Sports
Tommy Lloyd has Arizona in Final Four after refusing to budge even as basketball changed around him
SAN JOSE, Calif. — The confetti having fallen, the celebration very much ongoing, and here’s the guy responsible for most all of this just off to the side, somehow, by himself.
Here stands Tommy Lloyd — steps away from the risers, blue-and-red shreds of soft, celebratory paper at his feet; and no doubt more underneath his cotton, black Cats quarter-zip — just hanging out. He’s got a smile on, but not too big of a smile.
There’s still two more games to win.
But he can pause for now to acknowledge the long-awaited return to the biggest stage in the sport for the Arizona Wildcats. The program’s going to the Final Four for the first time in 25 years, getting there with an authoritative second half power stroke over No. 2 seed Purdue that ended with a 79-64 anticlimax. Thousands in red, blue and white in the stands are screaming, laughing, crying, celebrating.
Lloyd’s taking it in.
Less than a minute ago, he was hugging and high-fiving with none other than Mix Master Mike, forever of Beastie Boys fame and acclaim, now a dear friend of Lloyd’s. Life has changed so much, but also not that much at all, for the 51-year-old former Gonzaga assistant who helped guide two of those teams to the national title game in 2017 and 2021.
This, tonight, is different. Those Gonzaga teams were the design of Mark Few. This is now Lloyd’s doing. He’s brought Arizona back to the promised land, and as thousands cheer, he’s humbly standing alone, just waiting for a reporter to interrupt the moment.
Of course I had to.
Did Lloyd think this was possible all those years ago, as a carefree hooper growing up in Kelso, Washington?
“I would say, yeah,” Lloyd told CBS Sports on the court. “I 100% believed it. I’ve always dreamed big. I mean, I’m not surprised. I’m respectful of the moment, but this isn’t the greatest thing to ever happen in my life. I’ve got a great family, and I’ve had a lot of good experiences, but I’m a big dreamer.”
For decades, Lloyd dreamed up what he would do and how he would run a program if he was ever given the chance. In April 2021, Arizona gave him that opportunity despite Lloyd never being a head coach. His reputation was terrific as a program-builder and international recruiter, but it was still a gamble.
It paid off on Saturday night. Hiring Lloyd altered Arizona’s trajectory and redefined the upper echelon of the reformed, 16-team Big 12.
And as Arizona readies for a trip to Indianapolis, it must be acknowledged: Arizona has spent more weeks as the No. 1 team this season and been the winningest program over the past five seasons because Lloyd has tripled down on his refusal to bend to modern convention of overl relying on 3-point-oriented offense.
The best coaches, no matter the sport, not only innovate, they force those around them to adapt by virtue of their convictions. Tommy Lloyd is that, and Saturday night’s dismantling of Purdue was the latest evidence that shows his style was always going to work.
“He builds confidence,” Arizona associate head coach Jack Murphy told CBS Sports. “I’ve just seen that from Year 1 to Year 5. He’s been steady, the same person every single day when it comes to work. Doesn’t change, doesn’t get too high or too low. Now, he’s very competitive, yes, and I’ve beaten him in pickleball. He doesn’t like that. But he does not change, and he instills ultimate confidence in everybody, his staff and his players.”
At a time when Steph Curry’s influence and modern analytics’ grip on the 3-pointer has never been more inescapable, here is Lloyd’s Arizona program bucking convention and kicking ass on the way to potentially the best season in program history.
The Wildcats rank 363rd in 3-point rate, shooting from beyond the long line just 26.4% of the time. What’s more, this team is the first ever to be bottom five in 3-point rate and make the Final Four since North Carolina did it (with something of a similar system) in 2008.
The message is always: north-south, go! go! go! Go at the opponent every time. Drive the ball. Play on two feet as often as possible. The gaps are there, find them, and drive your line when the space comes open. From there, the 3-point options will emerge, but don’t take a good shot when a great one is waiting for your teammate two or three passes away — and that teammate might wind up being you.
“He likes us to call it an insurance policy,” Arizona star senior point guard Jaden Bradley told CBS Sports.
Bradley‘s ever-reliable second-half steadiness was one of the key components that drove yet another Arizona win over yet another ranked opponent, now the 14th of its 36 victories this season.
“Obviously everyone wants to go shoot the basketball; it’s a huge part of the next level,” Arizona assistant TJ Benson said. “That’s all they ever talk about. But I think as the season started going along, these guys have been the most coachable group I think we’ve had in five years, and we’ve had some great groups. But just understanding, nah, man, we’re gonna put our head down. This is a strength of ours. We’re not gonna let people take that away.”
Through four games in this tournament, Arizona is averaging a modest 13.3 3-point attempts, the fewest of any Final Four team since 2014-15 Kentucky. Only five other Final Four teams in the past 20 years averaged fewer, doing so before the 3-point revolution to the evolution.
It’s not that Lloyd’s team can’t shoot the 3 — at 36.7%, it ranks a solid-but-not-spectacular 37th overall — it’s that it gets the win by most other avenues.
Two years ago, when Arizona left the Pac-12 for the Big 2, Benson went to Lloyd and they discussed whether they needed to change and lean into the 3-pointer because of the league upgrade. Lloyd was open to it but came back to his style: tough players with incredible conditioning who magnetize to the paint instead of floating around on the perimeter.
Said stud freshman Brayden Burries: “Coming here, I actually didn’t know too much about the play style. I just knew what coach Lloyd told me, that he believed in me, and I believed in him.”
Burries got off to a slow start this season. In June he’ll be a lottery pick in the NBA Draft.
“He is who he is and who he’s always been,” Benson said. “Gonzaga was that smash mouth basketball. At the end of the day, we’ve had a lot of good players that are great at putting their head down, getting to the paint, and then making plays with their teammates or for themselves.”
And it showed again on Saturday night, especially in the second half. The game was really good until it wasn’t. The SAP Center felt tense … until Arizona cut the slack and ran away down the stretch. At halftime, it looked like Purdue might pull off the upset and get to a second Final Four in three seasons. The Boilermakers drained seven 3-pointers in the first 20 minutes and had a seven-point lead on Arizona going into the break.
Arizona proceeded to pick up the pace, only shooting 3-pointers as necessary (4 of 9) and ultimately overcame their sixth halftime deficit of the season — and their largest NCAA Tournament halftime gap in program history.
“We went back to our Plan A,” Lloyd told CBS Sports. “We kind of lost our way at the end of the first half on offense. We put JB (Jaden Bradley) on Braden (Smith) instead of Ivan Kharchenkov, and JB was unbelievable chasing him through everything.”
The Wildcats held Purdue to just nine points in the first 10 minutes of the second half and outscored them 48-26 overall after the break. The 22-point differential was Purdue’s worst of the season — and this coming after Purdue averaged 81.4 points in its previous seven wins heading into Saturday night. Arizona held it 17 below that number.
Purdue coach Matt Painter put it bluntly Saturday night when he said, “Sometimes people don’t understand those great teams, they just cause problems.”
Arizona is a 40-minute problem every time it suits up.
The defense is the best of any team Lloyd has coached, both at Arizona and Gonzaga. The Wildcats are No. 1 in defensive efficiency. After Purdue’s senior nucleus of Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer and Trey Kaufman-Renn averaged 58 points on 55% shooting in the three previous games, Arizona stymied them to 31 total points on 31.6% shooting.
This group has won its past four games by 20.5 points on average, the sixth-best margin of any Final Four team since 2000.
“We have the personnel to do it, the will to do it, and I know how to coach it,” Lloyd said. “I think that’s it, the place of my strength as a coach. … You’ve just got to hang with it. You can’t abort mission, you know? You just can’t. It’s not how you win.”
This team showed who it was in the first game of the season, when it shot 2-of-5 from 3-point range and beat the reigning national champions/future fellow No. 1 seed Florida 93-87. Koa Peat had statistically maybe the greatest freshman debut ever in that game, going for 30 points, seven rebounds, five assists, three steals and a block.
Peat won the West Region Most Outstanding Player after averaging 17.5 points and 6.8 rebounds the past four games in the tournament. That’s not an outstanding stat line, but that’s Arizona basketball. The Wildcats had six players score at least 14 points in the 109-88 Sweet 16 slicing of Arkansas, becoming the first team ever to pull off the feat.
“Tommy has done an unbelievable job with culture-building, team building, getting the right combination of guys,” Jason Gardner told CBS Sports. Gardner holds a special place on this staff. He was part of the last team to make the Final Four back in 2001.
“To get back here,” Gardner, “it takes a camaraderie. It takes an unbelievable staff. It takes guys to buy in. It takes guys to share the wealth. It takes the community, fan base to rally around you when times are tough. It takes everybody.”
Lloyd has won 148 games in his first five seasons, easily a record for the best five-year start to a head coaching career in men’s college hoops history. He’s done it with the belief that freshmen can get you there, too. That’s a privileged place to recruit from, and only a handful of schools can try it. But beyond all else, he’s done it with conviction without bending to convention.
That’s living the dream.
And the dreaming isn’t done.
“I can’t wait to get a couple days off, put my feet up a little bit, and then let’s start preparing for the next one,” Lloyd said before he went to find his family on the floor.
Calm, casual, unwavering belief. You can’t fake that. Arizona is no dream. This team is as real as it gets and should be considered the favorite to win two more in Indianapolis.
Sports
England vs New Zealand: Tilly Corteen-Coleman and Charlie Dean give reasons for optimism despite familiar failings
Those words showed maturity but also the teenager’s high standards.
Corteen-Coleman perched herself next to England’s coaches on the balcony for much of her side’s chase. She believed her work for the day was done, but her most consequential moment was still to come.
Ten runs were still needed when she emerged as the last batter to join Dean.
Crucially, she helped Dean run twos and, with solid defence, bettered her previous high score of one not out in The Hundred to finish unbeaten on three and sealed the win.
“I am glad I looked calm because I definitely wasn’t,” she said.
“The main point for me was to keep it really simple.”
Corteen-Coleman did not, of course, complete the win alone.
Central was the role of Dean, who admitted to exposing her team-mate more than she intended by taking singles early in the over, but otherwise played the situation well.
Much has been made of Dean’s ability to hold her mettle in chases. There has been some success but failure too – notably in the Mankad ODI at Lord’s in 2022 and the second ODI of the Women’s Ashes last year.
This time, standing in as England captain for the first time, Dean dragged her side over the line.
If England’s training camp with the army last week was supposed to develop leaders, this was Dean’s Passing-Out Parade.
“I have worked on having that calmness and being ready in any situation but that mainly came from Deano,” added Corteen-Coleman.
“If I came out and she was panicking I would have been under the pump.”
Corteen-Coleman emerged with the words of coach Charlotte Edwards in her ears. She told her to back her strengths and keep a clear mind.
That was backed up by Dean in the middle.
“She came out with good clarity,” said Dean.
“I said, ‘Yorkers have been successful for them so they will probably look to get under your bat’.
“We decided getting forward was the best option.
“Tilly is really proactive with her thinking. She has a good cricket brain.”
Apr 22, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Kendry Rojas (60) pitches against the New York Mets during the sixth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images The Minnesota Twins recalled Kendry Rojas from Triple-A St. Paul on Sunday and optioned fellow left-hander Kody Funderburk to the affiliate.
Rojas will be making his second stint with the Twins this season. He made his major league debut on April 22 and allowed two hits and three walks over two scoreless innings in a no-decision against the New York Mets.
Rojas, 23, is 1-1 with a 2.20 ERA in six appearances (two starts) with St. Paul.
Funderburk, 29, is 1-1 with one save and a 2.81 ERA in 19 relief appearances this season with Minnesota. He has pitched in 96 games for the Twins since 2023 and owns three saves and 20 holds. –Field Level Media
The Minnesota Vikings are less than 12 weeks from training camp, when roster battles will take center stage. In the meantime, the rumor mill remains ablaze, and we chronicle the most important ones each weekend.
Minnesota’s latest rumor batch centers on quarterback depth, rookie patience, and a wide receiver idea that faded fast.
This week’s edition is scattered across the board in terms of positional importance.
The Wentz Update Leads a Practical May Rumor Batch
The Purple Rumor Mill for May 10th, 2026.
Rumor: Carson Wentz’s shoulder is healed, and he’s 100% ready to go.
Talking to KFRY-TV’s Luke Gamble on Tuesday, Wentz said he was all set for 2026: “Physically, I feel great. Shoulder’s more or less behind me now. It wasn’t fun by any means, but surgery went well, and rehab’s gone really well too. So for me, it’s behind me. I’m healthy, and I’ll be ready to roll.”
Wentz’s October shoulder injury made a May return seem realistic, and he is now back.
Should the Vikings need Wentz in 2026 — ideally, they won’t — he is healthy enough to step in. It’s the primary purpose of his deal. Minnesota doesn’t require him to threaten anyone’s job or spark a quarterback controversy; they need him prepared in case unforeseen circumstances affect the depth chart.
Following Wentz’s re-signing, some fans speculated he could displace J.J. McCarthy or lead to a trade. Such notions never really made sense, as there is ample room for all three quarterbacks on the current depth chart: Kyler Murray as QB1, McCarthy as QB2, and Wentz as QB3. McCarthy has not been traded, and Wentz was never re-signed to create such drama.
Overall, Vikings fans praised Wentz for his toughness. When he returned this offseason, the reaction was largely positive because his role was clear: a proven veteran securing the QB3 spot, remaining ready, and providing the Vikings with an additional layer of protection at quarterback. Can’t go wrong.
Rumor: Caleb Banks could be a dark horse to win Defensive Rookie of the Year.
ESPN’s Ben Solak sized up the Rookie of the Year stakes last week, and regarding Banks, he wrote: “No defensive tackle has won Rookie of the Year since Aaron Donald in 2014, and the only other tackle to do it this century was Ndamukong Suh. Banks is that sort of talent and an enticing bet accordingly. But he has a foot injury that’s impossible to overlook.”
“He also plays in a Brian Flores defense that doesn’t allow defensive tackles to play the sort of unhinged, penetration-oriented style that leads to sacks. Sure, the Vikings spent an early pick on Banks — but as head coach of the Dolphins in 2019, Flores used the No. 13 pick on Christian Wilkins, and he had two sacks as a rookie. It’s hard to see the path for Banks.”
Second-round linebacker Jake Golday also got some love: “Golday is an off-ball/on-ball tweener who will be stuck behind established starters at both positions: Andrew Van Ginkel and Dallas Turner at outside linebacker; Eric Wilson and Blake Cashman at inside linebacker.”
“He will undoubtedly have flashy plays in subpackages, but he simply will not see enough snaps — barring injury — to contend for this award.”
Rumor: Deebo Samuel might’ve made a lot of sense as the Vikings’ WR3.
Bleacher Report‘s Bradley Locker walked through the NFL’s top 1o free agents last week. On Samuel, he nominated the Vikings and wrote, “The Vikings put an emphasis on retooling their impressive defense in the draft, grabbing Caleb Banks, Jake Golday and Domonique Orange with their first three picks.”
“However, Minnesota could use more at receiver after losing Jalen Nailor to the Raiders. Samuel’s effectiveness has taken a step back over the last two campaigns, but he still finished 2025 with a 70.3 PFF receiving grade and 1.66 yards per route run.”
Minnesota later signed Samuel’s former teammate, Jauan Jennings.
Locker added, “Further, Samuel’s 6.5 yards after the catch per reception was fourth among wideouts with 95 or more targets. Next to Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, Samuel could help fill Nailor’s void in the slot while infusing more juice after the catch and overall creativity for Kevin O’Connell.”
Samuel would be in play for Minnesota if the Jennings contract didn’t come together. But now, the Vikings don’t need another popular wideout and cannot afford one. If any free agents are signed in the next couple of months, Minnesota might want an extra outside linebacker after Jonathan Greenard left the team via trade. Players like Jadeveon Clowney. Joey Bosa, and Leonary Floyd might make sense.
The final round of the 2026 Truist Championship begins Sunday at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, N.C. Here’s everything you need to know to watch the tournament on Sunday, including full Truist Championship TV coverage, streaming details and complete Round 4 tee times.
How to watch Truist Championship on Sunday
Alex Fitzpatrick heads into the final round of the Truist Championship with a one-shot lead at 14-under.
His third-round 64 — a career low for him — was less a surge than a continuation of what’s been building since his breakthrough win at the Zurich Classic alongside his brother, Matt Fitzpatrick. That victory secured his PGA Tour status through 2028 and opened doors to the season’s biggest stages.
While he is still chasing his first individual PGA Tour victory, Fitzpatrick has already proven he can close — winning earlier this year on the DP World Tour at the Hero Indian Open. Now he stands on familiar ground heading into the final round.
You can watch the final round of the 2026 Truist Championship on TV via CBS and Golf Channel, with Golf Channel opening the coverage at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday. PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ will provide exclusive early streaming coverage starting Sunday at 7:30 a.m. ET, as well as featured group and featured hole coverage all day long. The GOLF App will carry a simulcast of Golf Channel’s Sunday TV coverage. You can stream CBS’s Sunday coverage on Paramount+.
Below you will find everything you need to know to watch the final round of the 2026 Truist Championship.
With an ESPN+ subscription, you gain access to PGA Tour Live, where you can stream the best PGA Tour events live from wherever you want.
Get ESPN+
How to watch on TV Sunday
CBS and Golf Channel will provide final-round TV coverage of the 2026 Truist Championship. Golf Channel’s Sunday telecast runs from 12-3 p.m. ET, followed by CBS from 3-6 p.m. ET.
How to stream online Sunday
You can stream the final round of the 2026 Truist Championship via PGA Tour Live on ESPN+, which will offer streaming coverage beginning on Sunday at 7:30 a.m. ET, in addition to featured group and hole coverage. You can also stream a live simulcast of Golf Channel’s final-round TV coverage on the GOLF App and CBS’s Sunday coverage on Paramount+.
2026 Truist Championship Round 3 tee times (ET)
Tee No. 1
7:30 a.m. – Tom Hoge, Ryan Gerard
7:40 a.m. – Mackenzie Hughes, Hideki Matsuayama
7:50 a.m. – Sam Burns, Sam Stevens
8:00 a.m. – Ben Griffin, Ryan Fox
8:10 a.m. – Denny McCarthy, Jason Day
8:20 a.m. – Sahith Theegala, Aldrich Potgieter
8:35 a.m. – Maverick McNealy, Max Homa
8:45 a.m. – Webb Simpson, Brian Campbell
8:55 a.m. – Si Woo Kim, Xander Schauffele
9:05 a.m. – Patrick Rodgers, Pierceson Coody
9:15 a.m. – Justin Rose, Michael Kim
9:25 a.m. – Austin Smotherman, Min Woo Lee
9:40 a.m. – Jhonattan Vegas, Robert MacIntyre
Sports
Devyne Rensch speaks after Roma’s comeback win: “What a crazy game. Now we focus on the derby.”
Roma fullback Devyne Rensch was on the scoresheet tonight as he helped lead the comeback against Parma to secure three crucial points at the Tardini.
After the match, Rensch discussed the importance of this victory.
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“What a crazy match, Parma is a good team, the most important thing was to win, a goal and the penalty make me even happier but I’m happy for the team. Now we’re focused on the derby.”
“Top 4? We’ve fought all season, we’ve always believed in it all together, we put a lot of effort into training even if it doesn’t show. We deserve it.”
Two weeks ago, Jeeno Thitikul arrived at the Chevron Championship and admitted she hears all the noise about her inability to win a major championship. The then-No. 1-ranked player in the world called it the “challenge” of her career to finally get it over the line at the biggest events.
Two days later, Jeeno Thitikul missed the cut at Memorial Park as Nelly Korda went on to win her third major and reclaim the top spot in the Rolex Rankings. Thitikul took a week off after her early exit in Houston and returned to action this week to defend her title at the Mizuho Americas Open. Thitikul has always approached her career with great perspective, that of someone who learned the game at a driving range in Ratchaburi, Thailand, a small town not far from Bangkok that doesn’t have its own course. Someone who has already achieved more than she thought possible. Thitikul wants to win a major, but she is also content with everything she has already accomplished in the game. There’s pressure to win a major because that’s a dream of hers, but not because she needs validation from others.
“I don’t think I have to prove anything to like even other players or people or myself, because like what I have I already proved for a long, long time,” Thitikul said on Friday at Mountain Ridge Country Club. “
It’s just a certain time that golf seems easy for you. Then I have a certain time [where] golf is so hard for me, which is Chevron, it’s one of the weeks that I feel like, ‘What did I do wrong?’ … I’m like, ‘What did golf do to me right now?’ And then coming to this week, didn’t expect anything, to be honest. ”
Thitikul won earlier this season in Thailand but has been struggling with her game since the LPGA returned to America in March. After bowing out of the Chevron early, Thitikul spoke with her coach about the issues with her swing, primarily her iron play, and they decided to attack her title defense at Mizuho with a new mentality.
Try less.
“When you put the work [in] and don’t see the results, sometimes you are really disappointed,” Thitikul said earlier this week at Mizuho. “He said, ‘Maybe, don’t try.’ Then, if you don’t try, maybe you don’t expect anything.”
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;)
That mindset shift freed up Thitikul this week in West Caldwell, New Jersey. The 23-year-old opened with rounds of 67 and 69 to take a three-shot lead into the weekend. Celine Boutier closed the gap to two after the third round, but Thitikul put the tournament away on Sunday. She birdied the second and third holes while Boutier bogeyed three straight to fall out of contention. While Boutier faded, Ruoning Yin made five birdies on the front nine to get within one of Thitikul, but bogeys at 11 and 16 stalled her championship run, and Thitikul punctuated her title defense by pouring in a 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to finish at 13 under and win by four.
The Minnesota Vikings have completed free agency and the draft this offseason, and regarding the roster right now, what you see is what you get. The club may make or move or two before it’s all said and done before Week 1, but the depth chart is full. Therefore, it’s time to peek at the most improved roster spots.
Minnesota’s offseason plan becomes clearer when ranking where the roster actually improved.
Truth be told, this exercise is pretty straightforward.
The Biggest Jump Starts at Quarterback and Defensive Tackle
Ranked from medium improvement to the most, here’s the list.
4. Wide Receiver
Notable Newcomer(s):
Jauan Jennings
Dillon Bell
Some might argue this should be higher, and the case for that contention would be sound.
On Thursday night, the Vikings signed Jennings, a transaction that gives Minnesota its best wide receiver trio since Randy Moss, Cris Carter, and Jake Reed. The purple team has employed other decent WR3s since — like Bernard Berrian, Jerome Simpson, K.J. Osborn, and Jalen Nailor — but none are quite like Jennings.
Jennings is a willing blocker and just what the doctor ordered for Kevin O’Connell’s offense. Had the Vikings not lost Nailor to free agency, this spot might’ve ranked at No. 2 on the list.
Bleacher Report‘s Adam Wells on Jennings: “Jennings isn’t a burner who runs past cornerbacks, so he will need to maintain that aggressive style of play that has not always endeared him to other players around the NFL.”
“The Vikings will be more than happy to have Jennings’ aggression, attitude and swagger on their offense as they look to put together a roster capable of competing for a playoff spot in 2026.”
3. Offensive Tackle
Notable Newcomer(s):
Caleb Tiernan
Ryan Van Demark
Perhaps planning for the future or strictly picking “the best player available,” Minnesota added Northwestern’s Tiernan in Round 3 of last month’s draft. Of course, the club has Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill ready for LT and RT duty, but Tiernan inserts youth into the pipeline.
Van Demark has played 43 games in his career and can be considered this year’s Justin Skule or David Quessenberry.
Here’s the Pro Football Focus skinny on Van Demark:
- 2025: 74.4 (312 snaps)
- 2024: 53.3 (199 snaps)
- 2023: 60.2 (47 snaps)
The pass-blocking:
- 2025: 65.6
- 2024: 51.8
- 2023: 27.2
The run-blocking:
- 2025: 74.9
- 2024: 51.4
- 2023: 64.4
In the last few years, the Vikings lean on one veteran OT as a contingency plan. Now, they have two.
2. Defensive Tackle
Notable Newcomer(s):
Caleb Banks
Domonique Orange
Out with the elderly, in with the babies — was the Vikings’ mantra at defensive tackle this offseason.
The club released Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, who landed with the Cincinnati Bengals and Green Bay Packers, respectively. In March, fans wondered if Minnesota would roll with Jalen Redmond, Levi Drake Rodriguez, and Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins. The answer? An emphatic hell no.
Minnesota spent two of its first three picks on interior defensive linemen in the draft. Banks is the almighty gamble, coming off a foot injury, and most think big humans with bad feet isn’t a straightforward outcome. Still, if Banks’s foot heals and stays 100%, he has an All-Pro upside.
The Athletic‘s Alec Lewis noted this week on Banks’s foot injury: “Minnesota isn’t planning to rush Banks back from the most recent procedure on his fractured fourth metatarsal. The team also believes its top player health and performance staffers, Tyler Williams and Matt Duhamel, are at the forefront of recovery around the NFL.”
“Also important in the Banks discussion is the coaching component of his development when he does return from injury. All young players need different coaching personalities to maximize their skill set. Banks is different, according to Florida defensive-line coach Gerald Chatman, in that he responds to intense challenge and urgency.”
On Orange, he’s a nose tackle, and players from that position are just easier to scout for some reason or another. For the trajectory of the long-term roster, Banks and Orange instead of Allen and Hargrave is seismic.
1. Quarterback
Notable Newcomer(s):
Kyler Murray
You don’t have to be the almighty Murray stan to appreciate the Vikings’ value during his onboarding. Minnesota paid $1.3 million for Murray; the Arizona Cardinals are paying Murray to play for the Vikings. That is not spin. That is the truth.
Over the course of a 17-game season in his career, Murray averaged these numbers:
- 3,997 Passing Yards
- 30 Total Touchdowns
- 11 Interceptions
- 67.1% Completion Rate
- 623 Rushing Yards
Last year, J.J. McCarthy produced 11 passing touchdowns and 12 interceptions. His team still finished 9-8.
Murray at $1.3 million might be the best value in the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL.
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Multiple waves of free agency have come and gone, and in NFL speak, the wire is down to slim pickings, except for some aging, once noteworthy stars like Tyreek Hill. All the productive young players have found new employers. For the Minnesota Vikings’ sake, seven players from the 2025 roster remain unsigned.
The productive departures are gone. These names remain in limbo.
Here’s a peek at those men in alphabetical order.
Familiar Vikings Veterans Still Waiting for Their Next Shot
Who’s the most likely player to rejoin the Vikings, perhaps on the practice squad?
Zeke Correll | C
Merely mentioned for full disclosure, Correll was a Vikings practice squad candidate last summer. He then suffered an injury in August and spent the entire season on injured reserve.
Minnesota waived him on March 13th and now has Blake Brandel, Michael Jurgens, and rookie Gavin Gehardt lined up for the center spot in 2026.
Fabian Moreau | CB
As a CB3, Moreau quietly had a solid 2025 season. He allowed a 54.2 passer rating in 11 games, a performance that largely went unnoticed due to his lack of name recognition. Minnesota should consider bringing him back as a CB4-CB5, especially if he remains a cost-effective option.
Matt Nelson | OT
Nelson remains largely anonymous in the NFL, typically occupying a practice squad role, providing swing depth, or filling in during emergencies. Unsurprisingly, he remains unsigned after the initial wave of free agency. He will likely have to wait until a team requires additional personnel for training camp.
Jeff Okudah | CB
Okudah had a difficult stint as Minnesota’s CB3, hampered by concussions and poor play. When on the field, opposing quarterbacks frequently targeted him, exploiting his struggles. The former third overall pick appears to be in the later stages of his career, with the “2020 draft bust” label now firmly attached.
The Viking Age‘s Adam Patrick on Okudah last month: “Unfortunately, multiple concussions resulted in Okudah only appearing in six games with the Vikings last season, but even when he was able to get on the field, his performance wasn’t anything close to what Minnesota was hoping to see from him.”
“Now that concussions could potentially be a lingering issue, and the fact that he just hasn’t been good during his tenure in the league, his career in the NFL could already be nearing the end, despite it beginning just six years ago.”
Brett Rypien | QB
In May 2025 — so, a year ago at this time — Rypien was the Vikings’ QB2, believe it or not. The rapid change in circumstances now sees him seeking a QB3 role elsewhere, likely with a team looking for an inexpensive veteran for camp in the coming months.
Harrison Smith | S
The Vikings “released” Smith in March, but his tenure in Minnesota is not necessarily over. Smith performed well late in 2025, making a 2026 return seem plausible, even if only for situational play.
Can one truly imagine the Vikings winning a Super Bowl in 2026 with Kyler Murray under center, while Smith watches from home? The thought should be unsettling for both fans and Smith himself.
The Athletic‘s Alec Lewis noted on rookie safety Jakobe Thomas as a possible Smith replacement this week, “Can Jakobe Thomas be the new Harrison Smith? In 2025, Thomas entered the transfer portal. He had played safety at Tennessee, mostly in a role that asked him to focus on deep coverage. The University of Miami’s staff kicked the film over to defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman.”
“He believed the Hurricanes could weaponize Thomas’ all-around abilities more powerfully. Thomas took to the idea. Part of the intrigue, for him, was the fact that one of his heroes, a fellow product of the state of Tennessee named Harrison Smith, was asked to play multiple roles in the Vikings’ defense.”
Thomas was direct fruit of the Jonathan Greenard trade.
Lewis added, “Thomas is now playing for Smith’s longtime NFL team. Smith’s status remains up in the air, but O’Connell said Friday that one of the elements of Thomas’ pre-draft visit was watching film of Smith.”
“The reps Thomas takes with the full roster will be telling. The Vikings selected him in the third round, but he was one of the team’s priorities when the draft began.”
John Wolford | QB
Wolford served as the Vikings’ emergency QB3 last season, when injuries and crappy play hit the quarterback room. He will not return in 2026. At best, Wolford might secure a practice squad position or serve as emergency quarterback insurance for a new team.
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