The Vikings’ starting lineup isn’t set in stone. That being said, there are many details that are already known.

Nobody is going to force Justin Jefferson out of his spot as the team’s WR1. Likewise, Andrew Van Ginkel, Brian O’Neill, Byron Murphy Jr., and various others have their jobs secured. Only injury — fingers crossed that any that arise are exceedingly minor — can threaten their spots on Minnesota’s depth chart.

Check out one man’s take on how the hierarchy will look for Week 1 of the 2026 season. Swing around to the team website for a clarifying list of the team’s players.

The Vikings’ Starting Lineup: An Educated Guess

Offense — 11 Personnel

Competition: As some may have heard, the QB1 spot is up for grabs. My guess for the past little while is that Murray starts in Week 1 but that J.J. McCarthy starts more games in 2026. Can Jordan Mason overtake Aaron Jones to be the top Vikings runner? Something to be said for Mr. Mason, a hammer who treats defenders like nails.

Riddle: Is Mr. Brandel going to get the job done as a center? Does the team pull off a trade for somebody like Garrett Bradbury? Looks like the in-house competition is determined but Brandel still has something to prove.

Signed, Sealed, & Delivered: Nobody is going to displace Justin Jefferson. Brian O’Neill and Christian Darrisaw are a terrific tandem who could become elite if everything goes perfectly. Jordan Addison is set for a great season. Oh, and Donovan Jackson is going to become very good. A matter of when and not if.

Defense – Nickle

Competition: Who is the DT2 for the Vikings? Mr. Redmond has earned the right to be the DT1 in 2026 after proving so impressive in 2024 and 2025. The center fielder position, otherwise known as free safety, is going to be a battle. I say it goes to Mr. Ward. Theo Jackson and Jakobe Thomas will try to prove me wrong.

Riddle: How does Jake Golday fit into the mix? The long, speedy linebacker appears to be perfect for Brian Flores. Caleb Banks and Domonique Orange are going get snaps. And what of the veteran linebackers? Can they shine despite being a touch older?

Signed, Sealed, & Delivered: Andrew Van Ginkel is a cyborg. Dallas Turner will be supporting the cyborg as he tries to become a cyborg. A top trio of corners consisting of Murphy, Rodgers, and Pierre has the potential to be very good. Not shutdown elite, but good enough to send receivers home frustrated. Metellus is shooting for a bounce back.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

The New York Yankees have added one of the season’s biggest breakout power hitters. The Yankees and Washington Nationals have agreed to a trade sending first baseman Luis García Jr. to the Bronx, reports ESPN. Neither team has announced the trade.

Four players, all right-handed pitchers, are headed back to Washington, per The Athletic: Ben Grable, Yovanny Cruz, Jack Cebert and Jacob Bird. Bird and Cruz are major-league relievers. Grable is a Double-A reliever and Cebert is a Double-A starter. 

García, 26 and a New York native, has slugged a career-high 23 home runs this season, including 18 in his last 47 games. He will remain under team control in 2027. García moved to first base this year and the Yankees are set there with Ben Rice, though the DH spot is wide open with Cody Bellinger, Aaron Judge, and Giancarlo Stanton all on the injured list.

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Since June 1, the Yankees have averaged only 3.94 runs per game, one of the lowest rates in baseball. Their offense has struggled badly without Judge and García will bring Yankee Stadium-friendly left-handed power to a lineup that needs all the help it can get.

The Nationals held García out of Sunday’s lineup ahead of Monday’s trade deadline.

Cebert, 24, is the top prospect heading Washington’s way. He was New York’s 15th-round pick last season. A reliever at Texas Tech, the Yankees moved him into the rotation this year and expanded his arsenal. He has a 4.03 ERA with 96 strikeouts in 82 ⅔ innings this year and has reached Double-A.

The 24-year-old Grable has struck out 56 batters in 36 ⅔ innings this season. He has one of the highest strikeout rates in the minors. Cruz, 26, and Bird, 30, have ridden the shuttle between Triple-A and MLB this season. Cruz was a minor-league contract signing over the winter. Bird was acquired at last summer’s trade deadline.

Here now are our grades for this 4-for-1 swap.

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New York Yankees: B

Imperfect fit, but a necessary move

Ideally, the Yankees would have added a right-handed hitter to a lineup that already leans very left-handed, but beggars can’t be choosers. They need offense any way they can get it right now. García’s power breakout is tied to bat speed training and improvement under Washington’s new front office, something they’ve applied to several players with success.

Furthermore, García is a left-handed hitter who pulls the ball in the air, something that will play very well at Yankee Stadium. His 18.5% pulled fly ball rate is a career high by three percentage points and comfortably above the 16.8% league average. If those bat speed and power gains are sticky, which the Yankees clearly believe they are, García will love hitting in the Bronx.

Injuries have pushed Paul Goldschmidt, who is a platoon player at this point in his career, into the everyday lineup. The García pickup allows the Yankees to reduce Goldschmidt’s role and use García and Ben Rice at first base and DH. Figure manager Aaron Boone will use a lineup along these lines against righties:

1. CF Trent Grisham, LHB
2. 1B/DH Ben Rice, LHB
3. RF Jasson Dominguez, SHB
4. 1B/DH Luis García Jr., LHB
5. 2B Jazz Chisholm Jr., LHB
6. LF Spencer Jones, LHB
7. SS José Caballero, RHB
8. 3B Ryan McMahon, LHB
9. C Austin Wells, LHB

Amed Rosario platoons with McMahon and Anthony Volpe works his way into the lineup against lefties, often with Caballero playing second base. Of course, the Yankees remain in the market for another hitter, including a right-handed-hitting catcher. That speculative lineup above is very much subject to change pending more trade deadline activity.

García is an imperfect fit as yet another lefty bat, but the Yankees need any hitter with a pulse right now, and they’ll have him next season, too. It’s an A pickup that I’ll nudge down to a B because García will only further New York’s lefty issues. Chances are they’ll do something to address that prior to Monday’s 6 p.m. ET deadline, but I can’t assume it will happen.

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Washington Nationals: C

Quantity over quality in attempt to rebuild bullpen

For one of the top hitters on the trade market, the Nationals went with a quantity-over-quality package that includes three relievers. Their bullpen is very bad, one of the worst in baseball, and they’re taking a wholesale approach to rebuilding it. The hard-throwing Cruz and the slider specialist Bird figure to step right into Washington’s major league bullpen.

MLB Pipeline ranked Cebert as the No. 14 prospect in a thin Yankees system prior to the trade, and Grable their No. 25 prospect. Both are currently in Double-A. Grable represented the Yankees at the Futures Game last month and is a reliever with a unicorn fastball that explodes at the top of the zone. He’s been compared to former Yankee Chad Green for his fastball effectiveness.

The Nationals need an entirely new bullpen and I understand the quantity over quality approach to build depth, but I don’t love it. García reportedly had plenty of suitors, and it feels like they could have (or should have) aimed higher than three relievers and a possible fourth in Cebert. Pitcher attrition rates mean the Nationals might come out of this with only one or two keepers.

Alexandra Eala of the Philippines celebrates after winning a women’s singles match against Naomi Osaka of Japan on day six of the Mubadala DC Open 2026 at William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center on August 01, 2026 in Washington, DC. Emilee Chinn/Getty Images/AFP

At one point during her semifinal match, Alex Eala absorbed a near-200-kph first serve from Naomi Osaka and then swung a backhand return that stunned even TV analysts.

Osaka could only smile as Eala turned her foe’s own power against her to win the point.

And that wasn’t just some lucky reflex swing—it was by design.

As scrutiny continues on her service game, the Filipino superstar has found her own winning blueprint against some of the sport’s biggest names: Elite returns.

“It really depends on the moment because there are so many factors when it comes to returning,” Eala said, explaining her mental process in dealing with powerful servers in a post-match interview with the Tennis Channel after her 6-4, 6-2 victory over Osaka on Sunday.

The Philippines will wake up to either toasting Eala as champion or the Filipinos celebrating their heroine’s biggest ever WTA 500 finish as the 21-year-old was slated to play American Jessica Pegula very early Monday in Manila.

“What’s the situation? What are you looking for in the ball? And at the end of the day, you don’t know what serve is going to come at you, right?” she added.

Eala won 27 of the 59 points (46 percent) played on Osaka’s serve while the Japanese-American ace won only 12 of 47 return points (26 percent).

Eala’s performance against Osaka’s first serve was even more eye-catching. She won 13 of 32 first-serve return points (41 percent)—of the 19 points she lost, five were aces, meaning she won 13 of Osaka’s 27 playable first serves. That limited the four-time Grand Slam champion to a 59.4-percent success rate on her first serve.

“[Y]ou kind of have to be ready for anything. But … whatever I can control, I try to do my 100 percent,” Eala said.

A big part of Eala’s return game is her ability to take the ball early, shortening Osaka’s reaction time after her big serves. The sustained pressure of Eala’s returns produced 12 break chances, four service breaks and a 27-12 advantage in return points won.

“I played really well and I had a great mentality and I stayed locked in until the end,” Eala said.

Eala, set to jump to a career-best 24th in the world rankings, had previously ousted second seed Elina Svitolina for her sixth top-10 victory of the year after dethroning defending champion Leylah Fernandez.

It was the first meeting of the Asian stars, Eala facing one of the idols of her youth.

“She definitely has aura and she definitely has power,” Eala said of Osaka. “I remember watching her finals in the Australian Open and US Open so really a great experience to share the court with her and I’m really happy I was able to produce that level against her.”

Despite her recent run of success, Eala said she hasn’t lost sight of her goal to constantly improve her game.

“There are so many things [that keep me grounded],” she said. “My family keeps me grounded. My team keeps me grounded.

“Every error I hit on the court keeps me grounded. Every time I’m mad on the court keeps me grounded. When I wake up in the morning, I have bad hair and it keeps me grounded.”

“I’m 21, so it’s not like I’m the queen of the world or anything,” Eala added.

Maybe not, but her return game is nothing short of royalty. —with reports from AFP and INQUIRER SPORTS DESK INQ

Vikings running back Jordan Mason is a hulking, rugged guy. Quite possibly, he’s in better shape than last year.

Minnesota offensive coordinator Wes Phillips chatted with the media at training camp two days ago. He took on a question about the run game, leading to him praising the running back: “He dropped some pounds, he felt like he was too heavy. He put a lot of work [in] this offseason […] really impressed with his mindset coming into year two with us.”

Note, as well, that Kevin O’Connell shared a similar idea. The head coach: “You guys can probably even tell just the way he looks. He’s in unbelievable shape right now.” That idea got sent along on Saturday.

Vikings Running Back Jordan Mason in Great Shape

At 27, Mr. Mason is firmly within his prime. What’s worth remembering, as well, is that he hasn’t yet been a full-time starter across his career, meaning he’s got less miles on the odometer.

In 2025, Jordan Mason offered sturdy football in his first season as a Viking. The RB2 turned his 159 carries into 758 yards and 6 touchdowns. Mason’s 4.8 yards-per-carry average is spiffy stuff, coming in a tie for 12th in the NFL. Not the world’s best receiver, Masons did toss 14 receptions onto the pile for 51 yards.

Kwesi Adofo-Mensah doesn’t often earn praise, but pulling off a trade for Mason was a smart decision; getting the talented runner cost a mere 6th. So, too, was the contract extension to follow — a pair of seasons at $10.5 million — an instance of the former GM making a nice decision.

What’s going to be fascinating to see is how things end up looking in the overall attack. The Vikings will remain a pass-first team but O’Connell keeps saying he thinks the run game can be better. In fairness, the skipper says that every year, but is this time any different?

— READ MORE: The Vikings’ Trade Candidates: The Top 5 Roster Options —
— READ MORE: Forgotten Vikings Young Fella Turning Some Heads at Camp —
— READ MORE: NFC North Head Coach Rankings for 2026 —
— READ MORE: Hype Builds for Vikings Pass Catcher Who has Been “Everywhere” —

Boasting receivers like Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison means being able to put a fright into every NFL secondary. Even better will be the presence of Jauan Jennings as somebody who can move the sticks while also being a blocking bully. That second facet of Jennings’ game — the blocking — shouldn’t be undersold.

The Vikings may be able to run in 11 personnel in a way that they haven’t in past seasons, largely due to the newcomer at WR3. Plus, Mason is said to be in great shape, so it’s possible that there’s just a tiny bit more explosiveness in his legs.

Jordan Mason is moving into a contract year. Operating on a contract that averages $5.25 million per year means that he won’t go hungry. In the broader context of the NFL, though, it’s a middle-class deal.

Putting up a 1,000-yard season while he’s still in his 20s could plausibly lead to the sort of payday that ensures he’s a very rich man for the rest of his life. Seemingly all of the details — being in great shape, being 27, working under a great running strategist in Frank Smith, and being in a contract year — point toward an explosion.

Listed at 5’11” and 230 pounds, Jordan Mason will try to wrestle away the RB1 job from Aaron Jones.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

Triple H shared a major tease ahead of WWE SummerSlam Night 2. Roman Reigns is scheduled to defend the World Heavyweight Championship against Seth Rollins in the main event of tonight’s show.

The Game shared a video ahead of SummerSlam Night 2 and noted that he arrived at the venue early. He shared that it would be competitive for everyone tonight as Night 1 set the bar. The Hall of Famer teased that it was going to be an exciting night, and you can check out the video below.

“This is where it gets fun and competitive for everybody and everybody wants to steal the show and they’ve got last night to go off as a barometer. So it makes for an exciting night,” he said. (H/T: WrestleTalk)

Oba Femi defeated Brock Lesnar in a Hell in a Cell match to close Night 1 of SummerSlam. CM Punk got the better of Cody Rhodes last night as well to retain the Undisputed WWE Championship. Randy Orton returned during the match and hit Rhodes with an RKO. It was the first time The Viper had been seen since his loss to Rhodes at WrestleMania.

Triple H makes Nick Aldis the GM of WWE SmackDown again

Triple H reinstated Nick Aldis as SmackDown General Manager last night following his match against Gunther.

Aldis returned to the ring for the first time since 2023 and battled The Ring General at WWE SummerSlam. Gunther won the match via submission, and Aldis got a standing ovation after the match.

Aldis then had a conversation with The King of Kings and attempted to resign as GM. However, Triple H told him to call things down the middle moving forward and announced that he was still the GM of SmackDown.

“I’m proud of what you did. I’m proud of what you accomplished. I’m proud of everything you did tonight. But as for this letter of resignation, well, I believe in what you did. You’re reinstated as the General Manager of SmackDown. Lay off of Gunther. Call things down the middle and let’s get back to work,” he said.

It will be interesting to see if Triple H has any surprises planned for fans during Night 2 of WWE SummerSlam.