David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Vikes Could Announce Starting QB Just Past Mid-August

Posted on July 8, 2026July 8, 2026 by David Shama

Seems like everyone in town wants to know when Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell will name his starting quarterback for the regular season opening game against the Packers on September 13.

The veterans report to training camp at TCO Performance Center on July 28. On August 18 or 23 O’Connell could announce his choice between Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy.

The Vikings will host the Ravens for scrimmages on August 19 and 20 at TCO Performance Center. This is prior to their August 22 preseason home game against the Baltimore-based team. Speculation has the Ravens fielding a top 10 or even top five defense in 2026 and that unit should offer a challenge to Minnesota’s quarterbacks and offense.

After spring practices and activities, neither Murray, the 28-year-old in his first season with the Vikings, or the 23-year-old McCarthy in his third with the club, was able to claim the starting job. The two split snaps in the spring, likely to the frustration of Murray who was a seven-year starter with the Cardinals and trying to learn a new offense. McCarthy missed his entire first season and started 10 games last season.

Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell image by David Shama — Kevin O’Connell

It seems highly plausible O’Connell will want to designate his starter by the second half of August, rather than wait until even closer to the regular season opener. The eve of the scrimmages, Tuesday, August 18, could be the date O’Connell names his starter. Or he might evaluate the play of his quarterbacks in the Raven scrimmages and game, then announce a decision on Sunday, August 23.

O’Connell wouldn’t commit to a timeline last month. “…But those guys…know we have a plan in place to make sure that the decision we make is going to be about what’s best for the Minnesota Vikings. The timeline of that does involve making sure we get our starter ready to go.

“We want to make sure by the time we play the Green Bay Packers that there’s been ample time to have the best possible offense we can have to help our football team. The quarterback is going to play a big role in that. …”

Murray is the overwhelming betting favorite to emerge as the starter. Although the Cardinals gave up on Murray, his resume and profile instill optimism among those who want to feel it. In 2019 he was the Pro Football Offensive Rookie of the Year. Twice in his career he was a Pro Bowler.

Murray, though, at times struggled in his career with the Cardinals and even this spring when learning a new system and playing with new teammates. How well he absorbs and executes Minnesota’s sophisticated and challenging offense will go far in determining his status.

Learning can be accelerated by players who have the capacity and commitment. The Vikings signed veteran Carson Wentz on August 24 last year. On September 21 he led the team to a regular season win over the Bengals.

Murray has a career passing rating of 92.2 which is above average for a veteran quarterback. Four times in his career he has thrown for over 3,500 yards. In 2,941 passing attempts he has totaled 121 TD passes with 60 interceptions. Murray is known for his arm strength and velocity, and running skills, but the Cardinals gave up on him because of inconsistency, an injury history and expensive contract.

It will be fascinating to see how Murray fits in with the Vikings, or if he does. O’Connell is known as a quarterback coaching guru and among the questions of intrigue about Murray is building some of the offense around his running ability.

Listed at 5-10 and 207 pounds. Murray is an electric runner. There’s an impressive list of NFL quarterbacks, past and present, who were extraordinary at scrambling and running. But Murray invites comparisons with Michael Vick, considered by authorities as perhaps the best of them all.

New Vikings assistant head coach Frank Smith likely will play a role in the use of Murray to win games with his feet as well as his arms. Smith is known for his running game prowess. His previous stops include with the Chargers where he was first running game coordinator/offensive line coach, and then offensive coordinator. Smith was voted by NFL players as the top offensive coordinator in 2023.

If Murray doesn’t fulfill predictions, he will win the Minnesota starting job, it will be a major career setback. He’s on a one-year contract with the Vikings and is playing in 2026 for his next deal. A failed season could also end perceptions around the NFL that he is a starting quarterback caliber player.

The drama for him starts shortly.

Worth Noting

The University of Minnesota’s M Club, one of Americas’ s largest and oldest varsity letterwinner clubs, will induct 10 new Hall of Fame members on October 2 in a ceremony at Huntington Bank Stadium. But not included among the inductees is Minnesota native Matt Spaeth who won the John Mackey award in 2006 as the most outstanding tight end in college football.

Spaeth, a two-time All-Big Ten selection who holds the school career record for tight ends with 1,293 receiving yards, was a four-year starter for the Golden Gophers. It’s puzzling why he has been overlooked so long for Hall of Fame selection.

Brian Truitt of USA Today listed 25 all-time movies to celebrate the 250th anniversary of America last week. Two were sports flicks: “Field of Dreams” and “Rocky.” I’d toss in “The Natural”, too. Who have you got?

Comments Welcome

Best of Gurus See Eight Wins for Vikings 2026 Season

Posted on July 1, 2026July 1, 2026 by David Shama

Enjoy a Wednesday notes column.

Get used to the number 8, Vikings fans.

A search of the most authoritative annual prognosticators of NFL team records turns up a lot of eights for the 2026 Vikings season. Here’s a sample of the usually most accurate swamis.

NFL Network analytics expert Cynthia Frelund: 8.7 wins.

Public analytical database Nfelo: 8.5 wins.

FanDuel Sportsbook: 8.5 wins.

ESPN’s Football Power Index: 8 wins.

Sports Headliners: 10 wins.

Why 10?

To make you feel better.

There was an Arizona Cardinals airplane parked at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport last Wednesday. Perhaps it was in town relative to Minneapolis-born and raised Larry Fitzgerald Jr. being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame next month.

Fitzgerald was a Vikings ball boy in his youth and idolized Randy Moss who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018. Fitzgerald played his entire 17-year NFL career with the Cardinals where his pass catching skills ranked with the best in NFL history.

Bill Guerin, named NHL General Manger of the Year last week, is believed to earn “north” of $2 million with the Wild. NHL GM jobs don’t pay the kind of money their NBA counterparts make. The Timberwolves’ Tim Connelly reportedly makes $8 million annually.

Guerin was hired in August of 2018, and his work has helped create a Stanley Cup contender. A former NHL player, he prioritizes communications.

Wild GM Bill Guerin — Guerin photo by Marshall Tanick

“…Because I feel now, like more than ever, the coach, the general manager we’re not so much in a position to say, do this, do that. It’s how can we help you get better? What can we do for you to help you carry out our game plan? We’re here for them,” he told Sports Headliners last year.

The annual Big Ten Football Media Days will be held July 28-30 in Chicago and televised by the Big Ten Network. The Golden Gophers will be one of the programs focused on July 29 at the Hilton Hotel. The three-day event allows media members to meet with coaches and student-athletes prior to the season.

Minnesota opens its season September 3 at home against Eastern Illinois. Peacock will televise the 7 p.m. kickoff nonconference game.

Sources disagree on who is the tallest goalie ever to play in the NHL, referring to 6-7 or 6-8 goalies. Either way the Wild has a solid entry in the competition with 2026 fifth round draft choice Filip Ruzicka from Trinec, Czechia. He is listed at 6-8 and 229 pounds and will certainly be noticed if he ever plays in the NHL.

“Filip is an extra-large goalie with athletic abilities,” said Wild goaltending coach Frederic Chabot in a club statement. “He has good hands for a guy that big and had a nice progression last season after taking over the No. 1 job in Brandon (Wheat Kings of the WHL).”

Before last night’s game against the Astros, the Twins had played 26 games in June. Their slugging percentage of .476 ranked second-best in baseball to the Rockies at .492. The Twins had homered in all but four of their last 23 games since June 4, hitting 42. Since that date, Minnesota ranked second in homers, trailing the Athletics (43), going into last evening.

Last Sunday at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Hazeltine Golf Club, South Korea’s Hae Ran Ryu took home $1,950,00 for winning her first major title. Scottie Scheffler, the men’s No. 1 in the world, will try to win $1,584,000 at the 3M Tournament July 23-26 at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine.

The Lynx announced today star forward Napheesa Collier, after undergoing surgeries on both her right and left ankles during the offseason, has returned to team practice and continues to progress as expected.

Medical research confirms spectators watching events like the emotion-stoked World Cup experience cardiovascular issues and even deadly heart attacks.

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LaMelo Ball’s Injury History Casts Shadow on Wolves Trade

Posted on June 25, 2026June 25, 2026 by David Shama

High risk and high reward.

That’s the only way to look at the Timberwolves acquisition of All-Star guard LaMelo Ball in a trade that sends fan favorite and forward Naz Reid to the Hornets.

Wolves’ front office leader Tim Connelly has been searching for a quality point guard to lead his team and take the playmaking burden off superstar Anthony Edwards. Ball is a spectacular playmaker that can have teammates and fans marveling at his showmanship performances.

The concern is availability. Since being drafted by the Hornets in 2020 (he went No. 3 overall and Edwards No. 1), he has missed a lot of games. Last season he played a near career high of 72 out of 82 games but previous seasons the totals were: 47, 22, 36 , 75 and 51.

Ankle injuries have been troublesome. That’s a worrisome history for a 24-year-old, with logic suggesting lower body injuries can become more frequent and last longer as an athlete ages.

Connelly is banking on Ball continuing the trend of the 2025-2026 season. Playing most of the season, he averaged 20.2 points per game and 7.1 assists. The 6-7 veteran also averaged nearly 5 rebounds per game.

The acquisition of Ball gives the Wolves an athletic and young starting core, other than 7-1 center Rudy Gobert who turns 34 tomorrow. Guard Ayo Dosunmu and forward Jaden McDaniels, ages 24 and 25 respectively, would be part of the starting five if Minnesota were to play a game today. Edwards, one of the league’s top players, is also 24.

As the roster is constructed now, Connelly is taking the risk that by trading two power forwards this month in Reid and Julius Randle, the Wolves will still have enough size to rebound and defend effectively. Right now McDaniels, listed at 6-9 and 185 pounds, looks like the new power forward while the 6-4 Edwards may slide into the small forward position.

Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves player — Anthony Edwards photo courtesy of Minnesota Timberwolves

A basketball insider told Sports Headliners he didn’t think the transition would be a problem for Edwards and that he can benefit from the presence of an elite point guard. “No question he’s the guy that stirs the drink for them,” he said speaking anonymously.

The source faulted the Wolves for not playing hard enough and lacking togetherness in the playoffs last spring as they won an opening series but then lost to the Spurs in the next round. “They had to make some (personnel) moves,” he said.

With Connelly in power there could be other transactions coming. He showed from his first months on the job in 2022 a willingness to make bold moves when he made the blockbuster trade bringing Gobert to Minneapolis while sending a boatload of players and draft choices to the Jazz.

Worth Noting

Ari Peterson, the basketball player who is transferring from Minnetonka High School to a national prep power in New York, has the admiration of former Skippers coach Brian Cosgriff who raves about her athleticism. Peterson, the daughter of Vikings legend Adrian Peterson, will be a junior next school year at Long Island Lutheran in Brookville.

The school plays a national schedule and produces McDonald’s All-Americans. Peterson may flourish in her new home, but she will face challenges. “I am a little nervous for her because I hope she goes on to do great things,” said Cosgriff who coached Peterson as a ninth grader. “It’s risky to some degree, in my opinion. …”

Maddyn Greenway, daughter of former Viking linebacker Chad Greenway, recently was named the 2025-2026 MaxPreps Female National Athlete of the Year. At Providence Academy she won 13 state titles in three sports including basketball and this fall will be at Kentucky on a basketball scholarship.

Cosgriff, retired from coaching after winning eight girls basketball state championships at Hopkins and Minnetonka, knew Greenway as a seventh grader at Providence Academy where he was a teacher. He said she could have been a “great receiver” in football. “I had her in gym class and when we played football, she was the best player out there, boys or girls.”

Congratulations to Mr. Baseball and Ms. Softball Award winners Connor Finn, the left-handed pitcher from Mahtomedi High School (committed to Texas Tech University) and Avery Muellner, the right-handed pitcher and first baseman from Forest Lake High School (committed to the University of St. Thomas). They were honored after the Minnesota Twins Community Fund and Minnesota All Sports Alliance had announced 16 finalists for the awards earlier in the month.

Fox 9 sports reporter and anchor Dawn Mitchell will have a feature on Minnesota sports icon Dick Jonckowski starting at 10:30 p.m. on July 3.

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