The Minnesota Vikings’ regular season won’t start for 3.5 months, but in the meantime, it’s a fair juncture to size up the club’s best players. Kevin O’Connell’s team will hope to visit the postseason in 2026 after missing out on the fun in 2025 by one win.

Minnesota’s best players are ranked from No. 8 to No. 1 entering the heart of the offseason.

From a May 2026 perspective, here’s the pecking order of the team’s top players.

Star Power Still Defines the Top of the Roster

The players are ranked from good to best (No. 1 = best player).

8. Byron Murphy Jr. | CB

Murphy Jr.’s 2024 campaign was much more promising than his 2025 efforts. But that doesn’t mean he’d play poorly in 2025; he was just fantastic two seasons ago.

Because of his consistency, Murphy Jr. checks in at No. 8 on this list, narrowly edging Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, Jordan Mason, and Eric Wilson. Opposing quarterbacks encountered a 78.2 passer rating allowed when targeting Murphy in 2025. That’s pretty excellent.

He’s connected to the budget through the end of 2027.

7. Blake Cashman | ILB

Cashman’s importance for 2026 remains crystal clear, despite the arrival of Jake Golday. While the Vikings drafted Golday in Round 2 as a potential long-term off-ball linebacker option should Cashman depart in 2027, Cashman’s 2025 performance was nothing short of fantastic.

Last season, Cashman averaged an incredible 11.07 tackles per game. Projecting that pace over a full 17-game schedule would yield 188 tackles — a mark among the highest in NFL history. Though he missed four games, which dulled his final tally, his weekly impact was undeniable.

Moreover, he’s a near-perfect fit for Flores’s defense. The Eden Prairie native plays fast, finds the football, and injects the kind of disruptive bedlam Flores demands from his middle linebackers.

6. Jalen Redmond | DT

Minnesota’s top revelation over the last two seasons, Redmond is here to stay. He logged a 72.7 Pro Football Focus grade in 2025 after a 75.6 in 2024. Because he came from the UFL, many have expected Redmond to hit a wall eventually, and that just never happens.

He accrued 6 sacks last year, which is fantastic for a defensive tackle, and he just gets better and better. In fact, he had a case for the Pro Bowl last year, though voters did not listen.

You can call Redmond the Vikings’ best or second-best defensive player with Jonathan Greenard no longer on the roster.

5. Kyler Murray | QB

Murray is the fifth-most accurate quarterback in NFL history, he’s faster than Justin Jefferson, and he can throw the ball 60-70 yards. His stock is low right now because the Arizona Cardinals — of all franchises — kicked him to the curb. That will leave him ultra-motivated to succeed in 2026.

He has a lot of “proving it” to do this season as the new quarterback of the Vikings, but based on his seven seasons in the league, he’s not a little-engine-that-could situation. The man has a better career EPA+CPOE than Baker Mayfield, Daniel Jones, C.J. Stroud, and Trevor Lawrence.

4. Andrew Van Ginkel | OLB

Van Ginkel is the Vikings’ top outside linebacker. How? Why? Minnesota traded Jonathan Greenard to the Eagles last month. While Dallas Turner offers high upside, Van Ginkel is the proven commodity: versatile, productive, and a trusted asset in Brian Flores’ defense.

Crucially, he’s the linchpin holding the pass rush together. His ability to rush, drop, disguise, and execute the unique assignments vital to Flores’ system makes him invaluable. This versatility is even more critical now with Greenard’s departure and Turner’s promotion to a full-time starting role.

With Van Ginkel turning 31 this summer, the Vikings might consider an extension to retain one of their most reliable defenders beyond 2026. In two seasons, Van Ginkel has tabulated 18.2 sacks, 32 QB hits, 133 tackles, 2 interceptions, and 2 touchdowns in Minnesota.

3. Brian O’Neill | RT

O’Neill embodies the quietly excellent player every team dreams of having at right tackle. His sturdy performance is evident in his PFF grades since 2018:

Through multiple roster eras, coaching staffs, quarterback changes, and offensive line rebuilds, O’Neill has almost never been part of the problem. Even when the Vikings struggled with offensive line issues during the Mike Zimmer years, he remained the sole steady presence.

Delivering strong seasons with remarkably few rough games, O’Neill can be expected to perform exceptionally well again in 2026 — because that’s simply his modus operandi.

2. Christian Darrisaw | LT

Darrisaw experienced his worst season as a pro in 2025, mainly because his ACL didn’t heal right. Minnesota put him back on the shelf in December and now hopes that he’ll be ready for Week 1.

When healthy, Darrisaw is a Top 3 NFL left tackle. Some might argue that O’Neill deserves this spot, but at the peak of his powers, Darrisaw is a slightly better tackle than O’Neill. Not by much, but by a little.

Darrisaw is overdue for a monster year, and one of these seasons, he’ll pull down his first Pro Bowl honor. It’s overdue.

1. Justin Jefferson | WR

We publish this list of best Vikings annually around this time on the calendar, and Jefferson has taken home the top prize five years running.

It’s a “no caption” needed situation.

Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker

NASCAR drivers and fans are remembering Kyle Busch not only for his success on the track, but for the impact he made off it following his sudden death.

Busch, a two-time Cup Series champion, had been preparing for this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway when he became unresponsive while using a driving simulator in Concord on Wednesday. He was transported to the hospital, where he died the following day.

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Saturday, his family announced he died from severe pneumonia that progressed into sepsis.

His death prompted an outpouring of tributes across the racing world, including an order from Governor Josh Stein to lower North Carolina and U.S. flags to half-staff on state grounds through sundown Sunday.

For many, Busch’s competitive nature defined his career.

“He always brought fans to the stands. Every time he came on the racetrack, he was always racing hard, and I kind of bounced off of him because I raced hard. I don’t go out there to finish second, and I feel like he didn’t do that at all either. He always wanted to win, and that’s something I’ve always wanted to do every time I hit the racetrack,” said driver Carson Haislip.

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Haislip said Busch also stood out for his willingness to engage with fans. In 2023, when Haislip was 15, he, alongside fellow driver Phoenyx Kimball, interviewed Busch at Wake County Speedway.

“It went great. A lot of people nowadays, when they get to (become) big names and stuff like that, they’re not really looking to talk,” Haislip said. “But he was really, really understanding, and he was all game for it.”

Busch’s commitment to family was also a defining part of his life, often seen attending races involving his son, Brexton.

“I watched it firsthand,” Haislip said. “You don’t see a lot of the NASCAR drivers just out there trying to make every single race they can, but he was doing that. He had to race on the weekends, but he was still making time for his son and that’s something that sticks out about Kyle Busch that I feel like a lot of people don’t notice is the family guy he was.”

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Richard Childress Racing announced it will suspend the use of Busch’s No. 8 car, reserving it for Brexton when he is ready.

Fans across North Carolina said they were stunned by the news of his passing.

“I just almost had to pull over to a side road just because I’m a big fan of Kyle Busch and because I just couldn’t believe it,” said Walter Prince, owner of Walt’s Toys and Collectibles in Raleigh.

Prince described Busch as a widely respected figure in the sport.

“He was about the sport, and he was all about promoting it. He was just a super nice guy. Always a smile on his face. It was hard to pull against him because he was really just that nice of a guy. And he really carried the sport and helped bring it back to prominence,” said Prince.

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Funeral arrangements have not been publicly announced.

WATCH: Racing legend Kyle Busch remembered for devotion to family, kindness and generosity

NASCAR star Kyle Busch is being remembered not only for his success on the track, but for his devotion to family and generosity off of it, following his sudden death Thursday at age 41.

Extraordinary things are expected from the Mumbai Indians, but the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season was fairly ordinary for the five-time champions. Be it Jasprit Bumrah‘s failure to pick up wickets, Suryakumar Yadav‘s barren run with the bat, or Hardik Pandya‘s captaincy, there were several factors that led to MI loitering at the No. 9 spot in the points table. To add insult to injury, Mumbai also lost their final game of the campaign against the Rajasthan Royals, despite looking in pole position to win the contest at one point.

Mumbai needed 60 runs from 34 balls to claim a victory in their final match and bow out on a high, but a lower-order collapse saw them restricted to just 175/9. Sharing his opinion on MI’s underwhelming show this year, Ravichandran Ashwin refused to mince his words.

Mumbai were 148/5 at one point, with Hardik and Suryakumar batting in the middle. It looked as though the chase was a mere formality from that stage, but catastrophe unfolded as the team kept losing wickets from then on.

“At the Wankhede Stadium, if you need 60 runs off 34 balls, I think Mumbai Indians would usually chase it down. But the problem was… yes, that’s where things went wrong. Hardik hit well today, even against the spinners. If you remember, for Gujarat Titans, Hardik used to bat at number four or sometimes number five, and he used to take down the spinners,” Ashwin said in a video on his YouTube channel.

READ | “Gave Hardik Best Opportunity, Tried Everything”: MI Coach’s Blunt Verdict 

Ashwin feels that MI have looked quite ‘strange’ this year under Hardik. While a few players have had injury issues, most of them haven’t looked like themselves, which Ashwin feels is a big problem. In fact, Ashwin thinks it wouldn’t be a surprise if the next campaign ends on a similar note for Mumbai.

“I think I said it in the commentary box too, Hardik looks like he has a small problem with the hard-length ball. I don’t know why, could be fatigue, could be an injury. I said something about this last time too. He got out, mishitting a short, slower ball from Jofra Archer. I think the game turned right there because the partnership of Hardik and Surya would have chased that down, but they were just not able to accelerate.

“This Mumbai Indians team felt a bit strange. I don’t know. It cannot be easy. Given their quality, maybe they can come back and play well next year, but I won’t be surprised if they find it tough for one more year. Because of the way their team is structured, it looks like a lot of people are not at their best. I don’t know what it is, but they are not looking at their best. So, I was surprised this year, but next year I won’t be surprised. Next year, even if Mumbai Indians give a middling performance, I wouldn’t be surprised. It has been a very disappointing performance,” he said.

Ashwin didn’t spare Bumrah either, highlighting his deplorable bowling average of over 100 this year.

“Jasprit Bumrah wasn’t playing today either. It was never going to be easy. It was RR’s game to lose, and RR won. I mean, credit where it’s due. Jasprit Bumrah not playing was also a bit of a help for Punjab… wait, do you know this record? This is the first time in the history of the IPL that a bowler has played a full season and averaged over 100, and that’s Jasprit Bumrah! If I had told anyone this…”

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IPL 2026 News | RCB Outplay CSK For 2nd Win On Trot, Ruturaj Gaikwad & Co Suffer 3rd Loss

The first-ever Enhanced Games — widely dubbed the “Steroid Olympics” — take place Sunday in Las Vegas, where elite sprinters, swimmers and weightlifters will vie for world records while taking banned performance-enhancing drugs.

Teddy Atlas has offered his expert insight on the controversial ending between Oleksandr Usyk and Rico Verhoeven.

The closing stages of the heavyweight showdown between Usyk and Verhoeven has been a hot topic over the past 24 hours, with some of boxing’s biggest names weighing in with their views on how things unfolded.

It was an extremely underwhelming performance from Usyk, who, heading into the contest, was expected to deal with kickboxing legend Verhoeven with relative ease, though it certainly didn’t transpire that way.

As the fight entered the championship rounds, the Ukrainian was behind on a lot of people’s scorecards, but he managed to find the big shot he needed by dropping Verhoeven at the end of round 11.

The Dutchman got back to his feet, but as Usyk went in for the kill, referee Mark Lyson decided to stop the bout, which has caused a lot of controversy amongst a large number of boxing fans, especially as the bell appeared to ring before the stoppage occurred.

Well-respected analyst and trainer Atlas has revealed his thoughts on the matter, posting on social media to state that while he thinks Usyk may have got the knockout anyway, he thinks it was a poor decision from the referee.

“Yes terrible job by ref stopping fight after the bell, also horrible TV production not showing a clock. Usyk would have stopped him in 12th though.”

There have since been plenty of calls for a rematch between Usyk and Verhoeven, but it appears that the Ukrainian could now head into a long-awaited clash against WBC mandatory challenger Agit Kabayel.

The New York Knicks are one win away from their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999, and if the mobs around Madison Square Garden after victories are any indication, it will be pandemonium in New York City if it happens.

Furthermore, a ticket to get into “The Garden” for the Finals is bound to be pricy, as they have throughout the playoffs. But no one may have expected what two courtside seats have already sold for.

Sports business reporter Darren Rovell confirmed a sale of two courtside tickets at MSG for the NBA Finals that went for a whopping $279,804.   

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Karl-Anthony Towns of the New York Knicks celebrates after making a basket against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the third quarter in Game Two of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals at Madison Square Garden in New York City on May 21, 2026. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

The purchase was made on StubHub, the secondary ticket company, for what would be the Knicks’ first home game in the Finals. That would be Game 3, as the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs both have higher seeds than the Knicks in these NBA Playoffs.

Jaw-dropping is an understatement for a price of that magnitude, but that’s also have crazy it has been to see potential history for one of the most storied franchises in the sport.

NEW YORK READY TO COMBUST AS NYPD SHUT DOWN KNICKS WATCH PARTY OUTSIDE MADISON SQUARE GARDEN

It’s been 53 years since the Knicks last won an NBA title, dating back to the years with Walt “Clyde Frazier,” Phil Jackson, Dick Barnett, Willis Reed and Bill Bradley. The Knicks won two titles in 1970 and 1973, as Red Holzman’s squad was etched in basketball lore forever.

Since that 1973 victory, the Knicks have been to the NBA Finals just twice, the first in 1994 when the Houston Rockets secured a Game 7 victory, 90-84, to crush New York’s dreams.

Miles McBride and Mikal Bridges of the New York Knicks celebrate after McBride’s 3-pointer against the Philadelphia 76ers during the first quarter in Game Four of the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pa., on May 10, 2026. (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

Then, in 1999, the likes of Patrick Ewing, Latrell Sprewell, Allan Houston and current Knicks coach Rick Brunson, the father of All-Star guard Jalen Brunson, made it back to the Finals and faced off against a potential opponent this year — the Spurs.

But Tim Duncan and company got the job done in just five games, defeating the Knicks, 78-77, in Game 5 to celebrate their title on the MSG hardwood.

Knicks fans are hoping that’s not the case this time around, but they have to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers one more time after taking a commanding 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals after a road win on Saturday night. New York has now won 10 straight playoff games, and their only two losses in the First Round against the Atlanta Hawks came by one point.

As a result, fans are already looking at tickets for that Game 3 in the Garden. As of Sunday night, the cheapest ticket to get into the building on StubHub is going for $3,554 in Section 418.

New York Knicks’ Jalen Brunson reacts after scoring during the second half of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers in New York, New York, on May 19, 2026. (Seth Wenig/AP Photo)

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For comparison, the cheapest ticket for a potential Game 1 of the NBA Finals at Paycor Center — the home of the Oklahoma City Thunder, who lead the Spurs, 2-1, in the Western Conference Finals — is $1,252 on StubHub. The one floor seat available is going for $32,106 as of Sunday night.

The Knicks could earn their spot in the NBA Finals on Memorial Day, where they take on the Cavaliers in Game 4 in Cleveland at 8 p.m.

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