KEVIN O’CONNELL – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Vikings’ Brian Flores Might Be Next Mike Tomlin

Posted on October 12, 2026October 12, 2026 by David Shama

Vikings’ defensive coordinator Brian Flores plays to rave reviews locally and nationally. He’s revered by Purple fans for his coaching prowess that has mostly wowed since coming to Minneapolis before the 2023 season.

He might be the best at what he does in franchise history. And Purple Nation frets about how long the Vikings can retain him, with a (small?) part of the fanbase hoping ownership will promote him to head coach replacing Kevin O’Connell.

The situation has a Vikings historical rub from about 20 years ago when Mike Tomlin, as a first-year defensive coordinator, directed a unit that was the No. 1 rushing defense and No. 8 in total yards yielded among NFL teams. The 2006 season was Tomlin’s only one with the Vikings who had a 6-10 record.

Still, he was a fan favorite and there’s been lamenting over the years that the Wilf ownership group should have dumped head coach Brad Childress in favor of Tomlin. That didn’t happen because Childress, never that popular with the fanbase, had only coached one season. Plus, Tomlin had no head coaching experience.

Tomlin departed the Vikings to become head coach of the Steelers where his tenure lasted 19 seasons. His teams made the playoffs 13 times. The Tomlin era’s highlight was winning Super Bowl XLIII in 2009.

Flores, 45, has been a head coach before and seems positioned to be one again. In three seasons with the Dolphins, 2019-2021, he had a 24-25 record with no playoff appearances.

Brian Flores, Vikings defensive coordinator, image by David Shama — Brian Flores

His was a controversial tenure in south Florida with issues that included reported strained relationships with management and ownership. After his firing, he brought a lawsuit against the NFL and multiple teams alleging systemic racial discrimination in coaching and executive hiring practices, and also retaliation for refusing to “tank” games. Litigation is still pending.

A former front office executive with NFL teams, communicating with Sports Headliners on condition of anonymity, offered perspective on Flores in a text message. “I think he will be a very good head coach (he’s learned how to better get along with all players compared to his Miami years) if he gets the opportunity with his lawsuit against the NFL and several teams—which is likely a potential stumbling block with some owners. But I think he’ll get a head job soon especially if the Vikings are a playoff team and win a playoff game or two.”

After yesterday’s 23-13 win over the Saints, the defense leads the NFL in fewest points allowed with 64. The unit is also tops in takeaways with six, third in yards allowed at 259.8 and tied for third in sacks with 17, per ESPN.com. The Vikings have the second-highest pressure rate (47.8 percent) of any defense through Week 5 since 2018, according to Next Gen Stats.

With Flores and his defense playing a major role, the Vikings are 5-0 this season and 9-0 dating back to last season.

In Flores’ first three seasons leading Minnesota’s defense (2023-25), the Vikings limited their opponents to 19.2 points per game (second-fewest league wide) and 317.1 yards per game, including 5.1 yards per play (ranking fourth).

What makes Flores so effective at what he does? “Flores is very creative and extremely aggressive with his blitzes, and he has smart players with experience in his system who can play multiple spots as rushers or droppers into coverage (such as Andrew Van Ginkel, Kyle Van Noy, Blake Cashman and Eric Wilson),” the source wrote. “He confuses QBs and o-linemen who don’t know who is rushing and who is dropping so he can scheme their best pass rusher, Dallas Turner, into sometimes being unblocked or one-on-one versus a tight end (as at the end of the win in Chicago).

“He’s certainly one of the two or three best DCs in the league today.”

Worth Noting

The same source offering his view on the Vikings trading quarterback J.J. McCarthy for a fifth-round draft choice to the Giants: “…I think they should’ve kept him this season as insurance if (Kyler) Murray and/or (Carson) Wentz gets hurt—then McCarthy is a much better option (with 10 starts and a 6-4 record) than (Max) Brosmer.

“They probably could’ve gotten a fifth for him at the November trade deadline or after the season. And they should’ve gotten an upgraded (contingent) draft pick if he starts and is successful with Giants, but they probably asked for the upgrade and were turned down… .

“McCarthy has the talent to be a good NFL QB, but he needs to become a much more accurate passer and prove he can stay healthy.”

The passing of former Bears tight end great and head coach Mike Ditka is a reminder about his dislike of the Metrodome. As Chicago’s coach in the 1980’s he reportedly said: “I just don’t like indoor domes,” Ditka said. “They weren’t meant for football. Football is meant to play it outside and on grass… .Indoor domes should be useful for roller rinks. That’s all they should be for. Roller skating.”

Vikings general manager Mike Lynn trolled Ditka by sending him a pair of roller skates which he wore in the Bears’ office.

Deep condolences to family and friends of Dick Hunegs, from St. Louis Park, who passed away at age 95 on September 27. A terrific trial lawyer, Dick was a passionate Golden Gophers football fan. He died at home watching his beloved team on TV playing the Washington Huskies.

Ironically, as a nine-year-old he attended his first Gopher game on September 28, 1940, watching Minnesota defeat the Huskies in Minneapolis.

The 2026 Gophers, who defeated the Huskies last month and were awful in their most recent game last Saturday against Purdue, are 4-2 on the season and 2-1 in Big Ten games. Minnesota has defeated one team with a winning record, Michigan, 3-2. The combined record of Minnesota’s six opponents is 16 wins and 18 losses.

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Big Apple Will Be No Retreat for QB J.J. McCarthy

Posted on September 28, 2026September 28, 2026 by David Shama

If quarterback J.J. McCarthy felt the impact of outside criticism during his tenure with the Vikings, he should know he is diving into the deep end of the pool in New York City.

Gotham is now home for the 23-year-old as of today when the Vikings sent him to the Giants for a 2027 fifth round draft choice. McCarthy, Minnesota’s first round draft choice in 2024, never did establish himself as the team’s long-term answer as the starter at the most important position on the field.

This despite head coach Kevin O’Connell declaring his protégé “the franchise quarterback” prior to the beginning of the 2025 season. McCarthy couldn’t achieve enough consistency to prompt a commitment from O’Connell who brought in veteran Kyler Murray to be the “man” during the past off season.

McCarthy’s subpar mechanics have been a repetitive topic of conversation in the northland and amateur psychologists have debated his level of confidence. While, of course, McCarthy didn’t acknowledge self-doubts, his mental outlook understandably could have been at least side-swiped by booing fans, media jabs and digital digs.

There’s no pretention here to know what’s inside McCarthy’s head but he is a long-time practitioner of meditation and mindfulness. And it will be no yoga camp or mental health retreat in New York where media and fans are capable of eating quarterbacks for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

If McCarthy wants a tutorial, he’s probably got the phone numbers of former quarterback teammates Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones on speed dial. They could tell stories about the raucous and often disapproving culture of the big city from their times with the Jets and Giants respectively. Darnold got an earful for not being the franchise savior and Jones was even booed on draft night.

J.J. McCarthy, Vikings QB, image by David Shama — J.J. McCarthy

This is a change, however, that McCarthy and his inner circle apparently wanted. He could have a shot at the starting job later this season, replacing 32-year-old journeyman Jameis Winston. Starter Jaxson Dart is injured and out for the season.

McCarthy will start out with the confidence of head coach John Harbaugh who almost certainly spoke with brother Jim Harbaugh prior to the trade. The latter was McCarthy’s head coach at Michigan in 2023 when the Wolverines won the national championship. There’s no reason to believe Jim gave his brother anything less than a positive endorsement about McCarthy.

The Giants get a quarterback friendly deal with McCarthy. He’s under team control through 2027, with a team option for 2028.

The Vikings apparently lost patience with McCarthy’s development. Why else would you move on so quickly from a No. 1 draft choice and the possibility of still becoming your starter in a quarterback cluster where neither Carson Wentz nor Murray have come close to dazzling and may not.

The view here is McCarthy didn’t cause problems internally for the Vikings. He was a solid teammate and could be among the first to congratulate another Viking on making a big play.

If the Giants finish around .500 or worse in the standings after this season, the fifth round draft choice could yield a top 150 or so player in the draft. This year the Vikings took Max Bredeson in the fifth round and the fullback projects as a valued part of the team for years to come. BTW, the best of modern day NFL fifth rounders include stars Tyreek Hill, George Kittle and Puka Nacua.

Don’t think the Vikings didn’t try to do better than a fifth round pick. That’s apparently the market value right now for McCarthy who in his 10 NFL career games has thrown 12 interceptions and 11 touchdown passes.

The Giants had a firsthand look at McCarthy in the preseason. He completed four of seven passes for 34, with no interceptions. He had moments when he looked hurried and produced no points of what would be a 13-10 preseason opening win over the Giants in New Jersey.

If McCarthy turns out to be an NFL bust, the deal will look like a good one for the Vikings. If he becomes a star in the Big Apple or elsewhere, and the Vikings are still on their marathon search for a franchise quarterback, well, let’s just say the jackals will be howling like never before.

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Vikings Now Face Potential Quarterback Controversy

Posted on September 22, 2026September 22, 2026 by David Shama

Kyler Murray has cleared concussion protocol and will be the Vikings starting quarterback on Sunday in Tampa against the 0-2 Bucs.

Murray has missed almost two whole games as the Vikings have started 2-0 on the season. He suffered a concussion in the opening minutes of the first game and Carson Wentz replaced him. Efficient game managing by the 33-year-old veteran Wentz has helped the Vikings to wins over the Packers at home and the Bears on the road.

Since the 29-year-old Murray was head coach Kevin O’Connell’s choice to the No. 1 quarterback in the weeks leading up to the season, it’s no surprise the diminutive and potentially explosive passer-runner has been reinstalled as the starter.

But if Murray and the Vikings encounter “head winds” near the Gulf of Mexico Sunday and falter after that, too, look for a quarterback controversy to surface. If the Vikings are losing and Murray is even mediocre, the fan base (and media) will be restless.

Listed at 5-foot, 10-inches and 207 pounds, Murray has a high velocity throwing arm, quickness of foot and running ability that can bedevil opponents. His potential dazzles and we have yet to see what kind of offensive plays O’Connell has created to take advantage of his potential playmaker.

The Cardinals gave up on Murray, now in his eighth NFL year, after last season. His career profile has included persistent injuries and periods of inconsistency. His resume and profile instill optimism, though, 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.

If things go south for the Vikings, O’Connell knows what he’s got in Wentz who he praised yesterday. “I think Carson is just so steady. He knows exactly, and we talk a lot about what’s going to be required to win, and his role over these last, whatever it is, maybe 106 snaps.

“You think about it, we have no turnovers during that time, and I think we had maybe one procedural penalty where the left side of our O-line lined up too deep yesterday (Sunday). But outside of that, he’s running the show. …”

With either Murray or Wentz running the offense, fans hope the Vikings can not only qualify for the playoffs but win their first postseason game of the O’Connell era that started in 2023. It’s been a quarterback carousel dating back to that year, with nine different starters.

Leading the offense (at least for two games) have been Max Brosmer, Kirk Cousins, Sam Darnold, Joshua Dobbs, Jaren Hall, J.J. McCarthy, Nick Mullens, Murray and Wentz.

Cousins, the 38-year-old who left the Vikings in free agency for the Falcons after the 2023 season, is tied with the most touchdown passes in the NFL after two games. His six have helped the Raiders to a 2-0 start.

Worth Noting

Wide receiver Jordan Addison has only two receptions in the first two games but O’Connell liked his blocking on Sunday. He praised it as well timed with wide receiver Jauan Jennings, a quality blocker, not playing in the game for personal reasons.

O’Connell also said on Monday defensive lineman Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins has a hip injury and the coach considers him “day-to day.” Punter Brett Thorson has a hamstring injury that will be evaluated during the week.

Brian O’Neill told Sports Headliners the knee issue that made him listed as questionable for last Sunday’s game isn’t going to be an ongoing problem. He played in the Bears game and doesn’t expect the knee issue (details not disclosed) to trouble him in the future, including at the Bucs on Sunday.

Who is the only Golden Gophers football player ever to be the coverboy for Sports Illustrated? The answer is quarterback Bobby Cox who played for Minnesota in 1956 and 1957 after transferring from Washington.

He was labeled the nation’s top quarterback on the November 4, 1957, cover. Interestingly, the 1957 Gophers defeated Cox’s old school 46-7 that year. Also of note, Cox was of Hispanic background, and this is National Hispanic Heritage month.

The Gophers play at Washington Saturday night with a 10 p.m. kickoff on Fox Network. It’s the first game between the two programs since 1977.

Huskies head coach Jedd Fisch is in his third season in Seattle. He was 32 years old in 2009 when Minnesota head coach Tim Brewster hired him to be offensive coordinator.

Colts quarterback Peyton Manning knew of Fisch and wanted him to be his quarterbacks coach in Indianapolis, but Fisch chose the Gophers where he coached for one season. Then Fisch left to become quarterbacks coach for the NFL Seahawks.

Joel Maturi, the former University of Minnesota athletics director, attended the 60^th reunion of the 1966 national champion Notre Dame football team in South Bend earlier this month. The Minnesota native was a student trainer on the undefeated team that included former Vikings legend Alan Page.

Maturi, 81, stays active walking a total of eight miles a day.

Former Gopher quarterback Tanner Morgan, who did the color analysis on the Big Ten Network coverage of last Saturday’s Minnesota-Akron game and still lives in the Twin Cities area, runs QBMotion Midwest where he uses science-based mechanics to tutor teen quarterbacks.

Throne Spud, the digital creator and vlogger, posted the 10 most liberal and conservative FBS schools on Instagram. The Big Ten landed six in the top 10 most liberal including Oregon No. 1, Minnesota No. 6 and Wisconsin No. 10. No Big Ten schools on the conservative list with Liberty No. 1, followed by a top five of BYU, Baylor, Mississippi State and TCU.

Sports scorer Stew Thornley — Stew Thornley

Stew Thornley, 71, is finishing his 20^th year as an official scorer for the Twins. A highlight this summer was working as official scorer for the Twins-Phillies Field of Dreams game in Dyersville, Iowa.

The Minneapolis-born Thornley estimates he’s done 750 games as a scorer for the Twins, including 2018 when he worked two games in Puerto Rico. He has also worked the 2017 World Baseball Classic games in Mexico which he referenced as a “wild scene.”

Thornley, also known to Minnesotans for authoring sports books, is an official scorer for Gophers and Timberwolves basketball games, penalty timekeeper for Gopher hockey and sometimes scoreboard operator for Gopher football. And wait, not done yet: official scorer for Gopher baseball and sometimes public address announcer.

Thornley estimates his roles have him out of the house over 100 days and nights per year. Asked tongue in cheek if wife Brenda was happy to have him gone, he said: “Yeah, she is.”

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