The saying goes you see something new in every baseball game that’s played. On that note, we had a unique moment in Monday night’s matchup between the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre.

Trailing 2-0 in the top of the seventh inning, the Red Sox had runners on the corners with one out when center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela hit a fly ball to center field for the second out. However, many people involved in the play, including Blue Jays center fielder Brett Bateman, acted as if the inning was over.

Boston baserunner Anthony Seigler — who was on third base — ran home as if he was running on contact with two outs, with fellow baserunner Nick Sogard — who was on first base — going around the bases and many players going back to their respective dugouts. With this in mind, Toronto doubled up Sogard at first base, thinking it had an inning-ending double-play.

The catch? The center field scoreboard listed that there were two outs in the inning, creating confusion about how many outs there actually were. Moreover, right before Sogard caught the fly ball, the scoreboard changed to there being one out in the inning.

After a roughly 15-minute review, the Red Sox were given a run and the inning ended. Of course, had everybody known there was one out on the fly ball, Seigler would’ve had to tag up from third base to score.  

So, that was something, huh?

“Both Boston runners, thinking there were two outs, just took off,” crew chief Chris Guccione told a pool reporter following the game, according to MLB.com. “When the second out was made, now we have two runners who have failed to return and tag up correctly. At that time, the guy from third had crossed home plate and the guy who was at first was standing at second. Toronto knew he hadn’t tagged up and threw to first base to make the third out. Well, that’s a time play, meaning it’s not a force play. If it’s a force play, the run does not score automatically.

“If it’s a time play — meaning, ‘Was the out made before or after the runner crossed home plate?’ In this case, the runner crossed before the appeal play was made [at first]. In this play, it’s what you call an apparent fourth out.”

In the end, though, the Blue Jays held on to get a 2-1 win. Their two runs came on a solo home run from third baseman Charles McAdoo in the bottom of the fifth and an RBI single from shortstop Andrés Giménez in the sixth.

In what was his debut start with the Blue Jays, right-hander Jameson Taillon was removed after four scoreless innings due to forearm discomfort. Taillon was relieved by Simeon Woods Richardson, who pitched three innings. The Blue Jays then got a pair of scoreless innings from Tyler Rogers and Louis Varland to close out the win.

The Red Sox (64-54) are in possession of the second American League wild-card seed, with the Blue Jays (57-63) 3.5 games behind the Texas Rangers for the third AL wild-card seed. At the same time, Boston, which previously won 27 of 30 games, has lost three consecutive games, while Toronto has won four of its last six, which includes winning a three-game series on the road against the Philadelphia Phillies (64-56).

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Big rallies, another Jackson Merrill homer, a really weird review and Freddie Freeman getting it done – sort of. Monday’s MLB action provided all that and much more.

Here are all the best moments from last night in Major League Baseball:

Phillies Hold Off Cardinals’ Late Surge

Right fielder Derek Hill scored the first run in this game between the Phillies — holder of one of three NL wild-card slots — and the Cardinals, a team that would very much like to be one of those three. He also made this lovely little catch while Philadelphia was up 4-2, and St. Louis was threatening with one down and a runner on second in the bottom of the seventh.

That saved a run, and good thing, too. For the Phillies, anyway. Shortstop Edmundo Sosa would double in two runs for Philadelphia in the eighth, making it a 6-2 game… right before the Cards woke up. First baseman Alec Burleson doubled in a run in the bottom of the eighth to make it 6-3, then shortstop Masyn Winn doubled on a grounder that deflected off Phils’ pitcher Alan Rangel — 6-4.

José Fermín followed up Winn’s double with an RBI single, turning it into a 6-5 ballgame. Rangel retired the last two batters of the inning to keep things there, but that’s a whole bunch of damage in one inning that could very well have made it a tie game if not for that Hill grab an inning before.

Jonathan Bowlan took the mound in the ninth for the Phillies, and, despite the chaos of the previous inning, retired the side just like that to extinguish the hopes of a full comeback by the Cardinals.

The Phils kept pace with the Diamondbacks, tied for the second wild-card spot, while the Cardinals fell to 4.5 back and saw all five teams ahead of them in the wild-card standings pick up a game on them.

Rays Extend Streak With 8-Run 8th

The Rays were down to the Athletics, 6-2, in the top of the eighth. And then things changed for Tampa Bay, and fast. New pitcher Seth Johnson came in, and then DH Yandy Díaz singled to start the inning, and first baseman Jonathan Aranda followed with his own. Third baseman Junior Caminero sent them both home with a 410-foot, three-run dinger, his 34th blast of the season.

Johnson then walked right fielder Ryan Vilade, and was relieved by José Suarez. Outfielders Jonny DeLuca and Chandler Simpson both singled, tying things up 6-6.

But there was more to come — there still hadn’t been an out made. Catcher Nick Fortes walked, then shortstop Taylor Walls singled in a pair.

Suarez finally got an out, but was then relieved by Scott Blewett. Yandy Díaz batted for the second time, and while he made an out, it was a sacrifice one — 9-6, Rays. A wild pitch moved Walls to second, then Aranda made it double digits with another single.

The scoring stopped there, for both the Rays and the A’s — Tampa Bay has won seven in a row, and is second in the majors with 72 wins while holding a six-game lead in the AL East. The A’s… well, the A’s have 72 losses.

4-1 Was Fate

Rangers-Angels ended up going to extra innings because of this catch by Wade Meckler in right. Check this out.

It would have been 4-1 Rangers, if not for that grab, but instead the game remained tied 1-1 at the end of nine. Except, the universe apparently really wanted this to be a 4-1 game, so it ended up that way, despite Meckler’s efforts. Right fielder Brandon Nimmo singled in a runner in the 10th, making it 2-1…

…then first baseman Jake Burger singled in a pair to make it 4-1 a few batters later.

The Angels didn’t answer any of those runs in the bottom of the 10th, with Jacob Latz loading the bases before harmlessly getting out of danger and giving the Rangers the W. Texas got back over .500 with the victory, 60-59, leaving it half-a-game behind the Astros in the AL West and 1.5 up on the final wild-card spot in the AL.

Is That A Balk?

Now, KiiiKiii is a South Korean musical group, not a fivesome of professional athletes, so remember that while you judge the start and stop nature of this throwing motion.

That lengthy pause might mess with velocity, but maybe not as much as it could ruin a batter’s timing.

Overzealous! But Effective

In the bottom of the third, Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman singled to left, then advanced to second when Shohei Ohtani scored to cut the Royals’ lead to 3-2. Freeman tried to pull that off again in the seventh, with the score tied 5-5. It half worked!

Ohtani managed a repeat and scored a second time to give Los Angeles the lead, but Freeman wasn’t so lucky at second this time around. It ended up not mattering in the end for either team: the Dodgers didn’t score again, but neither did Kansas City, and Los Angeles took the first game of the series.

Peña Snaps Skid At The Right Time

Astros’ shortstop Jeremy Peña had been in the midst of an 0-for-24 slump at the plate, which for the glass half-full crowd meant he was due. With the score tied 3-3 in the 10th inning, Peña snapped his 0-fer with an RBI single to give Houston the lead.

The Astros would plate a couple more when infielder Isaac Paredes hit his 21st double of the season, scoring Peña LaMonte Wade Jr. Houston would hold on for the 6-3 dub, keeping it in first place in the AL West despite the Rangers’ also winning.

Sorry, What?

This one is going to take a longer explanation, which you can find embedded below or in write-up form.

In the end, the Red Sox lost to the Blue Jays, 2-1, so the run didn’t end up mattering. Still — weird. That’s baseball.

Just A Little Miscommunication

The Mets took on the Braves, and despite the fact that New York is in last place in the NL East and the Braves nearly 20 games up, the best of the division has consistently struggled against its worst. And Monday was no exception: the Mets won their seventh game in 11 chances against the Braves, 8-5. And former starter Kodai Senga took the mound in the ninth to close things out, where he earned his first career save… just before rookie outfielder Carson Benge went to toss the milestone ball to a fan.

Whoops!

Merrill Homers Again As Padres Top Brewers

The Padres had won consecutive games, and center fielder Jackson Merrill had homered in both of them. Facing the Brewers on Monday in a pivotal series for San Diego — Milwaukee is MLB’s best team this year, as well as at the top of Rowan Kavner’s most recent power rankings, while the Padres are fighting for a wild-card spot — Merrill went yard again. And the result? The Padres won, again.

Merrill’s two-run homer scored first baseman Ty France, who had driven in San Diego’s only other run of the game with a home run in the second. This was a much better performance for deadline acquisition Casey Mize than the first attempt, too: Mize went six innings with two runs allowed against Milwaukee, and that was it.

Nolan Slamenado

The Padres needed the W, too, as the Diamondbacks — one of the two teams a game up on San Diego for the last wild-card spot — managed to win their game, too. Arizona took on the Rockies, and crushed them, 9-0. Third baseman Nolan Arenado did the most damage against Colorado, going 2-for-4 with a run and four RBIs, courtesy a grand slam in the bottom of the first.

That won the game right there, in the technical sense, but and Arizona kept pace with the Phillies and ahead of the Padres — the D-backs also picked up half-a-game on the idle Marlins as well as a game on the defeated Cardinals.

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Christopher Bell has finished second in four of the last five races. That string of solid performances puts him at the top of this subjective power ranking list. I know, I know, he hasn’t won. And Ty Gibbs has a win, a third and two fourths over the last six races.

But Bell’s run over the last five races shows that he’s right there challenging for the win every single week. 

Here are my NASCAR power rankings heading into the Saturday night race at Richmond Raceway:

Dropped out: Ryan Preece (Last Week: 9), Carson Hocevar (Last Week: 10)

On the verge: Josh Berry, Chase Elliott, Carson Hocevar, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson, Ryan Preece

10.

Buescher finished 13th but slips into the top 10 — thanks to a 10th, an 11th and a 13th in his last four races. With so much parity, three top 10s in four races puts him on this list.

9.

Maybe I just don’t have the heart to drop Reddick off the list. He has a series-high five wins and that has to mean something. But Reddick is trying his best to fall off this list with four finishes of 30th or worse in his last six starts.

8.

Welcome back on the list, Willy B! A ninth-place finish might be what’s expected for someone from Hendrick, but as the best Hendrick car at Iowa, it shows he is doing something right.

7.

Logano finished second in both stages at Iowa but a loose wheel when he started to drive away on a pit stop forced him to put the car in reverse to return to his pit stall and lose valuable spots. With no cautions in the final stage, he never recovered.

6.

A speeding penalty hurt Wallace, but he still placed 12th at Iowa. In a feast-or-famine season, this was closer to feast for Wallace.

5.

Briscoe overcame brake issues over the weekend to place sixth. It was his fifth top-six finish in his last six races.

4.

Blaney jumped a couple of spots after winning the pole and placing third at Iowa, where he led a race-high 129 laps. It was his first top 10 in three weeks and his series-high 16th of the season.

3.

Gibbs earned his second victory of the season with the triumph at Iowa. He is more consistently running in the top five, and if he does that, this won’t be his last win of the year.

2.

Hamlin rallied to finish fifth despite not having confidence in his brakes throughout the race at Iowa. He has a big lead in the point standings and has four top fives in the seven races since his last win. Some would say he should remain atop this list.

1.

It’s rare to have a non-winner atop the list this late in the season. But Bell has seven second-place finishes this year, including four in the last five races and six of the last 11. Some would say he’s the first loser, but he won’t be a loser much longer if he keeps knocking on the door.

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The decision is in!

The Minnesota Vikings have named Kyler Murray their starting quarterback for the 2026 NFL season over J.J. McCarthy, the team announced on Tuesday.

Minnesota signed Murray, the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, to a one-year deal in March after the quarterback was released by the Arizona Cardinals. Murray’s 2025 campaign was cut short after five games due to a foot injury.

In the last full season he started (2024), Murray totaled 3,851 passing yards, 21 passing touchdowns, 11 interceptions and a 93.5 passer rating with the Cardinals, while completing 68.8% of his passes. He also rushed for 572 yards and five touchdowns.

Murray was the 2019 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and a Pro Bowler in both 2020 and 2021, which got him a five-year, $230.5 million extension from the Cardinals in the 2022 offseason. That said, Murray’s 2022 campaign ended in Week 14 due to a torn ACL, which kept the quarterback off the field until Nov. 2023.

Vikings name Kyler Murray starting QB, Is this the right decision? | The Herd

Colin Cowherd discusses the Minnesota Vikings naming Kyler Murray the starting QB over J.J. McCarthy.

As for whom Murray beat out for the starting job, McCarthy, whom the Vikings traded up to select with the No. 10 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft after he helped the Michigan Wolverines win the 2024 National Championship, missed his rookie season due to a torn meniscus and was limited to 10 starts in 2025 due to ankle, head and hand injuries, respectively.

Across the 10 starts he made, McCarthy totaled 1,632 passing yards, 11 passing touchdowns, 12 interceptions and a 72.6 passer rating, while completing 57.6% of his passes. Minnesota went 6-4 in those games and missed the playoffs at 9-8. The Vikings started three different quarterbacks in 2025: McCarthy (10 starts), Carson Wentz (five starts) and Max Brosmer (two starts).

This came one season after the Vikings went 14-3 with Sam Darnold as their starting quarterback. Darnold then signed a three-year, $100.5 million deal with the Seattle Seahawks in the 2025 offseason and helped them win Super Bowl LX in his first season with the franchise.

The Vikings open the 2026 preseason on the road against the New York Giants on Saturday afternoon and open the regular season at home against the Green Bay Packers on Sept. 13.

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The NBA has unwrapped its holiday gifts to fans a few months early. 

The league shared its Chirstmas Day schedule on Tuesday, featuring, as always, five barnburners from morning to evening. 

Let’s check out the early odds at DraftKings Sportsbook as of Aug. 11. 

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2026 NBA CHRISTMAS DAY ODDS

Spurs @ Knicks

Spread: Knicks -1.5
Moneyline: Knicks -115, Spurs -105
O/U: 229.5

WHAT TO KNOW: A rematch of the NBA Finals, which the Knicks took in five games. Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs will surely have revenge on their minds, considering in each of the Knicks’ four series wins, San Antonio held double-digit leads. Three of those wins also came on the Spurs’ home floor. Is this the NBA’s new East-West rivalry?

Heat @ Celtics

Spread: Celtics -5.5
Moneyline: Celtics -185, Heat +154
O/U: 228.5

WHAT TO KNOW: We have a new-look Celtics squad and a new-look Heat team. Boston traded one of its franchise pillars in Jaylen Brown, landing Paul George in the process. And as for Miami, it landed the big fish, Giannis Antetokounmpo. There remains question marks about how both teams will perform with revised rosters. 

76ers @ Lakers

Spread: Lakers -1.5
Moneyline: Lakers -120, 76ers +100
O/U: 234.5

WHAT TO KNOW: The king returns to one of his former castles. This will be LeBron James’ first and only game back in Crypto this season, unless these two teams make it to the NBA Finals. James left for Philly in free agency after spending the last eight seasons with the Lakers. L.A. resigned Austin Reaves to a lucrative deal, and traded for Walker Kessler.

Thunder @ Wolves

Spread: Thunder -4.5
Moneyline: Thunder -162, Wolves +136
O/U: 231.5

WHAT TO KNOW: OKC traded one of its long-time starters in Lu Dort, but will presumably move Cason Wallace or Ajay Mitchell into that spot. How will their depth truly be impacted? As for Minnesota, they made one of the trades of the summer, landing LaMelo Ball in the Midwest. How will he mesh with Anthony Edwards?

Nuggets @ Warriors

Spread: Nuggets -2.5
Moneyline: Nuggets -135, Warriors +114
O/U: 233.5

WHAT TO KNOW: A classic Western Conference showdown between Steph Curry’s Warriors and Nikola Jokić’s Nuggets. The question at this point of the season for both of these teams will surely be, has the championship window closed? Jokic has yet to sign an extension with Denver and Golden State has missed the playoffs twice in the last four years. 

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Anthony Colandrea quickly ingratiated himself with his Nebraska teammates. To be determined, and more important, is whether he can win more games in the Big Ten Conference than his predecessor.

The Cornhuskers thought they had their answer at quarterback two years ago when they landed Dylan Raiola, the highest-ranked high school recruit in program history. It didn’t work out; Raiola left for Oregon to back up Dante Moore this year.

The Huskers went to the transfer portal to sign Colandrea, the 2025 Mountain West offensive player of the year for UNLV after generating just under 300 yards per game.

Anthony Colandrea led UNLV to the Mountain West Championship game in 2025. (Photo by Tyler McFarland/Getty Images)

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Colandrea has much to prove, though. He started 31 games for Virginia and UNLV but never played against a ranked opponent. At Nebraska, he could face three top-five teams over six games in October and November (Indiana, Oregon and Ohio State).

Colandrea established his leadership in the spring and bonded with some of his top receivers this summer during a trip to Tampa, Florida, to train for a few days.

“Getting to know Anthony on and off the field has just been great,” said Nyziah Hunter, the Huskers’ leading receiver last season. “He’s a great dude, great quarterback and has a lot of ball knowledge. When he came here, it was really welcoming and open arms with him.”

The 6-foot, 200-pound Colandrea gives the Huskers the mobility they had been lacking at quarterback. Whether it was because of a leaky offensive line or him holding onto the ball too long, Raiola was an easy target for pass rushers. He was sacked 27 times in nine games before a broken leg ended his season. His 9.7% sack rate was tied for eighth highest in the country among quarterbacks with at least 200 pass attempts, according to Sportradar.

Colandrea said he patterns his freelancing game after Heisman Trophy winners Johnny Manziel and Baker Mayfield.

“They can run around and make plays,” Colandrea said. “It’s just creating. You’ve got to run your offense, but when stuff breaks down, you still have to make a play.”

In two years with Raiola, the Huskers were 6-9 in Big Ten games with a middle-of-the-pack Big Ten offense. Raiola was sacked 49 times in those 15 games, with 17 touchdowns and 15 interceptions.

Big Ten Related Stories

UNLV was tied with Indiana for 10th nationally in yards per play (6.79) last year. Colandrea was third in quarterback rushing in the Mountain West with 46.3 yards per game and he had a sack rate of 5.7%. He threw for 23 touchdowns against nine interceptions.

“Most big touchdowns are off a scrambling play, so that’s what Anthony brings,” Hunter said. “Every single time you’re going to see Anthony scramble. He’s looking to throw the ball. He’s not looking to go out of bounds or go down or take a sack.”

Coach Matt Rhule said offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen should have more plays at his disposal because of Colandrea’s running ability and an improved offensive line.

“It will allow him to call the game without a conscience and just go attack,” Rhule said.

Maybe the biggest adjustment Colandrea will have to make is learning how to handle the spotlight in Lincoln. By comparison, Colandrea was able to keep a low profile at Virginia and UNLV. At Nebraska, football is a year-round passion and a place where the starting quarterback’s moves on and off the field draw scrutiny.

“Honestly, it can break some guys,” Rhule said.

The coach said his counsel to all of his players is to take seriously what coaches and teammates say and not get caught up in the public banter.

“You get to play at Nebraska,” Rhule said he told Colandrea. “We’re paying you a lot of money and you get the best facilities. That’s just what it is, man. Embrace it, roll with it and move on. That’s the only advice I have for him. It’s like, hey, put your phone down and just watch more tape.”

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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The new NBA season opens on Oct. 20, with two colossal matchups in the East and the game’s newest rivalry in the West.

Let’s check out the odds for opening night at DraftKings Sportsbook as of Aug. 11.

This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.

2026 NBA OPENING DAY ODDS

Celtics @ Pistons

Spread: Pistons -2.5 
Moneyline: Pistons -125, Celtics +105
O/U: 225.5

WHAT TO KNOW: What will be the situation with Jalen Duren come opening night? The Pistons’ second-best player had an abysmal playoff run, and is now embroiled in a contract dispute with the franchise. Will he be on the court for Detroit?

76ers @ Knicks

Spread: Knicks -4.5
Moneyline: Knicks -162, 76ers +136
O/U: 229.5

WHAT TO KNOW: The King visits the champs. Or, will he already be living in New York? LeBron James is part of the 76ers, and we will get to see the NBA’s best team against (supposedly) the NBA’s next best team.

Thunder @ Spurs

Spread: Spurs -2.5
Moneyline: Spurs -125, Thunder +105
O/U: 229.5

WHAT TO KNOW: It’s quickly transformed into arguably the greatest current rivalry in the NBA. The Thunder won their first title at the conclusion of the 2024-25 season, and were favored all year long during 2025-26. But the Spurs had other plans, knocking off the defending champions in a contentious seven-game West finals this past season. Now, the West juggernauts tip off the 2026-27 season. Last season, OKC was not an underdog in a single game until Feb. 4 … at San Antonio. Now, the Thunder are an underdog on Night 1.

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The stretch to the finish has begun. And everyone continues to chase Alex Palou. 

The reigning champion earned his sixth victory of the season Sunday at Portland International Raceway.

Kyle Kirkwood and Christian Lundgaard are two of the drivers chasing him and they both moved up these rankings. Lundgaard had a hybrid issue in qualifying and started 25th before working his way to ninth in the race.

Now, the series heads to Markham, the new Ontario (Canada) stop that takes the place of Toronto. 

Here are my power rankings with four weekends (five races) left in the season. 

Dropped out: Pato O’Ward (Last Week: 6)

On the verge: Pato O’Ward, Nolan Siegel, Kyffin Simpson

10.

Power finished third in a strong performance at Portland. He has four top 10s (with a pair of thirds) in his last five starts.

9.

McLaughlin had a workman-like Portland weekend with a disappointing qualifying. He started 13th but was able to gain spots and finish seventh in the race. It was his fifth top 10 in his last seven starts.

8.

Armed with a newly announced contract extension, Ericsson’s rebound season continued with a sixth-place finish at Portland. It was his fourth top 10 in his last six starts.

7.

For the third time in the last six races, VeeKay earned a fourth-place finish. These aren’t flukes; he made the Fast Six at Portland and at Mid-Ohio last month.

6.

Rosenqvist won the pole and finished second at Portland for his first podium and fourth top 10 since he won the Indianapolis 500.

5.

Malukas, saddled by a six-spot grid penalty for exceeding the engine limits, had just his third finish of the season where he placed outside the top 10 as he ended up 12th at Portland.

4.

No longer needing crutches to get around, Newgarden salvaged a decent day after starting 14th and finishing eighth at Portland.

3.

Kirkwood placed fifth at Portland, a place where he qualified 19th and finished 20th a year ago. So he was happy with that even though he lost ground to Palou in the championship race.

2.

A ninth-place finish typically doesn’t result in moving up in the top five of the rankings. But the fact he caboosed the field at the start shows just how strong Lundgaard was at Portland.

1.

After his sixth win, Palou has a 110-point lead in the standings. He can be average the rest of the season and win the championship. And there is nothing average about Palou.

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Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice called the 30 days he spent in a Texas jail over the summer a “learning experience” and a “reality check,” one that he got through by rehabbing from knee surgery and watching plenty of comedian Kevin Hart on TV to keep his spirits up.

The 26-year-old Rice was booked into a Dallas County jail on May 19 for violating the terms of his probation, which stemmed from his role in a car crash that left multiple people injured on a Texas highway. He’d had surgery about a week before the sentence to clean up debris in his right knee, which had been causing inflammation throughout much of last season.

Rice was released in June, and he resumed his rehab work alongside Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes — who was rehabbing after his own surgery to repair torn knee ligaments — at their training facility in Kansas City leading into the start of training camp.

Rashee Rice played in just eight games in 2025, and scored six TDs, including one on the ground. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

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“It was tough. It was mentally tough,” Rice said of the jail stint Tuesday, the first time the wide receiver has spoken publicly about his offseason. “They gave me ways to communicate with my teammates as well as my athletic trainer. Besides the hard times in there, just tried to keep positive — as much Kevin Hart as I could to laugh, and communicating with my teammates on the outside.”

Rice has been brilliant for Kansas City when he’s been available, catching 156 passes for 1,797 yards and 14 touchdowns, and helping the Chiefs win the Super Bowl after the 2023 season. But he also missed games to a suspension following the car crash, and several injuries have kept him off the field, resulting in just 28 games played over his first three seasons in the league.

The upcoming season is without question his most important yet.

Not only does Rice has much to prove to a growing chorus of doubters, he’s also entering the final year of his rookie contract. If he wants to land a lucrative, long-term deal in Kansas City or elsewhere, Rice has to not only prove that he can stay on the field but also show that he can consistently be productive for an offense that desperately needs him to be.

“I mean, it’s motivating,” Rice said of impending free agency. “Honestly, just being back on the field with my brothers right now is motivating. That’s in the future. And I’m just focusing on what’s happening right now, and that’s getting better for the team.”

The Chiefs are coming off a 6-11 season in which Mahomes hurt his knee, several others went down with injuries, and what was once one of the NFL’s premier offenses looked like a shadow of itself — even before all those players were sidelined.

Chiefs general manager Brett Veach spent most of his draft capital upgrading the defense, though, including both of his first-round picks, and the biggest move to help the offense was to sign Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III to be their lead running back.

Otherwise, the Chiefs are banking on Rice and fellow wide receivers Xavier Worthy and Tyquan Thornton to take big steps forward in their development, all while hoping that 36-year-old tight end Travis Kelce can still be a reliable and effective pass-catcher.

“We’re going to do some amazing things,” Rice predicted, “not only because we’re great receivers but we have a great coaching staff around us, and a great quarterback and foundation in general.”

Chiefs Related Stories

Mahomes has certainly looked like his normal self in camp, moving around on his reconstructed knee as if nothing ever happened. That bodes well for Rice, the passing game and the Chiefs in general as they prepare for the upcoming season.

“He was my motivation every morning,” Rice said.

Rice was asked whether he had anything to say to fans who felt let down by his off-the-field problems, or to young players who might be looking up to him. He went back to Mahomes and the teammates that have been with him through thick and thin.

“Find someone that you can lean on. Find someone you can talk to,” Rice said, “and basically don’t be scared to vocalize yourself, or say exactly what’s on your mind, because someone is going through the same thing. There’s too many people in the world for there not to be someone going through the same thing.”

Notes: The Chiefs are signing DE Emmanuel Ogbah, who appeared in 10 games for them during the 2019 season. The veteran spent last season with Jacksonville. “It was disappointing the year we had him. I thought he was coming on and he got hurt, and we didn’t have him at the end of the year,” Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said. “If he’s part of our group, I’ll be excited.”

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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The Minnesota Vikings are fully committed to the Kyler Murray experiment.

The Vikings didn’t want to hand the job to Murray. They wanted him to earn it, and apparently, that’s what he did in these first few weeks of training camp — now set to start the season as QB1 in coach Kevin O’Connell’s system.

Murray beat out J.J. McCarthy, the 2024 10th-overall pick whose development has been startlingly minimal. And while he enjoyed the best training camp of his career, McCarthy couldn’t edge out Murray. The QB competition ended how everyone expected. Even in March, when Murray signed with Minnesota, everyone could see this decision coming.

Even safety Josh Metellus remembered that moment fondly.

“Man, I loved it,” Metellus told me last week at Vikings camp. “Kyler’s a guy we’ve game planned for a couple times, and I know how much hell that was to not only game plan but to actually play against him. So to get a guy like that on your team, it only elevates your team. We’re trying to be the best team in the National Football League.”

They’ll have to start with fighting to be the No. 1 team in the NFC North, a deep division that saw the Vikings finish third last season. But there’s no denying this offense’s potential.

O’Connell earned his clout as a QB whisperer by elevating Kirk Cousins and Sam Darnold into next-level seasons. Now, he’ll have the opportunity to do the same with Murray. 

The former No. 1 overall pick may be far removed from his sensational 2020 season (3,971 passing yards, 26 passing TDs; 819 rushing yards, 11 TDs), but Murray is 29 years old and not yet out of his prime. The Cardinals parted ways with him this offseason — deciding to go a new direction at QB. But that doesn’t mean Murray can’t resurface with a little help from O’Connell. 

As soon as Murray stepped into the offense, running back Aaron Jones admitted Murray’s skills were different. Unique. Special.

“The way he’s able to speed up his arm and make throws,” Jones told me last week. “If he sees something and he wants to get it there, you can see him, in real time, speed up his arm. I don’t know if that’s the baseball a little bit or what it is, but you can see him speed it up and get it there. … I haven’t seen that often, where it comes out and it’s coming with zip, but somebody who can speed up their arm. So that was kind of new for me to see.”

This season will be new for everyone. 

For Murray. For O’Connell. For the entire Vikings offense.

The whole experiment with Murray is that the Vikings will do what the Cardinals could not.

Minnesota will make football easy for Murray. 

In Arizona, the QB labored to win games. He made sensational plays — but not often enough. Too regularly, he made game-wrecking mistakes. He injured himself doing everything for his offense. And it seemed like Murray finished his career with the Cardinals feeling that he had to do it all by himself.

That’s not the case for the Vikings.

Here’s what passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach Josh McCown said about what he wants from his starting quarterback.

“Don’t feel like you have to put your Superman cape on and win this specific down for us. You’re not going to win one game with one throw,” he told me, adding later, “Kevin’s an unbelievable play-caller, and so I tell these guys all the time: you got really great play-makers around you. You got a really great play-caller and good scheme, and so just play the law of averages. If it’s not there, the next one might be. If that one’s not there, the next one might be. Just play to that — and protect the football.”

Vikings name Kyler Murray starting QB. Is this the right decision? | The Herd

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Under O’Connell, the Vikings have never had a quarterback who is as mobile as Murray. That’s what he brings to the table that’ll require O’Connell to think differently about his system. Murray, however, hasn’t had to take a step back. To remove the ego from the equation. And let his system, his coaches and his teammates take over.

But there are millions of reasons why Murray, a former No. 1 overall pick, sees now as his chance to humble himself.

He’s standing on a razor-thin edge at this phase of his career. He has to succeed — or risk irrelevance. If he’s looking for an example, he needs only look at teammate Carson Wentz, who was once the King of Philly – and who is now one of the backups for Minnesota. 

“I was with a team [the Eagles] for so long that I thought it was going forever,” Wentz, a former No. 2 overall pick, told me. “And then I got kind of shipped out, so to speak, kind of like he was in a little bit. Just starting over. If anybody knows how that goes, I know what he’s been through. … I feel like I understand him. We’re very different people with different interests off the field and all that. But it’s been fun, just the little time we’ve had so far working together, get to know him, the quiet competitor that he is; I think he’s done a good job.”

This is the chance for Murray and O’Connell to get their grooves back.

Their desperation and talent make them a hard duo to bet against.

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