Aug 10, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) under center against the Las Vegas Raiders in the third quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports.
A weekend publication from VikingsTerritory, we present to you: 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 39th batch of Vikings nopedy nopes in the series’ history.
Fans are so impressed with Sam Darnold’s production that conversations about “what to do with them” when the season ends have turned awkward. Well, The Ringer’s Bill Simmons has an idea — trade the other guy.
That’s J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota’s big hope for the future. Simmons suggested this week that Minnesota could offload McCarthy to the highest bidder and keep Darnold for 2025 and beyond.
“Darnold … really has energy with Jefferson and Addison. He has almost 3,300 yards – Darnold – 28 touchdowns, and 10 picks, and if they are in round one of the playoffs, he’ll probably be like a four-plus-point favorite. He’s on a one-year deal. They have J.J. McCarthy, I’d be really hesitant not to bring Darnold back,” Simmons mused on his podcast Monday.
Then, he delivered the bold idea: “Today was the first day where I was like, ‘Wow, they might have actually found their QB, and maybe they should think about trading J.J. McCarthy.'”
Indeed, letting Darnold walk or retaining his services for 2025 will be a heated conversation when the playoffs conclude. But truth be told, Darnold may have to win a Super Bowl with the Vikings to keep him attached to the roster.
Let’s be realistic — the Vikings won’t trade J.J. McCarthy. He’s their future — not a good 17 games from Darnold.
Verdict: Nopedy nope.
Murphy is sick of hearing about the Lions. Detroit is in the driver’s seat to win the NFC North, claim homefield advantage throughout the postseason, and win the Super Bowl, per oddsmakers’ forecast — unless the Vikings or another team provide a detour.
“Detroit came out with the win, and I don’t like that. We will see them soon. I’m not liking all this Detroit talk right now. I’m over them,” Murphy said late last week before his team chipped off the Atlanta Falcons by 21 points on Sunday.
And after the win over Atlanta last weekend, Murphy renewed his beef with Detroit, this time chatting with Tom Pelissero down on the field at U.S. Bank Stadium. “Y’all need to start talking about us. We tired of the Detroit talk. We gonna get to that game eventually. But right now, just focus on every single Sunday, and we’ll see them soon. Talk about the Vikings, because we on one right now,” Murphy told Pelissero.
Murphy simply doesn’t want to talk about them anymore, so ….
Verdict: Nopedy nope.
When Gilmore injured his hamstring against the Arizona Cardinals, it sounded afterward like he could’ve returned to that game if necessary.
His prognosis sounded day-to-day, but it quickly morphed into week-to-week.
Gilmore missed the Week 14 win over the Falcons and could miss the Monday night tilt against the Chicago Bears.
While Gilmore’s malady wasn’t season-ending, it wasn’t a tiny deal for a team in a playoff chase.
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. 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.