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Justin Jefferson comments on how Sam Darnold departure affected Vikings production

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Justin Jefferson did not hesitate when asked the quiet part out loud when it relates to the Minnesota Vikings and their quarterbacks. Could this have been the Vikings in the Super Bowl if Sam Darnold stayed?

“Yeah, for sure. Definitely,” Jefferson said in a recent interview with USA Today.

It was an honest answer, and one that now lands differently in Minnesota, where the Vikings are coming off a 9-8 season, missed the playoffs and the stunning firing of general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, just months after a contract extension.

Darnold, meanwhile, is preparing to play in Super Bowl LX in his first season with the Seattle Seahawks.

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Jefferson’s comments were not necessarily a shot at Minnesota’s current quarterback room. Instead, they reflected the reality of a season that unraveled after the Vikings chose not to re-sign the quarterback who had helped guide them to a 14-3 record in 2024.

Darnold arrived in Minnesota as a temporary solution while the organization waited on first-round pick J.J. McCarthy’s recovery from a knee injury. When McCarthy went down for the year, Darnold delivered the best season of his career, throwing for more than 4,300 yards and 35 touchdowns and leading one of the most productive offenses in the league.

The long-term plan, however, never changed. Minnesota turned the offense over to McCarthy in 2025, and the results were uneven. McCarthy’s injuries and inconsistency pressed veteran Carson Wentz and rookie Max Brosmer into action, and the Vikings’ offense fell from ninth in scoring to 26th. Minnesota ended the regular season on a five-game win streak, but narrowly missed out on the playoffs.

Seattle took the opposite path. The Seahawks signed Darnold to a three-year deal, watched him earn another Pro Bowl nod and rode a balanced roster to a franchise-record 14 wins and a Super Bowl berth.

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For Jefferson, the difference was familiarity and stability — something the Vikings rarely had under center in 2025.

“Everyone knows the difficulty of the quarterback position this year, of how we were dealt it,” Jefferson said. “But having a quarterback that already had a season under his belt with us, knew the plays, knew the playbook, knew the players — throwing to me, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, all these guys — I definitely feel like we would have done better. But it is what it is. It’s on to new and better things, but I’m definitely happy and proud for him that he was able to reach it this year.”

Watching Darnold reach the Super Bowl has stirred conflicting emotions for Jefferson, who admitted it hasn’t been easy seeing another team enjoy the success Minnesota hoped to chase.

“It’s definitely tough. It’s tough to watch,” Jefferson said. “I love that he’s in the Super Bowl. I’m happy for him, I want nothing but the best for him, especially the way his journey was at first, people doubting him and people not giving him the respect. Now they’re giving him the respect. Now they’re seeing that he’s a top-tier quarterback in this league. Of course, selfishly I wish he had done that for us last year, but to see him blossom and bounce back right after last year and make it this year, I’m happy for him and I hope he wins.”

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Floyd Mayweather names the greatest fighter of all time after him: “He’s a legend”

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Having adopted the moniker “The Best Ever,” Floyd Mayweather Jr. unsurprisingly considers himself the greatest fighter of all time, but when naming athe second best, he chose a man he describes as a “legend.”

Mayweather became boxing’s fourth five-division world champion during his time in the ring, picking up belts at each weight that he fought at; boxing between super-featherweight and light-middleweight.

Over the course of his career, the Michigan-born fighter trumped the likes of Manny Pacquiao, Oscar De La Hoya and Juan Manuel Marquez, all whilst maintaining his fabled undefeated record and rarely taking any real damage.

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In 2017, after a lucrative showdown with UFC superstar Conor McGregor, Mayweather hung up the gloves with a flawless 50-0 record, walking away from the sport as one of the greatest pound-for-pound figures of all time – in his eyes, in top spot.

Speaking to Fox Sports, Mayweather discussed which fighters he believed to be closest to him in the all-time rankings. He named Panamanian icon Roberto Duran as boxing’s second best, appreciating his efforts to move up from lightweight and dethrone welterweight ruler Sugar Ray Leonard in 1980.

“Duran number 2. [He was] unbelievable. He was the guy that came from lightweight and beat Sugar Ray Leonard. I love that guy, he is a legend.”

Astonishingly, Mayweather is now scheduled for a professional comeback, as he rematches Manny Pacquiao at The Sphere in Las Vegas on Saturday, September 9.

Before that, the 49-year-old will take on Mike Tyson in a bizarre exhibition bout in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

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NBA roundup: Thunder emerge with scrappy OT win over Nuggets

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NBA: Denver Nuggets at Oklahoma City ThunderFeb 27, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) goes up for a basket in front of Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) during the fourth quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Chet Holmgren produced 15 points and a career-high 21 rebounds and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 36 points in his return from injury, lifting the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 127-121 victory over the visiting Denver Nuggets on Friday.

Gilgeous-Alexander, playing his first game since sustaining an abdominal strain on Feb. 3, helped the Thunder dig out of an early 16-point deficit.

In overtime, though, Gilgeous-Alexander remained on the bench. It didn’t matter, as Alex Caruso continued his strong play from the end of regulation. He finished with 12 points.

Denver’s Jamal Murray hit a trio of 3-pointers in the final 30 seconds to finish with 39 points. Nikola Jokic finished with 23 points, 17 rebounds and 14 assists while teammate Christian Braun also scored 23.

Pistons 122, Cavaliers 119 (OT)

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Jalen Duren scored 33 points and grabbed 16 rebounds as host Detroit rallied from a nine-point deficit late in regulation to win in overtime against Cleveland.

Cade Cunningham supplied 25 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists before fouling out in regulation for the Pistons, who have won seven of their past eight. Ausar Thompson had 18 points, eight rebounds and five assists.

Jarrett Allen’s 25 points and nine rebounds led the Cavaliers, who have lost three of the past four. Cleveland played without its starting backcourt, Donovan Mitchell (groin) and James Harden (thumb).

Celtics 148, Nets 111

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Nikola Vucevic had 28 points and 11 rebounds in 25 minutes as Boston pulled away in the second half for a victory over visiting Brooklyn.

The Celtics, who had a six-point lead midway through the third quarter, outscored the Nets 82-54 in the second half. Jaylen Brown logged 28 points, seven rebounds and nine assists for Boston, which hit 66.7% of its field-goal attempts while earning its 10th win in 12 games.

Michael Porter Jr. led Brooklyn with 18 points. Danny Wolf scored 16 as the Nets dropped their seventh game in a row.

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Grizzlies 124, Mavericks 105

Cam Spencer scored 25 points and Olivier-Maxence Prosper added 16 points and a career-high 10 rebounds — his first career double-double — as visiting Memphis handed Dallas its seventh straight home loss.

Scotty Pippen Jr. chipped in with 15 points for the Grizzlies, who snapped a three-game losing streak. GG Jackson and Jaylen Wells had 12 points each.

Brandon Williams amassed 16 points and eight rebounds for the Mavericks, who have lost 12 of their past 14 games. Daniel Gafford added 14 points on 7-of-8 shooting.

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Knicks 127, Bucks 98

Jalen Brunson scored 22 of his game-high 27 points in the first quarter, helping visiting New York secure a victory over Milwaukee.

OG Anunoby added 24 points and Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 17 points and 13 rebounds for New York, which shot 21-for-42 (50%) on 3-point attempts. Landry Shamet scored 15 points, while Josh Hart had 12 and Mikal Bridges and Mohamed Diawara scored 10 apiece.

Myles Turner led Milwaukee with 19 points, followed by Kyle Kuzma with 17 and Bobby Portis with 14. Ryan Rollins scored 13, while Kevin Porter Jr. finished with 11 points and 10 assists for the Bucks, who had won eight of their previous 10 games.

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–Field Level Media

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NHL Highlights (Feb. 27)

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NHL Highlights (Feb. 27)

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So what are you doing tomorrow night?

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Bayley is arguably one of the most talented WWE stars on the current roster. The former Women’s Champion is widely regarded as a locker room leader. She recently received a message from a 14-time WWE champion.

A fan recently posted an old clip featuring Bayley and Charlotte Flair. The Queen responded to the post and wrote that she was the 36-year-old RAW Superstar’s favorite. The former Hugger reacted to The Queen’s tweet, writing, “Tequila goes nicely with Ben & Jerry’s.” This led Flair to ask the Grand Slam Champion whether she was free tomorrow.

“So what are you doing tomorrow night???” Flair wrote.

You can check out Flair’s tweet below.

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The Queen has won 14 world titles in WWE. She has held the Women’s Championship 13 times and the Divas Title once.


WWE icon picked Bayley as her dream opponent

In an interview with ESPN, AJ Lee was asked to name her dream opponent in the Stamford-based promotion. The Black Widow said a bout against Bayley would be a “dream match”.

Lee added that she and The Role Model last locked horns when she was the Divas Champion. The WWE icon concluded by saying that she would love to find out how a match between her and the RAW Superstar would unfold at this stage of their careers.

“My dream match would be Bayley. I think I’ve gotten to have like one match with her way back in the day when I had the Divas Title. So it would be really cool to see who we both are now, and get my hands on her in the ring,” she said.

For now, The Black Widow is all set to square off with Becky Lynch for the WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship tonight at Elimination Chamber 2026. That said, it will be interesting to see what plans Triple H and the creative team have in store for The Role Model as the Stamford-based promotion gets closer to WrestleMania 42.

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