The Minnesota Vikings’ rumor mill never stops, and it especially doesn’t stop on the weekend before the draft. Here’s a look at the current lay of the land.

Draft week has arrived, and the Vikings have no shortage of talking points.

The draft gets underway in Pittsburgh on Thursday night, and here’s the speculative Vikings stuff to know in the meantime.

Three Storylines Framing Minnesota’s Latest Rumor Cycle

The Purple Rumor Mill for April 18th, 2026.

Rumor: J.J. McCarthy makes sense as a trade candidate for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Vikings have shown no interest in moving McCarthy, but NFL writer Sayre Bedinger mapped out potential landing spots this week, pointing to the Steelers, New York Jets, and Los Angeles Rams.

He noted about McCarthy to Pittsburgh, “The long-term outlook at the quarterback position for the Pittsburgh Steelers is extremely unclear. Aaron Rodgers is probably going to come back for the 2026 season, but after this year, who knows what the Steelers are going to do? They’ll be at the mercy of wherever they fall in the draft, or stuck in the purgatory that is cycling through veteran retreads.”

“There is no long-term vision right now, which is why taking a shot on McCarthy’s upside and getting him in the building with Mike McCarthy could make a lot of sense. He’d be able to spend a year learning from Aaron Rodgers, getting acclimated to the offense, and really giving the Steelers a reason to not be desperate in next year’s draft. It also keeps them flexible there.”

If McCarthy requested a trade, the Steelers might make sense as a destination, but until then, it’s reasonable to expect that McCarthy will stay in Minnesota. He’s only 23 and has time to watch and learn.

Rumor: DeAndre Hopkins, indeed, will be a free-agent option for the Vikings after the draft.

Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling re-floated Hopkins as a post-draft wide receiver solution for the Vikings, and the idea still has some traction.

He joined Paul Allen’s show on KFAN this week, and Allen inquired: “So the Jalen Nailor spot, do the Vikings want a veteran wide receiver … or do you think O’Connell and the gang are sitting on something sneaky they love in the draft?”

Goessling replied, “I’m going to answer that yes — to both. I think, if they could find a veteran — I mean, DeAndre Hopkins’ name has come up. If you could get a guy in here like a Hopkins, that has rapport with Kyler Murray — it depends on what he wants to play for, it depends on what he wants his role to be.”

If Hopkins signs a cheap contract, which seems likely, the move offers considerable upside. The Vikings need a reliable WR3, a role Hopkins suits well, and training camp would determine the receiving corps’ hierarchy, with a younger player potentially surpassing him.

Hopkins’ established redzone prowess tends to endure, and even in a limited role, he would provide a dependable scoring threat. A deal in the $2–3 million range would represent a sensible investment for this potential payoff.

Rumor: A Round 1 cornerback probably isn’t a priority for Minnesota.

Not so fast on the idea of the Vikings picking a Round 1 cornerback next week.

Analyzing the draft, The Athletic‘s Alec Lewis weighed in this week, “Coaching input will be weighed heavily. And unlike previous seasons, the Vikings have a bevy of picks in the top 100. The team’s leadership knows it needs to find hits.”

“The Vikings haven’t used a first- or second-round pick on a cornerback since Brian Flores arrived, and I don’t expect them to start now, especially after signing free agent James Pierre.”

Before Lewis’s assertion, cornerback tracked as a draft need — and it likely still holds that label. It’s just that Flores doesn’t seem to need cornerbacks for his defense to cook.

Lewis’s opinion has credence when viewed in the context of recent Vikings draft history. In 2023, rather than selecting a cornerback in the 1st Round, they chose Jordan Addison. They repeated this pattern in 2024, opting for J.J. McCarthy and Dallas Turner, and again in 2025 when they drafted Donovan Jackson.

Despite cornerback consistently being a position of need during each of those draft cycles, Minnesota waited until after the 1st Round to address it — or just ignored the position altogether.

It wouldn’t be shocking if the Vikings were content with Byron Murphy Jr., Isaiah Rodgers, and the aforementioned Pierre. Perhaps Minnesota will find a cornerback in the middle or late rounds of the draft and call it good.

World Cup fans will have to pay $150 for the 58-km roundtrip train ride between New York and Meadowlands stadium when it hosts eight matches including the final, local officials said Friday.

Just 40,000 train tickets will be available for each of the games to be played at the New Jersey sports complex, a return rail trip to which is typically just $12.90, officials said at a briefing.

“We are going to charge $150 for our roundtrip ticket on our system. So from New York to MetLife, MetLife back to New York,” said Kris Kolluri, the president and CEO of NJ Transit, using another name for the stadium.

Read moreAmnesty warns 2026 World Cup across North America risks becoming a ‘stage for repression’

After reports first emerged in The Athletic of the plans to charge World Cup fans far in excess of normal fares, New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill blamed FIFA for the price hikes.

She pointed to a $48 million bill the state faces to ensure the safety of fans going to the eight games at the MetLife stadium.

“I won’t stick New Jersey commuters for that tab for years to come, that’s not fair,” Sherrill wrote on social media, adding that FIFA stood to make $11 billion at the World Cup.

“So here’s the bottom line: Fifa should pay for the rides, but if they don’t, I’m not going to let New Jersey commuters get taken for one.”

‘Quite surprised’

That sentiment was echoed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who wrote on social media on Tuesday that FIFA should foot the bill for transport costs to World Cup venues.

FIFA, which is already facing severe criticism over the sky-high cost of many match ticket prices, issued a strongly-worded statement criticising the transport price hike.

FIFA said that the original host city agreements “required free transportation for fans to all matches”.

At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, fans could use the Doha Metro for free with their matchday tickets.

A re-negotiation stipulated that transport would be offered “at cost” on match days, FIFA added.

“We are quite surprised by the NJ Governor’s approach on fan transportation,” FIFA said.

“The FIFA World Cup will bring millions of fans to North America along with the related economic impact.”

It added: “FIFA is not aware of any other major event previously held at NYNJ Stadium, including other major sports, global concert tours, etc., where organisers were required to pay for fan transportation.”

New York Governor Kathy Hochul was another to take aim at the reported price hike.

“Charging over $100 for a short train ride sounds awfully high to me,” Hochul wrote on X.

Some $100 million in US federal funding has been allocated to host cities for transit network costs, including $8.7 million for Boston and Massachusetts, and $10.4 million for the New York-New Jersey area, according to local media reports.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

Arne Slot believes Liverpool’s exit from the Champions League could help them in their quest to qualify for the competition again next season.

The Reds’ sole focus now will be on trying to secure a spot in the Premier League’s top five following their 4-0 aggregate loss to Paris St Germain in the quarter-finals.

That came hot on the heels of an equally heavy defeat against Manchester City in the FA Cup but does leave Slot’s men with a lighter schedule than some of their rivals.

Last weekend’s 2-0 win over Fulham means they sit in fifth place, four points ahead of Chelsea and three behind Aston Villa and Manchester United with six games remaining.

Reds boss Slot said: “If you look at the 15, 20, 25 players with the most minutes this season, a lot of them are from us.

“That tells you a lot and one of the reasons why we have been a bit inconsistent, maybe why we have conceded so many late goals, because it is always the same players.

“Maybe from that perspective, it is a good thing we are not in Europe any more, but I would definitely prefer to play in Europe because that also gives an energy to the group if you go to the semi-final of the Champions League.

“I don’t see it as a positive thing we are out but it is the reality and we have a bit more training time now.”

The first of those six games comes on Sunday against derby rivals Everton, with Liverpool making a first trip to the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

“It is always a very special game, doesn’t matter if it is the 60th being played in the stadium, but, if it is the last one being played in a stadium or a first one, it makes it even more special, if that’s even possible,” said Slot.

“Of course, they are in a very good place at the moment. It will always be a very special game for them, but also for us.”

Slot’s first visit to Everton last season saw a blockbuster encounter in the final derby at Goodison Park, with James Tarkowski equalising eight minutes into stoppage time.

Slot, assistant Sipke Hulshoff, Everton’s Abdoulaye Doucoure and Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones were all sent off in fractious scenes, with the Reds boss furious with referee Michael Oliver.

“The crowd didn’t affect me last season, the referee’s decisions affected me,” said Slot when asked whether he expected the atmosphere to be different in Everton’s new home.

“Last season was my first Merseyside derby in that stadium so, if we played in the same stadium, I would probably know what to expect. But I don’t think a stadium is loud, it is usually fans that are loud.

“How much of a difference it will be, I will tell you after the weekend. I think their fans will be loud, as our fans will be as well.”

Shreyas Iyer eyes title glory (Image: IPL/PBKS)

Punjab Kings (PBKS) captain Shreyas Iyer has made it clear that while the ultimate goal is to lift the IPL 2026 trophy, the team is firmly focused on staying in the present and taking one game at a time. Under the leadership of Iyer and head coach Ricky Ponting, PBKS have emerged as one of the standout teams this season. They remain the only unbeaten side so far, having won four of their five matches, with one game washed out due to rain.Speaking on JioStar, Iyer emphasised the importance of mindset and consistency over long-term thinking.“The mission, obviously, is to lift the trophy. But I always feel that the more you stay in the present, the more you stay in control of what is in your hands at that moment and you just have to go full throttle. You don’t have to think too far ahead or dwell on the past,” Iyer said.