2025 Vikings Season

[Vanimal46]

20 minutes ago, The Great Hambino said:

I wonder if it's possible that he compensated in some way for the knee while coming back from it and developed a hole in his mechanics that they're still trying to unwind.   It can be a vicious cycle - mechanics fall apart, starts pressing trying to fix them, mechanics become even worse, confidence goes down, now everything has fallen apart.  Or he's struggled to translate the mechanical fixes to NFL game speed, so it looks fixed in practice but falls apart under the lights.  I dunno, something must've happened.  It seems like a footwork issue from what I've read and heard.  It's hard for me to believe they all could whiff so hard on something like that

It has to be something that broke down during the season with more reps. KOC, Phillips, and McCown have been around pro football for a long time. They’re not blind 

[TheLeviathan]

2 hours ago, nicksaviking said:

Yeah, earlier in the year I was worried about a QB controversy when the QBs were McCarthy, Brosmer and Wentz instead of Montana and Young.

But if this concussion stuff is really a cover and/or if Brosmer keeps the job the rest of the year, that probably means they've already made the call on McCarthy, and there is no controversy. But agree, if Brosmer is merely competent and not transcendent, they better see through that and start looking for the next QB of the future ASAP. Lots of fans are going to love this and I don't want it turning into a Gardner Minshew situation where the story and the player are just so entertaining they overlook the fact that he's going to take them nowhere.

Right now we have a QB crisis in the sense of "this guy is terrible", but if Brosmer plays well in a tough place like Seattle now we add another (far worse IMO) layer of crisis in "who should we be developing?"

That wouldn't be a concern if it was Wentz stepping in, but Brosmer is young.  He might be worth that investment if JJ is this injury prone and this terrible.

[TheLeviathan]

7 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

It has to be something that broke down during the season with more reps. KOC, Phillips, and McCown have been around pro football for a long time. They’re not blind 

That's my conclusion - the stress and speed of the game live has caused him to revert.  Poor results have compounded that and caused the regression further.

[TheLeviathan]

2 hours ago, Aggies7 said:

Felt the symptoms on the plane? wtf? Was he ever examined during the game? My goodness what a cluster****

I'm pretty sure I know which play it was too.  He scrambled to his left at one point and awkwardly went down (falling backwards) and took a shot in his shoulder area.  O'Neill or Fries hoisted him up off the ground by his shoulder pads and you could see him shaking it off.

I thought he was legitimately hurt at the time but forgot about it once he started sucking it up again.

[TheLeviathan]

All the negativity aside - I'm prepared to keep going to war with him for the rest of the season and into next season.  I knew this was a possible outcome of this path and that's what I signed up for.  I don't want 10-6, no playoff-win finishes.

I want a franchise QB.  I'll deal with the lumps to come out the other side with the right guy.    (Or wait until we invariably trade for one!)

[TheLeviathan]

1 hour ago, TheLeviathan said:

I'm pretty sure I know which play it was too.  He scrambled to his left at one point and awkwardly went down (falling backwards) and took a shot in his shoulder area.  O'Neill or Fries hoisted him up off the ground by his shoulder pads and you could see him shaking it off.

I thought he was legitimately hurt at the time but forgot about it once he started sucking it up again.

 

[Mike Sixel]

20 minutes ago, TheLeviathan said:

 

Embarrassing for the NFL he didn't go to the tent right after this. 

[Aggies7]

Purdy two picks already. Wonder what the price will be for jones 

[nicksaviking]

4 hours ago, TheLeviathan said:

Right now we have a QB crisis in the sense of "this guy is terrible", but if Brosmer plays well in a tough place like Seattle now we add another (far worse IMO) layer of crisis in "who should we be developing?"

That wouldn't be a concern if it was Wentz stepping in, but Brosmer is young.  He might be worth that investment if JJ is this injury prone and this terrible.

I'm less worried about him being young than I am with him playing college locally.

[Vanimal46]

41 minutes ago, Aggies7 said:

Purdy two picks already. Wonder what the price will be for jones 

Now 3 picks for Purdy

[nicksaviking]

44 minutes ago, Aggies7 said:

Purdy two picks already. Wonder what the price will be for jones 

I'll guess a 2nd and a 4th.

And it will be paid for by Pittsburgh who is even more concerned with not losing than they are with winning, than the Vikings are.

[Aggies7]

2 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

I'll guess a 2nd and a 4th.

And it will be paid for by Pittsburgh who is even more concerned with not losing than they are with winning than the Vikings are.

Addison for Jones straight up 😉 

[nicksaviking]

3 minutes ago, Aggies7 said:

Addison for Jones straight up 😉 

I'll trade Addison for sure, but I really don't want Jones. He feels like a purgatory trap; good enough to win games, but nowhere near good enough to lead a team to a championship.

[Vanimal46]

14 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

I'll guess a 2nd and a 4th.

And it will be paid for by Pittsburgh who is even more concerned with not losing than they are with winning, than the Vikings are.

Vikings should do this too. If he got fixed by the real QB whisperer Kyle Shanahan we can benefit off of that. Unless the plan in 2026 is to tank for a much better QB draft class in 2027...

[nicksaviking]

12 hours ago, Vanimal46 said:

Vikings should do this too. If he got fixed by the real QB whisperer Kyle Shanahan we can benefit off of that. Unless the plan in 2026 is to tank for a much better QB draft class in 2027...

I don't see Mac Jones becoming a top tier QB. Or even a 2nd tier QB. Could be usable, but not a difference maker. Even a 'fixed' Mac Jones is just a game manager, he never had top end QB traits coming out of the draft, he only profiled as just a guy.

And Shanahan's QBs are all the same; statue pocket passers who run Shanahan's offense exactly as he calls it up. I think if what he teaches them was as easily transferable as the national narrative seems to think, his former QBs would be having more success when they move one. Garoppolo, Mullins, Bethard, Gabbert: all backups. Even if someone wants to give him sole credit Darnold, which I absolutely would not, that's not a good success rate.

[gunnarthor]

I think the most likely scenario is that the Vikings sign Cousins. He has an out clause in his contract so he'll be out of Atlanta. We tell him that he'll start and then have JJ or a top 10 pick at QB behind him to watch and, ideally, eventually take over. 

[Vanimal46]

20 minutes ago, gunnarthor said:

I think the most likely scenario is that the Vikings sign Cousins. He has an out clause in his contract so he'll be out of Atlanta. We tell him that he'll start and then have JJ or a top 10 pick at QB behind him to watch and, ideally, eventually take over. 

Gross. But for less than $10 million I guess beggars can't be choosers. The main point is we can't head into 2026 without a legitimate backup QB who can challenge McCarthy for playing time. Wentz wasn't a serious option when we signed him off the couch a week before the season began. 

[Aggies7]

31 minutes ago, gunnarthor said:

I think the most likely scenario is that the Vikings sign Cousins. He has an out clause in his contract so he'll be out of Atlanta. We tell him that he'll start and then have JJ or a top 10 pick at QB behind him to watch and, ideally, eventually take over. 

Ugh let’s hope not. Kirk was good for us and at times got undue super harsh criticism, but seems to be nearly washed now. 

[Aggies7]

If we’re bringing in an outside QB, and we almost certainly are at this point…I don’t want Kirk, I don’t want Rodgers, I don’t want Jameis, I don’t want any of these old, nearly/should be retired guys. Rodgers will be 42 in December. You have to get someone that will make you somewhat competitive, while figuring out a way to keep the roster competitive at the same time. It can be done.

[gunnarthor]

10 minutes ago, Aggies7 said:

If we’re bringing in an outside QB, and we almost certainly are at this point…I don’t want Kirk, I don’t want Rodgers, I don’t want Jameis, I don’t want any of these old, nearly/should be retired guys. Rodgers will be 42 in December. You have to get someone that will make you somewhat competitive, while figuring out a way to keep the roster competitive at the same time. It can be done.

Mariotta? Here's a list - https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/free-agents/available/_/year/2026/position/qb

Teddy Bridgewater is only 33? 

Guys that can start but you wouldn't be worried about replacing when JJ/pick are ready to play - Minshew? Taylor? Jimmy G? Not a great list. 

[TheLeviathan]

5 minutes ago, gunnarthor said:

Mariotta? Here's a list - https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/free-agents/available/_/year/2026/position/qb

Teddy Bridgewater is only 33? 

Guys that can start but you wouldn't be worried about replacing when JJ/pick are ready to play - Minshew? Taylor? Jimmy G? Not a great list. 

Teddy Bridgewater isn't 33.  I demand a recount!

Seriously though, why does it feel like the correct answer should be 43?

[gunnarthor]

Just now, TheLeviathan said:

Teddy Bridgewater isn't 33.  I demand a recount!

I mean, he was retired. Like I really thought he was in his late 30s. He hasn't started more than 2 games in a season since 2021. I know I'm getting older but it seems like he's been in the league forever. 

[Vanimal46]

28 minutes ago, gunnarthor said:

Mariotta? Here's a list - https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/free-agents/available/_/year/2026/position/qb

Teddy Bridgewater is only 33? 

Guys that can start but you wouldn't be worried about replacing when JJ/pick are ready to play - Minshew? Taylor? Jimmy G? Not a great list. 

That’s why I’m looking at trade candidates like Mac Jones and Jacoby Brissett… Kyler Murray, Tua, and Lawrence could be on the move and while I’m not a fan of any of them really, they do provide a floor of league average QB play. 

[Mike Sixel]

No to Tua. He's a concussion waiting to happen. 

I got no idea what they can do at this point. Really unsure what they should do. 

[Mike Sixel]

Joe Burrow..... That team isn't good, and he's hurt a lot. 

I've given this zero seconds thought, btw, so it likely isn't a good idea. 

[gunnarthor]

27 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

Joe Burrow..... That team isn't good, and he's hurt a lot. 

I've given this zero seconds thought, btw, so it likely isn't a good idea. 

I mean trading Burrow is actually a good idea for Cincy at this point. He'll be 30 next year. He does have real injury history but he's still incredibly valuable. The Jets have 5 1st rounders and 3 2nd rounders over the next two years. They could get him. He's like a 60 dead cap hit but Cincy doesn't want to have a payroll anyway. They can actually trade Higgins and get out of some serious payroll issues, IIRC, because of the contract he signed. But the Jets might rather rebuild, too. 

[gunnarthor]

1 hour ago, Vanimal46 said:

That’s why I’m looking at trade candidates like Mac Jones and Jacoby Brissett… Kyler Murray, Tua, and Lawrence could be on the move and while I’m not a fan of any of them really, they do provide a floor of league average QB play. 

Lawrence is interesting since he's playing for Grant Idinski (sp), who was our assistant offensive coordinator (or something). He's likely playing a KOC-style offense. On the other hand, Jax is likely making the playoffs for the second time so probably wouldn't trade him. 

[nicksaviking]

Unless they make a Stafford-like trade (Mike said Burrow) I don't care what vet comes in because I don't want him on the field AT ALL.

If it's not going to be JJ, go draft somebody again. If it's not that guy, go draft someone else. I'm so tired of the narrative around the Vikings and the Twins being that us quaint little Minnesotans should just be happy to have an Average Joe who is competent but not great. I want freakin' great, it's not nearly as hard as everyone makes it out to be. Allen, Jackson, Mahomes, Stafford, Hurts, Maye, Daniels, Burrow. That's 25% of the league. Is it really that much to ask that the Vikings can have a QB in the top 25% of the league once every two decades? I don't care if you have to go through three JJ McCarthy's to find it, I'm not shutting up until they get there.

[TheLeviathan]

14 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

Unless they make a Stafford-like trade (Mike said Burrow) I don't care what vet comes in because I don't want him on the field AT ALL.

If it's not going to be JJ, go draft somebody again. If it's not that guy, go draft someone else. I'm so tired of the narrative around the Vikings and the Twins being that us quaint littlee Minnesotans should just be happy to have an Average Joe who is competent but not great. I want freakin' great, it's not nearly as hard as everyone makes it out to be. Allen, Jackson, Mahomes, Stafford, Hurts, Maye, Daniels, Burrow. That's 25% of the league. Is it really that much to ask that the Vikings can have a QB in the top 25% of the league once every two decades? I don't care if you have to go through three JJ McCarthy's to find it, I'm not shutting up until they get there.

Yup, I'm in this for a franchise QB.  I don't want any strategy that isn't aiming for that mark.

[Mike Sixel]

Same. Give me great, or move on.