Vikings Nopedy Nopes: J.J. McCarthy to the Raiders, Kirk Cousins’ Return to Vikings, Teddy Bridgewater
A weekend publication from VikingsTerritory, we present to you: the Vikings Nopedy Nopes of the week.
Vikings Nopedy Nopes: J.J. McCarthy to the Raiders, Kirk Cousins’ Return to Vikings, Teddy Bridgewater
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 41st batch of Vikings nopedy nopes in the series’ history.
The Nopedy Nope: J.J. McCarthy will be traded to the Las Vegas Raiders.
A website called The Wright Sports Network (TWSN) published an article this week with the following title: “The Minnesota Vikings Will Trade JJ McCarthy to the Las Vegas Raiders.”
“With Tom Brady having more of a role in the Raiders front office, his ties to Michigan COULD cause him to be a bigger fan of McCarthy. Outside of the Tennessee Titans, there really isn’t a perfect fit for McCarthy, and if the Raiders have to give up a 2nd round pick along with another day-2 pick, that’d be a win for the Raiders,” TWSN’s @almedad wrote.
This will not happen. Minnesota didn’t draft McCarthy as some “maybe” flyer. He’s their quarterback of the future.
Verdict: Nopedy nope.
The Nopedy Nope: Kirk Cousins could be back with the Vikings in 2024 as a QB2 or for another bridge quarterback assignment.
Cousins will need a new team in 2025, assuming he doesn’t take his $100 million and retire — and some Vikings fans and NFL analysts claim an affordable reunion in Minnesota is possible.
Yahoo Sports’ Jori Epstein sized up Cousins’ 2025 market this week, and the Vikings made the cut as a possible landing spot. “Sources pointed to the Las Vegas Raiders, Tennessee Titans, New York Jets and New York Giants as possible places where Cousins could start immediately in 2025. Dark-horse candidates include the San Francisco 49ers, where Cousins could reunite with head coach Kyle Shanahan 12 years after their two seasons of overlap in Washington, and the Minnesota Vikings,” Epstein wrote.
Some Vikings fans would be wildly unenthused about a Cousins reunion because it would symbolize backward thinking.
Epstein concluded about Cousins to Minny, “Interpersonal dynamics in Minnesota may complicate a reunion so soon after head coach Kevin O’Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah moved on from Cousins. But the league is not missing the irony of the potential football fit a reunion would bring, as Darnold will likely command more than the Vikings want to pay, and injured rookie J.J. McCarthy’s rehabilitation timeline will leave uncertainty.”
The only perk to the Cousins theory is price. For the first time ever, Cousins will be gettable for NFL pennies because of his large Falcons-paid salary. In theory, Minnesota could sign Cousins as a QB2 and insurance policy for McCarthy’s injury recovery.
Otherwise, the idea of reuniting with Cousins just doesn’t feel like a Kwesi Adofo-Mensah-driven strategy. It’s probably a nopedy nope.
Verdict: Nopedy nope.
The Nopedy Nope: Teddy Bridgewater would play in the postseason if Jared Goff got injured in Detroit.
The Lions signed Bridgewater this week, and some immediately interpreted him as Detroit’s new QB2 — the first line of defense if something happens to Jared Goff.
But the former Viking should be considered the Lions’ QB3. Detroit has spent 6-7 months preparing Hendon Hooker as QB2. Hooker would likely take the reins in the event of an emergency.
Bridgewater is instantly the NFL’s best QB3, however.
Verdict: Nopedy nope.
ESPN Identifies “Achilles Heel” for Vikings
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.
You must be logged in to post a comment.