A weekend publication from VikingsTerritory, we present to you: the Vikings Nopedy Nopes of the week.
Vikings Nopedy Nopes: J.J. McCarthy Nonsense, Xavier Rhodes Reunion, NFL Top 100
The nopedy nopes are weekly Minnesota Vikings-themed items that we’re not buying. It’s a spin-off of our rumor mill, and we hope you enjoy. Here is the 21st batch of Vikings nopedy nopes in the series’ history.
The Nopedy Nope: J.J. McCarthy is struggling this summer, according to infamous NFL aggregator Dov Kleiman.
NFL aggregator Dov Kleiman went out of his way to irritate Vikings fans this week. The aggregator posted a tweet on X, claiming that rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy has struggled this summer — an assertion that most believe is the polar opposite of the truth.
The malfunction of Kleiman’s tweet? He lifted one bad highlight from McCarthy’s summer, cited a website most folks have never heard of, and derided McCarthy’s performance. Vikings fans, the team’s head coach, and other NFL media sources have preached the inverse about McCarthy — that he’s played quite well for a 21-year-old.
McCarthy is not struggling at Vikings training camp. He’s just not.
Verdict: Nopedy nope.
The Nopedy Nope: Cornerback Xavier Rhodes could return to the Vikings this season.
Rhodes commented this week on a Vikings fan’s Twitter account.
Of course, this sent folks to the hills, speculating about Rhodes’ return to the purple lineup. And as a standalone reply, Rhodes’ words, if interpreted literally, could signify a Vikings reunion, even if the man is 34 years old and didn’t play in the NFL last year.
Yet, context is needed. Four days ago, Rhodes tweeted, “Contemplating on which Vikings game I should attend. Missing the Skol Nation.”
Rhodes will venture to a game as a fan — not as a player. He wasn’t foreshadowing a comeback.
Verdict: Nopedy nope.
The Nopedy Nope: According to the player-voted NFL Top 100, Justin Jefferson is the league’s 18th-best player.
As NFL.com continued to release its annual Top 100 player rankings — voted on by NFL players — Jefferson checked in significantly lower than expected on Wednesday at No. 18. The league says seventeen NFLers are better at their craft than Jefferson.
If asked to predict this countdown heading into Wednesday, Jefferson, almost universally, may have received Top 5 votes. No. 18 placement, aside from the jersey number coincidence, is truly mind-boggling.
Then on Friday, NFL players decided Patrick Mahomes was the fourth-best in the league. The list has devolved into absurdity.
Verdict: Nopedy nope.
One New Viking Appears to Have Taken a Backseat
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His MIN obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.