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Vikings Rumors Circling Malik Willis, a New Linebacker, Jalen Nailor’s Future

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Malik Willis handing off the football during a Packers game against the Jaguars at EverBank Stadium.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Malik Willis hands off during the fourth quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Oct. 27, 2024, at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, operating the offense in a tightly contested matchup that ended with a last-second field goal as Green Bay secured a 30-27 road victory. Mandatory Credit: Corey Perrine-Florida Times-Union.

The Minnesota Vikings’ rumor mill has run rampant since the club fired general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah three weeks ago, with buzz ranging from quarterbacks, free agency, and cap casualties. This week’s rumor focuses on Malik Willis, Nakobe Dean, and Jalen Nailor’s value.

Three Vikings rumors to track: Willis as a QB competition play, Dean as a blitz-fit target, and Nailor’s market climbing fast.

Free agency is about two weeks away, and answers on all things rumors should arrive fast and furious.

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The Purple Rumor Mill with Free Agency 15 Days Away

Vikings rumors for Sunday, February 22nd, 2026.

Malik Willis running with the football during a game at Lambeau Field. Vikings rumors 2026 offseason.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Malik Willis takes off on a designed run during the third quarter against the Baltimore Ravens on Dec. 27, 2025, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, accelerating through the open field as defenders close in during a late-season interconference matchup. Mandatory Credit: Kayla Wolf-Imagn Images.

Rumor: SI.com has endorsed Malik Willis as the Vikings’ next quarterback.

Gilberto Manzano of SI.com theorized the main offseason move for each NFC North team, and on Minnesota, he circled a Malik Willis signing as the big swing.

He explained, “Sign QB Malik Willis. It might be tough for them to splurge for Love’s backup, perhaps making Willis available at the start of free agency. Coach Kevin O’Connell can’t hand McCarthy the starting job again unless he proves it by beating out real competition in training camp.”

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“Willis, a 2022 third-round pick, showed vast improvement in the games he appeared last season for Green Bay and his determination to make the most of his latest opportunity after how poorly it went for him in Tennessee could bring out the best in McCarthy in a fierce summer battle. It was a small sample size, but Willis completed 85.7% of his passes in four games last year.”

A Willis addition would formalize a true summer showdown between J.J. McCarthy and Willis.

Manzano continued, “For comparison, McCarthy struggled by completing only 57.6% of his passes in 10 starts. Willis could have other options and maybe an easier path to a starting job, but not many teams can offer a wide receiver as good as Justin Jefferson.”

“The Vikings have no reason to commit to McCarthy’s first-round status after the team fired GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. There’s no more time to waste in Minnesota after the disastrous quarterback results in 2025.”

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Willis is the Vikings’ most straightforward quarterback solution this offseason because they don’t have to trade anything to get him. They can just … sign him. Therefore, he is in play.

Rumor: Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean is a free-agent fit for Minnesota.

In ESPN’s Matt Bowen’s rundown of the league’s Top 50 free agents, Minnesota surfaced only once — as the premier landing spot for Nakobe Dean. That’s a pretty specific endorsement.

Bowen opined, “Best team fit: Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings have cap issues heading into free agency, but I really like the fit for Dean in coordinator Brian Flores’ defense. Dean, who had four sacks with the Eagles in 2025, is the league’s best blitzing linebacker, and he would join a system that led the NFL in blitz rate at 46.8%.”

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For roster construction, the appeal is obvious. Dean’s downhill burst and timing mesh naturally with Flores’s modus operandi. The financials appear mostly manageable as well. Dean’s projected market hovers around $8 million annually, which could translate to a three-year deal in the $24 million range — a number that interim general manager Rob Brzezinski could structure creatively.

Nakobe Dean in action during an Eagles game at NRG Stadium.
Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean pursues the play during the second half against the Houston Texans on Nov. 3, 2022, at NRG Stadium in Houston, reading the backfield and flowing downhill in a Thursday night matchup. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports.

It all boils down to whether the Vikings are comfortable with re-signing Eric Wilson to partner with Blake Cashman in 2026 — or if they want more youth. Dean is the youth.

Rumor: Jalen Nailor’s next contract will pay him $12 per season.

This week, Nailor’s free-agent valuation has raised eyebrows. Daniel Popper of The Athletic ranked Nailor No. 29 overall in his free agency rankings, ahead of established players like Rashid Shaheed, Romeo Doubs, Aaron Rodgers, and Keenan Allen.

He wrote about Nailor at No. 29, “Contract projection: 3 years, $36 million. Nailor’s production does not jump off the screen. The 2022 sixth-round pick had a career-high 444 receiving yards in 2025. But Nailor was playing behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, and he dealt with poor quarterback play last season.”

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“More importantly, the tape shows a player who is ready to take a big jump in the right environment. Nailor has the spatial awareness to weave through zones and find soft spots. He was predominantly a slot player in Minnesota but has inside-outside flexibility. He flashes late hands to prevent defensive backs from turning and locating the ball.”

Nailor’s on-field performance reflects his statistical profile. He consistently created separation, even when facing tight coverage. Comfortable in the slot, Nailor also demonstrated excellent timing with J.J. McCarthy, often appearing to be McCarthy’s go-to receiver when plays broke down. It’s just that he’s never tallied over 500 receiving yards in a season.

Jalen Nailor on the field during a Vikings game at Lincoln Financial Field.
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jalen Nailor lines up against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sep. 14, 2023, at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, preparing for the snap during a primetime road contest. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports.

Popper added, “Nailor is not a burner, but he can push vertically out of the slot on fades, wheels and corners. He is a compact ball carrier who is capable after the catch, and he is also a quality run blocker for his size.”

“Nailor can get bogged down at the line of scrimmage against bigger, more physical corners. He is not a household name right now, but he could be in the future.”

If Popper has Nailor’s price tag correct at $12 million, the Vikings likely cannot afford him.

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Darragh Kenny and Eddy Blue win at WEF

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Offaly’s Darragh Kenny and Eddy Blue won the $116,100 Adequan® CSI5* WEF Challenge Cup Round 7 last night at the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) in Florida.

Eleven combinations advanced to the tiebreaker, with the Irish representatives coming out in top over Andy Christiansen’s (ECU) jump-off course.

Irish 1-2

The 14-year-old Oldenburg gelding stopped the clock at 37.90 seconds with Wexford’s Bertram Allen right behind in 39.12 seconds riding Conquest de Rigo.

Taking third was Charlotte Jacobs (USA) in a time of 40.01 seconds riding North Star’s Playboy JT Z, an 11-year-old Zangersheide gelding.

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Kenny delighted to be back in action

“I knew Bertram’s horse has a massive stride,” Kenny admitted. “He did seven [strides] from one to two. I wasn’t sure if I could do that, but it showed up for me. I think my horse is more experienced than his in jump-offs, so that’s probably where it got him,” said Kenny of his jump-off round with his 2025 European Championships partner Eddy Blue.

Kenny was officially cleared to return to international competition on 13 February after the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) lifted a provisional suspension issued on 13 October following a positive drug test during the FEI European Championships.

“This is my first week back – Bertram rode Eddy for me recently and did a fantastic job on him,” said the Irish Olympian. “The horse feels ready to go, and he was amazing today as he always is. I’m very lucky to have such a fantastic group of owners and staff who kept the horses in great shape. I was lucky Bertram was able to ride them for me – I’m very thankful to everybody who was involved in that.”

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NFL Players from Olympus H.S. (Salt Lake City, UT)

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Here’s an up-to-date list of all NFL Players from Olympus High School in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The list includes only those players who have played in an NFL game.

See where it ranks among other schools in the state here.

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NFL Players from Layton H.S. (Layton, UT)

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Here’s an up-to-date list of all NFL Players from Layton High School in Layton, Utah.

The list includes only those players who have played in an NFL game.

See where it ranks among other schools in the state here.

NFL Players from Layton HS
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Men’s Olympic hockey live blog: Canada vs. USA

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The men’s Olympic hockey tournament wraps up Sunday, with a showdown between Team Canada and Team USA that many hockey fans have been waiting for since last year’s thrilling end at the 4 Nations Face-Off.

The Americans are looking for their first gold in this event since 1980, while Canada has won the past two NHL Olympic tournaments in 2014 and 2010. As this year’s Olympics come to an end, which country will come out on top in 2026?

Follow along with all the action in our live blog.

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Terence Crawford sums up Ryan Garcia’s performance against Mario Barrios

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Newly-crowned WBC welterweight champion Ryan Garcia has received plenty of praise following his victory over Mario Barrios on Saturday.

Garcia dominated the bout from start to finish, dropping Barrios in the opening round on his way to a unanimous decision victory, with the judges scoring the bout 120-107, 119-108 and 118-109 in his favour.

The win saw ‘King Ry’ become world champion for the first time as he claimed the WBC belt at 147lbs, with attention now potentially turning to a showdown against four-weight world champion Shakur Stevenson, who won the WBO super-lightweight title last month by defeating Teofimo Lopez.

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One man who has backed Stevenson throughout his career is fellow boxing great Terence Crawford, who retired from the sport in December following his monumental victory over Canelo Alvarez.

While Crawford would undoubtedly back Stevenson in a possible clash against Garcia, ‘Bud’ gave credit where it was due to ‘King Ry’ for his win over Barrios, as he needed just one word to sum up the performance when asked by Clocked n Loaded.

“Amazing.”

Garcia proved he belongs at world level following the win over Barrios, having previously come up short in big fights against the likes of Gervonta Davis and Rolly Romero.

He did claim a win over Devin Haney in April 2024, only for the result to be overturned to a no contest after failing a drugs test. That resulted in a 12-month ban from the sport, something that Stevenson made reference to were he to agree to a clash against ‘King Ry.’

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Nottingham Forest v Liverpool live: Latest team news and line-ups from Premier League clash

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Van Dijk backs Szoboszlai to make ‘next step’ towards inheriting Liverpool captaincy

Virgil van Dijk believes midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai has all the qualities to one day succeed him as Liverpool captain having led by example this season.

Szoboszlai has been the team’s most consistent performer in a so-far underwhelming campaign of ups and downs despite being asked to play a number of different roles, most significantly standing in at right-back.

The 25-year-old, hailed by Mohamed Salah last weekend as “one of the best players in the world right now”, reached 10 goals for the season against Brighton and has already surpassed his best return for the club.

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Jamie Braidwood22 February 2026 12:00

Why Vitor Pereira’s mission at Nottingham Forest goes beyond avoiding relegation

Pereira has arrived as Forest’s fourth manager of the season with the primary objective of avoiding the drop – but as shown by Sean Dyche’s sacking, that is not all that is expected of his reign.

Richard Jolly22 February 2026 11:40

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How the aura of Klopp has left Slot trapped in a new Liverpool reality

Arne Slot has fielded questions surrounding his German predecessor, who remains hugely popular at Anfield, while some supporters covet a reunion with Xabi Alonso, despite his failure at Real Madrid.

Richard Jolly 22 February 2026 11:20

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Liverpool’s early team news

Jeremie Frimpong could return for next weekend’s visit of West Ham while Alexander Isak could be back by the end of March, but Joe Gomez is fit to start.

Possible line-up: Alisson; Szoboszlai, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo; Ekitike.

Jamie Braidwood22 February 2026 11:05

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Nottingham Forest early team news

Forest have no new injury problems after the win in Turkey this week. Willy Boly, Chris Wood, John Victor, Matz Sels and Nicolo Savona all remain out.

Possible line-up: Ortega; Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams; Anderson, Sangare; Hutchinson, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Jesus.

Jamie Braidwood22 February 2026 11:02

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When is Forest v Liverpool?

The game kicks off at 2pm GMT today, Sunday 22 February, at the City Ground in Nottingham.

How to watch

The match will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League in the UK.

Subscribers can stream the action online via the Sky Go app and Sky Sports website.

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Jamie Braidwood22 February 2026 11:01

Hello and welcome

Nottingham Forest host Liverpool today as Vitor Pereira takes charge of Forest for the first time in the Premier League.

Pereira’s first game was an impressive 3-0 win at Fenerbahce after goals by Murillo, Morgan Gibbs-White and Igor Jesus gave Forest the upper hand in the Europa League play-offs.

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But the new manager’s real task is to keep Forest away from relegation, and they face a far stiffer challenge against the Premier League champions, who are chasing a place in the top five and next season’s Champions League.

Jamie Braidwood22 February 2026 11:00

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NFL Players from Corner Canyon H.S. (Draper, UT)

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Here’s an up-to-date list of all NFL Players from Corner Canyon High School in Draper, Utah.

The list includes only those players who have played in an NFL game.

See where it ranks among other schools in the state here.

NFL Players from Corner Canyon HS
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Here’s how Anthony Kim tests new equipment

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Anthony Kim’s journey through professional golf from early stardom to disappearing for 12 years to now becoming a winner again on LIV Golf is without doubt distinctive. And the way he built his new bag setup mirrors that uniqueness.

On this week’s episode of GOLF’s Fully Equipped, co-host Johnny Wunder, who has become friends with Kim over the past year, details how Kim went about testing new equipment once he came back to a completely different world of professional golf.

When Kim, now 40, earned his first two PGA Tour titles in 2008, 16 years ago, the first adjustable loft driver had yet to hit the market. Launch monitors were on the PGA Tour, but they weren’t the fixture they are today.

Custom club fitting had been around for some time, but we were only beginning to push the boundaries of individual optimization that we can achieve now.

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Kim, in some ways, is still rooted in those old-school ways.

Wunder met Kim last year and became friends with him after he walked a practice round with him at LIV Golf Virginia. That’s how Wunder started to understand how Kim thinks differently about gear.

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“It’s been interesting,” Wunder said. “You’re talking to a person, trying to help them and answer questions for them and they don’t know Trackman, they don’t know Foresight. They don’t even speak modern golf ball.”

Using his connections in the gear space, whenever Kim would ask him about a product like a wedge or a driver, Wunder would reach out and get one for him to test.

Then Kim would give his feedback to Wunder.

“He would get stuff and he would test it and he would say I like it because it does this. It was all very ball-related,” Wunder said. “It was, ‘I swing this way and the ball goes that way.’ There’s no numbers.”

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Wunder said Kim has built his bag around feel and that’s a non-negotiable for him.

But yet, over the past month-plus as he earned back his spot on LIV Golf and his first worldwide victory since 2010, he’s made immense progress with his game.

For more from Wunder and co-host Jake Morrow, listen to the full episode of GOLF’s Fully Equipped here, or watch it below.

Want to overhaul your bag in 2026? Find a club-fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.

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Top NFL Player-Producing Utah High Schools

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  By SuperWest Sports Staff


Heading into the 2026 NFL Draft, 200 players who attended high schools in Utah have played or are currently playing in the NFL. 

That number may increase this fall when recently drafted players play their first games as pros.

Utah ranks No. 35 in the nation among high schools that produce NFL players, and is the sixth best in the West.

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A total of 62 schools have produced at least one player.

Utah’s Highland High School has produced 10 NFL players, while Logan, Bingham, and East high schools have produced nine players each.

Several players from the high schools listed here played college football at schools and conferences in the West, including the Pac-12, Mountain West, Big West, Big Sky, and schools now in the Big Ten, Big 12, and ACC.

Here is a list of the state’s top pro-producing high schools with their respective ranks, player counts, and cities.

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Source: https://www.pro-football-reference.com/

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Streisand victorious in 2026 Blue Diamond Stakes

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In just three years’ span, Clinton McDonald has twice been crowned ‘King of the Kids’, with Streisand conquering Victoria’s flagship juvenile race at Caulfield.

Two years earlier, McDonald lifted the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) via the late Hayasugi, and Saturday saw filly Streisand repeat the feat.

Jamie Melham steered Hayasugi home, but Ben Melham, her partner, took the reins on Streisand, granting her a smooth journey.

Riding third three-wide beyond pacesetters Lady Moscato and Closer To Free, Melham sensed Streisand, in blinkers for the first go, was at ease a length off the pair.

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Composing herself for the finale, she and Closer To Free isolated ahead, Streisand prevailing in the dying stages.

Priced at $11, Streisand forged a three-quarters-length success over $4.60 market leader Closer To Free, as Guest House ($4.80) nabbed third for Melham’s bookended result.

Streisand, a filly by Magnus out of Zoustar-sired Zouper Star, boasted superior exposure in the 16-runner affair, having started four times already by Saturday.

McDonald mirrored Hayasugi’s blueprint, leaving the Cranbourne handler astonished anew at his filly’s starting price.

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“She’s very similar to Hayasugi, very understated,” McDonald said.

“Hayasugi won by a head in the Prelude and everyone wrote her off in the Diamond and she went around, I think, at $18, and it was the same with this filly.

“She ran second twice, beaten a short-half-head twice, ran fifth and was unlucky and won at her fourth start.

“I thought ‘have I got this wrong, I think she’s going alright this filly’, and I’ve said all along she’s had a solid preparation, a faultless preparation, and she’s tough,

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“And that’s what you need to win these races.

“I just thought she was the most seasoned horse in the race. The way she walked around the mounting yard it was like she’s done it her whole life, and she raced that way.

“It’s just terrific, look out tonight.”

Melham revealed the Diamond win stemmed from extended plotting.

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Prior to her spell, winless Streisand flashed elite ability around Christmas, blooming further upon resumption.

“That’s what you want to see from these two-year-olds,” Melham said.

“She’s a ready-made racehorse. Clinton and the team have done a great job.

“She’s a cranky little thing on the ground, but lovely to ride race day.

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“Blinkers first time today, we always thought she’d improve with them on.

“She was a little bit sleepy going to the start, and I gave her a bit of a squeeze and then she picked up and I lit her up in the barriers a bit just to make sure she jumped because she went to sleep on me again.

“A lot of the speed didn’t jump, and we didn’t end up going that quick. I was just in a position where I could control the race and she did the rest.”

Visit trusted betting sites to find racing odds for the Blue Diamond Stakes.

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