The Vikings officially made the call.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter sent along word: “ESPN sources: the Vikings have named Kyler Murray their starting QB.” And then some more insight: “Kyler Murray signed a minimum deal with the Vikings this offseason while still getting paid by Arizona, with the hope of becoming their starting QB, which he now is. Murray has a no-tag clause, meaning he can become a free agent next offseason if he wants.”

The Vikings Officially Make the QB Call

Opting for Murray allows Minnesota to rally around the newcomer for a long time as the Vikings prepare for what is hoped to be a competitive 2026. Consider, as well, that we’re considering a two-way street. Murray gets to acclimate while the team gets to acclimate to Murray.

Still, the timing isn’t going to go over well with some. Many will think that J.J. McCarthy wasn’t given a fair shot.

Recent days have featured many insisting that McCarthy had the on-field edge. Worse yet, the reports insisted that he didn’t get the same amount of opportunities to work with the starters. What prompted the flip to Murray at this stage?

Ben Leber — the former linebacker and current team analyst — didn’t go that far while nevertheless saying that he was surprised by the timing: “Well this happened faster than I expected. No more splitting reps. Ownership of the offense starts now.”

Kevin Seifert of ESPN: “Kevin O’Connell will talk with us at 1 CT. This was the near inevitable final answer but was clouded by a rough weekend. But ultimately it was hard to see it going any other way.”

No doubt, Mr. Murray was the favorite. Still, the timing is curious and will generate questions. Naming Murray as the main man means having roughly a month to rally around the passer to Week 1 versus the Packers. That debut game of the 2026 season occurs on Sunday, September 13th.

Let the record show that it was on Tuesday, August 11th that Minnesota anointed Murray as the QB1.

J.J. McCarthy is looking like the QB2 for the Minnesota Vikings in 2026. We’ll see, though, if there are any teams that make the call about a trade.

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

The Premier League’s footprint in India continues to expand, with the competition recording more than 9 billion minutes of watch-time during the 2025/26 season across the JioStar network, according to a new study conducted by Nielsen.

The report, titled The Beautiful Game’s Indian Decade, examines how the Premier League has evolved from a predominantly urban football following into a much broader sports community, with audiences now spread across India’s metropolitan and non-metropolitan markets.

The study, based on BARC data and Nielsen consumer research, found that the Premier League’s combined reach across linear television and digital platforms has increased 2.4 times in five years, while its Indian fanbase has grown to 144.5 million.

9.04 billion minutes of Premier League football watched

Indian viewers consumed a total of 9.04 billion minutes of Premier League action during the 2025/26 season across JioStar’s television and digital network.

The scale of that engagement becomes even more significant when compared with other international football properties. Watch-time on linear television for the Premier League was three times that recorded for the UEFA Champions League, according to the report.

The figures underline the depth of the competition’s following in a country where cricket continues to dominate the sporting landscape. Nielsen’s India lead for audience measurement, Hemant Kewalya, said football has become India’s second-most popular sport among adults, behind cricket.

“Based on a global Nielsen report, Football is India’s second-most popular sport among adults, trailing only to cricket,” Kewalya said.

He added that the study provides an understanding of how audiences engage with football across regions and platforms, offering insights into changing viewing behaviour.

Premier League breaks out of India’s biggest cities

One of the most notable findings from the study is the changing geographical profile of the Premier League audience.

The competition’s growth is no longer being driven primarily by the traditional metropolitan centres.

Rajasthan, Bihar/Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh together accounted for around 12% of Premier League viewership five years ago. Their combined contribution has now risen to nearly 25%, representing growth of more than 200% over the period.

The numbers point towards a broader football culture emerging across India.

The growth is particularly significant because it suggests that Premier League fandom is becoming less dependent on the country’s largest cities and increasingly reaching audiences in smaller urban centres.

Smaller cities become a major part of the audience

The shift is also visible in digital consumption.

According to the report, towns with populations of more than one million account for approximately 55% of mobile and web viewing of Premier League content. The figure rises to around 63% for Connected TV viewing.

That gives the league a substantial audience outside India’s biggest metropolitan markets and highlights the role of digital platforms and connected television in making international football more accessible.

For JioStar, the trend represents an opportunity to expand the league’s reach among younger and increasingly digitally connected audiences.

Anup Govindan, Head of Sales, Sports at JioStar, described the development as an integration of football into the everyday routines of Indian fans.

“The story of the Premier League in India today is one of integration where football has become part of the daily routine of millions of fans,” Govindan said.

World Cup success gives Premier League a boost

The report also highlights the connection between major international tournaments and subsequent interest in club football.

The FIFA World Cup has emerged as an important gateway for new and existing fans.

Indian viewers who watch Premier League stars represent their national teams during international tournaments can develop a stronger connection with those players. That familiarity can then carry over into the club season.

The effect was particularly visible following the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

According to the study, Premier League viewership in India rose by 58% in the season immediately following the World Cup, with double-digit growth continuing in subsequent seasons.

The finding suggests that international tournaments can act as a catalyst, introducing casual viewers to players who subsequently become entry points into club football.

A highly valuable consumer audience

The study’s findings extend beyond viewing figures.

Premier League supporters in India were also identified as a particularly attractive consumer segment, with indicators pointing towards relatively high purchasing power.

The report found that:

• 
  70% of Premier League fans pay monthly credit card bills exceeding ₹40,000.
• 
  67% have a CIBIL score of 751 or above.
• 
  87% are paid subscribers to OTT, music or sports platforms.

Together, the figures suggest that Premier League audiences are not simply large in number but also represent an engaged and commercially valuable group for brands and advertisers.

The combination of sports interest, digital consumption and purchasing power could become increasingly important as football’s commercial ecosystem in India develops.

Late-night football becomes a viewing ritual

The Premier League’s traditional scheduling has also created a distinctive viewing habit among Indian supporters.

With 380 matches spread across a season running from August to May, fans consume the competition through a combination of live matches, highlights and social media conversations.

Late-night viewing is particularly significant.

The study found that 27% of total Premier League watch-time takes place between midnight and 3 am.

For Indian supporters, that means following the league often involves deliberately staying up late for matches played in England’s evening slots.

That pattern has helped turn Premier League viewing into a recurring weekly routine rather than an occasional sporting appointment.

The role of JioStar in the next phase

The findings come at an important stage in the evolution of football broadcasting in India, where television and streaming are increasingly operating alongside each other.

The Premier League’s 2.4-fold increase in combined reach over five years demonstrates the importance of having the competition available across multiple screens.

JioStar’s strategy is increasingly focused on bringing together television audiences, mobile viewers, web users and Connected TV households.

The result is a viewing ecosystem in which fans can follow matches live while also consuming highlights, clips and other digital content around the competition.

Premier League sees India as a key growth market

The Premier League itself has identified India as one of its most passionate and rapidly expanding international markets.

Paul Molnar, the league’s Chief Media Officer, said the latest findings demonstrate the growing connection between Indian supporters, Premier League clubs and players.

“India has one of the Premier League’s most passionate and rapidly growing fanbases,” Molnar said.

He added that the league was pleased to see more Indian supporters engaging with its clubs and players and watching greater volumes of Premier League football.

The league also said it would continue working with JioStar to improve the viewing experience for Indian fans.

Football’s Indian decade is entering a new phase

The figures paint a picture of a Premier League audience that is no longer confined to a handful of India’s biggest cities.

A fanbase of 144.5 million, more than 9 billion minutes of watch-time, rapidly growing non-metro consumption and strong engagement with digital platforms all point towards a competition that has become deeply embedded in India’s sports-viewing culture.

The most significant development may be the geographical expansion.

The rise of audiences in states such as Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar/Jharkhand suggests that the next chapter of Premier League growth could come from markets that were once considered peripheral to India’s international football audience.

At the same time, the connection between the World Cup and club football gives the Premier League another route to attract new supporters.

For JioStar and the Premier League, the challenge now is to turn that enormous reach into deeper engagement.

The 2025/26 season suggests that the foundations are already in place. The Premier League’s Indian audience is bigger, more geographically diverse and increasingly connected across television and digital platforms — and the numbers indicate that the growth story is far from over.

Conversations have already begun as it relates to the 2027 Pro Football Hall of Fame class and the insane number of notable players who will be eligible for the first time. Among those players is former quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, whose career includes two Super Bowl wins, 64,088 passing yards and 418 touchdowns and the fifth-most wins in NFL history among starting quarterbacks. 

While Roethlisberger’s status as a first-ballot Hall of Famer is apparently up for debate, there is usually no arguing the fact that the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ former quarterback is undoubtedly a future Hall of Famer. However, LeSean McCoy, a former All-Pro running back, doesn’t think that Roethlisberger had a Hall of Fame career based on his lack of individual accolades. 

“You should never be in the Hall of Fame if you never had no All-Pros,” McCoy said on his podcast. “Think of how that sounds. All-Pro, for the guys that don’t play football. All-Pro is the best in the league. You feel me? But I’m being serious, how the hell he not have (an) All-Pro? So, take him off.”

McCoy didn’t change his opinion when it was pointed out to him that Roethlisberger likely would have garnered more individual honors had he played in a different era that didn’t include Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees. 

“For me, I can’t push your Hall of Fame with the best players of all time if you never had an All-Pro,” he said. “Think about that though. That mean you never was the best quarterback or never was the best player in your position ever.”  

Roethlisberger’s lack of individual accolades will likely be discussed when his candidacy is debated by the voters. And while McCoy doesn’t agree, it won’t keep Roethlisberger out of the Hall of Fame altogether. Roethlisberger’s individual numbers — that include his impressive wins total — are just too good for him not to earn induction at some point if he is not inducted in 2027. 

The third quarterback taken in the 2004 NFL Draft (behind Eli Manning and Philip Rivers), Roethlisberger enjoyed one of the most successful rookie seasons in NFL history. He won his first 12 starts (an NFL record) en route to winning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. 

The following season, Roethlisberger became the youngest starting quarterback to win the Super Bowl after helping the Steelers become the first sixth seed to win it all. His game-saving tackle in Pittsburgh’s divisional round playoff win over the Colts kept the Steelers’ championship run alive. 

Three years later, Roethlisberger engineered one of the most famous game-winning drives in NFL history that culminated in his game-winning touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes at the end of Super Bowl XLIII. 

Two years later, Roethlisberger again helped lead the Steelers to the Super Bowl, where they were defeated by Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers. And while they did not get back to another Super Bowl after that, the Steelers continued to be a perennial contender for the majority following decade largely because of Roethlisberger. 

Roethlisberger also accumulated some big numbers over that span that included becoming the first player to throw six touchdowns in consecutive games (doing so in 2014). He also owns the NFL record for most 500-yard passing performances (four). 

From 2014-18, Roethlisberger won a pair of passing titles and was named to four Pro Bowls. He also led the NFL in average passing yards per game on three occasions over that span. 

In addition to his numbers, Roethlisberger’s reputation as one of the toughest quarterbacks in NFL history to bring down also strengthens his Hall of Fame argument. 

While he isn’t sold on Roethlisberger, McCoy, thinks that one of Roethlisberger’s former teammates, Antonio Brown, is not only of being inducted in his first year of eligibility, but he also believes that Brown was better than Jerry Rice, who is considered the greatest receiver of all time. Like Roethlisberger, Brown will be eligible for induction for the first time in 2027. 

“What can Jerry Rice do that AB can’t do?” McCoy said. “I’m just saying, if AB played as long as (Rice) did, he would have more yards than him.” 

Next month, Conor Benn will return to the welterweight division in an immediate challenge for Ryan Garcia’s WBC world title in one of the highest profile bouts of 2026. Now, Frank Warren has offered his thoughts on the fight.

Back in April 2022, in his most recent welterweight outing, Benn knocked out Chris van Heerden and looked to be on the verge of a challenge for world honours, before opting to take on Chris Eubank Jr instead.

However, a failed drugs test led to the cancellation of that contest and derailed Benn’s career, which was then revived when he twice fought Eubank as a middleweight in 2025, suffering a first career defeat and then avenging it.

This year, Benn has made headlines once again as he announced plans to return to welterweight and then ditched career-long promoter, Eddie Hearn, in favour of a switch to Zuffa Boxing, where he made his first outing in a 150lb catchweight clash with Regis Prograis in April.

In September, Benn has the chance to emerge as a global superstar by bringing Garcia’s reign to an early end, but Warren told Playbook Boxing that he makes the Briton a ‘massive underdog’.

“Conor, at this moment in time, for me he is a big underdog in that fight. I am sure he will do his best and fight his best, but you have got to make Garcia a massive favourite. 

“Conor has not boxed at a high level yet. He boxed Chris Eubank Jnr, 36 years old and he [Eubank] has never done it, at all, at the top.”

Regardless of the outcome of his September 12 showdown with Garcia, Benn has declared that the scrap will be his last at 147lbs, planning to campaign at either super-welterweight or middleweight in the future.

Romell Glave emerged from winning the 100m final at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham wearing a gold costume crown and declared “now is my time to dominate”.

The 26-year-old Jamaica-born sprinter, who moved to Croydon as a teen and fractured his back twice in the last six years, spending “the whole of 2022” in a brace, made it a British one-two with Welshman Jeremiah Azu taking silver on the second night of the championships.

Like compatriot Amy Hunt, who won the women’s 100m on opening night, Glave was a prodigal teen – nine years ago even holding the honour of being the world’s fastest 17-year-old – and it took 10.09 seconds to silence any of his remaining doubters.

“At the start of the season my main objective was to be the king of Europe,” said Glave, the bronze medallist at the last European championships in 2024.

“I’m a different athlete now, my mindset is to that elite level. I wanted to win this European championship. I was able to do that today, so it’s an amazing feeling.

“I wouldn’t say (I felt) counted out because sometimes we feel like it should be our time, but everything doesn’t happen in your time. It happened when it’s supposed to happen.

“Standing right here, this is my moment, and I’m able to enjoy this moment myself. Other people came before me, but now it’s my time to dominate.”

Azu was seven hundredths of a second slower and Germany’s Owen Ansah took bronze.

A potential British clean-sweep of the podium was not possible after Louie Hinchliffe was forced to withdraw from the final due to an injury sustained during the semi-finals.

Former Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs was the big name on the start line for the final but the Italian – plagued by injuries since his success in Tokyo – limped over the line in seventh.

Glave, who also grew up playing cricket and football, moved to South Norwood in London to join his builder father “for a better opportunity to help me in life in general”.

Unsurprisingly, he grew up idolising Usain Bolt and joined local club Croydon Harriers, and earned the world’s fastest 17-year-old honours in 2017, before the injury woes set in.

“I was so determined to make it,” he said. “I know I have the ability to be one of the best. ‘Delayed but not denied’, that quote, but also a living testimony to be patient. Don’t look at other people’s journeys. Everyone’s journey is unique.”

Earlier, local favourite Matthew Hudson-Smith made it through to Wednesday night’s 400m final, but perhaps not in the dominant fashion the home favourite would have hoped for.

There were concerns the Olympic silver medallist, who has a stand named after him at the Alexander Stadium for the duration of these championships, might have sustained an injury after finishing second in his semi-final, where he appeared to grimace with about 50m remaining.

He later confirmed he had simply “misjudged” the race and its winner, Dutchman Jonas Phijffers, who set a personal-best 44.63 seconds, 15 hundredths of a second faster than Hudson-Smith.

Fellow Briton Charlie Dobson did not advance.

Queen Regent achieved one of last season’s major Black Type upsets, and the connections involved are eager for another chance at a feature race victory at significant odds.

The Blake Ryan-trained filly is slated to resume racing this Saturday in the $200,000 Listed The Rosebud at Rosehill, her first appearance since a stunning win in the Woodlands Stakes at Scone in May.

The daughter of Wild Ruler was a $151 outsider at Scone, having previously been priced at $201, and is currently available at $51 in all-in betting markets for this week’s event.

The Rosebud will mark Queen Regent’s first start as a three-year-old. Ryan acknowledges that facing the colts presents a new challenge, but he indicated that this is the calibre of race he must now target with the star of his Hawkesbury stable.

“There’s nowhere to hide anymore – she’s a Black Type winner, so you’ve got to run in them,” Ryan said. “I’m confident that she’s improved and strengthened. Where that leaves her, we’ll find out Saturday.”

The Woodlands Stakes was only the second start for Queen Regent, whose debut saw her finish fourth in a 1000m Hawkesbury maiden just over a month earlier.

She finished sixth in her sole trial this preparation but was beaten less than 1-1/2 lengths by Hostwin King, a horse who could be a rival on Saturday.

Ryan admitted he would have preferred to keep Queen Regent competing against her own sex for her first-up run. However, he opted for the 1100m of The Rosebud over a 1200m resumption, believing the race will offer a clearer picture of her campaign potential.

“She’s only had the two starts, one at 1000 and one at 1100, but you come back into spring and all the fillies races kick off at 1200, whereas the colts get two cracks at 1100 – Saturday and the San Domenico (Stakes),” he explained. “I didn’t really want to go to 1200 first-up when I don’t know if she can get it. So, I thought we’ll go to The Rosebud and, if she measured up, then we’ll go three weeks into the Furious.”

The $300,000 Furious Stakes, a Group 2 race for fillies over 1200m, is scheduled for Randwick on September 5.

Queen Regent is one of 25 entries for The Rosebud, with potential rivals including the highly-touted colt Central Europe from Chris Waller’s yard, along with Blue Door and Castillo King, who have both won their only start. Chilly Girl, trained by Ryan’s father Gerald and his partner Sterling Alexiou, is also among the contenders.

Considering a bet on The Rosebud? Compare the latest racing odds at various racing betting markets.

All along, Kevin O’Connell insisted that he was looking for a competitive quarterback position. Hogwash, some insisted (Judd Zulgad said he thought it was a “sham”). The timing of the decision — naming Kyler Murray the starter after some recent J.J. McCarthy momentum — isn’t going to quiet those concerns.

Next up is a different claim.

All along, Kevin O’Connell insisted that he wanted a deep quarterback position. Part of the process meant ratcheting up the competitiveness for that QB1 spot. There was then a move to re-add Carson Wentz to be the QB3 and the retention of Max Brosmer to function as the QB4 on the practice squad (presumably). We’ll soon see if that’s how things play out. Does McCarthy get traded away?

Kevin O’Connell Said He Wants a Deep QB Room

Over and over again, O’Connell has pointed to the injury attrition at quarterback in 2023 and 2025 as the central reasons why those seasons were lost. Hard to disagree, right?

The 2023 season featured O’Connell needing to work alongside all of Kirk Cousins, Nick Mullens, Jaren Hall, and Joshua Dobbs (who recently signed in Detroit). The 2025 season involved working through McCarthy, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer. Again, a humdrum record followed.

The commitment now rests in ensuring the Vikings don’t get caught with too few arms yet again.

Consider what Will Ragatz had to say when relaying Kevin O’Connell’s update from the podium: “Kevin O’Connell says Kyler Murray has shown enough for them to project what he could look like in their offense and it’s time to let him build a ‘comfort level.’ He says this doesn’t take away from what J.J. has done in camp and that he’ll remain a key part of the QB room.”

The Vikings, in other words, are doubling down on what has been said.

Minnesota wanted a competition. Onlookers can make their own assessment of how that unfolded, but Kevin O’Connell — in consultation with the leadership around him — has made the decision on Kyler Murray as the starter. Some of the focus now rests on whether McCarthy remains.

Presumably, GM Nolan Teasley isn’t going to undermine O’Connell. If the skipper wants the kid QB, then Teasley is going to want the kid QB, as well. Expect internal coherence among Vikings leadership.

What can’t be controlled is the external interest in the former Wolverine.

Indeed, the Vikings have control over the Vikings. The NFL’s other 31 teams can assess whether it makes sense to call with a lucrative trade offer. Minnesota can then decide how to respond. Maybe a team makes an offer so compelling that internal discussion happens about swerving toward a swap. Recently, I suggested that McCarthy would remain in the Twin Cities but that the 49ers, Jets, and Chargers make sense as teams to have interest.

For a little while, the guess on this end of the internet has been that Kyler Murray would be the Week 1 starter but that J.J. McCarthy would start more games overall in 2026. Nothing from today has changed that. However, I will say that I insisted the QB battle would last until the end of August, which proved incorrect. So, make your own call on how you understand what’s unfolding.

J.J. McCarthy is 23. At least from a financial perspective, McCarthy is very easy to include in a trade since he’s on his rookie contract.

The Vikings, though, have expressed a desire for a deep QB room the whole time. We’ll see what’s next.

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

Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis has been linked to a host of names throughout 2026, but it seems as though the Philly star now has a clear plan for his next two fights.

Ennis was elevated to IBF welterweight world champion when Terence Crawford vacated the belt in 2023, before unifying with a knockout win over WBA champion Eimantas Stanionis and then moving up to super-welterweight.

On his 154lb debut, Ennis dispatched of Uisma Lima inside a round, teeing up a grudge match with Vergil Ortiz Jr which was then cancelled due to a dispute between Ortiz and Golden Boy Promotions.

Instead, Ennis proceeded with a challenge for Xander Zayas’ unified WBA and WBO super-welterweight belts and he knocked the previously undefeated Puerto Rican out in a dominant display.

Now, despite rumours that Ennis could revisit plans to take on Ortiz, his promoter Eddie Hearn has told The Punch Podcast that ‘Boots’ is instead pursuing the undisputed crown, prioritising a fight with IBF titleholder Josh Kelly, and then WBC champion Sebastian Fundora.

“I think that Boots will probably fight Josh Kelly next for the three belts, then the winner will fight Fundora and we’ve got one undisputed champion.”

Hearn said that he is not ruling a clash with Ortiz out for later down the line, labelling it as a ‘wonderful fight’.

“Boots is about legacy and belts. Listen, I like the Vergil Ortiz fight, I don’t want to rule that out either by the way, but previously we didn’t have a belt and that fight was no belts, but we couldn’t get the champions.

“Then, when we couldn’t get the Vergil fight, the Xander Zayas fight kind of slotted into place and that was like magic for us, to get that shot. Now, he has those two belts, the natural thing to do is to try and win all of the belts.

Advertisement

“I think that the Ortiz fight is a wonderful fight and I think that we have to try and get that made, but certainly his focus, right now, is to try and be undisputed.”

Whilst Ennis-Kelly looks likely for either December or early 2027, Fundora is set for an October defence of his WBC super-welterweight strap against mandatory challenger, Ermal Hadribeaj, who could take his place in an undisputed title bout against either Ennis or Kelly if able to pull off the upset.