With a beefy $21.3 million cap number in 2026, Minnesota Vikings playmaker T.J. Hockenson is on tap to be the NFL’s most expensive tight end. Now, according to recent reporting, Hockenson might accept a pay reduction to remain with the club,
If no deal emerges, Minnesota can pivot to a restructure, trade, or release to clear cap space.
NFL free agency kicks off in one week, and if Hockenson doesn’t rework his deal, well, the Vikings would need a new TE1.
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A Hockenson Pay Cut May Make Sense For Both Sides
It’s roster change season in the NFL.
Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson (87) loosens up before kickoff against the Indianapolis Colts at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Nov. 3, 2024. Hockenson moved through pregame drills as fans filled the lower bowl, preparing for regular-season action in front of the home crowd. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images.
Report: Hockenson Willing to Take Less Money
The Athletic‘s Alec Lewis weighed in on Minnesota’s free-agency lay of the land on Monday, mentioning Hockenson’s would-be salary reduction.
“The Vikings are prepared to make difficult decisions to alleviate their salary-cap concerns. Don’t expect a big-name free-agent splurge like last year. The Vikings are $40-plus million over the cap, and while that isn’t dire, it is significant. Pay cuts: Minnesota wants to lower the cap number for tight end T.J. Hockenson. He is amenable to lowering it, but the outcome is largely a matter of how low the Vikings want to go,” he wrote.
Until the observation, many believed Hockenson would be traded, released, or asked to restructure the deal — the latter of which would not involve a pay decrease. But a paycut is apparently in play.
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The Adam Thielen Situation in 2023
The Hockenson situation in 2026 is reminiscent of Adam Thielen in 2023. The Vikings had handed Thielen a generous contract extension in 2019 — that he deserved — but by the 2023 offseason, his cap hit proved to be too ginormous for Minnesota’s budget. The team approached Thielen about a paycut, he declined, and later signed with the Carolina Panthers, where he stuck around for two seasons before landing back with the Vikings in the summer of 2025 via trade.
Three offseasons later, Hockenson carries a similar outlook. If he doesn’t oblige the paycut, the Vikings can either restructure his deal (backload the big cap hit to the future with void years), explore a trade, or cut him loose — like Thielen in 2023.
It all depends on how low Hockenson will go to remain Minnesota’s TE1.
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Our Kyle Joudry noted last week, “Rather, look toward a restructure for T.J. Hockenson. Pursuing the maximum savings would mean surpassing $9.4 million in added room for 2026. The cost of doing business is less cap space in the future, but that’s a problem for a different day. If Hockenson can be very good in 2026, then finding a way to make the cap charges work is the way forward.”
“If, in theory, a competent passer gets added (or, better yet, McCarthy turns into one), then the Vikings may be able to unleash a talent like T.J. Hockenson. Indeed, that’s the central question Minnesota is seeking to answer: can Mr. Hockenson be excellent in the future? That’s what’s interesting and pivotal.”
Hockenson’s 2025 Campaign
Hockenson’s 2025 box score tells one story, but the game film revealed another.
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While he finished with 51 receptions for 438 yards and three touchdowns, the quarterback situation was unstable. J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer all took snaps, preventing the passing game from finding consistency and limiting the production of everyone except Jalen Nailor.
Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson (87) has his helmet knocked off after gaining a first down against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, Nov. 10, 2024. The play unfolded during second-quarter action as Hockenson battled through contact to move the chains. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images.
Furthermore, Hockenson’s role shifted significantly. Minnesota’s offensive line struggled throughout the year due to injuries and inconsistent play. As a result, Kevin O’Connell adjusted the game plan, acknowledging midseason that Hockenson was blocking more frequently. He essentially became an additional lineman, providing extra protection and reinforcing the edges.
Even with Christian Darrisaw’s return from an ACL injury in September, the line never fully solidified, and Hockenson continued to fill gaps. Thus, his receiving numbers declined, leading some fans to believe his performance was deteriorating.
However, Hockenson is turning 29 this year and retains his route-running skills, exceptional catch radius, and ability to dominate the middle of the field. If he returns to a primary receiving role, his production should rebound accordingly — if the Vikings find stable quarterback production in 2026.
The TEs in Addition to Hockenson
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Along with Hockenson, Minnesota has these tight ends under contract in 2026
Josh Oliver
Gavin Bartholomew
Ben Yurosek
Bryson Nesbit
None of these combatants would be tapped on the shoulder for TE1 duty, barring an amazingly bizarre upward ascent at training camp, meaning Minnesota would have to scour free agency for a replacement like Isaiah Likely, Darren Waller, or Cade Otton, to name a few.
New Orleans Saints scout Josh Hill (left) speaks with Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, Feb. 27, 2026. The two met on the field as evaluators gathered information ahead of the upcoming NFL Draft. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.
The early section of April’s draft will also feature Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq and Vanderbilt’s Eli Stowers, both of whom performed marvelously at the NFL Combine last week.
The Hockenson verdict should be made public within a week or so. He basically has to decide if the paycut from Minnesota would be more or less than what he’d command on the open market.
On a par 3, my playing partner, “Steve,” flew the green into the hedges beyond. He re-teed and without declaring a provisional hit it to 4 feet. Upon reaching the green, the group on the next tee — located on the far side of the hedges — said the ball was next to that tee, in-bounds but with no real shot. Steve was adamant that his second ball was in play, as he hadn’t said, “Provisional.” I argued that you can’t declare your own ball lost. Who was right? – Joe Lauder, Warrington, Cheshire, England
“Steve” was adamant, and he was also correct.
Sorry, Joe, but you always have the option to play under penalty of stroke and distance, and the Rules do not require you to play a ball provisionally. When “Steve” did not announce his provisional before making the stroke, that ball became his ball in play under penalty of stroke and distance. He laid 3 with a 4-foot putt for his bogey 4. And you are now better versed in Rule 18.3.
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For more provisional-ball guidance from our guru, read on …
My friend drives wide right. Presuming it is lost, he hits a provisional, which also goes far right. We eventually found both balls in-bounds. Problem: the balls were identical, and neither was marked, so we couldn’t determine which was the original and which was the provisional. He was advised to play the one further from the hole as his first ball, then take a two-stroke penalty at the end of the hole. Was that correct? – Bart Calvanese, Denver, Colo.
Oh, what a tangled web we weave when we neglect to mark our golf balls differently.
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Bart, when a player can’t distinguish between original and provisional, and both balls are found on the course, the player must choose one — either one — and treat it as the provisional, under Rule 18.3c(2).
Thus, your friend would have been taking his fourth stroke with the ball of his choosing. To anticipate the follow-up question, were one ball in bounds and the other OB, you’d play the in-bounds ball as the provisional.
Got a question about the Rules? Ask the Rules Guy! Send your queries, confusions and comments to rulesguy@golf.com. We promise he won’t throw the book at you.
Teams that feature heavily in the NBA playoff picture meet on Tuesday as the San Antonio Spurs travel to take on the Philadelphia 76ers. The Spurs are in second place in the NBA Western Conference standings at 43-18, while the Sixers are 33-27 and sixth in the East. Both teams are coming off a loss after San Antonio fell 114-89 to New York on Sunday and Philadelphia lost 114-98 to Boston that same day. Joel Embiid (oblique) and Paul George (suspension) are out for the 76ers.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in betting profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past eight-plus seasons. The model entered Week 20 on a sizzling 41-18 roll on top-rated NBA spread picks dating back to last season. Anyone following its NBA betting advice at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.
After 10,000 simulations of Sixers vs. Spurs, SportsLine’s model is going Under on the total (232.5). San Antonio has seen three of its past four games go Under the total. That’s in line with season-long trends as 59% of San Antonio’s game have failed to reach the total.
Philadelphia, meanwhile, is missing two key offensive pieces, leaving Tyrese Maxey to carry a heavy offensive load. With Victor Wembanyama locking things down defensively for San Antonio, points could be hard to come by. The model is projecting 229 points as the Under hits 57% of the time.
Cam Newton was a one-time NFL MVP, nearly led the Carolina Panthers to the franchise’s first Super Bowl title and became a pundit on a variety of sports topics.
But in recent weeks, he seems to have pivoted to being a relationship expert of sorts.
Cam Newton #1 of team J Balvin looks on against team Druski during the Super Bowl LX Celebrity Flag football game on YouTube at Moscone Center South on Feb. 7, 2026 in San Francisco, California.(Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Newton appeared on the “Talk Les Show” with Courtside Les. The two talked about marriage and relationships extensively on the podcast with Les asking the former star quarterback a few hypotheticals about having a long-term partner. She asked Newton if he would want to be married to anywhere between one and five women if it were socially acceptable.
He replied, “No.”
“It’s just emotions. I want to be around who want to be around me. So, if it’s five or six or one … I like volunteers. I don’t like hostages,” he said, clarifying that he didn’t believe marriage was a hostage situation. “I don’t think it to be anything. I like volunteers, not hostages. I want people around me who want to be around me and I want them around me.”
Newton said he was fine with never being married as long as he found his life partner.
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He said that he didn’t need to have a government document saying, officially, that he was married to the person he wanted to be with for the rest of his life.
Then-Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) walks on the field during the second half against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on Nov. 28, 2021.(Jasen Vinlove/USA TODAY Sports)
But Les pressed him a bit. She asked whether Newton would give the woman he wanted to be with a ring even if they weren’t married and even if it was her “favorite finger.”
“What I just said, question everything – why? … Well if that’s your favorite finger when I met you, you didn’t have nothing on your finger when I met you so. It looked good then, it still looks good now,” he said.
Newton suggested that he wouldn’t want his relationship to turn into a “gift-giving contest” and if it was a sparkly ring that she wanted, and the price point didn’t matter, he would bring her to a gumball machine.
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“Are we doing life together or is this a competition? So you’re basically saying if I don’t give you a ring, you’re not going to love me as much,” he said. “You can have a ring with no love and love with no ring.
“I want you to listen and play this back because this is how most women sound, ‘I just want a ring, I just want a ring, I just want a ring.’ Well, why? ‘Because of marriage, because of marriage … Find where the ring was in the Bible. … I’m not going to be bulled into giving a gift because that’s what it sounds like. It sounds like you’re trying to corner a cat.”
Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton yells “I’m back!” after scoring a rushing touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals in a game in 2021.(IMAGN)
Newton’s latest remarks came after he was on a separate podcast talking about the “value” of women as they have more children.
Haaland was not in City’s squad for the 1-0 win at Leeds on Saturday after picking up an unspecified problem in training before the game. It is not thought to be a “big issue”, though, and Guardiola confirmed he is feeling “much better”.
Erling Haaland has scored 29 goals in all competitions this season (Getty Images)
But Guardiola said City would decide whether Haaland is fit enough to feature after training on Tuesday. “He feels much better, yesterday we didn’t train. We will decide today,” Guardiola said.
City will kick off at the same time as title rivals Arsenal on Wednesday evening, when Mikel Arteta’s side will visit Brighton looking to maintain their five-point advantage.
Meanwhile, Guardiola also said City have yet to decide whether Nico O’Reilly will be available. “The same with Nico, we’ll decide after training,” Guardiola added.
The 20-year-old has scored three goals on his last three starts since returning to midfield but was taken off at Elland Road in the 70th minute. Antoine Semenyo scored the winning goal in CIty’s 1-0 victory.
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And Guardiola said City will have to be ready for the visit of relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest, have have lost both of their Premier League games since the appointment of Vitor Pereira.
“I remember playing [Pereira’s] Wolves last season, they outplayed us in the first half, we were incredibly lucky,” Guardiola said. “[He is a] top-class manager. They were alive against Brighton and Liverpool.
“When we played them with Sean Dyche, they have quality players like Morgan Gibbs-White and Callum Hudson-Odoi. They have top, top players and a big squad.
“They play for important things like us and this is starting to be decisive part of the season. We have two games in the Premier League before the international break. We can’t drop points.”
The Detroit Pistons, the top seed in the Eastern Conference, will look to win their fourth game in a row when they take on the Cleveland Cavaliers in a key NBA Central Division matchup on Tuesday night. Detroit is coming off a 106-92 win at Orlando on Sunday, while Cleveland downed Brooklyn 106-102 that same day. The Pistons (45-14), who have won eight of their last 10, are 21-7 on the road this season. The Cavaliers (38-24), who have won seven of their last 10, are 20-11 on their home court in 2025-26. Donovan Mitchell (groin) is out for Cleveland.
Tipoff from Rocket Arena in Cleveland is set for 7 p.m. ET. The Pistons lead the all-time series 135-109, including wins in three of their last four meetings. Detroit is a 1.5-point favorite in the latest Cavaliers vs. Pistons odds from. DraftKings Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is 226.5. Before making any Pistons vs. Cavaliers picks, check out the NBA predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in betting profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past eight-plus seasons. The model entered Week 20 on a sizzling 41-18 roll on top-rated NBA spread picks dating back to last season. Anyone following its NBA betting advice at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.
After 10,000 simulations of Pistons vs. Cavaliers, SportsLine’s model is going Under on the total (228.5). The Under has hit in seven of the past 10 head-to-head matchups between the teams. The Under has hit in five of the last nine Detroit games, and in the last Cleveland game. The Pistons are 6-4 against the spread in their last 10 games. The Cavaliers, meanwhile, are 5-5 ATS in their last 10.
The SportsLine model is projecting the Pistons’ Cade Cunningham to score 24.5 points on average and be one of four Detroit players to score 11.7 or more points. The Cavaliers’ James Harden, meanwhile, is projected to score 19.9 points as five Cleveland players score 10.2 points or more. The teams are projected to combine for 229 points as the Over hits more than 50% of the time.
Manchester United supporters are set to be left less than impressed as the calendar for the 2026/27 Premier League campaign starts to take shape
12:27, 03 Mar 2026Updated 12:28, 03 Mar 2026
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Manchester United face the prospect of not playing over the Easter weekend next season following a controversial change by FIFA.
The Daily Mail is reporting that in a tradition-defying move, FIFA have shifted the international break to encompass Good Friday and Easter Monday next season. The Sky Bet Championship is also likely to be affected by the change, which will see domestic fixtures restart with the quarter-finals of the FA Cup on April 3.
The first international break of 2027 will include Good Friday (March 26) and Easter Monday (March 29), with games set to be played on Saturday and Tuesday. The Premier League – which usually stages one round – and the second tier will subsequently be out of action.
The first Easter Saturday match took place in 1889, and games over the Easter period have been a staple for more than 100 years.
The FA Cup quarter-finals will be played over Easter weekend this season, with a round of games in the Championship set to take place on Good Friday and another on Easter Monday.
The latest tradition-defying move in the game comes after just one top-flight fixture was played on Boxing Day this season.
United’s 1-0 win over Newcastle United at Old Trafford was the only game played on December 26, with most of the games being played the next day. But the Premier League have already confirmed that fans can expect a return to a more familiar Boxing Day schedule next season, as Boxing Day this year will fall on a Saturday, rather than last year when it fell on a Friday.
In terms of international breaks for next season, it has also already been confirmed that the Premier League and Championship will pause following September 19 and then not restart until October 10.
The move to switch to an extended September break was approved by the FIFA Council in March 2023 and will also ensure there will be an extra week of domestic football in the calendar.
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There are currently five international breaks each year which take place in March, June, September, October and November. Each lasts two weeks and allows nations to play a maximum of 10 matches, aside from major tournaments such as the World Cup, European Championship, Copa America, Africa Cup of Nations, Gold Cup or Asian Cup.
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The 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational begins this week at Bay Hill Club & Lodge in Orlando, Fla. Here’s everything you need to know to watch the PGA Tour tournament, including a full Arnold Palmer Invitational TV schedule, streaming information and complete tee times for the first and second rounds once they are released.
How to watch Arnold Palmer Invitational
All of the biggest stars of the PGA Tour are back in action for the Arnold Palmer’s annual event in Orlando. And with $20 million on the line, $4 million of which will go to to the winner, who could blame them?
The entire top-10 of the Official World Golf Ranking will be represented in the field at Bay Hill, with World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and World No. 2 Rory McIlroy leading the way. Scheffler already has a victory this season and has not finished worse than T12. That came in his last start at the Genesis Invitiational, also a Signature Event, where McIlroy finished T2 in his second PGA Tour event of the season.
Scheffler has won the Arnold Palmer Invitational twice, while McIlroy has one win (in 2018) and four top-5 finishes in his career at Bay Hill.
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Elsewhere in the field, two-time major champion Justin Thomas will make his season debut this week after missing considerable time due to injury. Not including TGL, Thomas’ last competive rounds came at the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black.
NBC and Golf Channel will provide TV coverage of the 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational, while PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ will offer streaming coverage and featured group coverage all week long. Peacock will air simulcasts of NBC’s Arnold Palmer Invitational coverage.
You can find complete information about streaming or watching the tournament on TV below.
What: 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational Where: Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge, Orlando, Fla. When: Thursday-Sunday, March 5-8 Purse: $20 million ($4 million winner’s share)
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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.
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How to watch on TV
NBC and Golf Channel will air TV coverage of the 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational this week. Check out the full TV schedule below.
Thursday, March 5: 2-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel) Friday, March 6: 2-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel) Saturday, March 7: 12:30-2:30 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); 2:30-6 p.m. ET (NBC) Sunday, March 8: 12:30-2:30 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); 2:30-6 p.m. ET (NBC)
How to watch online, streaming
You can watch the 2026 Arnold Palmer Invitational online via PGA Tour Live on ESPN+, including exclusive early coverage beginning at 7:30 a.m. ET on Thursday and Friday, then 9 a.m. ET on Saturday and Sunday. PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ will also provide featured group and featured hole coverage throughout the round. You can stream NBC’s coverage on Peacock.
Mar 1, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic guard Desmond Bane (3) drives past Detroit Pistons forward Ronald Holland II (5) during the second half at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images
The Orlando Magic will try to find a way to turn first-half promise into second-half performance when they host the Washington Wizards on Tuesday.
Orlando turned a position of strength into a 106-92 loss to the visiting Detroit Pistons on Sunday.
The Magic led by seven at halftime, before being outscored 31-18 and 25-17 in the last two periods.
“Twenty-six points of pain,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley lamented, referring to the amount of points his side conceded from its 19 turnovers. “That’s what (the Pistons) did. We talked about it before the game, we showed the film — they reach, they grab, they swipe at the ball.
“We were too loose with it at a lot of these moments, but you’ve got to give Detroit a ton of credit — that’s the reason why they’re the No. 1 team in the East. They get after it physically, they get after it defensively.”
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Paolo Banchero’s 24 points and 11 rebounds were offset by a whopping nine turnovers, while Tristan da Silva scored 19 points.
The meltdown against Detroit came on the heels of a five-point home loss to Houston, highlighted by a 21-0 third-quarter Rockets run that wiped out a 19-point Orlando lead.
da Silva shared his frustration, as well as his determination to get it right this time.
“Obviously it stings,” he said following the Pistons game. “Everybody feels like we’ve been giving games away now — two in a row that we had in control for a good amount of time. It doesn’t necessarily discourage us for the remainder of the season. I don’t think that’s an issue or that’s a problem. I think the guys are very locked in and very focused on the next game.”
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Washington’s losing streak stretched to five after the Wizards succumbed 123-118 to the visiting Rockets on Monday.
The Wizards got off to a hot start, shooting 8 of 11 from 3-point range in the opening quarter, at the end of which they led 30-26, before being battered for the duration.
Houston outrebounded Washington 59-27 and outscored the Wizards in the paint 62-40.
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“You’ve got to give (the Rockets) credit,” Washington coach Brian Keefe said. “We were undersized, but that’s no excuse — they beat us to some second shots, for sure. They’re pretty physical, like I said. Our crashing wasn’t exactly where it would (ideally) be.”
The Wizards trailed by as many as 19 points before rallying late despite the absence of several key personnel, headlined by Anthony Davis (finger), Trae Young (quadriceps), Alex Sarr (hamstring) and D’Angelo Russell (not with the team yet).
Tristan Vukcevic (thigh) and Anthony Gill (illness) also did not suit against Houston, while Kyshawn George is listed as day-to-day after sustaining an elbow injury in the third quarter against the Rockets.
Those gaps have created opportunities for others, and Bilal Coulibaly is one who took advantage.
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The third-year guard from France scored 23 points and sank five 3-pointers, both season highs.
“He’s been doing this a little bit lately, but I’ve seen the amount of work that he’s putting in,” Keefe said of Coulibaly. “I always trust him when he’s open. I tell him to shoot it — let it fly — because he’s probably putting up more shots in our gym than anybody.
“He puts a massive amount of time into it and I have great faith in him. That work is starting to pay off.”
While Young, like Davis, has yet to play for his new team after an in-season trade, he showed on Monday that he is ready to fight for the Wizards. Even though he was in street clothes, he was ejected from the contest for stepping on the court to argue a call.
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Young won’t be active at Orlando, but he is expected to make his Wizards debut on Thursday against the visiting Utah Jazz.
;)
