Last year, the NFL media and fan community debated whether quarterback Kyler Murray had been “softly benched” in Arizona, a theory that felt vindicated when the Cardinals released him in March. Fast forward to June 2026, and Bleacher Report claims Murray could be benched again this season, this time courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings.

BR’s Kristopher Knox published a list of the most benchable quarterbacks this year, and sadly, Murray made the cut.

Not Everyone Is Sold on the Vikings’ QB1 Solution

BR: Murray Could Be Benched

On a list that included players like Jacoby Brissett and Geno Smith, Murray got benchable treatment. Knox wrote, “According to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, Murray currently leads the competition, and the gap between the quarterbacks is ‘not close.’ Murray is a dynamic dual-threat and was a Pro Bowler early in his career with Arizona.”

“He should give Minnesota a boost at quarterback this season, and at 28 years old, he could potentially become a long-term answer for Minnesota. However, there’s no guarantee that Murray will do either of those things. He never showed consistency as a passer with the Cardinals — the offense was more effective with Brissett behind center last season — and he has never delivered a playoff win.”

While Murray has never notched a triumph in the postseason, the Vikings haven’t won a playoff game since 2019.

“It’s easy to think that Murray will be better under Kevin O’Connell and with weapons like Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison at his disposal,” Knox continued.

“If he isn’t, though, Minnesota may eventually give McCarthy another chance to redeem himself. McCarthy, after all, is only two years into his rookie contract, while Murray is only signed through this season.”

Well … Insert for McCarthy for a Sequel

Should Murray get benched, McCarthy would step in, presenting his true shot at redemption. He would need to be prepared, and the Vikings would quickly assess his capabilities. He notably displayed flashes of potential in 2025, particularly in late-game situations. Following Week 14, he was even ranked as the NFL’s sixth-best quarterback per EPA+CPOE.

It’s entirely conceivable that McCarthy could enter, stabilize the offense, and permanently secure the starting position.

Furthermore, he still has ample time. First-round quarterbacks are eligible for a fifth-year option, and McCarthy will only be 23 this season. If he excels by 2028, Minnesota can exercise that option, maintaining its long-term strategy. It’s one of the distinct advantages of having both Murray and McCarthy: the Vikings gain an immediate upgrade while preserving McCarthy’s potential for an additional three years.

The sole reason for a trade would be if McCarthy himself demanded one. Should he desire to leave, Minnesota would face a decision. Until then, exercising patience remains the most prudent course of action.

In short, if Murray gets benched per the BR speculation, well, the Vikings planned for this, and his name is J.J. McCarthy.

The Murray Price Is Still Worth It

Murray arrived in Minnesota with a $1.3 million price tag. That’s absurdly affordable. In fact, every team in the NFL should’ve jumped on Murray’s availability, including teams with elite quarterbacks, like the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs, solely because the value was just so tremendous.

Consider this: if Murray flames out in Minnesota or gets hurt this summer, adding him for $1.3 million was still worth the gamble.

If you believe in sports hacks, this is the grandaddy — obtaining Murray for the veteran minimum. The value gets no better.

Two Other Ex-Vikings on the BR List

Daniel Jones, who stopped by the Vikings in 2024, also made Knox’s list: “Jones, who was recently cleared for 7-on-7 work, will need to replicate his 2025 success. If he can’t, the Colts may try to salvage the season with Richardson — if he’s still on the roster — or Riley Leonard, while keeping an eye on that 2027 QB class. Unfortunately, playing well on a year-to-year basis wasn’t something Jones did during his six seasons with the New York Giants.”

So did Kirk Cousins, who quarterbacked the Vikings from 2018 to 2023, though a benchable Cousins is to be expected after the Las Vegas Raiders drafted Fernando Mendoza in April.

“Let’s not forget that the Falcons went 5-3 with Cousins as the starter last year and might well have won the NFC South if it had leaned on him all season. If Las Vegas is a surprise playoff team with Cousins at the helm, hold off on passing the proverbial torch,” Knox opined about Cousins.

“If the Raiders aren’t in a position to make a run, however, they’ll turn things over to Mendoza once they feel he is prepared to start. As Gagnon put it, the reigning Heisman winner and national champion is “the long-term dude” for Las Vegas.”

Murray will turn 29 in August, and if BR has it wrong about his benchability, he could latch on as the Vikings’ QB1 for the next half-decade-plus.

Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker

Two summers ago, Scotland’s Euros opener proved to be one of their biggest letdowns under Clarke – a 5-1 loss to hosts Germany.

“We have to remember how bad that felt,” the head coach says.

Clarke believes that crushing defeat put Scotland “on the back foot” for the remainder of their tournament, which again ended at the group stage.

“This time, we have to make sure we start on the front foot,” he insists.

On the evidence of the Scots’ warm-up displays, there are signs they can achieve that against a similarly-ranked nation this weekend.

The recent adoption of an aggressive 4-4-2 shape with two strikers playing centrally and direct winger Ben Doak operating off the right feeds into the idea of a “different Steve Clarke”, although he suggested he has been unfairly “tagged with a label”.

“I think I’ve shown consistently throughout my time that I’m prepared to try something different,” says Clarke, who feels he has his best depth across a Scotland squad.

“Going into this tournament, the something different was to think about maybe playing 4-4-2 to see how it worked.

“What people don’t understand is when you’re at a club you can work on a system for a long period of time and have a lot of training sessions on it. When you’re in an international camp you don’t have that.”

Real Madrid has officially informed Benfica they would to pay the release clause for manager José Mourinho. Pierre Sage is set to leave RC Lens to take charge of Crystal Palace next season. Canada has stated that Somali referee Omar Artan is welcome on its territory, after he was denied entry to the United States. In tennis, Serena Williams has made a successful comeback, as has Nick Kyrgios. Paris Basket has qualified for the Betclic Élite final.

NEW YORK — On Tuesday, the day after handing the New York Knicks their first loss in 46 days — a 115-111 decision in Game 3 of the NBA Finals — San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle recalled a different, much less exhilarating game at Madison Square Garden. On the first day of March, the Spurs were flying high, winners of 11 straight games, and New York sent them crashing back down to earth with a 25-point rout. It was their first loss in more than a month, and it was an eye-opener.

“It made us realize that we’re not invincible,” Castle said. “If we don’t do the things we’re supposed to, we’re still a beatable team.”

Now it’s clear that the Knicks, up 2-1 in the series, aren’t invincible, either. And maybe they were overdue for this kind of wake-up call. For all of the discussion of what changed in Game 3 — more alley-oops for Victor Wembanyama, fewer buckets from Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges, etc. — there hasn’t been much made of how similar it was to Game 2: San Antonio built a double-digit lead in the first quarter, New York stormed back to take a lead into halftime and the Spurs went on a run in the fourth quarter, during which the Knicks’ offense fell to pieces. The difference is that New York didn’t escape Monday’s game with a victory.

Three games in, the Knicks have outscored San Antonio by 2.8 points per 100 possessions (or seven total points) in the series. New York is only two wins away from a championship, but if it loses a second straight game at home, the Spurs will be in the same spot, with home-court advantage. 

How can the Knicks get their groove back?

New York has been playing a dangerous game

After the Knicks scored 91.3 points per 100 possessions in the fourth quarter of their Game 2 win, several of their players said they needed to tighten up their late-game execution. Then they scored 87 per 100 in the fourth quarter of their Game 3 loss.

“There were a lot of times where the decisions weren’t made quick last night,” New York coach Mike Brown said. “One guy caught, held, held, held, held, held. Now the defense settles in. Now you’re in trouble.”

Knicks’ win streak is finally dead, but it’s still the Spurs who are clinging to life in the NBA Finals

Brad Botkin

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Against a defense like San Antonio’s, with the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama patrolling the paint and sturdy, athletic defenders on the perimeter, you don’t want to get stagnant. Patience, however, has been a virtue for the Knicks throughout their magical run to the Finals. At their best, they find easy points in transition, move the ball in the halfcourt and demoralize opponents by making tough shots late in the clock.

Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, Bridges and Deuce McBride all seem to have a knack for knocking down jumpers after an opponent has played 20-plus seconds of good defense. In Game 3, Anunoby and Jordan Clarkson both hit 3s that sent the crowd into a frenzy:

You need to make contested, late-clock jumpers in the playoffs. You do not, however, want to rely on them. In this respect, the Knicks have been playing a dangerous game. During the playoffs, a league-high 24% of their plays have gone down to the last four seconds of the shot clock; they’ve scored 94.3 points per 100 possessions on those plays, per Hoops Junkie. In Game 3, those numbers were 27.3% and 80 per 100.

Bridges said there was “too much ball-watching, standing around.” The combination of Wembanyama and the Spurs’ physical guards can sometimes cause “confusion,” he said, but “we just got to keep moving.”

With about four minutes left in Game 3 and the Spurs up by eight, Knicks guard Landry Shamet slipped to the rim and got San Antonio in the blender. It technically didn’t turn into a late-clock possession, by Hoops Junkie’s definition, but it was a masterclass in multiple-effort defense by San Antonio. New York had the Spurs scrambling, but they kept rotating until Shamet decided to drive a Wembanyama closeout and the unanimous Defensive Player of the Year swatted him at the rim:

Post-game, De’Aaron Fox said San Antonio knows the Knicks are going to try to draw Wembanyama out of the paint. The Spurs also know that they’re going to have to rotate, communicate and try to force the Knicks to play deep into the clock.

“If you’re playing 21, 22 seconds of great defense, they make a shot, tap ’em on the butt, good job,” Fox said. “That’s where we want to live. We want to live in the area of them trying to take tough shots at the end of the shot clock.”

The interesting thing about that particular possession, though, is that New York could also frame it as a positive. The offense was not stagnant. The ball pinged around the court. In the same way that San Antonio can’t be discouraged by tough shot-making, the Knicks can’t be discouraged by Wembanyama making an amazing block. 

“We’ve forced them to take a lot of shots at the end of clock,” Johnson said. “They’ve made a lot of those shots. There’s some give-and-take there. I think we’ve shown that we can be impactful when we’re connected and doing it the right way. They’ve shown they do a great job moving the ball and making the basketball find the open man. I think it will be a little bit of tug-of-war until this thing’s over.”

How can the Knicks clean things up?

Towns had some harsh words for his team’s performance in Game 3: “Playing around with the game against a great team, you’re asking for a disaster, and that’s what we got.”

In Towns’ estimation, New York was “not executing the little details that made us special.” The Knicks turned the ball over twice before they scored a single point. They sent the Spurs to the line for 24 free throws in the second half. He was hardly the only Knicks player who was disappointed; Bridges described his own individual showing as “terrible.”

“We were making turnovers that was uncharacteristic of us, just being sloppy with the ball, not being on the same page,” Anunoby said. “During the course of the game, stuff like that happens. We’re going to try to clean it up.”

Hart noted that, because San Antonio was at the free-throw line so often, “it was tough to run.” In the postseason, New York has generally been locked in on both ends, quick to adjust to whatever defensive coverage is thrown its way and disciplined in its defensive game plan. Against this opponent, though, everything is more difficult, as it is supposed to be at this stage. 

The Spurs’ ball pressure has been relentless, and so has their rim pressure on the offensive end. Hart said that they need to be better about “not letting the ball touch the paint,” but that’s a lot easier said than done when Castle, Fox and Dylan Harper are in attack mode, especially if Brunson is either involved in the action or providing little resistance as the low man.

Towns hasn’t scored in the fourth quarter in any Finals game. Bridges, generally a good barometer for the offense, scored just two points on 1-for-5 shooting in 29 minutes in Game 3. Brown gives the Knicks the freedom to play out of concepts rather than run many set plays, but this demands they play with purpose. Towns had smaller defenders on him for more of Monday’s game than he did in either of the previous two, and New York didn’t make the most of that advantage. 

In Brunson’s view, the fixes for Game 4 on Wednesday are simple: don’t turn the ball over, stop fouling and “continue to be who we are.” In Fox’s view, though, the Spurs have been “in control” as long as they’ve taken care of the ball themselves, kept the Knicks out of transition and protected the defensive glass. We’re at the stage of the series where both teams understand exactly what the other one wants to do, both teams think their wounds are self-inflicted and the margins are extremely thin.

“At this point, it’s a battle of wills and a battle of who can execute the most,” Fox said.

A former rival of Lennox Lewis is making an ambitious bid to once again become world heavyweight champion.

Olympic gold medallist Lewis is regarded as one of the best heavyweights in modern history, claiming world honours on three separate occasions, whilst also becoming undisputed champion.

Lewis defeated every man he ever faced, but did have to avenge two losses, after suffering defeats to Oliver McCall and Hasim Rahman.

At the age of 53, one of those fighters is now set to return to the ring and target an unlikely shot at the heavyweight crown, after Rahman announced that he is coming out of retirement.

Rahman last fought in 2014, coming up short against the unheralded Anthony Nansen, with his last victory not coming since back in June 2011, a decade on from his triumph over Lewis.

Despite the odds being against him, Rahman insists he has what it takes to secure gold again, telling ABC News about his lofty ambition.

“I feel stronger, I feel better. I feel more knowledgeable. My legs are strong, my arms are strong, my endurance is insane right now.

“For those who don’t believe, don’t act like you believe once I do this. I heard this before the first time I won the title, the second time I won the title. I will become the oldest world heavyweight champion.”

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George Foreman currently holds the record of the oldest world heavyweight champion in history at the age of 46, and Rahman is set to fight next month when he begins his quest to break that record, competing at the ESL Ballpark in Rochester, New York.

Even with a victory there, with Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois currently holding the four title belts between them, and a number of top contenders all awaiting their opportunities, it seems implausible that Rahman will get a shot anytime soon.

Nic Smith, a defensive lineman for Kentucky, has died, the program announced. He was 20.

Smith spent last season as a redshirt freshman with the Wildcats. “Today our hearts are broken. Our thoughts and prayers are with Nic’s family, friends, teammates and everyone who knew and loved him,” Kentucky coach Will Stein wrote Monday on X.

According to a university spokesperson, campus police were called to an on-campus residence hall after receiving a report of a possible body. Later that day, the university announced Smith’s death.

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A Kentucky Wildcats helmet is shown during the game against the Missouri Tigers at Memorial Stadium in Columbia, Missouri on Oct. 27, 2018. Oct. 27, 2018. Kentucky won 15-14. (Denny Medley/USA TODAY Sports)

The school official added that the University of Kentucky Police Department was working with the Lexington-Fayette County Coroner, and an initial investigation did not indicate that foul play was involved.

“This is a tremendous loss for our program and university community. We will continue to support one another and honor his memory,” Stein’s statement continued.

Smith was a sophomore in the community leadership and development program in the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment.

Kentucky defensive lineman Nic Smith (55) in a football stance during a photo shoot. (Photo courtesy: University of Kentucky Athletics)

His nicknames were “Happy” and “Big Happ,” according to his biography page on the Kentucky athletic department’s website.

Kentucky defensive lineman Nic Smith (55) poses during a photo shoot. (Photo courtesy of University of Kentucky Athletics)

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He played football and basketball at Walnut Grove High School in Loganville, Georgia.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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The Carolina Hurricanes have evened up the Stanley Cup Final once more thanks to Jordan Staal’s two-goal night in Las Vegas to beat the Golden Knights in Game 4, 5-3.

The series now sits at 2-2 with Game 5 slated for a return back to Carolina’s Lenovo Center on Thursday to see who will have the edge in this pivotal clash on ice.

This game didn’t need overtime like the previous two, but it did need someone to break the 3-3 tie that went into the third period between these opponents.

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Jordan Staal of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrates his power play goal with teammates against the Vegas Golden Knights during the first period of Game Four of the Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., on June 9, 2026. (Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)

With 13:39 left in Game 4, Shea Theodore made a disastrous turnover in the Golden Knights’ own zone, and Hurricanes star Seth Jarvis picked it off right in front of the net.

Luckily for Vegas, Carter Harter stopped Jarvis’ backhand, but the threat wasn’t averted just yet. Jarvis battled to get the puck back out in front, and it ended up trickling to the stick of Nikolaj Ehlers, who tried flipping it to Staal.

SETH JARVIS SCORES OVERTIME GAME-WINNER AS HURRICANES STORM BACK FROM 2-0 DEFICIT TO EVEN STANLEY CUP FINAL

Staal lost his edge on his skate, but that didn’t stop him from swatting a back-handed shot of his own toward the net. It just trickled past Hart, and Staal celebrated while still down on the ice. He became the first player in 44 years to score a goal in each of the first four games of the Stanley Cup Final.

With the way these games have been going, though, a one-goal lead was not safe. This time, however, the Hurricanes had the defense and timely saves by Brandon Bussi, who head coach Rod Brind’Amour went with over Frederik Anderson, and the decision paid off.

The Golden Knights took 20 shots on goal, with Bussi saving 7 in his first time on ice for Carolina in this series. And Ehlers sealed victory when he cleverly banked the puck out of his own zone with an empty net on the other end that walked into the net for the 5-3 win.

Jordan Staal of the Carolina Hurricanes scores a first-period goal against Carter Hart of the Vegas Golden Knights in Game Four of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., on June 9, 2026. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

The Hurricanes came out roaring in the first period in this one as well, scoring three goals to the Golden Knights’ one by captain Mark Stone. Logan Stankoven notched his 11th of these playoffs just 1:06 into the game. Jackson Blake quickly followed on a goal assisted by Taylor Hall and Ehlers.

Then, Staal’s first goal of the game came 12:48 into the period on a power play. Shayne Gostisbehere ripped a shot on goal, and after Hart made the save, Staal was first to find the puck and a clear shot right in front of the goal.

With a 3-1 lead after the first 20 minutes, the Hurricanes had to feel good. But again, no lead is safe, and Vegas reminded them of that in the second period.

Logan Stankoven of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrates after scoring a first-period goal against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game Four of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on June 9, 2026. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

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William Karlsson got Vegas closer with his third goal of the playoffs, while Brett Howden, adding to his case for the Conn Smythe Trophy, scored his 14th to tie it all up at three.

In the end, Staal’s heroics for the Hurricanes is why he has a “C” on his sweater.

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Pakistan captain Babar Azam with Shaheen Shah Afridi (PTI Photo)

Pakistan have entrusted Sahibzada Farhan with the captaincy for the men’s cricket competition at the 2026 Asian Games, which will take place in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, during September and October. The selectors have opted for a youthful and largely experimental 15-member squad, with several uncapped players included in the setup.Farhan, who has represented Pakistan in 46 T20 Internationals, will lead the national side for the first time in white-ball cricket. Abdul Samad has been appointed vice-captain for the tournament. The squad features four players who are yet to make their T20I debuts for Pakistan: Akif Javed, Ali Raza, Maaz Sadaqat and Saad Masood. Meanwhile, Usman Khan has been chosen as the team’s primary wicketkeeper.Pakistan’s squad for the Asian Games 2026: Sahibzada Farhan (captain), Abdul Samad (vice-captain), Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Akif Javed, Ali Raza, Arafat Minhas, Haider Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Saad Masood, Saim Ayub, Sufyan Moqim and Usman Khan (wicketkeeper).While Farhan has been a regular presence in Pakistan’s T20 setup, he has not previously captained the national team in either limited-overs format. Samad, on the other hand, has appeared in five T20Is but has not featured in the format for Pakistan since March last year. His most recent international appearance came in the ODI series against Australia.The squad bears little resemblance to the one Pakistan fielded at the T20 World Cup earlier this year. Several established stars have been left out, including regular white-ball captain Salman Ali Agha, along with Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi and Shadab Khan.A significant portion of the selected players are currently involved in Pakistan’s preparations at the National Cricket Academy. Fourteen members of the Asian Games squad are also part of the NCA white-ball camp, which is scheduled to begin in Lahore on June 15.The men’s cricket tournament at the Asian Games will commence on September 24, with the medal matches set to be played on October 3.

United States attorneys have responded to the lawsuit trying to stop this weekend’s UFC Freedom 250 card.

U.S. attorneys said that neither the Department of Interior nor the National Park Service violated any laws regarding the upcoming bout, which is scheduled to take place on Sunday on the South Lawn of the White House.

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The lawsuit, which was filed on behalf of two Virginia residents by the Public Integrity Project, was filed last weekend in federal court in the District of Columbia in an effort to stop the fight card. The lawsuit called the event on White House grounds “deeply corrupt” and alleged that several federal rules and regulations had been violated in an effort by President Donald Trump to give UFC head Dana White a favor.

“The President is giving White and his company what none have enjoyed before: unfettered access to the White House and Lincoln Memorial to stage a private, for-profit sports event, with all the promotional and branding opportunities that accompany such access,” the lawsuit reads.

Plaintiffs in the lawsuit alleged that both the Department of Interior and the National Park Service organized a private sporting event on public property and failed to obtain congressional approval for construction sites. The suit is asking for an injunction to stop the event.

But the government disputed those claims, according to ESPN’s Michael Rothstein, and said that such an injunction would both harm the defendants and affiliated parties after more than $60 million and “tens of thousands of hours of labor” were spent to prepare the fight card. Stopping the event, the government argued, would cause more harm than if an injunction was not granted.

The government said that the delay in filing was “inexcusable,” considering that the event has been public knowledge for nearly a year.

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It’s unclear when a decision will be made regarding the injunction. Plaintiffs can file another reply on Wednesday, and oral arguments could be made on Thursday.

Justin Gaethje and Ilia Topuria are set to headline the UFC Freedom 250 card in their lightweight title bout on Sunday. Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane will square off in the heavyweight interim title bout, too.

The UFC is set to hold news conferences on Friday night in front of the Lincoln Memorial, and weigh-ins on Saturday at the Ellipse. The fights on Sunday will take place on Trump’s 80th birthday. The UFC has said that it will pay $700,000 to restore the South Lawn after the fight is done.

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If it moves forward, it will be the first professional sports event held on White House grounds in history.