With the expectation that Kyler Murray is the starting quarterback and a talented roster to support him on both sides of the ball, here is my prediction on how the 2026 season will unfold in a highly competitive NFC North where it wouldn’t be a surprise if any of the four teams finish on top.

While most media analysts wait until closer to the September opener to make their picks, I figure not much will change in training camp and preseason unless there are major injuries to star players, which usually doesn’t happen with limited fully padded practices where quarterbacks wear red jerseys and can’t be hit, and starters play few snaps (if at all) in the three preseason games.

A Fast Start Would Change Minnesota’s Whole Season

The past few seasons have seen the Vikings go from 13-4 division champs in 2022 to injury-ravaged 7-10 in 2023 to 14-3 wild card team in 2024 to 9-8 and one game out of the playoffs last season. This pattern says 2026 should be a playoff season, and I’m going to agree with that projection.

Sept. 13—Home vs. Green Bay: WIN…The Vikings split with the Packers last season after sweeping them in 2024. I think the Packers are a bit weakened by the departures of edge Rashan Gary, LB Quay Walker and WR Romeo Dobbs, but the biggest factor is that Micah Parsons will miss the early part of the season with his ACL recovery. I expect Murray to have a successful Vikings debut with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison having big games against Green Bay’s suspect corners.

Sept. 20—At Chicago: LOSS…The defending NFC North champion Bears have the league’s most difficult schedule as a 2025 first-place team and have lost several key players, including WR D.J. Moore via trade and Pro Bowl center Drew Dalman, who surprisingly retired.

Ex-Viking Garrett Bradbury is a downgrade from Dalman, so the Vikings can beat Bradbury up front, especially if first-round DT Caleb Banks is healthy. I see a close game the Bears win, with QB Caleb Williams leading a late drive, as he did in Week 11 last season at Minnesota and in several other games.

Sept. 27—At Tampa Bay: WIN…Bucs QB Baker Mayfield is in a contract squabble over an extension, which could be a distraction for him and the team, and his top receiver, Mike Evans, is now in San Francisco. Tampa Bay is an average team coming off an 8-9 season in the NFL’s worst division—the NFC South. They lost seven of their last nine games, giving the division to Carolina. The Vikings get a road win in the September heat of Tampa.

Oct. 4—Home vs. Miami: WIN…The Dolphins are in rebuilding mode with new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan, new head coach Jeff Hafley, and new QB Malik Willis, all of whom came from Green Bay. They traded their best WR Jaylen Waddle to Denver. This should be as close to a blowout as the Vikings will find this season. 3-1 out of the gate is a nice start.

Oct. 11—At New Orleans: WIN…The Saints could be a sneaky good team led by an under-the-radar second-year QB in Tyler Shough. But the Saints have a ways to go talent-wise, and they come off a six-win season. New Orleans is not an easy place to play, but I like the Vikings to notch another road victory.

Oct. 25—Home vs. Indianapolis: WIN…Coming off the bye week, the rested Vikings will see their former QB Daniel Jones and will be focused on controlling Jones and Pro Bowl running back Jonathan Taylor (1,585 rushing yards and 18 TDs last season). We all remember the Vikings’ NFL-record comeback for a regular season game four years ago when they overcame a 33-0 halftime deficit at home.

The Purple won’t need that big a rally this time as they get an important win and an impressive 5-1 record before the schedule turns nasty.

Nov. 1—At Detroit: LOSS…The Lions are an angry bunch after their 9-8 finish last season that included a sweep at the hands of the Vikings. Detroit will prosper from their fourth-place schedule and should make a return to the playoffs with their talented skill players and an offensive line that should be improved over last year.

The Vikings will play the Lions tough at Ford Field but fall short as Jared Goff, Jahmyr Gibbs and Amon-Ra St. Brown make enough big plays to secure the victory and tie the Vikings for the division lead through seven games.

Nov. 9—Home vs. Buffalo: LOSS… It’s the first of four prime-time games for the Vikings, and it’s a big challenge to win over a strong Bills team led by top QB Josh Allen.

The last game with the Bills was the incredible 33-30 overtime win for the Vikings highlighted by Jefferson’s fourth-down circus catch. Murray or McCarthy—whoever is playing at this juncture—will need a huge game to win this game, and I think they’ll fall a bit short in a thrilling Monday nighter. I think this will be the Vikings’ only home loss this season.

Nov. 15—At Green Bay: LOSS…Oh-oh, headed to Lambeau in a short week on a two-game losing streak doesn’t bode well for the Vikings. Micah Parsons should be rounding into top form by this Week 10 divisional matchup, and he’ll be a big challenge for Vikings tackles Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill.

Packers QB Jordan Love always seems to come on in the second half of the season. I see a close loss as the Vikings fall to 5-4 with a date against the 49ers up next, and Vikings fans are getting restless.

Nov. 22—vs. San Francisco in Mexico City: WIN…The Vikings’ international record is outstanding (5-1), and they are highly motivated to get back on the winning track against a solid 49ers team that is trying to keep pace with the Seahawks and Rams in the tough NFC West. This will be a fun Sunday night game.

The Vikings have beaten Brock Purdy in their two matchups, with Purdy throwing three picks in the two games, and he was sacked a career-high six times in the 2024 game in Minnesota. Murray has a 4-5 record against San Francisco, which is pretty good considering the mostly lousy Cardinals teams he played for.

I think Murray and the Vikings beat Purdy and the Niners to get back on the winning track with a favorable schedule ahead.

Nov. 29—Home vs. Atlanta: WIN…Will it be Tua Tagovailoa or Michael Penix against the Vikings defense? I don’t think it matters, as stopping elite RB Bijan Robinson will be the key. I like the Vikings’ chances to get it done on both sides of the ball against the Falcons before a loud U.S. Bank Stadium crowd that is fired up after the win over the 49ers.

Dec. 6—Home vs. Carolina: WIN…In the 2023 matchup, Panthers QB Bryce Young was sacked five times, and on a game-changing play, Young lost a strip sack by Harrison Smith, which D.J. Wonnum returned for a scoop-and-score.

The Vikings continue to feast on the weak NFC South by completing the division sweep and stretching their winning streak to three, putting them squarely in the race for the division title or a wild card berth at 8-4.

Dec. 10—At New England: LOSS…The Vikings have not fared well in recent years in road Thursday night games, and this is a difficult task against the defending AFC champion Patriots on what should be a cold and possibly snowy night in Foxboro.

I don’t see the Pats repeating last season’s success, and I think the Vikings may well have the better overall roster, but I see Drake Maye having a solid enough game, passing and running, to lead the Pats to victory with the big advantage of playing at home on Thursday night.

Dec. 20—Home vs. Detroit: WIN…In the Lions’ 23-10 Week 17 loss in Minnesota last season, Goff was sacked five times and threw two interceptions. In this critical matchup, the Vikings will gain the season split with a home victory over the Lions as the defense sacks Goff four times and forces him to turn it over three times.

Murray will have a big Sunday night game on the national stage as he hits Jefferson for two scores and Jauan Jennings for a TD. T.J. Hockenson also will have a big night against his old team as the Vikings improve to 9-5.

TBD Week 16 (likely Dec. 27)—Home vs. Washington: WIN…2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels had a rough second season with several injuries limiting him to seven games, the last of which was an awful road outing in Minnesota when he completed only 9 of 20 for 78 yards and one interception and was pulled with an elbow injury in the 31-0 Vikings romp.

Daniels struggled mightily against Flores’ D, and I expect the same as the Vikings earn their tenth win of the season.

Jan. 3—At New York Jets: WIN…The Jets are being talked up as a team on the rise after a strong draft with three first-round picks (edge David Bailey, TE Kenyon Sadiq and WR Omar Cooper). I’ll have to see it to believe they’re finally headed in the right direction, especially with a suspect Geno Smith returning to quarterback the team that drafted him in 2013.

This could be a bad-weather game and a trap game with the Bears up next, but I think Kevin O’Connell will keep his team focused on the task at hand, and the Vikings will get the win in the Meadowlands.

TBD (likely Jan. 10)—Home vs. Chicago: WIN…The Vikings felt they should’ve won the Week 2 game in Chicago, and this time they force Caleb Williams into a couple of turnovers and sack him four times in a game with the NFC North title on the line.

But the Vikings will beat out the Lions for the division crown and not the Bears, who won’t make the playoffs. Murray finishes a strong regular season with the win, and the Vikings and their fans hope for better play from him in the playoffs than they got from Sam Darnold in 2024 against the Rams.  

Final regular season tally: 12-5, NFC North champions. I’m an optimist by nature, but I see my Vikings season prediction as very possible considering the schedule that includes nine home games (with five at home in the last seven weeks) and crossover divisions as the weak NFC South and an AFC East with two highly suspect teams in the Dolphins and Jets.

The Vikings will head to the playoffs as the NFC’s No. 3 seed behind the Rams and Eagles. They will be the home team in the wild card round and get O’Connell’s first postseason win against the No. 6 seed (Lions or 49ers?) before falling to either the Rams or Eagles in a close divisional round defeat.

The Vikings will have the look of a Super Bowl contender in 2027 if their QB situation is much improved under Murray (or perhaps McCarthy, if he gets an opportunity to play if Murray gets hurt, as he has in the past, and McCarthy could take a big step forward). After the season, the Murray free-agent watch will begin, as his one-year deal includes a no-franchise-tag or transition-tag clause.

As for my Super Bowl pick, I’ve got the Rams over the Broncos, but I reserve the right to change my pick before the playoffs.

Jeff Diamond is a former Vikings GM, former Tennessee Titans President and was selected NFL Executive of the Year … More about Jeff Diamond

NEW DELHI: Former India Under-19 World Cup winner Manjot Kalra was arrested by Sri Lanka’s sports anti-corruption investigators on Friday over allegations of attempting to bribe a player during the Lanka Premier League (LPL), according to news agency PTI.Kalra, who struck a match-winning century in the final of India’s victorious 2018 ICC Under-19 World Cup campaign, was taken into custody by the Police Special Investigation Unit for the Prevention of Offences Relating to Sports. He was later produced before a magistrate.The 27-year-old was part of India’s title-winning 2018 Under-19 World Cup squad led by Prithvi Shaw. The team also featured future India internationals Shubman Gill, Arshdeep Singh and Shivam Mavi. Kalra was the hero of the final, remaining unbeaten on 101 as India defeated Australia to lift the trophy.According to Sri Lankan police, Kalra is accused of offering money to a player in connection with the Lanka Premier League.The arrest came just hours before the start of the tournament. Kalra is one of the co-owners of the Jaffna Kings franchise.

Alleged bribery attempt

The 27-year-old, who moved into sports entrepreneurship after his playing career, became an investor in the Jaffna Kings franchise earlier this year. According to investigators, the player who was allegedly approached informed the authorities about the incident around 10 days later, which eventually led to Kalra’s arrest on Friday.Police said the complaint was filed by Sri Lanka cricketers Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Avishka Fernando and Dunith Wellalage. All three represent the Jaffna Kings in the LPL.Kalra’s arrest came on the opening day of the 2026 Lanka Premier League, where Jaffna Kings were scheduled to take on Galle Gallants at the SSC Grounds in Colombo.The five-team competition consists of 24 matches and will conclude on August 8.

Sri Lanka Cricket’s response

In a statement, Sri Lanka Cricket said it had taken note of Kalra’s reported arrest and would fully cooperate with the Special Investigations Unit for the Prevention of Offences Relating to Sports if any assistance was sought during the investigation.The board also said the tournament would go ahead as scheduled without any disruption.Reiterating its “zero-tolerance” policy towards corruption and unethical practices, Sri Lanka Cricket said it remains committed to protecting the integrity of the Lanka Premier League.

NEW DELHI: Pakistan star all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz has been suspended for three months after failing a dope test during the T20 World Cup earlier this year. The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the decision on Friday, saying the positive test was linked to a “substance of abuse” that was not related to improving sporting performance.However, Nawaz’s suspension will be reduced to one month if he successfully completes a substance abuse treatment programme. His period of ineligibility has been backdated to May 1, the date he began a voluntary provisional suspension.

ICC on Nawaz

The ICC said in a statement: “Pakistan spin-bowling all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz has accepted a three-month period of ineligibility (which will be reduced to one month on completion of a substance of abuse treatment programme) for breaching the ICC Anti-Doping Code.”The governing body added: “Subject to Nawaz completing a substance of abuse rehabilitation programme to the ICC’s satisfaction, Nawaz will not be required to serve the remainder of the three-month period of ineligibility.”

Tested positive for cannabis metabolite

The 32-year-old tested positive for Carboxy-THC, an inactive metabolite produced in the liver after consuming cannabis. He underwent the dope test following Pakistan’s T20 World Cup match against the Netherlands in Colombo on February 7.The tournament was co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, with Pakistan playing its matches in Sri Lanka under an agreement with the ICC.

Nawaz admitted the offence

The ICC said Nawaz accepted the charge and proved that the substance was taken outside competition and had no connection with enhancing his performance.“Nawaz admitted to the offence and demonstrated that the substance had been used out-of-competition, in a manner unrelated to sport performance,” the world body stated.After accepting the sanction and agreeing to undergo rehabilitation, Nawaz’s provisional suspension has been lifted, having already served two and a half months.

Match records disqualified

Under the ICC Anti-Doping Code, Nawaz’s records from Pakistan’s T20 World Cup match against the Netherlands on February 7 and all subsequent matches up to May 1 have been disqualified.

The 2026 Open continues into Round 2 with 54 holes of golf remaining as the R&A seeks to crown a Champion Golfer of the Year at Royal Birkdale in Southport, England, for the first time in nine years. The best golfers in the world convene again on Friday, all seeking to move into position entering the weekend so they can raise the Claret Jug on Sunday.

While only one will be lucky enough to carry the hardware, a stacked field of 156 golfers should offer an incredible run from start to finish. The 2025 Open champion, Scottie Scheffler, entered as the favorite once again, and after 18 holes, he proved that he’s up for the challenge of defending his crown. Rory McIlroy began the tournament second on the odds board, but he struggled all afternoon with the tough test Birkdale presents, and now, he will begin the second round seeking to find his way inside the cut line.

Follow complete coverage of Round 2 at The Open with our live updates, leaderboard changes and highlights from Friday at Royal Birkdale.

The story of the week was the English golfers setting foot on the hallowed grounds of Birkdale in front of their adoring faithful. While the national team was unable to bring the World Cup back across the pond, the likes of Matt Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose were just a few names who offered England a legitimate chance to see one of their countrymen crowned Champion Golfer of the Year for the first time since 1992. Unfortunately, few took advantage of the conditions with Daniel Brown and Jordan Smith closest to the top of the leaderboard. Matt Wallace, Tyrrell Hatton, Fleetwood and Alex Fitzpatrick all have an opportunity to make some headway in Round 2.

One of the most surprising stories from Thursday was the strong play of Bryson DeChambeau. After missing the cut at the first three major tournaments, DeChambeau fired a 3 under in Round 1 to position himself near the top of the leaderboard. He’ll need to do more of that on Friday to avoid an embarrassing distinction on his year that nobody could have seen coming.

There is so much to follow this week that it can be overwhelming at times. No worries: We have you covered. CBS Sports is offering live coverage of the 2026 Open from start to finish. Check out how you can watch the Open on Friday.

All times Eastern

Round 2 — Friday, July 17

Round 2 start time: 1:30 a.m.

Open live stream: 1:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Peacock

TV coverage: 4 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on USA Network

Texas A&M’s 2026 season is less than two months aways, while while third-year coach Mike Elko and his staff are enjoying the next few weeks before preseason begins, it’s more than fair for those of us in the media to begin predicting how the Aggies‘ season will play out, which is a mixed bag based on early prediction, ranging from 9-3 to 10-2.

It’s been a busy offseason, and before a record 10 players were selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, Texas A&M added 17 players from the transfer portal, who will all compete for starting and key reserve roles, while 65% of the 2025 roster returns, led by starting quarterback Marcel Reed and star wide receiver Mario Craver.

Advertisement

On defense, the loss of unanimous All-American edge Cashius Howell, who led the SEC with 11.5 sacks, does hurt, but landing Northwestern transfer edge Anto Saka certainly helps, combined with former North Carolina nose tackle CJ Mims, who is slated to start alongside senior defensive tackle DJ Hicks and defensive end T.J. Searcy.

Nationally, the Aggies aren’t widely considered a national championship contender, but anything is possible in today’s college football landscape, especially after Indiana’s national championship run last season. This week, popular analyst CFBudge released his list of the 16 teams that can “actually win the National Title in 2026,” which included Texas A&M at No. 13.

Jude Bellingham has opened up on England’s heartbreaking World Cup exit by sharing an emotional poem written by the team’s bus driver.

England succumbed to a devastating semi-final exit on Wednesday, with Argentina producing a late comeback to beat Thomas Tuchel’s side 2-1 and deny them a first World Cup final since 1966.

Tuchel has come under heavy criticism for his tactical strategy in the game, going defensive far too early when England were 1-0 up, which allowed Argentina to ramp up pressure on their final third.

But in a bid to keep unity and restore some national hope, Bellingham took to Instagram to reveal a touching tribute to their campaign by England’s driver in Kansas City, their base for the tournament.

The poem was titled “The Lions Way” and reflected on the nation’s journey throughout the past five weeks.

Alongside it, Bellingham wrote: “Was really struggling to find the right words for yesterday and the last few weeks but this pretty much hits the nail on the head from our driver in Kansas.

“Thank you for the unbelievable support from back home and to those who spent their hard earned money to travel to America and get behind us.

“Don’t let the unity and love we’ve seen in our country end with this campaign. When we’re together we can achieve big things… And we will! Love yous!”

Bellingham was visibly distraught after England’s defeat in Miami, which saw Anthony Gordon’s 55th minute opener cancelled out by Enzo Fernandez’s strike from range before Lautaro Martinez snatched victory in stoppage time.

Tensions boiled over with Bellingham appearing to slap unused Argentina substitute Valentin Barco at full-time, something the Real Madrid midfielder could face disciplinary action for.

Bellingham was also involved in a heated confrontation with Lionel Messi during the match, but clarified that the pair were “just discussing a foul” after a full-time.

He said: “It was nothing bad. I’m sure everyone will do their thing and make it a big deal but it was nothing big really.

“I thought there was a foul earlier and he said ‘what about the one on me?’ and I said ‘you’re strong enough to take it’, you know what I mean.

“It was a privilege to play against him, it was nothing like that against him. I’m obviously on the losing side, which hurts a lot, but a privilege to line up against one of the best.”

A multiple-time world champion in WWE talked about their dream of lifting a 15th world title in the promotion. The popular star also had another surprising revelation for fans.

Charlotte Flair without a doubt is one of the most accomplished female wrestlers of all time. She signed a developmental contract with WWE in 2012 and went on to become one of the pioneers of the women’s revolution in the company. Flair also made history alongside Becky Lynch and Ronda Rousey, when the trio became the first set of female wrestlers to main event WrestleMania in 2019.

The Queen has also won the RAW Women’s Title (now WWE Women’s Championship) six times and the SmackDown Women’s Title (now Women’s World Championship) on seven occasions. She was also the last person to hold the Divas Title, making her a 14-time world championin WWE. Flair recently appeared for an interfiew on WFAN Radio, where she spoke about a miriad of topics.

Upon being asked if there was something that The Queen was currently working on that she wanted to tell the audience about, she brought up her tag team with best friend Alexa Bliss. She also said she would love to get her hands on a 15th world title. Curiously Falir also noted that she had never been involved in a romantic storyline in the promotion and she would love to explore such an option as well.

“So I’m in a tag team with my best friend right now Alexa Bliss. Thats been awesome special. I think if I had to do-well-I want to win number 15, that’s definitely on the list. But I’ve never been involved in like a romantic storyline or have been opposite a male character so I think that would be cool. Or I never led a group, there’s been the Four Horsewomen but we were all individuals,” Flair said.

You can check out her comments in the video below:

Despite being one of the Four Horsewomen of wrestling, The Queen also said she had never led a stable or worked opposite a male character. These were the things The Queen still wants to try in her wrestling career.

WWE Icon Charlotte Flair Sends Warning To Jade Cargill

Charlotte Flair accompanied Alexa Bliss for the latter’s singles match against Jade Cargill on last week’s edition of WWE SmackDown.

The Storm had her allies Michin and B-Fab alongside her and the trio needlessly attacked Bliss after Cargill had already won the match. Jade attacked Lil Miss Bliss with a steel chair and appeared to seriously hurt her opponent’s arm.

This made things very personal for Flair, who now seems hell bent on going after Cargill. When a fan praised The Queen for going after Ronda Rousey with a kendo stick once, Flair said that was just a last minute match but Cargill on the other hand had made things really personal.

It remains to be seen what The Queen does next on WWE SmackDown, after Cargill injured her best friend and tag team partner.