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The Minnesota Vikings worked overtime to rebuild in the trenches, adding two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jonathan Allen and guard Will Fries on multi-year deals.
The Vikings announced the agreement with Allen. His agent, Blake Baratz of Team IFA, shared financial details and told outlets the deal is three years and $60 million.
ESPN reported that the agreement between Fries and the Vikings has a value of $88 million over five years.
Allen was released by the Commanders last week in a cost-cutting move after unsuccessfully attempting to trade him.
Allen was entering the final season of a four-year, $72 million contract but had no guaranteed money remaining on the deal. The move saved Washington $16.35 million toward the salary cap.
Allen, 30, was limited to eight games in 2024 because of a torn left pectoral muscle.
A Pro Bowl selection in 2021 and 2022, Allen totaled 401 career tackles, 42 sacks and 118 quarterback hits in 109 career games (108 starts). He was selected by Washington with the 17th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.
Fries, 26, spent his first four NFL seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, who selected him in the seventh round of the 2021 draft.
He was limited to five games last season because of a serious leg injury suffered in Week 5 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He has played in 41 games (31 starts) and in his 22 starts in 2023-24, he allowed five sacks.
In Minnesota, he'll be reunited with center Ryan Kelly, who was a four-time Pro Bowl selection with the Colts. Multiple outlets reported Monday that Kelly, 31, was joining the Vikings on a two-year, $18 million contract.
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Packers Receive Disappointing Injury News Before Vikings Matchup
Jayden Reed’s anticipated return to the practice field for the Green Bay Packers will have to wait a little longer. Despite some growing hope earlier this week that the dynamic wide receiver could begin the next phase of his recovery, head coach Matt LaFleur confirmed Wednesday that Reed will not open his 21-day practice window yet. “He’s not practicing today,” LaFleur said ahead of Sunday’s critical matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. When pressed for a clearer timeline on the second-year standout, who remains on injured reserve with collarbone and foot injuries, LaFleur deferred to the medical staff. “I don’t know. As soon as medical clears him, he’ll be out there,” LaFleur said. “I know he’s excited to get back. As am I.” The optimism had spiked in recent days. On Monday, LaFleur indicated there was a chance Reed and/or rookie running back MarShawn Lloyd could start their practice windows this week. Reed himself fueled the excitement Tuesday by sharing a photo of himself dressed in full uniform on social media. Those plans, however, are now on hold. Reed’s surgically repaired foot seems to have healed satisfactorily, but the collarbone—fractured on a diving attempt during the first half of Green Bay’s Week 2 victory over the Washington Commanders—still needs additional time. For a wide receiver whose job involves regular physical contact and the risk of landing hard on the shoulder, the medical staff is requiring clear imaging evidence that the bone is strong enough before green-lighting a return. The cautious approach echoes the Packers’ handling of Aaron Rodgers’ similar collarbone injury in 2017, when the former quarterback sat out seven games while waiting for full healing. Nearly 10 weeks removed from the injury and having already missed eight contests, Reed could still require another one to two weeks before doctors are comfortable clearing him for football activities. That timeline keeps a potential return for the Thanksgiving night clash with the Detroit Lions or the following week against the Chicago Bears realistically in play. Before the injury, Reed had established himself as Green Bay’s top receiving weapon. He paced the team in receiving yards in both 2023 and 2024, and in the two games he played this season while managing the foot issue, he recorded three receptions for 45 yards and a touchdown. The Green Bay Packers will continue their Week 12 preparations without their leading wideout on the practice field, with LaFleur and the organization prioritizing full recovery over a rushed comeback.
Texas HC Steve Sarkisian gives bold claim on job rumors
Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian has been a popular name in both the NFL and college football coaching cycles. It makes sense, too. He's brought Texas back to being competitive and in the championship hunt, but he also has a wealth of great experience as an assistant in both college and the NFL. He's about as well-rounded a candidate as you'll find, so of course, programs like the Florida Gators, LSU Tigers or even the New York Giants may be interested to see if he's interested. The thing is, though, he's not. Or, at the very least, that's what he's telling the media. He's all-in with the Longhorns, according to comments he made on a recent SEC teleconference call. “I’d like to comment something before I get into our team that has been bothering me now over the past few weeks. That is people reporting that are insinuating that there’s a possibility I could leave the University of Texas, and that is absolutely false and untrue," Sarkisian said (h/t On3). "I’m not going anywhere. Never do I do this because I never want to be a distraction, so I never address these things. At this point, I feel like this is important that I do this because it’s important for our team. It’s important for our university." Steve Sarkisian has deep roots in Austin and is all-in with Texas As if that weren't clear enough, Sarkisian said that he has not had any discussions with anybody about coaching elsewhere. He even went as far as to say that even his agent hasn't spoken to anyone. Sometimes coaches can say publicly that they aren't talking about any opportunities while, in the meantime, their agents are working backchannels and putting something together. He could be lying, of course, because college football history is full of head coaches saying one thing and doing another. A full-throated statement like this seems to be a pretty clear indication that Sarkisian is serious about what he's saying, though. Heck, he went as far as calling Austin home, which is a pretty big deal for a coach to say. Those guys aren't used to staying in one place for too long. With that said, Sarkisian does have two kids actually enrolled at Texas, one on the football team. He has a third kid he wants to go to Texas in the near future. He also just had a baby. Sarkisian has roots in Austin. He also has high aspirations for the Longhorns. “We came here to win championships," he said. "We’ve built a damn good football program over the five years that we’ve been here. We’ve been to two College Football Playoffs. We won a Big 12 Championship. We went to the SEC Championship game in Year 1. We’ve had 23 players drafted the last two years, which is more than any other school in the country and our team GPA is at an all-time high. “Can we please stop putting things out there that you have absolutely zero evidence on? Can we please stop retweeting and putting it back out there as if it’s true? As if it’s the gospel? It is not true."
Wild Jalen Hurts stat shows he's not the problem with Eagles offense
The Philadelphia Eagles' offense has not been as explosive since Kevin Patullo took over as the new offensive coordinator. The play-calling has been pretty predictable, and, according to The Athletic's Dianna Russini, some players blame quarterback Jalen Hurts for it. "Multiple offensive players have grown frustrated with Jalen Hurts' approach this season, particularly against zone coverage," Russini reported. However, advanced stats indicate that the Eagles aren't maximizing the talents of the reigning Super Bowl MVP. Jalen Hurts has been elite in deep throws this season According to Pro Football Focus on X, Hurts has seven touchdowns, zero interceptions and an outstanding passer rating of 128.2 in throws over 20 yards this season. The Eagles keep running a very conservative offense, even though, per Sharp Football Stats, 10% of their pass plays (55) have been explosive. Explosive pass plays are those that result in a gain of at least 20 yards. Hurts has been absolutely elite in those situations, and with two speedy receivers like A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, this team should be taking more shots down the field. Although they aren't as dominant as last season, the Eagles are still 8-2 and at the top of the NFC East. They have all the resources needed to return to the Super Bowl, and anything less than another deep postseason run should be seen as a failure. Then again, the coaching staff needs to put the players in a position to succeed, and that includes letting them do what they do best.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto grabs dinner with top Dodgers free agent target
With MLB free agency slowly but surely coming into shape, Los Angeles Dodgers fans have been scouring the rumor mill for the latest intel on who the next great superstar Andrew Frieman will land. Will it be Kyle Tucker, the current bell of the MLB ball? Or maybe Cody Bellinger, who might just be tired of watching his former teammates win World Series games without him? Well, if Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s recent social media activities are of any indication, it would appear Dodgers fans should keep a close eye on “Murakami-sama,” himself, Munetaka Murakami, as he looks to take his game from the NPB to MLB. Posing for a picture with the 25-year-old slugger while dining with Kenshiro Saito, Yamamoto had to know the interaction should make the rounds on social media and smiled for the camera all the same, setting off a firestorm among baseball fans that makes posting season all the more interesting. Standing 6-foot-2, 213 pounds, Murakami is a certified slugger the likes of which the NPB has seldom seen, leaving the league with 265 home runs on his resume. His 56 homers in 2022 broke a near-60-year record held by Sadaharu Oh, and even in 2025, a down year by his usual standards, he still hit 24 in just 69 total games. Though some question what position Murakami will play in MLB, be that his native third base, at first, or as a power-hitting DH, the Dodgers could easily platoon the 25-year-old with Max Muncy in 2026 and take over the spot in 2027, holding it down until Freddie Freeman rides off into the sunset a little further down the line. Now granted, just because Murakami and Yamamoto had dinner together doesn’t mean the former is a guaranteed lock to join the latter in Dodgers blue next spring. Another team could make a better offer, or Murakami could simply decide he wants to be a big fish in a small pond, instead of just another Japanese player on the Dodgers. And yet, for a player who came up watching Shohei Ohtani dominate in Japan and then America, why wouldn’t Murakami strongly consider teaming up with the “Unicorn,” Yamamoto, and Roki Sasaki to really make a proper go of things at a three-peat?
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