Purple Rumor Mill: Throwback Uniforms, Open Season on Justin Jefferson, Dalvin + NY
VikingsTerritory’s Purple Rumor Mill is a two-day chronicle each week. All the week’s rumors are lassoed and plopped in two spots — articles on Saturday and Sunday — for review. Today is the July 1st edition.
Purple Rumor Mill: Throwback Uniforms, Open Season on Justin Jefferson, Dalvin + NY
Remember — rumors are rumors. What you read on weekends in these pieces is what the world is talking about pertaining to the Vikings, not necessarily items that will come to fruition.
Here’s the first batch of the week.
Rumor: The Vikings will finally wear alternate uniforms in 2023.
The style and tweaks remain a mystery, but one item remains consistent this offseason — the Vikings will indeed don alternate uniforms in 2023.
We’re told the uniforms will be throwbacks, probably to about 40-50 years ago, and that Minnesota will wear the throwbacks during the Week 1 showdown with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Thankfully, the Vikings should confirm this any day.
Rumor: For no good reason, the Justin Jefferson slander is out of control.
This Green Bay Packers podcaster appeared to start the anti-Jefferson fodder:
Then, a few days ago, Keyshawn Johnson ranked the NFL’s Top 5 wide receivers, and Jefferson was nowhere to be found. He curiously excluded or forgot about the league’s Offensive Player of the Year.
Show co-host Max Kellerman appeared to clarify the Johnson list, “I’d probably put Jefferson at four or five. Because he is so productive. You know, guys like Jefferson and Cooper Kupp, I agree with you, even if it’s the system or whatever else when they are in the right situation, they are going to get a million catches, a million yards, a million touchdowns.”
So, jot that one down — Justin Jefferson is a system wide receiver.
After that, Pat McAfee said on his popular show that Dalvin Cook was the driving force behind the Vikings 2022 offense. He claimed, “Dalvin Cook was their offense, like the reason why I think Justin Jefferson has all the things is because Dalvin Cook is in the backfield.”
We have no idea why this Jefferson brickbat is happening, and if we find out, we’ll let you know.
Rumor: Dalvin Cook is open to joining the New York Jets.
Former Vikings tight end Tyler Conklin was asked about the possibility of Cook becoming a Jet on NFL Network’s Good Morning Football this week. He wasn’t shy, “There’s plenty of room. We’ve got room for whoever wants to come help us win a Super Bowl. Me and Dalvin were basically like locker mates for a couple years, and he was an awesome guy.”
Conklin played for the Vikings from 2018 to 2021, so a teammate of Cook’s for four years.
“I reached out to him — are the rumors true? Is this actually possible? I mean, that would be a special backfield,” Conklin added.
“I think that would be special, especially in this outside zone scheme,” Conklin concluded. Meanwhile, Cook evidently likes the Jets idea. He retweeted the video featuring Conklin with two 100 emojis.
It’s safe to say Cook-to-Jets is a plausible summer outcome.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Viking obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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