The Minnesota Vikings are expected to explore the quarterback market after inconsistent play at the position derailed their 2025 season. While most rumors have centered around veterans and reclamation projects, a much more surprising name has quietly entered speculative league chatter.

There is no indication the Texans are actively looking to move C.J. Stroud, but his name being mentioned in broader QB speculation has naturally caught the attention of quarterback-needy teams.

NFL Draft analyst Todd McShay said on his podcast, “I’m told, don’t be surprised if in the next couple of weeks there are some big-name QBs that are going to be targeted. CJ Stroud is one of them… does he need a change of scenery? Be prepared for that.”

It’s important to note that this is not a report that Houston is actively shopping Stroud, but rather that his name has surfaced in league speculation as teams monitor quarterback movement across the offseason.

Stroud is coming off a disappointing season, with disastrous playoff play in which he piled up interceptions and fumbles.

But McShay isn’t the only credible name that has moved Stroud into trade talks. A couple of weeks ago, SI.com’s Albert Breer wrote, “If Stroud’s contract negotiations get sticky, or the Texans prefer to punt them to next year—while rewarding Anderson—will there be friction? Could that impact the Texans’ offseason? Might someone swoop in to see if they could pry the wildly talented 24-year-old away?”

Stroud is eligible for a contract extension this offseason, but with the fifth-year option and another year on his rookie deal, the Texans could just wait. Until he signs on the dotted line, he will remain in trade speculations.

Breer added, “These are questions other teams have certainly asked, as Stroud’s gone through his ups and downs. Along those lines, Houston’s September signing of Davis Mills to a one-year, $7 million extension got the attention of some of those same teams. Mills, who was in Caserio’s first draft class, has started 28 games in Houston, and went 3–0 this year, while Stroud was dealing with a midseason concussion. Stay tuned on this one.”

Stroud is a fascinating player, as he looked like the real deal in his rookie season but hasn’t been nearly as sharp since.

A trade could go two ways. Either his rookie season was accurate and he’ll quickly establish himself as a franchise quarterback, or his early success was overrated and he’s not as good as everyone thought a couple of years ago. It’s a high-risk, high-reward bet,

In the playoffs, he appeared to struggle to see the field and seemed to lack confidence. If Kevin O’Connell has shown one thing, it’s that he can infuse confidence into his passers. Sam Darnold is the prototype, but Kirk Cousins, Josh Dobbs, and Nick Mullens also displayed that under his tutelage. As Stroud could be the franchise quarterback the Vikings have been looking for, it would almost be malpractice not to call the Texans and check in with GM Nick Caserio to gauge Houston’s position.

Texans writer Jared Koch of SI commented on the situation, “In reality, the Texans would have to get a notably good package in return for trading Stroud to make the most sense. Stroud is still just 24 years old, on his rookie contract, and even despite his playoff woes, has more than enough time to rebound back into the franchise quarterback he was drafted to be.”

In three seasons and 46 games in the regular season, Stroud has recorded 10,876 yards, 62 touchdowns and 25 interceptions. Also on his scorecard are more than 600 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.

“Of course, everything has a price, and if another team hungry for a quarterback were to offer a haul for Stroud, there might be a discussion to be had. But the more likely outcome remains that the Texans roll with their guy for at least one more season, let him play out the fourth year of his rookie deal, and re-evaluate after he has a chance to bounce back from a rough end to his third year,” Koch concluded.

Because of his rookie season and the youth he brings to the table, a realistic trade package despite the recent struggles, would like start with a couple of 1st-round picks. At this point, it’s unclear whether the Texans would even entertain trade talks, given that they need a starting quarterback, too. If they move Stroud, they have the same options the Vikings have now, including players like Kyler Murray, Kirk Cousins, Mac Jones, Aaron Rodgers, and Malik Willis.

Sure, he’s a long shot, but Stroud, 24, is one of the more intriguing QB options for the Minnesota Vikings.

Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.

Janik Eckardt is a German sports nerd, who likes numbers and stats. He chose the Vikings to be his … More about Janik Eckardt

World number two Jannik Sinner has dismissed concerns about his early-season form, despite suffering a surprising defeat to Jakub Mensik at the Qatar Open in Doha.

The Italian, who had been aiming to emulate rival Carlos Alcaraz by reaching the semi-finals, was ultimately ousted 7-6 (3) 2-6 6-3 by the 20-year-old Czech talent.

While Mensik delivered a stellar performance, showcasing why he is considered one of the sport’s brightest young prospects, Sinner was plagued by uncharacteristic errors, particularly from his forehand.

This unexpected loss follows his semi-final exit against Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open.

Thursday’s defeat marks the first time Sinner has lost a completed hard-court match to a player ranked outside the top 10 since October 2023.

Furthermore, he had not failed to reach the final at consecutive events since the summer of 2024, underscoring the exceptionally high standard he has maintained.

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The 24-year-old remained philosophical post-match, acknowledging Mensik’s strong play.

“He served really well, so it was difficult to return,” Sinner stated. “It’s been a tough break in the third, a couple of mistakes. It can happen, obviously, but, at the same time, I’m a bit disappointed in how I handled these moments.”

He added: “Every player goes through ups and downs. I’ve had two incredible years. Having a small down, it’s nothing that’s going to worry me. I know that I can play a little bit better tennis.

“In every tournament, I would like to go as far as possible, but it’s normal to go through some tough moments. I’ve had tougher ones in the past, so I know how to come back.”

Sinner will now turn his attention to the upcoming ‘Sunshine Double’ events in Indian Wells and Miami next month, where he will aim to narrow the significant ranking gap to Alcaraz, which could exceed 3,000 points by the week’s end.

The 2026 NFL Draft is just a couple months away, and fanbases across the NFL are in heated debate over which prospects their team should add this spring.

However, one of the positions that has not been discussed as much this year is the quarterback position, particularly now that names like Dante Moore and Trinidad Chambliss are no longer in this draft class. It looks like one of the weaker draft classes we’ve seen in the past decade, but could there be a few diamonds in the rough? Let’s break down my top eight quarterbacks in this class.

1. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana

It’s no surprise at this point. Fernando Mendoza is a Heisman Trophy winner and national champion for a reason. He’s the best quarterback in this draft class, and after Moore decided to return to Oregon, it’s not particularly close.

Mendoza is accurate, and he is a lights out quarterback in the red zone. He showed he can layer his throws on intermediate and deep passes throughout the 2025 campaign, and he didn’t have a single turnover worthy play on throws of fewer than 10 yards. The big area that needs to improve is his improvisation outside of the pocket. Once he is pressured, his completion percentage dropped to 51.2% this year.

That may limit his star potential in the NFL, but it won’t be enough to take away his QB1 status at this point.

2. Ty Simpson, Alabama

Alabama had a pretty difficult schedule in 2025, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at Ty Simpson’s numbers. He proved that he can well against some of the toughest competition in college football. He has decent arm strength to push the ball downfield, and he can maneuver outside the pocket to make off-schedule throws.

In terms of negatives though, Simpson enters the danger zone a little too often for a player who is immediately ready to be an NFL quarterback. He has a lot of Will Levis in him, meaning he tries to make plays when he really should just get rid of the football and live to play another down. It likely will be the reason he doesn’t start during his rookie season.

3. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU

After a decent 2024 campaign, many were waiting for Garrett Nussmeier to take the next step and become a top-tier prospect heading into the draft. That never happened though. His average depth of target dropped by 2.5 yards this season, and he had just 14 big time throws compared to 26 in 2024.

Granted, Nussmeier played just nine games as he battled through injuries, so perhaps at full health he’ll feel more comfortable letting it rip like we saw in 2024. Or perhaps he is destined to be a backup like what the 2025 version of his game indicated. He did have a very solid Senior Bowl showing, so that should help his stock among NFL franchises.

4. Drew Allar, Penn State

The 2025 season was a year from hell for the Penn State Nittany Lions, and it was no different for their quarterback, Drew Allar. He was a shell of the quarterback that we had seen in 2024, and his season ended early due to a broken ankle.

That being said, if I’m being entirely honest, I can’t give up on Allar. The dude just looks like an NFL quarterback. He’s 6’5″ and 235 pounds, has a cannon for an arm, and he is a gifted athlete. If he can sure up his mechanics and take the open throws when they arrive, he can be an NFL quarterback. That is a big if though after what we saw in a limited showing this past season.

5. Luke Altmyer, Illinois

Luke Altmyer transferred to Illinois after two seasons at Ole Miss and almost instantly helped turn around a program that had just one winning season from 2012-2022. Altmyer led the Fighting Illini to a pair of bowl wins in 2024 and 2025, and he did it by being a gunslinger with a quick trigger. He gets the ball out quick, and he isn’t afraid of trying to make a big play.

Ultimately, Altmyer plays like a Nick Mullens type who will hunt the big play at the risk of making disastrous turnovers. His NFL career could be a roller coaster ride, but don’t be surprised if there are a few fun moments.

6. Carson Beck, Miami

No matter where he’s been, you’ve kind of always known what you’re going to get with Carson Beck. That can be a blessing and a curse for the QB heading into the NFL draft.

Throughout college, Beck was essentially a game manager. When given time in the pocket, he makes solid decisions with the football, which allowed Miami to make the national title game this season. However, when he’s under pressure, things start to break down. He throws passes up for grabs and isn’t consistent in the middle portion of the field. That will need to be cleaned up if he ever has a chance to start in the NFL.

7. Cade Klubnik, Clemson

Cade Klubnik arguably had one of the best supporting cast in college football this season with a veteran offensive line and some great receiving talent, but his numbers ended up falling flat this year. He didn’t have as many big time throws this year as he did in 2024, and he just never seemed to fully click with his receivers in terms of timing.

Like Altmyer, it wouldn’t be all that surprising to see Klubnik carve out a role for himself as a backup quarterback, but he doesn’t really have a “wow” trait that would propel him into starter territory.

8. Taylen Green, Arkansas

Taylen Green is an athletic freak at 6’6″ and 235 pounds while also being extremely mobile. His 994 rushing yards ranked 8th among FBS quarterbacks this season, and he also had eight rushing touchdowns. Green makes big plays with his arm and his legs.

The problem is he holds on to the ball long enough to cause trouble for himself, and he hasn’t quite figured out a way to consistently get out of trouble when it arrives. He completed just 32 of 87 attempts when under pressure this year, and he had 12 turnover plays in 142 such drop backs. There is a lot of Anthony Richardson here without as freakish of a frame.

Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Focus helped with this article.

Josh Frey is a senior writer at both PurplePTSD.com and VikingsTerritory.com, with a fascination for the NFL Draft. To … More about Josh Frey

Glenn Thornton appreciates Run Lucy Run’s potential, yet achieving consistent high-level efforts from her calls for patience, which he expects to bring positive outcomes.

Once a Victorian trainer now settled on the Gold Coast, he is moulding his 12-horse 2026 squad, with Run Lucy Run targeting consecutive wins after her success in the Gordon’s Gin Class 4 Handicap (1350m) at Ipswich on Friday.

The four-year-old mare took the prize at this course and distance on January 31, and a good-rated track should work in her favour.

This result snapped a drought of poor finishes since December 2024.

“She’s done really well since and there is no reason why she can’t go well again,” Thornton said.

“She usually improves through her preps and doesn’t go backwards.

“Last time, if we couldn’t win we were in a bit of trouble.

Betting commenced with her at $3.40 universally, now firmed to $2.50 post the Thursday withdrawal of favourite Noble Decree.

Additional scratchings of two rivals adjusted her barrier from 11 to eight.

“She’s performed in better class races than this,” Thornton added.

“If she’s getting closer to where she was as a three-year-old then she’ll run well.

Thornton’s Queensland migration five years prior aligned with his kids Damien (reins on Run Lucy Run), Boris, and Stephanie moving north, a choice he doesn’t regret.

He dreams of elevating Run Lucy Run to metro ranks again but savours a local triumph at Ipswich presently.

“We were happy to go back to Ipswich knowing it was a good surface and, unless they get rain on the day, they usually dish up a reliable track.

Visit leading racing betting markets to back Run Lucy Run in the upcoming Gordon’s Gin Class 4 Handicap at Ipswich.

Vincent Kompany has issued strong criticism of Jose Mourinho over his reaction to Vinicius Jr’s accusation of alleged racist abuse in a Champions League play-off between Benfica and Real Madrid on Wednesday.

Kompany, the Bayern Munich manager, used a press conference to give an impassioned speech which drew on his own experiences of racism in football, and said Mourinho had made a “huge mistake” by “attacking the character” of Vinicius in the aftermath.

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Vinicius accused Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni, a 20-year-old Argentina international, of calling him a “monkey” in the wake of the Brazilian’s second-half goal for Madrid. The claims were backed up by his teammate Kylian Mbappe, who said he heard the abuse by Prestianni, who could be seen holding his shirt over his mouth during an exchange with Madrid players.

Vinicius reacted furiously to something said by Prestianni and alerted the match officials. The French referee, Francois Letexier, paused the game for 11 minutes after activating Fifa’s anti-racism protocols, although the action later continued with Prestianni on the field.

Fans inside the Estadio Da Luz loudly booed and jeered Vinicius throughout the remainder of the game, as Real Madrid saw out a 1-0 victory.

Prestianni now faces an investigation by Uefa. He has denied racially abusing Vinicius and claimed to have been misheard.

After the match, Benfica manager Mourinho blamed Vinicius for the confrontation and said the Brazilian had incited his players because he did not celebrate in a “respectful way”. Mourinho also claimed Benfica could not be considered guilty of racism because the club’s greatest player, Eusebio, was Black.

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“I told him that when you score a goal like that you just celebrate and walk back,” Mourinho said, of his conversation with Vinicius after the game. “And then when he was arguing about racism I told him the biggest person in the history of this club [Eusebio] was Black. This club, the last thing it is is racist, so if in his mind it was something in relation to that, this is Benfica.

“There is something wrong because it happens in every stadium. Every stadium that Vinicius plays, something happens. Always.”

Bayern Munich manager Kompany was asked for his take on the incident ahead of his team’s weekend game in the Bundesliga, and he responded with a long answer in which he defended Vinicius and tore into Mourinho’s response.

“When you watch the action itself and how Vini reacted, that reaction cannot be faked,” Kompany said. “You can see it was an emotional reaction. I don’t see any benefit for him to go to the referee and put all this misery on his shoulders. In that moment he saw that it was the right thing to do.

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“Kylian Mbappe normally always stays diplomatic, but he was very clear about what he saw and heard. Then there’s the Benfica player who was hiding what he was saying in his shirt. In the stadium you can see there were people [Benfica fans] doing monkey signs, it’s in the video.

“And for me, what happened after the game is even worse. Jose Mourinho has basically attacked the character of Vini Jr by bringing in the type of Vini’s celebration to discredit what he was doing at that moment. It was a huge mistake in terms of leadership.

“On top of that, Mourinho mentioned the name of Eusebio. He said Benfica cannot be racist because their best ever player was Eusebio. Do you know what Black players had to go through in the 60s? Was he there to travel with Eusebio every away game and see what he went through?”

Kompany said Mourinho has a positive reputation in the game and is “deep down a good person”, but suggested the Benfica manager had made a serious misjudgement with his reaction.

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“I met 100 people who worked with Jose Mourinho. I’ve never heard someone say something bad about Jose. All his players love him. I understand the person he is, I understand he fights for his club. I know deep down he’s a good person. I don’t need to judge him on that. But I also know what I’ve heard. I understand what he’s done, but he made a mistake. Hopefully it won’t happen again in the future, and we can move on together.”

Arshiya Das (Special Arrangements)

NEW DELHI: In a region where borders blur into mountains and valleys fold into one another, India’s Northeast has never lacked talent. What it has lacked, for decades, is attention. Its athletes have long defined a culture of discipline that rarely seeks validation from the mainland.And today, riding on India’s unequivocal chess boom, the Northeast has found its latest sensation.At 15, Tripura’s chess prodigy Arshiya Das recently became the first Woman International Master (WIM) from Northeast India. Playing in Serbia, she not only won the 42nd Rudar IM Round Robin tournament with a score of 6.5/9 but also completed her final WIM norm.

For India, it is another prodigy proving her worth in the world of chess. For the Northeast, it is a tectonic shift.“We are very happy because we know she is actually very dedicated to chess. It was her dream for a long time to become national champion. She became Under-15 National Champion in November last year. Then, in the Senior National Women’s Championships 2025, which is a big tournament, she got a bronze medal. We saw that she is at her peak. So we planned to send her to Europe because all the norms come from there,” Arshiya’s father Purnendu Das told TimesofIndia.com during an exclusive interaction.

Arshiya Das (Special Arrangements)

“Also, next year, she has 10th board exams, so things are getting tight. Before that, we planned this and sent her. She completed two norms, one in the first week of January, and this was the final norm.”Arshiya’s story began at the breakfast tableLike a plethora of Indian prodigies, Arshiya, born in March 2010, did not start in an academy or under a master coach. Rather, it began with her parents trying to get their child to eat breakfast and get ready for school.“This was around 2015. You know, when you have to make the children eat breakfast before sending them to school, you need to give them something in their hands, like a laptop or a mobile phone. So we used to give her a laptop so that she would eat her breakfast properly,” her father recalled.

Arshiya Das (Special Arrangements)

“When she would open the laptop, in Windows, there was a default chess game. She got used to sit with it. Then, one day, in a mall, she saw a chessboard and said, ‘This is the thing I saw on the laptop, I need this.’ So, I bought her a board. From there, her interest grew slowly.”From under-7 nationals to global exposureAt six, she finished in the top 10 in the Under-7 nationals. However, with an aim to better the scores, she participated again in the same tournament next year in 2017 and won bronze. The progress over a year was indeed noticeable, and it prompted the Das family to look at Arshiya’s potential with a sharper, more deliberate lens.“From Tripura, this was the first time someone got bronze and got selected for the World Cadet and Asian Youths to represent India,” her father added with palpable pride.International exposure followed as gold and bronze medals in Uzbekistan and a representation in the World Cadet Championship in Spain ensured her steady climb through India’s age-group hierarchy.

Arshiya Das (Special Arrangements)

When COVID shut down the circuit, Arshiya started playing online with unforeseen obsession.“During COVID, she played around 400-500 online tournaments and became champion in many of them. She utilised COVID very well,” Purnendu said.Training across IndiaFor a chess player in the Northeast, geography is the first opponent, not the one sitting at the other end of the board. For elite training, one must travel to Chennai, Kolkata, or Delhi. Agartala is an afterthought.“From the Northeast, coaching was always a problem. We had to go to Kolkata, Chennai, or Delhi,” her father admitted.And that is perhaps why her coaching journey spans local mentors Ramesh Koloi and Pradip Chaudhary, Apollosana Rajkumar in Manipur, FM Prasenjit Dutta, GM Saptarshi Roy Chowdhury in Kolkata, and the Gurukul system under GM RB Ramesh and WGM Aarthi in Chennai.Today, she trains with IM Kaustav Kundu and GM Swayams Mishra, attends Chola Chess Academy camps, and logs online hours with GM Jacob Aagaard’s Killer Chess Training.A family with purposeArshiya’s story is inseparable from her family’s sacrifices. Her father is an engineer. Her mother, Arnesha Das, stepped away from her own ambitions to aid the ambitions of their only child.“She wanted to join the Tripura Civil Service but sacrificed to support Arshiya,” her father told this website.

Family of Arshiya Das (Special Arrangements)

They live in government quarters in Agartala.“She studies in Holy Cross School, ICSE board, very tough. But school is very supportive with special notes and special classes. She missed the Class 9 exam due to Under-15 Nationals, but school promoted her and asked her to focus on board exams next year,” Mr Das revealed.Amid the hardships…The Das family is well aware of the financial burden that comes with steady improvement in ratings.“We depend on a government job. Flights from Agartala to Chennai are very expensive. She’s been playing since 2015, 11 years now. So it has already been a huge expenditure,” he added.“She once had a laptop problem. Sagar Shah (from ChessBase India) helped and got her a specially designed laptop for chess players. After that, her performance increased 50–60%. Before that, she used a Rs 35,000 laptop since 2016, but the battery changed four times.”But even amid the hardships, people have always come forward to help their cause.Dipa Karmakar, her coach, and many moreDipa Karmakar, the Olympic gymnast who put the city on the global sports map, is now the state’s sports director. She and her coach Bishweshwar Nandi personally trained Arshiya physically.In 2021, Arshiya received the Prime Minister’s Rashtriya Bal Puraskar for becoming the first and only girl chess player from the Northeast to receive an international gold medal.

PM Modi interacting with Arshiya Das (Special Arrangements)

But the latest WIM title is not the end of the road, as her current European tour is stitched together like a budget airline itinerary.“We planned five tournaments in one trip to save costs, and her mother is with her. After playing all five, she will return to Agartala on March 2,” Purnendu added.“We are definitely very happy, and in our state also, people associated with us, the sports minister sir, everyone is very happy that among girls from the Northeast, she is the first.”ALSO READ: No ecosystem in India, no problem: How 9-year-old Arshi Gupta became the youngest ever to join F1 Academy’s programmeBefore concluding, Arshiya’s father circled back to a recurring concern: “The Northeast lacks big companies for sponsorship. We request companies to support girl children in Northeast chess. Out of 91 Indian GMs, only 4 are women. We need to boost girls. PM schemes are coming. If companies support, Arshiya can become the first female GM from the Northeast.”