Vikings Territory Breakdown

The Vikings Problem: The roster is old and top-heavy and the team needs to trim some fat. The Purple came into the offseason with the second most money over the cap (north of 40 million). And, to paraphrase Dean Wormer from the “Animal House” movie: Old, fat and expensive is no way to go through life in the NFL. So, what is the Purple personnel department to do? Rob Brzezinski is now the acting GM and remains the working cap guy, and he hired Matt Thomas to help out, but the decisions ahead are difficult ones to avoid “getting expelled and flushing seven years (or more) down the drain” (another Animal House reference).

Reports from ESPN surfaced this week that the first two cuts/trades are imminent: defensive tackle Javon Hargrave and running back Aaron Jones. Both are old (33 and 31, respectively and expensive ($21,453,382 and $14,550,000 in cap hits, respectively). That is a start, but there is plenty more to do. While the Vikings are known to be over the cap, potential trade partners, if they exist at all, will be more likely to wait until March 11, when teams have to be under the cap, and see which players are cut and become more affordable.

There could be trades, but more likely cuts and/or renegotiated contracts. Who those candidates for new deals are remains to be seen—but players such as T.J. Hockenson or even Justin Jefferson could be in the personnel office hammering out deals right now. That is all speculation, of course, but that’s what we do on the Vikings Territory Breakdown podcast. The fellas, Joe Oberle, senior writer at vikingsterritory.com and purplePTSD.com and Mark Craig, NFL and Vikings writer for the Star Tribune and startribune.com) are here to speculate on it all. Tune in and check it out. Skol!

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Joe Oberle is a veteran sportswriter/editor/reporter and has covered the Vikings since 2008. The author of three books, he … More about Joe Oberle

Nigeria’s Super Falcons produced a commanding display to defeat the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon 3-1 in an international friendly played at the Military Stadium in Yaounde on Tuesday evening.

The match was the second of a two-game tour and served as part of preparations for the upcoming Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. The victory ensured the nine-time African champions ended the tour on a high note after narrowly losing the first encounter by a lone goal three days earlier.

Head Coach Justin Madugu made seven changes to the side that featured in Saturday’s defeat, signalling his intent to test depth and tactical flexibility ahead of the continental tournament.

However, it was the hosts who struck first once again. Cameroon found the breakthrough in the seventh minute, momentarily raising fears of a repeat of the previous result.

Nigeria gradually grew into the game and were rewarded in the 32nd minute. Forward Chinwendu Ihezuo rose highest to meet a well-delivered cross from Rinsola Babajide, powering a header past the Cameroonian goalkeeper to restore parity.

The Falcons completed the turnaround just before the interval. Following a scramble inside the penalty area, Babajide reacted quickest to fire home in the 43rd minute, giving Nigeria a deserved 2-1 lead at half time.

Madugu’s tactical reshuffle, particularly in midfield, proved effective as Nigeria pressed higher up the pitch, closed down spaces quickly and restricted Cameroon to long and hopeful deliveries.

The third goal arrived in the 64th minute. Captain Rasheedat Ajibade, impressive throughout on the right flank, delivered an inviting cross into the box. Michelle Alozie met it with determination, launching herself into a flying header that extended Nigeria’s advantage to 3-1.

Both teams made changes as the match progressed, using the fixture to fine-tune strategies and assess combinations ahead of the 14th edition of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, scheduled to take place in Morocco from March 17 to April 3.

For the Super Falcons, the emphatic victory was a strong statement of intent as they continue preparations to reclaim continental glory.

Dominik Szoboszlai has divided fans as he debuted a bold new look for Liverpool’s clash with Wolves on Tuesday night.

The talismanic Liverpool midfielder, known for his slicked-back hairstyle, rocked up to Molineux with cornrows, resemblant of David Beckham’s trim of 2003.

It may explain why the Hungarian has been letting his hair grow out in recent months, having spent much of his early career with a short-back-and-sides haircut.

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While some supporters questioned the change of appearance, other fans were in favour of the new style with one writing on X: “He looks like a viking.”

Szoboszlai has been one of Liverpool’s standout performers of a difficult campaign, scoring 10 goals and creating eight.

He has also been operated in an array of positions, standing in capably at right-back with Arne Slot’s options becoming very limited by injuries to the likes of Jeremie Frimpong and Conor Bradley.

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But playing in his preferred attacking midfield role against the Premier League’s bottom club, he struggled to control the tempo in the first half with Wolves’ middle pairing of Angel Gomes and Andre frustrating the Reds.

Liverpool ended up become the latest victim of Wolves’ surprise bounce, with Andre snatching a stoppage-time winner thanks to a wicked deflection off Joe Gomez.

As it becomes clearer what the North Stand will look like once the expansion is completed, it is still far from apparent what it will sound like

06:00, 04 Mar 2026

At the beginning of the season, Manchester City would have been hoping to be able to call on extra fan power for their biggest games of the season. When finished, the North Stand expansion will add more than 7,000 seats and take the capacity above 60,000.

It still isn’t clear when it will be finished though. Senior club officials were hopeful last year that it would be January but we are now more than a month past that; an FAQ on the club website says that it is ‘due to open before the end of the season, although a date has not yet been confirmed’.

Obviously it is better to be done properly than to be rushed, but it will be a shame if – as is looking likely – there is no extra boost in time for the two huge matches that are up in the next six weeks. With test events needed before it officially opens, Real Madrid in a fortnight looks out of the question and Arsenal in late April would be a stretch.

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But it is getting there. All the seats are in and the suggestion is that the covers may have been removed in time for the Nottingham Forest game on Wednesday, meaning completion is getting nearer.

It is close enough for the question to be asked of what the new North Stand will sound like and how much of a boost it will give City and their manager, who regularly calls on the fans to help the team in the moments where they need them most. How much of an improvement will the improvement be?

That is something nobody can answer at the minute amid uncertainty over the makeup of the stand. Whether it comes before the end of this season or at the start of the next one, who will be sitting in the seats?

Khaldoon Al Mubarak, City’s chairman’ gave encouragement to the idea of a blue wall akin to Dortmund when he was asked about it years ago in his annual address with club media, and that gave hope to supporters who dreamed of a wall of noise. Supporters currently in the South Stand, the noisiest part of the ground, were open to moving across to have a whole stand behind the goal that was not interrupted by away fans.

Such talk of relocation has seemingly died down despite the confirmation of 3,000 rail seats for the top tier, and the announcement in May that there would be at least 4,000 new Flexi Gold tickets – with half ringfenced for Under-18s – certainly keeps the emphasis on family stand. Losing the next generation of supporters has been a major concern for fans in recent years so this was well received by fans who are keen to start taking their kids regularly to games.

The top tier could be a natural home for the 500 fans being moved from their seats behind the goal to make way for a new hospitality space, especially given the evident difficulties in moving groups to other parts of the stadium that are already pretty full. However, even those able to move up two tiers will want it reflected in the pricing and may also want to know they are still sitting with loyal season ticket holders rather than people buying tickets as part of a hotel deal or from a third-party site.

City’s wish to make the Etihad Campus a tourist destination for every day of the year, it seems natural to think there will be some kind of relationship between the new hotel that is opening and that they own and the stadium. And more seats in general makes the club more vulnerable to third-party sites whether official and unofficial.

There’s also the issue of the new hospitality area behind the goal, City Hall. With season tickets coming in at around £2,600, is that really likely to attract fans who already go every week? The Tunnel Club is currently the most exclusive part of the ground and that is practically empty for five to 10 minutes at the start of each half as guests are pre-occupied with the service they are getting inside; to have empty seats behind the goal at the start of each half certainly wouldn’t help atmosphere.

City fans showed against Newcastle how good the atmosphere can be and have the opportunity to do so again in the Forest game, even if prices and ticket restrictions have been cut ahead of Wednesday’s game. Similarly, when the new North Stand opens fully it will undoubtedly make a difference in a stadium that has already helped to down some of the biggest clubs in Europe.

It’s just that, as it becomes clear what it looks like, it still isn’t clear what it will sound like.

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About three months ago, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow told reporters that he was not happy with football or his life, in general, which sparked a litany of trade rumors — because wouldn’t the guy want a change if everything was so bad? The Minnesota Vikings were predictably named as a trade destination, and while that probably isn’t realistic in 2026, next offseason could be Minnesota’s meal ticket in the would-be Burrow Sweepstakes.

Burrow’s price would be massive, but cap math and roster erosion can change “never” into “maybe” fast.

NFL insider Jason La Canfora delivered the Burrow takes this week, redefining the timeline of a possible trade.

The Clock Matters More Than the Fantasy with Burrow

It’s an all-or-nothing year in Cincinnati for Burrow.

LaCanfora on Burrow

Sizing up Burrow’s future, La Canfora wrote this week, “Is this it? All of that begs major questions about Burrow finishing his career with the Bengals and if this upcoming season goes anything like the past two, few would be shocked in league circles if Burrow requested a trade.”

“The Bengals have never won a Lombardi Trophy, have had contentious negotiations with several top talents recently (top pass rusher Trey Hendrickson chief among them) and Burrow has talked openly over the years about the toll all of his injuries have had on him.”

La Canfora also quoted an anonymous executive, “This is it. Dude, they aren’t going out and trading for Maxx Crosby or something like that. The defense sucks. This is the final year that Chase and Higgins are both there. It’s going to come to a head, trust me.”

That’s quite the bombshell for a Top 5 quarterback in the league. The upcoming season could be Burrow’s swan song if the Bengals don’t reach the postseason or make noise in the playoff tournament.

Last December, as Burrow sought to return to the field following an injury, he told reporters. “It feels like everybody’s trying to do everything in their power to make me not play football, and I feel like I’m fighting it. I’m fighting everybody else. I just want to play ball. That’s all I want to do.”

Those comments raised eyebrows because, in addition to his general unhappiness, he couldn’t quite understand why his bosses didn’t want to let him play.

Vikings as Suitors?

Foremost, if the Bengals did trade Burrow, they probably wouldn’t want him in the AFC, on tap to endure that possible grudge match in the postseason every year. That, in theory, clears 16 teams from the trade field.

Then, the Vikings — also in theory — would need a quarterback, whether now or in 2027, which narrows the field to a handful of NFC teams. Not every NFC teams need a quarterback.

Thereafter, Burrow and Justin Jefferson played ball together in college at LSU. Hell, they won the National Championship in 2019, the springboard to both men’s 1st-Round draft stock in 2020. They remain friends. Jefferson could act as a recruiter.

Most teams don’t have that criteria going for them, especially the clubs that would enter the Burrow sweepstakes.

What the Bengals Might Want … the Vikings Have

Cincinnati has created a long and strange relationship with EDGE rusher Trey Hendrickson, who will almost certainly join a new team next week. The knock on recent Bengals teams is defense. If the Burrow trade discussions ever come to life with the Vikings, Cincinnati could inquire about one of Minnesota’s outside linebackers, as the club has three prominent ones: Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Dallas Turner.

Theoretically, when the time comes, the Vikings could ship multiple 1st-Rounders to the Bengals, along with Greenard, for example, to Cincinnati for Burrow.

Minnesota has enough defensive trade pieces to sweeten the deal, particularly if Cincinnati wanted Greenard. The Vikings drafted Dallas Turner two years ago for this moment — when Turner can step into a full-time starter’s role.

A Reasonable Dead Cap Hit for CIN if It Trades Burrow … Next Year

Here’s the real reason Cincinnati won’t trade Burrow this offseason: it would be on the hook for an extremely wicked, shockingly evil, and vile $56.5 million dead cap hit. Yes, the Burrow trade theory rests on the premise that the Bengals would willingly get rid of a Top 5 NFL quarterback — and also shoot themselves in the foot to the tune of $56.5 million. Not going to happen.

Next offseason, though, the dead cap hit in a Burrow trade reduces to $35.7 million, which is still bad but is more reasonable if a divorce is imminent. The Bengals could spread that figure out over a few years and let it ride.

Cincinnati basically owes it to itself to see if Year No. 7 for Burrow will be any different. If not, it can fire Zac Taylor, perhaps entertain a Burrow trade (especially if he requests one), and start all over for a manageable financial penalty.

A Burrow trade isn’t realistic in 2026; the path straightens at this time next year.

NEW DELHI: On the eve of a high-voltage T20 World Cup semifinal against India, England captain Harry Brook has made one thing clear — his side thrives when the pressure is at its peak.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!England’s journey to the last four has been anything but smooth. They scraped through the group stage with gritty wins over Nepal, Scotland and Italy, and endured a heavy defeat to the West Indies. But in the Super Eights, Brook’s men flipped the switch, going unbeaten against Sri Lanka, Pakistan and New Zealand — the latter requiring a nerve-shredding 43 runs off the final 18 balls.

“We are managing to scrape along in close games and that is the sign of a good side,” Brook told Sky Sports Cricket. “I have learned you are never out of games. I know I have players with a lot of character, a willingness to win, wanting to win a lot, but also that calmness under pressure.”That belief, he insists, is what makes England formidable heading into a semifinal against the hosts. “I want to make it as uncomfortable as possible for the batter coming in at all times,” he added, underlining England’s aggressive mindset.Despite lean returns from white-ball great Jos Buttler and inconsistent outings from Phil Salt, Brook has thrown his weight behind his top order. “I think Jos should be left alone. He is one of the best players to have ever played the game and I can see him coming good,” he said. “We have so many powerful players in the top seven that if one comes off, the opposition are scratching their heads.”Brook also reserved special praise for all-rounder Will Jacks, calling his first proper World Cup “phenomenal”. “He has embraced that position and done exceptionally well. The character he has shown has been awesome.”With India backed by a roaring home crowd, Brook knows the stage will be daunting. “It is going to be loud… a massive occasion with a hell of a lot of pressure for both sides,” he said.But if England’s campaign has proved anything, it is this: write them off at your own peril.