Oct 9, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports.
A new weekend publication from VikingsTerritory, we unveil the Vikings Nopedy Nopes of the week.
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 fifth batch of Vikings nopedy nopes in the series’ history.
NBC Sports show host Craig Carton created more Jefferson trade stir this week. On The Carton Show, he said about a would-be Jefferson trade, “Money’s better than championships all day, every day. That being said, you gotta trade him because if he’s turned down a contract that would make him the first- or second-highest-paid wide receiver in the history of the NFL, he’s telling you, ‘I’m not re-signing here!’ So you better get value for him while you can.”
Jefferson is expected to become the highest-paid wide receiver in history soon, and most fans believe he is waiting to see the franchise’s quarterback plan after Kirk Cousins left via free agency three weeks ago.
“Justin Jefferson is the most likely to be dealt, if not by the draft, then by the trade deadline this upcoming season because Minnesota’s not gonna be a good football team,” Morton added.
The Vikings will not trade Jefferson — not during an offseason when they just allowed their expensive quarterback to walk. The stars have been aligning for an era involving Jefferson’s mammoth contract and a rookie quarterback to offset his price.
Any Jefferson trade fodder is born from the “what if?” of his deal not yet completed.
Verdict: Nopedy nope.
According to former Vikings general manager Rick Spielman, Minnesota could end up “overpaying” for the fourth quarterback on the board. Spielman recently said on CBS Sports airwaves, “They’re going to have to give picks 11 and 23 and their 2025 first, plus some more draft capital. I think J.J. McCarthy will be a good pro, but Minnesota will overpay to get him. At this point, they don’t have a choice given their current QB room.”
This theory — for what it’s worth — aligns with a recent mock draft from ESPN. Field Yates predicted this week Minnesota doing business with the Los Angeles Chargers and the No. 5 pick but sending three 1st-Rounders for the prize, J.J. McCarthy.
Spielman answered a question about Rattler’s ideal fit last week, first connecting him to San Francisco with a Brock Purdy connection: “Anyone coming out of that offensive system would be the best, whether it’s the Rams or whether it’s the 49ers. I would say even Minnesota.”
Rattler might have been an option for the Vikings if Spielman had been in charge, but not this brand of leadership. The current front office isn’t going to approach the quarterback solution with half a buttocks.
Verdict: Nopedy nope.
SB Nation’s James Dator proposed a Vikings trade with the Chargers this week involving quarterback Justin Herbert, a deal that would cost Minnesota three 1st-Round picks and Jordan Addison. Such a trade would put the Chargers on the hook for about $63 million in dead cap salary, but in an era when Russell Wilson cost the Denver Broncos roughly $20 million more than that in dead cap, anything is evidently possible.
Dator wrote about the deal, “Why the heck would the Chargers consider this? Simply put: They’re not winning. The NFL has drastically changed in the last 24 months where it’s no longer a necessity to have an elite quarterback to win. Los Angeles gets a quarterback Harbaugh knows he can win with, if they make this trade and two additional first round picks this year to fill gaps.” He continued, “The team gets another in 2025, and an emerging receiver in Jordan Addison who could legitimately be a No. 1 guy on any team that doesn’t have Justin Jefferson.”
The theory suggests the Chargers would keep their No. 5 pick this year and draft the aforementioned McCarthy.
“Why this would make sense for the Vikings? Look, it’s Justin Herbert. You don’t get many chances to land a quarterback like that in a trade. Minnesota is locked in draft purgatory where they’re unable to find a bonafide franchise quarterback, and too good to salt the earth and demolish everything. The Vikings offense is built around elite quarterback play — which necessitates getting a serious talent at the position and not taking a risk,” Dator added.
Los Angeles calling it quits on Herbert would be nearly as inexplicable as it gets — the hard part in the NFL is finding a franchise quarterback. Herbert is exactly that. The Dator deal brushes aside the sure-thing aspect of his skillset. If Herbert were still on a rookie contract and the financial pain of the trade didn’t exist, the Chargers might examine the scenario.
Dator concluded by pouring cold water on his own theory, “Could this actually happen? No. Well, probably not. This would take so many steps and interlocking pieces to make happen that it seems preposterous. Arriving and trading one of the best quarterbacks in the league is a sure-fire way to get fired if it doesn’t pan out, and I don’t think Harbaugh or GM Joe Hortiz want that smoke just now.”
This would actually be awesome — attaining Herbert instead of a rookie — because he’d cancel the Vikings’ risk of drafting a bust. But Los Angeles isn’t going to gobble $63 million in dead cap while willfully offloading a Top 6 NFL quarterback.
Verdict: Nopedy nope.
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 MIN obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.