It’s that time. It’s time to determine whether the Minnesota Vikings have the muscle to be considered a legitimate Super Bowl contender, and CBS Sports believes that answer is yes, at least in a “sleeper” capacity.

Minnesota has the roster infrastructure to turn a quarterback rebound into something larger.

According to Tyler Sullivan, the Vikings are one of the long-shot franchises that could spring up and upend the Super Bowl chase this season.

Murray Gives the Vikings a New Ceiling in 2026

The Vikings as a Super Bowl contender? We will take it.

Sullivan on MIN as an SB Dark Horse

In addition to the Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, and Washington Commanders, Minnesota pulled down a mention from Sullivan as a fringe Super Bowl hopeful.

He wrote, “The Vikings’ biggest issue in 2025 was under center. Letting Sam Darnold — and even Daniel Jones — walk in favor of 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy proved to be a monumental mistake. In his first season as the full-time starter, McCarthy struggled with durability issues and poor play when he was on the field.”

“That was enough for Minnesota to fire general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and effectively pull the plug on the McCarthy era by signing Kyler Murray in free agency and re-signing veteran Carson Wentz. While head coach Kevin O’Connell has discussed a competition for the Week 1 job, Murray is clearly positioned as QB1 entering 2026, dramatically raising Minnesota’s ceiling.”

Murray will play in Minnesota on a $1.3 million contract. The Arizona Cardinals paid him to leave town.

Sullivan continued, “Outside of quarterback, Minnesota already has a roster capable of competing in the NFC, as evidenced by its 14-3 campaign in 2024 with Darnold. If O’Connell can get top-tier play out of Murray, the Vikings should immediately find themselves back in the thick of the NFC North race.”

“That was Minnesota’s most impactful move this offseason, but we’ll also keep an eye on what its rookie class can produce. Selecting Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks at No. 18 overall was a true roll of the dice.”

The Defense Is There

While the Vikings will hope that Murray can take the offense to new heights — he has the physical tools for it — the defense is already there.

In fact, during the last three seasons with the Cardinals, Arizona ranked 30th in the NFL per defensive EPA/Play. The defense next to Murray has been the league’s third-worst since 2023. On the other hand, Brian Flores’s defense in the same timeframe ranks second-best.

So, Murray goes from the league’s third-worst defense since 2023 to its second-best. That should matter.

Meanwhile, Flores’s group ranked third last year per DVOA and EPA/Play. Even if the unit regressed a few spots, it still should be in good shape.

So Are the Weapons

Murray didn’t suffer from a lack of weapons in Arizona; no one really claims that. However, he’ll get a fresh batch in Minnesota that might include more firepower, depending on the eye of the beholder.

In late April, the Vikings’ running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends look like this:

• Justin Jefferson
• Jordan Addison
• T.J. Hockenson
• Aaron Jones
• Jordan Mason
• Demond Claiborne

Too, the Vikings have expressed interest in free-agent wideout Jauan Jennings, who could sign with the club at any minute. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Tuesday night that Jennings was en route to the Twin Cities to discuss a possible contract.

For a Super Bowl push, the weapons are there.

It’s the QB, Silly

Ultimately, the entire Super Bowl dream will come down to Murray; that’s usually how it works at quarterback in the NFL. Last year, Minnesota produced the league’s fifth-worst quarterback performance per Dropback EPA and still finished the season with a winning record. O’Connell needs Murray to put him over the hump and stabilize the QB1 spot.

The Vikings don’t need Murray to play like a Top 5 quarterback to contend. Last season, Minnesota finished 9-8 despite the abysmal quarterback play; even decent production in several losses likely would have altered the outcomes. This highlights the team’s potential with improved QB performance — from Murray.

While Murray won’t be asked to be a game manager, good-enough quarterback play simply could be enough for the Vikings to make the playoffs; anything beyond that would be a bonus. For instance, a solid, efficient, and occasionally explosive Baker Mayfield-level season would likely suffice. The exciting part is that it’s realistic.

He’s a two-time Pro Bowler with undeniable talent, even if he doesn’t fit the mold of a typical tall quarterback. Arizona recognized his unique talent, drafting him first overall in 2019, just one year after selecting Josh Rosen in the 1st Round. Murray boasts impressive speed, ranks fifth all-time in NFL history for completion percentage, and can launch the ball 70 yards downfield.

Minnesota represents a true fresh start for Murray. Free from the “study clause,” general Cardinals drama, and heavy organizational baggage, he arrives at age 28 and is still in his physical prime.

Sullivan might be on to something.

A showdown between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury has been agreed, providing ‘AJ’ is victorious in his July comeback. However, promoters Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren have provided different timelines for the long-awaited fight.

Fury made his ring return at the beginning of the month, outpointing Russia’s Arslanbek Makhmudov in a first win since 2023, before demanding a clash with perennial rival Joshua who was sitting at ringside.

‘AJ’ is yet to fight since a tragic car crash in Nigeria that took the lives of two close friends, but the former unified world champion has vowed to continue boxing and finally face ‘The Gypsy King’ after a ‘warm-up’ fight in the summer.

On Monday, it was revealed that the Londoner will face Albania’s Kristian Prenga in Riyadh on Saturday, July 25, and that an agreement was in place for Joshua to take on Fury before the end of the year.

Speaking to The Punch Podcast, Joshua’s promoter Hearn declared plans for the event to take place in November.

“We will return in July, against Kristian Prenga, and then all being well we will fight Tyson Fury in November. It is all signed from our side, done.

“Fury has said that he has signed as well so, touch wood, we are finally going to get what is unquestionably the biggest fight in the history of British boxing and maybe even close to [the biggest ever] on the world scale, as well.”

However, in an interview with talkSPORT Boxing, Fury’s long-term promoter Warren stated that he expects the fight to happen ‘sometime in October’.

“It is signed. Tyson signed up for it months ago, we have been waiting for AJ and he has now done it. So, the fight will be on and it will be on sometime in October by the looks of it.”

As a result, it seems as though further details of the deal still need to be ironed out, including whether Fury will also have an additional ‘tune-up’ before the blockbuster bout.

The summer cannot come soon enough for Manchester United outcast Jadon Sancho, who looks set to leave Old Trafford.

Louis Saha believes Jadon Sancho is the most disappointing signing in Manchester United’s history and says he must follow the example set by former teammate Marcus Rashford. Sancho is expected to leave United as a free agent in June when his current deal expires after an extremely disappointing and underwhelming stint at Old Trafford.

His five‑year spell at the club has seen him sent out on loan three times, and he is currently in and out of the Aston Villa side under Unai Emery. Sancho first caught the eye of United’s hierarchy during an impressive stint at Borussia Dortmund, where he produced the best football of his career across two spells with the Bundesliga club.

But he struggled to reach anything close to those levels after joining United for £73million in 2021. Speaking to BetVictor about Sancho’s career downfall, former Reds striker Louis Saha said: “I think Jadon Sancho is the most disappointing signing in Man United’s history.

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“That’s because of the level he had shown at Borussia Dortmund before joining, he showed so much promise because he is an enormous talent. It felt like a mystery. I’m not sure what happened but he didn’t get anywhere near his best and I think he needs a fresh start like Marcus Rashford.

“I was really privileged to be a football player and I was injured a lot and I wish I could have played the amount of games that Sancho has played at his age and with his talent. I would have really loved him to thrive at Old Trafford because he can do everything. He can do amazing things and so it’s a pity to see all those games wasted.”

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Rashford also saw his United career effectively end last year after a falling out with Ruben Amorim over being left out of the December Manchester derby. He left on loan for Villa in January, temporarily ending his two‑decade association with the club.

His spell at Villa Park offered flashes of the form he had struggled to show before his Old Trafford exit, earning him a season‑long loan to Barcelona, who hold a £26million option to make the move permanent.

In Catalonia, Rashford found a fresh start and began to enjoy his football again – and that is exactly what Sancho will be hoping to replicate this summer. The winger, who has been linked with a return to Dortmund, will be desperate to reignite his career.

However, a move back to the Signal Iduna Park would require a pay cut, with the German club unable to match the £250,000‑a‑week he earns in England.

Sancho was expected to play a major role in helping United challenge for major trophies but his move turned into a nightmare for all involved. At the start of the 2023/24 season, he was banished from first‑team training after a public fallout with former boss Erik ten Hag.

He eventually returned to Dortmund on loan in January and helping them reach the Champions League final but a permanent deal didn’t materialise. Despite clearing the air with Ten Hag, he was allowed to join Chelsea on a season‑long loan with an obligation to buy.

By the end of the 2024/25 campaign, Chelsea paid a termination fee to avoid signing him permanently and sent him back to M16, where he later joined Villa at the start of this season but he has also failed to make an impact there.

Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.

The trainer Matt Dunn is brushing aside Another Cashie’s fresh failure, tipping the three-year-old for a sharp improvement and sneaky effort in the Group Two Queensland Guineas despite being at long odds.

He kicked off his campaign solidly at Gold Coast on April 4 before fading to the backmarkers in the Daybreak Lover Plate (1400m) secured by favourite Brave Monarch for the Guineas, which Dunn would sooner disregard.

“That was just a disaster last start, and he’ll bounce back from that on Saturday,” Dunn said.

“He missed the start, circled the field, and did way too much work. He drew a bad gate, and the plan was to try to go forward, but he didn’t jump, and we didn’t adjust.

He just worked too hard during the race, but he’s a decent horse and he deserves his spot.”

Another Cashie’s recent mishap stained his page, but prior spring results reinforce Dunn’s view.

Third at Eagle Farm to the classy Grafterburners in November, he fought to a half-length second behind Brave Monarch at Sunshine Coast wrapping up his prep.

Barrier four awaits Saturday, positioning Dunn’s $81 hope for at least a top-five finish.

“Absolutely. From a good gate, we can ride him properly and he’ll make his presence felt,” he said.

“The aim long-term is to get him through to the (Queensland Derby). He’ll run that trip, so that’s our ambitious plan.”

Dunn expects quick sprinter Without Parallel to bounce back in the curtain-raiser post her wide run at Doomben on return.

Post-Kosciusko effort, her wide gate Saturday poses issues, but Dunn has her peaking to win.

“We’re just going to have to use her speed, so hopefully she doesn’t have to work too hard to get across,” he said.

“First-up it didn’t work out for her at all. We got stuck three-deep with no cover and things didn’t pan out as we hoped.

But she’s great. She will be hard to beat, she just needs a bit of luck from that gate.”

Completing the Eagle Farm team for Dunn are Maurraqa and dependable stayer Belvedere Boys.

Check betting sites for the latest betting markets for the race in the Queensland Guineas.

There’s been increased attention on the New England Patriots following the Mike Vrabel-Dianna Russini scandal. Vrabel was obligated to discuss the issue once multiple pictures emerged of the pair, and missed Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft in order to be with his family.

But Patriots players haven’t had much of a chance to give their thoughts on Vrabel’s situation. That changed once Vrabel returned to the team following his day off, and multiple players — including quarterback Drake Maye — showed immense support for the head coach.

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Maye spoke about Vrabel’s situation Wednesday, saying the team is “here for coach.”

Someone within the Minnesota Vikings organization looked at another guy recently and said, “You know what? We need a bunch of defensive tackles.” Interim general manager Rob Brzezinski signed veteran DT Eric Johnson on Wednesday, the fourth new interior defensive lineman in the last five days.

Minnesota continues to tweak its defensive line after the draft, this time with a 320-pound veteran flier.

Johnson may not have too much of an impact on the 2026 regular season, but he’s in the house for the summer nevertheless.

Brian Flores Gets Another iDL Option

Get to know Johnson.

Johnson to MIN

No one much expected a DT signing right after the draft, but here we are. Vikings.com’s Lindsey Young wrote, “The Vikings are continuing to add pieces to their defensive line. Minnesota has signed free agent defensive tackle Eric Johnson II, the team announced Wednesday. Originally a fifth-round selection by Indianapolis in the 2022 NFL Draft, Johnson spent his first two pro seasons with the Colts, a stint with the Patriots in 2024 and then rejoined the Colts for the 2025 campaign.”

“He played in 12 games last season and recorded six tackles, including one for loss. Johnson was on the field for 131 defensive snaps and 16 special teams snaps. Johnson’s most productive season occurred in 2023, when he had 15 tackles, a sack and a tackle for loss.”

From an April standpoint, Johnson projects as a roster bubble guy. He’ll have to fight for a regular season roster spot at training camp.

Johnson’s Background

Johnson is 27, drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in Round 5 four years ago. He’s 6’4″ and 320 pounds. The Missouri State alumnus has played in 51 career games since 2022, starting none, and has logged 41 total tackles, with 3 QB hits, 2 tackles for loss, and a sack. He is the very definition of a depth defensive tackle.

Here’s his PFF resume, along with snap counts per season:

• 2025: 47.6 (131 snaps)
• 2024: 54.2 (178 snaps)
• 2023: 30.5 (265 snaps)
• 2022: 47.4 (47.4 snaps)

And his NFL menu so far:

• Indianapolis Colts (2022–2023)
• New England Patriots (2024)
• Indianapolis Colts (2025)
• Minnesota Vikings (2026-now)

Johnson is better at rushing the passer than stopping the run, though he’s certainly not a pass-rush savant.

The Viking Age‘s Adam Patrick on the Johnson addition: “While the dust is still settling from the 2026 NFL Draft, the Vikings announced on Wednesday that the team has signed free-agent defensive lineman Eric Johnson II. Johnson isn’t someone who had been on anyone’s radar before signing with Minnesota, and rightfully so, since he only has 41 career tackles since entering the league back in 2022.”

“For whatever reason, though, Johnson just hasn’t been able to use his size and athleticism to earn a more consistent role with a team during his pro career. The chances of this happening for him in Minnesota don’t seem high, especially after they just added Caleb Banks and Dominique Orange in this year’s NFL Draft. But perhaps the Vikings’ coaching staff can help him perform at a level he hasn’t been able to reach yet since entering the league.”

The New Load of DTs

One offseason surprise for the Vikings? After releasing Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, the DT position became a sudden priority and a youth movement. Dropping Hargrave and Allen last month did not mean that defensive coordinator Brian Flores was content with his young depth defenders; he just wanted different ones.

Here’s the full DT room entering May:

• Jalen Redmond
• Caleb Banks
• Domonique Orange
• Levi Drake Rodriguez
• Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins
• Elijah Williams
• Taki Taimani
• Eric Johnson
• Monkell Goodwine

Next to Redmond, a headliner by now of the Vikings’ defense, Banks and Orange entered the mix as rookies last week from the draft.

All the FA Additions since March

Believe it or not, the 2026 offseason has been unusually quiet for the Vikings in adding new veterans from free agency. The club used the last few months to reset the salary cap, refusing to put the bill on the 2027 or 2028 ledger. Therefore, when next offseason rolls around, Minnesota will have more flexibility.

Here’s the haul of newcomer vets since the start of March:

• Johnny Hekker (P)
• Eric Johnson (DT)
• Kyler Murray (QB)
• James Pierre (CB)
• Ryan Van Demark (OT)

That list may grow into the spring and summer, and in fact, some expect the Vikings to sign wide receiver Jauan Jennings sometime this week after he met with the club in Eagan.

Johnson will turn 28 in July. He played alongside former Vikings defense Camryn Bynum and Mekhi Blackmon last year in Indianapolis.

Brooks Koepka is back on the PGA Tour and he’s now back to being one of its most highly sought-after gear free agents.

Dunlop Sports, the parent company of Cleveland/Srixon Golf and XXIO, announced it and Koepka had mutually agreed to end their endorsement contract, “effectively immediately.”

“Over the course of their relationship, Brooks served as an exceptional ambassador for the Srixon and Cleveland Golf brands,” a statement on the company’s website said. “His commitment to competing at the highest level of the game, including a major championship victory with Srixon and Cleveland Golf equipment in play, exemplifies the performance standard both brands stand for.

“Dunlop Sports Americas is proud of what was accomplished together and grateful for the professionalism and dedication Brooks brought to the partnership. DSA wishes him continued success on the PGA Tour.”

Koepka signed with Cleveland/Srixon, somewhat surprisingly, in 2021 after years of being one of golf’s most coveted after free agents. He won his first four major titles as a free agent after Nike left the hard goods business. He was seen as one of the most valuable free agent signings of all-time.

The partnership bore fruit quickly when Koepka won the 2023 PGA Championship, his fifth major title, with a Srixon ball, driver, irons and Cleveland wedges.

But Koepka received notably less publicity in the following years while playing on LIV Golf, which he joined mid-2022, just over a year into the partnership. He also never switched to the company’s new ZXi driver or ZXi irons, released in 2025.

There was evidence the partnership was on shaky ground earlier this season when Koepka switched from a Srixon Z-Star Diamond back to a Titleist Pro V1x golf ball at the Cognizant Classic. That was something he did early on in the partnership as well, but Cleveland/Srixon granted him permission to switch balls in 2022 as they worked toward creating a ball tailored to his game.

Koepka is currently the second alternate for this week’s Signature Event, the Cadillac Championship in Miami, and is on site in case of two last-minute withdrawals. If he doesn’t make the field, he recently committed to next week’s OneFlight Myrtle Beach Classic opposite the Truist Championship as he gears up for the PGA Championship.

Given his success when he was a free agent, it wouldn’t be shocking for him to continue down that road for the foreseeable future. Expect some movement within his golf bag over the next few months.

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Apprentice Jabez Johnstone out of Tasmania has strengthened his case for eventually basing himself in Melbourne courtesy of a win riding for Ciaron Maher.

Partnering the Ciaron Maher-trained Cardi Bee, Johnstone claimed the IVE> Handicap (1500m) at Caulfield Heath on Wednesday in a swift crossover venture.

Touching down in Melbourne Sunday, he competed in jump-outs at Cranbourne the next day Monday, followed by gallops at Cranbourne Tuesday, before securing two rides with the Maher team on Wednesday.

With 47 winners to his name this term, Johnstone holds second spot on the Tasmanian Jockeys’ premiership, scheduled to fly out Wednesday night for seven rides at Devonport on Sunday.

National Assistant Trainer Jack Turnbull from Ciaron Maher Racing noted Johnstone’s potential for a repeat visit in a fortnight.

“He’s come over from Tasmania through Steve Maskiell and he’s hit the ground running,” Turnbull said.

“He flies back tonight, but he’s back in a fortnight to do a similar thing and then I guess it’s up to him and Ciaron and the team if he would like to come back and ride in Melbourne.

“He rode trials on Monday, and a couple of gallops, and the idea was to get a couple of rides today and thankfully he’s got a winner at his second race after he rode the first one really well.

“Hopefully he likes his time and wants to come back.

“He’s a good young kid with plenty of ability and he showed that today as he was very collected in the run.”

Johnstone voiced his excitement about coming back to Melbourne.

He familiarized himself with Caulfield Heath by walking it with mentor to apprentices and retired jockey Alf Matthews, astounded by the track’s shapes.

“I can’t thank everyone enough for all their support, all the team back home and Ciaron and the team here, they put a lot of faith in me,” Johnstone said.

“The race, it worked out perfectly.

“I had barrier 10 and it was a blessing in disguise actually. She likes to roll forward and on this tight turning track, the genuine speed helped me, and we were able to get in, and she was able to do the rest.”

Visit racing betting markets to find great value on fixtures like the IVE> Handicap at Caulfield Heath.