam Thielen from eventually getting their due.
Thielen and Ham Built Deep Minnesota Football Roots
Both Ham and Thielen played for the Vikings last season, and both opted to hang up their cleats this offseason. It can be argued what level of production they provided over the course of their careers, but there is no denying that both should be enshrined amongst Minnesota royalty.
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Minnesota Vikings quarterback Max Brosmer and wide receiver Adam Thielen walk together following the matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sep. 21, 2025, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The postgame moment showed the two discussing plays as the stadium atmosphere settled after the AFC-NFC contest, reflecting the interaction between quarterback and veteran receiver as they exited the field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images.
Ham, a Duluth native, spent nine seasons with the Vikings. He played the unsexiest position, fullback, and was twice named to the Pro Bowl. He scored in his final career game and logged 141 games with Minnesota, remaining incredibly durable.
Minnesota utilized Ham as a blocker for Dalvin Cook and Aaron Jones. He was a captain and a fixture in the locker room. The fact that he went from an undrafted afterthought to a roster linchpin only cements his legacy in purple.
Nov 23, 2025; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Minnesota Vikings fullback C.J. Ham (30) during the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
Like Ham, Thielen was an undrafted talent who forced his way onto the roster. Like Ham, he earned a pair of Pro Bowl selections and finished with over 8,400 receiving yards. The Vikings brought him back as depth to start last season, and then let him go ring chase with Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
A Detroit Lakes native and Minnesota State Mankato product, Thielen’s story was one of great perseverance. He became a star in his own right next to Stefon Diggs and Justin Jefferson. He helped to keep the Vikings offense humming despite consistent quarterback turnover.
Neither Ham nor Thielen will ever sniff a call from Canton, and they shouldn’t. Being inducted among the best to ever play for the Vikings is a must, though, and while their connected ties help the case, it’s only a footnote among the reasons why they should eventually be there.
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Ted Schwerzler is a Minneapolis based blogger that covers the Minnesota Twins and Vikings. Sharing thoughts constantly on Twitter, … More about Ted Schwerzler
After a buzzy, nearly two-month pre-seeding on global tours, Titleist is pulling back the cover on its latest metalwoods.
The company is announcing its new GTS2, 3 and 4 drivers along with GTS2 and 3 metalwoods, the most adjustable club line ever from Titleist, thanks to increased use of Titleist’s Proprietary Matrix Polymer construction.
“When we talk about driver design, it’s never about the one feature or benefit — it’s about all of them,” said Stephanie Luttrell, Titleist’s senior director of metalwood R&D, said in a release. “Ball speed, forgiveness, spin stability, adjustability, exceptional sound and feel … these are all attributes that golfers care about. It’s our job to design a lineup that elevates performance across the board without sacrificing in key areas, and we feel we’ve done that with GTS.”
The drivers launched on the PGA Tour at the Texas Children’s Houston Open in March and have been gamed by more than 50 players, including Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth. The fairway woods launched at the RBC Heritage and Cameron Young quickly added a GTS3 7-wood to his bag. Previously, there was no “3” 7-wood.
Keep reading below for more on the Titleist GTS Metalwoods, including my take on the release.
Splitting it up
Titleist’s GT drivers introduced the company’s Proprietary Matrix Polymer for the crown of the driver. For GTS, Titleist leveraged the material to make up 60 percent of the driver’s surface, dramatically removing weight from the middle of the head.
Despite taking up 60 percent of the surface area, the PMP material takes up just 13 percent of the driver’s mass, allowing designers to re-allocate that mass to the front and back of the head.
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A rendering of the new Split Mass construction.
Titleist
“We’ve essentially been able to evaporate the midsection of the head,” Lutrell told GOLF.com. “What it’s allowed us to do is take 40 grams of titanium mass out, and now we’ve got almost 30 grams at our fingertips. In an engineering world, the more discretionary mass we have, the more we can leverage it to improve performance.”
That extra mass was split between the back of the head to increase stability and low and forward to boost speed and launch dynamics.
The split mass construction gives the GTS drivers the ability to hit both inertia targets and ideal CG positions for each head.
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Syncing up speed
To add the “speed” component of GTS, Luttrell and the metalwoods team took aim at aerodynamics and the face of the driver.
All three driver heads have new aerodynamic shapes to help reduce drag and get the club to move faster through the air. On GTS2 and GTS3, the tail end of the club is raised to keep airflow closer to the crown.
When it comes to the face, Titleist has morphed the Speed Ring of the previous generation into the new Speed Sync Face construction.
A look behind the new Titleist Speed Sync Face.
Jack Hirsh/GOLF
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With Speed Sync, the top of the speed ring has been removed, allowing the top of the face to flex more. This is important because as driver faces have gotten taller, players have responded by hitting the ball higher up on the face.
Speed Sync gets more ball speed out of those high face strikes while also preserving spin retention. The technology is one of the things that allowed the GTS4 to become a much more playable product this generation because of the strike variability introduced by low-spin heads.
The Spin Sync Face is tuned to each head to maximize performance for the unique head shapes.
More adjustable (and fittable) than ever
With the ability to precisely control CG positions in each head, Titleist has created a CG spectrum in which none of the drivers overlap. Each driver now has the ability to move CG forward and aft for the first time.
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The GTS2 has adjustable CG for the first time.
Jack Hirsh/GOLF
With the heavyweight in the rear, the GTS2 is the most stable and highest launching driver in the lineup, as in years past. While moving the heavyweight to the forward position moves up the CG position, increasing speed and lowering spin, it doesn’t meet the CG position of the GTS3 with its heavyweight in the rear position.
The same line of demarcation exists between the GTS3 in the forward position and the GTS4 in the rear position. This allows the lineup to fill in all the gray areas of where the CG needs to fall for a player to perform best.
“CG depth is a fitting tool, and it’s a tool that allows us to manipulate launch and spin characteristics as well as dynamic closure for players,” Luttrell said. “The more customization we can provide with CG, the more opportunity we have to unlock performance for players and better fit their unique needs.”
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The heel-to-toe adjustable weight track from last year’s GT3 returns to the GTS3 and was added to the GTS4 to add more customization options. While the GTS2 has two adjustable front and back flat weights, fitters can also change the weight in the tracks on GTS3 and GTS4 to move CG forward and aft.
GTS4 has also become a much more useful fitting tool, having been increased in size to 460 cc. Now players can still get the low spin and forward CG performance from the “4” model, but they don’t have trade forgiveness. Luttrell said the new “4” is just as forgiving as the GT3.
The GTS4 is now up to 460 cc.
Jack Hirsh/GOLF
All the drivers will come stock with the heavyweight forward, the fastest position, to help win ball-speed battles against other stock drivers, with the goal of a fitting dialing in the proper CG location.
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Brighter face = better strike
The GTS fairway wood line also benefits from an increased use of composite material in the crown that wraps around the sides of the clubhead.
There are two distinct shapes, with the GTS2 being a choice for players who like shallower-faced fairway woods like the last generation’s GT1 fairway wood, which proved popular on the PGA Tour. The GTS3 is both more compact and has a deeper face.
A look at the new silver face of a GTS2 13.5˚ fairway.
Jack Hirsh/GOLF
But the most striking difference is the new high-polish silver faces on the fairway woods, which are designed to promote the player covering the ball more effectively. The silver face appears to show more loft to most players.
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This was something derived from Titleist Senior Director of Player Promotions J.J. Van Wezenbeeck, who brought prototype GT fairway woods on Tour with silver faces to see how they’d perform. Cameron Young is using a prototype GT1 3Tour 3-wood with a silver face.
“J.J. brought out silver-faced prototypes on tour, and they had a real impact on how some players delivered the club,” Luttrell said. “When they saw more loft, they started hitting down on the ball more and just struck it better overall.”
There are three driver models (2, 3 and 4) and two fairway wood models (2 and 3) in the GTS lineup.
GTS2 Driver
The GTS2 from all angles.
Jack Hirsh/GOLF
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What is it: The deepest CG driver in the lineup that is the most stable. From the previous generation, the GTS2 gains CG adjustability through the use of both a front and back adjustable flat weight.
Available lofts: 8.0, 9.0, 10.0, 11.0 (RH/LH)
Who it’s for: Players seeking the most forgiving model out of the box and the highest launching. Golfers who have typically fit into traditional “max” heads will likely find their fit here with something in the rear weight configuration.
GTS3 Driver
The GTS3 from all angles.
Jack Hirsh/GOLF
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What is it: The GTS3 gains a rear flat weight to help dial in CG location in conjunction with the adjustable forward heel-toe CG track. As in years past, the 3 model offers a more compact shape and deeper face compared to the GTS2 and still has heel-to-toe CG adjustability. The GTS3 offers a front-to-back CG location in between what can be achieved by GTS2 or GTS4.
Available lofts: 8.0, 9.0, 10.0, 11.0 (RH/LH)
Who it’s for: Players who want a lower-spinning, precise driver off the tee and perform best with a middle-CG location.
GTS4 Driver
The GTS4 from all angles.
Jack Hirsh/GOLF
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What is it: The lowest-spinning and fastest driver in the lineup has been completely redesigned and increased in size to 460 cc to add forgiveness. It still offers the most forward CG of any Titleist driver and gains the adjustable heel-to-toe CG track of the “3” model. Like the GTS3, front-to-back CG can be adjusted using the rear flat weight and the forward CG track. The new, larger shape is designed to look similar to the TSi3 from 2020.
Available lofts: 8.0, 9.0, 10.0 (RH/LH)
Who it’s for: Players who need maxium spin reduction but who do not want to trade forgiveness to get it.
GTS2 Fairway
The GTS2 from all angles.
Johnny Wunder/GOLF
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What is it: The shallowest and largest profile fairway wood, the GTS2 is designed to launch easily from the turf. This model gains heel-to-toe CG adjustability in the form of two flat weights on the sole. The stock configuration is an 11 g weight in the heel and a 5 g weight in the toe. There is a 13.5-degree model, which is larger and retains a deeper face for better tee performance.
Available lofts: 13.5, 15.0, 16.5, 18.0, 21.0
Who it’s for: Players with shallower deliveries and who want the best performance from the fairway.
GTS3 Fairway
The GTS3 Fairway from all angles.
Jack Hirsh/GOLF
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What is it: The GTS3 is a distinctly deeper-faced and more compact profile than GTS2. The CG track from the previous generation has been replaced bt two adjustable flat weights on the sole. The stock configuration is an 11 g weight in the heel and a 5 g weight in the toe. For the first time, the “3” model is being offered in a 21-degree 7-wood loft.
Available lofts: 15.0, 16.5, 18.0, 21.0
Who it’s for: Players with steeper deliveries and who prioritize off-the-tee performance with their fairway woods.
My take: Titleist is pushing performance in every direction
Titleist was already the category leader in drivers on the PGA Tour when they discounted their lineup by $200 earlier this year, just after every other OEM’s driver launch. Golfers enjoyed a steal picking up GT drivers for that price.
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Still, with the gains made from the new GTS line, those bargain-hunters might feel left out.
Titleist took an outstanding platform and made it better in every meaningful way. GT was just as fast as anything else on the market, despite being available for more than a year. During my fitting, GTS was noticeably faster for me.
All GT drivers already had adjustable weighting to change swing weight with two models offering CG adjustment. Now all of the models have adjustable CG and two of the three can move it heel to toe.
I’ve historically struggled with drivers with a rearward CG, despite my goal to gain more stability with my driver. But during my fitting, I found great success with a GTS3 back-weighted but adding a touch of weight forward. By having mass concentrated in both the rear and forward, I was able to get the stability I needed while also feeling weight forward that I’m used to. In this setup, I was basically hitting balls into a bucket down range while not having to toe bias the club, as I typically have to do with my drivers.
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With GTS, the fitting combinations are outstanding, and it truly makes it a platform that can be fit to almost anyone. When you see a club pick up as much conversion as it has on Tour, in the middle of major-championship season, there’s obviously something good happening there.
Titleist was so excited to bring this driver out that they moved the launch up months because they knew they had something. Now they get to benefit from launching the newest driver on the market just as we hit the summer season, when golfers want to buy clubs.
Titleist’s new GTS drivers and fairway woods are available for pre-order starting May 13 and will arrive at retail locations on June 11.
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Each driver will cost $699 with one of Titleist’s featured shafts (Project X Titan Black, Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White, Blue or Red w/ Rip Technology) or $899 with one of their premium featured shafts (Graphite Design Tour AD DI, Tour AD VF, Tour AD FI).
GTS fairway woods cost $399 with the featured shafts and $599 with the premium feature shafts.
Daniel Levy has said “not in a million years” did he see signs during his time as Tottenham chairman that the club might end up in a relegation battle.
Speaking to the PressAssociation at an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle on Wednesday, Levy, who stepped down from his role after almost 25 years in September, said “relegation was not something we ever considered” when he was overseeing the building of the £1billion Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2019.
Spurs are two points clear of the Premier League drop zone, having secured just 38 points from 36 games so far this season, taking until 25 April to win a league game in 2026.
Daniel Levy was chairman of Tottenham for nearly 25 years (PA)
Asked how he felt about the club’s league position, he said: “Emptiness… but I’m optimistic that we will remain in the Premier League.”
He answered “never, no, not in a million years” when asked if he saw any signs the club would end up in a relegation scrap.
Despite the team’s poor showing in the league Levy said he would continue attending matches, adding: “It’s in my blood.”
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Levy was made a CBE by the Prince of Wales for services to charity and the community in Tottenham, supporting education, health and social inclusion and creating jobs through the construction of the stadium.
“I think Tottenham fans should be proud that the club has made such a fantastic contribution to the local population,” he said.
Daniel Levy has been made a CBE (PA)
Having been in charge of Tottenham for 24 years, Levy was the Premier League’s longest-serving chairman, but he was accused by fans of prioritising the club’s business interests over delivering success on the pitch.
Levy said he had hoped to win more silverware during his time in charge, adding: “What I would have hoped for is winning the Premier League, winning the Champions League… easier said than done.”
He said he spoke about Aston Villa with William, who is a long-standing Villa fan, when he received his honour.
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“I thanked him for allowing us (Tottenham) to beat Aston Villa when we played them a few weeks ago,” he said.
“He wished us luck the rest of the season, very much hoping that Tottenham survive in the Premier League.”
The second leg of the Triple Crown will take place on Saturday with the 151st running of the Preakness Stakes. The starting gates open at 6:50 p.m. ET from Laurel Park in Laurel, Md. This will be the first time the event won’t be held at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore due to construction at the site. Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo will skip the Preakness Stakes 2026. There has not been a Triple Crown winner since Justify in 2018.
Iron Honor enters as the favorite at 9-2 in the 2026 Preakness Stakes odds. He is followed by Taj Mahal, Chip Honcho and Incredibolt, all at 5-1. Ocelli is at 6-1, Napoleon Solo at 8-1, and The Hell We Did, Great White and Pretty Boy Miah, all at 15-1. Before making any 2026 Preakness Stakes picks, you’ll want to see the 2026 Preakness Stakes predictions from SportsLine’s Michelle Yu.
She started off 2025 by correctly going all-in on Citizen Bull to win the Robert B. Lewis Stakes, and she also predicted Forever Young’s win in the Saudi Cup, Journalism’s win in the San Felipe Stakes, Sandman’s win in the Arkansas Derby and Mindframe’s win in the Churchill Downs Stakes. She also hit the exacta in the 2025 Kentucky Derby. In August she hit the Fierceness-Journalism exacta in the Pacific Classic, and in March 2026 she nailed the Renegade-Silent Tactic-Taptastic trifecta in the Arkansas Derby.
One surprise: Yu likes Taj Mahal, one of the second favorites at 5-1. Taj Mahal has only run at Laurel Park, and he’s done so extremely well, winning all three starts.
“This undefeated Brittany Russell trainee is certainly a horse for the course, having notched all three lifetime wins over this track,” yu told SportsLine. “He cost more than $500,000 at auction, so expectations have always surrounded him, and so far he has lived up to them. He will get a class test on Saturday, but he deserves the opportunity. He isn’t inching out these wins; he’s winning going away. A woman won the Derby; maybe one wins the Preakness too?” See which other 2026 Preakness Stakes horses to back at SportsLine.
Another one of Yu’s surprising Preakness Stakes picks: She is not taking Iron Honor as her top win contender. Iron Honor won the Gotham Stakes in February, but stumbled in the Wood Memorial, finishing a disappointing seventh place.
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“The Gotham Stakes winner really faltered when stretching out to nine furlongs in his last start,” Yu told SportsLine, as she prefers two other horses in her win picks. See which other horses to fade at SportsLine.
As with its more famous predecessor, the Masters Champions dinner, the PGA Champions dinner features a guest list of past PGA Championship winners, and the previous year’s champion chooses the menu.
At the 2026 PGA Championship, that man is World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler. And thanks to a sneak peek from the chef crafting the meal via a CBS News interview, we know the foundational elements of the meal the champs dined on Tuesday night, and both are Italian-American staples.
Scottie Scheffler’s PGA Champions meal features Italian-American favorites
Though he’s better known as a Texan, Scheffler was born and initially raised in New Jersey. His mother, Diane, is of Italian descent. Given both of those facts, you can assume Italian-American food was a staple of Scheffler’s childhood.
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That personal background seems to have influenced his PGA Champions dinner choices at Aronimink, which were anchored by two Italian-American staples: chicken parm and gelato.
The man responsible for cooking up Scheffler’s menu, Aronimink Golf Club Executive Chef John Ferguson, leaked the items in an interview with CBS News this week.
“He wants chicken parm. So we’re going to use locally raised chicken, the highest quality chicken,” Ferguson told CBS News. “And he wanted three flavors of gelato.”
According to CBS News, the three gelato flavors Scheffler requested were “lemon, strawberry and raspberry.”
Scheffler’s choices at Augusta included Texas-style chili for a first course, and wood-fired cowboy ribeye or blackened redfish for the main course. Despite the differences, he still chose some comfort food, with cheeseburger sliders making the menu as an appetizer.
Xander Schauffele ‘can’t even remember’ his PGA Champions dinner menu (we do)
On Tuesday in his pre-tournament press conference at Aronimink, Schauffele admitted he “can’t even remember” the menu items he chose for last year’s meal.
“I can’t even remember what I had on mine. I’m sure Scottie will do a nice job. This is only my second one I’m going to attend. Still very new to this whole Champions dinner thing, and it’s cool to kind of get to know some of the guys a little bit better. All the older boys always have all the good stories. So definitely looking forward to that bit,” Schauffele said on Tuesday.
Among the items Schauffele chose (and forgot about) were smoked goat cheese dates, pickled watermelon, clams casino shooters and steak and bleu cheese crostini. For the main course, Schauffele selected Wagyu NY strip steak, served with blackened jumbo shrimp, whipped sweet potatoes and a bourbon bone marrow reduction.
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While the PGA Champions dinner doesn’t date as far back as the Masters Champions dinner (1965 for the PGA, 1952 for the Masters), and it doesn’t hold the same prestige, it does offer one pro for the winners choosing the meals.
The PGA of America pays for the entire PGA Champions dinner each year. Conversely, at the Masters Champions dinner, the previous year’s winner picks the meal and foots the bill.
Nigeria confirmed to host 2026 CAF Awards and General Assembly
Nigeria has officially secured the rights to host the 2026 CAF Awards and the 48th CAF Ordinary General Assembly.
The announcement was confirmed after a meeting between Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Patrice Motsepe during the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi.
The CAF General Assembly will bring together all 54 African football associations to discuss major decisions involving African football, while the CAF Awards will celebrate the continent’s best players, coaches and clubs.
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It will be the first time Nigeria hosts the CAF Awards since 2017, ending a long run of the event being held in Morocco.
The news has already generated excitement among Nigerian football fans online, with many seeing it as another major moment for the country’s sports industry.
While excitement remains high, some fans have also raised concerns about logistics and infrastructure ahead of the events.
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Still, hosting both the CAF Awards and the General Assembly is being viewed as a major boost for Nigeria’s football reputation on the continent.
PR Sreejesh, an illustrious member of the Indian men’s hockey team which won two back-to-back medals at the Olympics in 2020 and 2024, penned a strongly worded post on X on Wednesday. Sreejesh, who was named as the Indian junior men’s team coach after the 2024 Olympics, indicated that he was being removed from the post to make way for a foreign coach. Under him, the Indian junior team won a bronze medal at the Hockey World Cup.
“It seems like my coaching career comes to an end after 1.5 years, during which we played 5 tournaments and secured 5 podium finishes, including a Junior World Cup bronze medal. I have heard about coaches getting fired after bad performances. But this is the first time I am experiencing being removed to make way for a foreign coach,” Sreejesh wrote in a long post on X.
He revealed a message from Hockey India President Dr. Dilip Kumar Tirkey.
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“The Hockey India President stated that the chief coach of the senior men’s team prefers a foreign head coach for the junior team, believing it will help develop Indian hockey from the junior level through to the senior level. Hence, the continued preference for foreign coaches – Can’t Indian coaches develop Indian hockey?”
It’s seems like My coaching career comes to an end after 1.5 years, during which we played 5 tournaments and secured 5 podium finishes, including a Junior World Cup bronze medal.
I have heard about coaches getting fired after bad performances.
Sreejesh went on to refer to an interaction with Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.
“On 07-03-2026, during a meeting with the Hon’ble Sports Minister Shri Mansukh Mandaviya, I was told, “Sreejesh, we need coaches like you to step up and lead our country as we prepare for 2036.” However, Hockey India continues to place its trust in foreign coaches over Indian ones across all four teams,” he wrote further.
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IPL 2026 News | Shami’s Sensation Leads Lucknow to First Win of Season
Dec 6, 2009; Glendale, AZ, USA; Minnesota Vikings linebacker Ben Leber against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Cardinals defeated the Vikings 30-17. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images.
The Minnesota Vikings’ upcoming quarterback competition at training camp will evidently be the real thing. Folks are lining up to proclaim it as such, and Ben Leber is no different.
The Vikings wanted competition everywhere. Quarterback now owns the spotlight.
Leber explained the stakes this week, paving the way for quite the showdown in Eagan.
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Minnesota’s QB Room Has a Real Summer Showdown
Who you got? J.J. McCarthy or Kyler Murray?
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray participates in minicamp drills on Jun. 11, 2019, at the team’s training facility in Tempe. Murray entered the NFL with enormous expectations as the top overall pick and later developed into one of football’s more dangerous dual-threat quarterbacks because of his mobility, arm talent, and off-script playmaking ability. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports.
Leber on the QB Battle
Leber hopped on KFAN this week and said, “I don’t think you can really go wrong either way; I think there’s going to be some shock and awe from people who can’t believe it if McCarthy wins the job. I’m sure some will think there’s politics behind it, but I honestly believe it’s all business.”
“I don’t think they’re trying to placate anyone or make a political decision. I think they simply want to create as much competition as possible at every position, and quarterback is no exception.”
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Minnesota signed Murray in March for $1.3 million after the Arizona Cardinals cut ties.
Leber continued, “May the best man win. There’s too much riding on the season; there’s too much talent on this team.”
“This is not a rebuilding year where you say, ‘Oh, we’re just going to get cute, win a few games and be competitive.’ There’s no reason why we can’t compete to win this division. None at all. This is not just a wasted year. This is a year where, ‘Let’s go for it.’”
The Daniel Jones Comparison
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Leber also likened Murray’s 2026 situation to Daniel Jones in 2025, explaining, “It could very well be a Daniel Jones situation where he walked into the Colts, and they said, ‘Hey, we can’t guarantee anything, but we’ll give you a one-year rental deal, and all you have to do is get into a competition with Anthony Richardson. It’s up to you whether you think you can beat out Anthony Richardson.’”
“Then Daniel Jones was like, ‘Yeah, I see the writing on the wall here. I know that I can beat this guy out. ‘Maybe just situationally and also from a personal confidence standpoint.”
Leber added, “Kyler and his agent are not blind. They saw what happened with J.J. McCarthy last year, and they know the Vikings are looking for other services to bolster that room and bring in true competition.”
Betting Money on Murray?
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Murray arrives with a huge chip on his shoulder, a factor that shouldn’t be underestimated.
His release by Arizona after seven seasons is a bitter pill for any quarterback, particularly one with Murray’s personality and swagger. Though the Cardinals never secured a playoff victory with him and ultimately moved on, Minnesota now gains a highly motivated quarterback. He brings a documented track record of production and an athletic prowess capable of singlehandedly altering games.
Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy shares a postgame moment with Commanders cornerback Mike Sainristil on Dec. 7, 2025, after a matchup at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. McCarthy’s first season as Minnesota’s starter featured flashes of high-end arm talent, leadership traits, and growing confidence while navigating increased expectations around the franchise quarterback role. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images.
And he’s not a player who’s starting at square one. Projecting over a 17-game season, Murray routinely delivers approximately 4,000 passing yards, 30 total touchdowns, and 600 rushing yards. These are star-level numbers for a dual-threat quarterback, even if Arizona struggled to translate them into playoff success.
From a pure talent perspective, the comparison is straightforward. Murray surpasses McCarthy in speed, accuracy, experience, and arm strength. However, McCarthy’s five-inch height advantage is a notable factor. Both men have injury concerns.
Remember Murray’s Injury Resume
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While Murray may be the frontrunner to earn the QB1 job at training camp, one must remember his durability. Since 2019, Murray has missed 26% of all starts due to injury, and if that pattern holds in his first season with the Vikings, McCarthy will get one big shot to strut his stuff, assuming he starts the season as the QB2.
The Vikings drafted McCarthy in 2024 to be their future quarterback, plain and simple. The commitment was evident when they passed on established veterans like Sam Darnold, Aaron Rodgers, and the aforementioned Jones during the 2025 offseason in favor of McCarthy.
Former Vikings linebacker Ben Leber watches from the sideline on Oct. 5, 2025, during an NFL International Series game against the Cleveland Browns at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. Leber has remained connected to the organization after retirement, frequently appearing in Vikings media coverage and offering analysis on Minnesota’s roster and outlook. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.
At just 23 years old (Murray, by comparison, will turn 29 this summer), McCarthy has significant room for growth. If the Vikings’ original plan unfolds as hoped, he will arrive at training camp with sharper mechanics, improved command, greater maturity, and the same magnetic locker room presence that inspired belief in him last year.
McCarthy has already shown flashes of his potential. In college, he executed throws that few quarterbacks can make, and his teammates visibly rallied around his energy. His arm talent, leadership, and drive are undeniable.
Now, the Vikings simply await the arrival of the complete package. That could happen if Murray succumbs to an injury.
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Perhaps Leber is right that Minnesota has the best of both worlds.
Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker
The Flyers and 76ers were each just rudely dismissed from the playoffs in second-round sweeps, and the Phillies scuffled so badly out of the gates that it cost manager Rob Thomson his job.
So, perhaps, sports fans in Philly could use a break. Touch grass, if you will.
Good thing the PGA Championship — the second major of the men’s golf season — begins Thursday in nearby Newtown Square at Aronimink Golf Club.
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Here are six storylines to watch as play gets underway bright and early Thursday morning:
Can anyone stop Scottie Scheffler?
The reigning PGA champion had a weird start to his season. Scheffler won his debut at the Amex in a runaway before his iron play — his greatest superpower — abandoned him some. That led to the same ghastly results for the Texan like, um, T3, T4, T12 and even T24 and T22 (gasp!). Of course, he found his game again at Augusta, but he couldn’t quite catch Rory McIlroy on Sunday in a second-place finish. Then, he recorded two more seconds at his next two tournaments.
Scheffler sits comfortably within the top 20 of each strokes gained category, per Data Golf, and the golf stats site gives him more than a 50 per cent chance of finishing this tournament in the top 10 and a 13 per cent shot at winning — both far and away the highest of any player.
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We haven’t quite reached the Tiger-vs.-the-field debates of the 2000s, but Scheffler is awfully close. But given the PGA Championship is the major set up most closely to PGA Tour tournaments (yearly reminder that the PGA Championship is run by the PGA of America, a separate entity from the Tour), and Scheffler dominates the regular circuit, the field is in tough.
Is Rory McIlroy really, truly freed up this time?
The best bet to stop Scheffler is likely McIlroy, the Northern Irishman and back-to-back Masters champion. McIlroy famously endured an 11-year major drought before finally breaking through to win at Augusta last year, also completing the career Grand Slam in the process. The narrative in the weeks that followed was that McIlroy would be freed up; with the gorilla off his back, he’d go out and pick off even more majors.
That didn’t play out. McIlroy was uncompetitive at the PGA and U.S. Open, and while he placed T7 at The Open Championship, Scheffler ran away with that title, too. McIlroy has since reflected that the Grand Slam was unfulfilling in a way, leaving him searching for meaning after having finally achieved a lifelong goal. But he returned this year with a renewed mindset of the history at stake with each major victory (his sixth tied him with LIV rival Phil Mickelson, which he surely enjoyed).
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The golf has been pristine too, with McIlroy continuing to lead the PGA Tour in strokes gained: ball striking and tee to green, per Data Golf. Off the course, he seems lighter, joking with reporters last week about his wrongly maligned Masters prep. Put it all together, and McIlroy seems primed for a run of contention — and, perhaps, a long-awaited major duel with Scheffler.
What’s going on with the LIV players?
The biggest story in golf since McIlroy’s Masters win has been the breakaway league, which learned in recent weeks that the Saudi Public Investment Fund would be pulling funding after this season, leaving the tour in dire straits. After all, what rational investor would buy in to a golf league? “The math is never gonna work,” one expert told The Athletic.
One of many issues LIV faces is that it doesn’t have many marketable, competitive players. The headliners are Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm — but the former’s contract is up after this season, and he’s publicly threatening a pivot to YouTube, while the latter recently lamented that his deal was so ironclad that he “doesn’t see a way out.”
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And so DeChambeau and Rahm arrive at the PGA with plenty of off-course issues on their minds — not to mention a missed cut and uncompetitive T38, respectively, at The Masters. Both have continued to perform well against weak competition on LIV, but they also know their legacies will be defined four weeks a year, and it’s time to start performing.
Which Canadian has the best shot to win?
It’s now been 23 years since Mike Weir won The Masters, and he remains the most recent Canadian men’s major champion. A foursome of Nick Taylor, Corey Conners, Taylor Pendrith and Sudarshan Yellamaraju will try to change that this week.
Conners is typically the best bet at these events, but he hasn’t quite had his stuff this year. Pendrith earned the best major finish of his career with a T5 at last year’s PGA, but he also has struggled of late.
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Taylor, in some ways, has always felt like the best bet to break the Canadian major drought — after all, he did just that at the RBC Canadian Open not long ago, and he’s shown a penchant for pulling out wins. Now, he’s coming off a pair of top-15 finishes.
The breakout Canadian, of course, is Yellamaraju, who burst onto the scene with a T5 at The Players Championship. He only got into the PGA field on Sunday, but after his fearless weekend performance at Sawgrass, it would hardly be a surprise to see him in the mix come Saturday and Sunday.
Will Spieth finally complete the Grand Slam?
Let’s dream a little here, shall we? A fan favourite, Spieth has gone through a Rory-like stretch at majors, where he’s been held out of the winner’s circle since the 2017 Open Championship.
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Ever since, he’s been chasing the career slam at the PGA, but hasn’t really come all that close outside of a T3 in 2019. He missed the cut altogether last year, and his star has dimmed significantly since his memorable 2015 breakout.
But — but! — there are signs of life for Spieth. He recently referred to his season as “whac-a-mole,” explaining he’s had great weeks in each aspect of the game, but just needs to put it all together over a four-day stretch.
Aronimink could be just the place to do it — it’s relatively short, which will mean a lot of driver-wedge holes, and Spieth was second off the tee last week only behind McIlroy. His wedge and short-iron game, meanwhile, has long been a strength. Plus, Aronimink is known for uneven lies, not unlike Augusta, a course Spieth always seems to play well at, as it unlocks his creativity.
The Spieth experience is never an easy one — but the payoff this week could be worthwhile.
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Who are some other contenders?
Cameron Young has two wins including The Players, and always plays well at majors. The Fitzpatrick brothers are on a heater, with Matt having won three times, including once with Alex, who immediately converted his PGA Tour card into a pair of top 10s. Ludvig Aberg and Tommy Fleetwood both continue to play well as they seek their maiden majors. Also in form, Xander Schauffele and Brooks Koepka will aim to add to their major totals.
Oct 8, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (11) throws to first base for an out during the third inning against the Toronto Blue Jays during game four of the ALDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
There’s a good chance the New York Yankees’ lineup will look a bit different a day after they ended a four-game losing streak.
The Yankees wrap up a three-game series against the host Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday afternoon.
The Yankees could have a new look to the middle of their infield for Wednesday’s game with Anthony Volpe available at shortstop after Jose Caballero was placed on the 10-day injured list with a fracture of the middle finger on his right hand.
Volpe was called up from Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre and could make his season debut at the major league level after Max Schuemann played shortstop in Tuesday’s 6-2 win.
“I would expect Anthony to play a lot,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.
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Volpe is coming off offseason shoulder surgery and then optioned to the minor leagues when his rehab assignment ended.
“He hasn’t gotten a lot of results yet,” Boone said. “He’s had a number of at-bats, a lot of reps, a lot of playing time, kind of more than a full spring training. So hopefully, he’s ready to go and come up here and be a spark for us.”
Second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. also wasn’t in New York’s starting lineup Tuesday, but he went 0-for-1 as a pinch hitter to drop his batting average to .200.
“Obviously, he’s an outstanding player,” Boone said. “But you sense guys feeling it when you’re a month-plus in and you’re not doing what the back of your baseball card is. Probably pressing a little too much, trying to do a little too much. He’s going to get it going, I have no doubt about that.”
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Wednesday’s game has been rescheduled for an afternoon first pitch, moved up over five hours because of weather-related concerns in the evening.
The Yankees have won five of six 2026 meetings with the Orioles after claiming Tuesday’s decision.
Right-hander Kyle Bradish (1-5, 4.83 ERA) gets the call for the Orioles as he tries to halt a personal three-game losing streak. One of those setbacks came May 2 at New York when the Yankees dinged him for five runs in four innings as he yielded six hits and four walks.
Bradish had a solid bounce-back effort Friday when he struck out a season-high 10 Athletics despite giving up three runs and taking the defeat. It has been more than a month since Bradish’s lone victory on April 8.
In 2025, Bradish faced the Yankees twice at the end of the season, with a pair of no-decisions while allowing three runs in 10 innings combined in those matchups. For his career, he’s 1-2 with a 3.92 ERA in eight starts vs. New York.
The Yankees will have left-hander Max Fried (4-2, 2.91) on the mound. He didn’t have a decision May 3 vs. Baltimore when he went 5 1/3 innings and allowed three runs in New York’s eventual 11-3 romp. He was touched up for five runs in six innings Friday at Milwaukee.
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Fried is 2-2 with a 3.52 ERA in six all-time starts against the Orioles.
The Orioles dealt with another ailment with outfielder Dylan Beavers removed from Tuesday’s lineup pregame because of right oblique discomfort.
“All I know is he was hitting in the cage before the game to get ready and he felt something in his side and was out of the lineup,” Albernaz said.
Former NFL star Charle Young, who won a Super Bowl title with the San Francisco 49ers, has died, the team said on Tuesday. He was 75.
The team mourned the loss of Young in a post on X.
“The 49ers mourn the passing of former TE Charle Young,” the team wrote. “Our organization sends its deepest condolences to the Young family and friends.”
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Charles Young is tackled by Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Jim Leclair during Super Bowl XVI in Pontiac, Michigan, on Jan. 24, 1982.(Tony Tomsic/Sports Illustrated)
Young was a standout tight end at USC before he went pro. The school released a statement on his death, highlighting his collegiate and pro football career.
“Fight On Forever, Charles Young,” the school added in a post on X.
The Philadelphia Eagles selected Young with the No. 6 overall pick of the 1973 NFL Draft. He earned a Pro Bowl selection in three of his four seasons with Philadelphia before he joined the Los Angeles Rams in 1977. He spent three seasons in Los Angeles.
Alumni Charle Young of the San Francisco 49ers stands on the field before the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Oct. 29, 2023. The Bengals defeated the 49ers 31-17.(Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images)
Young joined the 49ers in 1980 and was a part of the 1981 Super Bowl-winning season. He had one catch for 14 yards as San Francisco topped the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl XVI. He scored a touchdown in a divisional round game against the New York Giants in the playoffs leading up to the title win.
He had 418 catches for 5,106 yards and 27 touchdowns in 187 NFL games. He was also an All-Pro and the 1973 UPI Rookie of the Year.
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In college, Young helped USC to a national championship in 1972 and was an All-American selection. He had 62 catches for 998 yards and 10 touchdowns with the Trojans.
Quarterback Joe Montana of the San Francisco 49ers looks to pass as teammates block during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Dec. 6, 1981. The 49ers won 21-3.(George Gojkovich/Getty Images)
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