The Vikings have brought in an extensive rookie class, built around nine draft picks as well as 19 initial undrafted rookies. Since signing them three weeks ago, the franchise has already parted ways with two of them.

The latest victim of an offseason release was Jordan Botelho, a pass-rusher out of Notre Dame.

Minnesota announced on Thursday that Botelho won’t return for offseason workouts.

Wideout Davis will bolster the depth of the receiving corps, instead.

Botelho, from Honolulu, joined Notre Dame in 2020 as a four-star recruit. He immediately carved out a role on special teams and climbed the depth chart on defensee in his long career. Throughout his career, Botelho played in a whopping 62 games, registering 12.5 sacks, 97 tackles, and 16.5 tackles for loss.

Though he never fully clinched a starting spot outside of 2024, a season he got hurt in after only three games, he started several games in his six years in college.

As an undrafted rookie, he was always a long shot to stick around. Still, he could’ve been one of the players who earn a roster spot or qualify for the practice squad, especially at the alarmingly thin depth chart at outside linebacker following Jonathan Greenard’s trade to Philadelphia.

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Without the 2024 Pro Bowler in the mix, the Vikings will deploy fellow former Pro Bowler Andrew Van Ginkel and Dallas Turner in the starting lineup. First-rounder Turner will be a crucial player in replacing Greenard.

The organization spent a ton of draft capital to lure him to the Twin Cities in the 2024 draft and it’s time for him to become a full-time starter in his third NFL season under Brian Flores’ watch. He secured eight QB takedowns last season and figuratively exploded when he had to replace Greenard due to a shoulder injury.

Van Ginkel was once again fantastic when he was available, but he missed a handful of contests in his second season with the Vikings. In his 12 games, he still tabulated 7 sacks, 11 tackles for loss, and 54 tackles, as well as one of his signature interceptions.

The duo should be solid even without Greenard anchoring the defensive front. Behind them, however, the cupboard is bare, as the Vikings didn’t acquire any notable rushers and the depth wasn’t particularly impressive to begin with, even before the Greenard trade.

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Bo Richter, a freak athlete who spent his college time at Air Force, is the most accomplished on paper. The 2024 undrafted rookie has appeared in 31 career games, mostly starring on special teams. His defensive resume is limited to 81 defensive snaps, but he showed some promise in the preseason.

Tyler Batty and Chaz Chambliss can also be classified as special-teamers after barely playing on defense in their undrafted rookie seasons in 2025. This year’s UDFAs, Cam’Ron Stewart and Arden Walker, complete the group in theory.

There’s one more idea floating around in the Vikings universe, though. Rookie second-round linebacker Jake Golday is viewed as a versatile player who could get reps at off-ball linebacker and on the edge, which might be a tall task for a rookie.

The most likely outcome will be that another pass-rusher will join the franchise at some point within the next few months. There are a few experienced rushers at the tail end of their careers on the market. Jadeveon Clowney has picked his next employers in the summer for years; maybe Minnesota is his next stop.

Either way, Botelho is no longer under contract with the Vikings. He joins Scooby Williams as undrafted rookies that didn’t last long.

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Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.

Janik Eckardt is a German sports nerd, who likes numbers and stats. He chose the Vikings to be his … More about Janik Eckardt

Arber Xhekaj is getting a lot of praise around the hockey world for something that had little to do with hits, fights, or even that usual playoff intensity. The Montreal Canadiens defenseman reportedly helped save a person’s life earlier this week after noticing a suicide attempt close to Montreal’s Lachine Canal. 

Xhekaj, who was out walking with his brother Florian, quickly rang 911 and then worked with the emergency responders during the whole scary situation. The person did survive, so this ended up becoming a tragic moment turned into something that showed calm thinking, real responsibility, and compassion off the ice.

According to Reports, Xhekaj and his brother Florian were around the Lachine Canal between Games 3 and 4 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, when they saw a man jump into the water in what looked like an apparent suicide attempt. A bunch of folks were watching from farther away, but Xhekaj acted right away and kept his focus on getting proper, professional help to the situation as fast as possible.

Sources also suggest the Canadiens defenseman thought about going in himself, but he decided against it and went with the safer, more intelligent approach, which was calling emergency services. Since there wasn’t any rescue gear nearby, jumping into the canal could have turned into a bigger problem and put several lives at risk. So instead, Xhekaj stayed steady, called 911, and helped once the first responders got there.

The situation ended, pretty positively, with the individual making it through the whole incident. What impressed a lot of fans and insiders is that Xhekaj reportedly never actually sought attention, or any publicity for what he did. The story only came to light afterward, through people who were close to the events and knew what happened.

Montreal Canadiens Defenseman Arber Xhekaj Shows Leadership Beyond Hockey

Xhekaj is pretty well known all across the NHL for his toughness and physical-minded way of playing, but this one moment kinda showed a different side of the young defenseman. For a lot of people in the hockey community, what happened really pointed to the same kind of backbone and ownership that Martin St. Louis keeps stressing, over and over, inside the Canadiens group.

And the timing wasn’t small either. Just one day earlier Xhekaj had been hit with a fine after an on-ice altercation during the playoffs. Still, instead of using that off day to kinda stay clear of noise and drama, he got pulled into a real-life emergency, where every second felt crucial.

By the time it was said and done, the whole thing went past regular sports talk. Instead of being remembered for a fight, or a late playoff push, Xhekaj is now being talked about for helping save a life, and for doing the right thing when it actually mattered most.

Jannik Sinner has broken Novak Djokovic’s all-time record of successive match wins at ATP Masters 1000 tournaments by recording the 32nd straight victory of his historic streak to reach the Italian Open semi-finals.

The Italian world number one overpowered 12th seed Andrey Rublev 6-2 6-4 to continue his bid to join Djokovic as only the second man to win all nine Masters 1000 titles – the sport’s highest level below the Grand Slams.

Sinner, 24, appears in unstoppable form before the French Open – the only major standing between him and a career Grand Slam – begins on 24 May.

He has joined Spanish great Rafael Nadal as the only other man to reach semi-finals at each of the first five Masters 1000 events in a season, and will face Russian Daniil Medvedev for a place in the showpiece final.

Seventh seed Medvedev lost the first five games against Spanish lucky loser Martin Landaluce as he conceded the opening set in just 26 minutes, but battled back to win 1-6 6-4 7-5 and reach his first semi-final in the clay-court swing.

“I don’t play for records. I play just for my own story,” Sinner told the crowd.

“At the same time, it means a lot to me. But tomorrow is another opponent, in different conditions – it’s a night match.

“Now the highest priority for me is trying to recover as much as I can physically.

“Emotionally it takes a lot playing here at home. At the same time, I’ll definitely try to do my best. It’s a win-win situation for me in any case. It was a good day today.”

Punjab Kings suffered their fifth straight defeat in IPL 2026 as Mumbai Indians chased down 201 with six wickets in hand on Thursday, leaving Punjab’s playoff hopes hanging by a thread. The loss also added another unwanted record to Punjab’s tally, as they now hold the record for the most defeats while defending 200-plus totals in T20 cricket.Punjab now have 10 defeats while defending 200-plus scores in T20s. West Indies are next on the list with eight losses, followed by Royal Challengers Bengaluru with seven and Chennai Super Kings with six.Most defeats in 200+ chases in T20s10 Punjab Kings8 West Indies7 Royal Challengers Bengaluru6 Chennai Super KingsAsked to bat first, Punjab got off to a strong start through Priyansh Arya (27) and Prabhsimran Singh (57), who added 50 runs in 33 balls. Prabhsimran later stitched a 57-run stand with Cooper Connolly as PBKS crossed the 100-run mark in the 12th over.However, Mumbai pulled things back through Shardul Thakur, who picked up four wickets for 39 runs. He removed Prabhsimran and skipper Shreyas Iyer (4) within three balls to shift momentum in Mumbai’s favour.Punjab still managed to reach 200 for 8 after collecting 53 runs in the final three overs. Azmatullah Omarzai scored 38 off 17 balls, while Vishnu Vinod and Xavier Bartlett added late runs.Mumbai’s chase was led by Ryan Rickelton, who smashed 48 off 23 balls with four fours and four sixes. Though Punjab fought back through Yuzvendra Chahal and reduced Mumbai to 89 for 3, Tilak Varma held the innings together with an unbeaten 75 off 33 balls.Tilak first added 61 runs with Sherfane Rutherford and later finished the chase with Will Jacks. He also smashed two sixes in the final over to seal the win with one ball remaining.The defeat also added to Shreyas Iyer’s record while defending 200-plus totals in the IPL. As captain, Iyer has now lost seven such matches in the league. In 20 IPL matches where his side scored 200-plus totals while batting first, his teams have won 12, lost seven and had one no result. No other IPL captain has lost more than five such games, while only Faf du Plessis has lost as many across all T20 cricket.Shreyas Iyer as captain in defending 200+ totals in IPLMat 20 | Win 12 | Lost 7 | NR 1No other captain has lost more than five such games in IPL while only Faf du Plessis has lost as many across all T20s.

Manchester City beat Manchester United in the FA Youth Cup final and Pep Guardiola was there to see them do it.

Pep Guardiola was among the first to congratulate Manchester City Under-18s for winning the FA Youth Cup. The first team manager was watching inside the Joie Stadium as the young Blues beat Manchester United in the final with goals from Floyd Samba and Reigan Heskey.

“I want to congratulate Oliver Reiss, his staff, the players and everyone working in our academy on winning the FA Youth Cup,” said Guardiola. “Success in this competition is another example of how good this club is at creating a winning mentality and producing top young players.

“Every season I am so impressed by the talent that we produce here at the CFA – I see it when the young players train with us. I hope everyone in the academy enjoys this achievement because it is a reward for all the hard work and commitment not just from this season, but years of hard work.”

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Academy Director Thomas Kruecken said: “Winning the FA Youth Cup is always a key target for us at the start of each season, so to see the team lift the trophy is a momentous occasion and an achievement everyone in the academy should be immensely proud of.

“Our results throughout the competition have shown how much the FA Youth Cup means to Oliver, his staff and the players. They have been superb. They have shown the importance of performing when it counts, in a final. We are incredibly proud of the players and staff for facing the challenge head on and we believe it will prove to be an important experience in our player’s journey to become a professional footballer one day.

“It is an unbelievable achievement to be in the final three times in a row. It shows a consistent high level of dedication, passion and a success that has been built over years of tireless hard work.

“It has been a pleasure to watch the team grow and play football that mirrors our ethos here at Manchester City – we aim to play the same style of football across every age group at this football club.

“But this moment would also not be possible without the hard work of everyone connected to the club. So many people have worked closely with the squad throughout their progression up the age groups, providing the best environment possible for our players to develop not just into fantastic football players, but amazing people also. I am so proud to not only lead the academy, but to work with so many talented people at City.”

Private Eye stands as Joe Pride’s top contender at Doomben with his multiple Group 1 successes, but the handler sees The Black Cloud as a strong secondary option from the stable.

The durable Private Eye contests the $1.5 million Doomben 10,000 (1200m), joined by The Black Cloud heading north for the Listed Magic Millions Bright Shadow (1110m) supporting event.

Doomben presents a new challenge for the mare, yet her history with away meetings indicates she adapts well and often shines.

“She has travelled really well in the past. She’s won at Flemington, she’s won at Eagle Farm, she has placed at Caulfield,” the Sydney-based Pride said.

“Whenever I’ve travelled her away she has always raced well.”

The Black Cloud has notched five wins across 19 starts, four of which were on rain-affected going.

Doomben appeared soft midweek and likely to stay with some yield, but according to Pride, conditions alone won’t decide her fate.

“And being fresh. Fresh, short-course, bit of a wet track,” he said.

“She has got all those things in her favour. She seems to race best like that.”

A December stakes score at Eagle Farm sees The Black Cloud teamed again with Nash Rawiller, drawn perfectly in barrier one.

Rested since running a length-plus behind Marhoona in March’s Group 1 Galaxy (1100m), the mare drops markedly in class for the Bright Shadow even with added impost.

“It’s good form for a Listed race in Brisbane, so she lines up well in this,” Pride said.

Private Eye has been in fine fettle for Pride since his resuming third to fellow stable runner Mazu in the Hall Mark Stakes (1200m) King’s Secret on April 18, and the trainer anticipates another gritty effort in the Doomben 10,000.

“I couldn’t be happier with him. It’s a Group One race, they’re never easy, but he’s in great shape,” Pride said.

For the best betting markets for the race, visit leading Australian platforms ahead of Doomben action.

Ian Sangalang (with ball) and the Hotshots live to fight another day. —MARLO CUETO

The moment the PBA Commissioner’s Cup race heated up, teams battled hard to make sure they would tab one of the four quarterfinal slots with twice-to-beat protection.

Look how that has turned out so far.

NLEx worked its way to the top seed, while Meralco fought hard enough to cling to the fourth spot, only to see No. 8 TNT and No. 5 Magnolia force them to fish out their twice-to-beat card with a gritty survival win at Ninoy Aquino Stadium last Wednesday.

It’s something that will burden the minds of Rain or Shine and Barangay Ginebra.

The two squads enter the second day of the quarterfinal phase also armed with playoff protection and they are hoping they won’t need it.

Because Elasto Painters coach Yeng Guiao knows one thing about the twice-to-beat advantage.

“If it reaches the second game, the pressure will [shift to] us,” he said.

It will certainly be on the Road Warriors and the Bolts after stinging defeats last Wednesday.

Magnolia erased Meralco’s bonus with a 95-89 victory behind Clint Chapman.

“We just extended our lives,” Magnolia coach LA Tenorio said after forcing a rubber match.

TNT followed with a tense 96-93 win over top-seeded NLEx despite a furious Road Warriors comeback.

Cautionary examples

The Tropang 5G will carry a huge advantage into the knockout match as they will have Bol Bol, the enigmatic import who is the closest there is to a sure bucket. He had 24 points and 14 rebounds, while Calvin Oftana, Roger Pogoy and Jayson Castro all scored in double figures for the Tropang 5G.

NLEx did its best to end things on Wednesday, but a late rally fell short following star guard Robert Bolick’s disqualification on fouls.

“It’s a big factor that Bolick wasn’t there in the endgame,” TNT coach Chot Reyes said.

The first two matches will serve as cautionary examples for Rain or Shine and Ginebra, who understand that the teams they are facing are not true underdogs.

“If you look at the teams at the bottom four, any one of them could have been in the top four,” Guiao said.

San Miguel Beer certainly fits that bill. Slowed by import woes early in the conference, the Beermen have bounced back with Benny Boatwright returning to the fold.

San Miguel also owns one of the deepest local talents in the league, something that makes Guiao thankful that they at least have an advantage with a shorter path to the quarterfinals.

“It’s a big thing that we [have a] twice-to-beat [advantage],” Guiao said. “At least we have [an extra] chance to beat them.”

But he’s still hoping he doesn’t have to use it.

Jason Kelce’s wife, Kylie, shared her thoughts on her daughters’ future relationships, and according to her, dating any Cowboys fans is totally off the list. On Thursday’s episode of “Not Gonna Lie” podcast, Kylie replied to a fan’s comment asking if she would allow her daughters to date anyone from Dallas or Texas.

“I’m going to be honest, this thought has not crossed my mind. Why? I’m hoping that I’ve raised my children better than that,” Kylie said. “I’m sure there are people from Dallas, Texas, who are not Dallas fans, so I would consider that a possibility.”

Kylie said she “genuinely cannot wrap” her head around the idea of her kids someday introducing their significant other as a Cowboys fan.

“Who’s going to have a bigger problem with this, Jason or me,” she said. “It’s me. Jason will be the person that’s like, ‘You know what? He seems like a good guy. They seem like great person.’ I don’t give a fu*k. I’m hopeful that we have raised our children with an appropriate degree of disdain for the Dallas Cowboys.” [12:14]

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Kylie’s statement came two days after she was awarded the Webby Award for best podcast of the year. She attended the ceremony in an all-white outfit worth $5,100 at Cipriani Wall Street. The podcast host later went viral for her award-winning speech, which was short but highly meaningful.

Giving a shout-out to the Eagles community, she said:

“Women supporting women. Go Birds.”

Kylie Kelce wants daughters not to have a silver spoon

Kylie Kelce’s daughters would be getting no silver spoons from their parents. Not because they aren’t worthy, but to make them better humans. Kylie shed more detail on her decision during the March 25 episode of the “Conversations With Cam” podcast.

“I want them to, quite frankly, not be a**holes,” she said. “Of course, I want them to be good people, and I think that some degree of—I can’t even say it’s adversity. But like some degree of not having the silver spoon—needs to happen. And yeah, I think about it all the time.”

Jason and Kylie Kelce have daughters: Wyatt Elizabeth, Elliotte Ray, Bennett Llewellyn and Finnley Anne. Kylie wishes to be an ideal role model for them. That’s also the reason why her parenting style has been well-balanced. In fact, Kylie recently admitted to never getting face Botox done so that her daughters can feel pride in their natural skin and self.