Minnesota Vikings safety Theo Jackson (26) lines up defensively during NFC Wild Card action against the Los Angeles Rams at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on Jan. 13, 2025. Jackson contributed to Minnesota’s secondary rotation during the postseason matchup as the Vikings attempted to slow the Rams’ passing attack on the playoff stage in Arizona. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images.
Heading into each summer, every NFL team has players on the roster bubble — that’s just the way it goes. The following list is the Minnesota Vikings’ version for 2026.
Minnesota’s summer roster math could get uncomfortable for some dudes.
The club currently employs 90 players, a number that will be dwindled to 53 by the end of August. Ranked in ascending order of impact, there are the roster-bubble guys in 2026 (No. 1 = highest-profile bubble guy).
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Five Vikings Facing Pressure before Training Camp
Who’s your top roster-bubble candidate?
Tennessee Titans defenders Cedric Gray and Jarvis Brownlee Jr. bring down Minnesota Vikings tight end Ben Yurosek during preseason action on Aug. 22, 2025, at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. Yurosek continued battling for a roster role during exhibition play as Minnesota evaluated depth options at tight end ahead of final roster cuts later in the preseason process. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Nelles-The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
5. Ben Yurosek (TE)
The easiest way to think of Yurosek, an undrafted free agent from 2025, on the roster bubble is to peek at the depth chart:
TE1: T.J. Hockenson TE2: Josh Oliver TE3: Ben Yurosek TE4: Gavin Bartholomew TE5: Bryson Nesbit
Minnesota used a 6th-Round pick on Bartholomew last season, but he didn’t play at all due to injuries. If Bartholomew is the real deal, well, Yurosek isn’t needed. The Vikings would have to keep four tight ends to accommodate Yurosek.
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Two things are certain: Hockenson and Oliver won’t be cut. That leaves Bartholomew versus Yurosek for TE3. Bartholomew’s draft stock suggests that he’s the frontrunner.
4. Dwight McGlothern (CB)
Minnesota added two new cornerbacks this offseason to complicate McGlothern’s life: veteran James Pierre and rookie Charles Demmings.
Pierre and Demmings will not be released amid roster trimdowns in August. Not happening. That leaves McGlothern on the bubble, a familiar spot because he’s usually right there at the 53-man cut-off or eyeing the practice squad.
Thankfully for his sake, the Vikings did not re-sign Jeff Okudah. McGlothern turns 24 this offseason, so if he wants to forge a serious NFL career, now is the time for him to make some noise.
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3. Zavier Scott (RB)
Two words: Demond Claiborne. The Vikings drafted Claiborne from Wake Forest in Round 6 last month, and he will be included on the regular season roster, almost no matter what.
That forces a tricky situation for Scott, who finally got regular season playing time last year as an RB3. The Vikings will probably need to keep four halfbacks to keep Scott’s job safe.
From a May perspective, Scott feels like an odd man out or a practice squad guy once again.
2. Walter Rouse (OT)
Remember the tight end depth chart? Here’s the OT version in May:
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Christian Darrisaw
Brian O’Neill
Ryan Van Demark
Caleb Tiernan
Walter Rouse
Caleb Etienne
Tristan Leigh
When the club finalized the 2025 53-man roster, it kept four offensive tackles. Right now, Rouse can reasonably be considered the OT5. Due to the additions of Van Demark and Tiernan, Rouse will face serious competition this summer, whereas in years past, he was just a shoo-in because of skimpy OT depth.
Minnesota Vikings offensive tackle Walter Rouse warms up before practice during training camp on Aug. 2, 2024, in Eagan, Minnesota. Rouse entered camp as a developmental offensive lineman competing for depth-chart positioning while Minnesota continued evaluating long-term options along the offensive front during preparations for the regular season. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
Rouse must pray that the Vikings want five OTs in September. Otherwise, it’s a practice squad fate around the bend.
Our Kyle Joudry noted on Rouse in late March, “Sometimes, teams allow veterans to leave since there’s an in-house young fella who is ready to step up. Look at the decision to say goodbye to Jalen Nailor. Doing so offers a hint that there’s optimism for what Tai Felton can do.”
“Is the same true for Walter Rouse? It doesn’t appear so. The Vikings sent over $4.27 million to steal away OT3 Ryan Van Demark from the Bills. The offensive tackle was a 6th-Round selection in 2024. A modest rookie season was to be expected, but not as much rolling into his sophomore year.”
Joudry remarked on Rouse’s roster uncertainty before Minnesota drafted Tiernan.
He concluded, “Rouse got some early work but then was inactive for a good portion of the season’s second half. Quite possibly, Minnesota lets the competition play out, but the Vikings have taken some actions that suggest a more pessimistic view of Rouse’s outlook. Seeing him get subtracted won’t be super surprising.”
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1. Theo Jackson (S)
Jackson’s path to playing time has become significantly more challenging, even before clarity emerges regarding Harrison Smith’s future.
Minnesota Vikings safety Theo Jackson reacts during an NFC wild-card matchup against the Los Angeles Rams on Jan. 13, 2025, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Jackson continued carving out a larger defensive role late in the season as Minnesota leaned on its secondary depth during postseason action against the eventual NFC playoff representative. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The Vikings’ 3rd-Round selection of safety Jakobe Thomas introduces another young safety with a similar skill set to Jackson’s. This further problematizes an already difficult situation for Jackson, whose playing time diminished late in the 2025 season when the Vikings benched him in favor of Jay Ward. Consequently, even if Smith were to depart, Jackson still faces a formidable uphill battle for a roster spot or significant snaps.
Should Smith return for his 15th season, Jackson’s prospects would be even bleaker. He could find himself fighting for any playing time during the season or simply striving to secure a place on the team by September. Jackson, as a roster-bubble guy, is really a if-this-then-that situation regarding Smith. Jackson’s job security may change if Smith returns.
All told, Jackson posted a 68.4 grade from Pro Football Focus last year, while his teammate Ward notched a 70.4 grade. Brian Flores may deploy Ward in 2026 instead of Jackson.
Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker
An overview shows the boxing fight for the European IBF title at Sportcomplex De Wilgenring in Rotterdam, Netherlands, on Nov. 29, 2025.(Jack Brekelmans/EYE4images/NurPhoto)
Jurk was rather nonchalant following the punch as Castillo lay on the floor, prompting an announcer to say the medics should be in the ring.
Medical staff did tend to Castillo as the referee walked away, but fans were quick to notice some oddities in the brief fight.
Jurk was almost immediately called out for duping Castillo into touching the gloves, a sign of respect, at the beginning of the fight. They did touch gloves before the bell rang.
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“He was trying to touch gloves and got sucker punchesd (sic),” one user on X wrote.
Three red BBE boxing gloves are displayed during the Joe Calzaghe open workout in Abercarn.(David Davies/PA Images)
“He ignored the gentleman tap to put this hook That’s super unfair…” wrote another.
“Looks like guy in the blue trunks put one glove up to tap for like sportsmanship and then when dud in red went to tap blue trunks swung with his other hand,” said one more.
However, others thought it was all part of a plan by both fighters.
“Fake as f—, look at how he put his arm down to break his fall, he should be in the Olympic swimming team with a dive like that,” a critic wrote.
One more said, “For the noobs. This is called, ‘taking a dive.’”
Others noted that Jurk’s punch did not connect solidly on Castillo’s head or face. Nonetheless, Castillo stayed on the canvas for well over two minutes.
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Boxing gloves lay on a mat inside a boxing ring during an amateur boxing night between boxers from Chile and Argentina.(Fernando Lavoz/NurPhoto)
In any case, it was the 12th knockout of Jurk’s career as he moved to 14-0. Castillo is now 13-3, with all three losses coming in his last four fights.
Rory McIlroy is three shots off the lead as American Alex Smalley took a late grip of the US PGA Championship.
Smalley birdied four of the last six holes to move two shots clear of a packed leaderboard at six under par ahead of what could be a thrilling battle on Sunday.
A five-strong group featuring Jon Rahm, Ludvig Aberg and England’s Aaron Rai are two shots adrift, with a staggering 21 players within four shots of Smalley.
McIlroy shot a four-under superb 66 to surge his way back into contention, having recovered from his disappointing opening 74.
As McIlroy walked off the course, the leading groups were just beginning their final round and he was left hoping they would be unable to stretch the mark too far.
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He remains firmly in the mix. As Rahm finished his media duties, he looked at the leaderboard and asked if anyone had seen anything like it.
Much of the talk over the first two days was about how tough a challenge Aronimink Golf Club has presented but it has created a thrilling final-day scenario.
“It’s frustrating to us but, at the same time, it creates a hell of an entertaining championship. If I wasn’t playing this tournament, I’d love what’s going on this week,” McIlroy said.
Rahm added: “As hard as it is to play, the challenge can also be kind of fun if you do well.
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“That’s probably the reason why the leaderboard is so bunched up and it’s going to be such a good Sunday tomorrow. So in that sense, showmanship-wise, they’ve done a great job.”
McIlroy was one of a number of morning starters who produced a low score on Saturday, with Justin Rose, Chris Kirk and Kristoffer Reitan all shooting 65 to close within two of the overnight leaders.
The later starters Rai and Rahm briefly nudged the lead to five under but both bogeyed the 18th as they carded excellent 67s.
Overnight co-leader Smalley, in just his fifth major championship, wobbled early with three bogeys in his first four holes but hit back brilliantly.
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The American bogeyed 17 to drop back to five under but held his nerve to birdie the last and stand alone at the top.
World number one Scottie Scheffler struggled and carded a one-over 71, which leaves him five back.
“Going into tomorrow, it’s quite literally anybody’s tournament,” Scheffler said. “There’s a lot of guys that have a chance.
“Somebody is going to have a great round and I’m going to make sure to do my best to give myself my the best shot at being the one who has a great round.”
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German Matti Schmid and Canadian Nick Taylor matched the lowest round of the week with 65 to sit two off the lead at four under.
Should any players still be tied at the conclusion of the final round, the winner will be decided by a three-hole aggregate score play-off.
With just 18 holes remaining at the 2026 PGA Championship and a crowded leaderboard setting the stage for a dramatic finish, it seems one hole could shape the outcome of Sunday’s final round: the par-4 10th at Aronimink Golf Club.
According to PGA Tour course statistics, the 472-yard par 4 is playing as the hardest hole on the course, averaging .386 strokes over par for the field. Much of that difficulty appears to stem from its demanding green complex — something that Smylie Kaufman highlighted during a recent episode of the Smylie Show.
In a clip from the episode, Kaufman, alongside co-host Charlie Hulme, broke down the challenges that this green presents, saying, “It’s probably the most difficult green that some of these players are going to play in their career.”
The reason this green is so challenging is because of the minuscule landing areas, something that’s more apparent when you look at a green map, like the one below featuring the third-round hole location.
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Heatmap of the 10th green at Aronimink
Arccos
As you can see, flat spots are sparse on the 10th green, with severe undulations (many exceeding 4-percent of slope) running through much of the putting surface. This makes it difficult to control where the ball finishes and find the “pro side” miss, a critical aspect of course management at major championships.
“It just requires you to be so accurate,” Kaufman says.
And when you consider that the 10th fairway slopes toward the water hazard lurking short and left of the green, this approach shot becomes even more daunting for players.
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“At the 10th hole, the ball is above your feet [for right-handed players], so it’s going to make the golf ball curve a little bit more to the left,” Kaufman continues, “If you have a right-to-left shot that’s riding a right-to-left wind, that golf ball is going to bounce left when it lands and from there, it’s off the green, to the left.”
And with the 10th marking the start of the back nine, it doesn’t just stand as a difficult hole in the final round — it becomes a pivotal moment where momentum can shift, and a champion can begin to separate from the field.
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — Let’s do an exercise in elevation here. Shall we? It’s getting near three o’clock on Saturday afternoon and here’s Rory McIlroy on 17, the last of Aronimink’s show-us-what-you-got par-3s. We’re looking down at the Masters champion, the only man in the world who can win the single-year Grand Slam in 2026. You can see the wee button on the top of his Nike baseball cap. His shirt tails are more out than in.
Rory is at the dead center of your clock dial here, let’s just say. Viewed that way, Brooks Koepka, McIlroy’s third-round playing partner, is at 10 o’clock, having already sauntered over to the 18th tee, and for a few longish moments McIlroy is standing all alone on the 17th green, not moving, not doing anything but holding a putter and looking at the hole, seemingly lost in time and space. He had just made a bogey, a good one, all things considered. From where he was in one (fried-egg lie in a greenside trap) and two (nasty lie in lush greenside rough)? It could have been worse.
That’s the micro view of the 4 he made there. Golf loves micro. You can get lost in golf as you can get lost in a movie, or in a dream. Modern life doesn’t give you that many opportunities to get lost, with our electronic leashes and all. There’s a movie about the jazz legend Chet Baker called “Let’s Get Lost.” Maybe you’ve seen it. At some of his gigs he played through sunrise.
Let’s head north, into the blue skies of this perfect May day, here on the edge of the Main Line horse country. You can see some ripples in the pond in front of the 17th green as the wind skims along the top of it. Two days of a cool wind and a warm wind on Saturday — perfect. The nearby grandstands are packed.
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Up we go and now the whole course is coming into view. It’s big and bold and hilly and features every shade of green. You can see the golfers moving through it, the parade of tournament golf. You can see the Tudor clubhouse with its red-tiled roof, 100 years old and seemingly airlifted from the English countryside. In quieter times — dusk on a quiet fall day, say — the locker room creaks as your foursome packs up and heads out. No creaking this week. Everything is buzzing. The clubhouse looks like the manor house in “Howards End,” if you know that movie.
The players, about 70 of them, are on the course. The second-round leaders are on the first hole. Jon Rahm is deep in the front nine, chasing. Elsewhere, Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele and Ludvig Aberg are doing the same. Elsewhere, there’s Matti Schmid, Chris Gotterup, Maverick McNealy, doing the same. Golf thrives in this stew.
Whatever Gil Hanse and the Aronimink grounds crew did and are doing to this golf course, it’s working. You’ve been coming to this course for 40 years. It’s never looked better. All these exposed hilltops, all these windblown golfers trying to solve the puzzles of these knobby greens. It’s difficult, appropriately so. This is championship golf, the whole golf world coming together in the name of this odd pursuit that captivates so many of us. One major per month: April, May, June, July. It’s a short season. If you’re going to win the single-season Grand Slam, you gotta stay hot for 12 weeks. Rory is headlining that story, this year. It’s not impossible.
If there’s ever been a day better than this one, you can’t remember it. That’s how swept away you are by the proceedings here, here at top of funnel, peering into all of this golf.
You launch a booster rocket and now you’re above the Goodyear Blimp. There’s the Merion Golf Club and its two courses; there’s the Merion Cricket Club and its grass courts; there’s the Lower Merion High School campus and somewhere in there its gym, where Kobe launched all those 2s, his NBA dreams arcing alongside them. There are the steps of the Art Museum (“Rocky”), the train tracks into 30th Street Station (“Witness”), the wooden shingles atop Independence Hall (“1776”). Here we are, 250 years later.
Rory McIlroy, like other artists before him, can be hard to predict. He made a 5 on the par-5 16th, where he would have loved, and maybe half-expected, to make 4. He made a 4 on 17 where you’re one solid iron shot away from making a tap-in 3. Still, nice progress: 74, 67, 66. By the end of play on Saturday, he was three under for the tourney and three shots out of Alex Smalley’s lead. These leads can be frail things, as Rory McIlroy, among many others, has shown us.
He’s staying in a house near the course and is watching “The Dark Knight,” the Batman movie,at night, in pieces. The movie is two-and-a-half hours long, and it’s aptly named. On Saturday, McIlroy rolled out of bed and into all this golfing sunshine, sunshine in every sense of the word. The chaos of the world, for part of a day, anyhow, seemed far away.
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“You can, you can get into a cocoon,” Rory said Saturday, hanging out for a couple minutes, in no rush, really, to go anywhere, his mood buoyant, just like everybody else. “You do that more at the Masters than anywhere else — that whole week you seem to have no idea what’s going on in the rest of the world. It’s not quite the same here, but for us, this golf tournament is the most important thing in our lives right now. You still keep up with things: Trump’s trip to China and all of that. But when you’re here at the tournament, But when we’re here at the course, I don’t want to say it’s escapism, but for us, this is it.”
Us.
Rory’s us is likely the players and maybe the caddies, some coaches, families if they’re in tow. But from on high, from 30,000 feet, you can’t tell Jon Rahm from Crew Koepka, the golfer’s son, on hand on this Saturday afternoon. Us is the whole party that is gathered here, at this splendid course, in this splendid season, on this splendid day. The golf is giving us a break here. A break and a vacation.
Napoleon Solo took home the 2026 Preakness Stakes on Saturday, the 151st running of the race.
The favorite in Taj Mahal, the 1 horse, was in the lead from the start until the final turn until Napoleon Solo made his move on the outside and took the lead at the top of the stretch. As Taj Mahal fell off, Iron Honor, the 9 horse, snuck up, but the effort ultimately was not enough.
Napoleon Solo opened at 8-1 and closed at 7-1. Iron Honor, at 8-1, finished second, with Chip Honcho fishing third after closing at 11-1. Ocelli, one of just three horses to run both the Kentucky Derby two weeks ago and Saturday’s Preakness, finished fourth at 8-1.
A Preakness branded starting gate is seen on track prior to the 151st Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park on May 16, 2026 in Laurel, Maryland. For the first and only time, Laurel Park is hosting the Preakness Stakes which is the second race of the Triple Crown jewel due to the traditional home of the race of the Pimlico Race Course undergoing complete renovations. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
A $1 exacta paid out $53.60, while a $1 trifecta brought in $597.10. But someone out there is very lucky, as a $1 superhighfive – picking the top-five finishers in order – paid out $12,015.70.
Even moreso, a 20-cent Pick 6 – picking the winners of the six consecutive races, with the final being the Preakness, paid out $33,842.34.
The race was run without the Kentucky Derby winner for the second year in a row. After Sovereignty did not run the Preakness last year – and wound up winning the Belmont Stakes – the training team of Golden Tempo opted to skip the Maryland race.
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From 1960 to 2018, only three Derby winners did not run in the Preakness. Three Derby winners have skipped the Preakness in the last five years, and for the sixth time in eight years, for various reasons, the Triple Crown had already been impossible to accomplish by the time the Preakness even rolled around.
“I understand that fans of the sport or fans of the Triple Crown are disappointed, but the horse is not a machine,” Golden Tempo’s trainer, Cherie DeVaux, told Fox News Digital earlier this week.
Paco Lopez, right, atop Napoleon Solo, edges out Iron Honor, ridden by Flavien Prat, to win the 151st running of the Preakness Stakes horse race, Friday, May 15, 2026, at Laurel Park in Laurel, Maryland.(AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Only three horses from two weeks ago – Ocelli, Robusta, and Incredibolt, were back at the Preakness. Corona de Oro, the 11 horse on Saturday, was scratched well ahead of the Derby, and Great White, who reared up and fell on his back after becoming startled shortly before entering the Derby gate, took the 13 post on Saturday.
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The Preakness went off roughly 24 hours after a horse died following the completion of his very first race.
Hit Zero, trained by Brittany Russell, came into the race as the favorite. However, he finished last in the race, which was won by another one of Russell’s horses, Bold Fact — and upon crossing the finish line, Hit Zero reportedly began coughing, dropped to his knees, then put his head down and died.
The Preakness took place at Laurel Park as Pimlico undergoes renovations. It was the first time ever that Pimlico did not host the race, moving roughly 20 miles south.
Paco Lopez, atop Napoleon Solo, wins the 151st running of the Preakness Stakes horse race, Friday, May 15, 2026, at Laurel Park in Laurel, Maryland.(AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
The Belmont Stakes, the final Triple Crown race, will take place on June 6. The race will return to Saratoga for a third year in a row as Belmont Park continues to be renovated.
The Minnesota Vikings are known for their receiving corps, headlined by standout receiver Justin Jefferson, who’s on a Hall-of-Fame trajectory. He’s flanked by Jordan Addison and Jauan Jennings in arguably the best trio in all of football. Behind those three, however, the Vikings don’t have any other established wideouts. Someone who has never played in the NFL could be the beneficiary.
Joaquin Davis, a 2025 undrafted free agent, has the type of physical tools that make him a player to watch this summer. He initially joined the club toward the end of last season, signing with the practice squad in December and later earned a futures contract for 2026.
Jul 23, 2025; Englewood, CO, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Joaquin Davis (80) during Denver Broncos Training Camp. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
Davis signed with the Broncos after going unclaimed in the 2025 draft and turned heads throughout the offseason and in training camp. He’s primed to do that, given his Randy Moss-looking body at 6’4″ and 195 lbs with 4.3 speed.
Of course, not every tall, fast receiver is Moss; in fact, the history of the NFL is full of draft busts who had Davis’ measurements, but it’s still worth something.
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Despite his tools, he went undrafted, which should tell us about his raw skill set.
NFL draft scout Lance Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft profile, “Height, length and speed are all check marks in Davis’ favor. His rare blend of length, elite speed and foot quickness will be enticing to a team late in the draft or as a priority free agent. He’s still very unrefined as a route-runner and needs to improve his play strength and catch consistency. While there are issues to work through, his ability to separate and stretch the field creates an intriguing ceiling.”
Davis spent his college career at North Carolina Central, tabulating 1,211 yards and 12 touchdowns over three seasons of actually seeing the field on offense.
Aug 16, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Joaquin Davis (80) pulls in the ball in the second half against the Arizona Cardinals at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Davis was a standout in training camp. Broncos reporter Andrew Mason posted on social media last July, “Joaquin Davis, if the Broncos can give him time, could really be something special. The ball just sticks in his hands. Like Velcro when it hits. His wingspan, his stride, his vertical, his speed … man, this dude has some tools. The NCCU product has got serious potential.”
The jump from an HBCU to the NFL is hard, but not unprecedented. The Athletic’s Jason Jones wrote during Davis’ pre-draft journey, “Davis considers that added motivation, as he is well aware of the legacy of HBCU wide receivers who have had memorable careers in the NFL. Among the names are Hall of Famers Jerry Rice (Mississippi Valley State), Charlie Joiner (Grambling State), Bob Hayes (Florida A&M), Harold Carmichael (Southern) and John Stallworth (Alabama A&M).”
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Every year, the Vikings have an undrafted receiver who’s turning heads but never gets into a game. For Denver, Davis was that guy. His preseason exposure led to a pair of catches for two yards.
He’ll never become Moss, but if the Vikings can teach him some fundamentals and use him in a certain way, he could be a sweet situational downfield threat for Minnesota.
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.
Behind the top trio, the Vikings have to pick between last year’s rookies Tai Felton and Myles Price, who both starred on special teams but barely played a role on offense, as well as undrafted rookies Luke Wysong, Marcus Sanders Jr., Shaleak Knotts, and Dillon Bell. Last year’s practice-squad players, Jeshaun Jones and Dontae Fleming, complete the group.
As always, for end-of-the-roster players, playing on special teams is key. Though his time in the Twin Cities might never amount to anything, freak athlete Davis will be a player to watch this summer.
The 2025/26 FA Cup reaches its decisive moment tonight as Chelsea and Manchester City go head-to-head at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, May 16. Beyond the prestige of lifting the world’s oldest domestic trophy, there is also a significant financial reward awaiting the winner and runner-up of tonight’s final.
Winner’s Prize Money: £2.12 Million for the champions
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The team that emerges victorious at Wembley will take home a direct prize of £2,120,000 for winning the FA Cup final. This remains the single biggest payout from any individual match in the competition.
However, the financial reward does not stop there. When combined with earnings accumulated from earlier rounds of the tournament, the champions will secure a total of £3,912,500 in prize money from their FA Cup campaign.
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This makes lifting the trophy not just a historic achievement, but also a highly lucrative one.
Runner-Up Prize Money: £1.06 Million consolation
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The losing side in tonight’s final will not walk away empty-handed. The runner-up will receive a guaranteed payment of £1,060,000, which represents exactly half of the winner’s final match reward.
While significantly lower than the champions’ earnings, it still reflects the importance and financial value of reaching the final stage of the competition.
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Bigger rewards beyond the final
The financial implications extend beyond just prize money from the match itself. The FA Cup winner also earns a place in the 2026/27 UEFA Europa League league phase, unless they have already qualified for a higher European competition.
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Manchester City have already secured Champions League qualification, meaning the European spot would be passed down the league table if they win. Chelsea, currently ninth, could depend heavily on an FA Cup triumph to secure European football next season.
In addition, the winners will also qualify for the 2026 FA Community Shield, where they will face the Premier League champions in the traditional season curtain-raiser.
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As Chelsea and Manchester City prepare for battle at Wembley, the stakes are not just about silverware, they also include millions in prize money and crucial European qualification.
The third and penultimate day of the PMGO 2026 Season 1 South Asia Finals wrapped up on May 16, 2026. All 16 participants have played their 15 matches in the first three days of the event. These squads will engage against one another in their remaining five matches on Day 4, scheduled for May 17. The top-three teams will get a spot in the Main Event.
Horaa Esports, from Nepal, maintained their pace on Day 3 and jumped to first place in the overall standings. The experienced squad has accumulated 181 points in 15 matches. The club grabbed fourth Chicken Dinners and 116 eliminations in the first three days.
Overall standings of PMGO 2026 S1 SA Finals after Day 3
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Here is the leaderboard after 15 matches:
Horaa Esports – 181 points
4thrives Esports – 167 points
Trained To Kill – 152 points
DRS GAMING – 142 points
Abrupt Slayers – 102 points
AS i8 Esports – 97 points
XOTICS – 77 points
ZC Gremlin Storm – 77 points
LF Esports – 76 points
Galactic Spirit – 65 points
CMF Esports – 62 points
313 Esports – 61 points
Seventh Element – 55 points
A1 RG Esports – 55 points
Koxav Esports – 53 points
Red Saints – 48 points
Pakistani squad 4Thrives Esports slipped to second place with 167 points and two Chicken Dinners on Day 3. The renowned lineup has clinched 117 eliminations in 15 games. Trained To Kill, a Nepalese team, occupied the third spot with 152 points, including 87 eliminations. The team has grabbed three Chicken Dinners.
DRS Gaming had a great run in the first 15 games of the PMGO SA Finals. The Nepali squad took the fourth position with 142 points and three Chicken Dinners. Abrupt Slayers ranked fifth with 102 points despite not winning any Chicken Dinners.
Pakistani teams ASI8 and XOTICS Esports came sixth and seventh with 97 and 77 points, respectively.
ZC Gremlin Storm, hailing from Bangladesh, finished eighth with 77 points, including 55 eliminations. Loyalty First, a Pakistani team, came ninth with 76 points and one Chicken Dinner. Bangladeshi squads Galactic and CMF finished Day 3 of the Finals in the 10th and 11th spots with 65 and 62 points, respectively.
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313 Esports ended up in 12th place with 61 points after a mediocre run in the first three days of the PMGO SA Finals. Seventh. Elements and A1 RG Esports garnered 55 points each. Pakistani squads Koxav and Red Saints are in the bottom two with 53 and 48 points, respectively.
The fourth and final day of the PMGO 2026 SA Finals will be crucial for all the participants. All 16 teams wil try their best to secure a spot in the top three and advance to the Main Event, scheduled to take place June 2026 in Indonesia.
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“After so many years in this sport, my motivation is still the same: to challenge myself, represent Mexico, and continue building my legacy.
“Mbilli is undefeated, and a great fighter, and I respect that. But my focus is always on my preparation, performance, and giving the fans another great night of boxing.
“On September 12 in Riyadh, we begin a new chapter with the same discipline, ambition, and vision that has carried me throughout my career.”
Mbilli secured the interim WBC belt by beating Maciej Sulecki in June of 2025 and reatined it after an entertaining draw with Lester Martinez on the Canelo vs Crawford undercard. When Crawford retired, 29-0-1 Mbilli was elevated to full champion.
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In his own statement, the new champion promised ‘the fight of the decade’.
“My last fight was the fight of the year. In September, against Canelo Alvarez, it will be the fight of the decade. And when the fight is over, the world will witness a historic victory for me.”
The fight will top the bill of a card titled ‘Mexico vs the world’, with undercard details expected to be revealed at next week’s launch press conference in Egypt.
Melquizael Costa is looking to continue his climb up the featherweight ladder as he squares off against Arnold Allen in the headline a Fight Night card from the Meta Apex in Las Vegas. Catch the action on Sportsnet 360, with preliminary coverage beginning at 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT.
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