Vikings Nopedy Nopes: J.J. McCarthy Trade, Dallas Turner Lunacy, Kevin O’Connell Tension
A weekend publication from VikingsTerritory, we present to you: the Vikings Nopedy Nopes of the week.
Vikings Nopedy Nopes: J.J. McCarthy Trade, Dallas Turner Lunacy, Kevin O’Connell Tension
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 44th batch of Vikings nopedy nopes in the series’ history.
The Nopedy Nope: J.J. McCarthy is a wildcard trade candidate for the New York Jets.
Last week, before Sam Darnold’s final meltdown, a playoff loss against the Los Angeles Rams, The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt mentioned McCarthy as a possible QB solution for the New York Jets. New York is currently overhauling its front office and coaching staff, and McCarthy could evidently be the fix, says Rosenblatt.
“The most intriguing potential addition: J.J. McCarthy. The Vikings picked him 10th overall last spring, then McCarthy suffered a season-ending knee injury in August, allowing Darnold to break out. If the Vikings retain Darnold and commit to him long-term, McCarthy might become available,” he explained.
The Vikings are severely unlikely to trade McCarthy, who is just 21 years old and considered the quarterback of the future. However, when DarnoldMania was rolling, theories ran rampant about how Minnesota would handle two franchise quarterbacks. Darnold’s recent outing might’ve subtracted him from the conversation.
Let it be known: any offseason article, podcast, or anything that claims McCarthy will be traded is incorrect.
Verdict: Nopedy nope.
The Nopedy Nope: The Vikings don’t trust Dallas Turner to be on the football field.
Some aren’t happy with Turner’s rookie development and are spreading conspiracy theories about Turner. One account from X, formerly known as Twitter, ran with a hypothesis suggesting the Vikings don’t trust Turner in game situations.
That’s The Purple Persuasion, a popular aggregator on Elon Musk’s website. TPP tweeted this week, “I get that Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard were dominate this season but this is just flat out UNACCEPTABLE. Especially with Patrick Jones II missing time. It’s VERY clear Brian Flores did not trust Turner this season.”
Turner, in reality, found himself stuck behind two Pro Bowlers this season — actual Pro Bowlers, not just Pro Bowl-caliber someday — in Van Ginkel and Greenard. In no way, shape, or form could either man’s snap count be reduced, so Turner was often sidelined to watch and learn.
TPP has led a crusade this season, questioning why Turner doesn’t play full-time snaps, even if Van Ginkel and Greenard represent two of the league’s best EDGE defenders.
The Vikings would’ve had to bench Van Ginkel or Greenard — two Pro Bowlers — to afford Turner a full-time snap account. And benching either man was incomprehensible.
Turner, 21, shouldn’t be considered untrustworthy.
Verdict: Nopedy nope.
The Nopedy Nope: There is tension between Kevin O’Connell and the team’s ownership.
ProFootballTalk.com‘s Mike Florio, relying on a Week 18 report from Jay Glazer that claimed other NFL teams could trade for O’Connell, mentioned this alleged strife.
“The Week 18 Sunday Splash! report from Jay Glazer that multiple teams are interested in trading for O’Connell wasn’t idle talk. There’s tension in the relationship, stemming largely from the fact that he didn’t get an extension after his second season. Now that he’s one year away from free agency, he could be willing to let it ride, if necessary, and hit the market,” Florio wrote Wednesday.
The Los Angeles Rams bounced O’Connell’s Vikings from the playoffs on Monday night.
“Yes, it rarely happens. Sure, there’s much more than a whiff of collusion when it comes to the NFL and coaches. There’s no salary cap, but there’s also no salary floor. And there’s no union. The 32 teams can engage in subtle, or otherwise, efforts to keep the market down, with the only downside being the wafer thin chance that a coach will risk his career by suing the league and its teams for antitrust violations,” Florio continued.
O’Connell has one year left on his contract — the 2025 season — so ongoing extension talks are not late by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, now and the next couple of months are prime territory for the Vikings’ brass to lock in O’Connell for the long haul.
Florio also explained a reason behind the alleged beef: “Beyond money, O’Connell could be looking for more say in roster construction. For better alignment with the General Manager. For a situation where he’ll have more of what he needs to put together a team that can both get to the playoffs and win when the postseason arrives. If there’s an impasse, the Vikings will have to choose between one more year and no compensation on the back end and listening to the teams that might be calling about O’Connell.”
Reporters asked O’Connell on Thursday about any “tension” between himself and the Vikings’ owners, to which he replied, “I’ve had great dialogue with our ownership this week and reflection as the season came to an end.”
And about two weeks ago, O’Connell said about any coach-trade rumors, “I’m not really interested in addressing the rumors or the speculation. What I can tell you is I love this team. I love everything about this organization. This is where I want to be. This is where I want to keep coaching and leading.”
O’Connell will be the Vikings’ head coach for the long haul. The outside theories are strange.
Verdict: Nopedy nope.
Fan-Favorite Vikings WR Leaves for Cardinals
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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