Such variables give a tactical obsessive like Mikel Arteta a lot to think about, but he is at least sure of his own structure. That won’t shift. The main question will be over personnel, and how much that changes the emphasis of the team; whether it’s Riccardo Calafiori or Piero Hincapie at left-back, for example. Martin Odegaard is expected to return to the bench, and Jurrien Timber may start.
The winner of the Carabao Cup final could also land a psychological blow in the title race (Action Images/Reuters)
Arsenal, in short, have a lot less to think about. That is very different to when the two sides qualified for this final, way back at the start of February. At that point, the trophy was seen as psychologically crucial to Arsenal sustaining both momentum and the idea of superiority over City, a key part of the wider pursuit for the first Premier League title in 22 years. The weight was all the greater since it had looked like this final could be the first in a grand and unprecedented English series, maybe four or five matches to decide everything.
The very week before the final has put paid to that. City have already been eliminated from the Champions League in that match against Madrid, which followed a frustrated 1-1 draw at West Ham to allow Arsenal an even greater gap in the title race.
Their hopes in the Premier League haven’t gone yet, but their aura has. The old City sense of foreboding isn’t there.
This Arsenal team may badly need to win their first trophy together, but it doesn’t quite feel as essential when this City don’t look like the trophy machine of before.
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As such, there’s been a twist before the game starts. It now feels like this Carabao Cup final is bigger for City than it is for Arsenal.
That would have sounded absurd for most of the season – and the past few years – especially with how Guardiola has repeatedly subjected his former assistant to second places, but that’s how this season is going. The fact everyone is talking about this being the City manager’s last season, which the club still describe as “speculation”, only adds to that. Guardiola certainly won’t want to leave on a barren campaign, in any case.
Winning a fourth Carabao Cup for the coach and a historic ninth for City would be valuable in and of itself, but more significant is what it might do for everything else. It would be a reminder to Arsenal of what the order has been. It would put the league leaders back in their box, after a period when City haven’t even beaten Arteta’s side in three years.
Arsenal have the psychological momentum after City were knocked out of the Champions League and dropped points in the title race (PA Wire)
Maybe most crucial of all, however, is that it would create new doubt for Arsenal just at the point when confidence is building; when Max Dowman seems to have helped banish all the angst. Talk of the quadruple is tentatively rising. This could swiftly end that, but do more. If the six-year wait for silverware were to go on that bit longer, into at least May, it creates greater space for collapse.
This is nevertheless the prospect facing City, too. To see two trophies disappear in two matches, alongside the increasing distance to top spot, could be debilitating. From that, if City were to lose on Sunday, it isn’t impossible that they could fall apart.
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Duly, City have constantly looked a team on a thin line on the actual pitch. It is like almost every game can go either way. There are spells when spectacular attacking is suggested, only for a defensive fallibility to immediately be exposed. City often sublime and ridiculous in the same five minutes of football, as was seen against Madrid.
Much will depend on the mood going into this game, which is said to be one of focus and trying to remind everyone of the force that this team has been. Down at Arsenal’s Colney base, a mere 13 miles from Wembley, a first final since the 2020 FA Cup win is being downplayed. There is a calmness, which many say has been welcome. This season has been characterised by ramping up most of the matches, after all. Perhaps a softening mood is also natural, given this is a break from all the noise around the title.
Arsenal have a tried and tested blueprint, whereas Guardiola may tinker with his formation yet again (Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
The greater gap in the league, of course, helps that, especially as Arsenal now know they will be nine points ahead of City until 12 April at the earliest. It was why last weekend was so crucial. Of course, this weekend might end up being seen as even more crucial, depending on how it goes.
Arsenal right now feel good about the title race, but that can dramatically change if their main chasers beat them, to once more shift that momentum. Out of that, this is yet another Carabao Cup final that is cast as being about more than the Carabao Cup, as so many are. It is about what it can mean for the future.
That’s partly why Newcastle United’s win last year was so distinctive, since it was about the trophy alone. You arguably have to go back to Swansea City in 2013 for similar.
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Consequently, as regards Arsenal, you don’t really need to read the same old lines about how Chelsea’s 2005 victory invigorated the Jose Mourinho era, or Brian Clough’s quote about how the Anglo-Scottish Cup gave his great Nottingham Forest team “a shot of something positive that only a trophy, whatever it is, can bring”. The times are different. The situation is different.
Pep Guardiola will have the opportunity to become the most successful manager in League Cup history when Man City face Arsenal at Wembley (Getty Images)
This is nevertheless the first League Cup final involving both of the top two since 1978, and a meeting between Liverpool and that Forest team. Clough’s side won to eventually complete a League Cup and title double.
That season was the first time the feat was managed, and both City and Arsenal are hoping to make this the 12th. City have already managed it four times, with Guardiola responsible for three of those.
As befits the occasion in the modern era, however, both sides are also going for more. City are aiming for a domestic treble. Arsenal are going for the quadruple. The League Cup has never had so much on the line, which marks quite a shift. The final itself may well mark another.
Seasoned quick Way To The Stars heads back to his native state after more than 12 months interstate, tackling Hawkesbury with trainer Matt Smith forecasting a competitive effort.
As a two-time Listed winner, the gelding encountered fair issues in recent runs, drawing wide in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) with no luck, then struggling on the soft Flemington surface last occasion.
The Hawkesbury Gold Rush (1100m) offers his ideal firm footing, and Smith highlights barrier three as a bonus for the 14-horse lineup.
“We had no hope in the Oakleigh Plate from the outside gate. We probably should have scratched,” Smith said.
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“And then we ran on a track that was wet in Melbourne, and he didn’t like that at all.
“I think he is back to his best. He’s a horse that needs to get his first 400 right, and if he can get that right, he can be competitive.”
With five weeks off and a trial under his belt, Way To The Stars is primed for Saturday.
Smith rates Nash Rawiller’s mount highly in this wide-open affair.
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“He’s been up at the farm for a few weeks and has done a bit of work on the sand. He had that trial and he’s good to go. He’s fresh, fit, well,” he said.
“It’s a good race. There are plenty of chances in it, and he’s one of them.”
Barnmate World Alliance is on standby for a Hawkesbury Gold Rush berth pending more scratches, and entry would see him as a threat.
Three-from-four first-up wins, track and distance suitability, plus draw four next to Way To The Stars enhance his claims for the six-year-old.
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“If he gets the right set-up, he is always dangerous,” Smith said.
“He needs tempo, which he’ll get here.
“He’s fit, and he’s well and I can’t fault him. His work was sharp on Tuesday morning so he’s ready to go.”
Promising gelding Golden Straand gets Smith’s backing to keep climbing in the Blake’s Marine Handicap (1100m), after a fresh win at Warwick Farm took him to four successes from nine starts.
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“He’s a really good horse. He could be in that stakes race, but he’s going through his grades,” Smith said.
“He’ll be very hard to beat in that race.
“He could end up in Queensland, for sure. The only thing with him is he needs good ground. His only blemish was on a wet track at Randwick, and he didn’t go on that at all.”
Man Utd academy talent Ethan Ennis has spent a hugely successful season on loan with Fleetwood Town.
Manchester United have activated their option to extend Ethan Ennis’ contract by 12 months. Ennis was out of contract at the end of the season, but he has enjoyed a hugely successful loan with Fleetwood Town.
Ennis has contributed six goals and eight assists for Fleetwood, demonstrating his durability across 45 appearances in League Two. United have been thoroughly impressed with Ennis during his loan stint.
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The Manchester Evening News understands new contract discussions will take place with Ennis this summer, and the youngster will have options on the table, with Championship clubs interested.
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Fleetwood staff were impressed by Ennis’ work ethic from the moment he arrived in Lancashire. That helped him to become a mainstay in their starting XI, and pick up their player of the month award in January.
Ennis is a goalscoring winger by trade. He scored 10 goals in 15 academy appearances for United in the first half of last season before joining Doncaster on loan in January 2025, but he has played at wing-back for Fleetwood.
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The 21-year-old won the FA Youth Cup in his first season in Manchester, playing alongside Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho.
United gave Ennis a new deal in the summer of 2024. He played for the first-team in the opening two friendlies of pre-season against Rosenborg and Rangers, but was not included in the United States tour squad.
Ennis spent the second half of 2024/2025 on loan with Doncaster, where he was part of a team that secured promotion.
Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package
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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.
Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.
Brendan Sorsby seems more and more likely to be ruled ineligible for the 2026 football season.
That could open the door for BYU to win the Big 12 Championship.
On today’s episode of Locked On College Football, Spencer McLaughlin discusses why Cal’s Spring Game bolsters their status as an ACC sleeper.
The Bears seem to have supported QB Jaron Keawe-Sagapolutele quite well.
Washington State has its third head coach in three seasons, entering the new world Pac-12 conference.
Who leads in their QB battle for HC Kirby Moore?
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00:00 Thoughts on BYU and Big 12 04:13 Will Hammond’s injury recovery update 13:10 Cooper Perry on Cal 14:50 Discussing first-year head coaches 18:00 Promising football prospects discussed 20:44 Transfer rules enforcement discussion 23:53 PAC12 media strategy and visibility 27:30 Quarterback race for starting position
For a large swath of golf fans, the rise of LIV Golf has been unsettling. Even if the league does unwind here, and it may not, the damage already done will take years to fix. The billions of petro dollars that the Saudis pumped into the pro game via LIV, too good to be true or sustainable from the start, ultimately revealed a certain opportunism among some of our golfing heroes. The broader pro game has taken a hit.
Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Reed, Sergio Garcia, Jon Rahm and others blithely broke off from tradition, the tradition that formed them. And for what, $100 million here and $300 million there? Who would have thought their loyalty could be bought at all? Did they not see that LIV Golf, creating this new hybrid model, was way too far removed from traditional tournament golf, the golf on which they were raised? Did they not see that the founding principle of LIV Golf was borrowed from The Dating Game?
We want you. We don’t want you.
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The players who LIV left behind, the stars and near-stars of the PGA Tour, lost their way, too. They have been diminished. They allowed their fearless leaders — commissioner Jay Monahan, Tiger Woods, the Strategic Sports Group investors and, more recently, CEO Brian Rolapp — to dismiss the very thing that made the Tour so singularly attractive: guaranteed nothing. Earn it, earn it, earn it. (I’m surprised that Woods even accepted that lifetime exemption into any event — doesn’t sound like the Tiger of yore.) Earn the right to play in 2026 based on what you did in 2025, that’s golf. Earn the right to play on Saturday and Sunday based on what you did Thursday and Friday. Yep. Has worked forever.
On that basis, Joel Dahmen and Scottie Scheffler started each week as equals. On that basis, every event was a fresh start, with a certain level of meaning (even if it was highly localized) baked into the Thursday starting times. The PGA Tour did not need a for-profit arm. Local charities, a different one every week, provided golf with all the fuel it needed. LIV Golf tried to turn tournament golf into something it is not, a global spectacle, 14 events in 10 countries this year. Just as all politics is local (Tip O’Neill), all fandom is, too. Most fandom is, anyway. The British Open belongs to the world. The Winter and Summer Games, the World Cup, the same. They’re on your calendar and always have been.
LIV Golf played an indirect role in the sunsetting of the PGA Tour’s mark-your-calendar Hawaii stops. (The PGA Tour, as we know it today, has been recreated in LIV Golf’s image, at least to a point.) Swaying palms in winter, swinging golfers underneath them, trying to get the new year off to a good start. The locals put on a show, and the rest of us could watch or not. What was there not to like? More tournaments will be 86ed here, in the name of Rolapp’s scarcity model. Fewer tournaments with fewer players for more money. How is that good for . . . us? Or Joel Dahmen? Joel Dahmen is American/PGA Tour golf every bit as much as Justin Thomas is.
American tournament golf, from the early Ben Hogan years nearly 100 years ago to the rise of young Jordan Spieth a fast decade ago, represented the purest and most civilized form of hunting, of capitalism, of sport. A guy could (in Tour parlance) “stay out” until he played his way off the Tour. It was so . . . manly (before that word had its legs cut off). Also beautiful.
The beautiful game is a lovely and fitting phrase that has been attached to soccer for 60 or 70 years now. The whole world plays fútbol, because all you need is a ball (any ball) and a field (any field). That’s it. The way the ball and the players move through that field is truly beautiful. I only wish we, dues-paying members of the global tribe of golf enthusiasts, had come up with the phrase first. Because golfis a beautiful game, too, simple in theory, confoundingly difficult in practice, played on all manner of fields. Every true golf fan knows what I’m talking about here.
That’s why we have had held the best golfers in the highest esteem. They did what we did, but at a level we could not grasp. Their golf shots were magic tricks. But they also choked like grass-eating dogs on their way to the bottom of the 72nd hole. In one four-day tournament the human experience in all its richness, or close to all, could be revealed. At the biggest events — with the best fields on the most demanding courses — that was even more true. Exhibition golf cannot offer that. The Masters last month surely did.
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Back in the day, pre-LIV, the money the Tour players made was the money the Tour players made, there in agate form for all of us to see. But it never made any particular impression on any of us, except as a convenient shorthand for who was playing best. Yes, the fellas played for large sums of money but also, and much more significantly, handsome and often historic trophies. These men played a game. That’s all they did, and it was enough. Jordan Spieth created 18-hole scores like Paul and John created four-minute songs. They played and played until there was this . . . thing. A song, for the Beatles. A score, for the golfers. A place on the leaderboard. Work? Work was something you did for . . . money. For Jordan and Co. money was just a byproduct. It wasn’t the be-all and end-all. I grew up on Tom Watson. In his prime, he was a difficult and demanding person. He played golf the right way. I was mesmerized by it.
Our golfing heroes played a difficult game well. They played the game we dreamed about playing. That was and should be the glue of the fan-pro relationship. In that context, those LIV teams — the Crushers and the rest — were always going to be a tough sell. Those TGL teams, rosters packed with your favorite PGA Tour stars, the same — a hollow sideshow. Justin Rose down the stretch, spilling his guts out in a futile effort (so far) to win a second major, that’s the beautiful game. Is Justin Rose even on a TGL team? A special prize to anybody who can tell me whether he is — and why you care.
Hogan, Palmer, Nicklaus, Watson, Tony Jacklin and Lee Trevino, Seve, Faldo, Norman, Tiger, young Jordan Spieth, thousands of others, played the beautiful game. If you halved the prize money for which they played, would they have done something else? Of course not. They were like us. First and foremost, they were golfers.
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I don’t fault Greg Norman for having an audacious idea for a global golf tour, and having enough self-belief and charisma to sell it, ultimately, to Yasir Al-Rumayyan, bossman of Saudia Arabia’s enormous national wealth fund, the oddly named Public Investment Fund. (What’s public about it?) The idea of having the best golfers in the world play one another on a more regular basis certainly sounds appealing. American golf fans will watch the British Open, because of its antiquity and to see these treeless royal courses. Japanese golf fans will watch the Masters, because of Augusta National’s lush beauty and the tournament’s social cache. But those events are outliers.
As for the golfers, most are homebodies. They don’t want to play the world. The only way to get them to do it is to pay them and that’s not good or healthy or sustainable. The answer to golf’s future lies in its past. That is, professional golf, played the world over by the best players in the world. The rest of us can get our tee times via the internet. That’s way better than the old system. Shortly after the PIF people made their statement about their LIV Golf exit, a friend happened to send me a photo depicting golfers on a dirt field. The beautiful game.
A Scottish FA investigation, led by sports event consultant Mark Blackbourne, has yet to report to the governing body on the cup tie.
The Ibrox club stressed they had “been clear in condemning the actions of certain individuals on 8 March” and had been “attempting to work with Celtic to mitigate any security concerns for the upcoming match”.
Rangers added that, for the forthcoming match that will help decide who wins a three-pronged title race involving leaders Hearts and the two Old Firm sides, “the removal of away supporters from one of the defining fixtures of the competition would introduce a clear and material sporting imbalance”.
Celtic had demanded the exclusion of a section of the Rangers support they say “identifiably engaged in serious violence and disorder”. The club expressed “surprise and disappointment” that Rangers had not agreed to the request and that they were happy to hold discussions with their rivals and the league body.
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The defending champions added their “priority will always be the safety of those attending Celtic Park and, following a detailed risk assessment with regards to the forthcoming match, the club has made a reasonable request of Rangers FC that tickets are not distributed to a section of supporters which very recently and identifiably engaged in serious violence and disorder involving Celtic supporters, staff, police and stewards”.
USA Basketball announced their four player roster on Tuesday for the 2026 FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series. The tournament begins on May 1 in Chengdu, China.
USA Basketball’s roster comprises Joyce Edwards, Mikaylah Williams, MiLaysia Fulwiley, and Sahara Williams. The college basketball stars will look to guide the basketball powerhouse to a gold medal.
According to USAB.com, more athletes might be added to the roster as the season progresses. This year’s tournament starts with the 3×3 Women’s Series Chengdu event in Chengdu, China. Team USA is in Pool D, and they’ll play against the winner of Qualifying Draw B at 2:00 a.m. ET followed by Australia at 3:40 a.m. ET.
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Team USA’s FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series roster packs NCAA experience
Team USA’s squad is made up of four players from high-level collegiate teams. Mikaylah Williams and MiLaysia Fulwiley play for the LSU Tigers, Joyce Edwards is the leading scorer for the South Carolina Gamecocks, and Sahara Williams stars for the Oklahoma Sooners.
Edwards played for the 2025 3×3 Nations League Team, which went 14-2 en route to winning the Americas Conference title. She’s won three gold medals with Team USA.
Fulwiley suited up alongside Edwards at the 2025 3×3 Nations League. The LSU Tigers guard was also part of the 2025 USA Basketball 3×3 development camp in Phoenix.
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Mikaylah Williams was a member of the 3×3 World Cup Team that finished sixth in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. She did contribute in the 2022 FIBA U17 World Cup gold medal win.
Sahara Williams played with Mikaylah Williams at the 2025 3×3 World Cup. She’s also a two-time gold medalist at the 3×3 U18 World Cup Teams in 2022 and 2023.
The Team USA quartet will fancy their chances. If they win their upcoming games, they’ll be set for the quarterfinals and semifinals on May 2.
Further down their calendar is the 3×3 Women’s Series Manila, May 6-8, in Manila, Philippines. Other dates will be announced in due time.
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Dawn Staley, Geno Auriemma, or Kim Mulkey – who is NCAAW’s highest-paid coach? Find out here
Trump National Doral’s Blue Monster course hosted its first PGA Tour round in 10 years on Thursday at the 2026 Cadillac Championship. While the course used to present a difficult challenge to the best golfers in the world, that was not the case in Round 1.
Those stars called it “straightforward,” and described it as “right in front of you” and “not super tricky,” all of which suggests some of the “Monster” has been taken out of the Blue Monster course.
Stars go low at Trump Doral: ‘Right in front of you, they don’t hide anything’
While many players went low in the opening round of the Cadillac Championship, none went lower than Young. The 2026 Players Champion fired an eight-under 64 on Thursday to take the early lead.
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Despite windy conditions, Young’s round featured eight birdies and, most notably, zero bogeys.
While Young called the Blue Monster a “good solid golf course” after his round, he also described the challenge it presents as “pretty much right in front of you,” that it “doesn’t hide anything,” that “learning the course wasn’t a huge deal” and that the greens are not “particularly firm.”
“Yeah I think it’s pretty much right in front of you for the most part. I think most of the tee shots are pretty apparent, which is what good courses give you,” Young said of Trump Doral’s Blue Monster. “I think it doesn’t try to hide anything. So learning the course wasn’t a huge deal… I think you can be pretty aggressive into a lot of the greens. They’re not particularly firm.”
He continued: “I think it’s a good solid golf course. Right in front of you, they don’t hide anything. It’s kind of what you want.”
Scheffler didn’t fare as well as Young on Thursday. Surprisingly, Scheffler was only able to get to one under through his first 18 holes, though that’s a first-round trend he’s experienced this season.
Despite not having the best day, Scheffler did not suggest that the course was any harder than Young had.
Scheffler called it “straightforward” and said that the course does not demand “a ton of strategy” or a “ton of decisions off the tee.”
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“I think a golf course like this there’s, this golf course is I don’t want to say straightforward, but most of it is in front of you. You can see what you need to do and there’s not a ton of like strategy, I don’t know if that’s the right word,” Scheffler said on Thursday. “There’s not a ton of decisions off the tee. There’s some lines and stuff and maybe some areas you can play from if you’re not playing your best, but outside of that it’s like you can definitely learn enough from a couple of days.”
Spieth admitted he only played one 9-hole practice round at the Blue Monster to prepare for this week, not counting Wednesday’s pro-am. Despite that, Spieth shot a seven-under 65 on Thursday to get within one shot of Young.
When asked to explain why he was able to perform so well on a course he’d barely seen, Spieth said “it’s not super tricky,” and then elaborated on his opinion.
“It’s not super tricky. During the pro-am you’re still looking, all right, here’s this corner. Michael is saying, Hey, check this is out. This pin will be in the middle of the greens in the pro-am, and you’re like there were some I wanted to see and write down the grain changes, when you’re hitting a wedge into this one, just nerdy stuff that helped knowing on a few of the pins.”
He continued: “It’s not tricky, so it was more just getting back out and recognizing what do I need to prioritize on the range, what shots am I really going to have throughout the week versus others. And you have quite a few long irons, more long irons than I think you have a lot of other places and so I’ve been trying to prioritize kind of up the bag getting good control of those clubs and I did today.”
Brian Harman, the 2023 Open champion, shared a different opinion, calling the Blue Monster course “very difficult.”
“I never played here. So it’s my first look at it. It’s very difficult especially coming in, 17, 18 with the wind blowing a little bit now. There is, 18’s as hard of a finishing hole as I can think of,” Harman said. “It’s very difficult because if you’re out of position there’s really not a lot of spots that are very easy to get up-and-down from. So it’s like you really need to drive it good and then you really need to iron it good and then make some putts. So if you’re out of position it’s tough. But I got fortunate.”
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But despite his opinion on the course’s difficulty, Harman went out a shot a four-under 68 on Day 1. His round was also bogey-free.
Nov 24, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings offensive tackle Brian O’Neill (75) celebrates the win after the game against the New England Patriots at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports.
Back in the 2018 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings did tremendously well when opting for Pittsburgh’s Brian O’Neill in the late 2nd. He has since been a fantastic player who is rightly regarded as a cornerstone player.
Is that soon to change?
Recent seasons have seen the Vikings investing in the offensive line. Last year, the move was to launch a total renovation of the interior offensive line. Welcoming all of LG1 Donovan Jackson (1st Round), C1 Ryan Kelly (FA), and RG1 Will Fries (FA) meant that the front five was going to be formidable. The issue? Some combination of injury, underperformance, and a poor approach to the offense’s play calling.
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The crew is now largely similar moving into 2026. Mr. Kelly has been subtracted, stepping away from football altogether due to retirement. Blake Brandel is the leader in the clubhouse for the starting center job as continuity reigns.
Any chance, though, that the upcoming season is the final one for Mr. O’Neill in the Twin Cities?
The Vikings, Brian O’Neill, & The Evolving OL
The veteran can still play. However, Minnesota has made an effort to reinforce the tackle depth.
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Back in March, the decision was to opt for Buffalo’s Ryan Van Demark. Doing so signalled the end of Justin Skule as the main backup at offensive tackle. Taken in isolation, the Van Demark deal is about the OT3 spot and little else. Good chance, folks, that that perspective still has plenty of merit.
Nov 23, 2025; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Minnesota Vikings linebacker Blake Cashman (51) and offensive tackle Brian O’Neill (75) take the field prior to a game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images.
But then there was the decision to choose OT Caleb Tiernan in the 2026 NFL Draft. Doing so has some importance both now and in the future.
Many draft nerds felt as though Tiernan should have gone much higher than No. 97. Consider what Lance Zierlein had to say in his scouting report: “Highly experienced college tackle who is likely to kick inside due to a lack of length that affects his protection projection. Tiernan is tall but carries the denseness of frame and core strength of a guard. Feet feature good initial quickness and he takes excellent angles on the move. He often finds early positioning advantages as a base blocker but lacks the anchor and play strength to consistently fortify/sustain. Leaky edges in pass pro will be less concerning with smaller spaces to patrol, while his punch timing and lateral quickness provide advantages. ‘Solid’ feels like the ceiling for Tiernan as a guard/swing tackle who can eventually elevate into a starting role.”
Plenty of optimism within that assessment even if there’s some skepticism about how high the rookie’s upside is. Mr. Zierlein knows far more about draft prospects than yours truly, but it’s not hard to see why Minnesota holds the newcomer in high regard.
Tiernan is a 6’8″ monster with impressive athleticism and compete. So, too, is he defiant in his insistence that he can play despite criticisms about his arm length (or lack thereof). Similarly notable is that he has spent plenty of time watching Brian O’Neill as someone who grew up watching NFC North football. Quite possibly, Tiernan will be O’Neill’s replacement in the future.
Rolling into 2026, Brian O’Neill is the locked-in starter at right tackle. His cap charge sits at a beefy $23,115,657 (OTC). Cutting him (not going to happen) means freeing north of $19 million whereas an extension can free beyond $14 million.
Is that extension still going to happen? Many thought the Vikings would do a deal already (myself included), but Brian O’Neill is moving into his final season under contract.
Very little drop off, if any at all, has been evident in O’Neill’s game. What’s worth noting, though, is that he’s going to turn 31 in September and has had some injuries in recent seasons. Partnering those basic ideas with being expensive at least opens the possibility of the Vikings moving on, especially since the roster boasts possible replacements.
The NFL truly is a place where actions speak louder than words. Extending O’Neill would silence a lot of the external chatter. Indeed, that would be a tangible action that clarifies Minnesota’s intention to continue working with the veteran right tackle.
On the other end of things has been the tangible decisions that have been taken. Minnesota made it a priority to bring in Ryan Van Demark, made evident in the aggressive RFA contract. There was then the real decision to draft a young, huge offensive tackle who can sit for a season behind Minnesota’s well-established starters.
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Dec 5, 2021; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Minnesota Vikings offensive tackle Brian O’Neill (75) leads his team to the field to play the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports
Another sneaky detail: Walter Rouse is still in town. He appears to be pretty far down the depth chart after getting scooped up in the 6th of the 2024 NFL Draft, but he’s on the roster competing.
Combined, that’s a trio of OT options who are all pressing on O’Neill.
Of course, there’s the possibility that one of those OTs starts pushing Christian Darrisaw for work, but that’s harder to foresee given the LT1’s youth, upside, and contract that extends for many more years. Indeed, Darrisaw just saw his deal restructured, pushing cap charges into the future. Does it make sense to push money into the future before then cutting him?
Brian O’Neill, 30, stands at 6’7″ and weighs 310 pounds. He remains a rugged, athletic player who is far better than given credit for within league-wide assessments of top tackles. There’s zero debate about his starting job for the upcoming season but there’s plenty of in-house competition thereafter.
Naoya Inoue defends his undisputed super-bantamweight titles against Junto Nakatani this Saturday at the Tokyo Dome.
The bout headlines a sold-out show of around 55,000 fans and is widely being billed as the biggest fight in Japanese boxing history, with both men featuring on the current pound-for-pound lists and entering the ring undefeated.
Inoue puts all four major belts on the line at 122lbs, while Nakatani steps up for just his second fight in the division. It’s seen as one of the undisputed champion’s toughest tests in years, with Nakatani bringing range, power and momentum into the fight as he looks to become a four-weight world champion and knock ‘The Monster’ off his perch.
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Speaking to ESPN ahead of the historic clash, former three-weight world champion Jorge Linares weighed up the advantages for each man.
“Something specific for Nakatani to do should be using his lead jab and left-handed counterpunches a lot more. Nakatani is a southpaw, and Inoue doesn’t really like fighting left-handers … Inoue doesn’t throw that many punches, but the ones he does throw are very powerful. And his timing is impeccable, too. It’s impressive, precise, especially the counterattack.”
When making his prediction, Linares sided with the underdog to become the first man to beat Inoue.
“This is a tough fight to predict – honestly, it’s 50-50 – and the first time I’ve seriously questioned whether Inoue could lose. I think it’s going to be very close, very close. I’ll go with Nakatani.”
Washington State has its third head coach in three seasons, entering the new world Pac-12 conference. 
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