Vikings Rumor That Won’t Die, Aaron Rodgers Crossfire, Baffling HC Ranking: Nopedy Nopes
On Sundays, we publish theories, statements, and developments from the previous week that don’t make much sense about the Minnesota Vikings.
The latest Vikings Nopedy Nopes dives into a stubborn QB rumor, Aaron Rodgers fodder, and a head coach ranking that fans decried.
There’s no shortage of content in that regard, believe it or not, especially during the offseason.
So, these are this week’s Vikings Nopedy Nopes. You can read last week’s here.
The Nopedy Nope: Media outlets continue to insist that a Kirk Cousins trade could be in play for the Vikings.
It was Bleacher Report this time.
National media outlets think the Vikings could trade for Kirk Cousins, even if they’re leaning fully into the J.J. McCarthy era.
BR’s Kristopher Knox wrote this week: “The 36-year-old would likely do that for a starting opportunity since he’s stuck as the backup to Michael Penix Jr. in Atlanta. As a four-time Pro Bowler who played well before suffering shoulder and elbow injuries last season, he should interest teams in need of a starter.”
“The caveat here is that there isn’t an obvious starting opportunity for Cousins. His best chance of falling into a QB1 role disappeared when the Pittsburgh Steelers (finally) signed Aaron Rodgers. The Falcons will almost certainly deal the four-time Pro Bowler for a reasonable price, and he’ll likely agree to a deal if it allows him to see the playing field. However, his trade value won’t really spike until/unless another starter is injured or a QB camp competition fails to yield a reliable starter.”
Cousins will probably just have to suck it up, play QB2 for the Falcons, and wait to see if a QB1 gets injured around the NFL before the trade deadline.
Knox added, “Situations to watch include those of the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints. New Orleans lost Derek Carr to retirement and is staging a competition between Jake Haener, Spencer Rattler and rookie second-round pick Tyler Shough. The Vikings have turned to second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who missed his entire rookie season following knee surgery.”
“If head coach Kevin O’Connell doesn’t believe McCarthy is ready to start toward the end of camp, he could consider adding a familiar face in Cousins. Potential Suitors: Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints.”
The Verdict: Minnesota won’t trade for Cousins unless an injury ruins J.J. McCarthy’s season.
Vikings Nopedy Nopes from June 23rd to June 28th
Familiar names fill up the Vikings nopedy nopes this week, mainly Kirk Cousins and Aaron Rodgers.
The Nopedy Nope: As it turns out, the Vikings were not terribly serious about Aaron Rodgers’ free agency.
Aaron Rodgers to Minnesota felt like a genuine offseason possibility three months ago. But then the club committed to J.J. McCarthy. And thanks to Adam Schefter, folks gained more clarity about the saga this week.
Schefter said on the Rothman & Ice Show this week that Rodgers and the Vikings’ leadership were “never that close” to a deal.
“There were conversations with Rodgers, but they never got overly serious. It was just kind of like, I think the interest was more on Aaron’s side, to be honest. He recognized the team the Vikings have, the type of coaches they have, the type of players, receivers they have. And I think that would have been appealing to him,” Schefter remarked.
The Verdict: The social media intrigue from fans was real, but Aaron Rodgers following Brett Favre’s path to a tee wasn’t very likely.
The Nopedy Nope: Kevin O’Connell is not a Top 10 coach.
Pro Football Focus published their annual Top 10 head coach rankings this week, leaving O’Connell totally out of the article.
Instead, PFF’s Dalton Wasserman placed Andy Reid from the Kansas City Chiefs on top and explained, “Like Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots teams before them, the Kansas City Chiefs are the masters of situational football. The Chiefs played in 12 one-score games last season, including the playoffs, and won all of them. They found a way to reach the Super Bowl for the third straight season because Andy Reid has his entire team prepared for any situation.”
“The Chiefs ranked 17th in PFF offensive grade during the first three quarters of games but slotted into fourth in that same category in the fourth quarter and overtime. They simply find ways to step up their game despite their flaws, injuries and lack of explosiveness. That’s a testament to Reid’s levelheaded approach to the game and wealth of experience.”
Number two? Sean Payton from the Denver Broncos, much to Vikings fans’ chagrin.
“Denver’s defense was still strong last season, and Nix’s excellent 1.8% turnover-worthy play rate perfectly represented a team that didn’t beat itself. The Broncos lost only two games all season by more than one score, defeats to AFC elites Baltimore and Buffalo. Denver has only added more talent this offseason and should continue to contend with its elite head coach leading the way,” Wasserman defended the Payton choice.
Fans used social media to pound the table for O’Connell, especially after the Vikings skipper just won Coach of the Year.
The Verdict: Fans said nopedy nope to the PFF ranking, but O’Connell probably needs a signature playoff win to climb into the Top 10.
You must be logged in to post a comment.