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One Viking Could Win an Award on Thursday Night

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Minnesota Vikings helmet on the sideline during a preseason game
A Minnesota Vikings helmet rests along the sideline at Ralph Wilson Stadium during second-half preseason action on Aug 16, 2013, as Minnesota faced Buffalo in Orchard Park. The image reflects a quiet evaluation setting, with coaches using the contest to assess depth, execution, and roster-bubble decisions ahead of final cuts and the approaching regular season. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports.

The 2026 NFL Honors ceremony will unfold on Thursday night at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, and one Minnesota Viking could take home some bacon: defensive coordinator Brian Flores.

Flores’ case is built on results, and the Vikings’ defensive prowess gives him a credible path to the ACOTY trophy.

Flores is in the running for Assistant Coach of the Year, and with no clear frontrunner, the Vikings’ defensive boss could win the trophy.

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Flores Has a Real Case on Thursday Night

Is it Flores’s turn?

Brian Flores watching from the Vikings sideline. Brian Flores Assistant Coach of the Year.
Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores surveys the field late at U.S. Bank Stadium during fourth-quarter action on Jan 4, 2026, as Minnesota faced Green Bay. The image captures Flores’ sideline focus and situational awareness, reflecting in-game command as the defense adjusted alignments and pressure packages during a high-leverage divisional sequence. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

Flores Up for ACOTY

Flores pulled down the nomination last month, and Yahoo SportsAndrew Harbaugh wrote, “On Wednesday, the Minnesota Vikings and defensive coordinator Brian Flores agreed to a contract extension, despite him being in contention for several head coaching jobs. On Thursday, the prominent defensive mind earned another honor: AP Assistant Coach of the Year nominee.”

“Flores showcased himself once again in 2025 as he was able to make the Vikings one of the best and most feared defenses in the NFL. He also schemed and coached up the likes of Jalen Redmond, Eric Wilson, and Isaiah Rodgers, who had breakout seasons. The team remained one of the more aggressive defenses overall and was a main component of the team finishing the season on a five-game winning streak.”

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Now, it’s time to reveal the winner of the award, and it wouldn’t be weird one bit for Flores to earn the recognition.

The Contenders

Who’s Flores’ competition? Quite the field:

  • Vic Fangio | Philadelphia Eagles Defensive Coordinator
  • Brian Flores | Vikings defensive coordinator
  • Vance Joseph | Denver Broncos Defensive Coordinator
  • Klint Kubiak | Seattle Seahawks Offensive Coordinator
  • Josh McDaniels | New England Patriots Offensive Coordinator

Kubiak and McDaniels will be spotlighted in the Super Bowl, perhaps giving them a bit of an advantage in the court of public opinion.

Flores was a runner-up last year, as well, to Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who now leads the Chicago Bears as head coach.

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The Case for Flores

The case for Flores is straightforward. His defense performed marvelously, and in fact, propelled the Vikings to a winning record after the club started the season with a sad 4-8 record.

Over the last two seasons, for context, Minnesota has ranked first in the NFL per EPA/Play. In 2025 alone, Flores’s group pulled down the No. 3 ranking behind the Seattle Seahawks and Houston Texans.

Here’s the statistical skinny for Flores as ACOTY:

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  • 1st in Pass Rush Win Rate
  • 2nd in Yards Allowed
  • 3rd in Defense DVOA
  • 3rd in EPA/Play
  • 4th in Defensive 3rd Down Conv%
  • 7th in Points Allowed

Not too shabby.

Brian Flores speaking to reporters at a press conference
Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores addresses reporters during a midweek media session on Dec 3, 2024, following a narrow win over Arizona. The moment reflects Flores’ analytical approach and communication style as he discussed defensive adjustments, player usage, and preparation details while shaping Minnesota’s evolving identity after the 23–22 result. Mandatory Credit: YouTube

Flores is now also handsomely paid, having recently secured the aforementioned $6 million-per-season extension. Our Janik Eckardt noted on the deal, “That number is eye-opening for an assistant coach. Most coordinators operate in the low-seven-figure range, which makes Flores’ deal closer to low-end head-coaching money than a typical defensive coordinator salary. In other words, Minnesota didn’t just keep him — they treated him like a franchise pillar.”

“Flores has earned every penny of his new contract, as he turned a subpar unit into one of the best in the business that can single-handedly carry a struggling offense to wins. After a one-year acclimation period in 2023, his squad has been among the league’s best over the last two years and there’s no reason to believe that it would change in the upcoming campaign.”

USA Today Picks Kubiak

Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz of USA Today predicted that former Vikings offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, the current offensive coordinator for the Super Bowl-bound Seattle Seahawks and presumptive next head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, will win ACOTY.

He defended the prediction: “After a run of admittedly chalk picks, maybe there’s some mystery in the final few awards, which lack any consensus surrounding them. Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph could be the pick here after leading the way for the NFL’s most fearsome pass rush, and Josh McDaniels did superlative work in positioning Maye and the rest of the Patriots’ offense to thrive despite some lingering personnel limitations.”

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“Kubiak, however, was at the controls for one of this year’s most impressive reworkings with Seattle’s offense, and the unit managed to pull off the high-wire act thanks to his guidance.”

Klint Kubiak watching drills at Saints rookie minicamp
New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak observes rookie minicamp drills at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center on May 11, 2024, in New Orleans. The scene captures evaluation mode, with Kubiak tracking execution, tempo, and teaching points as young players worked through early installs and fundamentals in a controlled practice setting. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph took home the ACOTY award from the Pro Football Writers of America last month.

The race could truly bend in any direction, with Flores lurking as a possible winner. In February 2025, Vikings skipper Kevin O’Connell took home the NFL Coach of the Year award for the 2024 season. It could be back-to-backers for the purple team.

The show begins at 8:00 pm CST.


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Knicks acquiring G Jose Alvarado from Pelicans

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NBA: New Orleans Pelicans at Philadelphia 76ersJan 31, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado (15) reacts to his three pointer against the Philadelphia 76ers during the fourth quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The New York Knicks acquired guard Jose Alvarado from the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for guard Dalen Terry and two second-round draft picks on Thursday ahead of the NBA trade deadline.

New Orleans also sent the draft rights for Latavious Williams to New York.

Alvarado, 27, is averaging 7.9 points, 3.1 assists, 21.9 minutes and a career-high 2.8 rebounds in 41 games as a reserve this season. The native of Brooklyn, N.Y., posted career-high averages of 10.3 points, 4.6 assists and 24.4 minutes in 56 games (23 starts) last season with the Pelicans.

For his career, all with New Orleans since the 2021-22 campaign, Alvarado is averaging 8.1 points, 3.1 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 20.3 minutes in 268 regular-season games (34 starts).

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Terry, 23, was traded earlier from the Chicago Bulls to the Knicks for forward Guerschon Yabusele, 30.

Terry averaged 3.5 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 11.1 minutes in 34 games off the bench this season for the Bulls. His career averages in parts of four seasons are 3.5 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 11.1 minutes in 204 games (seven starts).

Chicago selected Terry with the 18th overall pick of the 2022 NBA Draft out of Arizona.

Williams, 36, was picked in the second round of the 2010 draft by the Miami Heat but has never played in the NBA. He is currently playing for Al-Ittihad Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.

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–Field Level Media

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Moffi Tipped to Outshine Gyökeres After Move to FC Porto

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Super Eagles forward Terem Moffi has been tipped to make a bigger impact at FC Porto than Viktor Gyökeres has done at Sporting, following his winter move to the Portuguese giants.

Moffi joined FC Porto on loan from French club Nice during the January transfer window. The deal includes an option to buy, valued at eight million euros, with an additional 250,000 euros in bonuses.

The move followed a difficult period for the Nigerian striker in France, where he struggled for form and was affected by off-field issues, including an incident involving a group of fans targeting players.

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Speaking on Moffi’s character and development, former teammate Mindaugas Grigaravicius said the striker has the mindset and quality to succeed at the highest level. The two played together at Lithuanian club FK Riteriai, where Moffi joined at the age of 18 after leaving England.

Grigaravicius recalled that Moffi found life and football in Lithuania difficult at first but later proved his critics wrong.

“I lived with him for three weeks in a hotel, while the club looked for apartments for the players. I was the one who took him to training, we went for rides in the car and ate together,” he said.

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“He was a shy and quiet boy who didn’t speak at first. He didn’t show his emotions; he seemed like a boy who had come from Africa just chasing his dream of playing football. His first training sessions were terrible.”

He added that many people doubted Moffi’s ability in the early weeks.

“We were discussing amongst ourselves what he had come here to do, he couldn’t fit in or play. He was strong and tall, but he seemed weak, he lost every ball,” Grigaravicius said.

“After a month, we said he had no chance of staying… But he showed us how wrong we were.”

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According to Grigaravicius, Moffi’s improvement began when he accepted the physical and tactical demands of European football and put in extra work, especially in the gym and on the training ground.

“He had a complicated adaptation… He had to do extra work, and that’s where the progress began,” he said.

Once he settled, Moffi’s rise was rapid.

“He showed passion, power, a lot of strength… he crushed the defenders, he killed them! He started scoring a lot of goals,” Grigaravicius added.

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Looking ahead to Moffi’s time at FC Porto, Grigaravicius said the striker has everything needed to succeed in Portugal.

“At a big club like FC Porto, there’s no time for adaptation… he will surely be successful,” he said.

“In good form, with everyone’s confidence, he has no limits. He could be better than Gyökeres at Sporting.”

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Watch: 14-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s animated celebration after record-breaking ton goes viral in U19 World Cup final | Cricket News

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Watch: 14-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's animated celebration after record-breaking ton goes viral in U19 World Cup final
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (Photo by @BCCI on X)

NEW DELHI: Fourteen-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi delivered a stunning performance in the U-19 World Cup final on Friday, producing one of the most dominant innings ever seen at this level. Playing against England on the biggest stage, the young Indian opener showed remarkable composure and attacking intent from the very start.

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Sooryavanshi reached his century in just 55 balls, making it the second-fastest hundred in U-19 World Cup history. Only Australia’s Will Malajczuk has scored a quicker ton in the tournament. He brought up his century with a single and then marked the moment with a calm and respectful celebration. After a brief roar, he removed his helmet and gloves, paused for a brief prayer, and applauded the dressing room.Watch:The Indian batter brought up his first fifty in 32 balls and then accelerated even further, scoring his next fifty in only 23 deliveries as England’s bowlers struggled to slow him down.He shared a rapid 142-run partnership with captain Ayush Mhatre, who contributed a steady half-century before getting out. Together, they completely took control of the final and pushed England onto the back foot.Sooryavanshi eventually fell for a breathtaking 175 off 80 balls, an innings filled with 15 fours and 15 sixes. His dismissal finally gave England a moment to regroup, as the scoring rate had made even an extremely high total seem possible.Despite missing out on a double century, the young prodigy walked off to a standing ovation. At the time of reporting, India have crossed 300 runs with over 15 overs left to play.

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Chris Jericho returning to WWE in a non-wrestling role is possible, says veteran

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A wrestling veteran said that the former AEW World Champion, Chris Jericho could return to WWE in a non-wrestling role. The veteran believes that Y2J could join the Stamford-based promotion in an off-screen role.

Chris Jericho may not return to the WWE as a talent, according to the wrestling veteran, Dutch Mantell. Jericho last appeared on AEW TV back in April 2025. While he has been heavily rumored to be returning to the Sports Entertainment Juggernaut for months, Y2J is still listed on the official roster page of Tony Khan’s promotion.

Speaking on his Story Time podcast recently, Dutch Mantell assumed that Jericho may not return to the WWE as a talent, but could become a part of the promotion’s creative team instead:

“Well, he may be in shape, but when people hear he’s 55-56, to me, he is an old guy in a young man’s game; it’s what he is. I don’t care how good he is, he is great. I’ve seen him do a lot of great stuff and he hits all the points. But at 55, and he’s not going back till next year, I would say there is a possibility that he doesn’t even go now, as a talent, let me say that. He may not go as a talent; he could go as a part of the creative team, but I don’t think he wants to do that.”

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Veteran believes Chris Jericho will end his wrestling career in WWE

The wrestling veteran, Jim Ross recently claimed that Chris Jericho wants to finish up his wrestling career in the WWE. Speaking on his Grilling JR podcast, Ross also recalled hiring Jericho to the Stamford-based promotion decades ago:

“I don’t think going to WWE is a matter over paychecks. I think he wants to end his career in wrestling in WWE. I hired Chris Jericho. Jerry Brisco and I had a couple of meetings as I recall to get him pointed in the right direction,” JR said.

Only time will tell what the future holds for Y2J.

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If taking quotes from this article’s first half, H/T ‘Sportskeeda Wrestling’ for transcription and credit ‘Story Time with Dutch Mantell on YT.’