Minnesota Vikings News Dump (12.4.2025) | McCarthy Full, Kwesi/KOC Poll, Flores Free Agent

Minnesota Vikings News Dump (12.4.2025) | McCarthy Full, Kwesi/KOC Poll, Flores Free Agent

[Music] What’s going on, Jerome? It’s beautiful Thursday. Birds are chirping and stuff and it’s time for another Vikings news dump. Guess who’s back? Back again. Nine is back. Tell a friend. Actually, no. No more Nine. He is JJ. He’s Jonathan James McCarthy. He is the Michigan man. He is the Connor step. No. Uh, but McCarthy the these last five games of the season has a chance to really make some hay, right? and solidify himself as a quarterback option 2026. Now, even if he comes out and is gang bustered his last five games, I still think the Vikings bring in competition, whether veteran or maybe even a draft pick, but it’s okay. Again, the cheers better be as loud as the booze. Not say, I’m just saying because I still have faith in JJ McCarthy even though it’s been kind of tough at times, right? Also, first injury report is out. Only two DNP uh Donovan Jackson for real as well as LDR working with the neck. Again, I wonder if it was because he was laying down trying to stop the tushbush. But yeah, uh for the commies, a bunch of players DNP ma mainly veteran rest. Uh the one to raise an eyebrow is Bobby Wagner, the veteran linebacker, DNP with a knee. And you know, the commies, they’re very veteranladen. There’s a lot of players that are just like, “Hey, that guy from like five, seven years ago.” Yeah. Also, Jaden Daniels was limited, which is pretty noteworthy. I do think that it is going to be Marcus Mariota on Sunday, but we we’ll see. We get some more clarity on Thursday. And with JJ McCarthy coming back, yes, high ankle sprain missed five games. Yes, concussion missed one game, which I don’t know. Did McCarthy sort of save nine from himself where it’s like, okay, you just had one of the worst games in recent NFL history against the Packers. Things are probably going to be worse against the Seahawks, so you’re concussed. How about Bro Show start? Sacrificial Bros. Uh, but again, still have faith in McCarthy. Still have faith in Kevin McConnell. And KC might just let him play. And that’s been a criticism of ours about Kevin McConnell where it seems like he’s trying to put too much on McCarthy’s plate. Alec Lucy athletic Kevin Oonnell on JJ McCarthy in the last five games. As I talked to him this week, it’s purely about decision-m at this point. I want him to have a clear head and a clear mind to just go play. Let’s just make throws. Let’s just c throw and catch which would be a nice change of pace because you know it does seem like McCarthy is like a step slow back there because he’s overthinking things and you know quicksand is a real thing especially have an interception early lose some confidence throw another one things aren’t going good you’re not putting points on the board not getting first downs the defense is looking good they’re getting mad at you I don’t know I feel like the weight of the world is on him right now but these last five games f it just go play. Like, what’s the worst that can happen? You have a terrible game. We’ve been there. All right. So, just go out there and sling it, man. That’s all we want. Also, all we want is all I want for Christmas is you annual December drive. All Venmo’s cash app super chats in December will go towards Toys for Tots and Salvation Army. And this is our like third, fourth year doing this. Yeah. Uh 3K goal for the month. Uh that’s what we got in November for the food shelves. Again, thank you very much. Your friends over at Every Meal did the damn thing. Uh donation links in the video description below. Also direct links for Toys for Tots and Salvation Army. If you donate directly, email producer aliftwgmail.com to be included in the account. Also personalized videos for the holidays. We we’re see I just got like two or three of the these to do right now. And these are a lot of fun. There’s going to be a lot of rambling. There’s going to be a lot of ish talking. There’s going to be a lot of riffing. So it’s a it’s a great holiday gift as well as you know birthday gift. What whatever it’ll just talk some junk and be some good times. Anyways, uh, email producer alleyf fdwgmail.com to hit that up as well. And as we said, I think that Mariota is going to be starting on Sunday, but you we’ll see how Jane Daniels progresses. But, um, Kevin Connell, you know, worked with Marcus Mariota in the 2015 NFL draft process and they still have a close re relationship. Mariota is also a free agent in 2026 Viking. So, Mariota was a free agent this off seasonason, but he decided to stay in Washington. Had a good relationship with Cliff Kingsbury, Jane Daniels, and the commies. fully understandable. But I mean, Daniels has shown uh that he’s that dude still. Uh, sorry, Mariota. Mariota has definitely shown that he he’s still got a little bit of ish, right? And honestly, I would take Mariota over Wentz. If we’re going down the, you know, the veteran with some upside route and, you know, Marriott’s familiarity with Kevin McConnell, I think that there could be something there. So it could be McCarthy, Mariota, Bro Show, and say rookie quarterback TBD. Wouldn’t mind that. Wouldn’t mind that at all. Also predictions. All right. So it’s about uh six to four. Yeah. Uh Commies, they got rank murkus, uh Bucky Brooks, whatever. MJD. Yeah. Nick Shooken not stirred. Eric at home power rankings. Uh but it’s okay. We got DJ, that’s my DJ. Um, you former Appalachian State quarterback, NFL draft scout. Let’s go. Uh, Colleen Wolf, uh, G. Gordon, who again, I’m not sure is a real person. Uh, then Kevin Patrick coming at you. I got the Vikings in a dub. Also, look at some of these scores. 13-10. Aya, but a win is a win is a win. And also, if JJ McCarthy looks pretty damn good, we we’ll take that. Absolutely. Uh, Vikings made a couple of rooster moves. Uh they started the 21-day window kickstart my heart uh for Ty Chandler to return from injury reserve. Uh Tai had a knee injury first game against the Bears. Still fought through it. Tough dude. Respect that. Also uh the Vikings uh signed Wen Davis to the practice squad. Now Davis 6’4 buck 94 former wide receiver at North Carolina Central. Uh had a cup of coffee with the Broncos on the practice squad. So JJ needs a tall receiver. We’ll go with that one, man. Also, I think our guy Jordan Reed ESPN is from North Carolina Central. I think he was QB there. Awesome, man. Also, we put it out to you, the people. Put out to the Deromes. Poll question. What happens with Vikings GM head coach this off season? 4,400 Drromes voted. 38% say both return. I think that’s most likely. Quy fired. Kevin Khan returns 48%. Quy returns. Kevin Kyle fired. Bring up the rear with the gear at 3%. Both fired 11%. I as of right now as it stands, you know, barring some sort of weird collapse or a scandal, I think that both return. If one goes, I think it’s qu. All right. But again, we we’ll see what happens. And it’s a long long way to go. Five more games and if they fall completely on their face, then who knows, right? Also something I do know is that a great free agent this off seasonason as well as someone who the Vikings need to make a priority bringing on back next season is Eric Wilson uh linebacker former Viking then bounced around the league went to the Texans went to the Packers and Wilson has been great this year athletic Eric Wilson be a Frasier this offseason who be paid a premium by someone and rightfully so. This is like sort of the Zack Bond transformation where Zack Bond was a long-term sort of whatever offball linebacker. Actually, I think he was edge rusher and then he had a great year with the Philly and rose on up. And Wilson, frankly, Eric Wilson should be a Pro Bowler this year. 100% man. Yeah. Eric Wilson has the highest pressure rate, 23.5% of any player to have rushed the passer at least 100 times this year with 119 pass rushes. He is just one of two offball linebackers to have done so. Kate Ellis for with a buck 31 since the Vikings week six buy Wilson’s 26.4% pressure rate is among 6% higher is almost 6% higher than the next closest player Micah Parsons perhaps you heard of him 20.6% Wilson has averaged 13 pass rushes per game since the buy compared to just 5.6 before the buy. So Flores knows what he’s got and Wilson and Cman both back there. They definitely sugar those A gaps a lot and Wilson just has a really good nose for the football and I think that he’s definitely grown and shown because remember first time with the Vikings he was the you know third linebacker with Kendricks and Bar you know weak weak side linebacker is what he was he solid uh but they bounced around the league but now he’s just that dude man I absolutely love Eric Wilson someone else who I also love Naj Thompson so former Vikings UDFA and you know worked his way on through special teams played special teams at college you George Southern and apparently he’s back in Minnesota. In Minnesota, we love to play a game later on in the night called What Lane Are We In? So, couple things here. So, Naj Thompson working back from the knee injury, really bad knee injury, apparently. And he would be a boost for special teams, which would be great. Number two, I don’t know if he stayed in Minnesota, right? So, this could just be him being here because a lot of players will stay and train here despite the weather because TCO Performance Center Bar and Grill is phenomenal. And also, I mean, Twin Cities, a nice place to live aside from the snow. Uh, but we we’ll see what happens with N. I I always thought that there’s a chance that they could bring him back once that knee gets good to go. And again, Naj would certainly help out the special teams because which has been an issue at times this year. Also sad to say, the Minnesota Vikings are sitting at number 11 right now in the 2026 NFL draft. Uh notched up at 4 and8 with the Falcons, which pick goes to the Rams as well as Cincinnati Bengals. So, I don’t know, like you draft where you draft, and we’ve gone through this before. It’s nearly impossible for a team to tank. Players are going to play hard, coaches are going to play hard, uh coaches going to coach hard, rather. So, unless you just field a absolutely atrocious team, I mean, you’re not going to lose games on purpose. Uh, and I don’t know, I feel like it’s bad karma, bad ju guuju to root for your team to lose. And also, even in a lost season, if your team, especially a team that has a lot of young core players are going to be back for subsequent years, just learning how to win, it’s a skill in itself. And having that confidence as a team goes into the culture, right? And the Vikings have had a culture winning games pretty recently, right? Hopefully that continues the rest of the way any draft draft. But Dame Rugler, the Athletic, did up his first mock draft and the Vikings taking Jeremiah Love, running back from Notre Dame. Now, I I know a lot of people piss like, “Oh, why are you taking a running back?” Kevin doesn’t run the ball. I I I feel like with Jeremiah Love, he would run the ball. You you’d run the ball, you throw the ball. He’s um a great receiver, solid pass protector as well. Plus, Jeremiah Love, I mean, this offensive line is likely going to be back 80%. Ryan Kelly, who knows? Josh Oliver is a great blocking tight end, and with Jefferson, probably Addison back. I think that you could do a lot here. Uh like Caleb DS, Jeremiah Love is one of the best players in the draft, but positional value will limit his landing spots in the top half round one. Love being a running back, Caleb DS being the safety here. That just means that the Vikings get value by adding the draft’s most explosive offensive weapon, a versatile back who can help both the run and pass games. Now again, I I understand the notion of drafting a running back high, but just imagine Jir Gibbs, just imagine Bon Robinson being dropped uh in this offense. And if that happens, Kevin Oonnell would be an idiot for not running the damn ball, just getting him the ball any way possible. Plus, we as Vikings fans, like we remember Chuck Foreman, we remember Adrien Peterson, we remember Dvin Cook in his prime. Like, the running back is it, man. So, I I I would love this. Yeah. Also something I love. Uh so, Matt Bowen, former NFL player, uh great film breakdown guy uh at ESPN uh did up his accolades for the year. Best route runner in the National Football League. Still, Justin Franken Jefferson despite the Vikings offense uh being no gooda being caral. uh subpar quarterback play in Minnesota this season has led to reduced numbers for Jefferson, but he’s still the league’s best at setting up and manipulating man coverage. Now, the problem is he doesn’t see a lot of man coverage. He sees a lot of zones, sees a lot of doubles, sees a lot of brackets, but Jefferson is still him. Let’s not forget that. Let’s not take that for granted. Let’s not try to trade that. Also, speaking of receivers on new teams, Adam Dome, Ezekiel Thelen, rocking the six with the Steelers, which this looks like a man who wanted to end up with the Patriots, but ended up with the Steelers? Don’t know. Uh, and lastly, something to keep note of. So, Flores deserves to be a head coach, but could that lawsuits hanging over his head still affect things with the NFL? It’s possible, but it’s important to note Flores is out of contract after this season. you know, he purposely didn’t sign an extension uh to keep his options open. Now, this certainly doesn’t mean that he automatically leaves. Certainly could be back. Probably had a huge pay rise if he doesn’t get a head coaching job and returns to the Vikings as DC. But it does leave the door open that he could go take another DC job on another team. But obviously, it’s getting ahead of ourselves here. You know, Flores talked about how he loves working here. You loves working with his guys on that side of the ball. and he’s got great defense, man. And they’re certainly cooking. And I think it’s more about options and leverage, right? So, you can hear offers from other teams if you want to be a DC if you don’t get a head coaching job, which I think he could and should, but I guess we’ll see all that stuff. Anyways, that’s it. A beautiful, glorious Thursday. You guys are the best. You know what to do. Skull production value.

Minnesota Vikings News Dump for Thursday, December 4th.

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