A weekend publication from VikingsTerritory, we present to you: the Vikings Nopedy Nopes of the week.
Vikings Nopedy Nopes: The Ridiculous Trade Theory, J.J. McCarthy Outlandishness, Ashton Jeanty
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 43rd batch of Vikings nopedy nopes in the series’ history.
The Nopedy Nope: The Vikings could trade Kevin O’Connell to the highest bidder.
Before Minnesota’s Week 18 showdown in Detroit, FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer said on FOX Sunday that multiple teams were interested in trading for O’Connell, even if the young skipper isn’t for sale. Coach trades are rare in the NFL, although the Denver Broncos acquired Sean Payton from the New Orleans Saints in 2023 for a considerable haul, including a 1st-Round draft pick.
“There’s one candidate out there that’s going to surprise you all, that no one knows is on lists, and he is. There are multiple teams that actually are considering trying to trade for Kevin O’Connell,” Glazer said.
Glazer added, “Maybe the Vikings don’t let it happen. But also Kevin O’Connell kind of has the card saying, ‘Hey, listen, I’m not going to resign there so you might as well get something for me’. Now, I don’t know because, obviously, I don’t think Kevin knows about this right now. But there are multiple teams who have them on that board to say, ‘Let’s at least try and see if we can trade.”
This is a neat theory, but Minnesota won’t trade its damn coach. Really?
Verdict: Nopedy nope.
The Nopedy Nope: J.J. McCarthy, too, is a trade commodity this offseason.
ESPN’s Mike Greenberg became the latest and greatest subscriber to the “trade J.J. McCarthy” theory this week. He joined The Pat McAfee Show and mentioned, “I think it’s a very risky roll of the dice to let Sam Darnold get out of the building right now. They have the situation in their control. I think Darnold has proved that, in this offense, he is more than good enough.”
Darnold is currently playing on a one-year, $10 million contract and will hit free agency in two months if the Vikings do not extend him.
“J.J. McCarthy, if he were in this year’s draft, he would be the No. 1 pick. So if you are a team that has a top-10 pick and needs a quarterback, why wouldn’t you trade that to Minnesota,” Greenberg added. “So, Minnesota can keep Darnold. They can franchise him if they don’t feel 100% certain about him forever. Or they can try and make a deal with him, maybe he takes a slightly team-friendly one because he recognizes this has revitalized his entire career. And the Vikings can add a top-10 pick in the draft by trading McCarthy. I think that would make a lot of sense.”
Darnold flopped last weekend at the Detroit Lions in a game that determined the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Some Vikings fans used that outing as a reason to hop back on board the McCarthy train and have decided that Darnold’s upcoming performance in the playoffs will determine his future in Minnesota.
“There are only two quarterbacks that are going to be drafted in the first half of the first round, Shadeur Sanders and Cam Ward. There are far more teams than that that are going to be looking for quarterbacks. So why wouldn’t one of those teams give up one of those high picks for J.J. McCarthy?” Greenberg concluded.
Minnesota won’t trade McCarthy. It’s an utterly foolish theory.
Verdict: Nopedy nope.
The Nopedy Nope: Minnesota might draft running back Ashton Jeanty.
According to Connor Rogers of NBC Sports, the Vikings could snag Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty with the 28th overall pick.
In his latest mock draft, Rogers assigned Jeanty to the Vikings and wrote: “Aaron Jones on a one-year deal at age 30 has been a home run for the Vikings, but adding Jeanty to this offense next year would be flat-out ridiculous. He has some of the best balance and vision I’ve evaluated at the position and would be a day one star in Minnesota.”
This is a phenomenal idea. No Vikings fan anywhere would be upset with the Jeanty draft pick.
It’s just that there’s zero chance that he gets past the Dallas Cowboys’ 12th spot. None.
Verdict: Nopedy nope.
The DREAM Scenario for Vikings in the Playoffs
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.