Vikings Nopedy Nopes: Vikings’ Power Struggle, the J.J. McCarthy Portal, Tag & Trade
A weekend publication from VikingsTerritory, we present to you: the Vikings Nopedy Nopes of the week.
Vikings Nopedy Nopes: Vikings’ Power Struggle, the J.J. McCarthy Portal, Tag & Trade
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 51st batch of Vikings nopedy nopes in the series’ history.
The Nopedy Nope: Kevin O’Connell may be usurping Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s decision-making power.
Pro Football Talk‘s Mike claims nobody knows who’s running the show for the purple team, calling into question general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s job description.
“There is a sense from people who are dealing with the Vikings that they don’t know who’s in charge. They don’t know who’s calling the shots. Maybe that’s deliberate, maybe it’s part of the strategy, maybe it’s part of the negotiation. I don’t know,” Florio told KFAN this week.
Florio added, “But there’s a real sense of confusion as to who’s got the final say on this. Who wants Darnold, who wants McCarthy, who’s making these decisions?”
“It’s created this sense, you’ve seen from reports that it’s very fluid, one reason why it’s fluid is because nobody’s got a clear picture of who, at the end of the day, is making the call between Darnold and McCarthy.”
Most Florio-fueled rumors — a Justin Jefferson trade in 2024, Minnesota possibly swapping a 1st-Round pick due to Kirk Cousins + Atlanta Falcons tampering last offesason, and tension with the Vikings + Kevin O’Connell — turn out to be completely wrong.
Verdict: Nopedy nope.
The Nopedy Nope: J.J. McCarthy could enter an “NFL transfer portal.”
Another Florio special — a Darnold extension, in theory, could prompt the Vikings’ other quarterback, J.J. McCarthy, to opt for the NFL’s transfer portal, which is a fancy way of saying a trade request.
“First-round rookie J.J. McCarthy suffered a preseason knee injury, and the Vikings shut him down for the entire season. Darnold became the unquestioned, wire-to-wire starter, with no reason to glance over his shoulder after a bad decision or a poorly-aimed throw,” PFT’s Mike Florio explained.
“This year, it will be different. McCarthy will be ready. If Darnold struggles at all, they’ll start clamoring for J.J. And the yips that didn’t show up until Week 18 could arrive a lot sooner.”
Then, he delivered the transfer portal tidbit: “Of course, this assumes McCarthy is still there. If the Vikings sign Darnold to a contract that amounts to a two-year commitment, McCarthy might try to enter the NFL’s version of the transfer portal.”
Hypothetically, yes, Minnesota could extend Darnold to a contract in the neighborhood of three years and $110 million, causing a McCarthy trade request.
It’s just that it’s the almighty worst-case scenario that is unlikely to materialize. Minnesota, too, could sign Aaron Rodgers this offseason, but no serious person expects that to unfold.
McCarthy will not request a trade because it will likely become clear in a few days that he’s on deck for QB1 duty in 2025.
Verdict: Nopedy nope.
The Nopedy Nope: Minnesota was foolish not to franchise tag-and-trade Sam Darnold.
For starters, SKOR North’s Phil Mackey expressed total befuddlement about the Vikings opting not to tag Darnold and chided the organization along the way: “If Sam Darnold signs a 3-year, $120 million deal with, say, the Raiders… the Vikings massively misgauged his tag and trade value. If he signs for far less, you all can clown me for how wrong I’ve been.”
NFL player agent, Blake Baratz, who has tangible experience with player contracts, unlike Mackey, found the tweet and explained: “That isn’t true. When you tag him, the entire $41M counts against the cap. You cannot use that to sign other players. In addition, he controls the cards of where he goes.”
“In addition, every team knows they have zero intention or desire to have him play on the tag, so you actually lose trade value. The comp pick next year can very well exceed the trade value. We are talking about maybe 2-3 trade partners. It is actually a substantial risk.”
Here’s what happened: some Vikings fans, podcasters, and aggregators wildly inflated Darnold’s trade value, hoping and praying Minnesota could get a draft pick for him.
But Darnold basically had a no-trade clause, and his market wasn’t as booming as many believed.
The Vikings did not mismanage Darnold’s tag-and-trade saga. The market just wasn’t there.
Verdict: Nopedy nope.
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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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