Nov 30, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones (10) warms up before the game against the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images
The Minnesota Vikings have all but confirmed they will add another quarterback this offseason, probably via trade or free agency. And based on the landscape of possibly available signal-callers, San Francisco 49ers QB2 Mac Jones might move the needle. Wouldn’t you know it? He sure sounded like a guy this week who would welcome a trade.
The fit runs through Shanahan roots, a more straightforward path to snaps, and the Vikings’ need for an absolute contingency behind J.J. McCarthy.
Jones spoke to NFL.com, explaining his desire to start again, which won’t happen in San Francisco unless Brock Purdy gets injured.
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Jones-to-Vikings Has Real Logic
Jones chatter in the purple rumor mill won’t die anytime soon.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones completes pregame throws at Lucas Oil Stadium as preparations unfold in Indianapolis, with December 22, 2025 sitting at the center of a late-season matchup against the Colts. The controlled warmup captures Jones’ mechanics and timing under dome conditions while coaches and evaluators observe routine reps before kickoff nearby. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn
Jones on His Plans to Start Again
Reporters asked Jones this week if he’d like to start elsewhere, and he replied, “Honestly, it’s a business. You know how this goes. I’ve proven I can be a starter. I’ve proven I can be a starter in multiple different spots. I have 50-plus starts or whatever.”
“I know how to do it, but it’s also a business. I understand both sides of it. If you’re a quarterback that’s a free agent or could get traded or whatever your situation is, you want to go somewhere that fits and makes sense. At the end of the day, that’s what I want in San Francisco. We’ll see what happens. It’s good to be talked about.”
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He also said about the 2025 campaign, “Getting back to having fun and being around a group of guys that I really mesh well with, coaches and players. I felt like it was very laid back, but we put in a lot of work in OTAs.”
“Just for them to take me under their wing and for me to learn from all the Hall of Fame players we have, it was awesome. Kyle has been great for me. We’re really on the same … I call it ‘wi-fi.’ We’re just a really good match.”
That sounds like a man who wouldn’t mind a trade and starting gig in 2026.
Just an Insurance Policy in SF
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Why does Jones want to eventually wiggle out of San Francisco? Simple — he can’t start there. The 49ers pay Brock Purdy the megabucks, and unless Purdy gets hurt again, Jones is merely an insurance policy.
Elsewhere, with the Vikings, New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals, or Pittsburgh Steelers, Jones could be the top guy.
It’s all a matter of San Francisco’s willingness to trade him this offseason. General manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan said a couple of weeks ago that they have no desire to offload Jones. Some have reasoned that 1st- or 2nd-Round draft pick might change their minds.
The Numbers in 2025
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The case for Jones to Minnesota — or anywhere — is really straightforward. He started eight games in 2025, with the 49ers finishing 5-3 on his watch. If one scales his eight-game performance to a full 17 games, the numbers look like this:
4,570 Passing Yards
28 Passing TDs
13 INTs
69.6% Completion
That’s close to 2024 Darnold output, and Minnesota finished 14-3 that year.
There’s no reason to believe that Jones would arrive in Minnesota and suddenly struggle.
New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones delivers a first-quarter throw at Gillette Stadium during an early-season test against Dallas, with October 17, 2021 positioned mid-paragraph as the moment unfolds in Foxborough. The in-game snapshot reflects pocket rhythm and decision-making as the Patriots traded scores with the Cowboys before halftime under steady pressure throughout Sunday. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
SI.com‘s Jose Sanchez compiled a list of Jones’s trade spots this week and noted on the Vikings, “Last, but not least, is the most obvious team — the Vikings. It was recently reported that they have Jones on their radar, which makes sense.”
“They are the most playoff-ready team on this list and can offer the 49ers a great deal. Justin Jefferson is what fans would love to hear, but that won’t happen. It’s more likely for the 49ers to get a pick and Jordan Addison from the Vikings. Minnesota gets its quarterback, while the 49ers add draft capital and needed speed at receiver with Addison.”
The Next Darnold/Mayfield?
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Baker Mayfield turned his career all the way around in Tampa Bay. So did Sam Darnold in 2024 and 2025. Jones could be next.
He also opined on Darnold, who will play in the Super Bowl on Sunday: “I get asked that a lot. Everyone’s journey is so different. I feel like I’ve watched him in interviews, and he does say that learning from Kyle and Brock really changed his career. I see why now.”
“I’ve learned so much this year. I know Sam probably felt the same way (in his one year in San Francisco). You can see it on the tape, there’s a lot of crossover.”
Carolina Panthers quarterbacks Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield jog onto the field at FedExField during pregame routines, with August 13, 2022 embedded mid-paragraph before a matchup against Washington in Landover. The shared warmup moment captures a transitional quarterback room as roles and responsibilities were evaluated ahead of kickoff by coaches and staff members together. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
If anyone replicates the Mayfield-Darnold path as early as 2026, it will probably be Jones. He already showed his ability to produce at an impressive level in the right system.
It was the second defeat of Paul’s career, having previously been beaten by Tommy Fury back in February 2023, and ahead of his return to the ring, it appears he may now be keen to avenge that loss.
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Speaking to Sky Sports, Most Valuable Promotions co-founder Nakisa Bidarian revealed that the ‘The Problem Child’ is targeting a second meeting against Fury.
“He wants to prove to the world that he can beat Tommy Fury. Jake before Joshua had one loss on his record and that was Tommy Fury and I would love for that fight to happen because I think it’s a great barometer of how far Jake has come.
“I don’t think he [Fury] has developed as much as Jake has over the last three years. Because he hasn’t been as focused on boxing. I would love for that fight to happen.”
Bidarian then revealed that the rematch could potentially take place in the UK.
“There was more internet interest in Jake Paul versus Tommy Fury in the UK than any Tyson Fury fight over the past five years, than any Jake Paul fight other than Mike Tyson over the past five years and that includes Jake Paul versus Anthony Joshua. And that was a fight that happened in Saudi Arabia.
“So if I could do that fight in the UK or somewhere in Europe, I think people would go bananas for it – the youth, the generation that uses the internet.
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“It’s difficult to come to someone’s country and do that so we’ll see where we end up on that discussion but I would love to do a fight in the UK with Jake. I think it would be a big statement.”
Since beating Paul, Fury has competed on just two further occasions, claiming a unanimous decision victory over YouTuber KSI in October 2023, before another points win over the unheralded Kenan Hanjalic in Hungary last May.
The Seattle Seahawks defence put on a clinic to lead their team to a 29-13 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 60.
How does the saying go? Defence wins championships – and that’s exactly what happened at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday.
Here are some of the best pictures from a memorable night as the Seahawks got their hands on the Lombardi trophy for the second time in franchise history.
India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav, and Mohammed Siraj. (AP Photo)
MUMBAI: Mohammed Siraj returned to India’s T20I side and took 3-29 in four overs as India beat USA by 29 runs in their opening match of the 2026 T20 World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday. Siraj came into the playing eleven after India’s premier pacer Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out due to illness.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The 31-year-old Hyderabad fast bowler had earlier received a call-up to the squad after pace-bowling all-rounder Harshit Rana was ruled out of the T20 World Cup due to a knee injury.
T20 World Cup: ‘God changed my destiny’ – Mohammed Siraj on emotions of lucky comeback
India’s T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav informed Siraj that he wanted to draft him as Rana’s replacement. Siraj said he initially thought his captain was joking before being convinced he was serious. Narrating his T20I comeback, Siraj told reporters philosophically: “Two days ago, Surya bhai said, ‘Miaan bags pack kar aur aaja’. I told him, ‘Bhai mazaak maat karo, kyon ki yeh to honewala hain nahin.’ But he said, ‘Main sach keh raha hoon, ready ho jaa’. Then Ojha bhai (India selector) called me. Whatever the almighty has written, no one can change that.”Before Saturday, Siraj had last played for India in the format on July 30 against Sri Lanka at Pallekele. Siraj said he had planned to travel to Spain during a rare break after India’s home season before the IPL commenced. “There is a Real Madrid game on 15th and I was going to watch it, and after that Ramzan, but whatever the almighty has written happens.”A football fan, Siraj still has the Cristiano Ronaldo wallpaper on his phone, which he previously shared on Day 5 of the Oval Test during the England tour. “The wallpaper is still the same,” he revealed during the post-match press conference on Saturday.Siraj was part of India’s victorious 2024 T20 World Cup campaign in Barbados, but he said he was not in India’s plans for this edition. After receiving the call-up, Siraj said he did not know he would play in the opening game. “I got to know in the morning that I am playing, so I was a little more excited because I only arrived yesterday (Friday). I wanted to keep myself calm and I was only thinking about how I can put pressure and attack. Whatever I could think of, I was able to execute,” he concluded.
There aren’t many fighters that are deemed to be superior to Floyd Mayweather but Roy Jones Jr believes there is one active fighter who claims that accolade.
He also defeated some of the biggest names in the sport, including the likes of Manny Pacquiao, Oscar De La Hoya and Canelo Alvarez, though one criticism by some fans of Mayweather is he was tactical with deciding when and who to fight.
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Because of that, boxing legend Jones Jr has explained to Fight Hub TV why he thinks unbeaten star Shakur Stevenson has eclipsed Mayweather.
“He is [the Mayweather of this era], he’s not giving guys any chance to beat him but the difference with him [Shakur] is he’s fighting everybody. He’s not ducking and dodging. He’s fighting everybody and that’s a bit different.
“He could be Floyd Mayweather [in terms of] not getting beat in his era, but the difference to Floyd is he’s willing to take on the big challenge, and he’s also getting the right money for it early in his career.”
He also holds impressive wins over fighters such as William Zepeda and Oscar Valdez during his career, and at just 28-years-old, time is well and truly on his side for Stevenson to continue to add to his already impressive resume.
The Searching for a Spyside quest is one of the many missions you encounter in the Nioh 3 storyline. In this mission, you need to help Hattori Hanzo search for a spy. While the objective sounds simple, one section of the mission puts you in front of a locked door with no alternate path. This can make the quest challenging for many players, especially beginners.
If you are facing difficulty completing the Searching for a Spy side quest in Nioh 3, here is a detailed article to help you out.
How to unlock the Searching for a Spy side quest in Nioh 3
Location to find Hattori Hanzo (Image via Koei Tecmo || Sportskeeda Gaming)
As mentioned earlier, you will unlock the Searching for a Spy side quest in Nioh 3 after you meet Hattori Hanzo. To find him, visit Futamata to encounter him on the roof of a house. Additionally, you can use the Tealeaf Village fast travel point. The image attached above will help you reach the precise location.
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How to complete the Searching for a Spy side quest in Nioh 3
Learn the objective of the Searching for a Spy quest (Image via Koei Tecmo || Sportskeeda Gaming)
Once you get the quest, your objective is to help Hattori Hanzo look for a spy. For this, you need to take the stairs going down to the village. After that, take the path on your right to reach uphill. At the intersection, turn left to arrive in front of a closed door at the very end. Upon interacting with it, you will learn that it is closed and requires a key.
How to find the Abandoned Shrine Key in Nioh 3
You will find the door closed (Image via Koei Tecmo || Sportskeeda Gaming)
You need a key to open the shrine’s door. To obtain it, head down the path on your immediate right. When you see stairs on your left, go up them. Then turn right and walk straight to the end. Once there, you will find another set of stairs going down. At the midway point, you will come across a fallen soldier. Interact with the body to collect the Abandoned Shrine Key.
Obtain the Abandoned Shrine Key (Image via Koei Tecmo || Sportskeeda Gaming)
After retrieving the key, jump down and follow the path on your right. At the very end, you will reach the door again. Now, use the shrine key to open it and go through. Once inside, climb the stairs to reach the courtyard. Since this area will be full of enemies, you need to clear them out.
Defeat the enemies to wrap up the mission (Image via Koei Tecmo || Sportskeeda Gaming)
After you defeat the first wave, another will appear. In this group, you also need to defeat the yokai Kyokotsu. Once you eliminate all enemies, interact with Hattori Hanzo to complete the Searching for a Spyside questinNioh 3.
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Closer To Free has thrust himself into Blue Diamond Stakes calculations with a debut success at Caulfield over the weekend.
Having impressed in a Caulfield Heath heat last month for trainer Adrian Corboy, Danny O’Brien purchased Closer To Free post-trial and unleashed him in Saturday’s Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m) restricted to colts and geldings.
Priced at up to $201 initially for the Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) on February 21 at Caulfield, the colt’s resolute win has seen him shorten to $7 second choice.
Handler Danny O’Brien contemplated bypassing this race for the Talindert Stakes (1100m) at Flemington the following Saturday, but sharp session on Wednesday altered that plan for the promising two-year-old.
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With Michael Dee at the helm leading all the way, Closer To Free ($13) prevailed by a length against $2.20 top pick Guest House, Eternal Warrior ($6) third by a short-head.
O’Brien rated Closer To Free highly even before his trial exertions.
“I saw him in the mounting yard before the trial because I had one in it and Adrian is one of the best, if not the best, breakers and he does all of our yearlings,” O’Brien said.
“I asked him what he was doing down here and he said he was trialling this one with the potential to sell him.
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“Before the horse left the mounting yard after the trial, I walked back with him and saw how easily he’d taken it. As Adrian was hosing the horse down, I bought him.
“He’s a beautiful colt and he’s got a proper pedigree. With Street Boss, his first three dams were all two-year-old stakes winners, so there is plenty to like about him.”
Clinton McDonald’s Streisand has climbed to $9 on the fourth rung of Blue Diamond betting following her win in the fillies’ Prelude division.
Ridden positively by Jamie Melham, the $3 fancy Streisand scored by three-quarters of a length from $51 outsider Chayan, with I Am Aria ($7.50) close up third, a short-neck away.
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After a luckless run when unplaced in the Blue Diamond Preview (1000m), Melham ensured a trouble-free trip up front this occasion.
McDonald and Melham teamed for Diamond glory two years ago courtesy of Hayasugi, although Ben Melham is poised to take the mount in a couple of weeks.
“She’ll go a long way in the Diamond,” McDonald said.
“I think she’s got the right mental aptitude for it and the toughness. I’ve said all the way along she’s a bit like Hayasugi, understated, tough.
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“This one has a bit more bitch about her, I suppose, a bit more temperamental whereas Hayasugi was a sweetheart.
“We’re happy to put up with her and we’re looking forward to the next two weeks.”
Adrenaline was running high for Austrian snowboarder Benjamin Karl after winning a second straight Olympic gold medal in the men’s parallel giant slalom on Sunday.
And that adrenaline had him not feeling the cold temperatures, as he ripped off his jacket and clothes in celebration.
Karl, 40, was flexing his arms and screaming, ripping off his jacket and four layers of clothes during his celebration. He was even seen face down on the snow, which was surely cold, but he didn’t care.
Gold medalist Benjamin Karl of Team Austria reacts after winning the Men’s Parallel Giant Slalom Big Final on day two of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Livigno Snow Park on Feb. 8, 2026 in Livigno, Italy.(Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
Karl was an Olympic gold medalist once again, and that’s all that mattered at the moment.
Before his medal-winning run, Karl was trailing South Korea’s Kim Sang-kyum for most of the final race, when he took full advantage of Kim’s mistake.
Karl crossed the finish line 0.19 seconds ahead of his South Korean opponent to win gold at Livigno Snow Park. Rounding out the podium was Bulgaria’s Tervel Zamfirov with bronze.
Gold medalist Benjamin Karl of Team Austria celebrates after crossing the finish line in first place to win the Men’s Parallel Giant Slalom Big Final on day two of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Livigno Snow Park on Feb. 8, 2026 in Livigno, Italy.(David Ramos/Getty Images)
The crowd at Livigno Snow Park loved every moment of Karl’s celebration, which certainly ranks atop the initial reactions to winning gold at Milano Cortina thus far.
After the celebration, Karl eventually redressed and joined Kim and Zamfirov on the podium.
As the Austrian national anthem played, Karl’s smile never faded.
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Gold medalist Benjamin Karl of Team Austria celebrates after winning the Men’s Parallel Giant Slalom Big Final on day two of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Livigno Snow Park on Feb. 8, 2026 in Livigno, Italy.(David Ramos/Getty Images)
He also made Olympics history, becoming the first snowboarder to win four medals. He also won a bronze medal in the 2014 Sochi Olympics, while capturing silver in 2010 in Vancouver at Whistler.
Feb 23, 2014; Sochi, RUSSIA; Canada forward Sidney Crosby (87) prepares for the face-off against Sweden in the men’s ice hockey gold medal game during the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games at Bolshoy Ice Dome. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images
MILAN, Italy — Sidney Crosby waited 12 years to be back at the Olympics but the Canada captain said on Sunday that he sometimes felt as though no time had passed, as he stepped onto the ice at the Milan Cortina Games for the first time.
Future Hall of Famer Crosby is in the minority as a returning Olympian in Milan Cortina, where the NHL is allowing its players to compete in the Games for the first time since 2014, casting a massive spotlight on the men’s tournament.
“There’s some days that it feels like 12 (years) and other days it feels like yesterday,” said Crosby, the architect of Canada’s “golden goal” in 2010, who also helped the team to the top of the podium in 2014.
“There’s been a lot of anticipation ever since we found out we were going back to the Olympics. … So it’s just great to be with the guys, get out there and get to work.”
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Crosby and his teammates hopped off the plane and just hours later onto the ice for their first practice at Santagiulia Arena on Sunday, swamped by reporters with little time to waste ahead of Wednesday’s tournament kickoff.
Led by the Pittsburgh Penguins center Crosby, the Canadian team are favored after beating rivals United States in the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament last year.
Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, another marquee name on the Canadians’ wildly accomplished roster, praised Crosby’s leadership as he prepared for a “surreal” Olympic debut.
“He’s been here and done that and played in the biggest moments and succeeded,” McDavid told reporters. “Just a calming presence … a guy that doesn’t get too high or too low.”
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Canada begins its Olympic campaign with a Group A game against Czech Republic on Thursday.
The Seattle Seahawks produced a devastating defensive display to beat the New England Patriots and claim their second Super Bowl victory.
Two of the NFL’s strongest defences battled it out in Sunday’s showpiece and the Seahawks emphatically came out on top to win 29-13 at Levi’s Stadium.
It was a defensive performance for the ages and Briton Aden Durde played a pivotal role, becoming the first overseas coach to win America’s biggest game.
Seattle’s 46-year-old defensive coordinator has helped create the most-feared defence in the NFL, which has become known as ‘the Dark Side’, and they showed why on American football’s biggest stage in Santa Clara, California.
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New England’s second-year quarterback Drake Maye narrowly missed out on this season’s Most Valuable Player award but was stifled by the Seahawks, who claimed six sacks, forced three turnovers and claimed a defensive touchdown.
After Seattle led 9-0 at half-time, Maye’s first turnover resulted in the game’s opening touchdown for tight end AJ Barner early in the fourth quarter.
Linebacker Uchenna Nwosu then returned an interception for a 45-yard touchdown, while Jason Meyers kicked a record five field goals.
A Davis Cup tie between Columbia and Morocco recently witnessed some shocking scenes, as Colombian player Nicolas Mejia pulled out a controversial ‘shut-up’ celebration. The Moroccan audience was unimpressed by Mejia’s gestures and threw bottles on the court in retaliation.
On Sunday, February 8, Mejia took to court at the Union Sportive Marocaine Tennis Club in Casablanca against home player Reda Bennani. The match got off to an impressive start for the Colombian as he clinched an easy win in the opening set. While Bennani rallied in the second set, in the end it was Mejia who took the win 6-1, 4-6, 6-2. After his victory, the 25-year-old celebrated by shushing the crowd but the audience was quick to return fire, throwing bottles at the Columbian team.
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Watch a video of the moment below:
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The Davis Cup tie between Columbia and Morocco began on a strong note for the latter, with Rena Bennani beating Adria Soriano Barrera. However, things went downhill for Morocco from there, with Columbia clinching the next three matches to win the tie.
Nicolas Mejia defends himself after causing Davis Cup controversy between Colombia and Morocco
Mejia at the 2023 Davis Cup (Image Source: Getty)
Nicolas Mejia’s celebration at the Davis Cup caused a fair amount of controversy, but the Columbian tennis star has defended himself against allegations of disrespect. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the World No.177 stated that the Moroccan crowd had threatened him and his family while maintaining ‘zero fair play’, writing,
“You don’t know what happened. All the time people threaten me and my family. Moroccan team on my face and trying to make people scream at me more every point. Zero fair play. Better get your facts before talking what you don’t know.”
In a separate post, Mejia agreed that his celebration hadn’t been the best, but maintained that his gestures were solely in response to insults he had been receiving, explaining,
“My celebration probably wasn’t the best, but I’d been putting up with insults against me and my family the whole match from the crowd, and insults from the opposing team and captain. I let it out, and that’s it. But I didn’t insult anyone.”
Nicolas Mejia is one of Colombia’s leading tennis players at the moment. Outside of the Davis Cup, the 25-year-old, who turned pro in 2019, makes regular appearances in ATP Challenger events and has achieved a career-high ranking of World No.168 earlier this year.
