Oct 8, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) drops back to pass against the Kansas City Chiefs in the first quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports.
With the news breaking on Monday that the Falcons are going to release Kirk Cousins at the start of free agency on March 11, the speculation intensified on Cousins’ next NFL destination.
How realistic is it to expect the 37-year-old Cousins to return to the Vikings, where he was a six-year starter and had three of his four Pro Bowl seasons?
Cousins’ Price and Timeline Will Decide Whether a Reunion Even Makes Sense
The Vikings reinforced at the Combine this week that although they still believe in J.J. McCarthy’s potential to be their franchise quarterback, they are “exploring all possibilities and casting a wide net,” according to Executive V.P of Football Operations Rob Brzezinski.
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I think the Cousins option makes sense and seems more likely than their other top options which could include signing Daniel Jones, Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Marcus Mariota, Joe Flacco, Jimmy Garoppolo or Malik Willis among other candidates in free agency or trading for Mac Jones, Anthony Richardson or Derek Carr (and perhaps Kyler Murray or Tua Tagovailoa could hit the open market if they’re released by the Cardinals and Dolphins, respectively).
Nov 16, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) is pressured to throw in the fourth quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Cousins is coming off a strong finish to the 2025 season for Atlanta, in which he won his last four starts and was 5-3 as the starter over the season. He threw seven TD passes with only two interceptions in those final four games.
His uneven play in 2024 for the Falcons (when he was benched for Michael Penix) was due in large part to a mid-season injury to his throwing shoulder and elbow, and he was also coming off the torn Achilles sustained in Week 8 of 2023 while still with the Vikings.
I’m a bit surprised his former Vikings OC Kevin Stefanski—now the Falcons’ new head coach—did not want to keep Cousins as the starter while Penix works his way back from a mid-season torn ACL (and Penix had plenty of other injuries in his college career).
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Stefanski and Cousins worked together in 2019 when Cousins made the Pro Bowl and the Vikings last won a playoff game (in New Orleans with a fine performance from Cousins, who led the winning overtime drive).
Cousins will cost Atlanta $35 million in dead money against the salary cap, whether they take the full hit this year or spread it over two years using a post-June 1 release designation. It seems like a mistake not keep him with his affordable $27.5 million base salary for 2026.
Cousins is a smart QB who knows the Vikings’ offense well, having worked with Kevin O’Connell for two seasons. Included was the 13-win season in 2022 when he threw for 4,547 yards and 29 TDs (92.5 passer rating). He was off to a strong start in 2023 with a 103.8 passer rating and 18 TDs (only five picks) before the Achilles injury.
Dec 16, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) throws the ball against Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Robert Spillane (41) in the second half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.
The learning curve would be a non-factor, and the main receiving targets from Cousins’ last year in Minnesota are still here—Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and, most likely, T.J. Hockenson. Cousins was the QB who delivered the ball to Jefferson in his Offensive Player of the Year season in 2022, when he led the league with 128 catches and 1,809 yards (plus eight TDs) compared to last season, when Jefferson dipped to 84 receptions, 1,048 yards, and only two TDs while working with McCarthy, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer.
Cousins was also very happy living in Minnesota and preferred to stay with the Vikings before the split, which was motivated by the Vikings’ desire to have a young QB on a cap-friendly rookie contract, which is the case with McCarthy. It would be a fairly easy transition for Cousins, his wife, Julie, and their two young sons, who could return to the school they previously attended.
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It’s clear Cousins wants to be a starter and believes he deserves it. Would he want to go to Pittsburgh if Rodgers leaves the Steelers and has to compete again with a first-round rookie, as he did with Penix in Atlanta?
Cleveland is a possibility, but the Browns are a quarterback graveyard lately. Las Vegas will almost surely be drafting Fernando Mendoza first overall. The Jets—ugh. Arizona and Miami are possible destinations if they dump their starters. In all those cases, Cousins would have to learn a new offense.
Cousins has always been astute in maximizing his contracts, including the $100 million in guaranteed money from his two years in Atlanta. Perhaps it’s time for him to take a relative bargain of a one-year deal as Jones did in Indianapolis and Rodgers did in Pittsburgh, with both QBs making $14 million plus incentives.
Perhaps a one-year, $20 million deal plus big incentives tied to wins and playoff success could get it done with Cousins and the Vikings should have the cap room to do such a deal after they restructure several contracts (starting with Justin Jefferson’s) and release several players, such as too often injured center Ryan Kelly.
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J.J. McCarthy and Ryan Kelly move through warmups at U.S. Bank Stadium as Minnesota prepares for Houston, with the session unfolding on Aug. 9, 2025 during early preseason work in Minneapolis. The quarterback-center pairing rotates through stretching and snapping routines while coaches monitor timing and communication, offering a clear look at developing chemistry ahead of the team’s first exhibition game of the summer. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.
And then have an open competition between McCarthy and Cousins, who has been the No. 2 QB in Washington early in his career and in Atlanta when Penix stepped in. I think O’Connell would trust Cousins to be supportive of McCarthy if he doesn’t beat him out. And it’s obvious that McCarthy can get hurt, which would open the door for Cousins if he didn’t win the starting job.
Rodgers is somewhat intriguing after he expressed interest in signing with the Vikings last season and has a good relationship with O’Connell. He’s not the MVP player he was in Green Bay, but he did win 10 games last season with a respectable 94.8 passer rating. But Cousins is five years younger and knows the Vikings’ offense, whereas Rodgers would have to learn a new system and may be content to stay with the Steelers after they hired his former Packers coach, Mike McCarthy.
It’s pretty clear Daniel Jones will stay in Indy after a fine season before his Achilles injury (8-5 record, 100.2 passer rating).
I like Mac Jones as a 27-year-old with a $2 million contract for 2026 who kept the 49ers in the playoff hunt (5-3, 97.4 passer rating) last season when Brock Purdy was injured. The Vikings have a similar system to the 49ers, which helped Sam Darnold when he came from San Francisco to the Vikings in 2024.
But Jones is under contract for one more year, so why would the 49ers trade him when he’s a top-quality backup to Purdy, who has been injury-prone unless a team gives the Niners at least a third-round pick (and it may take more since the 49ers may get a third-round compensatory pick if Jones leaves in 2027 free agency with a sizable deal).
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The Vikings need to keep their draft picks and build up the young talent on the team after a shaky recent draft history. So I wouldn’t recommend trading a fairly high pick for a quarterback who may wind up as the backup, especially when there will be solid free-agent options to sign.
In considering all the possibilities, I circle back to Cousins as making the most sense for the Vikings as a quality veteran QB to compete with McCarthy and be a much better No. 2 than Wentz or Brosmer were last season if McCarthy wins the job.
What matters most at the Combine for teams?
I spent many late February/early March weeks at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis during my Vikings and Titans years, and during my time at my agent firm, IFA.
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It was a long week, but a very important event on the pre-draft and pre-free agency calendar.
Fans focus on the workouts of top college players (many of whom don’t work out as they wait for their March Pro Day at their college).
NFL teams certainly pay attention to the workouts, but in reality, it’s fourth on the priority list for team execs at the Combine. The three things that are significantly more important are the physicals, the interviews, and the contract discussions with agents who also come to Indy.
The physicals are the first chance for team doctors and athletic trainers to examine players and check their recoveries if they were injured last season. The colleges do not paint a true picture of players’ health, so the physicals at the Combine and, in many cases, the re-checks in April on player visits to team facilities are critical in the evaluation process.
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Interviews with the players at the Combine allow the GM, coaches, and scouts to get to know players, ask them questions about their family and personal lives, and their football careers, and have them diagram plays and coverages to get a feel for their football smarts. These interviews can make a difference when teams have players graded the same and have to make a choice.
Mar 1, 2023; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell speaks to the press at the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
I have trained many of my agent firm’s rookies on interview techniques before the Combine, and I always impress upon them how important it is to make a good impression.
Then there are numerous meetings between team execs and agents of their players to discuss contract restructures or extensions. There are also discussions with agents on contract parameters for potential free agents, which the Vikings are surely having this week as they seek a veteran QB, a new starting center, and help at other positions such as corner and safety.
These discussions are technically tampering since they’re not taking place before the “legal tampering period” begins on March 11. But that is too late to start negotiating, and every team is doing so while keeping these conversations quiet and out of the media.
So you can tune in to the “underwear Olympics,” as the Combine has been called, but know the endless workouts on NFL Network are not a top priority for NFL GMs and other team execs in Indianapolis this week.
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Jeff Diamond is a former Vikings GM, former Tennessee Titans President and was selected NFL Executive of the Year … More about Jeff Diamond
NEW DELHI: Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has flagged concerns over Rinku Singh’s form ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, stating that his dip in performances could be a key issue for Kolkata Knight Riders to address.KKR begin their campaign against five-time champions Mumbai Indians in Mumbai on March 29. Rinku heads into the season under scrutiny after a disappointing T20 World Cup, where he managed just 24 runs in five innings.
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The left-hander’s struggles come after a remarkable breakthrough in IPL 2023, highlighted by his unforgettable five consecutive sixes off Yash Dayal during a 200-plus chase against Gujarat Titans — an innings that catapulted him to stardom.Speaking on his YouTube channel, Pathan reflected on the decline in Rinku’s returns since that standout season and his inability to make the most of opportunities at the World Cup.“We will have to see how much opportunity he gets to play. His 2023 season was outstanding. He scored 400-450 runs with a strike rate of 150. But after that, his performance dipped, and many times he did not get enough opportunities. He will have to maintain his standard and maximise the opportunities he gets. Even in the World Cup, he played five matches, but he could not fully capitalise on the chances he got. This is another problem that Kolkata needs to rectify, and Rinku Singh is one of them,” he said.Rinku had enjoyed a stellar 2023 campaign, scoring 474 runs in 14 innings at an average of 59.25 and a strike rate of 149.52, including four fifties. Since then, however, his numbers have dipped, with 374 runs in 22 innings at an average of 23.37, and a highest score of 38*.Pathan also pointed out that managing Varun Chakravarthy’s form would be another challenge for KKR. The mystery spinner started the T20 World Cup strongly, picking up nine wickets in four group-stage matches at an economy rate of just over five, but saw a sharp decline later, managing only five wickets in five matches from the Super Eight stage to the final, with his economy rate rising significantly.Despite the dip, Pathan backed Varun to bounce back and deliver in familiar conditions.“The challenge is how to bring Varun back with confidence given his current dip in form. He will play 14 matches, some of which will be at Kolkata’s ground, and he has definitely performed well in this league before. With the good memories he has in Kolkata, perhaps in a slightly different atmosphere, he might perform even better. I believe he will manage it, so although this is a challenge, Varun Chakaravarthy will overcome it,” said Pathan.Last season, Varun finished as the seventh-highest wicket-taker with 17 scalps at an average of 22.52 and an economy rate of 7.66, with best figures of 3/22. Overall, he has claimed 99 wickets in 83 matches for KKR, including two four-wicket hauls, with best figures of 5/20.
Fabio Wardley has made it crystal clear who he wishes to face after May 9, when he firmly believes a win over Daniel Dubois will come to fruition.
The 31-year-old is gearing up to defend his WBO world title at Manchester’s Co-op Live, with former heavyweight champion Dubois looking to scupper his plans.
‘Dynamite’ became the IBF world champion following his eighth-round finish over Filip Hrgovic in 2024, before defending the title against Anthony Joshua later that year.
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As a result of his five-round demolition job against ‘AJ’, Dubois later secured an undisputed showdown with Oleksandr Usyk, who ultimately handed him a fifth-round stoppage defeat last July.
Wardley, meanwhile, comes off an 11th-round finish over Joseph Parker last October, overcoming their enthralling battle with no small amount of grit and self-belief.
The Ipswich man was then elevated from ‘interim’ to full WBO champion after Usyk vacated the title, rather than collide with his mandatory challenger, in November.
Since then, though, the Ukrainian has expressed his interest in facing the winner of Wardley-Dubois after his clash with kickboxer Rico Verhoeven on May 23.
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Unsurprisingly, Wardley has also told Boxing Now that he is angling for a shot at Usyk, hoping to cement himself as the bona fide heavyweight king.
“After I win and beat Daniel, I’ll be looking at Usyk, and ultimately he holds the cards, so I’ll be waiting to hear what he says.
“Then everything else will be secondary to that, whether it be a [Tyson] Fury fight or – hard to mention his name, because of obviously what’s going on – but whether it be an ‘AJ’, or something like that.
“But ultimately, my eyes will be set on Usyk.”
Wardley has previously expressed an openness to lock horns with Fury, who must first complete his comeback assignment against Arslanbek Makhmudov on April 11.
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As for Joshua, the two-time heavyweight champion has now returned to the gym, training with Usyk, but is yet to confirm any details regarding his next outing.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – JANUARY 20: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) Celin Bizet Donnum of Manchester United Women in action during a training session at Carrington Training Ground on January 20, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Poppy Townson – MUFC/Manchester United via Getty Images)
Celin Bizet Donnum is redefining what it means to balance sport and personal life, and she’s doing it on her own terms.
The Manchester United Women winger is expecting her first child in 2026, a decision that would make many athletes pause their careers. But for Bizet, the fear was missing the chance to start a family.
“It was very scary to miss a season… but it was even more scary to not have the baby in my career.”
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At just 24, she’s in her prime, yet she chose to embrace both dreams instead of delaying one for the other.
“If you have two dreams, you can live both of them at the same time.”
Bizet knows she’s part of a small but growing group.
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“It’s still very rare to have a baby when you are a footballer.” And of course I will come back to football, that’s my motivation.”
CALGARY — No one knows how to antagonize an opponent, a team, or even a nation quite like Matthew Tkachuk.
But in his first game back in his old stomping grounds since Milan, the game’s most decorated player the last three years chose not to bring attention to the Olympic gold medal his American squad ripped from the hands of Team Canada.
“It’s the only trip I didn’t bring it on. I think my dad’s got it right now. I wasn’t showing it off in this place.”
A wise, respectful move by the longtime Flame who knew better than to rub anything in the faces of those who treated him so well the first six years of his career.
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They treated him well again Friday, with only smattered boos sprinkled in on a night in which Tkachuk and his defending champs showed very little bite.
Flames fans would have lost their minds if he’d strutted into the Dome with Olympic hardware dangling from his neck. And he knows that too.
Instead, he arrived with nothing but memories, and a whole lot of enthusiasm for something Calgary hasn’t hosted in decades: meaningful international hockey.
Because if there was one topic that lit him up more than the gold he didn’t bring, it was the World Cup of Hockey landing in Calgary and Edmonton in 2028.
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“I think it’ll be really good for the new building,” he said while champing at the bit to catch up with Ryan Lomberg and get out on the town with teammates.
“I’m excited. I love this building. I love having the memories here, but I think it’s gonna be great for the city now that they can get all the concerts and the stuff that they’ve been missing.”
Then he went full Calgary ambassador.
“Because, to me, this is the best city in the area, by far,” he smiled, unable to resist yet another shot at Edmonton.
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“And now, with this new rink, it brings just that much more traction, and I think a lot more people outside of Calgary will see what a great city Calgary is.”
One night earlier his beleaguered club turned on the jets to run the Oilers’ show once again.
But on either side of that game, the battered Panthers were beaten soundly by the 32nd and 31st place teams in the league, as part of a western Canadian tour that started in Vancouver and ended in the city Tkachuk was drafted and broke in.
There’s a respect factor for Tkachuk in Calgary that’s clearly mutual.
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Even though he informed the team he wouldn’t re-sign here in 2022, he did so a year ahead of time, giving the club ample time to get something meaningful for him in return.
He still talks about Calgary like a guy who knows the shortcuts, the late‑night eats, and the best patios. And, no matter the circumstances, he understands he broke a few hearts on the way out.
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“We got a couple boos the last few games, but nothing crazy,” shrugged Tkachuk, who has been a shadow of his irritating self since he returned from major surgery in time to play in the Olympics.
“It’s pretty good here. I love the fans here and I’ve got so many good memories with them. Still got some boos here.”
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“Actually, (I was) surprised I got some boos in Vancouver.”
You can expect Tkachuk and his brother to be in the eye of the storm in 2028 when the eight-team best-on-best tourney will feature Canada and the U.S. playing round-robin games at Scotia Place, less than 6 months after it’s expected to open.
“I’m kind of surprised that there’s not a game in the U.S. at some point, if I’m being honest,” he said.
“But Calgary was my home for six years. With the round robin here we’ll be here for a few days, so make the team, and show a few guys some great spots.”
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Another former Flame thriving in Florida, Sam Bennett lit up when asked about the World Cup coming to Alberta.
“Obviously it’s awesome,” said one of Team Canada’s gold medal heroes at the last incarnation of the World Cup, which was the 4 Nations Face-Off.
“I think it’s great for Calgary. I know how passionate the fans are here, so it’s great to see them get that experience. And I’m sure it’ll be awesome in that new building as well.”
But Bennett, unlike Tkachuk, allowed himself to get sentimental about the Saddledome, the rink that introduced him to the NHL and will soon be reduced to rubble.
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“I mean, it’s where I got introduced to the NHL here, so obviously a lot of nostalgia coming back into this building,” said Bennett.
“This building will always be special to me. It’ll definitely be a sad day when this building goes down.”
Tkachuk didn’t say it outright, but you could feel it: He feels the same way.
The Dome is where he became Matthew Tkachuk, the villain, the hero, the entertainer.
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The Olympic gold medalist who knew better than to remind everyone of it.
A review will also be allowed at the end of a point if a player feels his opponent may be guilty of hindrance.
Daniil Medvedev used the review system against Jack Draper in Indian Wells last week, after the British player briefly stretched his arms out wide during a rally to signal his belief that a Medvedev forehand was long.
Umpire Aurelie Tourte watched a replay on her tablet and ruled Draper was guilty of hindrance – of making either an action or a noise to disturb an opponent – and awarded the Russian the point.
Draper admitted it was a difficult situation for the umpire, but thought Medvedev had “played the rules quite well” and did not believe his gesture had been enough to distract him.
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The US Open has been using video reviews since 2023, and the Australian Open since 2025.
It is becoming more common on the women’s WTA Tour and by next season the men’s ATP Tour will have video reviews in place at all of its events.
Another change at Wimbledon this year will be the addition of visual indicators on scoreboards to complement the audio calls produced by ELC.
Spectators have sometimes been unsure whether a ball was in or out – and at the Australian Open this year, the net posts flashed red to give the crowd a visual cue whenever a ball was out.
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With exactly 100 days to go until the start of The Championships, the AELTC has also announced that capacity at the qualifying competition in Roehampton will increase from 3,500 to 4,000 each day.
JOHANNESBURG — While something raucous is certainly building at the Club at Steyn City, here at LIV South Africa, it feels like one LIV duel won’t get decided for another 23 days, and on a different continent. LIV will place 11 golfers in the Masters field three weeks from now, but the amount you’d place a wager on winning? It might just be two … but possibly two of the top three.
Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau — by far the two biggest assets on the globe-trotting circuit — have been circling each other these last three weeks in different corners of the world. They’re going to keep doing so the next two days in Johannesburg, too, and one might even lift the trophy. (DeChambeau leads by two. Rahm trails by three.) But regardless of what happens in South Africa, both are obviously tracking toward some of the best golf of their lives, just days before the first major of the year.
During a Masters-related chat Tuesday morning, Rahm admitted that the form he feels right now mimics where he was in late 2021 into 2022, or late 2022 into 2023 — the two peaks that stood out to him across his career. Not so shockingly, that’s when he won his majors.
“I would say on ’23, my iron game was probably just as sharp,” Rahm said. “Putting was possibly a little bit better. I don’t know what the stats say. I’m just going based on what I feel. And driving was good. I feel like I’ve driven it better so far this year.
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“I’m feeling really, really good. That’s what I can say. I don’t know how to quantify it because it doesn’t always correlate to wins.”
He’s certainly lived up to that. Rahm’s season started with a second-place finish in Riyadh, continued with another second in Australia, and then felt like a real breakthrough when he finally won in Hong Kong. He squeezed enough out of his game last week in Singapore to finish solo fifth. Atop that leaderboard was DeChambeau.
DeChambeau’s spurt of form has been much more recent. He contended with Rahm (also in a losing effort to Anthony Kim) in Australia before a T24 in Hong Kong. Then he won in Singapore with what he called his “major championship golf.”
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A few days later, he’s now halfway to a wire-to-wire victory, two clear of the field. And what’s different about DeChambeau, when compared to Rahm, is that his nirvana of form is much more narrow. Rather than pinpoint specific years or months of a season, he cites a very specific third and final round from August 2023.
“I feel like I’m getting closer to when I shot 58 at Greenbrier,” DeChambeau said Saturday after his way-too easy 65, which featured a double bogey. “That’s what I’ve been striving to get back to. I lost it a little bit. I’ve been working with Dana [Dahlquist] and Sportsbox [AI] to figure out what exactly I did back in ’23 at Greenbrier. I feel like I’m getting close to that again.”
That 58 not only followed a 61 from its previous day, but it saw him beat the LIV field average by nearly nine strokes. He finished 23 under in a 54-hole tournament and won by six.
“It was the greatest swing performance of my entire career,” he continued. “I just remember being able to step up on the tee and not even think about anything and it would do exactly what I was seeing. It was like a video game to me for a while. I didn’t really know exactly what I was doing, but I had just fallen into this pattern.”
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DeChambeau gets starry-eyed when thinking about that round, like that 58 was some crush of his infatuation. “You get to that place and it’s almost like nothing else matters,” he said Friday. But it was one of the first memorable moments of his partnership with current caddie Greg Bodine.
Bodine has been able to learn and speak the DeChambeau language so well that the two now feel inseparable as a competitive duo. They may not have gotten DeChambeau all the way to the feeling of that West Virginia 58 since, but they have won the U.S. Open, contended at the PGA Championship and were good enough to earn a front-row seat to Sunday’s final round with Rory McIlroy last Masters. DeChambeau said earlier this week he’s been carrying learnings ever since that tournament about how he needs to strike it. He said he’s in the fine-tuning stage of Masters prep, a bit surprised it all came together last week. But then he shot 63-65 already this week. There may not be much more tuning left to do.
A simple gesture off the field once again showed why Sanju Samson continues to win hearts — even before playing a single game for Chennai Super Kings. As Samson begins a new chapter in yellow ahead of IPL 2026, he has already been making the most of his time alongside MS Dhoni — sharing nets, engaging in cricketing conversations and learning from one of the game’s greats. The wicketkeeper-batter has also been seen accompanying Dhoni at events, soaking in the experience. But it was during one such event that Samson’s humility stood out.
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After Dhoni signed a bat, organisers requested Samson to do the same. The former Rajasthan Royals captain politely declined, choosing to let the moment remain about the CSK legend. Dhoni, however, ensured Samson eventually added his autograph — a small moment that resonated widely with fans.Fresh off a stellar ICC T20 World Cup 2026 campaign, where he played a key role in India’s title-winning run, Samson now gears up for his first season with CSK after a major move from Rajasthan Royals.Speaking about the opportunity to share the dressing room with Dhoni, Samson said, “I have spoken to Mahi bhai (Dhoni) over the phone and interacted with him, but playing with him as part of a team will be great. I see it as an opportunity to learn from him.”“(I am) looking forward to playing for CSK, I feel grateful for the love and attention I have been getting from fans,” he added.Samson’s journey with CSK will begin with an emotional clash against his former franchise, as Chennai take on Rajasthan Royals in their opening game on March 30 at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium.“This is the first time I will play against Rajasthan Royals, but I don’t let emotions rule me on the field. I left Rajasthan Royals because I felt my time in the team was over. Even if we come up against them now, I will play my best cricket,” Samson said.
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Who do you think will have the bigger impact in the upcoming match between CSK and Rajasthan Royals?
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High on confidence after being named Player of the Tournament in India’s T20 World Cup triumph — sealed with a dominant win over New Zealand — Samson believes the momentum is with him.“I wasn’t very confident when I left home to play in the World Cup, but the universe had other plans; I played well and the reception has been great,” said Samson.
DENVER — Momentum is the next day’s starting pitcher.
It’s a baseball truism, credited to Baltimore Orioles manager Earl Weaver. But it’s spring. Baseball season is around the corner, and it’s broadly applicable. The Toronto Raptors couldn’t have arrived in Denver in a better state: fully healthy other than the troublesome left thumb that has kept rookie Colin Murray-Boyles out for his 10th consecutive game.
They were also coming off three straight wins, each impressive in its own way.
You could feel the Raptors’ energy uptick. Even in Denver.
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“There’s so much opportunity out there for them. I think they see that,” said Nuggets head coach David Adelman. “You don’t know what’s gonna happen … I think they’ve been playing on a high all year because they’ve been in the mix all year … they’re a legit team in the conference. When you feel like that late in the season, it’s kind of a new feeling. They’re taking advantage of that. The momentum is high right now.”
But the Nuggets had three-time MVP Nikola Jokic taking the mound Friday night. Canadian all-star Jamal Murray waiting in relief. The team that was missing four starters when they beat the Raptors in Toronto on New Year’s Eve was missing only Peyton Watson.
Would the Raptors’ momentum, built on wins over Phoenix, Detroit and Chicago, continue to build? Or would the Nuggets mow them down like prime Roy Halladay?
The final score — 121-115 in favour of Denver — suggests no, the momentum did not carry over. At least not completely.
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But a more charitable interpretation is that the Raptors were in the mix down the stretch against a veteran team with championship aspirations and only failed to beat Denver at what they do best: manipulating the final possessions of close games, something that has been a Raptors weakness for much of the season.
But the Raptors (39-30) remain fifth in the Eastern Conference as they head to Phoenix for the third game on their five-game road trip. And they remain confident that they have something building.
The Raptors starters, for example, were all in the double figures, led by another impressive outing by Jakob Poeltl, who finished with 23 points, 11 rebounds and two steals and helped hold Jokic to a relatively modest (for him) 22 points, eight rebounds and nine assists — all below his season averages. As a group, the Raptors starters were plus-17 in 17 minutes against one of the best starting units in the NBA.
And they got a nice spark off the bench from Ja’Kobe Walter, who scored 11 of his 14 points in the first half and was 4-of-5 on threes.
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“The more we get healthy, the more we play together, the better it’s going to be for us,” said RJ Barrett (18 points on 6-of-14 shooting, four turnovers), who spent long stretches of the game matched up with Canadian Olympic teammate Murray. “I think we’re showing that on a nightly basis. But there are times and moments that we can play better as a team.”
For long stretches against the Nuggets, it was happening. The energy was there. The snap. The defensive effort against the NBA’s top-ranked offence.
The Raptors had a great start to the game, jumping out to an 11-2 lead and leading after the first quarter. If the Nuggets pushed back and were able to take a four-point lead at halftime, the Raptors were poised to snatch that advantage with emphasis.
The Raptors came out after halftime and dominated. At one point, they hit nine straight shots in the third.
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In all, they converted 11 of their first 14 field goal attempts, fuelled by five Nuggets turnovers and shot 17-of-22 for the quarter and had 10 of their 32 assists as they opened up a nine-point lead to take into the fourth quarter.
But the Nuggets were playing at home and coming off one of their most disappointing losses of the season, on the road against the tanking Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday. They have big goals and, as the sixth seed in the West, are feeling some urgency about building some momentum of their own to keep them in sight.
With Jokic on the bench, it was Murray who helped lead a Nuggets surge as he scored 12 of his game-high 31 points in the final frame. In the space of 90 seconds to start the fourth, he assisted former Raptor Bruce Brown (12 points on 4-of-6 shooting) on a three, hit a tough fadeaway jumper and then a three of his own to cut the Raptors’ lead to one.
It was his way of saying that everything was going to be fine.
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“You know, even when they made shots, guys were still in the ball,” said Murray. “Guys were still playing hard and calling out coverage and stuff. But I mean, they’re still a good team, so they’re up on us, and we just made a good push, like we normally do.”
But the Raptors made their own push. Brandon Ingram (19 points on 7-of-12 shooting) hit a long jumper and a triple. Scottie Barnes (15 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, two steals and two blocks) attacked the paint for three crucial buckets and even blocked Jokic on a post-up.
It was a one or two-possession game for most of the fourth quarter, and after Poeltl scored on a reverse lay-up, he was fouled by Jokic and made the free throw to finish the three-point play. The game was tied with 59 seconds left.
But the Raptors’ momentum stalled from there. The Nuggets were able to go to variations of the Jokic-Murray two-man game that has been the NBA’s best for nearly a decade now, and were rewarded. In the final four minutes of the game, one of Jokic or Murray scored or assisted on every Nuggets bucket.
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Prior to that, veteran Tim Hardaway Jr. had hit a pair of threes off offensive rebounds the Raptors weren’t able to track down. He scored 23 points on 7-of-10 three-point shooting.
The Raptors could only lament that they couldn’t make their push last. Did their momentum carry over? Not completely, but they didn’t squander it.
“When we have a third quarter like that, we have to try and keep the momentum rolling into the fourth,” said Barrett. “They play very physical, one of the most physical teams, so all these games coming up now against these good teams, everyone is trying to fight for seeding everything. It’s playoff intensity.”
And for the most part, the Raptors brought just that into a difficult environment against a seasoned team with expectations of playing in June.
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The Nuggets are looking for momentum too:
“It’s not going to happen overnight,” said Murray. “But we just gotta go at our own pace and then focus on each game. And I thought tonight was like a great bounce-back energy game in front of our home fans. That’s just the energy we need to play with. Those were, those are the games where, if we had lost that game, our effort would have been something that I could have slept well with, you know. So it’s just good to come up with a win and start building some great.”
Yes, Murray and Jokic have seen that defence before: I asked Murray about his connection with Jokic, who the Kitchener native has played with his entire nine-year career, and this is what he said: “There’s a lot of communication with no words, just with the basketball and with our eyes,” he said. “And we’ve created a really good chemistry and also feel for each other. You know, we might have coverages, but he also reads me, and I read him and like, him as a being, he reads me and my emotion and stuff like that. So, yeah, we’ve seen a lot of coverages. We’ve seen teams being in a drop, teams being up with me. Teams try to switch it. They try to weaken it. Sometimes there’s teams that bring three defenders over. Teams that front him. So we just figure it out.”
Champagne problems: Nuggets head coach Adelman made an interesting observation about how Denver’s status as one of the NBA’s marquee teams offers a unique challenge that the Raptors, for example, don’t face in their current iteration: “With the streaming stations, obviously there are more national games,” said Adelman. “The league, they’re partners with these people. It’s cool to be important and that they want to see us play on national TV (but) going into back-to-backs is tough when you play a late game and lose an hour. We’ve done that three straight weeks, and we’re gonna do it again next week … I know (Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr) has talked about a (lower) number of games to make sure the basketball is quality … I agree with that. Or if you want a traditional 82, for the history of the game, statistically is important, I think they have to find a way to expand the calendar a little bit, in my opinion.”
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The common man: It’s never a bad day when you run into Jonas Valanciunas. A few familiar faces got a chance to catch up with the much-loved former Raptor the morning of the game. He’s had a decent season playing back-up minutes for the Nuggets. He’s playing a career-low 13 minutes a game in his 14th season but still contributes 8.3 points and 4.9 rebounds a game — that’s 22 points and 13 rebounds on per 36-minute basis. He’s not lost his sense of humour, however. “What are you doing here so early?” (The Nuggets didn’t have a shootaround.) Without missing a beat: “I’m still a young guy. Here early to get my shots up to impress the coaches.” He said he’s enjoyed Denver: quiet, good for families, decent restaurants. Downside? The dry air: “I never had to use body lotion until I came here,” he said. Very relatable.
Eddie Hearn has shared his thoughts on Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing signing a multi-year broadcast deal with Sky Sports.
It was announced this week that White’s new boxing promotion would now be aired on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom, with the promise of at least five shows in the UK per year.
Matchroom CEO Hearn spent the best part of a decade with an exclusive broadcasting deal with Sky, before leaving in 2021 to join streaming platform DAZN.
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Hearn has now given his reaction to TalkSport on the new partnership between Sky and White, claiming that Zuffa have ‘massive problems’ currently.
“It depends what shows they give them. I think they’re doing four shows in the UK. It’s not a lot, but they haven’t got any UK fighters other than Conor Benn, whose contract expires in what, three weeks? So we’ll see what happens.
“I’ve said before, Zuffa and TKO are a big company, but they’ve got massive problems at the moment. The UFC, there’s a fighter revolt going on at the moment. Them moving into boxing has highlighted this problem and blown it up out of nowhere.
“A lot will depend on the time and effort and if they can be bothered to fight every single day in the boxing space. That’s what you’ve got to do.”
Hearn then said that Sky Sports being involved in boxing is a good thing for the sport.
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“At the moment, I would say Zuffa are eighth or ninth in terms of promotional rankings in terms of what they’re doing and the fighters they have, so they have got to try and move up the ladder and I’m not sure if they’re capable of doing it.
“We’ll see the level of shows they put on Sky Sports. Jake Paul has got dates on Sky Sports, so whatever happens, it’s great to see Sky Sports back in boxing.”
Tickets to the Sweet 16 will be punched in Saturday’s 2026 NCAA Tournament action. No. 4 seed Nebraska, fresh off its first-ever NCAA Tournament victory, will face upstart Vanderbilt for a trip to the second weekend in one of Saturday’s most enthralling clashes (8:45 p.m., TNT March Madness Live).
No. 1 seed Michigan is also looking to get back to the Sweet 16 for the second year in a row under Dusty May, but Saint Louis, coached by May’s close friend Josh Schertz, stands in the way (12:10 p.m. ET, CBS March Madness Live).
The Lone Star state will also be well-represented in Saturday’s games. No. 11 seed Texas will face No. 3 seed Gonzaga (7:10 p.m. ET, TBS March Madness Live). No. 10 seed Texas A&M will have a date with in-state rival Houston (6:10 p.m. ET, TNT March Madness Live). No. 9 seed TCU will get its shot at No. 1 Duke (5:15 p.m. ET, CBS March Madness Live).
Here is the full tournament schedule and bracket to keep you up to date.
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As the home of March Madness, CBS Sports will track every game and score, keeping you apprised of notable developments in our continuously updating live NCAA Tournament bracket with matchup analysis for every game.
As far as the NCAA Tournament schedule, we understand that it’s hard to keep up with that printable bracket of yours, so how about an easier way to digest it?
Below you will find a March Madness schedule featuring viewing information for each game broken down by region, so you can not only follow your team but also those they may compete against through the duration of March Madness.
In other words, you should bookmark this page and keep it as an easy reference guide from the First Four through the Final Four. Now that the games started on Tuesday, it will be updated with scores, analysis and much more — all the way through the national championship.
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2026 NCAA Tournament bracket, scores
All times Eastern
East
FIRST ROUND
Thursday — Greenville
Thursday — Buffalo
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Friday — San Diego
Friday — Philadelphia
SECOND ROUND
Saturday — Greenville
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(1) Duke vs. (9) TCU | 5:15 p.m. | CBS
Saturday — Buffalo
(3) Michigan State vs. (6) Louisville | 2:45 p.m. | CBS
Sunday — San Diego
(5) St. John’s vs. (4) Kansas | 5:15 p.m. | CBS
Sunday — Philadelphia
(7) UCLA vs. (2) UConn | 8:45 p.m. | TNT
West
FIRST FOUR
Tuesday — Dayton
FIRST ROUND
Thursday — Portland
Friday — San Diego
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Friday — St. Louis
SECOND ROUND
Saturday — Portland
(3) Gonzaga (11) Texas | 7:10 p.m. | TBS
(4) Arkansas vs. (12) High Point | 9:45 p.m. | TBS
Sunday — San Diego
(1) Arizona vs. (9) Utah State | 7:50 p.m. | TruTV
Sunday — St. Louis
(2) Purdue vs. (7) Miami (FL) | 12:15 p.m. | CBS
Midwest
FIRST FOUR
Tuesday — Dayton
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Wednesday — Dayton
FIRST ROUND
Thursday — Buffalo
Friday — St. Louis
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Friday — Tampa
Friday — Philadelphia
SECOND ROUND
Saturday — Buffalo
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(1) Michigan vs. (9) Saint Louis | 12:10 p.m. | CBS
Sunday — St. Louis
(2) Iowa State vs. (7) Kentucky | 2:45 p.m. | CBS
Sunday — Tampa
(4) Alabama vs. (5) Texas Tech | 9:45 p.m. | TNT
Sunday — Philadelphia
(3) Virginia vs. (6) Tennessee | 6:10 p.m. | TNT
South
FIRST FOUR
Wednesday — Dayton
FIRST ROUND
Thursday — Oklahoma City
Thursday — Greenville
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Thursday — Oklahoma City
Friday — Tampa
SECOND ROUND
Saturday — Greenville
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(3) Illinois vs. (11) VCU | 7:50 p.m. | CBS
Saturday — Oklahoma City
(2) Houston vs. (10) Texas A&M | 6:10 p.m. | TNT
(4) Nebraska vs. (5) Vanderbilt | 8:45 p.m. | TNT
Sunday — Tampa
(1) Florida vs. (8) Iowa | 7:10 p.m. | TBS
2026 NCAA Tournament schedule
Sweet 16
Thursday, March 26 — 7:10 p.m. start (CBS, TBS) Toyota Center (Houston), SAP Center (San Jose)
Friday, March 27 — 7:10 p.m. start (CBS, TBS) United Center (Chicago), Capital One Arena (Washington, D.C.)
Elite Eight
Saturday, March 28 — 6:09 p.m. start (TBS) Toyota Center (Houston), SAP Center (San Jose)
Sunday, March 29 — 2:15 p.m. start (CBS) United Center (Chicago), Capital One Arena (Washington, D.C.)
Final Four
Saturday, April 4 — 6:09 p.m. start (TBS) Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis)
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National Championship
Monday, April 6 — 8:50 p.m. (TBS) Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis)
;)
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