KEVIN O’CONNELL – Page 3 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Vikings Reserve QB Roster Battles Command Attention

Posted on August 10, 2025August 10, 2025 by David Shama

Enjoy a Sunday notes column.

J.J. McCarthy is rock solid as the Viking starting quarterback but better believe the jockeying for status behind him is a competitive situation.

McCarthy played briefly in the first quarter of Saturday’s opening preseason game, a 20-10 win over the Texans in Minneapolis. Head coach Kevin O’Connell indicated after the game he was more than satisfied with how his 22-year-old leader ran the offense.

Before the first quarter was over Sam Howell relieved McCarthy. Then later in the game the Vikings turned to another veteran, Brett Rypien, before having rookie Max Brosmer finish up.

Howell completed 11 of 13 passes for 105 yards. Rypien was 1 of 4 for six yards while Brosmer, 5 of 8 for 47 yards, threw the lone Minnesota touchdown pass of the game.

O’Connell thought Brosmer “did a pretty darn good job coming in…and putting the ball in the end zone there.” Brosmer had a 118.2 rating, the highest of the Viking quarterbacks.

Minnesota may decide to keep Brosmer on the 53-man roster to start the season. Whether it’s been FCS New Hampshire, the Big Ten Golden Gophers or the Vikings, the likeable and football savvy Brosmer attracts admirers. Don’t be surprised if the eventual QB roster looks like this: No. 1 McCarthy, No. 2 Howell and Brosmer No. 3, with Rypien cut from the team.

If the Vikings don’t place Brosmer on their roster they take a major risk of another team picking him up.

McCarthy said this about Brosmer earlier in training camp: “Max is the man. Just super detail oriented, works his butt off. I can’t say enough good things about that guy. He is just an awesome human being. …”

Ben Solak, writing for ESPN earlier this month, ranked the Vikings coaching staff No. 1 among the 32 NFL teams. Solak’s approach was to evaluate not only the head coach, but also analyze offensive and defensive coordinators. He is especially an admirer of O’Connell and defensive coordinator Brian Flores.

“O’Connell has easily leaped into that utmost echelon of offensive designers, and Flores remains the cream of the defensive crop,” Solak wrote. “There are always little things to wonder about– scheming for a rookie is different from scheming for a veteran, even if that veteran had never been successful elsewhere — but there is no doubt that O’Connell & Co. elevate players more than any other coaching staff in football.”

David Hale, writing recently for ESPN.com on college football, placed the football Gophers among five under the radar teams who may exceed expectations. “Not counting the 2020 COVID-19 season, Minnesota is one of just 15 teams to win 60 percent of its Power 5 games. That’s more impressive than it sounds. It’s better than Washington, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Miami and Texas A&M.

“The Gophers enter 2025 with a ton of intriguing options led by Koi Perich and Darius Taylor, and while the schedule includes road trips to Ohio State and Oregon, there’s certainly a path for P.J. Fleck to get Minnesota back to the 10-win plateau (last achieved in 2019).”

The Twins try to win their three-game series at home today against the Royals who Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli has a 60-42 career record against. That’s his most victories over any team.

University of St. Thomas Athletic Director Phil Esten will be joined by head men’s basketball coach Johnny Tauer and men’s hockey coach Rico Blasi at a meeting of the Capital Club at Mendakota Country Club on August 27. They will discuss UST’s transition from DIII to DI, the new campus arena, NIL and potential competition with the Gophers. More information about the club is available from Patrick Klinger, patrick@agilemarketingco.com.

Twin Cities Business has honored Patrick as one of 25 Notable Marketing Leaders for 2025 for his work on behalf of clients.

Tomorrow, August 11, will be the 22^nd anniversary of Herb Brooks’ death in a car accident. The legendary hockey coach’s gravesite at Roseville’s Roselawn Cemetery is frequently visited by admirers who remember his extraordinary career that included the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” at the Olympics.

Former Viking and NFL Hall of Famer John Randle will be the celebrity golfer tomorrow at the Ben & Adith Miller Golf Classic benefitting the Winona Health Foundation. The event will be at the Cedar Valley Golf Course in Winona.

Former Hopkins superstar Paige Bueckers is a huge favorite to win WNBA Rookie of the Year honors. Playing for the Dallas Wings (8-23 record), Bueckers is averaging 18.6 points per game, 5.4 assists and 4.1 rebounds from her guard position.

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Vikes Coach: Suspended Jordan Addison Has ‘Heart of Gold’

Posted on August 6, 2025August 6, 2025 by David Shama

Vikings third-year wide receiver Jordan Addison received a three-game regular season suspension from the NFL yesterday for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, but head coach Kevin O’Connell is standing by his player because he sees accountability and behavior he likes. He referred today to Addison having a “heart of gold,” praising his relationships with teammates and his work ethic.

Addison pled guilty this summer to a misdemeanor charge stemming from a traffic incident last year in Los Angeles. O’Connell is a fan of Addison’s talent on the field but that wouldn’t cut it if he didn’t see that the 23-year-old USC alum has “taken full accountability” for his situation off the field.

O’Connell said the suspension is a “temporary setback” for Addison and he expects him to have a great season. The coach said it’s fortunate that Addison’s suspension will only prevent him from practicing for the first game, not the next two.

Injuries have caused multiple offensive players, including superstar WR Justin Jefferson, to miss stretches of training camp. A healthy unit might be more on O’Connell’s mind now than usual. “We want to make sure we’re as healthy as possible knowing that we’re going to be without Jordan there for not only the opener but for the first three,” he said.

Addison had 875 receiving yards last season, second on the team to Jefferson with 1,553. O’Connell wouldn’t speculate who will emerge to replace Addison for the first three games.

Kickoff Saturday for the opening preseason game against the Texans in Minneapolis is 3 p.m. with the game simulcasted on FOX 9 (television) and KFAN (radio). Announcers are Paul Allen, Pete Bercich and Ben Leber. The game will also air on NFL Network.

The view here is the Vikings will include rookie quarterback Max Brosmer on the final 53-man roster. The brass may be too impressed with the astute former Golden Gopher to risk losing him on waivers when the season roster is determined. The intent is likely to keep three quarterbacks on the roster: McCarthy, No. 2 Sam Howell and Brosmer, with veteran Brett Rypien cut from the team.

The annual NFL Draft has never been held in Minnesota but the Vikings and the Minnesota Sports and Events organization are working to change that. Vikings owner Mark Wilf made intentions clear recently at training camp.

“We certainly have been working with the Minnesota events group and the NFL to put our community out there to make sure we can get a draft,” Wilf said. “We’ve shown we can do big events, whether it’s a Super Bowl or Final Four. And I know our team is hard at work to putting an effort together. So, it’ll be an outstanding venue when we get it, and we’re working very hard to get it here.”

The 2024 NFL Draft in Detroit had a record reported attendance of 775,000, while Green Bay’s number earlier this year was more than 600,000. The 2026 draft will be in Pittsburgh, with the 2027 draft in Washington D.C.

Vikings NFL Hall of Famer and former NFL MVP Alan Page, once a Minnesota Supreme Court justice, turns 80 tomorrow.

The Vikings expect about 40,000 fans to visit training camp this year, a similar total as in the past. Among those in attendance today was Senator Amy Klobuchar.

The Gophers don’t have a lot in common with the all-time goliath of college football, the Alabama Crimson Tide, but there are a couple of timely notes. University of Washington transfer Kahlee Tafai, an offensive tackle who figures in Gopher plans this season, turned down Alabama, as did two prominent recruits who will be part of the 2026 prep recruiting class, Roman Voss and Ryan Estrada.

Tafai, listed at 6-5 and 340-pounds, will have three seasons of eligibility at Minnesota after starting four games last season for the Huskies. He was ranked as the No. 64 tackle in the nation coming out of high school in California.

Voss, the consensus No. 1 2025 football recruit in the state of Minnesota, reduced his final college choices to the Gophers and Crimson Tide. Then in June the coveted athlete from Jackson, who projects as a tight end in college, announced he will attend Minnesota.

Estrada, a highly recruited running back from El Paso, turned down blue-blood programs Michigan and Alabama. 247Sports ranks both him and Voss as composite 4-star players.

Kalen DeBoer, the Alabama head coach going into his second season, has recruiting roots in the five-state region that includes Minnesota. He once was head coach at Sioux Falls University where Tide offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb worked for him.

Let’s not get carried away with saying the Gophers have any significant edge on the Tide but it’s worth noting on the field the two programs have played once with Minnesota the winner. In the 2004 Music City Bowl Glen Mason’s Gophers defeated ‘Bama, 20-16.

In 2032 and 2033 Minnesota and Alabama will play a home and home series. The first game will be in Minneapolis.

Double-A Wichita outfielder Walker Jenkins was named Texas League Player of the Week on Monday. In six games, he hit .500 (12-for-24) with two doubles, three home runs, five RBI, eight runs scored, four walks, two stolen bases, a .552 on-base percentage, a .958 slugging percentage and a 1.510 OPS. He is ranked by MLB.com as the Twins top prospect and 12th-best in pro baseball.

Gotta figure the Pohlads are heavy favorites to win Patrick Reusse’s Turkey of the Year Award.

A Sports Headliners reader emailed with this comment: “Remember allowing Jack Morris to declare his free agency a few days after Game Seven, 1991 (World Series)? Allowing him to leave deprived the team of a good chance to repeat in 1992. That was a wake-up call per the Pohlads’ willingness to invest in their team.”

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Brian Flores Likes What He Sees in Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy

Posted on July 29, 2025July 29, 2025 by David Shama

Enjoy a Tuesday notes column.

All eyes seemingly are on first-year Vikings starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy at training camp. Among those most qualified to give an opinion about the 22-year-old is defensive coordinator Brian Flores.

Flores said yesterday part of the strategy in preparing the inexperienced quarterback is “giving him a lot of different looks” from the defense. “I think J.J. has done a great job. I really do. I think he’s got real good command of the offense. I think he’s throwing the ball really well. I think he’s doing a lot of nice things and I’ve liked watching him improve. That’s good for everybody.”

Seems like when, not if, Flores will leave from his successful run here and accept an NFL head coaching position elsewhere. As in past seasons, it appears likely Flores will hear his name speculated on for openings in the fall and early winter.

Flores had a head coaching job previously, leading the Dolphins from 2019-2021. That tenure didn’t end well with a 24-25 record and negative feelings about his dismissal.

Flores has flourished in two previous seasons as leader of the Vikings defense. In his first two seasons leading the defense (2023-24), Minnesota had 53 total takeaways, the third most in the NFL trailing only Buffalo (59) and Pittsburgh (57). The Vikings have also held foes to an average of 96.1 rushing yards per game under Flores. That’s the third-fewest rushing yards per game over the past two seasons, behind only Detroit (93.6) and Baltimore (94.7).

Flores, who was a finalist for the Associated Press Assistant Coach of the Year for 2024, has not only polished his resume here, but also assimilated the offensive wisdom and coaching prowess of head coach Kevin O’Connell. In three seasons O’Connell has dazzled as a quarterback developer and offensive strategist.

Flores praises the way the offense goes about its business, from leadership to how the unit practices. He is comfortable going into the boss’s office and “picking his brain” on things like pass protection or route concepts. He describes O’Connell’s relationships with others as a “super power.”

“My time with him has been incredible these last two years and this year as well,” Flores said. “I think I am pretty good in some areas. Areas I am not as good in, he’s really good in. So just kind of naturally I get better in those areas. …”

Flores describes a “bit of a chess match” between the Vikings offense and defense as both units work on details to improve themselves and each other. Flores knows O’Connell is loaded with football smarts. “X’s and O’s wise, he’s as good as they get,” Flores said.

No word on who will be replacing recently retired Joe Schmit as sports director at KSTP TV. If the successor comes internally, seems likely the choice could be Chris Long who was the No. 2 behind Schmit.

George Schauer, the point man on the Golden Gophers famous Harlem Globetrotters-like warmup show in the early 1970s, died earlier this month in Dallas. Coach Bill Musselman put Schauer on scholarship strictly because of his ballhandling skills and trickery as he led his teammates through a pre-game show set to music that packed Williams Arena and had fans roaring with delight.

Former Gophers assistant coach Kevin Wilson told Sports Headliners Schauer scored two points in his four-year career and that Schauer and the Williams Arena faithful went bonkers when he made his field goal.

Schauer entertained with his basketball wizardry after college with his most recent gig as an ambassador for the Frisco, Texas based Texas Legends of the G League. That’s the official minor league of the NBA.

New coach Niko Medved’s 2025 Gophers have their last day of summer practice Thursday. Medved meets with the media that day to provide an evaluation.

Cody Nagel from Cbssports.com ranked the 18 Big Ten football coaches last week and Minnesota’s P.J. Fleck is at No. 8. Coaches above Fleck starting at No. 1 are Ryan Day, Ohio State; Dan Lanning, Oregon; James Franklin, Penn State; Lincoln Riley, USC; Kirk Ferentz, Iowa; Curt Cignetti, Indiana; Bret Bielema, Illinois.

Pioneer League football coaches voted St. Thomas to finish third in the standings this fall behind San Diego and Drake. In four previous seasons in the league, head coach Glenn Caruso’s Tommies have finished top three each year including a championship in 2022.

Twins infielder Luke Keaschall (right forearm) remains on rehab assignment with the Saints after having only 19 at bats with Minnesota this season. Pitcher Bailey Ober (left hip impingement) is also rehabbing with the Saints and has a 1.00 ERA in nine innings and two starts.

Don’t look now but while Twins pitching ace Pablo Lopez is sidelined the man traded to obtain Lopez, infielder Luis Arraez, is hitting .322 in his last 30 games and lifted his season average to .292.

Twins legends and hall of famers Jim Kaat and Rod Carew speak to the Twin Cities Dunkers on August 15.

Congratulations to Jeff Maday on being inducted into the Canterbury Park Hall of Fame. The track’s media relations manager has been with the racing facility for more than 30 years and started as a groom.

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