Sports Express | November 11, 2026 — Vikings Reacquire Cousins as Mendoza Takes Over Raiders

1. Vikings Reacquire Cousins for a Third-Round Pick as Mendoza Takes Over in Las Vegas

Source: theScore

The Minnesota Vikings announced Tuesday that they are sending a third-round pick to the Las Vegas Raiders to reunite with 38-year-old quarterback Kirk Cousins. The selection is the Vikings' original third-rounder, while the franchise keeps the third-round pick it previously acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles, according to Tom Pelissero of The Ringer. Cousins reacted on X: "See you soon, MN! #SKOL."

The trade also signals that No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza will take the starting quarterback job in Las Vegas. Cousins spent six seasons in Minnesota from 2018 to 2023, made three Pro Bowls and compiled a 50-37-1 record with 171 touchdown passes to 55 interceptions; his 35 touchdown passes in 2020 remain a personal best.

The Vikings opened this season with Kyler Murray, who has won five of his six starts but completed 64.9% of his passes for 1,022 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions. He missed Monday night's 23-6 loss to the Buffalo Bills with a hamstring injury, and Carson Wentz completed 8 of 25 passes for 81 yards and two interceptions in relief. Minnesota is 6-2, trailing the 7-2 Chicago Bears. Cousins' first appearance of this stint could come against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday — he tore his Achilles in a Week 8 win over the Packers in 2023, the final game of his first stint with the Vikings.

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2. Bills Send Second-Rounder for Safety Hooker to Fix NFL's 29th-Ranked Pass Defense

Source: Yahoo Sports

The Buffalo Bills announced at Tuesday's NFL trade deadline that they are sending the Tennessee Titans a 2027 second-round pick and receiving a 2027 fifth-round selection in return for safety Amani Hooker. The Bills also inquired about eight-time Pro Bowl Cardinals safety Budda Baker before completing the deal, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz.

The move bolsters a defense that ranks 29th in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game. Buffalo has one of the league's best offenses helmed by MVP quarterback Josh Allen, but its pass defense has been a liability all season, making the steep price of a second-round pick a clear fix for a contender.

Hooker, 28, is tied for the league lead with five interceptions to go with six passes defended, matching a career high through just seven games. He has 17 interceptions and 45 passes defended in his career and ranks second on the Titans this season with 52 total tackles. An eighth-year veteran, he has played his entire career in Tennessee since being selected in the fourth round of the 2019 draft. At 1-7 and rebuilding around second-year quarterback Cam Ward, the Titans get a valuable asset in return.

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3. CFP Rankings: Georgia Takes No. 1 as Miami Tumbles to No. 7

Source: CBS Sports

Georgia took over the No. 1 spot in the second edition of the College Football Playoff Rankings, released Tuesday night. Last week's No. 1, Miami, fell to Notre Dame on Saturday night in Week 10, while the Bulldogs demolished Ole Miss on the road in Oxford to clear the path for Kirby Smart's team.

Georgia is 8-1 (6-1 SEC) with three weeks left in the regular season, with Missouri, South Carolina and Georgia Tech remaining. Utah moved to No. 2 at 9-0 (6-0 Big 12), unbeaten in Morgan Scalley's first season after Kyle Whittingham's departure and coming off a Holy War win over rival BYU. Alabama rose to No. 3 after a 31-13 win at LSU, UCLA climbed to No. 4 and Notre Dame jumped from No. 11 to No. 5.

The biggest surprise was Indiana's five-spot drop to No. 9 despite not playing. CFP chair Hunter Yurachek said of Notre Dame, which led Miami 24-3, that the Irish "looked like the Notre Dame team that should be ranked No. 5." Under the 12-team model, the five highest-ranked conference champions earn automatic bids; if the field were chosen today, Boise State at No. 24 would take the Group of Six spot.

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4. Hellebuyck Speaks: Family Safety and Career Uncertainty Drove Trade Request

Source: NHL.com

New Jersey Devils goalie Connor Hellebuyck returned to Canada Life Centre with his new team on Tuesday, addressing the Winnipeg media for the first time since his exit interview on April 17. He said his family's safety and uncertainty about his career played a part in requesting a trade from the Jets at the end of last season.

"There's no one singular moment that wasn't important in all of this decision-making and this is over a span of time," Hellebuyck said. "There was some moments and some things that happened to my family that for me crossed the line. And as a husband and a father, I felt made that decision very certain." He stressed he did not want to project a few moments onto an entire city: "I've been very connected with this community, and I've loved my time here but there are a few moments that I don't want to see happen again. It is more than just online death threats."

Hellebuyck spent 11 seasons in Winnipeg, going 345-208-55 and winning the Vezina Trophy three times (2019-20, 2023-24, 2024-25) plus the Hart Trophy in 2024-25. He did not report to training camp in September and was suspended, then was traded to New Jersey on Oct. 23 for Dawson Mercer, Nico Daws, Nick Bjugstad, the rights to Alexander Command and two draft picks. He did not play in Tuesday's 4-2 Devils loss to the Jets, a decision by coach Sheldon Keefe and GM Sunny Mehta. Jets coach Scott Arniel had said Hellebuyck "just gave up on us"; Hellebuyck replied: "Obviously, from an emotional standpoint, that hurts."

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5. Price Enters Canadiens Ring of Honour After Nearly Four-Minute Ovation

Source: Sportsnet

The Montreal Canadiens welcomed Carey Price back to the Bell Centre with an on-ice ceremony Tuesday night. Fans cheered for close to four minutes, serenading their longtime star with a blend of "Ca-rey!" and "Olé, Olé" chants as Price stood beside the team benches next to the five individual trophies he won over his career, trying to get a word in.

"From the bottom of my heart, the most sincere 'Merci beaucoup,'" Price told the crowd, his voice trembling. The Canadiens went on to lose 2-1 in overtime to the Minnesota Wild, but rookie goalie Jacob Fowler made 22 saves in a fitting duel with Jesper Wallstedt. "One of the greatest goalies to ever play," Fowler said. "It was crazy just to see the support of the fans. I didn't think the game was ever going to start after the ovation was going."

Price was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto on Monday, becoming the 62nd member of the Canadiens organization to enter the Hall, and was added to the team's ring of honour Tuesday. The 39-year-old grew up in remote Anahim Lake, B.C., where his father Jerry flew him 320 kilometres three times a week in a four-seat plane to play minor hockey in Williams Lake. Selected fifth overall in 2005, he spent his entire 15-year career in Montreal and is the franchise's all-time leader with 361 wins, finishing with a .917 save percentage, 2.51 goals-against average and 49 shutouts in 712 regular-season games.

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6. Landeskog Scores Twice as Avalanche Hand Maple Leafs Fourth Straight Loss

Source: TSN

TORONTO — Gabriel Landeskog scored his second goal of the game in the third period as the Colorado Avalanche topped the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-3 on Tuesday night, handing Toronto its fourth straight regulation loss. Landeskog bagged the winner just 51 seconds after Jack Roslovic tied the score 3-3, left all alone in front of Sergei Bobrovsky.

Devon Toews had a goal and an assist, with Brock Nelson, Artturi Lehkonen and Martin Necas (empty net) providing the rest of the offence for Colorado (11-6-2). Mackenzie Blackwood made 28 saves and Cale Makar added two assists. Darren Raddysh, Easton Cowan and Roslovic each had a goal and an assist for Toronto (8-10-2), which has dropped six of its last seven.

The 38-year-old Bobrovsky finished with 22 stops and has allowed three goals or more in 12 of his 13 starts since signing as a free agent July 1. Raddysh's 92.89 mph blast that opened the scoring was the fourth-fastest shot to result in a goal in the league this season. Morgan Rielly (lower body) is day-to-day and Colton Sissons (lower body) is out week-to-week, with Kirill Marchenko, Marshall Rifai and Nick Blankenburg also sidelined. Colorado visits Ottawa on Thursday; Toronto hosts Minnesota on Thursday.

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7. Quebec Premier: No Direct Subsidies for CF Montreal

Source: CBC

Quebec Premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon said Tuesday that his government will not simply bail out CF Montreal after owner Joey Saputo announced the Major League Soccer club is for sale — but he did not close the door entirely.

"The scenario where there are subsidies that are just sent for the CF Montreal is not on the table," the premier said, adding the government could still consider some form of participation in saving the club but has yet to see a concrete proposal. "We cannot close the door because we have not seen a single project on the table. We will wait for those investors to come and present something. And we are open to studying it with a lot of seriousness."

Saputo announced Monday that his family would begin the process of finding new owners for the club he founded in 1992 as the Montreal Impact. After more than three decades of involvement, he said it is the right time to bring in a new ownership group with the resources and vision to build on the club's foundation, and that he wants the team to remain under Montreal ownership. The announcement follows the club's worst season: last in the MLS Eastern Conference with six wins, 20 losses and eight draws, plus a Canadian Championship final loss to CPL side Forge FC and fan boycotts late in the season. Montreal minister Stéphane Paquet said the club is a private business but that the government will look at any offers.

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8. Murphy Wins Third Straight NL Manager of the Year, a First in Award History

Source: BBWAA

Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy was named National League Manager of the Year on Tuesday, becoming the first manager to win the award in three consecutive seasons. He is the 10th manager to win it three or more times, the only manager named on all ballots, and the first Brewers skipper to take the honour.

Murphy received 20 first-place votes, seven seconds and three thirds for 124 points. Atlanta's Walt Weiss was second with 86, Philadelphia's Don Mattingly third with 25 and San Diego's Craig Stammen fourth with 24. Ballots were submitted before postseason play and tabulated at five points for first, three for second and one for third.

Before Murphy, only four managers had won in back-to-back years, including Atlanta's Bobby Cox in 2004 and 2005. Cox, Tony La Russa and Buck Showalter share the record with four wins apiece. Murphy's predecessor in Milwaukee, Craig Counsell, now with the Cubs, finished second four times.

9. Mets Target First Base and Pitching, With a Skubal Meeting Next Week

Source: MLB Trade Rumors

Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said Tuesday at the GM Meetings that second base is not a hole the team needs to fill this winter, with first base and the pitching staff the primary areas of focus. He expressed confidence in Marcus Semien, Brett Baty and several prospects nearing MLB readiness.

Semien, 35, batted just .215/.280/.340 and saw his typically elite defensive grades fall below average, but he is owed $25 million per season through 2028, leaving the Mets to hope for a rebound. Baty hit .238/.311/.374 overall but slashed .279/.337/.488 over his final 190 plate appearances from July 1 onward. Prospect Jefferson Rojas, widely considered a top-100 talent, hit .274/.338/.505 in 554 plate appearances between Double-A and Triple-A at age 21.

At first base, last year's outside-the-box signing of Jorge Polanco was an abject flop, while 31-year-old Jared Young hit .266/.330/.429 in a career-high 342 plate appearances and is viewed as part of the solution. On the pitching side, Tarik Skubal is a known target with a meeting set for next week, and multiple clubs have asked about Kodai Senga, who posted an 11.48 ERA over a 26 2/3-inning stretch this season before finishing with a 3.78 ERA, a 22-to-9 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a fastball just under 97 mph over his final 16 2/3 innings as a reliever.

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10. Ovechkin: If You Asked Fans, They'd Want Russia at World Juniors

Source: Ottawa Citizen

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin told reporters in Ottawa on Tuesday that if Prime Minister Mark Carney asked fans whether they want Russia to compete at next month's 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship in Edmonton, they would be on board.

"That's his thoughts and his decision," Ovechkin said. "I don't know how it's going to work out, but I'm pretty sure if you asked the fans, the fans want to see the best players out there and the fans want to see the young players who are going to be future stars, future NHLers. But, it's not up to us."

The IIHF was ordered by the Court of Arbitration for Sport last week to reinstate Russia to international competition, starting with the tournament that begins on Boxing Day, and informed Norway over the weekend that it would have to concede its spot. But Carney has said Canada will deny entry to the Russian team: "As long as that's going on, there will be none of those athletes competing for their countries in Canada." Sweden, Finland, Czechia and Latvia have said they will boycott games against Russia, and Hockey Canada thanked the government for its position. The Ukrainian Canadian Congress held a small rally of about 10 supporters outside the arena before the game. Ovechkin, 41 and in his final NHL season, has 930 career goals. Asked whether he is being used as a propaganda tool by the Russian state, he said: "Nobody's using me."

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