Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah looks on from the sideline during a matchup with the New York Giants, Dec 21, 2025, as Minnesota continued navigating the latter portion of the season. Adofo-Mensah, hired in 2022, has overseen the franchise’s roster construction and long-term vision following the departure of former general manager Rick Spielman. Mandatory Credit: VikingzFanPage–Twitter
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was far from perfect. Most glaringly, there were the issues in the draft, the absolute best way to keep a roster nourished with talent.
What of his most recent work?
The 2025 NFL Draft was the final one with Mr. Adofo-Mensah getting the final call. Surprisingly enough, the analytics GM did something that was somewhat in defiance to the general wisdom: opting for a guard in the 1st. Crucially, the opening-round selection looks very promising. Does the remainder of the draft demonstrate commensurate levels of promise?
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Kwesi’s Parting Gift — The 2025 Draft Class
So far, Vikings camp has seen several risers. Among these players who have impressed are receiver Tai Felton, DT/EDGE Ty Ingram-Dawkins, and TE Gavin Bartholomew. All of these young guys are in town after getting scooped up as part of the same 2025 draft class.
Journey back in time to the legendary 2015 Vikings draft. That’s a cluster of talent that involved a total of ten players. Corner Trae Waynes got chosen in the 1st and did fine; overall, though, we was a disappointment due to being solid rather than sizzling. Two others, OT Tyrus Thompson and DE B.J. Dubose, never played in a single NFL game. Another, OT T.J. Clemmings, was horrible.
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Feb 25, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.
What makes the group of talent so formidable is that linebacker Eric Kendricks got chosen in the 2nd, edge rusher Danielle Hunter in the 3rd, and receiver Stefon Diggs in the 5th. Each would get chosen in the 1st if the draft got redone.
See the key reality? Pulling three fantastic players out of a singular draft represents wonderful work. Think of drafting as therefore being vaguely similar to a hitter in baseball. Boasting a .300 batting average — or better — could represent really nice work, especially if one can hit for power (like landing an All-Pro edge rusher in the 3rd).
Bring that back around to Kwesi’s parting gift.
LG1 Donovan Jackson is going to be a fantastic player. He’s tough and competitive. He’s rugged and can be used as a puller. Look for him to create a ferocious left side with Christian Darrisaw healthy. Quite possibly, he’ll become the main leader along the o-line once Brian O’Neill retires.
Afterwards, the picks may have been used on somebody who can become a strong WR3, a strong depth defensive lineman capable of playing along the edge, and then an upside TE3. That’s a good haul, folks. Not on par with the All Pro talent taken in 2015 but going 4/5 is really good. These guys still need to prove themselves further but there’s upside here.
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Feb 28, 2023; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo‐Mensah during the NFL combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports.
Where Adofo-Mensah missed was with the Kobe King selection, who appeared a touch slow to my eye. A swing and a miss here on the thumping linebacker can be forgiven if the other four guys fulfill their potential.
Plus, consider the UDFA talent.
Max Brosmer could be a long-term QB3 with the ceiling of that of a strong QB2. That’s an excellent outcome for an undrafted passer. Receiver Myles Price has proven capable of being a weapon as a returner (with some meat on the bone as a receiver). Receiver Dontae Fleming is making noise, defensive lineman Elijah Williams is battling to maintain his roster spot, and several other UDFAs are still in the mix.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah deserves credit for these decisions. Again, he was far from perfect, but much of the roster owes something to the former GM. Now, if J.J. McCarthy explodes as he solidifies himself as the long-term QB1? That’s an outcome that will lead to a much different perspective on the executive who is now putting in work for the 49ers.
Iga Swiatek of Poland celebrates while playing Diana Shnaider during the quarterfinals on day nine of the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers at Sobeys Stadium on August 10, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario. Matthew Stockman/Getty Images/AFP
Former world number one Iga Swiatek cruised into the Toronto Masters semifinals on Monday, taking just 64 minutes to sweep past Russian Diana Shnaider 6-2, 6-1.
Poland’s Swiatek, a six-time Grand Slam champion, reached just her second WTA semifinal this year after Rome and seeks her first final since winning the Korea Open almost a year ago in Seoul.
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“From the beginning I went for it. I felt like I could dominate,” Swiatek said. “I was quite happy with the way I played.”
The 25-year-old world number eight from Warsaw will on Wednesday face Ukraine’s ninth-ranked Elina Svitolina, who rallied past 19th-ranked Ekaterina Alexandrova 3-6, 6-0, 6-3.
Svitolina won eight consecutive games in the second and third sets to dispatch her Russian rival in 93 minutes.
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Swiatek leads Svitolina 4-3 in their WTA career rivalry but lost both their meetings this year.
“It was a tricky match with the wind,” Swiatek said.
“It was the first chance I had to play in the wind since I got here. I thought I needed to adjust to that. I just wanted to be more solid.”
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Swiatek dropped only three points on her first serve and took 11 of 16 points returning Shnaider’s second serves.
Elina Svitolina of Ukraine celebrates match point against Ekaterina Alexandrova during the quarterfinals on day nine of the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers at Sobeys Stadium on August 10, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario. Matthew Stockman/Getty Images/AFP
Shnaider, a left-hander, swatted a backhand over the baseline to surrender a break in the opening game.
Swiatek took a 5-2 lead, breaking again when Shnaider netted a backhand, and served out to take the first set in 31 minutes.
Swiatek broke for a 2-1 lead in the second when Shnaider netted a forehand. She smashed a forehand winner to break for a 4-1 edge and broke again in the last game when Shnaider sent a forehand long.
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Svitolina sent a backhand long to drop serve to love in the final game of the first set, Alexandrova taking it after 29 minutes with 12 winners to only three by Svitolina.
In the second set, Alexandrova sent a forehand long and netted two backhands to hand Svitolina three breaks.
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Svitolina served for the match in the eighth game of the final set but double faulted away a break only to break back to love in the last game, smashing a service return winner to end it.
2 min read Last Updated : Aug 10 2026 | 7:03 PM IST
Champions League winner Paris Saint-Germain has strengthened its defense by signing left back Lucas Digne from Aston Villa on a three-year contract.
PSG announced the deal on Sunday evening without giving financial details. Sports daily L’Equipe said it paid the Premier League club 10 million euros ($11.6 million).
The 33-year-old Digne was born in the Paris suburbs and previously played for PSG after joining from Lille in 2013. He then represented Roma and Barcelona before spending eight years in the Premier League with Everton and Villa.
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An energetic defender with accurate passing, the left-footed Digne became a France regular in recent years under former coach Didier Deschamps. He played at the recent World Cup, where Les Bleus reached the semifinals, and has 64 caps.
“I am very honoured to be returning to Paris Saint-Germain following the wonderful experience I had here more than 10 years ago,” he said. “I am particularly impressed by how the club has developed over the years.”
PSG recently signed France winger Maghnes Akliouche from Monaco and begins its Ligue 1 title defense at home to Rennes on Aug. 23.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The struggling West Indies cricket team is not showing promising signs of reclaiming the glory days that saw them win both the ODI World Cup and the T20 World Cup twice. As the focus gradually shifts towards next year’s World Cup in the 50-over format, the West Indies have once again missed out on an automatic qualification spot for the showpiece event. According to the rules, the top eight teams in the ICC ODI rankings on 30 September will secure automatic qualification for the World Cup, alongside the two hosts, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
The West Indies, however, are not currently in this bracket, with Afghanistan clawing their way back in thanks to a thrilling victory over Ireland in Belfast. As things stand, Afghanistan have secured direct qualification for next year’s ODI World Cup, alongside Australia, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, England, Bangladesh, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.
For the West Indies, the path to the quadrennial event is much longer. They still have two ODIs to play before the cut-off date, both against India. However, even if they win both matches, they cannot topple Afghanistan for the final qualifying spot.
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The West Indies faced a similar situation four years ago, when they needed to excel in the qualifiers to enter the ODI World Cup. However, they ended up faltering in the qualifiers as well, missing the World Cup for the first time in their cricketing history. This disappointment also resulted in their missing out on the subsequent Champions Trophy.
How the West Indies Can Qualify for the 2027 ODI World Cup
The West Indies are now set to feature in the 10-team ICC World Cup Qualifier tournament, alongside Ireland, the top performers from CWC League 2, and qualifiers from the Qualifier Play-offs.
The eight-team Qualifier Playoff features the bottom four sides from CWC League 2 alongside the top two teams from each of the Challenge League’s two six-team groups. Following three round-robin tournaments across the cycle for the Challenge League, the top four finishers from the playoff advance to the main Qualifier.
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If the West Indies are to make it to the 14-team World Cup finals, they must fulfil certain conditions. Winning the World Cup Qualifier tournament grants immediate entry into the main tournament.
If they fail to win the tournament, the West Indies must ensure that they finish the qualifiers in second, third, or fourth position. This will enable them to compete in a “Super Series” play-off round, where the winner of this phase claims the final remaining World Cup berth.
While the exact format for the play-offs has not yet been finalised, the top four teams from this eight-team phase will advance to the World Cup Qualifier.
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UEFA, CONCACAF and the AFC believe that FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s recent plan to sell an interest in the World Cup was a “fundamental breach of trust” with the institutions world soccer’s governing body serves.
In an “open letter to the football family” revealed on Monday, UEFA, CONCACAF and the AFC also said that “when trust is broken through deception, when an individual places himself above the collective that entrusted him with authority, that duty has been abandoned.”
UEFA runs soccer in Europe, CONCACAF does the same for North, Central America and the Caribbean, while the AFC governs the sport in Asia.
The letter was co-signed by UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, AFC president Salman Bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa, CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani and three general secretaries.
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“Football is the world’s greatest shared passion. It belongs to no individual and no institution. It belongs to the players, the fans, the clubs, the member associations and every institution entrusted with safeguarding its future,” the open letter said. “It is in that spirit, as confederations representing its members, that we speak collectively today.”
Infantino is facing a revolt after his failed plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private equity investors.
“It is not the conduct of a custodian of the game, but of one who believes the game is answerable to him,” the letter said. “These are not the qualities football deserves in its leadership. That is why we have taken this stance: not lightly and not alone, but together, and out of duty to the game we serve.”
UEFA previously issued a threat to boycott the World Cup and other FIFA competitions despite the governing body abandoning and apologizing for its failed plan.
Norway’s soccer federation called for Infantino to step down, while the English Football Association has also withdrawn its support for Infantino’s re-election next March.
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“Football’s strength has always been its unity. We call for that unity to be honoured now,” the letter said. “For leadership that serves football, not seeks to command it.”
Last Wednesday, FIFA said it had apologized for errors made over the failed plan but that senior staff at a crisis meeting in Morocco “reaffirmed their full support” for his presidency.
However, the nature of the meeting was also met with criticism.
“FIFA’s own letter also confirms that only one elected official was present at the leadership meeting in Morocco,” the open letter said. “No FIFA Council members or Member Associations were invited to participate. Only the management committee, composed of FIFA-employed senior staff, was present.”
FIFA was also urged to go further than just acknowledging mistakes were made.
“It treats this as a failure of communication, when what football witnessed was a failure of judgment,” the letter said. “There remains no recognition that attempting to sell an interest in the FIFA World Cup was a profound failure of judgment – not just a procedural misstep, but a fundamental breach of trust with the very institutions FIFA exists to serve.
NEW DELHI: Afghanistan secured direct qualification for the 2027 ODI World Cup after beating Ireland by three wickets in the third ODI at the Civil Service Cricket Club in Belfast on Monday. The win also gave Afghanistan an unassailable 2-0 lead in the five-match series.Afghanistan bowled Ireland out for 206 in 46.3 overs before chasing down the target in 44.5 overs. The win was set up by a strong bowling effort and a calm finish from Rashid Khan.Afghanistan entered the third ODI knowing that a win would be enough to seal their place in the 2027 ODI World Cup. They had already beaten Ireland by 92 runs in the second ODI, while the opening match of the five-match series was washed out.
Rashid, Ahmadzai take Afghanistan home
Afghanistan looked in control at 97 for two during the chase but lost five wickets for 79 runs to slip to 176 for seven.Rashid then stepped up when his team needed him most. He remained unbeaten on 37 off 43 balls, hitting four boundaries, while Yamin Ahmadzai stayed not out on four off 26 balls.The pair held their nerve to take Afghanistan across the finish line without any further damage.Rashid was named Player of the Match for his crucial contribution.
Afghanistan secure World Cup spot
Afghanistan, currently ranked No. 8 in ODIs, have now secured direct qualification for the 2027 World Cup, which will be hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.This will be Afghanistan’s fourth appearance in an ODI World Cup.
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Rahmat Shah praises bowling effort
Afghanistan captain Rahmat Shah credited his bowlers for sticking to their plans and adapting quickly to the conditions.“Thank you. It was a low-scoring match, always tough. Finally, we won the match.”On Afghanistan’s bowling performance, he said: “Yeah, I give them the plans according to the field, according to the situation, and they read very well, especially Yamin Ahmadzai bowled really well, Rashid and Ghanzafar, they bowled really well too. They bowled according to the field, and especially they assessed the conditions early.”Rahmat said Afghanistan’s chase was challenging because of the low-scoring nature of the game.“Of course, yes, because always a low-scoring match is very tough, and finally we won the match.”He also pointed out the ninth-wicket partnership that helped Ireland post a competitive total and said Afghanistan would look to break such partnerships earlier in future.“I think the ninth-wicket partnership, Ireland did very well. Inshallah, we try to break these partnerships early if we are in a good situation on that time. Inshallah, we will try our best.”
Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway won his seventh European title in front of 13,623 fans at Alexander Stadium in Birmingham on Monday night, when winning the 5,000m for the fourth time.
Racing towards the rear of the field for much of tonight’s final, the two-time Olympic champion made impressive headway in the latter stages of the contest to win in 13:15.29, a season’s best.
🚨HEE’SSSS BACKKKKKK!!! 🔥
🚨KING JAKOB INGEBRIGTSEN🇳🇴
THE KINGEBRIGTSEN HAS RETURNED 👑
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Returning after conquering an Achilles injury, he won his 4th consecutive European 5000m title in 13:15.29s.
Florian Bremm of German took the silver medal in 13:15.60, with Etienne Daguinos of France settling for bronze in 13:16.09.
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Ireland’s Brian Fay was prominent in the early kilometres of the race before eventually fading to finish in 14th place, clocking 13:31.15.
Darragh McElhinney and later, Nick Griggs, took positions closer to the front of the group, with Griggs eventually finishing best of the Irish trio in eighth place, in a time of 13:21.07. McElhinny, who looked for some of the race that he would be involved in the business end, faded in latter stages to cross the line in 18th place, in 13:37.62.
Norway won another gold when taking the 4 x 400m mixed relay final from Britain in second and the Netherlands in third. The winning time of 3:09.62 was a national record, a championship record and a European leading time.
🚨 🇳🇴 CHAMPIONSHIP RECORD 🇳🇴 🚨
🥇Norway 🇳🇴 wins GOLD in the mixed 4x400m relay at the European Championships in Birmingham.
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The quartet of Karsten Warholm, Amalie Iuel, Andreas Kulseng & Henriette Jæger stormed to a Championship Record of 3:09.62s CR!! 🔥
First Gold of Championships goes to The Netherlands
The Netherlands took gold and silver in the women’s shot put – the first of five sets of medals awarded at Monday evening’s session.
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Jessica Schilder threw 20.73m in round six to defeat her compatriot, who threw a PB of 19.64m in round one. German Yemisi Mabry claimed the bronze with a fifth round effort of 19.50m.
Amy Hunt won Gold for Britain in the women’s 100m, clocking 11.00 seconds in her victory.
Ewa Swoboda of Poland was second in 11.02 seconds, while the podium was completed by Delphine Nkansa of Belgium in a personal best time of 11.06 seconds.
It was an Italian 1-2 in the men’s shot put final. Leonardo Fabbri beat his compatriot Zane Weir with a third round throw of 22.31m. Weir took silver with 21.12m with his first effort, while Wictor Petersson from Sweden claimed bronze with 20.97m on his final throw.
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🥇 Leonardo Fabbri 🇮🇹 wins GOLD in the men’s Shot Put at the European Championships with 22.31m. He now wins the title 2 consecutive times.
Nov 22, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats running back Ismail Mahdi (21) against the Baylor Bears at Casino Del Sol Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Arizona running back Ismail Mahdi and linebacker Max Harris are back with the Wildcats after earning an extra year of eligibility, the school announced Monday.
The two 2025 honorable mention All-Big 12 players secured eligibility for this season when U.S. District Judge Charlotte Sweeney of Colorado recently ruled that the NCAA’s new five-in-five rule allows some Class of 2022 athletes to compete this year.
Mahdi and Harris are part of the group granted the extra season. Both had played just four college seasons.
The NCAA has declared it intends to appeal the ruling.
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Mahdi rushed for a team-best 859 yards last season in his first campaign at Arizona. He scored five touchdowns (four rushing, one receiving) and caught 17 passes for 119 yards.
He began his career at FCS program Houston Christian in 2022. He then rushed for 2,322 yards and 14 touchdowns in two seasons at Texas State before transferring to Arizona.
Harris was third on the Wildcats with 78 tackles and notched 3.5 sacks last season in his first campaign with Arizona.
He previously played one season apiece at FCS Incarnate Word (2022), Louisiana-Monroe (career-high 79 tackles in 2023) and Texas State (2024).
NFL veteran quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has once again retired from the game.
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell told reporters on Sunday that Bridgewater, who was competing for the backup role to Jared Goff in the quarterbacks room, has decided to step away from the team in the middle of training camp.
The Lions officially placed Bridgewater on the reserve/retired list ahead of their Sunday practice.
FILE – Detroit Lions quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (10) is seen on the sideline during the second half of an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings, Dec. 24, 2023 in Minneapolis.(AP Photo/Stacy Bengs, File)
Campbell added that he believes retirement could stick this time for Bridgewater, who had previously retired following the 2023 season. But he quickly rejoined the Lions for the 2024 season.
“I think he can only truly answer that, but I feel like this is where it’s at for sure right now,” Campbell said, via ESPN. “This is where it needs to be and where he felt. And his biggest worry was letting us down. That’s the type of guys he is, and he’s not.
As a result, the Lions were reportedly quick to sign another journeyman, Josh Dobbs, to a $1.425 million contract with $475,000 fully guaranteed, per NFL Network. Dobbs is familiar with Detroit, having been on the team’s practice squad during the 2022 campaign.
Dobbs has also recently backed up Drake Maye with the AFC-winning New England Patriots a season ago. He is a dual-threat quarterback, having the ability to use his legs to pick up crucial yardage, which is the opposite of Goff’s game as a true pocket-passer.
As for Bridgewater, he joined the Lions again as an unrestricted free agent in March after backing up Baker Mayfield with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2025. Bridgewater was expected to back up Goff this year, but the Lions have to pivot now.
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One of the many reasons Bridgewater remains someone NFL teams want in their locker room is due to his mentorship abilities, understanding his role as a backup and helping the starter on a weekly basis before, during, and after the season. That includes working with Goff in 2023 and 2024, as he developed into one of the best pure passers in the league in an explosive Lions offensive scheme.
Teddy Bridgewater of the Detroit Lions looks to throw the ball against the Jacksonville Jaguars during a preseason game at Ford Field in Detroit, Mich., on Aug. 19, 2023.(Getty Images)
Bridgewater, who was a first-round pick to the Minnesota Vikings in 2014 out of Louisville, was a Pro Bowler early in his career. In just his second season, he got the nod after going 11-5 with 3,231 passing yards, 14 passing touchdowns, while rushing for 192 yards with three scores.
But Bridgewater’s career was derailed, as a starter at least, when a horrific knee injury led to a left knee dislocation and a torn ACL during a practice just before the start of the 2016 season.
Bridgewater would move on to the New Orleans Saints in 2018, getting six starts across two seasons before getting a heavier workload with the Carolina Panthers in 2020. He went 4-11 in Carolina before going 7-7 with the Denver Broncos the following year.
Bridgewater also played a season with the Miami Dolphins in 2022, going 0-2 in his only two starts with the franchise.
If this is officially Bridgewater’s last time on an NFL football field as a quarterback, he threw for 15,182 yards with 75 passing touchdowns over 83 games. He owned a 33-32 record as a starter across 11 seasons.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (10) during an NFL game against the Carolina Panthers on Dec. 21, 2025, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.(Icon Sportswire)
“I’ve known Teddy a long time and the human being is unbelievable,” Campbell said. “Certainly, the player, everything that he’s about. The type of teammate he is, the way he prepares … always played the game up here and had a huge heart.
“He’s going to be missed.”
Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.
The 24-year-old Cambridge English literature graduate described her victory as a ‘coming of age’ moment, thrilling the home crowd as she crossed the finish line in precisely 11 seconds.
The success comes just two weeks after she claimed silver in the same event at the Commonwealth Games.
This victory represents the first stage of an ambitious campaign for the 200m world silver medallist, who is targeting four golds this week, with the 200m, mixed, and women’s 4x100m relays still ahead.
Again referencing a song from the film High School Musical, she said: “I want it all, and I think I’m someone who doesn’t shy away from what she knows she can do. I knew I could come away with a gold coming into the day.
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Hunt finished with a time of 11 seconds (Mike Egerton/PA)
“I had such a big premonition, and I just love my job. This is what makes it the best.
“I just had such a magical feeling. I’ve won English Schools here, I’ve raced here as a kind of 13, 14-year-old, so, this is really my track. I’m a girl, I’m from Newark, so I just had a feeling that this was going to be my night.
“My first gold. I think it was definitely time for an upgrade. I think this was definitely a coming of age for me here tonight, and I’m now kind of fully established.
“I’m a 100m medallist, I’ve got two 100m medals in the last two weeks, and one more sub-11 to boot. I’m very, very happy.”
Poland’s Ewa Swoboda took silver, Belgium’s Delphine Nkansa rounded out the podium, and Hunt’s compatriot and the defending champion, Dina Asher-Smith, was fifth.
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Moments before, the 4x400m quartet of Ben Jefferies, Charlotte Henrich, Toby Harries and Yemi Mary John secured Great Britain’s first medal of the championships with silver.
Jakob Ingebrigtsen provided the evening’s other major highlight, marking his comeback from an 11-month layoff with an astonishing 5000m gold.
The two-time Olympic and world champion had won three successive European 1500/5000m doubles, but went under the knife in February to resolve an ongoing Achilles issue and only announced his intention to compete in Birmingham at the end of July.
“I dreamt of this moment two weeks ago, when I put my name on the list,” he said on track. “I was crossing my fingers hoping to feel a little bit better every day, and it was just enough, so I’m extremely happy.”
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