Quick Hits

• Minnesota has a new QB1: The Vikings made a massive move, naming Kyler Murray their Week 1 starting quarterback over J.J. McCarthy.
• Caitlin Clark is back: The Indiana Fever star had a one-game suspension scrubbed and will take the court tonight against the New York Liberty.
• Massive NFL extensions and comebacks: The Dallas Cowboys made defensive tackle Quinnen Williams one of the highest-paid players in the league, while rumors swirl that retired superstar Aaron Donald could return to the NFL this week.
• Minnesota politics meets sports: Former NFL sideline reporter Michele Tafoya has won the Republican primary for an open U.S. Senate seat in Minnesota.
• Overseas offers: A Greek basketball team claims they made a "serious" offer to buy three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic out of his contract.

Minnesota Teams

In the biggest local story of the day, the Vikings have officially ended their quarterback competition before the preseason even begins. Head coach Kevin O'Connell named Kyler Murray the starting quarterback for Week 1, pushing former first-round pick J.J. McCarthy to the bench. CBS Sports notes that while Murray was the right choice for right now, Minnesota might already need to plan to find a new quarterback in 2027.

Shifting from the gridiron to the political arena, former NFL sideline reporter Michele Tafoya has won the GOP Senate primary in Minnesota. Tafoya will now compete for an open seat in the U.S. Senate this fall.

NFL

The NFL offseason is churning out massive contract extensions and bizarre storylines. The Dallas Cowboys handed star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams a massive three-year, $105.9 million extension, making him one of the highest-paid players in league history. Meanwhile, former Cowboys All-Pro cornerback Trevon Diggs is trying to revive his career in Detroit after a stunning fall from grace, trying out for the Lions on Sunday.

In Miami, the Dolphins might be gearing up for a historically heavy workload for running back De'Von Achane. Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley joked about giving Achane 40-45 touches a game, but a record-breaking workload might actually be in the cards.

Finally, the NFL approved a rule change allowing head coaches to designate someone else to throw the challenge flag, prompting Cincinnati Bengals coach Zac Taylor to confess that his team has been secretly breaking the old rule for the last eight years. Away from the field, ESPN checked in on what this year's NFL rookies are buying with their first paychecks, with players splurging on everything from exotic pets to family houses and Legos.

NBA

All eyes in the basketball world are on the WNBA tonight as Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever take on the New York Liberty. Clark had a brief suspension for accumulated technical fouls scrubbed, clearing the way for her to play in what should be a high-scoring affair. In the WNBA standings, the Washington Mystics are surprisingly soaring, winning seven games in a row to look like true contenders, while the Dallas Wings have lost six of their last eight.

Overseas, the owner of Greek basketball club Panathinaikos says he made a "serious" offer to buy Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic out of his NBA contract. While Jokic is staying put for now, ESPN notes that European teams are becoming increasingly aggressive in testing the NBA's grip on top talent. Looking way ahead to the 2028 NBA Draft, UCLA freshman Nikola Kusturica is already generating buzz as a potential No. 1 overall pick.

MLB

With the MLB playoff race heating up, the league officially announced its postseason schedule, with the Wild Card Series kicking off on Sept. 29. On the diamond, the New York Yankees are hosting the Seattle Mariners tonight. If you're watching, keep an eye on Seattle's pitcher Bryan Woo, who has been notably terrible when playing away from home.

In Philadelphia, pitcher Andrew Painter is currently stuck in a brutal rut, riding a 16-outing winless streak due to terrible run support as the Phillies face the Cardinals. Off the field, ESPN took a sobering look back at the disastrous 1994 MLB strike, drawing parallels to the sport's current labor tensions and warning fans about what might be lost if a lockout hits in 2027. In lighter news, a Texas judge sadly backed a decision to remove a team from Tulsa, Oklahoma, from the Little League World Series over a boundary dispute, keeping them from playing for a spot in the title game.

College Sports

If you're curious about what college athletes are making these days, ESPN surveyed agents and program staffers to put a price tag on every starting position in the Power 4 conferences. CBS Sports also took a look at whether massive upsets by smaller schools over major programs are officially extinct, highlighting five potential shockers that could still happen this fall.

Former LSU and Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly, now an analyst, revealed his game-by-game predictions for his old programs ahead of the 2026 season, foreseeing major success. On the cultural side of college sports, Ole Miss is honoring legendary quarterback Archie Manning with a new statue outside its stadium, and Oklahoma's quarterback John Mateer is turning heads this offseason for getting arguably a little too muscular.

Other Sports

In soccer, England's Aston Villa will face Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday. The match will serve as a major barometer for how well English teams can compete against Europe's absolute biggest giants.

In fighting, the UFC's Dana White Contender Series kicked off its latest season on Tuesday night, with fighters Anthony Wint and Bilal Hasan doing enough to earn official UFC contracts. The PGA Tour is also in action this weekend at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, where oddsmakers are looking at longshot bets that could pay out huge returns for golf fans.