Vikings Nopedy Nopes: The Terrible QB Group, J.J. McCarthy’s Busted Leg, Kellen Mond
Without fail, each week provides strange or bad Minnesota Vikings-themed takes, scattered across the digital landscape and published without shame.
Our “Nopedy Nopes” article uplifts wild Vikings-themed takes from social media, podcasts, and publications.
The Vikings have about 2.5 months until training camp, but some nopedy nopes are shaping up well before.
This is the batch for the week, items that we’re not buying, are straight-up false, or things that generally invoke a nopedy nope.
The Nopedy Nope: The Vikings have the NFL’s fourth-worst quarterback room.
Garrett Podell of CBS Sports detailed the league’s ten worst QB rooms entering 2025, and the Vikings were deemed the fourth-worst.
Podell wrote, “The Minnesota Vikings drafted J.J. McCarthy 10th overall out of Michigan with an eye on him being their starting quarterback in the future, and they let Sam Darnold walk this offseason to accelerate that timeline. However, it’s unclear how much faith they have in McCarthy fully being ready to roll in 2025 after tearing his meniscus in the 2024 preseason.”
“O’Connell confirmed Minnesota ‘evaluated’ Aaron Rodgers and is ‘hopeful’ McCarthy is the team’s starting quarterback. Not exactly a ringing endorsement. The Vikings acquired veteran quarterback Sam Howell during the 2025 NFL Draft along with a fifth-round pick (172nd overall) in exchange for the 142nd overall pick in the fifth round.”
Howell ended longstanding questions about the Vikings’ plan for QB2 in 2025.
Podell added, “Howell started all 17 games for the Washington Commanders as a rookie in 2023, and he led the NFL with 612 pass attempts while playing on a team with the league’s worst defense. He also threw as many interceptions, 21 (most in the NFL), as touchdowns as a result of forcing the ball downfield to try and make up for the porous defense.”
“Brett Rypien is a journeyman, now on his third NFL team and has just four starts in 10 career games played. Minnesota signed rookie undrafted free agent Max Brosmer this offseason after he served as the Golden Gophers’ starting quarterback just down the road at the University of Minnesota.”
We understand that McCarthy is an unknown, but believing that Kevin O’Connell will produce the fourth-worst batch of quarterbacks this season is shaky stuff.
Verdict: Nopedy Nope.
The Nopedy Nope: Sam Howell will take over J.J. McCarthy because McCarthy is injury-prone.
The Athletic’s Mike Sando mentioned comments from anonymous executives regarding all NFC teams last week, and for the Vikings, fear emerged.
Sando introduced the topic: “The Vikings’ quarterback situation has dominated this offseason, complete with some Aaron Rodgers intrigue, but after Minnesota acquired Sam Howell from Seattle to back up 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy, all is finally settled, right?”
One unnamed executive then delivered the punchline, “You know what is going to happen? J.J. is going to get banged up, and Howell is going to walk in there and become the next Sam Darnold.”
Per Sando, a different executive counted the fear bait: “Stop. There’s no comparison. J.J. will be really good, and the coach (Kevin O’Connell) will make sure he is good.”
Just because Joshua Dobbs took over for an injured Kirk Cousins in 2023, and Sam Darnold followed suit in 2024, doesn’t mean that Howell is destined to do the same.
It’s just some guy’s take. Fearbait.
Verdict: Nopedy Nope.
The Nopedy Nope: Kellen Mond, in general.
Pro Football Newsroom’s James Larsen tweeted nine days ago, “NEWS: The San Antonio Brahmas will be starting Kevin Hogan at quarterback this week, vs. the Stallions. Hogan has primarily been QB3, but after Payton Pardee opened up the competition in practice this week, the veteran gets the starting nod for the Brahmas.”
And San Antonio Express-News’ Greg Luca wrote about the Brahmas’ quarterback plans: “Speaking to the media after the San Antonio Brahmas returned to practice Wednesday, interim coach Payton Pardee said the decision on a starting quarterback is ‘something we’re going to evaluate this week through the course of practices.'”
“Starter Kellen Mond had struggled through the first half of the year as the Brahmas slid to the bottom of the UFL standings at 1-4. Backup Jarrett Guarantano was no more productive after entering in the third quarter of last week’s 27-3 loss to Houston, and an illness kept him out of practices Wednesday and Thursday.”
Mond got benched in the UFL. His career has descended into a personified nopey nope.
Verdict: Nopedy Nope.
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