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Food

This Hawaiian Food Truck Is Still Thriving A Decade Later After Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives

Guy Fieri’s popular show “Diners, Drive-Ins, And Dives” has highlighted some real gems over the years, but one Hawaiian spot is going strong a decade later.

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Entertainment

Kylie Jenner & Timothee Chalamet’s Sister Have AWKWARD Oscars Moment, Fans Try …

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Many people were delighted by the Oscars results.

One source of delight was Timothee Chalamet losing. He really sabotaged himself.

Still, Timmy attended the Academy Awards with girlfriend Kylie Jenner by his side.

That lead to one of the night’s most awkward moments when his sister approached. What do you make of this?

Kylie Jenner and Timothee Chalamet on Oscars night 2026.
Kylie Jenner and French-US actor Timothee Chalamet attends the Vanity Fair Oscar Party at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) in Los Angeles on March 15, 2026. (Photo Credit: Jean Baptiste Lacroix / AFP via Getty Images)

Here’s what happened …

The 2026 Academy Awards took place on Sunday, March 15.

(A belated happy Ides of March to us all!)

In the audience, Timothee and Kylie were getting situated when the actor’s sister approached.

Pauline Chalamet walks over and she and Timmy seem to greet each other in a warm and animated manner.

It seems to take a moment before it even registers to Kylie that this conversation is taking place.

As you can see in E! Newsvideo, Kylie appeared to notice the interaction.

She then stood up.

The makeup mogul and the actress then shared what looked like a polite hug.

Soon, Kylie sat back down, chatting with people behind her.

Timmy and Pauline then posed for photos, flashing their smiles for the cameras.

Timothee Chalamet and Kylie Jenner at the 2026 Oscars.
Actor Timothee Chalamet and Kylie Jenner attend the 98th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on March 15, 2026. (Photo Credit: Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images)

What was that?

Across social media, the replies are consistently highlighting the vibe and suggesting a likely explanation.

The first is that this was an awkward encounter.

Truly, Kylie and Pauline appear polite — perhaps even cordial — but not exactly warm.

Secondly, it’s not clear if these two actually know each other.

This appears to be how strangers would greet each other if they happen to have a mutual friend.

Kylie and Timmy first met in early 2023, to the best of anyone’s knowledge.

By April of that year, the relationship rumors first began to circulate.

Folks, we’re talking about two people who are nearly three years into their relationship.

That is a long time to not meet someone’s sibling — especially if travel money is no object.

Did Timothee not want Kylie to meet his sister? Did Pauline not want to meet Kylie? What’s going on?

Kylie Jenner speaks to the confessional camera in 2023.
In an episode of The Kardashians that aired in October of 2023, Kylie Jenner speaks to the confessional camera. (Image Credit: Hulu)

We don’t know why these women seem to be strangers

Kylie and Timothee have chosen to keep things mostly very private.

The downside to this is that it gives the public the freedom to speculate.

If you don’t tell your story, others will do it for you.

That said, there’s no way for Timmy to shut this speculation down without amplifying it.

Will they know each other’s families in time? Maybe.

Kylie Jenner & Timothee Chalamet’s Sister Have AWKWARD Oscars Moment, Fans Try … was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.

​The Hollywood Gossip

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Alaska News

On eve of Arctic Alaska oil lease sale, critics ask for delays

Surface pools on the edge of West Long Lake in the Teshekpuk Lake Special Use Area of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska are seen in this undated photo. The pools are formed by permafrost. During the summer, snow and ice melt and the water remains pooled on the surface, resulting in thousands of pools and lakes that support wildlife. (Photo by Laura McDuffie/U.S. Geological Survey Alaska Science Center)

Surface pools on the edge of West Long Lake in the Teshekpuk Lake Special Use Area of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska are seen in this undated photo. The pools are formed by permafrost. Summer melt creates pools of water on the surface, creating thousands of sites that support wildlife. The Teshekpuk Lake area is important to subsistence harvests and had been protected from development for decades, but the Trump admininistration is now trying to sell oil leases there. (Photo by Laura McDuffie/U.S. Geological Survey Alaska Science Center)

Just six days before the Trump administration is set to open bids in the first of several oil and gas lease sales for federal territory in Arctic Alaska, critics were in court on Thursday trying to win injunctions to temporarily block some of the sale.

In one case, a Native organization called Grandmothers Growing Goodness and an environmental organization, The Wilderness Society, are seeking to fully prevent the scheduled March 18 sale in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, a federal land unit stretching across Alaska’s western North Slope. The sale is offering 5.5 million acres, a larger geographic scope than most of the NPR-A lease sales held since 1999.

The Grandmothers Growing Goodness-Wilderness Society lawsuit is also seeking to overturn a new Trump administration management plan that opens 82% of the Indiana-sized reserve to oil development. Previously, only about half of the reserve was available for leasing, and several areas had protective status. Among those areas was Teshekpuk Lake and its adjacent wetlands and tundra, which provide key habitat for a caribou herd, numerous species of migratory birds, fish and other Arctic animals.

For now, those plaintiffs are seeking an injunction to bar the sale of leases in previously protected areas.

The other case, filed by an organization representing residents of Nuiqsut, is narrower.

Nuiqsut is the North Slope Inupiat village closest to existing NPR-A development. The Nuiqsut lawsuit is seeking to reinstate a program that protects an environmentally sensitive portion of the reserve that had been off-limits to oil development until the Trump administration jettisoned those protections.

The Nuiqsut lawsuit concerns a right-of-way agreement struck with the Biden administration and Nuiqsut Trilateral Inc., an organization formed by Nuiqsut’s city and tribal governments and its village for-profit Native corporation. The agreement, made final in 2024, protects about 1 million acres in the area of Teshekpuk Lake by barring leasing and other development not approved by Nuiqsut Trilateral.

In December, the Trump administration abruptly canceled that agreement, citing the potential for oil in the right-of-way area.

That cancellation, which was announced without any consultation or advance warning to the villagers, caused immediate harm, said Travis Annatoyn, an attorney for the Nuiqsut plaintiffs.

“From the moment Interior canceled the right of way, it advertised its intent to grant competing property rights on top of the subject acreage. That is an invitation to administrative and judicial chaos down the road,” Annatoyn told U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason during the day’s second hearing. “This court should foreclose that chaos by issuing a narrow injunction and stay for just the area of the right of way. We are not seeking relief across the reserve. We are not seeking relief sale-wide.”

Gleason stated her intention to issue rulings before bids are unsealed on Wednesday, Mar. 18.

She said Nuiqsut plaintiffs presented a more compelling case for a temporary injunction. That case concerns property rights, not just “more esoteric” environmental and subsistence protections.

A caribou from the Teshekpuk herd grazes on June 27, 2014, in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska. (Photo by Bob Wick/U.S. Bureau of Land Management)
A caribou from the Teshekpuk herd grazes on June 27, 2014, in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska. The herd is named for the lake, the largest on the North Slope. The herd uses the tundra adjacent to the lake for calving. (Photo by Bob Wick/U.S. Bureau of Land Management)

“I do see that there are far greater reasons for injunction as to this preliminarily, until the merits can be fully fleshed out,” she told U.S. Justice Department attorney Paul Turcke, who argued on behalf of the Department of the Interior at both hearings.

If the Teshekpuk-area leases are sold and the case is later decided in Nuiqsut Trilateral Inc.’s favor, that could create challenges for numerous parties, Gleason said.

The right-of-way agreement stemmed from environmental and subsistence stipulations in the Biden administration’s 2023 approval of ConocoPhillips’ giant Willow project, and it was a condition of Nuiqsut residents’ endorsement of that project. Willow is set to become the North Slope’s westernmost producing oil field. Conoco Phillips expects production to start in 2029, with an eventual peak of 180,000 barrels per day.

The right-of-way agreement focused on the Teshekpuk Lake area because it is important to Inupiat subsistence food-gatherers.

Under Trump administration terms, Teshekpuk-area protections that had been in place for decades no longer exist. That auction offers some areas at Teshekpuk Lake that have never previously been open to leasing, including parts of the lake itself.

Turcke argued at Thursday’s hearing that the federal government already protects subsistence rights diligently and does not need the right-of-way agreement to do so.

He also argued that Congress has already effectively struck down the restrictions imposed by the right-of-way agreement.

That happened last year, when Congress passed the sweeping budget and tax bill called the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” he said. The bill mandated a series of at least five NPR-A lease sales to be conducted over 10 years under terms of management plan proposed by the first Trump administration.

Turcke also disputed the idea that including the Teshekpuk area in the lease sale would cause irreparable harm to the Nuiqsut plaintiffs.

“It sounds concerning when they say that their property rights could be impacted, but again, the whole property right that they’re really talking about is the ability to just leave it the way it is right now. And that’s not going to change whether leases are issued or not,” he said.

But Annatoyn said Nuiqsut residents are already suffering impacts from the administration’s actions.

“They wake up every day. They see and smell and hear the trucks going to Willow,” he said.

Both lawsuits were originally filed in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia but transferred last month to federal court in Alaska.

Correction: The story has been corrected to reflect that the temporary injunctions sought by plaintiffs in both lawsuits concern only part of the lease sale.

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In Alaska’s topsy-turvy House, legislators are at odds over how much to bank on the Iran war

By: Corinne Smith and James Brooks, Alaska Beacon

The Alaska State Capitol is seen on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (James Brooks photo/Alaska Beacon)

A potential $500 million windfall is giving the Alaska House of Representatives a headache. 

On Friday, the Alaska Department of Revenue released a forecast predicting that the state of Alaska will collect hundreds of millions of dollars more oil revenue by June 30 than previously expected.

That forecast landed in the middle of an ongoing debate over whether or not to spend from savings to cover almost $530 million in extra expenses, largely added by Gov. Mike Dunleavy, to the state budget since last spring.

The Senate approved a proposal to pay for roughly three-quarters of those expenses and it is now in the state House, awaiting a vote that could come as soon as Monday. 

Tensions rose on Friday, with no agreement among House lawmakers on how to pay for the proposal. 

The House is led by a 21-person multipartisan coalition whose members have been urging fast action on the issue. They say it is particularly important to fund $70 million for the state’s transportation projects to unlock more than $630 million in additional federal funding.

Without sure money, majority lawmakers say projects can’t go out to bid and construction firms can’t make purchasing and hiring decisions. 

The construction industry has been lobbying heavily on the issue since before the legislative session began.

The majority wants to use the state’s Constitutional Budget Reserve, a savings account, to provide guaranteed funding.

The majority can pass a bill on its own, but it can’t spend from savings on its own. It takes 30 members of the House and 15 from the Senate to approve spending from the Constitutional Budget Reserve, the state’s principal savings account. 

The Senate has already given that approval, but in the House, at least nine members of the 19-person, all-Republican House minority would have to support the majority, and so far, they’re not willing to do that.

Part of that reluctance is because as currently written, the supplemental budget bill allows lawmakers to spend up to $373.6 million from the reserve regardless of whether or not the war-caused bonus becomes real.

If oil prices stay high and the reserve money isn’t needed, the majority could spend it on other things without further input from the minority. That’s because it takes only 21 votes to advance a budget bill.

In a Saturday post to Substack, Rep. Kevin McCabe, R-Big Lake, expressed worries about that prospect.

The money would return to the reserve only if it was unspent at the end of the fiscal year.

If lawmakers don’t spend from savings and the Iran war ends unexpectedly quickly, causing oil prices to fall, the minority could vote to spend from savings later to fill the gap. 

The result is an ironic set of circumstances — Trump has said that the war will be short, but minority House Republicans’ action is effectively a bet on a long war.

Minority members say they’re being fiscally responsible. So do members of the majority, who add that there’s an opportunity cost for any delay — Alaska construction companies can’t make plans for the summer until they know what projects they’ll need to build.

Majority members also expressed frustration that the supplemental budget was largely requested by the governor, who they say has been absent in negotiations.

In addition, legislators and Gov. Dunleavy could also find themselves with a problem if oil prices fall after legislators have adjourned for the summer.

Legislators typically write budgets based on forecasts from the Department of Revenue, but this year’s forecast is especially uncertain, the department said.

Rep. Calvin Schrage, D-Anchorage, co-chair of the House Finance Committee and a member of the majority, said he’s skeptical of banking on the forecast.

“I have a lot of concern over budgeting based on that forecast, because that’s all it is. It’s a forecast. It’s not realized money, it’s not money in hand,” he said Friday. 

“Even with this optimistic forecast, you are just barely, maybe able to balance the budget — if everything goes perfect. We still don’t have additional supplementals,” he said, referring to more budget amendments that could be requested by the governor.

Schrage said lawmakers will be scrutinizing the forecast in the coming days and weeks, and he said there’s still the possibility the Legislature may need to draw from savings.

But minority Republicans said they considered drawing from savings fiscally irresponsible.

“Taking a draw from our savings account to put into the general fund to fund things that were, by all accounts and purposes, able to be funded without it would have been irresponsible,” said Rep. Justin Ruffridge, R-Soldotna, on Friday. 

House Minority Leader DeLena Johnson, R-Anchorage, said she’s confident in the forecast projections. “There’s some actuals there too. So I’m very comfortable with actuals, and I also know, if there’s changes, we can come in and we can come in and make them, and make a different vote. I’m not as worried about that.”

Speaker of the House Bryce Edgmon, I-Dillingham, expressed frustration at the delay.

“This is pure politics. We should have had the supplemental budget funded. A long time ago,” he said. “The House Majority coalition prioritized the funding of the entire package that was proposed by the governor. Every single item came from the governor. And so here we are, you know, in a really precarious state, because we’re at the point where every week that goes by gets us a week closer to that federal match not being achieved for the summer construction season.”

Edgmon and other majority legislators have voiced frustration about “moving goal posts” on the budget bill. While there are more than $530 million in proposed additions, the bill in front of House lawmakers contains only three-quarters of that amount because majority members wanted to attract members of the minority for the savings vote.

The remainder will still have to be addressed later, regardless of what happens in the upcoming vote.

Edgmon said it’s not clear to him what the Republican minority wants in exchange for a budget reserve vote.

“We don’t know what the ask is,” he said. “But it’s all about leverage, and unfortunately, it’s falling on the shoulders of a lot of smaller contractors around the state.”

As of Friday afternoon, it appeared as if the budget bill was on course to pass, but without approval to spend from savings. 

If that occurs, the state of Alaska will be in the awkward position of hoping for a war long and difficult enough to keep oil prices high for months.

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Food

The Best Costco Nuts Are A Steal At Under $20

Costco is home to plenty of delicious snacks, and nuts are one of them. The chain carries many types, but the best are a positive steal at less than $20.

​Food Republic – Restaurants, Reviews, Recipes, Cooking Tips

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Music

Bert Kreischer’s Tour Bus Destroyed in Highway Fire

Thankfully everyone is OK, but Kreischer says ‘we would have been dead’ if the bus hadn’t blown a tire hours before, forcing them to evacuate. Continue reading…​The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs

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Alaska News

Alaska Rep. Nick Begich proposes federal tax exemption for Permanent Fund dividends

U.S. Rep. Nick Begich III, R-Alaska, speaks to a joint session of the Alaska Legislature on Tuesday, March 10, 2026. (James Brooks photo/Alaska Beacon)

The filing deadline for this year’s Alaska Permanent Fund dividend is March 31, and if Rep. Nick Begich III has his way, this year’s dividend will be tax free.

On March 3, Alaska’s lone member of the U.S. House introduced a bill that would exempt the dividend from federal taxes. 

When Begich mentioned it during his address to state lawmakers this week, it garnered a standing ovation in the state Capitol. 

Begich said afterward that passing the bill into law “is going to be a lift,” but in his first year as a Representative, Begich has found an unusual amount of success. On the day he introduced the tax-free dividend measure, he had a sixth prime-sponsored bill pass the U.S. Senate and advance to President Donald Trump. 

Those six bills include two Congressional Review Act resolutions that repealed regulations adopted by the administration of President Joe Biden.

When members of Alaska’s Congressional delegation speak to the Legislature, it’s usually a platform to talk about their recent accomplishments, and Begich had plenty to talk about this year.

The number of bills he passed through Congress in his first year is a record, his office said.

According to the Center for Effective Lawmaking, when Begich’s sixth bill becomes law, he will tie former Rep. Rick Renzi, R-Arizona, for the most bills that became law in a freshman term.

The 119th Congress still has several months to run, and if Begich manages a seventh, he would set the record.

“No other House freshman in our data (going back to 1973) had six or more,” said Colin Achilles, the center’s associate director, by email.  

At least some of Begich’s success is attributable to groundwork laid by his immediate predecessors, Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola and Republican Rep. Don Young.

His first two passed bills were handed over by Peltola after she lost to Begich in the 2024 elections. 

He’s also received help from Alaska’s two senators, Republicans Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, who have been able to guide his legislation through the Senate after passing the House.

Begich’s House-and-Senate passed bills to date include:

  • A legal change making it easier for disabled Alaska Natives to qualify for some federal aid programs;
  • A measure repealing Biden-era limits on oil and gas leasing within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge;
  • Another measure that repealed a Biden-era land-use plan for Interior Alaska;
  • A law that distributes extra land to Alaska Native village corporations by eliminating an inactive trust;
  • A bill granting land to the Alaska Native village corporation for Saxman, in Southeast Alaska;
  • And a bill extending the amount of time that Alaska Native Vietnam War veterans or their families have to pick grants of federal land.

While the measures repealing Biden-era actions advanced along party lines, taking advantage of Republican control of the House, Senate and Presidency, Begich’s other bills have gotten unanimous support in the House, from Democrats and Republicans alike.

Speaking to the Alaska Legislature, Begich said that “not every bill is a touchdown pass, but every bill puts (points) on the board. We are getting points on the board for the state of Alaska, and we will continue to look for opportunities to do that.”

After his speech, he acknowledged that the dividend bill is something closer to a deep pass than a short run down the middle, but it helps to be ready for an opportunity.

“You have to have these bills in existence in order for them to have an opportunity to pass. And sometimes a must-pass piece of legislation will show up, and you’ll have an opportunity to attach a priority for your district,” he said. “In our case … we wanted to make sure that we had this in the clip ready to go. When that opportunity arrives, sometimes it happens faster than you think it will. Sometimes it takes a while, but you have to have the legislative text ready to go for the moment that arrives, and that’s what we’re doing on that bill.”

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Music

Bert Kreischer’s Tour Bus Destroyed in Highway Fire

Thankfully everyone is OK, but Kreischer says ‘we would have been dead’ if the bus hadn’t blown a tire hours before, forcing them to evacuate. Continue reading…​Country Music News – Taste of Country

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Health

Kyle Richards’ Daughter Blamed Her Hair Loss On A GLP-1. Sadly, She’s Not Alone

Does the use of GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Mounjaro really have hair loss as a side effect? According to research, the answer is a bit more complicated.

​Health Digest – Health News, Wellness, Expert Insights

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Sports Fox

Sound Smart: 4 Observations on the First Wave of NFL Free Agency

Let the second week of free agency begin. After the first week, the quarterback carousel looks relatively settled. Kyler Murrray signed with the Vikings, Malik Willis signed with the Dolphins, Daniel Jones signed an extension with the Colts, Tua Tagovailoa signed with the Falcons. Aaron Rodgers has not signed, but he figures to return to the Steelers at some point before training camp. Elsewhere, receiver Alec Pierce got a massive deal to return to the Colts and former Eagles edge Jaelan Phillips got a massive deal from the Carolina Panthers. It has already been a busy and expensive free agency window — a record $5.83 billion was committed to player contracts in the first week. But that’s what we saw at surface level. This is “Sound Smart,” where I try to spin forward, dive deeper and think outside the box. If I do my job, you’ll have a better understanding of what just happened in NFL free agency. 1. IF THERE’S ONE THING YOU SHOULD KNOW The Ravens were winners by backing out of the Maxx Crosby trade. Baltimore did something that’s every NFL general manager’s nightmare: cancel a massive deal that included huge draft capital. By backing out, the Ravens stamped five-time Pro Bowl edge Crosby with a “damaged goods” label. And they did it at a time when most of the elite free-agent pass-rushers had already landed with teams that desperately needed help at the position. In other words, the Ravens deflated Crosby’s value in just about every way. The Raiders got wholly and totally screwed. If you check out what The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported about how the Ravens had their team doctor and four or five independent doctors check Crosby’s medicals, it’s apparent that Baltimore was at least thorough before canceling the deal. If all was really hunky-dory with Crosby’s knee, wouldn’t several other teams show a real interest in him — particularly given that the cost would surely be lower than the two first-round picks the Ravens were giving up? That shouldn’t completely excuse Baltimore’s shadiness. What the Ravens did was absolutely sketchy. And we can all speculate about whether they got buyer’s remorse. But the truth is that they were within league rules to reverse this trade. They were within league rules to set up a free-agent deal with Pro Bowl edge Trey Hendrickson. They definitely violated some unwritten rules — but none that will permanently damage GM Eric DeCosta’s reputation. As he said last week: “It hasn’t stopped my phone from ringing.” And so, by trusting their doctors and observing the shifting landscape of pass-rushers, the Ravens made the controversial decision to back out of a trade — knowing full-well that they’d be the brunt of criticism and every internet meme known to man. And then they did that most antagonistic thing imaginable: signing Hendrickson — practically right after Crosby’s plane took off from Baltimore. All that is true. But what’s also true is that they landed on the most sensible outcome. Crosby is a better run defender and Hendrickson is a better pass-rusher. So they’re not a one-for-one swap. But to get Hendrickson for roughly the same dollar amount as Crosby — and not have to pay two first-round picks? That’s a coup. I hate to admit it, because it sure feels like the Ravens did the Raiders dirty, but Baltimore wound up with a better situation. The upgrade from Hendrickson to Crosby wasn’t worth what Baltimore had to give up to get there. And since I’m spouting unpopular opinions, I’ll say this, too: There’s also a scenario where the Raiders are winners, too. They had the cap space to take Crosby back without altering any of their quarter-billion dollars in free-agent deals. Behind a record-breaking (and laudable) deal for center Tyler Linderbaum, the Raiders’ free-agent class is impressive and could immediately help them begin to change their identity under new head coach Klint Kubiak. And it’s possible Crosby has had a change of heart about wanting to leave Vegas — whether by seeing how cold the business is elsewhere or by seeing the way the Raiders have invested in this team. And don’t forget: Las Vegas has the first pick in the draft, which is expected to be Heisman Trophy-winning QB Fernando Mendoza. Maybe Crosby stays. Maybe he helps Las Vegas become relevant in 2026. Maybe this trade really wasn’t meant to be. 2. PEELING BACK THE CURTAIN Of all the quarterbacks available, why did Kevin O’Connell and the Vikings pick Kyler Murray? Given all the options in free agency, I thought O’Connell and Minnesota interim GM Rob Brzezinski might have interest in just about every other quarterback before Murray. And that’s because there were obvious ties between the Vikings and Kirk Cousins, Daniel Jones and Aaron Rodgers. Even Tua Tagovailoa made sense for the Vikings, given he’s a sound decision-maker and a solid system quarterback. (His veteran-minimum contract doesn’t hurt either.) All those quarterbacks fall into the “system QB” and/or “pocket passer” categories, even Rodgers at this point in his career. Murray is unlike the others. He has shown the ability to operate in the pocket, but given his size (6-foot) and athleticism, he is just as dangerous — and often more dangerous — outside of the pocket (and outside of the system). With Murray comes a handful of questions, including about his work ethic. He had a clause in his contract extension (worth $230.5 million) that required him to spend four hours per week on game prep without distractions like video games, TV or internet browsing. This was four years ago. A lot has changed since then, but his play on the field has not — at least not substantially. After seven NFL seasons, the 28-year-old Murray still has too many moments of immaturity and thrill-seeking throughout games. It made for a streaky Cardinals offense, a unit that changed drastically under journeyman Jacoby Brissett’s steady (and admittedly boring) hand in the second half of last season. This offseason, the Cardinals seemed happy to see Murray go. Now, this scenario is supposed to be O’Connell’s specialty. He takes veteran quarterbacks who have underachieved — or were underappreciated — elsewhere and turns them into something special. So if anyone is going to help Murray, it’s O’Connell. Murray is the real winner here, working with a coach who should be as capable as anyone to maximize the QB’s potential — even if O’Connell’s track record is with a different style of QB. But we saw some fallibility as O’Connell worked with J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota’s first-round pick in 2024 who had a rough debut season in 2025. So Murray will be a fascinating test for O’Connell. And because of the Vikings’ financial commitment to Murray — he’s getting the veteran minimum from Minnesota while the Cardinals pay him more than $35 million — this probably won’t go wrong in any catastrophic way. But if their partnership does fail, then I could see O’Connell ending up on the hot seat by the end of the 2026 season. Even so, it’s a risk worth taking. Given Murray’s upside, this could be one of the most exciting QB-coach tandems in the league. 3. THE GREAT, THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY Great: The Seahawks let four key players go in free agency. It’s wise for Seattle to let other teams pay the Super Bowl tax. It will no doubt hurt to see the following players go: RB Kenneth Walker III, edge Boye Mafe, safety Coby Bryant and CB Tariq Woolen. Walker, who signed a three-year contract with the Chiefs, will be the toughest to replace, but the Seahawks can draft a running back and hunt for a value option in free agency (Brian Robinson, Kene Nwangu or Dameon Pierce). And then it’ll be on Mike Macdonald, considered the best defensive coach in football, to work with GM John Schneider to find ways to replace the defensive departures. It’s also not like the Seahawks let every free agent go. They let key players such as cornerback Josh Jobe and receiver Rashid Shaheed test the open market and then re-signed them to modest contracts. That’s good business. They can’t get caught chasing last year’s success. They have to build something new for 2026. Good: The Chiefs sign RB Kenneth Walker III for $43 million over three years. If there was one thing that held the Chiefs back the past couple of seasons, it was their inability to run the ball. It was, by far, their most profound and fundamental issue. They’ve tried to draft to fix the issue. They’ve tried to bring in old and new veterans to fix the issue. Nothing has worked. But Walker seems like the perfect solution to their lack of explosiveness on the ground. He had 10 runs of 20 yards or more last season — collectively, the Chiefs’ running backs had just one. He is, admittedly, a very expensive solution. But by spending big to get an elite RB, the Chiefs won’t have to chase Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love, the consensus top running back prospect in the draft. They will be free to draft whomever they want at No. 9 overall, be it Ohio State receiver Carnell Tate or safety Caleb Downs. Bad: The Panthers sign edge Jaelan Phillips for $120 million over four years. It was a tough call between Phillips and Odafe Oweh, the former Ravens and Chargers edge who signed a four-year, $100 million contract with the Commanders, for this category. The nature of buying a premium position in free agency is that you’re going to overpay dramatically. Every offseason, free-agent quarterbacks, receivers and edge rushers get record-setting sums, even if they are not even close to being the best players at their position. (Teams extend or tag the best players before they can hit the open market. Look at All-Pro receiver George Pickens, who was franchise-tagged by the Cowboys.) Phillips is a pressure specialist, not typically getting home for gaudy sack statistics — he’s never logged double-digit sacks — but creating enough havoc to have league-wide respect. He’s a good player, but he’s also often injured, with both ACL and Achilles tears in the past three years. He nearly retired in college due to injuries. I could see a scenario where the Panthers regret their decision to pay him the eighth-most per year among edge rushers. Ugly: The Bills trade a second-round pick for receiver DJ Moore. You could squint and justify the Bills sending a second-round pick to the Bears in exchange for Moore. But it was an overpay. We can plainly see that, given what the Steelers sent in exchange for Colts receiver Michael Pittman: a swap of sixth- and seventh-round picks. But given new Buffalo head coach Joe Brady has a history with Moore in Carolina and given how badly the Bills needed help at receiver, it made sense that they went out and got their guy. The deal got ugly, however, when it came out that the Bills weren’t just putting themselves on the hook for Moore’s $24.5 million guarantee in 2026 and $15.5 million guarantee in 2027 (as a part of a total salary of $24.5 million). They decided to also guarantee $15.5 million in 2028 (again, as a part of a salary of $24.5 million). That’s a long-term commitment to a guy who will be 31 in 2027. And suddenly, the deal became a financial and draft-asset overpay. The Bills have taken on a severe risk to get Moore, who has one 1,000-yard season in the past four years despite playing 17 games each year. Buffalo is betting big on getting more from Moore. 4. WHAT WE STILL DON’T KNOW Where and when is Aaron Rodgers going to sign, if he signs at all? It seems obvious that he’ll return to the Steelers, and he’ll probably make everyone — including the folks in Pittsburgh — wait until August. But also … expect the unexpected with Rodgers. Which second-week free agents are going to complete a Super Bowl roster? It’s absolutely possible to build a juggernaut in free agency, particularly by shelling out massive sums of money to rebuild a downtrodden roster. But more often, we’ve seen teams identify key players — and for great value — during this phase of free agency. That’s how a good team becomes great. Here are a few players I think might qualify: tight end David Njoku, tackle Jonah Williams, guard Joel Bitonio, linebackers Bobby Wagner and Matt Milano, and edges Calais Campbell and Cam Jordan. What are the Cardinals going to do at quarterback? They have Jacoby Brissett, and they could draft one of the second-tier rookies, like Alabama’s Ty Simpson. Jimmy Garoppolo is also available, and he worked with new Arizona head coach Mike LaFleur in Los Angeles. There’s even the option of trading for Mac Jones, though I think that would be ill-advised, given the 49ers have reportedly set an astronomical asking price. Maybe the Cardinals’ plan is to sit and wait for the 2027 NFL Draft — and Arch Manning. How high will Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love go in the draft? The Chiefs (ninth overall) signed Kenneth Walker and the Saints (No. 8) signed Travis Etienne. Even the Commanders added Rachaad White. Might this mean they all expect the Titans to draft Love at No. 4? Several executives view Love as the draft’s best prospect. It’s a question of value (and opportunity cost) — and how high a team can justify taking a running back. How much will George Pickens make? He would have been the No. 1 free agent on the market if the Cowboys hadn’t tagged him. Dallas has a history of contract tomfoolery. So far, Pickens has yet to agree to an extension. What is Jerry Jones up to now? Where will Crosby play in 2026? Not long after the Ravens reversed the trade, an NFL executive texted me that Crosby would inevitably get “traded elsewhere.” But perhaps not in a hurry. If Crosby still wants to leave (and the Raiders still want to trade him), we might not know where he’s playing until training camp.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports