Nov 23, 2025; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Minnesota Vikings offensive tackle Brian O’Neill (75) and teammates Levi Drake Rodriguez (50) and Blake Cashman (51) await to take the field prior to a game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
The Vikings’ offseason was several things, but boring was not one of them. After an initial quiet free-agency period, Minnesota still found a way to overhaul the roster over the last couple of months.
For some players, doors opened; for others, doors closed. For Levi Drake Rodriguez, somehow, both things happened.
Drafted in 2024, Rodriguez almost had a redshirt rookie season, but not only did he defend his roster spot last offseason, but he also claimed a significant role on the defensive line in his sophomore year. In the early stages of the offseason, Rodriguez was the fourth defensive lineman on the depth chart (with Jalen Redmond expected to return).
Advertisement
During the 2024 season, Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Levi Drake Rodriguez shared a celebration with teammate Bo Richter after delivering a key play. The moment captured the energy and enthusiasm of Minnesota’s defensive front as the young players made their presence felt. Rodriguez’s ability to disrupt and Richter’s support highlighted the team’s depth and emerging contributors on defense. Mandatory Credit: Alli Rusco, Vikings.com.
Then, the Vikings released both Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen. Suddenly, Rodriguez was a strong candidate for a starting job next to Redmond. Sure, the Vikings might add a player in the draft or in free agency, but they wouldn’t add two, would they?
Well, they did, drafting Caleb Banks in the first round and Domonique Orange in the third. On the projected depth chart, Rodriguez went from fourth to second and back to fourth.
In his rookie campaign, Rodriguez appeared in only two games and logged one tackle, playing six defense snaps and 11 on special teams. He was expected to have a steep learning curve, given that he played his college ball at Texas A&M Commerce. The jump from there to the NFL was gigantic.
As a sophomore, the defensive tackle made 16 appearances and even started two contests, playing 461 defensive snaps (45%) and 85 on special teams. The Vikings used him as the backup nose tackle, a position Hargrave mostly played, though it might not have been the veteran’s best usage.
Advertisement
In his playing time, Rodriguez registered a couple of sacks, 43 tackles, and 8 tackles for loss. A crucial play in his second season was a blocked field goal attempt in a three-point victory over the Detroit Lions in November. That play earned him NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors.
Iowa State defensive lineman Domonique Orange brings down Iowa quarterback Cade McNamara during fourth-quarter action at Kinnick Stadium. On Sep. 7, 2024, Orange continued showcasing his power and interior disruption skills while helping the Cyclones pressure Iowa’s offense during the rivalry matchup in Iowa City. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.
He’ll certainly be at least a rotational player in his third season, but it remains to be seen how much and where he’ll play. It all depends on how quickly rookies Banks and Orange can acclimate to the NFL level.
Banks is, like Redmond, more of a defensive end in a base 3-4 defense, meaning he’s expected to line up between the nose tackle and an edge rusher. That nose tackle spot is where things could get interesting this summer.
Those at training camp practices should watch the rep splits between Orange and Rodriguez. particularly at nose tackle, right in the middle of the defensive line across from the center. Both could and will also get snaps in even fronts, when only two interior linemen are on the field, but the one higher in the nose tackle hierarchy will likely get more playing time in the upcoming season.
Rodriguez might not enter training camp with the same momentum he briefly had earlier this offseason, but that doesn’t mean his role has disappeared. If anything, the Vikings’ moves simply changed the challenge in front of him.
Advertisement
The former seventh-rounder already proved last season that he belongs on an NFL field. Now comes the next step: proving he can hold off highly-drafted competition and carve out a permanent role in Brian Flores’ defensive line rotation.
And given the way Rodriguez responded to long odds a year ago, counting him out now would probably be a mistake.
India captain Shreyas Iyer was furious after his team’s crushing 125-run defeat to England in the third T20 International, describing the performance as “atrocious” and admitting such a heavy loss was “not acceptable”. Under Iyer, India are yet to win a T20 International, and Tuesday’s outing marked an abject surrender as they were bowled out for 76 in just 11.4 overs while chasing 202, suffering their biggest defeat in the format in terms of runs.
“It was atrocious. Losing by that margin is not acceptable. First things first, we have to accept the loss and go back to the drawing board,” Iyer said at the post-match presentation ceremony.
The win handed England an unassailable 2-0 lead in the five-match series ahead of the fourth T20I in Bristol on Thursday and the final in Southampton on Saturday. The opening match was a washout.
Advertisement
Former India star Dinesh Karthik found Iyer’s words odd but acknowledged that he had every right to feel disgruntled.
“Yes, India did not bat well. Probably one of the worst batting performances in a long time. But it was interesting, maybe odd, you can say, for the captain to come down quite hard on the batting unit. He used the word atrocious to describe their batting; he used the word awful as well,” Karthik said on Cricbuzz.
“You could see how disgruntled and a little upset he was, and he must be angry, understandably so. But knowing Shreyas Iyer, he has to come back because he is such a key member of that batting unit that when he scores, the team looks different, as we have seen with PBKS (Punjab Kings). He is such a critical component of this batting order as well.”
After winning the T20 World Cup 2026 final, India have lost two T20Is each against Ireland and England, while one match was washed out.
Advertisement
“What’s happening to Team India? Four of the last five matches have been lost, and we are the world champions at the moment. The pitch was probably a little slow, but you expected 200 to be the par score. We felt India could have, and should have, chased that down,” Karthik said.
Featured Video Of The Day
Tushar Deshpande’s Brilliant Final Act Ensures Thrilling Win For RR Over Gujarat Titans
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced that former Olympic athlete David Hearn was indicted Thursday by a federal grand jury following his arrest last month at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Advertisement
Former U.S. Olympic canoeist David Hearn pleaded not guilty Thursday to deliberately damaging the recently renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
Hearn, 67, entered the plea through one of his attorneys during his initial appearance in D.C. Superior Court.
Superior Court Judge Carmen McLean did not require Hearn to be supervised by the court while he awaits trial. A status hearing was scheduled for Aug. 5.
David Hearn of the United States competes in the men’s C1 whitewater canoeing final of the 2000 Summer Olympics at Penrith Whitewater Stadium. Penrith, Australia, on Sept. 18, 2000.(David Madison/Getty Images)
Hearn was indicted last week on a felony destruction of property charge following his arrest in connection with the June 19 incident. Hearn denied damaging the pool, saying he stopped on a bike ride and touched a loose piece of the peeling blue coating “to satisfy my curiosity as a citizen.”
Prosecutor Kevin Reddington said the government wasn’t seeking any court supervision for Hearn, but just a “stay-away order,” without specifying in court where it wanted to keep Hearn away from.
Mary Dohrmann, one of Hearn’s attorneys, urged the judge not to impose any conditions of court supervision, calling Hearn an “upstanding citizen and member of the community.”
David Hearn of the United States competes in the men’s C1 whitewater canoeing final of the 2000 Summer Olympics at the Penrith Whitewater Stadium. Penrith, Australia, on Sept. 18, 2000.(David Madison/Getty Images)
Dohrmann also said “the government’s evidence is weak.”
The Reflecting Pool recently underwent a $14 million rehabilitation project under President Trump. Hearn’s indictment came after several people were arrested or cited for allegedly damaging the reflecting pool.
Video of Hearn’s arrest went viral on X after it was captured by journalist Emily Miller. Miller accused the former Olympian of grabbing a hose that female National Park Service workers were using to clear algae.
Hearn denied the accusation but admitted his bike tire might have hit the hose.
Jul 8, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Boston Red Sox shortstop Tsung-Che Cheng (39) hits an RBI-single against the Chicago White Sox during the fourth inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
With separate five-game winning streaks in the past two weeks, the Boston Red Sox continue to roll.
On Thursday afternoon, they’ll aim to keep a perfect road trip going and secure a sweep of the slumping Chicago White Sox.
Boston is 5-0 to start a nine-game trip entering the All-Star break and has won 10 of its past 12 games overall. The Red Sox beat Chicago 5-0 Wednesday night to earn a series victory against the White Sox, who have lost five of their past seven contests.
“Man, we’re having fun,” Boston third baseman Caleb Durbin said. “It definitely feels different in the clubhouse, different in the dugout. I mean, we’re clicking. So, it’s a lot of fun when you’re stringing some wins together and obviously feels the best it’s felt yet.”
Chicago suddenly is feeling opposite vibes. The White Sox still lead the Cleveland Guardians by one game atop the American League Central despite their slump, but a potent lineup has gone cold to begin a six-game homestand.
Advertisement
Red Sox rookie left-handers Payton Tolle and Jake Bennett have combined to limit Chicago to eight hits in the series. The White Sox, fourth in the majors in home runs, have not scored in the past 11 innings.
“A couple tough arms, you know,” White Sox manager Will Venable said. “These big lefties have really good fastballs and a lot of extension; these fastballs get on you a lot. We’ve just been seeing a lot of foul balls. … Just got to continue to compete.”
White Sox shortstop Luisangel Acuna collected two of the team’s four hits in Wednesday’s shutout loss. Colson Montgomery struck out three times and is 0-for-8 in the series.
Advertisement
Meanwhile, three Red Sox delivered two-hit games Wednesday. Tsung-Che Cheng had a pair of RBI singles while Ceddanne Rafaela and Durbin also had two hits.
Left-hander Anthony Kay (6-3, 4.29 ERA) will aim to help the White Sox salvage a game in the series while trying for his first victory since June 12.
Kay has worked four innings or less in three of his past four starts. That includes last Thursday’s no-decision at Cleveland, when he spaced one run and one hit in four innings with two walks and two strikeouts before storms forced a lengthy rain delay that kept him from returning. Chicago lost 6-5.
Kay is 1-0 with a 5.63 ERA in five relief appearances vs. Boston, scattering 10 strikeouts and 10 hits in eight innings.
Advertisement
Boston left-hander Patrick Sandoval will oppose Kay in his first major league appearance since June 21, 2024, following a recovery from Tommy John surgery and other injuries. The Red Sox activated Sandoval from the 60-day injured list on Monday.
“This whole process has been mentally draining and challenging, obviously,” Sandoval said. “The physical stuff, the setbacks and the pain, or whatever, but it took a toll mentally, for sure, and it just taught me a lot.”
Sandoval is 0-3 with a 7.63 ERA in three career starts against the White Sox covering 15 1/3 innings.
Red Sox infielders Willson Contreras (left foot contusion) and Anthony Seigler (right trapezius contusion) left Wednesday’s game in the third inning due to injuries.
Advertisement
Boston interim manager Chad Tracy said after the game that Contreras could put weight on his foot and Seigler was experiencing soreness. Contreras told reporters he believes his injury is day-to-day.
The 2026 Genesis Scottish Open continues on Friday, July 10, with the second round at the Renaissance Club in North Berwick, Scotland. You can find full Genesis Scottish Open tee times for Friday’s second round at the bottom of this post.
But that doesn’t mean the six-time major champion isn’t trying to win his second career title here at the Renaissance Club. Need proof? Just look at his results from Thursday’s opening round.
Though he got off to a crooked start with a bogey at 10, his first hole of the day, McIlroy rallied in Round 1 to make an eagle and five birdies, including two straight to close out his round. That left him with a five-under 65 and a share of the early lead.
Advertisement
Now the fan favorite and World No. 2 will try to maintain his good form in Friday’s second round.
You can watch Friday’s second round of the 2026 Genesis Scottish Open from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. ET on Golf Channel. PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ will provide exclusive early streaming coverage starting early Friday morning at 3:15 a.m. ET, in addition to featured group and featured hole coverage.
Check out the complete Round 2 tee times and groupings for the Genesis Scottish Open below.
2026 Genesis Scottish Open tee times for Friday: Round 2 (ET)
Tee No. 1
Advertisement
2:00 a.m. – Doug Ghim, Johannes Veerman, Cam Davis 2:11 a.m. – Adrian Otaegui, Michael Brennan, Chris Kirk 2:22 a.m. – Jake Knapp, Nacho Elvira, Dan Bradbury 2:33 a.m. – Freddy Schott, Sam Stevens, Tom McKibbin 2:44 a.m. – Paul Waring, Andy Sullivan, Sahith Theegala 2:55 a.m. – Corey Conners, Dan Brown, Jordan Gumberg 3:06 a.m. – Harry Hall, Guido Migliozzi, Matthieu Pavon 3:17 a.m. – Nicolai Von Dellingshausen, Kevin Yu, Eric Cole 3:28 a.m. – Antoine Rozner, Max Greyserman, Taehoon Ok 3:39 a.m. – Richard Mansell, Julien Guerrier, Erik van Rooyen 3:50 a.m. – Joakim Lagergren, Andrew Putnam, Jacques Kruyswijk 4:01 a.m. – Baekjun Kim, Nico Echavarria, Matteo Manassero 4:12 a.m. – Daniel Rodrigues, Zach Bauchou, Karl Vilips 7:15 a.m. – Joost Luiten, Martin Couvra, Max McGreevy 7:26 a.m. – Ryan Fox, Mikael Lindberg, Tom Kim 7:37 a.m. – Matt Wallace, Marco Penge, Scott Jamieson 7:48 a.m. – Alex Smalley, Padraig Harrington, Bernd Wiesberger 7:59 a.m. – Grant Forrest, Brooks Koepka, Min Woo Lee 8:10 a.m. – Ewen Ferguson, Patrick Cantlay, Nicolai Højgaard 8:21 a.m. – Xander Schauffele, Kristoffer Reitan, Adam Scott 8:32 a.m. – Shane Lowry, J.J. Spaun, Aaron Rai 8:43 a.m. – Rory McIlroy, Robert MacIntyre, Chris Gotterup 8:54 a.m. – Wyndham Clark, Viktor Hovland, Eugenio Chacarra 9:05 a.m. – Tyrrell Hatton, Casey Jarvis, Alex Noren 9:16 a.m. – Keita Nakajima, Sudarshan Yellamaraju, Ockie Strydom 9:27 a.m. – Pierceson Coody, Matti Schmid, David Ravetto
Tee No. 10
2:00 a.m. – Darius Van Driel, Ricky Castillo, Alejandro Del Rey 2:11 a.m. – Richard Sterne, David Puig, John Parry 2:22 a.m. – Hennie Du Plessis, Danny Willett, Andrew Novak 2:33 a.m. – Niklas Nørgaard, Joe Highsmith, Kota Kaneko 2:44 a.m. – Jordan Smith, Harris English, Nick Taylor 2:55 a.m. – Sungjae Im, Connor Syme, Billy Horschel 3:06 a.m. – Brian Harman, Calum Hill, Ryan Gerard 3:17 a.m. – Sepp Straka, Si Woo Kim, Jayden Schaper 3:28 a.m. – Scottie Scheffler, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood 3:39 a.m. – Justin Thomas, Ludvig Åberg, Patrick Reed 3:50 a.m. – Jon Rahm, Alex Fitzpatrick, Rasmus Højgaard 4:01 a.m. – Austin Smotherman, Rikuya Hoshino, Davis Riley 4:12 a.m. – Dylan Naidoo, Kevin Roy, Mark Hubbard 7:15 a.m. – Mac Meissner, Ryggs Johnston, Frederic LaCroix 7:26 a.m. – Ashun Wu, Marcus Armitage, Taylor Moore 7:37 a.m. – Junghwan Lee, Bud Cauley, Adrien Saddier 7:48 a.m. – Brian Campbell, Michael Kim, Angel Hidalgo 7:59 a.m. – Laurie Canter, Matt McCarty, Shaun Norris 8:10 a.m. – Marcel Siem, Michael Thorbjornsen, Jesper Svensson 8:21 a.m. – Pablo Larrazabal, Kurt Kitayama, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen 8:32 a.m. – Thriston Lawrence, Daniel Hillier, Charley Hoffman 8:43 a.m. – Aldrich Potgieter, Thorbjørn Olesen, Yurav Premlall 8:54 a.m. – Francesco Molinari, Angel Ayora, Brandt Snedeker 9:05 a.m. – Victor Perez, Oliver Lindell, Haotong Li 9:16 a.m. – Austin Eckroat, Yuto Katsuragawa, Dylan Frittelli 9:27 a.m. – Seungbin Choi, Johnny Keefer, Adrian Meronk
It seems everyone loves Kylian Mbappé again. The France captain, is having a magnificent showing in the World Cup, scoring seven goals so far and breaking records. His performance has led some who previously criticized him for being too outspoken, or for leaving Paris to play in Madrid, to ask for forgiveness.
Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever passes the ball against Dearica Hamby #5 of the Los Angeles Sparks during the second quarter of the game at Crypto.com Arena on July 08, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images/AFP
LOS ANGELES — Nneka Ogwumike had 24 points, eight rebounds and five assists and the Los Angeles Sparks spoiled Caitlin Clark’s return, beating the Indiana Fever 106-92 in the WNBA on Wednesday night to snap a three-game losing streak.
Clark returned after missing two games because of a back injury. She had nine points in 16 minutes for Indiana (12-9).
Article continues after this advertisement
Advertisement
Kelsey Mitchell led the Fever with 29 points. Lexie Hull added 14, Damiris Dantas had 12 and Tyasha Harris 10. Indiana star Aliyah Boston sat out because of right leg injury.
Rae Burrell added 22 points for Los Angeles (9-11). Dearica Hamby added 21 points and nine rebounds, and Erica Wheeler and Ariel Atkins each scored 12 for Los Angeles. Kelsey Plum (lower left leg) and Cameron Brink (left ankle) did not play.
Atkins’ steal and fast-break layup capped Los Angeles’ 7-2 to begin the second half for a 55-43 lead. The Sparks led 82-71 entering the fourth.
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Golden State Valkyries forward Janelle Salaun (13) grabs a loose ball in front of Toronto Tempo forward Isabelle Harrison during the second half of a WNBA basketball game in Toronto on Wednesday, July 8, 2026. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)
TORONTO — Janelle Salaun scored 26 points and the Golden State Valkyries held off the expansion Toronto Tempo 83-75 in the WNBA on Wednesday night for their sixth straight victory.
Fellow reserve Kaitlyn Chen added 16 points for Golden State (16-7). Kayla Thornton had 15 points and nine rebounds.
Article continues after this advertisement
Advertisement
Isabelle Harrison had 24 points and eight rebounds for Toronto (9-12). The Tempo have lost three straight.
Marina Mabrey scored 11 points a day after being named the Tempo’s first WNBA All-Star. She also had six rebounds and four assists.
Toronto players Brittney Sykes (left plantar fascia), Kiki Rice (ankle sprain), and Temi Fagbenle (concussion) all missed the game.
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
The Dodgers will travel from Philadelphia to Washington D.C. on the off-day of their nine-game East Coast road trip where they will play the Phillies, New York Yankees and New York Mets.
President Donald Trump posted an invitation to the Dodgers on social media shortly after their dramatic win in Game 7:
“Congratulations to the L.A. Dodgers, a game won by incredible CHAMPIONS!!! A lesser group of men would never have been able to win that game, or game 6, for that matter. So many stars made it all happen. Also, congratulations to ownership. What a great job they have done. SEE YOU ALL AT THE WHITE HOUSE!!!”
Roberts told the Los Angeles Times in February that going to the White House to celebrate the World Series is a part of tradition.
“I was raised — by a man who served our country for 30 years — to respect the highest office in our country. For me, it doesn’t matter who is in the office, I’m going to go to the White House. I’ve never tried to be political. For me, I am going to continue to try to do what tradition says and not try to make political statements, because I am not a politician.”
World Series champions have typically made their White House visit when in town to play the Nationals. The schedule did not allow the Dodgers to make the trip when they played Washington in early April.
Chelsea have officially announced the signing of Portuguese winger Geovany Quenda from Sporting CP, with the 19-year-old signing an eight-year contract.
Quenda arrives at Stamford Bridge after spending the 2025/26 season on loan at Sporting, following Chelsea’s agreement to sign one of Portugal’s brightest young talents.
The Blues confirmed the transfer on social media with the message:
Advertisement
“He’s here.”
Chelsea reportedly paid around £40 million for Quenda as part of a double deal that also brought midfielder Dário Essugo to west London from Sporting.
Speaking after completing the move, Quenda expressed his excitement about joining the club.
Advertisement
“I’m excited to work with my teammates and give everything for this club. I can’t wait to get started and help Chelsea achieve great things.”
The teenager made history at Sporting by becoming the club’s youngest-ever league goalscorer and quickly earned a reputation as one of Portugal’s most exciting young wingers because of his pace, creativity and style of play.
Quenda now begins the next chapter of his career at Chelsea, where he will hope to continue his development and make an immediate impact as the club builds for the future.
India all-rounder Axar Patel is set to achieve another major milestone when he takes the field in the fourth T20I against England, becoming the 31st Indian cricketer to play 100 T20 Internationals. The landmark comes just two matches after Axar claimed his 100th T20I wicket, underlining his consistent impact as one of India’s most reliable white-ball all-rounders over the past decade.Reflecting on his journey from making his T20I debut in 2015 to reaching the 100-match milestone, Axar admitted he never imagined representing India so many times.“When I played my first T20I, I never imagined I would play 100 matches. This England tour has been very special for me because I completed my 100 T20I wickets in the second match, and now I will play my 100th T20I in the fourth game. It’s a very special moment, and I am really enjoying it,” Axar said in a video shared by BCCI.The left-arm spin-bowling all-rounder also credited his teammates, coaches, and family for helping him reach the landmark.“It feels really good. Whenever you achieve a milestone, it’s never just about you. My teammates, coaches, and family have all played a role in this journey.”Axar also recalled the emotions of making his India debut and how representing the country remains every cricketer’s ultimate dream.“When you make your debut, it’s a completely different feeling. At that time, you don’t know how much you’ll achieve in your career. Now, I am about to play my 100th match, and it’s a feeling that can’t really be expressed. Even playing one match for India is a dream come true.”
Axar Patel’s T20I career stats
Since his debut in 2015, Axar has featured in 99 T20Is, scoring 746 runs at an average of 17.34 while taking 101 wickets at an impressive average of 21.86, with best figures of 3/9. He has also taken 38 catches, making valuable contributions in all three departments.The 31-year-old has been an integral member of India’s white-ball setup and played a key role in the team’s triumphs at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 and ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, cementing his reputation as one of the country’s premier T20 all-rounders.
![TRIGGERED: Did Bitcoin Bulls Just Confirm A Relief Rally To $69,000? [Double Digit Gains]](https://wordupnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/1783612388_maxresdefault-80x80.jpg)
You must be logged in to post a comment Login