Josh Metellus Ignites Beef with QB Comparison
J.J. McCarthy’s throwing style reminds Minnesota Vikings safety Josh Metellus of … Sean Mannion.
Vikings safety Josh Metellus compared J.J. McCarthy to a former Vikings quarterback, setting off a little bit of chaos on social media.
Mannion now works for the Green Bay Packers as a quarterbacks coach, removed from Vikings operations for over a year.
But somehow, Mannion’s name entered the chat on social media this week, creating a mini-controversy.
The J.J. McCarthy + Sean Mannion Comp
Metellus told the media about McCarthy’s throwing motion on Tuesday, “He has one of the best zips I’ve seen since being in the league, and I’ve been around some guys who could sling it. Shoutout to Sean Mannion, he was slinging it. He had a great arm. But yeah, J.J. throws the ball as good as I’ve been around. He can put the ball where he wants to.”
The quote felt like a DJ’s record scratch at a raucous event because Vikings fans have enjoyed McCarthy comparisons to Josh Allen and Joe Burrow as of late — not Mannion.
A Popular Social Media Account Tees Off on Mettelus
Tanner Weber, a member of “VikingsTwitter” for 13 years, found the Metellus quote and called out Metellus.
“Did Josh Metellus really just say Sean Mannion could sling it? What kind of crack you been doing this offseason Josh Metellus, cause I want some,” Weber retweeted and tagged Metellus personally.
Mannion does not have a large fan following among Vikings loyalists, so the analogy from Metellus didn’t land favorably for some — like Weber.
It’s worth noting that Weber has over 8,000 followers on X, the website and app commonly referred to as Twitter.
Metellus Claps Back
Metellus directly replied to Weber, and he pulled no punches: “Bruh don’t @ me. You don’t even know ball. I can shout out my old teammates whenever I want.”
Weber did not reply to Metellus, instead feuding in the subsequent comments, instructing non-Metellus people to unfollow him if they didn’t like his observation.
One X user, @DJHouse82, replied with a respectful kumbaya: “It’s all good. This is definitely the difference of playing a sports versus watching. There’s plenty of players that could do shit good just didn’t crossover to the field. There’s plenty of super fast wide receivers & DBs they just couldn’t put it all together on the field.”
Sean Mannion Background
Mannion played for the Vikings off and on from 2019 to 2023.
Our own Josh Frey wrote about Mannion last year when he joined the Packers’ staff: “Mannion spent his collegiate years with the Oregon State Beavers where he passed for 13,600 yards, 83 TDs, and 54 INTs while completing 64.6% of his passes before being selected in the third round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams.”
“His passing yardage total ranks first all-time in the Oregon State program’s history and is second all-time in the PAC-12 conference. Mannion went on to spend his first four NFL seasons with the Rams, serving as a backup to Nick Foles, Case Keenum, and Jared Goff over the course of his time there.”
In Weber’s defense, although the crack comment was utterly rude, fans were generally underwhelmed by Mannion as a backup quarterback.
Frey added about Mannion’s journey, “Following the conclusion of his rookie contract, he signed with the Vikings in free agency. Since that time, the QB has hopped back and forth from the Vikings roster/practice squad to the Seattle Seahawks practice squad. Mannion started three career games in the NFL, appeared in 11 more, and totaled 573 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and 3 interceptions.”
“He tossed the lone touchdown pass during his final start of his career, ironically coming against the Green Bay Packers as a member of the Vikings. Now, the QB turned coach will serve as a mentor to Jordan Love as the Packers hope to build off a successful 2023 season in which they went 9-8, made the playoffs, and earned a road playoff win over the Dallas Cowboys.”
Other Metellus News
Metellus is also in line for a contract extension, telling reporters Tuesday that conversations were in motion between his representation, agent Drew Rosenhaus, and the Vikings’ front office.
SI.com’s Will Ragatz added context, “The Vikings signed tight end Josh Oliver to a three-year contract extension on Tuesday, securing an important piece of their offense for a while. Earlier this offseason, they gave All-Pro outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel a well-deserved raise on a one-year extension for the 2026 season.”
“That leaves just one name remaining from the list of three extension candidates I wrote about back in January: safety Josh Metellus. Metellus is very much due a significant raise on the two-year, $8 million deal he signed prior to his breakout 2023 season in Brian Flores’ defense — a contract that expires after this season. Every indication has been that both sides want to continue their relationship.”
Metellus will likely fetch the extension sometime this summer, and the mystery will end.
Ragatz added, “But at this moment, Metellus is still waiting. And while he waits, the 27-year-old is ‘holding in’ to some extent by electing not to participate in 7-on-7 reps at OTAs and minicamp.”
“It sure feels like it’s only a matter of time until the Vikings and Metellus’s representation get a deal worked out that will keep him in Minnesota for years to come.”
And remember to not @ Metellus along the way with nonsense. He has no time for it.
Vikings Unexpectedly Had a Busy Tuesday
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