Soon enough, Kevin O’Connell will make the most important decision he has made as the Vikings’ head coach. Choosing the correct quarterback — J.J. McCarthy or Kyler Murray — will be the most significant decision he can make for 2026. Quite possibly, O’Connell’s job beyond the current season will hinge on the decision.

So, a lot of pressure rests on the passer battle.

Many are proceeding through the remaining weeks of the offseason with the assumption that Kyler Murray is going to win the QB1 job. Quite possibly, that assumption proves to be exactly right. Murray is a wonderfully talented passer and is in a great setup to shine. Still, though, there’s plenty to be said for what McCarthy is capable of accomplishing as a 23-year-old passer who is entering his third pro season. In fact, O’Connell spoke to the next phase in McCarthy’s development several months ago.

Kevin O’Connell on What’s in Front of J.J. McCarthy

My hot take: most of J.J. McCarthy’s struggles in 2025 come down to poor coaching from Kevin O’Connell. Tasking the kid with adjusting his mechanics behind a patchwork offensive line while refusing to run the football was insanity.

At Michigan, Mr. McCarthy played well largely due to a dominant defense and ground game. Brian Flores brought the excellent defense to the party. O’Connell, though, didn’t stick with the ground game. Stunningly, he explained earlier in the offseason that Minnesota only adjusted toward emphasizing the rushing attack, minimizing turnovers, and playing sizzling defense in the final five games of the season. Maybe that was just meaningless coach talk; maybe that was nevertheless a very dumb thing to say.

Something that wasn’t dumb was how O’Connell discussed where things are heading at quarterback.

The Vikings’ skipper chatted with Paul Allen and Pete Bercich for roughly twenty minutes at the NFL combine. “We want him to be in a competitive situation,” O’Connell explained back in late February. O’Connell continued: “We’ve really got to push the gas pedal down. And not replace development and coaching and teaching with anything, but really enhance it with a really competitive situation.”

In essence, let McCarthy feel the urgency of direct competition.

O’Connell’s view was that adding a viable starting quarterback wasn’t about replacing J.J. McCarthy. Rather, the goal is to enhance the competition for J.J. McCarthy by inserting somebody capable of replacing him. Can the kid elevate to such a degree that he doesn’t get leapfrogged for the QB1 spot? If so, then he’ll be better; if not, the team will still have a competent option to start.

Last year, the Vikings proved remarkably stupid when not introducing actual competition for McCarthy. All along, Sam Howell, Brett Rypien, and Max Brosmer were depth options. At no point did any challenge for the QB1 job. Minnesota isn’t making the mistake again.

Kevin O’Connell has not committed to giving the starting job to Murray. Instead, there’s a true competition taking place. This, too, is seen as part of the process of seeing J.J. McCarthy develop. The Vikings are therefore introducing a challenge rather than signalling a desire to abandon the No. 10 pick.

What’s inside of the kid once he gets backed into a corner? The Vikings want to see a fighter who shows the absolute best version of himself.

Whether the strategy proves fruitful — which is to say nothing of actually committing to running the ball, minimizing turnovers, and playing excellent defense — remains to be seen. Clarity will arrive in short order as the competition gets rolling next week.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

The death of Kevin Keegan, regarded as one of the greatest football players of his generation, was announced in a statement released by his family on Monday.

“It is with immense sadness that we announce that Kevin Keegan has passed away at the age of 75,” the statement read.

“Kevin had been battling cancer and was surrounded by his wife and daughters in his final moments. A double Ballon d’Or winner, Kevin was a much-loved husband, father and grandfather.”

Born in Doncaster, South Yorkshire on February 14, 1951, Keegan got his big break when he was signed by Liverpool’s legendary manager Bill Shankly in 1971.

At Anfield, Keegan struck up a striking partnership with Welshman John Toshack, going on to win the First Division title three times as well as the FA Cup, the UEFA Cup twice and the 1977 European Cup. He made 323 appearances, scoring 100 goals for Liverpool.

Success in the Bundesliga

From Merseyside, Keegan moved on to the Bundesliga’s Hamburg, where he was twice named European Footballer of the Year, which is now called the Ballon d’Or, in 1978 and 1979. With Hamburg, he won the Bundesliga in 1978-79 and played in another European Cup final, a 1980 loss to Nottingham Forest. He left the club having scored 32 goals in 90 appearances.

Hamburg were among the former teams to pay tribute to Keegan in a statement on their website on Monday.

“In Kevin Keegan, world football loses one of its most defining figures. Hamburger SV will always cherish the memory of its former title-winning player and two-time Ballon d’Or winner,” the statement said.

Our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and all those who shared his journey. Rest in peace, “Mighty Mouse.”

Advertisement

Return to England

Following his stint in West Germany, Keegan returned to England with Southampton in the summer of 1980 before moving to Second Division Newcastle, helping the club win promotion back to the top flight – before retiring as a player.

He won 63 England caps, scoring 21 goals, playing at the 1982 World Cup and was also later captain of the national team.

Stepping into management

In 1992, Keegan moved into management at Newcastle, leading them into the Premier League and to within touching distance of the 1995-96 title, but they missed out to Manchester United.

The club also paid tribute to Keegan in a statement issued on Monday afternoon, describing him as “the beating heart of Newcastle for generations of supporters.”

Advertisement

After leaving St James’ Park in January 1997, a brief stint at Fulham followed before he became England manager in 1999. After overseeing a disappointing Euro 2000 campaign, Keegan resigned minutes after a 1-0 defeat by Germany in World Cup qualifying, the last match played at the original Wembley Stadium.

He later managed Manchester City, before returning to Newcastle.

Keegan’s family had revealed in January that he had been diagnosed with cancer, which later spread to stage four.

Edited by: Jenipher Camino Gonzalez

Advertisement

Any time a pitcher throws a no-hitter – the complete-game kind, not a bunch of relievers – I feel some obligation to look at his next start to see how he follows it up. I’m cheating a bit tonight as the Rays visit the Blue Jays, as Dylan Cease took a no-no into the ninth inning before losing it. But he has been on a roll, and Tampa Bay has not. First pitch from Toronto’s Rogers Centre is set for 7:07 p.m. ET.

Rays-Blue Jays MLB same-game parlay

• Toronto money line
• Alt Under 9.5

DraftKings SGP price: +114

In his most recent start, on July 8 in San Francisco, Cease had a no-hitter entering the bottom of the ninth. I was fascinated to see if Manager John Schneider would let him finish the game, as he had thrown a ton of pitches. The point became moot when the Giants‘ Heliot Ramos led off the inning with a line-drive single to center. Cease was pulled immediately, after a career-high 118 pitches, a whopping 81 of which were strikes. It was very cool of Giants fans to give him a standing ovation (pictured).

Cease became the AL Cy Young favorite at some books after that (as well as at Kalshi), and as of Sunday at DraftKings was a co-favorite with the Yankees‘ Cam Schlittler at +130. But Schlittler pitched Sunday and wasn’t great in a loss to the Dodgers, so Cease is nore at +130 with Schlittler at +140.

Bet on Rays-Jays and more MLB action at FanDuel, where new users can get up to $1,000 in Bet Reset Tokens:

Now, I might worry about that high pitch count for Cease under normal circumstances, but so much time has passed that I don’t think it’s a concern. Cease also pitched in last Tuesday’s All-Star Game, getting the win for the American League after striking out three in the first inning. He looked plenty sharp to me.

Cease also threw seven shutout innings in his start in Seattle before facing the Giants. I have followed Cease pretty much his entire career, because he was once a touted Cubs prospect, before he was dealt to the White Sox. The 30-year-old, when he’s on, is as good as anyone. But sometimes his focus slips or whatever and it goes poorly. We should know in the top of the first tonight which guy we are getting. If Cease walks the Tampa Bay lead-off batter, that’s not good.

Cease is 1-3 at home in nine starts, though he has a 2.82 ERA at home and has gotten lousy run support. Cease took a no-decision against the visiting Rays on May 13, allowing a run and three hits over seven in a game Toronto would eventually win in extra innings. The SportsLine Projection Model forecasts Cease at 5.5 innings, 7.3 strikeouts, 5.1 hits allowed and 2.5 earned runs. At DraftKings, he is +140 to win and set at Over/Under 7.5 Ks.

It’s pretty much now or never for the defending AL champions to make a wild card move, sitting seven games under .500 and 4.5 games out of the final spot in the Junior Circuit but with several other teams ahead of them. The schedule gets quite a bit tougher after this series – not that the AL East-leading Rays aren’t good, but they are 21-27 on the road. The model gives Toronto a 12.0% shot at the playoffs, while DK prices the team at +350, which equates to 22.2%. I don’t see it. 

Bet on MLB at DraftKings, where new users get $150 in bonus bets after placing a $5+ first wager:

Tampa Bay leads the division by 1.5 games over the Yankees but is a +130 second favorite with New York at +100 and that’s just a ton of Yankees money talking. Do I think the Rays win their first World Series? No … but I would change my tune if they got Tarik Skubal. And with new ownership trying to get a stadium built in Tampa, it sounds like they are willing to spend to acquire help at the Aug. 3 trade deadline. That’s something past Rays owners rarely did. I hope they do for selfish reasons so I can go possibly see a White Sox-Rays playoff game at the Trop.

It’s first-time All-Star Nick Martinez (8-2, 2.65 ERA) on the mound for Tampa Bay. I keep waiting for the 35-year-old journeyman righty to come crashing back to Earth – he lost 14 games last year with a 4.45 ERA with Cincinnati – but he hasn’t yet. He has been one of the most profitable starting pitchers in the majors at +$948 (Tampa Bay is 14-4 in his starts).

Martinez threw a scoreless inning in last week’s All-Star Game and faced the Jays once this season, allowing one run over five in a home win on May 4. Toronto lead-off hitter George Springer is 6-for-17 off him, with two homers. Overall, Martinez is 2-2 with a 5.83 ERA in 29.1 innings vs. the Blue Jays. The model has him at 6.1 innings, 3.6 strikeouts, 5.7 hits allowed and 2.4 earned runs.

Make your MLB picks at BetMGM Sportsbook and get up to $1,500 in bonus bets if your first bet loses:

The Rays have lost a season-high five straight games, their longest skid since April 2025. Tampa Bay had been one of eight big-league teams to not lose five or more consecutive games this season. It also has lost six in a row away. This sure looks like a potential pitchers’ duel. Check out other expert picks in the SportsLine daily newsletter. 

Devin Haney has a big decision to make regarding his WBO welterweight title.

He won the belt back in November with a one-sided win over Brian Norman Jr, dropping the previously unbeaten American before going on to claim a dominant unanimous decision victory.

That triumph has gone alongside Haney’s previous reigns as undisputed lightweight champion and WBC super-lightweight champion, but many fans felt it was arguably a career-best performance from ‘The Dream’ as he made a big impact upon his 147lb debut.

Speculation has been rife since that win about what Haney plans to do next, with the likes of Shakur Stevenson and Gervonta Davis mentioned as possible opponents, but there is also mandatory challenger Keyshawn Davis waiting in the wings.

The teams of Haney and Davis were previously ordered to begin negotiations over the fight, and after no deal was able to be reached, the WBO have now confirmed that purse bids have been called.

The WBO World Championship Committee has officially ordered purse bid proceedings for the World Welterweight Mandatory Championship between WBO World Champion Devin Haney and Official Mandatory Challenger Keyshawn Davis.

🗓️ Purse Bid: Monday, July 27, 2026 | 11:00 a.m. AST pic.twitter.com/BXlplk6LfF

— WBO (@WorldBoxingOrg) July 20, 2026

Advertisement

“The WBO World Championship Committee has officially ordered purse bid proceedings for the World Welterweight Mandatory Championship between WBO World Champion Devin Haney and Official Mandatory Challenger Keyshawn Davis. Purse Bid: Monday, July 27, 2026 | 11:00 a.m. AST.”

Davis is the former WBO lightweight champion, who has since moved up in weight after losing his belt on the scales, claiming victories over Jamaine Ortiz and Nahir Albright so far this year.

Despite never competing at 147lbs, his position as mandatory means that Haney must decide by July 27th whether he wants to proceed with the fight, or if he will choose to vacate the belt and turn his attention to other opportunities.

Manchester United and Arsenal fight over France’s Manu Kone, Nico Williams could be heading to the Premier League champions, and West Ham reject latest Crysencio Summerville offer.

Manchester United lead the chase for Roma and France midfielder Manu Kone, 25, but face competition for his signature from Arsenal. (L’Equipe – in French), external

The Gunners have also revived their interest in Athletic Club winger Nico Williams, who was part of Spain’s World Cup-winning squad, with the 23-year-old believed to have a £77m release clause. (Teamtalk), external

West Ham have rejected a second offer from Roma for Dutch forward Crysencio Summerville and the Italian club, whose first bid was 46m euros (£39m), are working on a final proposal for the 24-year-old. (Sky Sports Italia – in Italian) , external

Aston Villa are weighing up a move for Summerville as they look to replace 23-year-old England attacking midfielder Morgan Rogers, who is set to join Chelsea. (Talksport), external

Barcelona have set up a meeting with 26-year-old forward Ferran Torres, who scored Spain’s winner in the World Cup final against Argentina, to find out what his plans are with one year left on his contract and interest from Paris St-Germain. (Mundo Deportivo – in Spanish), external

Ipswich Town have agreed a deal to sign 29-year-old Morocco centre-back Issa Diop from Fulham for about 10m euros (£8.5m). (Foot Mercato – in French), external

Newcastle and Leeds are among the Premier League clubs weighing up a move for FC Midtjylland striker Franculino Dju, 22, with the Danish club seeking in excess of £21m for the Guinea-Bissau international. (Teamtalk), external

AC Milan have identified young Genk winger Konstantinos Karetsas, 18, as their next summer transfer target but may have to sell Portugal forward Rafael Leao, 27, to fund the move. (Gazzetta – in Italian), external

Jaron Ennis became a two-division unified world champion last month, but the Philadelphia fan-favourite is looking to get out again soon. Now, his father and trainer, Derek ‘Bozy’ Ennis, has ruled out of the possibility of his son facing one well-rumoured opponent.

Ennis had been linked to a bout with long-term rival Vergil Ortiz Jr at the beginning of the year, but complications between Ortiz and his promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, led to the collapse of that proposed contest.

Instead, Ennis moved on to a showdown with WBA and WBO super-welterweight ruler Xander Zayas, and stopped the Puerto Rican after seven rounds of action last month to begin his 154lb reign.

Ortiz and his team are now once against pursuing a clash with the new unified world champion, but ‘Bozy’ Ennis told K.O. Artist Sports that he and his son are no longer interested in a meeting with the Texan, stating that Ortiz is currently ‘on the back burner’.

“We are not even thinking about him now. He made us wait. Boots got in the ring and said, ‘we gotta fight, sign the contract,’ and then all of a sudden, him [Ortiz] and De La Hoya fell out.  Now, they are all back together again, so what do you think that was? 

“At the time, they must not have wanted to fight him, but you wanna sound [off on] him? Telling him to come on up in the ring and all of that stuff?

“I ain’t sitting here talking bad about him but that is the way that it seems to everybody now. So, he is on the back burner.”

Continuing, ‘Bozy’ Ennis revealed that his son is now only interested in unifying the division, meaning his current targets are fellow super-welterweight world champions Sebastian Fundora (WBC) and Josh Kelly (IBF).

“Boots wants to unify all of the titles, that is undisputed. Once we do that, [we will fight] whoever.” 

Of the two titleholders, it seems as though a fight against Kelly is the more likely, given the fact that Fundora is expected to defend his title against Ermal Hadiibeaj later this year.

Although, Kelly defends his IBF crown on Saturday night against Belfast’s Caoimhin Agyarko, who could spoil the plans of the Sunderland star and take his place in an Ennis unification if able to pull off the upset.

Robbie Williams has jokingly addressed a “deeply unprofessional” on-screen gaffe during the World Cup final in which he accidentally spat a small white object onto his microphone.

The 52-year-old singer, who had performed alongside Nicole Scherzinger and Laura Pausini at the closing ceremony on Sunday, drew attention during an appearance on German TV channel Magenta Sport.

While speaking to pundits, the object emerged, which he then picked up, held, and subsequently rubbed onto his head, where it stuck to his forehead.

The incident quickly garnered attention. Williams later took to social media to share a video explaining the mysterious item, clarifying the nature of the unexpected moment.

Filming himself lying in bed, the performer says: “I’d just like to apologise for the object that fell on to the microphone yesterday.

“I was deeply unprofessional, and people worried about me.”

“But it’s OK. Because I had several more,” he continues, before sticking his tongue out and revealing two circular mints.

Williams breaks out laughing before the video cuts off.

Captioning the Instagram post, he wrote: “Just woke up and feeling…. Mint x.”

On Sunday night, the first World Cup half-time show was also held.

The final between Argentina and Spain featured an 11-minute spectacle with stars from around the world including Madonna, Shakira, BTS and Justin Bieber.

Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music

Sign up now for a 30-day free trial. Terms apply.

Try for free

ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music

Advertisement

Sign up now for a 30-day free trial. Terms apply.

Try for free

ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

The show at the New York New Jersey Stadium also featured an appearance from Muppets characters Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy.

Fifa extended the half-time interval of the match from the customary 15 minutes to more than 27 minutes.

Former England forward Wayne Rooney, who was at the New York New Jersey Stadium working as a BBC pundit alongside Joe Hart and Micah Richards, did not hold back when asked for his highlights of the show by presenter Gabby Logan

“I’ll be honest, mine was when it finished. I like a lot of them artists but I thought it was crap,” he said.

“It just didn’t get me going and I wanted the football to come back on. I like Burna Boy, I like Bieber, I like Shakira, but that was too flat.”

Richards called Rooney “miserable” for his assessment, while Logan added: “I’ll tell you what else you get on the BBC: honest reviews.”

Former Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran has joined Benfica on a season-long loan from Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr.

The Portuguese giants will be the seventh club of Duran’s career at the age of just 22, following recent stints with Fenerbahce and Zenit St Petersburg.

Benfica will pay a £5.19m (6.1m euros) loan fee for the Colombia international with the option to make the move permanent for £25.5m (30m euros) at the end of the 2026-27 season.

“I am happy! I continue to say that it is the biggest club in Portugal. I am very grateful to be here,” said Duran.

“I have very high expectations of being here. I want to play well, give my all and become champion.”

Duran began his professional career with Colombian side Envigado in 2019 before earning a move to MLS team Chicago Fire in 2022.

He was on the move again in January 2023 when he joined Aston Villa for £14m and quickly became a fan favourite.

A move to West Ham fell through in the summer of 2024, but after scoring a famous winner for Villa against Bayern Munich in the Champions League, Duran was sold to Al-Nassr for £71m in January 2025.

Despite scoring eight goals in 13 games for the Saudi Arabian side, he stayed for only half a season before moving to Fenerbahce on loan.

But manager Jose Mourinho was sacked less than a month after Duran made his debut and the loan was cancelled in February 2026 so he could join Zenit.

After bagging three goals in nine games in Russia, Duran now has the chance to make a home at Benfica, his seventh club in the seventh country of his young career.