NFL free agency has ground to a halt, and the Minnesota Vikings were quiet before and after signing quarterback Kyler Murray. Next up is the draft in less than four weeks, so we take a look at the current state of affairs in the rumor mill.

Three Vikings rumors are floating again as April gets closer.

Sportsbooks expect the Vikings to win eight or nine games in 2026, a forecast that follows Minnesota pretty much every year.

Sorting through Minnesota’s Newest Rumor Speculation

A glance at the Vikings’ current rumor mill, some 3.5 weeks before the draft.

Rumor: The Vikings could target Baker Mayfield in free agency next offseason.

Jeff Howe of The Athletic laid it out clearly, mapping why Baker Mayfield is positioned to push for an extension now while keeping his options open for 2027, when the market could expand. Minnesota showed up as a logical future landing spot in that framework.

He wrote, “Mayfield has a chance to be the first QB to exceed $50 million in free agency. Considering the likely competition for his services, it’s not farfetched to believe he could corral the biggest contract in NFL history. And if quarterback Matthew Stafford retires after the 2026 season, the Los Angeles Rams and Mayfield might feel compelled to reunite. The Minnesota Vikings would be another obvious fit, but there would be a handful of teams ready to pursue the 2017 Heisman Trophy winner.”

“Mayfield should be very much aware of his potential market if the Bucs balk at the going rate. If he can’t reach a long-term deal this offseason, don’t be surprised if he adjusts his strategy to negotiate a clause that prevents the Bucs from using the franchise tag on him in 2027. It wouldn’t come with the desired raise, but it would get him to free agency next offseason.”

It all points to Mayfield holding the cards entering the final year of his deal. Tampa Bay has to account for that reality as extension talks heat up.

Of course, generally speaking, Mayfield landing in Minnesota is a long shot. The Vikings have Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy to choose from for the future.

Rumor: Fabian Moreau would be a free-agent fit for the Cowboys.

Moreau landed on Pro Football Network‘s Tom Kennedy’s list of the NFL’s top remaining free agents — a level of recognition he rarely commands.

Kennedy noted, “Projected Contract: 2 years, $9.4 million AAV. In his last two years as a Viking, Fabian Moreau hasn’t started a game, serving in a heavily rotational role for Minnesota’s secondary. That said, he’s provided quality depth as an outside cornerback for their defense, allowing a passer rating of just 57.6 in 2025.”

“Moreau’s ball production doesn’t jump off the page because of his smaller sample size compared to other cornerbacks on this list. But he’s been quite efficient on the field, adding a No. 33-ranked 79.5 CBi score in 2025. He’s a high-level depth piece who could slide into a stopgap starting role if need be. Potential Landing Spots: Vikings, Cowboys.”

As of now, there’s been no real momentum or credible buzz connecting Moreau back to Minnesota after his 2024 and 2025 run under Kevin O’Connell.

In 2025, Moreau excelled as a CB3, earning a 70.9 PFF grade and holding opposing quarterbacks to a 47.4 passer rating on 19 targets. He solidified a position that had been uncertain in August, consistently executing his assignments with reliable play. Though his playing time was limited, he consistently performed well when on the field.

The performance adds value heading into 2026. At 31 years old, Moreau remains a dependable CB3 or CB4, whether in Minnesota or with another team. Kennedy says Dallas for Moreau.

Rumor: The Vikings should draft Ty Simpson, per former NFLer Chase Daniel.

Simpson to the Vikings should be in play, according to Daniel, a former Chicago Bears passer.

He said in a video on Twitter (X) late last week, “The second that Kyler signed with KOC, in my opinion, J.J.’s done there. They’re not giving J.J. a chance to win the QB1 job. It would surprise me, very much so. You don’t sign there to be a backup to J.J. McCarthy. I think J.J. McCarthy’s days with the Vikings are done.”

“I do, and so that’s why I think you have to entertain drafting Ty Simpson. You’re not sure what Kyler’s going to do. It’s a one-year deal, $1.3 million. I just think if Ty can go to KOC, and there’s a lot of things that can happen, but with that offense, come on, man.”

Most Vikings fans dismissed Daniels’s video — Minnesota has a full house at quarteback.

Daniel also doubled down, bizarrely linking Carson Wentz’s $3 million contract to McCarthy’s potential departure, a connection that seemed tenuous at best. Daniels has cultivated a social media reputation for making outlandish claims, and this latest assertion was no exception.

A week after Costello Van Steenis put on an impressive performance by dominating and then submitting Fabian Edwards in round three at PFL Madrid for his first title defense of his PFL Middleweight championship, Johnny Eblen and Impa Kasanganay put the champ on notice with impressive finishes of their own.

First up was Kasanganay, who found himself in a fire-fight against Pittsburgh’s own, Dalton Rosta, who was out to impress the hometown crowd with a show in the co-main event. And that’s just what he and Kasanganay gave them as the two engaged in an all-out brawl in round one which saw them stand in the center of the cage and swing for the fences. In the end, it was Kasanganay who connected the shot that sent Rosta crashing to the canvas only to eat a few more follow up shots.

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In the headlining bout, Eblen came out and simply suffocated and domianted Bryan Battle, who probably should not have been in there with “Pressure” in his PFL debut. Nevertheless, Eblen did what he had to do and bullied “The Butcher” for as long as the fight lasted, slamming him to the canvas repeatedly before securing an air-tight rear-naked choke that gave him the first-round win.

Check out finishes below:

Queensland Country Bank Stadium will play host to Saturday’s
Round 4 NRL game between North Queensland Cowboys and
Melbourne Storm. The game kicks off at 7:35 pm with Melbourne Storm heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the North Queensland Cowboys vs.
Melbourne Storm
game and give you our free tips and bets.

When: Saturday March 28, 2026 at 7:35 pm

Where: Queensland Country Bank Stadium

Bet 💰: Bet On This Match HERE

North Queensland Cowboys vs Melbourne Storm Odds

North Queensland Cowboys vs Melbourne Storm Preview

South Sydney returns to Accor Stadium seeking a response after an uneven start to the season. While their attacking talent remains evident, lapses in defence have proven costly in recent weeks. Their opponents arrive with momentum, having produced a disciplined performance built on strong completions and defensive pressure. Historically, this fixture has delivered competitive contests, often decided in the closing stages. South Sydney’s spine will be central to their chances, needing to find greater cohesion to unlock opposition defences. With both teams capable of scoring quickly, this shapes as an open encounter where control and composure will be crucial.

England’s Jos Buttler insists he still has the hunger for runs, saying a complete break from cricket in the Alps has rejuvenated him for the Indian Premier League after a horror T20 World Cup. The wicketkeeper cut a downcast figure opening the England batting in the global showpiece, scoring just 87 runs in eight matches up to the semi-final defeat to eventual champions India this month. “It’s great to have a nice break,” Buttler, whose Gujarat Titans team will begin their campaign against Punjab Kings in New Chandigarh on on Tuesday, told AFP.

“I actually went to the Alps so I couldn’t have been further away from cricket which was really nice. 

“Had some time away and I’m really excited now, looking forward to another IPL season,” added the former England white-ball captain.

Opener Buttler, who has scored 4,037 T20 runs for England since his 2011 debut, was a shadow of his usually destructive self in the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.

Buttler’s top score was a less-than-fluent 26 against Nepal in England’s opening match. 

He hit a scratchy 21 against the West Indies in the next group game then had a run of five single-digit scores before scoring 25 in the semi-final defeat.

Buttler’s slump in form has left a question mark over his future in Harry Brook’s England side, but the 35-year-old said he retained his motivation for the game.

‘Still hungry’

“I’m still hungry to score runs,” said Buttler. 

“I think I’m at a stage in my career now and having just had those few weeks to reflect, I just want to look forward and play what’s in front of me and not make any plans really.

“Whether you’re playing well in terms of runs or not scoring runs… you have to have the same energy and motivation to go to practise and to the next match. 

“As long as I’ve got that energy to turn up to the next one, I’ll keep going,” he said.

Buttler has made just one half-century in his last four International Cricket Council white-ball tournaments. 

But is looking to regain his form in the IPL, where he has been one of the most successful overseas batsmen. 

In 2022, Buttler equalled Virat Kohli’s record of four centuries in a season.

“The onus is on you to get going quickly in your innings and play aggressively,” he said.

“But I think the biggest thing for me and maybe a lesson to learn is just to stay in my own lane and just focus on my own cricket and my own game and play my own way.”

Buttler plays in other T20 franchise tournaments, including England’s The Hundred and Australia’s Big Bash League.

He agreed with recent comments from Australia captain Pat Cummins that players chasing lucrative franchise league pay days was creating tension with national selectors. 

England Test opener Ben Duckett was due to play for Delhi capitals before pulling out of this year’s IPL to manage his workload and focus on international cricket.

“For players, it’s becoming a thing to weigh up what is the most important thing for you and your cricket at that time,” said Buttler, who believes English players put their country first.

“I can only speak on England’s behalf and you can feel it that the guys want to play for England — and play for England as long as they can.”

There is a danger that Test cricket could be marginalised, but Buttler said the five-day game would always be the ultimate format for him.

“It’s different for different countries,” he said. “I am still of the generation that (feels) Test cricket is the pinnacle.”

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Following Saturday’s UFC Seattle event at Climate Pledge Arena, the fight promotion announced the recipients of the performance-based bonuses.

The 13-bout fight card featured 9 finishes, including finishes in every main card match. Two “Performance of the Night” bonuses were awarded and “Fight of the Night” honors bestowed.

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Main event fighter Joe Pyfer earned a bonus for his second-round stoppage of former two-time middleweight champion Israel Adesanya. After several spirited exchanges, Pyfer secured a takedown and mounted “‘The Last Stylebender.” He then flatted out Adesanya after Adesanya rolled. From there, Pyfer hammered away with punches until the referee was forced to stop the action.

Former women’s flyweight champion Alexa Grasso banked a bonus for first round knockout of Maycee Barber in the fight card’s co-main event. A straight left hand put Barber down midway through the opening frame. Grasso snapped Barber’s seven-fight winning streak and took home and extra $100,000.

Fight of the Night honors went to lightweight match between Tofiq Musayev and Ignacio Bahamondes. The two fought in the featured preliminary card bout. Musayev won via unanimous decision.

Each of the previously mentioned fighters took home an extra $100,000 in bonus money. Every other fighter that won their fights via stoppage banked $25,000.

Five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will begin their IPL 2026 campaign with a match against Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on Monday, March 30. CSK, who finished last in 2025, will be without the services of MS Dhoni for two weeks due to a calf strain. Nathan Ellis has also been ruled out and has been replaced by Spencer Johnson.

CSK retained 16 players ahead of the IPL 2026 mini-auction in Abu Dhabi, including four overseas cricketers. At the auction, they purchased nine players. Surprisingly, the uncapped duo of Kartik Sharma and Prashant Veer (₹14.20 crore each) were their biggest buys. They also purchased Rahul Chahar for ₹5.20 crore and Matt Henry and Akeal Hosein for ₹2 crore each.

Ahead of CSK’s opening IPL 2026 match against RR in Guwahati, we pick three bowling combinations the franchise can try out in the T20 league.

Combination 1: Khaleel Ahmed, Matt Henry, Mukesh Choudhary, Rahul Chahar and Noor Ahmad

CSK can go in with three pacers and two spinners – two left-arm fast bowlers in Khaleel Ahmed and Mukesh Choudhary and an overseas right-arm pacer in Matt Henry. Khaleel was a key member of the team last season, claiming 15 wickets in 14 matches at an average of 29.80 and an economy rate of 9.57. He can prove expensive at times, but is a wicket-taker.

Choudhary played only a couple of matches last season, but having retained him for IPL 2026, CSK can give him another go and see what he has to offer. Seasoned New Zealand pacer Henry will be crucial for the franchise with the new ball. Like Jacob Duffy, he can make a significant impact with the ball in the powerplay, given his ability to pick up early wickets.

Leg-spinner Rahul Chahar and left-arm wrist-spinner Noor Ahmad feature as the two spinners in combination no. 1 for CSK. Chahar only played one match for SRH last season and bowled just one over. He has been underwhelming in recent seasons. However, if he can rediscover his rhythm with the ball in hand, the 26-year-old can still prove to be a potent weapon for the Chennai franchise.

Afghanistan spinner Noor was among the few positives for CSK last season in what was an otherwise disastrous campaign. He finished as the second-leading wicket-taker in the season, with 24 wickets from 14 matches at an average of 17 and an economy rate of 8.16. Noor bamboozled opposition batters with his variations and ended up with two four-wicket hauls.

Combination 2: Khaleel Ahmed, Anshul Kamboj, Rahul Chahar, Noor Ahmad and Akeal Hosein

CSK can also try a spin heavy combination, with three slow bowlers (two overseas) and two Indian pacers, leaving out Henry. In this bowling arrangement, Khaleel and Anshul Kamboj could be the pacers, while Rahul and Noor would be joined by West Indies left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein. The addition of Hosein would also strengthen the batting as he can contribute in the lower order.

Kamboj had a reasonable IPL 2025 campaign for CSK. In eight matches, he claimed eight wickets at an average of 21.50 and an economy rate of eight. The right-arm pacer shone with figures of 3-13 from 2.3 overs against Gujarat Titans (GT) in a match played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Hosein has been touted as Ravindra Jadeja’s replacement in the Chennai camp. He has played only one match in the IPL so far. However, the left-arm spinner is a canny bowler, who has claimed 93 scalps in 96 T20Is for the West Indies, averaging 26.12 at an economy rate of 7.42.

Combination 3: Matt Henry, Gurjapneet Singh, Prashant Veer, Noor Ahmad and Akeal Hosein

CSK could also try out another two pacers-three spinners combination in IPL 2026, with left-arm pacer Gurjapneet Singh joining Henry in the fast bowling department and left-arm spinner Prashant Veer being picked along with Noor and Hosein.

Gurjapneet, who was ruled out of IPL 2025 due to injury, has claimed 21 scalps in 15 T20s, averaging 24.38 at an economy rate of 9.25. As for Veer, the all-rounder impressed with both bat and ball in the Uttar Pradesh Premier League 2025. He claimed eight scalps in 10 matches at an economy rate of 6.69. With the bat, he chipped in with 320 runs at a strike rate of 155.34.