Vikings Nopedy Nopes: Justin Herbert, Aaron Rodgers Last Gasp, Ty Chandler’s Job
A weekend publication from VikingsTerritory, we present to you: the Vikings Nopedy Nopes of the week.
Vikings Nopedy Nopes: Justin Herbert, Aaron Rodgers Last Gasp, Ty Chandler’s Job
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 53rd batch of Vikings nopedy nopes in the series’ history.
The Nopedy Nope: Justin Herbert could be traded to Minnesota before the draft for J.J. McCarthy.
Herbert to the Vikings is out there, believe it or not. Fans got about a day to enjoy the news that Aaron Rodgers wouldn’t join the Vikings before pivoting to Herbert rumors.
FOX Sports’ Nick Wright led the charge, advancing the speculation last week. He argued, “The Vikings should quietly call the Chargers. Be like, ‘Hey, Jim Harbaugh, this guy J.J. McCarthy, who you said was the best quarterback you ever coached, the best quarterback in your draft, will give you him and our first-round pick, and we’ll take Justin Herbert.”
“The contract is tradable. Kevin O’Connell clearly thinks Darnold’s not good enough, which I agree with him. Jim Harbaugh, could really do the whole Michigan thing with a cheap quarterback, not have the obligation to run the ball or to pass the ball a ton,” Wright added.
Fast forward to Wednesday, and SKOR North, a Minneapolis-based outlet with a decently-sized audience, produced an entire segment about Herbert to Minnesota. The show’s hosts claimed they had received a few anonymous emails indicating that a Herbert-McCarthy trade would finalize before the draft on April 24th.
You can watch that footage here.
Minnesota is committed to McCarthy, and the Chargers won’t willingly accept over $90 million in 2026 dead cap on their books. This is another stupid theory.
Verdict: Nopedy nope.
The Nopedy Nope: Despite widespread reporting that Aaron Rodgers to the Vikings is dead, The Athletic claims the scenario remains alive.
After the who’s who of NFL media reported that Aaron Rodgers as a possibility as the Vikings’ 2025 quarterback all but died, The Athletic could not let it go.
Dianna Russini tweeted, “The Vikings have strongly considered and will continue to monitor Aaron Rodgers as an option, but they’re not ready to commit at this point in the offseason, per sources. They understand this could lead to him signing elsewhere or retiring. J.J. McCarthy’s spring will be key.”
Fans criticized Russini, telling her to “let it go,” as she and The Athletic have been the driving force of all Rodgers-to-Minnesota rumors.
“There’s no ‘in’ or ‘out’ on Aaron Rodgers from Minnesota — they’re simply not making a decision at this time. Now we wait to see what Rodgers wants to do,” she added via separate tweet.
Rodgers also met with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday, where he’ll likely land.
Rodgers won’t be a Viking, even if Minnesota represented his favorite destination.
Verdict: Nopedy nope.
The Nopedy Nope: Ty Chandler’s RB2 aspirations.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah offloaded guard Ed Ingram to the Houston Texans for a 2026 6th-Round pick — and turned around to ship that pick to the San Francisco 49ers for running back Jordan Mason and a 2025 pick swap last weekend.
Most fans applauded the trades because Ingram had been benched last season in favor of Dalton Risner, while Mason’s age-25 upside should bolster Kevin O’Connell’s ground game in 2025 and beyond.
Along the way, however, Ty Chandler got the short end of the stick.
Chandler showed intense flashes of promise down the stretch of the 2023 season, stimulating Minnesota’s stale ground game in a couple of contests against the Cincinnati Bengals and Detroit Lions that year. The Vikings showcased Alexander Mattison as RB1 in 2023, an experiment that totally flopped, and by December 2023, Chandler had taken the big job.
Now, Mason is in town, presumably on deck for Chandler’s job.
In fact, Chandler could be cut or traded before Week 1. He won’t win RB2 unless injuries rattle the summer.
Verdict: Nopedy nope.
One Vikings Player Won the Month of March
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.
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