AEW’s roster consists of several former WWE names. Stars such as Toni Storm, Jon Moxley, Swerve Strickland, Samoa Joe, Mercedes Mone, Richochet, Adam Copeland, Bobby Lashley, and more have won titles in the Jacksonville-based company. Khan has immense faith in them, and this phenomenon will likely continue.
WWE legend Chris Jericho joined All Elite Wrestling when the company was founded in 2019. He was initially booked strongly. Y2J became the promotion’s inaugural World Champion and went on to hold the ROH World Title twice. However, he has not appeared on AEW programs for a long time. Rumors suggest he is close to rejoining the Stamford-based promotion. But it was recently reported that he is still employed by Tony Khan.
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Former WWE manager Dutch Mantell spoke about Jericho’s AEW absence on a new episode of Story Time with Dutch Mantell. He said that Tony Khan is paying the former World Champion to sit on the sidelines, and this is fine because, at the end of the day, it’s Khan’s money, and he can do whatever he wants.
“All you can say is that Tony Khan wants to do it. His money. So we said, ‘Listen. Go over there and you know that house you live it? Go over there and be with your wife and be with your kids and whatever. Go out and eat or watch a movie or whatever and we could send you a cheque to sit over and do that’.” said Mantell.
Achivements of AEW star Chris Jericho in WWE
Chris Jericho has spent several years in World Wrestling Entertainment and has won 26 titles there. He has held the Undisputed WWF Championship once, the World Heavyweight Championship thrice, the WCW/World Championship twice, and the Intercontinental Championship nine times.
The 55 year old is also a former United States Champion and a former WWE Tag Team Champion. Only time will tell what the future holds for him. Hopefully, we will see him in a WWE ring this year.
Please credit Story Time with Dutch Mantell and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.
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All three players were acquired in two trades with the Chicago Blackhawks earlier this week.
Murphy, a right-shot defenceman, is a 13-year veteran known more for his play in his own end than his offence. Dickinson and Dach are both forwards who will add some depth on the bottom two lines.
Nov 21, 2021; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook (33) and offensive tackle Christian Darrisaw (71) and wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) and guard Ezra Cleveland (72) in action against the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
For a little while, the recent Vikings move has been anticipated. Why not restructure Justin Jefferson? He is, after all, the franchise’s cornerstone player.
Consider the update that arrives courtesy of Tom Pelissero of The NFL Network: “The Vikings are doing simple restructures on the contracts of star WR Justin Jefferson and LT Christian Darrisaw to clear salary cap space, per sources. Still work to do to get under the cap by Wednesday.”
Consider, for instance, what is already known. Veteran DTs Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen are being shown the door a year after signing reasonably pricey deals. Likewise, veteran runner Aaron Jones is going to be cut unless there’s an 11th hour trade partner. Starting edge rusher Jonathan Greenard is being mentioned as a trade option, too.
Minnesota Vikings linebacker Jonathan Greenard celebrates after sacking Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud during the third quarter on Sep. 22, 2024, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, delivering a momentum-shifting defensive play that ignited the home crowd and highlighted his role in disrupting Houston’s offensive rhythm in the Week 3 showdown. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images.
Those who are keeping score at home will note that the money saving moves have been for cuts and trades. It’s now time for restructures.
Essentially, the Vikings will shuffle money around, pushing some of the compensation for the high-end WR and high-end LT into the future. Short-term gain, long-term pain. Classic NFL move.
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Per Over the Cap, the Vikings can clear north of $18 million via restructure with Jefferson. For Darrisaw, it’s more than $9 million. Combined, that’s a potential savings in 2026 sitting at $27 million. Not bad, right?
Add that total onto the cuts that haven’t occurred yet: Allen, Hargrave, and Jones. Using easy-to-digest numbers that round down means the Vikings will liberate $25 million in room through these subtractions. The expected cuts alongside the restructures could clear around $52 million, meaning Minnesota could be out of the red since the projected debt was sitting at around $45 million.
Nov 6, 2022; Landover, Maryland, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Washington Commanders during the first half at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Worth remembering, as well, that TE1 T.J. Hockenson, RT1 Brian O’Neill, C1 Ryan Kelly, and several others are likely to see their deals adjusted somehow. For Hockenson, the best path is a restructure; for O’Neill, the best path is an extension; for Kelly, the likeliest path appears to be a cut.
Look for the Vikings to have somewhere around $25 million in open cap space to navigate free agency next week.
Last year during the Florida Swing, Berger finished T25, T15 and T20 in his three starts in The Sunshine State. And after tying for 32nd in a decent showing at the Cognizant Classic last week, he’s off to another (even better) start this week, as he lit up Bay Hill Club & Lodge for a nine-under 63 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Thursday, good for a three-shot lead after Day 1.
The secret for the Florida kid and Florida resident? Easy.
“I get to drive my own car up here, slept in my own bed last week,” said Berger, who lives two hours down the road in the Jupiter, Fla., area. “This is a place I played many times. There’s many years in the past where I’ve skipped a couple of those West Coast Swing events, and this year being in the elevated events you don’t have that opportunity. So yeah, it’s just nice to be in Florida. I love it.”
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He also loves the fact he’s injury-free.
Berger injured his right ring finger at the BMW Championship in August (on one swing on the 14th hole, though he’s unsure exactly what happened) and thought it would get better on its own. It did not — not that day, nor the next. He withdrew, and the broken finger was in a splint for two months. He went nearly three months without swinging a club and didn’t return until the RSM Classic in late November, where he tied for 51st.
“Just one of those things, like the finger that I broke and where I broke it actually ended up being more of a pain in the butt than I thought it was going to be,” he said Thursday. “I thought it would be just like four, five weeks and it turned out to be three months.”
It was an unfortunate way to end what had been a strong bounce-back season. After missing all of 2023 with a back injury, Berger struggled to find his form when he got back on the course and finished 140th in the FedEx Cup standings in 2024. Last year, it started to come together, as he made 18 of 22 cuts and had strong showings at the WM Phoenix Open (T2) and RBC Heritage (T3) to finish inside the top 70 and retain his PGA Tour card.
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He opened 2026 with a T6 in Hawaii and has missed just one cut, at the Genesis Invitational, so far this season.
“When you come back you’re just kind of getting back into the flow of things and getting into your routine,” he said. “I’ve played not really that poorly, just haven’t had the results. So you just kind of keep doing the same things and good things will come.”
On Thursday, Berger never made a bogey and was six under on the back nine. His 63 was also just one shy of the tournament record, which has been recorded four times. He led the field in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green (5.088) and was second in putting (3.718).
He begins his second round at 11:55 a.m. ET on Friday alongside Alex Noren. He knows he still has 54 holes left though.
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“It’s going to be an incredibly difficult and challenging week,” he said. “The greens are like white. So a little bit of wind, a little bit less moisture, and it’s just going to be like a U.S. Open. I think when you come to Bay Hill to play this event you know what you’re getting, and so it doesn’t shock me. You’re ready for it.”
Oct 26, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney (1) on the field before the game against the Miami Dolphins at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images.
The Minnesota Vikings may be in the market for a WR3 in 2026 next to Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, and as of Thursday, Darnell Mooney is available.
Mooney offers speed and experience, and his availability arrives as Minnesota weighs WR depth this offseason.
The Atlanta Falcons dropped Mooney this week, casting him into the open market, where the man will have at least a few suitors.
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Mooney’s Skill Set Could Fit Minnesota’s WR3 Role in 2026
This one makes plenty of sense.
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney (1) secures a reception during second-half action against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. The NFC South matchup on Oct. 13, 2024, featured Mooney stretching for the ball while working across the middle as Atlanta pushed for yards late. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images.
Mooney Out in ATL
When the new league year opens on Wednesday, Mooney will be officially free to sign anywhere in the league.
NFL.com’s Kevin Patra wrote Thursday, “Add another receiver to the free agency pile. The Atlanta Falcons plan to release WR Darnell Mooney, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Thursday, per sources informed of the situation. Mooney was set to count $18.4 million against the salary cap but had no guaranteed money left on his deal.”
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“The Falcons will save $7.42 million on the cap with $11 million in dead money by releasing the wideout. The 28-year-old Mooney signed a three-year, $39 million contract in Atlanta after being a field-stretching weapon for four seasons in Chicago.”
Atlanta followed this same path with quarterback Kirk Cousins, a former Viking, so the Falcons will lose two notable offensive pieces in the 2026 offseason.
The Career Production
Mooney can ball when afforded targets in an offense. These are his numbers over the last six seasons:
If one assumes the Vikings will have a prolific passing offense in 2026 — maybe, maybe not — Mooney could feast as the third wide receiver. It’s what he does in a high-volume passing offense.
His next contract should pay him around $8 million per season, which would be within Minnesota’s slim 2026 budget.
Draft Sharks‘ Jared Smola mentioned Mooney on Thursday, “It’s certainly worth noting that Mooney suffered a shoulder injury in late July that sidelined him for a month and cost him the season opener. He missed another game in October with a hamstring injury.”
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“Mooney was much better back in 2024, posting a 64-992-5 line on 106 targets. He ranked top-37 among 89 qualifying WRs in yards per target, yards per route, and PFF grade that year. And he finished WR39 in PPR points per game.”
A Would-Be WR in Minnesota
With Mooney, the 2026 Vikings WR room would look like this:
Justin Jefferson
Jordan Addison
Darnell Mooney
Tai Felton
Myles Price
Dontae Fleming
Jeshaun Jones
Joaquin Davis
Minnesota picked Felton last year from Round 3, but hardly used him on offense. It is unclear if he’ll take a year-two leap or be relegated to a special teams role. If one assumes that Felton is sitting on a breakout campaign, Mooney isn’t needed.
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney (1) reaches for a pass during first-quarter action against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. The divisional game on Sep. 21, 2025, showed Mooney extending toward the ball as Atlanta opened its offensive series early. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images.
But if Felton is another failed draft pick courtesy of former boss Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, the Vikings will need a credible WR3. It’s as simple as that.
Waiting on the Nailor Verdict
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The Vikings have one giant free agency mystery in 2026: Jalen Nailor.
Reports suggest that 10 teams are circling his availability next week, and if one of those clubs pays Nailor $10 million or more per season, he probably won’t return to the Vikings. Nailor has never posted over 500 yards in a season, but this offseason, the league appears to have determined that he’s a sleeper awaiting eruption.
The Athletic‘s Alec Lewis noted on Nailor this week, “More than 10 teams are eyeing Vikings receiver Jalen Nailor, according to league sources. Nailor recently turned 27 and will be one of the more coveted free-agent wide receivers next week. Even though he has caught only 69 NFL passes and never reached 450 yards in a season, multiple evaluators think he has the potential to become a priority signing.”
“The Vikings don’t want to lose Nailor. The coaches — especially receivers coach Keenan McCardell — have watched him progress into one of their best developmental stories. He can absorb a complex playbook. He is a willing run blocker. He possesses vertical speed, and he displays separation ability, too.”
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Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney (1) celebrates after catching a touchdown against the New Orleans Saints at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. The NFC South contest on Nov. 23, 2025, featured Mooney reacting with excitement after reaching the end zone during second-half action in the heated divisional matchup. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images.
Minnesota can probably afford Nailor at a price point of $4 million to $8 million, but a reported four-year, $48 million deal from another team would price the Vikings out of the conversation.
Mooney is a guy Minnesota can target if Nailor leaves and Felton isn’t quite a WR3.
Feb 3, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; DePaul Blue Demons head coach Chris Holtmann directs his team against the St. John’s Red Storm during the first half at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
Since DePaul joined the Big East in 2005, it has experienced just one winning record in league play.
The Blue Demons finished alone in last place 10 times in their first 20 Big East years and shared the basement two other times.
With that as the backdrop, there’s more on the line than the records suggest when DePaul (16-14, 8-11) hosts Butler (15-15, 6-13) in a regular-season finale Saturday morning in Chicago.
If the Blue Demons win, they’ll clinch the No. 5 seed and a first-round bye in the Big East tournament. They’ve never had a bye or such a high seed. They’d also clinch the school’s first winning season since 2018-19.
“This program was once good,” said DePaul guard Brandon Maclin, one of four Senior Day honorees. “And then it dropped from being good. We’ve got to rebuild it back up and I believe we are the foundation to the program getting right back where it needs to be.”
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Second-year boss Chris Holtmann, among the 20 finalists for the Jim Phelan Award that goes to the national coach of the year, has rebuilt the Blue Demons on defensive effort and unselfishness.
Per KenPom, DePaul entered Friday’s action ranked No. 39 in defensive efficiency (100.6 points allowed per 100 possessions) and 27th in assists per field goal (60.8%).
One area of concern? The Blue Demons have played so hard to get where they are, they might be wearing down. They made just 2 of 16 from 3-point range in Wednesday’s 19-point home loss to Villanova.
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“It’s crossed my mind that do we have some guys out there that have logged a lot of minutes throughout the course of the season and it’s caught up with them a little bit,” Holtmann said. “We’ve got to figure out a way to keep them fresh, which is why I kept some of those guys on the bench a little bit more (Wednesday night).
“The clean looks that we’ve had, that some of our guys have had, that they’re missing is a little bit uncharacteristic.”
Butler enters Saturday after a similarly disappointing Wednesday result at home. The Bulldogs suffered a 17-point loss to Creighton while hitting just 4 of 24 from 3-point range. Head coach Thad Matta suggested it was a new low for his squad, which has dropped eight of their last 10 games.
“It was one of those games where we didn’t have it,” Matta said after the 76-57 loss to Creighton. “The thing that bothers me most is that, you know, you sit at home and watch games at night, like, whoo, that team, there’s one that got drilled (and) they got drilled (and) they got drilled. I told my wife, ‘We haven’t done that yet. We’ve continued to fight. We’ve continued to scrape. We’ve continued to claw.’”
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On an individual basis, Butler’s Michael Ajayi (16.4 ppg, 11.1 rpg) and Finley Bizjack (17.0 ppg) and DePaul’s CJ Gunn (13.5 ppg) and NJ Benson (11.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg) have their last chance to put up numbers and improve their all-Big East candidacies.
Leeds United have urged supporters to show respect when players who are observing Ramadan break their fast during Sunday’s FA Cup fifth-round match against Norwich City.
Loud boos were heard when play was paused to allow fasting players to take on fluids and energy supplements during last weekend’s match against Manchester City at Elland Road.
The club said the booing was “disappointing and unexpected”, but added there were “several mitigating circumstances”, including their own failure to properly explain the interruption to fans before it happened.
“To be clear, Leeds United explicitly condemn any supporters in the home or away sections who actively boo players observing Ramadan and use the protocol in place to break their fast,” said the Premier League club in a statement issued on Friday.
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Leeds said they should have been “more proactive with our communications in advance of the Manchester City fixture, to explain to supporters that this was going to happen”, as “this was the first time a game at Elland Road has ever been paused to allow players observing Ramadan to break their fast”.
The club added: “There was a clear lack of awareness by some attending the fixture. Whilst we displayed a message on our big screen at Elland Road to explain why the game had been paused, this was not visible for approximately 25% of the stadium.”
As a further explanation to why some fans may have reacted as they did, Leeds pointed to an incident during the away fixture against Manchester City in November, when Farke accused goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma of feigning injury to “bend the rules” and allow Pep Guardiola’s side to hold a tactical timeout on the touchline.
Leeds say it is important “for respect to be shown” when the Norwich game pauses for players observing Ramadan to break their fast – including the club’s striker Joel Piroe – following sunset on Sunday.
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Sunset, which is when Muslims break their daily fast during Ramadan, is expected to fall around the 75th minute of a game that kicks off at 16:30 GMT.
Leeds also condemned discriminatory and tragedy chanting at football grounds, as well as continuing taunts referencing Leeds-born Jimmy Savile, one of the UK’s most prolific sexual predators, aimed at the club’s supporters by opposition fans.
“Football still has a long way to go in eradicating stains on the game, including racism, homophobia, tragedy chanting and the sickening Jimmy Savile taunts our own supporters are subjected to at every match from opposition fans,” Leeds said.
“As a club, we will continue to work to ensure that in time, these issues cease to exist. On Sunday against Norwich City, there is an opportunity to show the very best of Leeds United, and that everyone is welcome at Elland Road.”
After anticipation, expectation and then litigation, hope of seeing Jaron Ennis fight Vergil Ortiz Jr anytime soon has seemingly ended, but despite that disappointment, ‘Boots’ may well end up challenging for world honours in a replacement fight.
Ennis and Ortiz have been linked to a showdown for years now, but in recent months it seemed as though the super-welterweight rivals would finally go toe-to-toe, in one of the most in-demand clashes of 2026.
Then, Ortiz filed a lawsuit against his own promoter, Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy Promotions, in order to get out of his contract and proceed with the Ennis fight as part of a multi-fight deal with Matchroom Boxing.
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Last month, Golden Boy were granted a temporary restraining order against Ortiz, restricting his ability to negotiate with other promoters and fight Ennis. That legal battle has now been sent to arbitration, with the arbitrator ordered to settle the matter by September 2.
As a result, Ortiz’s career has been put on hold, whilst Ennis has been forced to look for a short-notice fight, having been preparing for a proposed April 18 fight date.
“We are seeing what is happening with Vergil and Boots, if they are going to make the fight happen. If not, are any of those guys going to be available for the date that I have set, that is what it comes down to.”
Zayas has previously confirmed that he has already agreed a fight date, venue and broadcaster for an event on home soil in Puerto Rico. In order for a fight with Boots to take place, those plans may need to be ditched.
Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence early Friday morning in Scottsdale, Ariz., police said.
Officers conducted a traffic stop in Scottsdale at roughly 1 a.m. and after an investigation, Brooks was arrested. He was taken to jail and released following the booking process around 3:30 a.m.
The 30-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., hasn’t played since Feb. 21 because of a fractured left hand. He’s expected to be out until at least late March after having surgery.
“We are aware of the situation involving Dillon Brooks and are gathering more information,” the Suns said in a statement. “We have no further comment at this time.”
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The Suns played the Chicago Bulls at home on Thursday night just hours before his arrest, losing 105-103.
Before the injury, Brooks was having the best season of his NBA career, averaging a career-high 20.9 points per game. He came to the Suns as part of the trade that sent 15-time all-star Kevin Durant to the Rockets during the off-season.
England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt has called on her side to embrace the power of home advantage in this summer’s Women’s T20 World Cup, as the hosts look to heal some of their tournament “scars”.
England Women have won four of their five major global trophies on their own soil, including a memorable 50-over title success at a packed Lord’s in 2017.
The trail has gone cold on the road over the past nine years, with the group-stage exit in the United Arab Emirates a notable low point at the previous T20 event in 2024.
Speaking at Edgbaston with exactly 100 days to go before their curtain-raising fixture against Sri Lanka, Sciver-Brunt acknowledged that it is time to put England back in the hunt for silverware.
“Being at home definitely gives you an edge; everyone in that team will be feeling the expectation,” she told the Press Association.
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“As a captain, that’s what you sign up for, and to lead the girls out on this ground will be so, so special. We know we’ll be brilliantly supported and we’re really looking forward to it. It’s in touching distance.
“It felt like that in 2017, too, but you never know if you’ll get another chance to experience something like that. Now, here we are with 100 days to go until we have another opportunity to rewrite English Women’s cricket a little bit.
“It’s been frustrating not to have accelerated as we wanted after the last World Cup win. The senior players have probably got a few more scars than some of the younger ones, so it’s up to us not to bring that into the team environment.
“We’ve got such a youthful team, we’ll be drawing on that youthfulness and trying to live in the present as much as we can.”
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Ticket sales surpassed the total for the 2017 World Cup in January and are now over 115,000, with buyers from 45 different countries and a sold-out allocation for the final on 5 July.
England Women celebrate winning the 2017 World Cup (John Walton/PA)
Tournament director Beth Barrett-Wild has even loftier ambitions as the fixtures edge closer and credits the Hundred with helping amplify the reach of the women’s game.
“What the Hundred did was transformative for women’s cricket. It’s not necessarily about unlocking a door, but it created a stage to present the women’s game to as many people as possible,” she told PA.
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“The competition in 2017 was a breakthrough moment for the game, but we’re past that milestone already, and we’re targeting a total attendance of around 270,000 this time.
“But we don’t just want to break records, we want this to be a moment that really changes behaviour and engagement. It’s about fan retention for 2027 and what the audience for women’s cricket looks like beyond that.”
You don’t need us to tell you that Duke, Arizona and Michigan will be No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament.
Nevermind the final few days of the regular season or upcoming conference tournaments. It will take more than another loss to knock any of those teams off the top line. They have done enough.
The remaining No. 1?
Defending NCAA champion Florida (24-6) and 2023-24 champ UConn (27-3) are the only candidates.
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Polymarket alert.
It’s Florida.
The NCAA selection committee can take the easy path or the more considered one when it announces the 68-team tournament field on Selection Sunday, March 15.
The Big East champion Huskies can point to one game as justification for their second No. 1 seed in three years — a 77-73 victory over Florida in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 9.
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UConn held the Gators to 40 percent shooting and forced a five-second call on an inbounds play with nine seconds left in a three-point game, preventing the Gators from a potential game-tying shot.
A quality win’s quality win.
UConn is 18-2 since entering its final regular-season Big East game at Marquette on Saturday.
In the three months since, Florida has grown fangs.
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Florida is 19-2 since, while playing a tougher schedule in a tougher Southeastern conference. It has won 10 straight, the longest current streak in the Power Six and the fourth-longest in Division I behind Miami, Ohio (30), Navy (13) and High Point (11).
It simply took Florida a bit longer to find its new identity.
Clayton’s skill and will helped the Gators overcome a nine-point deficit to Texas Tech in the West Regional finals, a nine-point deficit to Auburn in the national semifinals, and a 12-point deficit to Houston in the title game. Simply breathtaking.
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And never mind the earlier 77-75 second-round NCAA victory over UConn, when the Gators overcame a six-point lead to end coach Danny Hurley’s bid for a three-peat.
No longer guard-first but not guard-bereft, the Gators have arguably the best frontline in the college game led by forward Thomas Baugh, a projected 2026 NBA lottery pick. They lead the NCAA with a plus-14.3 rebound margin and are ninth in scoring margin at plus-15.7.
Analytics trust the Gators.
Duke, Michigan, Arizona and Florida are ranked 1-4 in KenPom’s adjusted efficiency margin. UConn is 10th.
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Duke, Michigan, Arizona and Florida are the only teams to rank among the top nine in both offensive efficiency and defensive efficiency. UConn is 12th in defensive efficiency and 20th in offensive efficiency.
