Most don’t see Vikings receiver Myles Price as a Vikings receiver. After all, he was almost exclusively a returner as a rookie, but that could be changing.

Special teams coordinator Matt Daniels stepped in front of the Minnesota media a couple days ago. Getting asked about Price led to the underrated coach calling Price “day and night” in his improvement. In fact, Daniels is offering that assessment on behalf of the “offensive guys,” playing the role of messenger. Quite possibly, that update will foreshadow an increased role as Price pushes for the WR4 job in the Twin Cities.

Vikings Receiver Myles Price is Pushing for Reps

Nobody is going to mistake Mr. Price for Calvin Johnson. Standing at 5’9″ and weighing roughly 185 pounds, Price is somebody who thrives due to shiftiness, grit, and acceleration rather than being a hulking bruiser.

How good can he become?

That’s an ongoing debate that’s still being answered. As a rookie, Price played just 17 snaps for Kevin O’Connell and Wes Phillips. In contrast, Price put in 139 snaps for Coach Daniels on specials, proving to be a weapon for the group that has been lacking a true threat at returner for several years.

Of the two options — kickoff and punt — Myles Price is more of a natural at punt returner.

He turned 30 punt returns into 298 yards in 2025. The 9.9 yards-per-return average is healthy and the long of 43 yards is promising. Onlookers can sometimes be quick to note that Price could have been more potent had it not been for some ill-timed penalties.

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As a kickoff returner, Price also did some good things, averaging 25.9 yards. He’s not Cordarrelle Patterson or Percy Harvin back there but solid enough. His long went for 61 yards.

So much of what makes Price compelling is that he offers swagger. Who can thrive as a returner without outsized confidence? An NFL punt can travel 45 yards while hanging in the air for 4.5 to 5 seconds. The returner needs to track the ball with the understanding that 11 massive and explosive athletes are sprinting down the field trying to land a huge hit. Not for the faint of heart.

Turning that special teams promise into production on offense would represent a nice boost for the Vikings.

Daniels, for his part, was quick to praise how Price has improved on offense while nevertheless bringing things back around to special teams. “He’s consistently been making plays out here from an offensive standpoint,” Daniels says before pivoting. “From a returner standpoint, it’s how good can we be at premium ball security?”

Price had 4 fumbles last year.

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“We all know Myles is a very aggressive guy when it turns to returning balls,” Daniels notes, “but we just have to make sure that those aggressive decisions don’t lead to reckless actions afterwards.”

No doubt, that’s a tough balance. Putting a home run batter into the lineup means accepting some strikeouts. Can the same be said of a returner who has the capacity to chew up the field?

Myles Price slipped out of the 2025 NFL Draft despite playing strong football for the Indiana Hoosiers. He then got added in Minnesota with guaranteed money coming in at $0. Price, in short, has earned everything through plenty of hard work.

The sophomore is 24.

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

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Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy returned to practice on Monday for the first time since his wife was shot at their Virginia home last month.

The couple’s 27-year-old son, Elijah Bieniemy, was arrested following the shooting, which took place on the evening of July 26.

Bieniemy was greeted by a handful of fans on Monday as he walked down the long hill to the training fields at Missouri Western State University, where the Chiefs are holding their pre-season training camp. He subsequently jumped right into his first practice since Mia Bieniemy was shot.

Elijah Bieniemy has been charged with malicious wounding, the use of a firearm in commission of a felony and discharge of a firearm inside a dwelling. His court appearances have been delayed after he was ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation.

Eric Bieniemy, who returned to the Chiefs earlier this year, had been staying in touch with coach Andy Reid and the rest of the staff, and had been watching streams of some practices. In one case, he called Chiefs manager Brett Veach — who was sitting next to Reid — and asked him to hand over the phone, then proceeded to tell the head coach a point of instruction for a running back.

Eric Bieniemy was part of coaching staffs that helped Kansas City reach three Super Bowls and win two of them.

But because Reid is the primary play-caller, Bieniemy left to serve as the offensive coordinator with the Washington Commanders, where he would be able to call his own plays and perhaps better position himself for a head coaching job in the NFL.

The Commanders struggled in his lone season there, though, and Bieniemy and the rest of the staff were let go. He spent a season with UCLA and last season coaching the running backs with the Chicago Bears before returning to Kansas City as the offensive coordinator.

He replaced Matt Nagy, who was hired as the offensive coordinator of the New York Giants.

Eric Bieniemy rejoins the team with the 2026 season just over a month away. The Chiefs are due to take on the Denver Broncos in their opening game on September 14.

PV Sindhu (Photo by @BAI_Media on X)

PV Sindhu has reacted to the unusual but detailed preparations being made to keep animals away from the BWF World Championships in New Delhi.The tournament begins on August 17, with organisers taking extra precautions after pigeons and a monkey disrupted the India Open earlier this year.Organisers have even hired three men who can imitate langur calls to scare monkeys away.“You can laugh at the solution, but you have to love the effort,” PV Sindhu wrote on X.“So many people are working behind the scenes to make sure India is ready to welcome the world. Our solutions may be uniquely Indian, but so are our warmth, our spirit and our hospitality. Can’t wait for the badminton world to experience it all in Delhi. See you soon!”“Monkeys are very afraid of langurs, which are much bigger than them, so when we make these sounds, monkeys usually flee. We have worked in the South and North Block in New Delhi and Gurgaon previously. It is very effective,” Zafar, one of the men, said.The Badminton Association of India (BAI) and Sports Authority of India (SAI) have upgraded the Indira Gandhi Stadium ahead of the World Championships, which return to India after 17 years. Vents have been sealed, wooden doors replaced with double-door entrances and an automatic outer door installed.Organisers have also used a non-toxic gel around the stadium’s ducting to keep birds and insects away. Machines producing sounds similar to predatory birds have been placed inside the venue as another deterrent.SAI Executive Director Ambar Pratap Singh said officials are working with the MCD to prevent monkeys and stray dogs from entering the wider campus.“We have introduced double doors, automatic closing system… now it is not possible for monkeys to enter the arena. As far as the whole campus is concerned, there can be a possibility (of stray monkeys) but we are in touch with the MCD. For dogs also we are regularly in touch with the MCD. They will do whatever is there to be done… send them (dogs) to shelters,” he said.

While having crafted a reputation of chasing the biggest challenges, Devin Haney has nonetheless been accused of running “scared” from an outspoken rival.

Despite what some might say, ‘The Dream’ has repeatedly displayed his appetite for legacy-defining opportunities, hence why he fought pound-for-pound legend Vasyl Lomachenko at just 24 years old.

Back then, in 2023, Haney proved many of his detractors wrong by claiming a unanimous, albeit contentious, points victory for the undisputed lightweight crown.

More recently, the American proved his willingness to roll the dice against Brian Norman Jr, a vicious puncher who he dethroned with a unanimous decision triumph in November.

But despite becoming a three-division world champion, and remaining unbeaten, Haney has been blamed for swerving a unification match with WBA champion Rolando Romero.

The two welterweights were in negotiations earlier this year, only for both to go their separate ways after a deal proved difficult to reach.

As a result, ‘Rolly’ is now gearing up to defend his title against Teofimo Lopez on August 22, having been upgraded from ‘regular’ to full WBA champion following his victory over Ryan Garcia in May 2025.

Speaking with Fight Hub TV, the 30-year-old insisted that fans might as well abandon their hopes for a future showdown with Haney.

“Me and Devin are never going to fight because he is scared of me.”

With Keyshawn Davis pulling out of their mandated contest, WBO champion Haney is now searching for a new opponent to face later this year.

Potential options include Jack Catterall and IBF champion Liam Paro, who reportedly priced himself out of negotiations but could perhaps return with a more realistic figure in mind.

While Ronald Araujo was undergoing his medical, Liverpool only actually had one fit senior centre-back on their books. And he, typically, was the oldest of the lot. Virgil van Dijk may have made an inauspicious start to his pre-season, conceding a penalty in Sunday’s 3-2 defeat to Monaco, but Liverpool’s 35-year-old marathon man pronounced himself ready to go again this year.

Van Dijk is conscious of his age, which feels more notable when two of Liverpool’s other three main central defenders are 19 and 21 respectively, in Giovanni Leoni and Jeremy Jacquet. The Dutchman did not gravitate to Anfield until he was 26, but hopes that starting late will extend his career.

It has already brought 731 games for clubs and country, but the most remarkable numbers came last season. No footballer in Europe’s top five leagues played more minutes than Van Dijk: some 6,121, including 4,941 for Liverpool. He did not miss a minute in their Premier League campaign, nor in the Netherlands’ World Cup.

With Leoni and Jacquet yet to feature in pre-season, with Joe Gomez injured, Liverpool could rely again on Van Dijk, even with Araujo set to join on loan from Barcelona. He is prepared for another heavy workload. “Are you going to say I’m 35 years old and I can’t do it?” he asked. “At the end of the day, you have to look after yourself. You have to be, I wouldn’t say lucky, but you have to do everything in your power.

“That is the bare minimum for me because I feel the responsibility to be ready for each and every game. We play every three days. Between games, at home, at the training ground, you have to do everything in your power to be ready to play again. For me, I feel good. I am also a late bloomer so you know, maybe… it is what it is. I feel fine.”

Which may be a relief. When, for once, Van Dijk requested time off, it was to sit out friendlies on the other side of the Atlantic. Ryan Gravenberch, Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak also exited the World Cup in the last 32 and returned to the United States for the end of the pre-season tour.

Van Dijk did not. “I definitely asked for a good break because I felt like I needed it, not only physically but mentally as well. It was a very demanding year from before pre-season started last year until the day I got knocked out of the World Cup,” he said. “I had maybe three days more than Ryan, Flo and Alex. I didn’t want to go to America because I didn’t want to get jet lag.” Instead, he had a couple of extra days at Liverpool’s training ground.

As it is, a return to duty has been busy. He has met Jacquet, a prospective centre-back partner now Ibrahima Konate is gone. “I’ve spoken to him,” he said of the Frenchman. “I’ve seen him walking around and we have conversations. I can’t wait to see him back on the pitch and I hope that happens very, very soon.”

His first outing of the campaign came alongside the teenager Ifeanyi Ndukwe. “Big talent, big guy,” he said of the 18-year-old Austrian who, unfortunately for Liverpool, does not yet qualify for a work permit. “The matter of fact is that he has to go on loan,” Van Dijk added. “Let’s see where he ends up.”

That increases the need to seal the loan move for Araujo. “Any player that will arrive to the club, we will be welcoming,” said the Dutchman. Liverpool’s squad looks slender at the moment. There may have been too few newcomers in the dressing room but there is one in the dugout, in Andoni Iraola. Van Dijk takes his responsibilities as captain seriously and extended the same offer to the Spaniard that he did to his predecessor.

“We had a great conversation in the first week when it got announced and the main thing for him to know is that I am here for him regardless: anything he needs, wants to know, wants me to do for the team, I am here for him,” he said. “I liked working under Arne [Slot] and I am sure I will like working under the new manager.”

With Konate, Andy Robertson and Mohamed Salah going, Liverpool could have a younger team, making Van Dijk more of an anomaly. “It definitely feels like a bit of a transition, for sure,” he said. “It is down to everyone associated with Liverpool to make sure we are building something that will be successful for years to come.”

In the last season of his contract, nearer his 40th birthday than his 30th, Van Dijk may not be there for years to come, but the late bloomer is determined to remain in flower deep into the autumn of his career.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru is nearing its second anniversary, with BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia recalling the work that went into setting up the facility.Saikia credited former BCCI secretary Jay Shah, who is now the International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman, with pushing the project and bringing officials together to ensure it was completed.“He took everybody on board in BCCI’s Apex Council and made a firm decision that this establishment (CoE) has to be done on a war footing, and we need to move on from the old, temporary arrangement of National Cricket Academy,” Saikia told select media at the BCCI CoE.Laxman, Head of Cricket at CoE, recalled moving from Hyderabad to Bengaluru in 2021 after Shah and then BCCI president Sourav Ganguly approached him.“In 2021, when Jay and then BCCI president Sourav (Ganguly) reached out to me, saying that Rahul (Dravid) is moving to the Indian team as the head coach, and we want that continuity.”“It was a tough decision for me. But as a cricketer, I always thought that it’s the responsibility of former cricketers who benefited through this great game to contribute back to the game. And with that intention, obviously, I moved to Bangalore in December 2021,” he said.Laxman also recalled Shah’s involvement in the project and his regular participation in meetings with the architects and L&T team.“In the span of close to two years, the entire infrastructure was up and running. And huge credit to Jay, because he was the secretary of the BCCI and I myself seen firsthand how much interest he used to take in various meetings we used to have with the architects, with the L&T team, to make sure that each and every aspect of the COE, or then NCA, is taken care of.“And it’s great to see that, you know, the vision was translated into reality. And I think all leaders have vision. But the vision will only bear the fruit when it’s translated into reality. And that reality is what we’ve seen in 2024, November,” he said.

Even in a modern NFL that is changing, quarterback play is still the single biggest determining factor in team success. For the most part, teams go as far as their quarterback can take them, and no further than that. That’s just the way the league works. 

It can be said, therefore, that the quarterback is the “most valuable player” on each team, no matter how you determine value. But of course, that doesn’t mean there aren’t other players who are incredibly valuable, and who play a significant role in determining the team’s ultimate success during a given season.

We’re here today to identify those players. These are the non-quarterback MVPs for each NFC team for the 2026 season.

NFC East

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Dallas Cowboys: DT Quinnen Williams

If all goes according to plan for the Cowboys this year, their defense will show significant improvement. Williams is the key to making that happen, wrecking games from the interior of the defensive line. In Christian Parker’s Vic Fangio-style defense, the penetrating defensive tackle has a huge role to play, and Williams is one of the best two-way interior linemen in the league, making him well-suited to success here.

New York Giants: EDGE Abdul Carter

Carter didn’t have the flashy sack numbers that defensive linemate Brian Burns did last season, but Carter actually generated pressure at a higher rate, recording a sack, hit or hurry on 14.0% of his pass-rush snaps compared with 12.1% for Burns. If he can do a better job of converting pressures into sacks this season than he did a year ago, he has a chance to emerge as one of the top edge rushers in the NFL. 

Philadelphia Eagles: RT Lane Johnson

This one is pretty simple. Just look at the on-off splits (120-62-1 vs. 18-27) for the Eagles offense when Johnson is in the lineup over the last several years and you’ll see how important he is. The offense basically falls apart whenever he’s out of the lineup. Philly drafted an eventual successor this year in Markel Bell, but he’s unlikely to uphold Johnson’s standard as a rookie switching sides of the line. Johnson might be the most important player on the team, even including Jalen Hurts.

Washington Commanders: LB Sonny Styles

The Commanders spent a boatload of money and draft capital this offseason to transform their defense, but their biggest investment was in Styles, an absurdly athletic linebacker who makes plays all over the field. They need him to do a little bit of everything in Dan Quinn’s defense, from ranging sideline to sideline to blitzing to covering backs and tight ends. This was one of the worst defenses in the NFL last season, so Styles certainly has his work cut out for him.

NFC North

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Chicago Bears: TE Colston Loveland

Loveland showed during his rookie season that he was well worth the No. 10 pick in the draft. He finished the year with 58 catches for 713 yards and six touchdowns, and he exploded down the stretch and in the playoffs. (In his final four games of the year, he caught 28 passes for 378 yards and two scores.) With DJ Moore no longer in town, he figures to be the focus of the passing attack for Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams, and he has the skill set to be a star at the position.

Detroit Lions: LT Penei Sewell

After a down year in 2025, the Lions reshaped their offensive line this offseason, and the makeover included shifting Sewell from the right side of the line to the left. He has been one of the best tackles in football for years, but now he’ll arguably be playing an even more valuable role on Jared Goff’s blind side. How he fares in his transition from one side of the line to the other will go a long way toward determining how this new-look line fares in 2026. 

Green Bay Packers: EDGE Micah Parsons

Parsons is going to miss a non-insignificant portion of the season, but he is so good and so key to what the Packers are going to want to do defensively that we can’t help but pick him here. There are very few pass rushers in the NFL who can do what Parsons does when he’s at his best, and if he returns to the field at anything close to his best coming back from his torn ACL, he’s going to be the best player on this team by a significant margin, and provide a huge lift to the defense over the second half of the year.

Minnesota Vikings: WR Justin Jefferson

Jefferson is coming off the worst year of his career, having averaged only 61.6 receiving yards per game after topping 87.5 in each of his first five NFL seasons. That was with J.J. McCarthy at quarterback, though, and with Kyler Murray under center he should be back to his usual self. Jefferson wins inside and out, down the field and in both the short and intermediate zones. He both opens things up for everyone else and dominates when the ball is thrown his way. He’ll be back to proving he’s a top-three wideout this season.

NFC South

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Atlanta Falcons: RB Bijan Robinson

Robinson finished last season with 1,478 rushing yards and seven touchdowns, and he led the NFL with 2,298 yards from scrimmage. He just signed a monster contract and he is again going to be the centerpiece of the Atlanta offense. With major question marks at quarterback, the Falcons are going to depend on him to carry the load. If he’s not the team’s MVP, something has probably gone very wrong in Atlanta.

Carolina Panthers: ED Jaelan Phillips

The Panthers are surely hoping that Phillips is their MVP after handing him a four-year, $120 million contract this offseason. When healthy, Phillips has been very good both rushing the passer and stopping the run, and he’s heading into his physical prime at 27 years old. Carolina desperately needs someone to get after the quarterback after struggling to do so for the last several seasons, and Phillips is the guy the Panthers are counting on to do it at a high level.

New Orleans Saints: EDGE Chase Young

Like Phillips, Young is heading into his prime years at 27 years old. He’s also coming off the best season of his career, having picked up 10 sacks, 11 tackles for loss and 15 quarterback hits in just 12 games. He ranked sixth in the NFL with an 18.2% pressure rate, according to TruMedia, picking up a sack, hit or hurry at a higher rate than everyone except Will Anderson Jr., Nik Bonitto, Parsons, Phillips and Josh Hines-Allen.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: LT Tristan Wirfs

Wirfs missed five games last year due to injury, but still performed well enough to make the Pro Bowl. During his career, the Bucs have experienced a huge drop-off in EPA per play with Wirfs off the field (-0.02) compared to when he’s been on (0.04). That’s the equivalent of going from the ninth-best offense during that time to the 22nd best. If he’s around to protect Baker Mayfield all year, the Tampa offense will be substantially better for it. If he’s not, the Bucs could struggle to get things going.

NFC West

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Arizona Cardinals: TE Trey McBride

McBride is the sun around which the Cardinals‘ offense orbits. He has racked up at least 111 catches for 1,146 yards in each of the last two seasons, making the Pro Bowl each time and being named a first-team All-Pro last year. Arizona needs him to carry the load for the passing game so that Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson can do their thing on the outside, and so that Jeremiyah Love has room to operate in the run game. If McBride plays to his potential, he’s going to have another monster year.

Los Angeles Rams: EDGE Myles Garrett

The best defensive player in football now calls Los Angeles home. He may soon team with Aaron Donald along the defensive line, but even if he does, Garrett’s ability to generate pressure and stop the run from the edge will be the key to the defense. There’s a reason the Rams targeted him and paid such a premium to land him; he’s a true game-wrecker unlike anyone else in the league.

San Francisco 49ers: LT Trent Williams

There may not be a single non-quarterback whose team experiences a bigger drop-off at his position when he’s out of the lineup than Williams. San Francisco has averaged 0.07 EPA per play with Williams on the field since 2020, and dropped off to just south of 0.00 when he’s been on the sideline. The 49ers don’t have much depth at tackle and are already dealing with injuries at the skill positions. They desperately need Williams to stay upright all year.

Seattle Seahawks: DT Byron Murphy II

We could have gone with any number of players for Seattle. Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Leonard Williams would have been excellent candidates, for example. But Murphy is a rising star who broke out last season with seven sacks from the interior of the defensive line and is one of the keys to Mike Macdonald’s explosive defense. He’s ready to take the next step in his development and dominate even further than he did a year ago.

John Thompson has extended his impressive start to the season, with Melanite’s victory in the Midway Handicap at Randwick marking his third metropolitan win this week.

Following a successful pair of wins at Canterbury on Wednesday, Thompson continued his winning streak at headquarters on Saturday. Melanite ($6.50) found a clear path along the inside rail to win the 1100-metre race by a neck over Cosy Corner ($19).

Bangkok Hottie ($2.10 favourite) finished a game third after encountering a wide run. Those looking for the best betting markets for the race would have been treated to another competitive finish at Randwick.

Thompson and Bangkok Hottie’s trainer David Payne watched the race together, with both trainers thinking their horse might have won at different stages.

“We were giving each other commentary,” Thompson quipped.

“When mine sprinted through, he said, ‘I think you’ve got it’ and I said, ‘you’re still coming’.

“He (Melanite) got a dream run. Box seated. The perfect run up the fence and never went around a horse.”

The win was Melanite’s second from 10 starts, and Thompson commented that he is a talented horse when the race unfolds ideally for him.

“He just needs everything to fall into place. He’s got more wins in him,” he said.

While Payne did not achieve the desired result with Bangkok Hottie, he was satisfied with the filly’s return. She entered the race without an official barrier trial after dislodging her rider at trackwork the day before her scheduled heat.

The filly had a good blow after the race, and Payne expects her to be significantly fitter for her next start in the Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m) at Randwick in a fortnight.

“She goes there. Maybe she will get a draw,” Payne said.

“I was very pleased. It will only bring her on and he (jockey Chad Schofield) didn’t punish her. She didn’t have an easy run.”

For those keen on the main race, check out the latest racing odds at betting sites.