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Vikings Start 2026 with Trashy Power Ranking

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Kevin O’Connell walks off the field at U.S. Bank Stadium during a Vikings game.
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell heads toward the sideline at U.S. Bank Stadium during a Nov. 20, 2022 matchup, departing the field after the second quarter as Minnesota struggled against Dallas. The moment captures a tense afternoon in Minneapolis, with O’Connell assessing adjustments before halftime amid mounting pressure. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports.

If you’re hoping the Minnesota Vikings will rebound in 2026 and win a playoff game, ESPN has bad news for you. That outlet ranked the Vikings as the NFL’s 10th-worst team after the calendar flipped to 2026 following the Seattle Seahawks’ Super Bowl triumph on Sunday night.

Minnesota’s ESPN placement reflects uncertainty at quarterback, while the roster’s defensive foundation and recent draft additions keep upside alive.

Why so low? Well, the general population thinks Minnesota must figure out its quarterback situation, or it will be relegated to low power rankings indefinitely.

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Quarterback Uncertainty Drives the Low Vikings Rank

Not ideal to start at No. 23

J.J. McCarthy warms up on the field before a Vikings game. Vikings power ranking 2026.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy goes through pregame warmups at U.S. Bank Stadium on Nov. 9, 2025, preparing to face the Baltimore Ravens in Minneapolis. The routine offered a glimpse of McCarthy’s early-game focus as Minnesota readied its offense ahead of a high-profile interconference matchup. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images.

ESPN Power Rankings for Vikings: No 23

ESPN sandwiched the Vikings between the Carolina Panthers at No. 22 and Atlanta Falcons at No. 24, as Kevin Seifert wrote about the club, “The Vikings already had a big task ahead of them this offseason. At the very least, they need to upgrade their quarterback depth to give them a better hedge against J.J. McCarthy’s performance and injury history than they had in 2025.”

“But after firing general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah on Jan. 30, they’ll have to address that need with an interim leadership structure led by Rob Brzezinski, their longtime executive vice president of football operations. Adofo-Mensah’s replacement isn’t likely to be named until after the 2026 draft, putting the franchise in an extended stretch of limbo.”

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Onlookers aren’t impressed by the optics of firing Adofo-Mensah, especially three and a half weeks after the end of the regular season.

Identify the Right QB(s)

The Vikings can subdue many fears — from fans and national media — if they successfully address their quarterback situation this offseason.

McCarthy battled injuries in 2025 — after missing all of 2024 with a torn meniscus — and inconsistent play, even for a first-time starter. At times, he couldn’t complete a basic pass; then he’d turn on the gas in the game’s final offensive drive and look like a Pro Bowler.

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Minnesota has publicly stated its desire to trade for or sign another quarterback to provide competition this summer. If it adds a non-threat vet for McCarthy, like Jimmy Garoppolo or Carson Wentz, the power ranking will remain the same. If interim general manager Rob Brzezinski raises the bar by trading for Kyler Murray or Mac Jones, for example, the Vikings can climb in power rankings.

Make no mistake: power rankings are usually a referendum on the QB1, and Minnesota’s strategy is unclear as of February.

The Defense Is There

Thankfully, Minnesota has the defense on autopilot, courtesy of Brian Flores.

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The Vikings ranked second overall in EPA per play in 2024, then No. 3 in 2025. Flores signed a mammoth contract extension last month, so there’s no reason to believe the unit will fall out of the Top 10 in 2026.

Key players will remain, like Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, Dallas Turner, Jalen Redmond, Blake Cashman, Byron Murphy Jr., and Isaiah Rodgers. The club will start from a position of strength at defense, which will make the eventual quarterback’s life much easier.

Other power rankings were kinder to Minnesota after the Super Bowl. Pro Football Network‘s Jacob Infante named the Vikings the league’s 17th-best team, six spots up from ESPN’s estimation.

Brian Flores looks on from the sideline during a Vikings game.
Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores studies the field from the sideline at Soldier Field on Oct. 15, 2023, as Minnesota battles Chicago in a divisional road game. The moment captured Flores tracking adjustments and personnel as the Bears challenged the defense deep into the second half. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images.

Infante explained, “Kevin O’Connell is a great head coach. Brian Flores is one of the best defensive coordinators in the NFL. The Minnesota Vikings also have a strong defensive line and some talented offensive weapons. The main thing that held them back in 2025, though, was the quarterback position.”

“Whether or not J.J. McCarthy was healthy seemingly had little impact on the Vikings’ offense. He ranked 37th in the NFL with a PFSN QB Impact Score of 64.5 in his first year as their starter. The flaws were abundant, and it led to Justin Jefferson’s worst receiving season of his career. Minnesota has talent; they just need stable QB play to maximize it.”

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Finally Connect on a Full Draft Class

How can the Vikings get back in the mix of Super Bowl contention? After the quarterback decision, the path is straightforward: draft better.

General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah lost his job a week and a half ago, mainly due to poor drafting, as the former boss connected about about 18% of all draft picks since taking over in 2022. Failing to find productive players in the only “free” place in sports — the draft — has cost the franchise and forced it to spend big on aging free agents.

Dallas Turner poses with Roger Goodell after being drafted by the Vikings.
Alabama linebacker Dallas Turner poses with commissioner Roger Goodell at Campus Martius Park on Apr. 25, 2024, moments after the Vikings selected him No. 17 overall in Detroit. The draft-night snapshot marked Turner’s introduction to Minnesota following his first-round call at the podium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports.

The interim general manager and future permanent executive must nail the next few drafts to restore Minnesota’s roster youth and competence.

If they do not, the Vikings will habitually live on lists like ESPN’s around No. 23.

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Man City predicted line-up vs Fulham as Ruben Dias recalled but Omar Marmoush dropped

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Manchester City welcome Fulham to the Etihad Stadium this evening knowing a win could cut the gap to Arsenal to just three points

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Manchester City are back in Premier League action this evening as they welcome Fulham to the Etihad Stadium. The Blues have fond memories of their last clash with Marco Silva’s side as they edged out a thrilling 5-4 win at Craven Cottage back in December.

City will be heavy favourites for this one having beaten Fulham in their last 19 matches against them and last lost to the London club back in 2009. The Blues are also on a high after beating Liverpool in dramatic circumstances on Sunday thanks to late goals from Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland.

With the games coming thick and fast, Pep Guardiola will be keen to rotate his squad slightly, albeit Saturday’s clash with Salford City in the FA Cup will provide more opportunity for that. Regardless of the changes made outfield, Gianluigi Donnarumma will remain between the sticks this evening after his Anfield heroics.

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Abdukodir Khusanov has made himself known in recent weeks, stepping up to the plate in the absence of first-team defenders. The Uzbekistan international was inadvertently clattered into by Donnarumma against Liverpool and was replaced as a concussion substitution but Guardiola confirmed in Tuesday’s press conference he is available to start tonight.

That being said, Ruben Dias’ return from injury and solid showing off the bench makes it easy not to risk the 21-year-old in midweek. Dias is likely to partner Marc Guehi who was sensational at Anfield and is already proving to be a brilliant addition to this title-challenging squad.

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MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 04: Erling Haaland of Manchester City gestures during the Carabao Cup Semi Final Second Leg match between Manchester City and Newcastle United at Etihad Stadium on February 04, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Kate McShane/Getty Images)

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The Carabao Cup Final will see Arsenal v Manchester City at London’s Wembley Stadium this March.

Rayan Ait-Nouri also impressed at the weekend after a tough start to life at City and he should retain his place at left-back allowing Nico O’Reilly to slot into a three-man midfield once again. Having scored and being heavily praised by Guardiola, captain Bernardo will be expected to keep his place too.

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On Sunday, City went for the two-pronged attack of Omar Marmoush and Haaland as they looked to break down a shaky Liverpool defence. However, the Egyptian struggled on Merseyside and could be left out here to welcome back Rayan Cherki.

The Frenchman is unlikely to stay out of the starting XI for long and if anyone in the attack is going to be replaced for this game, it will be Marmoush. Both Haaland and Antoine Semenyo are undroppable at present.

City predicted XI vs Fulham: Donnarumma, Nunes, Dias, Guehi, Ait-Nouri; Rodri, O’Reilly, Bernardo; Semenyo, Haaland, Cherki

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NFL Players from Bend H.S. (Bend, OR)

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NFL Players from Bend H.S. (Bend, OR) | SuperWest Sports





















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

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 Bend HS
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She should’ve yelled at them harder

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Pop sensation Dua Lipa was recently hounded by paparazzi on her night out with fiancé Callum Turner in Paris, France. According to videos on social media on February 10, 2026, Turner and Lipa were spotted leaving Le Voltaire, a restaurant in Paris, after a dinner date when they were rushed by paparazzi, who repeatedly asked them for photographs.

In the video, Callum Turner can be seen exiting the restaurant first and speaking to the paparazzi while waiting for his fiancée, repeatedly telling them, “It’s not okay.” Despite the actor’s disapproval, cameras began flashing the second Dua Lipa stepped out of the restaurant, wearing a fur coat, a green T-shirt, and dark pants.

The singer, who appeared frustrated, shielded her face using her hand to protect herself from the flashes, telling the paparazzi, “No, no, no, we are not doing this.” One of the photographers can be heard telling the singer to spare them one minute, and they would leave her alone, while another asked her to move her hand.

The couple began walking away from the commotion, with the paparazzi following them. Turner pulled his hoodie over his face, while Lipa continued to hold her hand up to her face, telling the photographers, “Can you please go away?” The restaurant security also stepped in to shield the singer, holding his hat up to her face to cover her from the cameras.

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Dua Lipa and Callum Turner’s recent brush with the paparazzi in Paris was met with varied responses from netizens on X. One X user said the singer should have yelled at them more, adding that they had never seen her “this angry before.”

“I’ve never seen her this angry before. They must’ve been following them for hours omg. She should’ve yelled at them harder wtf.”

I’ve never seen her this angry before. They must’ve been following them for hours omg. She should’ve yelled at them harder wtf

Several netizens sided with the celebrity couple, calling out paparazzi for harassing them and being disrespectful.

@PopBase French paparazzi are the fcking worst. Hope dua and callum are okay

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@PopBase Just give us one minute and we’ll leave you alone. NOT COOL AT ALL! I get they wanna take pictures or whatever but forcing them into giving an interview or pose for the camera is insine and disrespectful.

@PopBase How come invading other people’s privacy still a professional career? Obsession with celebrities is tiresome enough, additionally we get the worst displays of entitlement to those celebrities from these people.

@PopBase Imagine being in Paris and your main attraction is someone else’s personal space…

However, others suggested that being photographed was part of the job of being a celebrity.

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@PopBase What’s the big deal in having access to celebrities? Some celebrities are too cruel

@PopBase Guys, if a celebrity doesnt want to get papped , they know exactly how not to get papped .. Ask yourself why A+ celebs like Brad Pitt, Celine Dion , Cher , Madonna .. etc , we rarely see pap pics for them !!!

@PopBase Why do these two always have to go somewhere if they hate being photographed??

@PopBase If you’re uncomfortable about paparazzi stay away from the scenes and become a regular person.The reality is that being a celebrity comes with positive and negative attention which cannot easily be controlled.

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Dua Lipa was seen at Chanel’s Haute Couture Spring Summer 2026 in Paris

On January 30, 2026, Dua Lipa uploaded several pictures of her “perfect week” in Paris on Instagram, which included photos of her at Chanel’s Haute Couture Spring Summer 2026 show held on January 27, 2026.

The Levitating singer wore a yellow-and-brown patterned skirt and blazer combo with a matching handbag and black-and-white pumps from the Chanel Métiers d’Art 2026 collection. In the pictures she posted, Lipa was seen sitting beside Penélope Cruz, A$AP Rocky, and Margaret Qualley, with all of them singing a remix of Oasis’ Wonderwall.

The photo dump also included a snap of fiancé Callum Turner. Lipa confirmed her engagement during an interview with British Vogue in June 2025 and shared more information regarding the ring and wedding planning.

“Yeah, we’re engaged. It’s very exciting… I’m obsessed with it [the ring]. It’s so me. It’s nice to know the person that you’re going to spend the rest of your life with knows you very well.” she said.

When asked about the wedding, Dua Lipa added:

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“I want to finish my tour, Callum’s shooting, so we’re just enjoying this period. I’ve never been someone who’s really thought about a wedding, or dreamt about what kind of bride I would be. All of a sudden I’m like: ‘Oh, what would I wear?’”

Callum Turner and Dua Lipa at the 2025 Met Gala Celebrating "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" (Image via Getty)Callum Turner and Dua Lipa at the 2025 Met Gala Celebrating "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" (Image via Getty)
Callum Turner and Dua Lipa at the 2025 Met Gala Celebrating “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” (Image via Getty)

In other news, Dua Lipa is scheduled to perform a medley with RAYE and Lily Allen to pay tribute to Mark Ronson at the upcoming BRIT Awards on February 28, 2026. Ronson will be honored with the Outstanding Contribution to Music at the ceremony.