Deontay Wilder‘s hopes of facing Oleksandr Usyk for his WBC heavyweight title look to be over.

Over the past few months, Wilder has been linked to a showdown with Usyk, who along with the WBC title, also holds the WBA and IBF belts.

Wilder was once the long-term WBC champion, making 10 defences of the strap between 2015 and 2020, and had regularly stated his desire to reclaim his crown again.

A bout between Usyk and Wilder didn’t come to fruition after ‘The Bronze Bomber’ instead opted to take on Derek Chisora in April, but it was believed a victory there may have led to the clash against the Ukrainian.

Those plans could now be up in smoke, after it was announced that the WBC had ordered Usyk to defend his belt against mandatory challenger Agit Kabayel immediately after his next voluntary defence.

Usyk is expected to return over the next few months, and has been linked to make that voluntary defence against the likes of Andy Ruiz or Rico Verhoeven, but may have to turn his attention after that to Kabayel rather than Wilder.

Kabayel is the current WBC interim heavyweight champion, with the unbeaten star having defeated fighters such as Zhilei Zhang, Frank Sanchez and Arslanbek Makhmudov throughout his career.

Usyk could choose to vacate his WBC belt if he decides a fight against Wilder is more lucrative than a clash against Kabayel, but ‘The Bronze Bomber’ must first beat Chisora, then potentially face the Ukrainian for the WBA and IBF belts, with the chance to become WBC champion again now seemingly gone.

The Miami Dolphins began a roster and salary cap purge on Monday, preparing for free agency in three weeks. Accordingly, one man could hit the Minnesota Vikings’ free-agent radar: wide receiver Tyreek Hill.

Hill isn’t a clean fit, but Vikings chatter grows when Miami’s cap cut and Hill’s availability start intersecting for a WR3-needy team.

The eight-time Pro Bowler is still recovering from a gruesome leg injury, with an unclear timetable to return. But if the Vikings don’t re-sign Jalen Nailor next month, they’ll need a WR3, and Hill isn’t the worst idea.

If the Vikings Need a WR3, Why Not Hill?

The Dolphins kicked the offseason into overdrive.

Hill Dropped by MIA

The Hill era in Miami ends after four seasons.

NFL.com’s Bobby Kownack wrote Monday, “The Dolphins celebrated Presidents’ Day with a flurry of moves. Miami is releasing wide receiver Tyreek Hill, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported, per sources. Hill, an eight-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro, is currently rehabbing from a major leg injury suffered during the 2025 season and it is unclear when or if he’ll play in 2026, per Pelissero, who added Hill would’ve had $11 million of his contract become fully guaranteed this month.”

“Prior to the Hill news, Pelissero reported the Dolphins were releasing pass rusher Bradley Chubb, guard James Daniels and wideout Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. The four cuts together clear over $56 million in 2026 cap space as head coach Jeff Hafley and general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan begin to completely remake the roster.”

Hill can actually sign anywhere in the NFL right now. He doesn’t have to wait until the free-agency window formally opens. A team can scoop him after dinner if it’s in the mood.

The Career Resume

Hill played four games in 2025 before dislocating his left knee and suffering multiple torn ligaments, including his ACL. The injury was horrendous; there’s no sugarcoating it.

In those four games, Hil tabulated 66.3 yards per game, translating to 1,127 yards in a 17-game season. He may not be the utterly electric speedster from eight years ago, but the guy can still fly, and he was on pace for a fancy season in Miami by most WR standards.

The rest of his resume speaks for itself. He’s totaled 11,363 in 10 seasons, along with 83 yards, and was known as the fastest player in the NFL for years. Hill is a playmaker personified — aptly nicknamed Cheetah — and will have something to prove next season in 2027.

His contract, too, should be semi-affordable, as he hopes to prove he still has the juice. A slightly diminished Hill next to Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison could be the thing of dreams.

Vikings Fandom as a Kid

Hill has been clear about this for years. He didn’t just casually mention Minnesota once — he’s openly said he grew up a Vikings fan.

Back in the summer of 2023, he said, “Growing up a kid, I was a Minnesota Vikings fan. I love the Vikes, man.”

That comment lit up Vikings circles immediately, even though he wasn’t remotely available at the time. He’s also publicly called Adrian Peterson the greatest running back ever, which tracks with a kid raised on purple and gold highlights.

Bottom line: if Hill ever had the option to land in Minnesota late in his career, there wouldn’t be resistance. The connection is pretty real.

Other Landing Spots

The Kansas City Chiefs, somewhat obviously, dominated “where will Tyreek Hill land?” chatter on Monday. He worked for the Chiefs from 2016 to 2021.

CBS Sports‘ Garrett Podell opined, “This is the obvious one. The Chiefs have salary cap work to do to become compliant before the new league year begins March 11, but a reunion makes sense. Since trading Hill in 2022, Kansas City hasn’t had a true No. 1 wide receiver alongside future Hall of Fame tight end Travis Kelce.”

“Hill accounted for just over 25% of Kansas City’s receiving yards in his final two seasons there (2020–21). Since his departure, Kelce leads the team at 22.7%, with wide receiver Rashee Rice second at just 10.2%. Hill and quarterback Patrick Mahomes would also be returning from ACL injuries suffered in 2025, potentially putting their timelines in sync. Hill tweeted about his intrigue regarding offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy’s return to Kansas City.”

SI.com‘s Mike Kadlick mentioned the Buffalo Bills as a fit: “Josh Allen has been longing for a No. 1 wide receiver since the Bills decided to trade Stefon Diggs to the Texans several years ago, and unfortunately, the likes of Keon Coleman and Khalil Shakir aren’t cutting it.”

“It would make sense for Buffalo to more into their offensive weaponry this offseason after transitioning from Sean McDermott to Joe Brady as head coach, and while Hill may no longer be the dynamic playmaker he once was, his speed is undeniable—and could help Allen and his rocket arm fully unlock a dynamic offense for the Bills.”

It’s also worth noting that Hill has had some disturbing off-field legal baggage over the years, and those concerns prevented Vikings fans from endorsing the would-be signing with a collective voice. Many said “no thanks” on Facebook and X.

Whether Hill is ready for Week 1 of 2026 also remains a mystery.

Pakistan’s Shaheen Shah Afridi and teammate Usman Tariq leave the field after Pakistan lost their T20 World Cup game against India (AP Photo)

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi launched a scathing attack on the senior core of the Pakistan national cricket team after their crushing 61-run defeat to India national cricket team in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup at R Premadasa Stadium.Led by Suryakumar Yadav, India dominated the Group A clash on Sunday, handing Pakistan a heavy blow and leaving them in a must-win situation against Namibia to have any chance of reaching the Super 8s.

Afridi, speaking on Samaa TV, did not hold back and urged the team management to make bold calls ahead of the crucial fixture. He called for the exclusion of senior players including Babar Azam, Shadab Khan and Shaheen Shah Afridi, stating that they had been given ample opportunities over the years without delivering consistent results. Notably, Shaheen is married to Afridi’s daughter Ansha.“Drop Shaheen, drop Shadab, and drop Babar. Try fresh faces against Namibia and give the new players a chance to build confidence. They’ve been playing for a long time. Whenever we expect them to perform, they don’t. If these senior players aren’t giving us the performances we desire, then play the juniors who are sitting on the bench. What is the difference?”, Afridi said during a Live show.Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha admitted after the match that the spinners failed to deliver on a surface that offered assistance.“We were believing in our spinners, and they had an off day today. Execution was missing in some parts of the game. We were obviously going to always believe our spinners, because they’ve done really well in last six month. And with the batting I think we didn’t start well and in T20 games if we lose 3 or 4 wickets in powerplay, you are always chasing the game,” he said in the post-match presentation ceremony.Salman also criticised the batting unit for not adapting to the conditions.“I think, to be very honest, like in first inning it was a bit tacky. The ball was gripping as well. So, the execution was, I think, missing when it comes to bowling, but I think the pitch better played better in the second inning than first inning. But our bowlers like, we didn’t bowl according to the situation. And when it comes to batting, we didn’t apply ourselves and gave us a chance to go deep in the game,” he said.