Minnesota
After Mekhi Blackmon’s injury, could Minnesota Vikings sign another cornerback?
MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Vikings’ already sparse cornerback room got a little more barren Wednesday when Mekhi Blackmon went down with an injury.
The second-year player tore his ACL, according to the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, so he’ll miss his sophomore season. The tragic death of rookie Khyree Jackson dealt another blow to the position group.
Blackmon, a third-round pick a year ago, ended up playing 43% of defensive snaps last season and was an emerging presence for Brian Flores’ unit. With him now out, the only sure thing at cornerback is Byron Murphy. Behind him, there are a lot of question marks: free agent addition Shaq Griffin is on his fifth team in as many seasons; third-year players Andrew Booth Jr. and Akayleb Evans have yet to show much consistency; and recent signing Duke Shelley has flashed at times, but is undersized.
The Vikings did add depth CB Jacobi Francis on Thursday, but they may look to make more moves at the position before the season begins. Here are a few options if the Vikings decide to sign another cornerback.
Xavien Howard
Howard is likely the best free agent corner on the market; he’s a former All-Pro with 29 career interceptions. Beyond that, he’s a natural fit for the Vikings’ defense, having played under Flores in Miami. Howard is 31 and suffered a foot injury at the end of last season. He may also be looking for more money than the Vikings care to offer. But he’s about as good an option as they’re likely to find this late in the offseason.
Stephon Gilmore
Gilmore, 33, is a former Defensive Player of the Year on the tail end of his career. He’s nowhere near the player he once was and has bounced around the league over the past few seasons, but it’s not like the Vikings have their pick of the litter this close to the season. Last year in Dallas, Gilmore started all 17 games, logging two interceptions and 13 passes defended.
Patrick Peterson
Peterson makes the list solely because he’s a familiar face, having played for the Vikings from 2021-2022. At 34 years old, Peterson’s lost the athleticism that once made him a premier player, but he still has a nose for the ball. In 11 of his 13 seasons, he’s grabbed multiple interceptions, including the last two in Pittsburgh and Minnesota. Last season, he started 16 games for the Steelers.
J.C. Jackson
Jackson, 28, looked like a rising star in New England before signing a huge deal with the Los Angeles Chargers. In L.A., though, he struggled greatly, and got traded back to the Patriots midway through his second season. The Pats then cut him at the end of the year. Jackson will likely never again be the premier player he was in New England, but if Flores can get him back on track, he could be a solid contributor for the Vikings.
(FOX 9) – Minnesota is joining a legal challenge targeting the largest media merger in history, arguing that it would ultimately be a bad deal for customers.
AG Ellison joins lawsuit to block Warner Bros.-Paramount merger
What we know:
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has joined a coalition of 11 other attorneys general, filing a lawsuit to stop the $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery by Paramount Skydance Corporation.
The suit alleges the merger would violate antitrust laws by creating a media conglomerate that would control nearly one-third of all U.S.-based theatrical movies.
The combined company would control about 27% of the market for wide-release theatrical films and basic cable channels. Only three distributors would control 75% of wide-release films, and four — including Disney, Universal, and Sony — would control 86%, the lawsuit alleges.
The lawsuit also points out that Warner Bros. is currently the second largest and Paramount the third largest in licensing basic cable channels, and together they would control 27% of that market. The merger would combine two of Hollywood’s five major film distributors and two of the five major basic cable companies, eliminating competition and harming movie theaters, cable distributors and consumers.
What they’re saying:
“Minnesotans deserve a fair and competitive marketplace, not one where a handful of giant corporations control what we watch, what we pay, and what choices we have,” AG Ellison said in a statement. “This would be the largest merger in media and entertainment history. It will raise prices, limit innovation, and reduce the variety of voices in media and entertainment. I’m taking action because this goes too far in consolidating power with a few at the expense of the public.”
What’s next:
The coalition has asked Warner Bros. and Paramount not to close the merger until after the judicial process concludes. If the companies refuse, the attorneys general plan to file a temporary restraining order to halt the deal.
The Source: Information provided in a statement from the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office.
WASHINGTON (7News) — The debate over the National Guard presence in the nation’s capital is intensifying after the Pentagon told 7News the Guard mission connected to President Donald Trump’s crime initiative could continue through Inauguration Day 2029 unless it is ended sooner by the president.
The development comes as one governor has decided to withdraw troops from Washington, while D.C. leaders are urging other states to do the same.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is pulling his state’s National Guard members out of the District earlier than originally planned.
Walz’s office says its mission to support America 250 celebrations has concluded. The decision follows concerns about whether some Guard members were being used beyond the security mission tied to those events.
RELATED | Pentagon to keep National Guard activated in D.C. through Inauguration Day 2029
The D.C. Council is also pressing other states to reconsider their deployments.
All 13 councilmembers signed letters to the governors of Michigan and the U.S. Virgin Islands asking them to withdraw their National Guard troops from the District. Council leaders argue those service members were deployed to support the nation’s 250th anniversary events—not a broader federal public safety mission.
“They’re just doing their job, but it still hurts the city. It hurts our image. It creates resentment,” D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson said.
SEE ALSO | 13-year-old boy shot and killed in Northeast DC home
“The letters were sent to two states that we were surprised when they decided to send the guard. Now, they sent the guard, as I understand it, to support the America 250 events. So it would be nice if they just kind of go back home,” Mendelson added.
According to the Joint Task Force overseeing the deployment, more than 5,100 National Guard members are currently assigned to the District, including troops supporting Freedom 250 events and other summer activities.
While Minnesota is ending its deployment, governors in states including Georgia and Mississippi have said their Guard members will remain in Washington to support the president’s mission.
A road rage-related shooting caused a southern Twin Cities metro highway to shut down for several hours Saturday evening.
The Minnesota State Patrol and the Eagan Police Department responded to a report of a road rage incident on northbound Interstate 35E near Deerwood Drive around 5:16 p.m., according to Eagan police.
Police say one of the drivers fired multiple rounds at another vehicle. While no one was injured, the victim’s vehicle was struck by gunfire and sustained damage.
The Eagan Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the suspect vehicle and driver involved. Investigators are looking for a white 2010-2014 Ford F-150. The truck is described as having four doors, black door handles, gray rocker panels, a black tonneau cover and visible rust around the driver’s side rear wheel well/fender. The suspect is described as a White man with long, dark hair.
Anyone with information about the incident or the driver is asked to contact the Eagan Police Department tip line at 651-675-5799 or email the department at eaganpd@eaganmn.gov.
I-35E reopened to traffic around 8:10 p.m. Saturday.
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