He wasn’t a game-wrecker for the Minnesota Vikings, but running back Roger Craig indeed played 29 games for the franchise in the early 1990s and is indeed a Hall of Famer. The NFL announced the 2026 class on Thursday night, and Craig broke through.

Craig’s long wait ends, and the Vikings’ Hall conversation shifts from celebration to who could realistically follow him into Canton.

Depending on next year’s votes, Minnesota could send back-to-back Vikings tailbacks to the Hall: Craig and Adrian Peterson.

Roger Craig’s Road to Canton

You better believe Craig finished his career in Minnesota.

Craig Gets the HOF Nod

Craig is in. 49ers.com’s Briana Jeannel wrote Thursday, “The Pro Football Hall of Fame revealed its Class of 2026 during NFL Honors on Thursday night, with former 49ers running back Roger Craig adding his name to the list of NFL greats.”

“Craig was selected by the 49ers in the second round of the 1983 NFL Draft out of the University of Nebraska and became a key figure in San Francisco’s dynasty of the 1980s. A versatile offensive weapon, Craig was a superstar on 49ers head coach Bill Walsh’s West Coast offense, contributing as both a rusher and receiver.”

He became eligible for the Hall in 1999. The man has waited nearly three decades for this moment.

His Stop with the Vikings

In the final two seasons of his career, Craig joined a couple of Vikings RB rooms that included Terry Allen, Barry Word, Scottie Graham, and Robert Smith — basically the aftermath of the failed Herschel Walker trade era.

He logged 868 yards from scrimmage and 6 touchdowns, and primarily served as the RB3. Think Cam Akers in the last couple of seasons with the current Vikings or Zavier Scott in 2025. It was the dawn of the Dennis Green era.

Minnesota reached the postseason in both Craig campaigns but obviously lost before the Super Bowl. It’s a familiar MIN theme since 1976.

Overall Production

Craig logged 8,189 rushing yards in 11 seasons, ranking 47th in NFL history. But he also banked 4,911 receiving yards on 566 career receptions, solidifying his case for the Hall. It had to be the receiving threat because the rushing numbers alone were not enough. For example, the aforementioned Terry Allen rushed for more yards than Craig in his career, and Allen is absolutely nowhere near Hall of Fame consideration.

The deal-sealer for Craig? Three Super Bowls with the 49ers. Those markedly increased his visibility — rightfully so — rubbing shoulders with Joe Montana and Jerry Rice, two HOF automatics.

All told, Craig won Offensive Player of the Year in 1988, was a four-time Pro Bowler, and a two-time All-Pro.

The Other Inductees

Aside from Craig, who got the nod from voters for lifetime achievement and patience, the other inductees were no-brainers:

• Drew Brees (QB)
• Larry Fitzgerald (WR)
• Luke Kuechly (LB)
• Adam Vinatieri (K)

Not a single soul had major beef with the Hall’s choices from that list.

And the voters needed that after the Bill Belichick debacle last week. Mind-bogglingly, the voting committee did not grant Belichick entry on his first attempt.

Fitzgerald fulfilled his Hall of Fame destiny, a notable moment from a Minnesota standpoint because he was a ballboy for the Vikings in the late 1990s.

Arizona Sports‘ Tyler Drake on Fitzgerald’s induction: “Fitzgerald amassed 17,492 receiving yards on 1,432 receptions throughout 17 NFL seasons. There’s only one pass catcher in NFL history who can truly say they did more in those departments: Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, who sits atop the leaderboard for the most receiving yards (22,895) and catches (1,549).”

“Fitzgerald, however, has a leg up on Rice in another aspect — one that Cardinals fans truly appreciate. He stayed put! In a world where athletes change teams on the regular looking for that next big pay day, Fitzgerald was among the anomalies. Seventeen seasons, 263 games played, all with the Cardinals.”

Down the stretch of Fitzgerald’s illustrious career, Vikings fans hoped he’d sign in Minnesota to make the story full circle. No luck.

Drake added, “And although he trails Rice in the categories mentioned above, it’s Fitzgerald holding the top spot when it comes to getting it done with one team. Rice really made a name for himself during his 49ers tenure, but it was Fitzgerald who strung together a better statistical career in the place he was drafted.”

“Fitzgerald also did it with 17 different starting quarterbacks! Despite that many cooks in the kitchen, he still found a way to consistently impact games.”

The aforementioned Adrian Peterson will be eligible for induction in 2027.

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Officials of Pyramids FC of Egypt have praised the pitch at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, describing it as one of the best in Africa.

Speaking on Saturday, February 7, 2026, ahead of their CAF Champions League Matchday Five clash against Rivers United, the reigning African champions said the grass surface was excellent and suitable for high-quality football.

The comments were made after their inspection of the pitch before the mandatory pre-match press conference at the facility. They noted that the good condition of the pitch would allow both teams to play their best football, entertain fans expected at the stadium on Sunday by 5pm, and help them pursue their target of victory.

Croatian coach Krunoslav Jurčić, the current manager of the Egyptian side, said he had visited many stadiums across Africa, but poor pitches often made it difficult for his team to play their passing style of football.

“I have been to many stadiums in Africa, and most pitches make it hard to play good football. That is why many teams rely on long balls,” Jurčić said. “But this is a natural grass pitch in very good condition, and it will make for an interesting game on Sunday evening.”

Egyptian international defender Ossama Galal also echoed his coach’s views, adding that the excellent pitch allows players to “display their best qualities” during matches.

The 11-year-old stadium is the home of the Super Eagles of Nigeria and has hosted several international and continental club matches, continuing to earn praise from visiting teams and officials.

Pyramids FC are the reigning champions of the CAF Champions League and will face Rivers United of Nigeria at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium at 5pm on Sunday, February 8, 2026.

Takeda Shingen in Nioh 3 is the first major antagonist of the game, and you will have to fight against him during the concluding hours of the Warring States story arc. During The Battle of Mikatagahara mission, you will face off against him for the first time.

This article will cover how to defeat Takeda Shingen in Nioh 3 during The Battle of Mikatagahara main story quest.

How to defeat Takeda Shingen in Nioh 3 (The Battle of Mikatagahara)

During The Battle of Mikatagahara main story quest in Nioh 3, you will come face-to-face against Takeda Shingen, a rival daimyo to the Tokugawa, who is fighting your grandfather, Tokugawa Ieyasu, for the seat of the shogun. Once you defeat Yamagata Masakage, a Crucible will form, and as you try to destroy its core, the final obstacle will be Takeda Shingen in Nioh 3.

Let’s take a look at how to counter his moves and defeat him:

Best setup

• Guardian Spirit (Samurai): Shin-Roku
• Guardian Spirit (Ninja): Kusagami
• Hino-enma summon

Most of your build will depend on what weapon and gear you are compatible with. But when it comes to your Guardian Spirit, use Shin-Roku and Kusagami, as they work the best due to Takeda Shingen being resistant to Wind and Fire. Summon will also depend on you, but having the Hino-enma (Abundant Evil side quest) will allow you to momentarily paralyze the boss.

How to defeat Takeda Shingen in Nioh 3

Takeda Shingen (Image via Koei Tecmo)

Attack Patterns

• Shingen can begin the battle with either one of the following two moves: He will charge at you and swing his Naginata, or he will jump and bring down his Naginata on your head. You can dodge both
• Shingen can block your attacks. Make sure to get to a slight range and hit him with your Ninjutsu to break his defensive stance (indicated by white talismans flying out). He will counter you if you try to hit him with your melee attacks during this time.
• Shingen’s attacks will mostly be a swing and then a thrust.
• Be careful of his unblockable attack, where he will thrust his Naginata forward. If he grabs you, he will initiate a finisher.
• His burst attack can be countered by activating your burst counter as his weapon is about to land on you.
• After you land enough damage (chip his HP down to 60 percent), he will ignite his weapon. Most of his combos will remain the same.
• There is an additional attack that he will initiate, where he will call upon his guardian spirit. Side step to dodge this attack
• At around 40 percent HP, he will gain Wind Damage on his weapon. In this mode, he can call his Guardian Spirit, which will throw three projectiles at you.

Additional Tips

• Use Hino-enma to block any attack that you are unsure of being able to dodge
• During the fight with Takeda Shingen in Nioh 3, you won’t be able to gain your Living Artifact bar that quickly. Call back your guardian spirit and farm the enemies outside of the arena.
• Try to save your Living Artifact for the final stage of the battle.

Defeating Takeda Shingen in Nioh 3 will unlock the following rewards:

• Basket Blade and Boar Cutter
• Potsticker Spear
• Reputation
• Title: Takeda Shingen Crusher

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