Leon Cooperman latest – Man United stake, net worth, Sir Jim Ratcliffe sale stance – Manchester Evening News
Need to know
Billionaire investor Leon Cooperman has increased his ownership stake at Manchester United
18:45, 18 Feb 2026Updated 18:46, 18 Feb 2026
Leon Cooperman invested in Manchester United back in 2023(Image: Heidi Gutman/CNBC/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)
Here, the Manchester Evening News examines Leon Cooperman’s reported net worth and links to Manchester United….
Net worth status: As of early 2026, Leon Cooperman’s net worth stands at approximately $3.6billion. The majority of his fortune derives from his career as a renowned Wall Street investor and the personal capital invested in his firm, Omega Advisors.
Initial stake purchase: In late 2023, Cooperman first became a Manchester United investor by acquiring just under one million shares. At that time, this initial minority stake was worth roughly $16.8million (£13.5million).
Increased ownership: SEC filings from February this year show that Cooperman has substantially expanded his holding to 2,922,076 Class A Ordinary Shares. This transaction elevated his beneficial ownership to approximately 5.2% of the club’s Class A shares.
Investment vehicle: These shares are owned directly by Omega Capital Partners, L. P, a Cooperman family investment limited partnership, reports the Mirror. He retains sole voting and dispositive authority over these holdings, although they represent a minority share of the club’s total equity.
Passive investment stance: The billionaire has registered his ownership via a Schedule 13G, a disclosure form designated for passive investors. This certification explicitly confirms that the shares were not purchased with the intention of changing or influencing control of the club.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s involvement: Cooperman’s share acquisition coincided with Sir Jim Ratcliffe finalising his own agreement for a 25% stake in the club. The market has frequently viewed Cooperman’s ongoing investment as an indication of faith in the restructuring spearheaded by Ratcliffe’s INEOS group.
Ensure our latest sport headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings.Follow men:
Former NFL star and professional boxer Le’Veon Bell has been making quite the headlines lately, grabbing the attention of the WWE Universe. The star recently made some comments about The Vision’s Logan Paul, which ended up sparking a lot of speculation about his potential debut at WrestleMania.
The footballer turned boxer revealed that Paul had promised him a contract for a boxing match multiple times in the past, but didn’t end up fulfilling his end of the bargain because of his ongoing deal with the Stamford-based company. This led to speculations of Bell making his way to WWE for a match against The Maverick in the squared circle on The Grandest Stage of Them All.
Thanks for the submission!
Advertisement
While the speculations were not expected to come true, during a recent episode of the Busted Open podcast, Bell revealed that he was set to be in attendance on The Grandest Stage of Them All this year. This has made a potential confrontation between Paul and Bell even more possible.
Advertisement
“They [WWE] haven’t. They haven’t. It’s just literally all me. Regardless if they contact me or not, I’m still gonna be there. I’mma either be front row and I’m gonna be there. I might pull up as a masked man. You might not even know I’m there. If I’m there, you might not even know I’m there….I’ll be there. I will be there,” Bell stated [H/T Fightful]
Le’Veon Bell recently apologised to WWE Superstars
Following his recent appearance on the Busted Open, Le’Veon Bell also made a public apology for his comments on the athleticism of the WWE Superstars in the past.
The star, in a post on X/Twitter, accepted that professional wrestling was a craft and that the stars performing are some of the greatest athletes on the globe. Bell has managed to earn the respect of the professional wrestling fans, and a potential confrontation with Logan Paul at WrestleMania 42 seems to be the future.
Time will now tell what the company has in store for the stars.
Advertisement
Why did you not like this content?
Was this article helpful?
Advertisement
Thank You for feedback
Read all the hottest WWE news from Sportskeeda by choosing us as your preferred source. Click HERE.
Mason Greenwood left Manchester United in 2024 and is currently playing for Marseille in Ligue 1
22:25, 12 Mar 2026Updated 22:40, 12 Mar 2026
Advertisement
Marseille sporting director Medhi Benatia was reportedly keen on offloading former Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood after concerns about his commitment and work rate. That’s according to reports in France who claim the 38-year-old wanted to sell the striker prior to finishing as joint Ligue 1 top-goalscorer with 21 goals last season.
Greenwood finished level with PSG’s Ousmane Dembele, scoring six goals in eight matches towards the end of the campaign to help Marseille qualify for the Champions League.
La Provence claim Benatia wanted to sell the 24-year-old due to his lack of defensive contribution, with Greenwood reported to have avoided the sporting director around the club.
**Get MEN Premium now for just £1 **HERE** – or get involved in our United WhatsApp group by clicking **HERE**. You can also join our United Facebook page by clicking **HERE** and don’t miss out on our brilliant selection of newsletters **HERE.
Advertisement
It was a view shared by former boss Roberto De Zerbi, who dropped Greenwood from the Marseille starting line-up against Lens and PSG in March last year.
At the time, De Zerbi said: “I expect more from him. He has to do more, because what he is currently showing is not enough.
“If he wants to achieve his ambition of becoming a champion, he has to be more consistent, sacrifice more and be more determined.”
The former Brighton boss later said: “Greenwood is a very good person whom I love, as I love his father. He’s had a bit of a tough time lately because he had a daughter who was born, and I don’t think he’s used to playing such an intense season and being a main player. I think he paid for it physically.
“That is to say that he didn’t push himself and wasn’t 100% as I wanted in training, in terms of what I expect from a player like him.
“His physical condition has declined a little, but my project in Marseille is not only to qualify for the Champions League, it is also to create something like what Luis Enrique has created (at PSG). He has created a team, a group of strong players, but with a soul.”
Greenwood would go on to become a key player for the Ligue 1 side and has scored 25 goals in 37 appearances in all competitions for Marseille this season.
Advertisement
Several high profile European clubs including Barcelona, Napoli and Atletico Madrid have been credited with an interest.
North Carolina football is less than two weeks from opening summer camp ahead of its second season under seven-time Super Bowl-winning coach Bill Belichick.
Belichick led the Tar Heels to a 4-8 record in his first season in Chapel Hill, but a string of off-field headlines largely overshadowed the team.
The controversy has carried into the offseason, apparently prompting at least one prominent UNC football alumnus to forgo attending games in person when the 2026 season begins this fall.
Advertisement
Marquise Williams, who earned All-ACC honors during his four-year run with UNC, announced his plan to skip games this year.
Marquise Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels warms up before a game against the Clemson Tigers at Bank of America Stadium Dec. 5, 2015, in Charlotte, N.C.(Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
“I will not be attending any UNC football games this year!” Williams wrote Thursday on X. “The things I’m hearing man I would have never thought.” He added a broken heart emoji but did not elaborate on exactly what put him off.
Williams still lives in North Carolina and serves as quarterbacks coach at Louisburg College. He ranks sixth on UNC’s all-time passing yards list.
While Williams’ exact reasoning remains unclear, much of the chatter surrounding the program has centered on Belichick, 73, and his 24-year-old girlfriend, Jordon Hudson.
Marquise Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels looks to pass against the North Carolina State Wolfpack during a game at Carter-Finley Stadium Nov. 28, 2015, in Raleigh, N.C.(Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
During last year’s widely discussed “CBS News Sunday Morning” interview, Hudson faced accusations that she attempted to exert control during the former NFL coach’s sit-down. The interview was part of a promotional tour for Belichick’s new book, “The Art of Winning — Lessons from My Life in Football.”
The viral moment sparked questions about Hudson’s involvement in both his personal and professional life and whether it could affect football operations.
Advertisement
Head coach Bill Belichick of the North Carolina Tar Heels and Jordon Hudson before a game against the Richmond Spiders at Kenan Memorial Stadium Sept. 13, 2025, in Chapel Hill, N.C.(Lance King/Getty Images)
North Carolina football general manager Michael Lombardi recently addressed the scrutiny and outside criticism that surrounded the program last season, defending the team’s response amid what he characterized as inaccurate accounts.
“All during those stormy times, all during when the boat was getting capsized, when people were attacking us with fake rumors and fake stories all over — nobody’s corrected them yet, but that’s OK, we understand — our players hung together,” Lombardi told the “Pat McAfee Show” last week.
Chelsea’s Pedro Neto apologized for shoving a ball boy late in his team’s 5-2 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 match.
The ball had just gone out of play down the right in stoppage time when the Portugal winger tried to get it quickly and shoved the ball boy in the chest as he appeared to be trying to hold onto the ball.
The ball boy tumbled backward into an advertising board.
“I want to come out and apologize for what happened on the pitch,” Neto told TNT Sports after the game. “I’ve spoken with the ball boy. With the emotions of the game, we were losing, I wanted to pick up the ball. I gave him a little push. I saw that I hurt him and I am sorry, as I’m not like this.”
Advertisement
The boy got back up and appeared unharmed. He was comforted by some PSG players as others indulged in some pushing and shoving, while other PSG players scolded Neto.
Neto said he gave the boy his No. 7 jersey.
“I gave him my shirt as well,” Neto said. “He was happy that I gave him the shirt and said sorry like, 35 times.”
Neto was not punished by the referee over the incident.
“I saw there was an altercation,” Chelsea coach Liam Rosenior said. “I haven’t seen (the incident). If there is wrongdoing on our part, I apologize on behalf of the club (and) Pedro has done so in interviews.”
Rosenior said he should have helped his players focus better after the incident, which was followed moments later by PSG’s fifth goal.
Advertisement
“It’s on me,” he said. “We have to manage the moments better.
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — The science confirms it: We are more distracted today than at any point in our history.
According to studies from the renowned researcher Gloria Mark of the University of California-Irvine, the average attention span on a digital device has dropped more than 60 percent in just two decades — from 120 seconds in 2004 to less than 45 seconds in 2024. It’s a phenomenon called “popcorn brain,” and it is shared in separate studies by researchers from across the world of academia.
But the latest challenge of digital decline arrived on television screens on Thursday at the Players Championship in a far different way: through Justin Thomas’s return to the lead after a six-month absence from tournament golf.
“I felt like it really was just all mental,” Thomas said Thursday after an opening-round 68 at the Players Championship. “I had a little bit of fatigue out there. I had a hard time keeping my focus the whole — just like I did going back out after the rain delay. I said to [caddie Matt “Rev” Minister], I was like, I’m very spacey.”
Advertisement
Thomas’ “mental” remark was in reference to his return last week at Bay Hill — more on that in a moment — but his attentional struggles continued on Thursday, and understandably so: The two-time major champ returned to the Players for just his second event since spinal surgery in the offseason that robbed him of the early portion of his season. It’s not hard to imagine how, after spending at least some of his time away from golf enjoying the fruits of the endless scroll, Thomas’ return to the relentless focus of a five-plus-hour tournament round would be a challenge.
At last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational, Thomas showed signs of that struggle, struggling just to break 80 in both rounds of a missed cut en route to last place at the limited field event.
“Look, I wasn’t expecting to go be in contention and have a chance to win the golf tournament. I fully believed that I could. Like, I was hitting all these shots and doing things well enough to, but I knew it was going to be tough mentally being out there and playing,” he said Thurday. “But when you kind of post two pretty humiliating scores, it’s hard to give yourself too much grace.”
It’s not often a round of golf qualifies as a sigh of relief, but considering the state of affairs at Bay Hill, Thomas left TPC Sawgrass on Thursday just one shot off the lead set by Maverick McNealy … and feeling decidedly relieved.
Advertisement
“My main goal is getting through these weeks,” he admitted. “Really feeling like I’m not having to try so hard to be in a good place at Augusta.”
“A lot of confidence comes from doing it in competition,” Thomas said. “It helps when you’re able to do things a lot in practice. But at the same time, all the clutch putters feel as good as they do because they made that many when it matters. A basketball player like MJ made so many of those shots, and he was comfortable because he made so many of those shots in games.”
As Thomas explained, returning to tournament golf is a strange emotional experience. Technically, your golf swing can be in great shape, and mentally, you can feel ready to go — but until you’ve been through the heat of battle, you just don’t know how you’re going to perform.
On Thursday at the Players, Thomas felt what it was like to be back in the driver’s seat again. Keeping focus may have required some extra effort, but he held strong, getting in the house with three birdies on his last five holes.
Advertisement
And as he walked off the course after the round, not even he could deny the joy he felt at just staying in the fight. The score was nice, but the feeling? That had his attention.
“I kind of had a deep breath to myself walking off 9 and even said internally, I needed that,” Thomas said. “I feel confident with things. But again, until it happens in competition, it’s kind of hard to fully buy into you’re ready.”
Emma Raducanu reacts during the Transylvania Open 2026 Singles Final at BT Arena in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, on February 7, 2026. (Photo by Flaviu Buboi/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Emma Raducanu will not feature for the Great Britain Billie Jean King Cup team in their upcoming qualifier against the Australia Billie Jean King Cup team next month.
The tie is scheduled to take place at Melbourne Park on April 10–11, but Raducanu has opted out of the fixture as the European clay-court season approaches.
This will be the third consecutive time the 2021 US Open champion has not played for Britain in the Billie Jean King Cup.
Advertisement
Great Britain will instead be led by Sonay Kartal, while Harriet Dart, Jodie Burrage, and 17-year-old debutant Mika Stojsavljevic have been named in the squad.
Several other key British players will also be absent. Katie Boulter and Fran Jones are both unavailable for the trip to Australia.
Team captain Anne Keothavong said the team still has strong experience despite the changes.
Advertisement
“We’ve got players with great experience in this competition in our team and it’s an exciting opportunity for Mika to join the senior team for the first time,” she said.
Great Britain have reached the semi-finals of the competition in the last two editions, and Keothavong could still add another player to the squad before the tie in Melbourne.
Sanju Samson‘s three consecutive half-centuries at the T20 World Cup 2026 was the most inspirational story to emerge from the tournament. For long, Samson has been considered as having the talent to make it big on the biggest stage. Somehow, the consistency never arrived, and ahead of the T20 World Cup, he suffered a torrid run. He did not play in all matches in the tournament either. But once he started to fire, beginning with the Super 8 match against West Indies, there was no stopping him.
India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak revealed the quiet confidence that preceded Samson’s resurgent run to becoming the Player of the Tournament in India’s triumphant 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup campaign, recalling how the wicketkeeper-batter promised that he would contribute whenever the team needed him.
“I always used to tell Sanju, ‘Sanju, you don’t know – sometimes in two or three days, an injury or form issue could come up, or even a combination issue may appear. So you have to be ready.’ He has so much experience, but he would laugh and say, ‘Arey Kotsi bhai, don’t worry. Whenever the team needs me, I will contribute,’” Kotak told IANS.
The India batting coach even asked him for a hundred, and Samson gave an interesting reply.
Advertisement
“I told Sanju, ‘Ek toh hundred karna hai’ (you have to score one hundred). He replied with a smile: ‘On one hand you say it’s not about personal milestones, and on the other you say I should score a hundred. How are both things possible?’” Kotak said in an interview to Sportstar.
After being an unused member in India’s 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup win, Samson ended up amassing 321 runs across just five innings in 2026 to finish as India’s leading scorer, surpassing Virat Kohli‘s 319-run mark from 2014 – making him the most prolific Indian batter in a single edition of the tournament.
Indiana Pacers face Phoenix Suns in NBA game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse
Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) gets past Indiana Pacers forward Jalen Slawson (18) and guard Ethan Thompson (55) during a game Thursday, March 12, 2026, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
1 / 6
Indiana Pacers face Phoenix Suns in NBA game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse
Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) gets past Indiana Pacers forward Jalen Slawson (18) and guard Ethan Thompson (55) during a game Thursday, March 12, 2026, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
2 / 6
Indiana Pacers face Phoenix Suns in NBA game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse
Indiana Pacers center Ivica Zubac (40) shoots the ball over Phoenix Suns forward Oso Ighodaro (11) during a game Thursday, March 12, 2026, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Advertisement
3 / 6
Indiana Pacers face Phoenix Suns in NBA game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse
Indiana Pacers center Ivica Zubac (40) tips the ball during a game against the Phoenix Suns on Thursday, March 12, 2026, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
4 / 6
Indiana Pacers face Phoenix Suns in NBA game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse
Indiana Pacers center Ivica Zubac (40) pushes past Phoenix Suns forward Oso Ighodaro (11) during a game Thursday, March 12, 2026, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
5 / 6
Indiana Pacers face Phoenix Suns in NBA game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse
Indiana Pacers center Ivica Zubac (40) and guard Ethan Thompson (55) defend Phoenix Suns forward Oso Ighodaro (11) as he shoots the ball during a game Thursday, March 12, 2026, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
6 / 6
Indiana Pacers face Phoenix Suns in NBA game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse
Indiana Pacers forward Jalen Slawson (18) defends Phoenix Suns forward Ryan Dunn (0) as he shoots the ball during a game Thursday, March 12, 2026, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Advertisement
INDIANAPOLIS — Devin Booker scored 43 points and Jalen Green scored 36 points to lead the Suns to a 123-108 win over the Pacers in Ivica Zubac‘s first game in the Indiana lineup on Thursday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The Pacers lost their 11th straight game and fell to 15-51 and are in last place in the NBA. The Suns have won four straight and improved to 39-27.
Advertisement
Forward Royce O’Neale added 15 points with five 3-pointers for the Suns. Guard Andrew Nembhard led the Pacers with 23 points. Forward Jarace Walker had 12 points and Ethan Thompson had 11. Zubac had eight points, six rebounds and two assists in 16 minutes, playing only in the first half on a minutes restriction.
Advertisement
Here are three observations.
Ivica Zubac strong in Pacers debut
More than a month after he was acquired in a trade for the Clippers with Kobe Brown for Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson and three draft picks, Zubac finally donned a Pacers jersey and played in a game after spending the last month healing a sprained left ankle. He was on a minutes restriction and didn’t appear in the second half, but his limited time on the floor provided a summary the reasons the Pacers were so devoted to getting him at the trade deadline and why they believe in him as their long-term answer at center.
Advertisement
Zubac scored eight points on 4 of 6 shooting, grabbed six rebounds and dished out two assists in 16 minutes, and almost everything he did was highlight worthy. His first assist was a slick bounce pass out of a double team to guard Thompson for a pull-up jumper. His second came when he grabbed an offensive rebound over two Suns defenders, pivoted through them and hit forward Jarace Walker diving to the rim for a dunk. His first field goal was a dunk on an alley-oop from Thompson. His other field goals were all hooks and floaters but showed good touch out to 10 feet.
Advertisement
Beyond that, his effect on the game as a screener was immense. Andrew Nembhard’s 23-point effort had a lot to do with the space and gravity the 7-foot, 240-pound Zubac created every time he set a ball screen. He brings more physical force to the game than any center the Pacers have had in years but he also has exceptional vision and feel for the game. There won’t be too much payoff for that this season, but his potential value to a fully healthy Pacers squad was clear.
Andrew Nembhard goes off in first half, doesn’t return in second
Zubac’s gravity helped Nembhard more than anybody as the fourth-year guard used the space to have one of his best and most efficient scoring nights of the season. And he only played the first half.
Advertisement
Nembhard scored 23 points on 6 of 7 shooting, hit both of his 3-point attempts and sunk 9 of 10 free throws in 17 first-half minutes. He also dished out two assists and recorded a steal. He had a ton of space to shoot on the 3s, he fought his way to two mid-range shots and also got all the way to the rim for two more including one a steal for a fast-break layup.
Advertisement
Neither Nembhard nor Zubac played any second-half minutes. There was no injury designation for Nembhard’s removal but he was listed as questionable with low back and neck soreness coming into the game and has been dealing with that issue for some time. (And also the Pacers are in last place in the East and contending for draft lottery position.)
Devin Booker, Jalen Green too much for remaining Pacers
The Pacers were already playing without All-Star forward Pascal Siakam, forward Aaron Nesmith and guards T.J. McConnell and Quenton Jackson due to injuries on Thursday night — and are of course still missing Tyrese Haliburton and Johnny Furphy due to their season-ending injuries. So when Nembhard and Zubac didn’t return for the second half, the Pacers had very much a skeleton crew remaining. Rookie guard Kam Jones, two-way contract guard Thompson, Walker, Brown and Jay Huff took the floor as the starting five for the second half. The remaining bench included guard Ben Sheppard, two-way contract guard Taelon Peter, two-way forward Jalen Slawson and center Micah Potter. For most of the second half, the Pacers effectively played a G League caliber lineup.
Advertisement
That group actually did better than expected, especially in the third quarter when they were only outscored 29-27 and at one point were within two points of the lead. Even in the fourth quarter it never got totally out of hand. In just his second game with the Pacers since his Exhibit 10 contract with the Boom was upgraded to a two-way deal, Slawson scored 10 points, grabbed eight rebounds, dished out five assists and grabbed two steals. Thompson scored 11 points. Walker had 12 points. Jay Huff had 10 and Ben Sheppard had 10.
Advertisement
The Suns, however did not pull any of their stars and they performed like superstars. Five-time All-Star Devin Booker went off for 43 points on 14 of 31 shooting including 4 of 7 from 3-point range and 11 of 11 free throws. Jalen Green, the No. 2 pick in the 2021 draft, scored 36 points on 14 of 23 shooting. Those two combined for 43 in the second half with Green scoring 22 and Booker 21 and that was enough to put the game away.
The Pac-12 will have eight football members going into 2026 when the schools formally join the conference on July 1st.
Are they ahead of the American Conference in the G6 rankings?
On today’s episode of Locked On College Football, I discuss the Big Ten asking for tampering investigations to be paused while they try to set uniform rules.
Is the reality as bad as the optics?
Advertisement
Cal enters Year 1 under Tosh Lupoi with a strong transfer portal class and one of the best QBs in the ACC in Jaron Keawe-Sagapolutele.
Can they be a dark-horse title contender?
00:00 ACC, G6, and Playoff Talk 04:50 Pac-12 Contenders and Turnover 07:09 College Football Playoff Contenders 13:15 NCAA Transfer Tampering Concerns 15:56 NCAA Antitrust and Enforcement Challenges 18:15 College Sports: Fairness & Leadership 22:14 Miami’s ACC Hopes & Cal’s Opener 27:41 Cal’s Upcoming ACC Road Games
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) evades pressure from Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jonathan Allen (93) during second-half action at U.S. Bank Stadium on Dec. 7, 2025, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Daniels escaped the collapsing pocket as Washington’s offense tried to extend the play against Minnesota’s defensive front. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images.
The Minnesota Vikings officially cut ties with Jonathan Allen on Wednesday, and about 24 hours later, the Cincinnati Bengals swooped, signing the veteran defensive tackle to a two-year deal.
Cincinnati moved quickly after Allen hit the market.
Allen did not work out in Minnesota, but he’ll hope to get back on track with Zac Taylor’s team.
Advertisement
The Bengals Scooped Up Allen — Fast
Perhaps Minnesota will find a rookie DT in the draft.
A row of Cincinnati Bengals helmets sits along the sideline before kickoff against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on Nov. 7, 2024, in Baltimore, Maryland. The equipment view captured the calm moments before the AFC North matchup as players prepared to take the field. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images.
Allen to CIN
Allen is a Bengal, as ESPN’s Ben Baby wrote Thursday, “Defensive tackle Jonathan Allen and the Cincinnati Bengals have agreed to a two-year, $26 million contract, sources told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Thursday. Allen’s deal can be worth up to $28 million through incentives, the sources told Fowler. Allen, 31, was another cap casualty of the Minnesota Vikings and was officially released Wednesday after the start of the 2026 league year.”
“Allen is the second major acquisition the Bengals have made to improve their defensive line. Cincinnati also signed former Seattle Seahawks edge rusher Boye Mafe to a three-year deal worth $60 million. At $13 million annually excluding incentives, Allen slots in as one of the most expensive players on Cincinnati’s defense.”
Advertisement
He banked $23 million guaranteed last offseason with Minnesota, so Allen is quietly stacking successive contracts on the back nine of his career. There’s also a chance that his new deal in Cincinnati offsets some of the money the Vikings owe him. Stay tuned for clarity.
The New DT Group for Bengals
With Allen in the house, Cincinnati’s DT corps now looks like this after 3.5 days of free agency:
B.J. Hill
Jonathan Allen
Kris Jenkins Jr.
T.J. Slaton Jr.
McKinnely Jackson
Jordan Jefferson
Howard Cross III
That feels like a group that may use a pick early in April’s draft on a defensive tackle, as plenty will be on the board.
Cincy Jungle‘s Jason Marcum noted Thursday, “This will also hopefully keep the Bengals from drafting a defensive tackle at pick No. 10 because of need. Maybe the best player available will be at that position, but it’s no longer an immediate need that the team could have felt forced into addressing with that draft capital.”
Advertisement
BengalsWire‘s Chris Roling assigned the move a ‘B’ grade and explained, “The Bengals are quite a bit more dynamic up front and have dramatically improved the secondary so far in free agency. Allen’s arrival doesn’t rule out another front-seven addition in the top 10 of the draft, either.”
“There’s risk with Allen. But the aggressive move at a serious need for the third time so far is really good to see and adding all three up makes for an impressive few days of free agency.”
Allen’s 2025 Campaign
Allen did not live up to his three-year, $50 million contract in Minnesota last offseason, prompting some purple fans to declare that the veteran is washed and incapable of regaining the top-tier form he had a few years ago. He put together a terrible Pro Football Grade of 53.2, struggling mightily in stopping the run (45.4), while recording a 64.9 mark in rushing quarterbacks.
Advertisement
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) escapes pressure from Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jonathan Allen (93) during second-half action at U.S. Bank Stadium on Dec. 7, 2025, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Daniels avoided the collapsing pocket as Washington attempted to extend the play against Minnesota’s defensive front. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images.
All told, Allen ranked 6th in tackles among all DTs, 10th in stops, 11th in quarterback hits, 25th in sacks, and 27th in quarterback pressures.
It’s worth noting that some pundits claim that Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores’s scheme is not an ideal setup for defensive tackles, though men like Jalen Redmond or Christian Wilkins over the years might disagree.
Vikings’ Future at DT and Money Saved
To bolster their defensive tackle depth, Minnesota still has several options to explore.
Free agency still offers experienced possibilities. Veterans like Dalvin Tomlinson, Calais Campbell, David Onyemata, D.J. Reader, and Larry Ogunjobi remain available, potentially providing the Vikings with proven depth.
Advertisement
The draft presents another viable strategy, and Minnesota is well-positioned to select an interior lineman early if the front office chooses. Prospects such as Peter Woods (Clemson), Caleb Banks (Florida), Kayden McDonald (Ohio State), Lee Hunter (Texas Tech), and Christen Miller (Georgia) are among the defensive tackles expected to draw attention near the top of the draft.
Washington defensive end Jonathan Allen (93) celebrates after recovering a fumble against the Philadelphia Eagles during fourth-quarter action at FedExField on Dec. 15, 2019, in Landover, Maryland. Allen reacted with teammates following the turnover as Washington’s defense delivered a key late-game play. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images.
Beyond the projected starters, the depth chart is open for competition. Levi Drake Rodriguez has shown improvement as a run defender and could be in line for an expanded role. Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins received a bit of playing time as a rookie, and undrafted defensive tackle Elijah Williams impressed during training camp and the preseason. Additionally, Minnesota acquired UFL defender Jaylon Hutchings in January.
The aforementioned Redmond, returning on a tendered deal, is a lock to start once again in 2026.
Allen turned 31 in January. Cincinnati is expected to win nine or ten games in 2026, according to oddsmakers.
Cal enters Year 1 under Tosh Lupoi with a strong transfer portal class and one of the best QBs in the ACC in Jaron Keawe-Sagapolutele. 
