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

McCarthy’s Missed Season May Pay Dividends for him in 2025

Posted on September 1, 2025September 1, 2025 by David Shama

J.J. McCarthy makes his NFL regular season debut next Monday night in a nationally televised game against the Bears in Chicago. That career, of course, was supposed to have started last year but didn’t because the then 21-year-old Vikings quarterback sustained a season-ending knee injury in preseason.

The deflating season on the sidelines may well prove to have a silver lining to it.

Local football authority Daniel House, known for his football film breakdown and data driven research, thinks so. House, recognized by football followers for his Vikings Corner and Gophers Guru websites and posts on X @DanielHouseMN, said fans don’t realize “how complex the (Vikings) system is.”

Purple followers, House told Sports Headliners, should be “encouraged” by the process McCarthy has gone through. “He had time to learn and I think that’s going to be very beneficial for him.”

House believes that despite McCarthy’s inexperience and youth the former No. 1 draft choice could finish the season statistically ranked something like 15-16 among NFL quarterbacks in production. “I would say, yeah, that’s a good spot for him to be in just based off not just the talent standpoint, but (coach) Kevin O’Connell’s ability to maximize what he (McCarthy) does best. And then you look at the skill players around him (adding support). …”

McCarthy will benefit from a surrounding group of offensive and defensive players loaded with talent. Included will be an improved offensive line and running back depth. That development is expected to have the Vikings running more than at any time in O’Connell’s three previous seasons in Minneapolis. It’s a strategy designed to take some responsibility and pressure off the quarterback.

Even with a “pound the rock” running game and elite defense, the Vikings will need plenty of outstanding performances from McCarthy. That starts on the big stage of Monday Night Football and House doesn’t think the scene will be too much for McCarthy.

“He excels in those big moments,” House said while reminding a listener that McCarthy delivered in the spotlight in pressure filled high school and college games, including 2023 when he quarterbacked Michigan to the national championship.

House said McCarthy has the persona to lead in the locker room and on the field. “The one thing I notice about J.J. is just how his teammates rally around him. He’s got that dynamic presence about him. …

“I know some people that know J.J. well and were around him at Michigan. And…the thing is this guy has an electricity to him from the personality standpoint that every top quarterback has to have. “

Worth Noting

House believes the Vikings could win 10 or 11 games. He thinks a four-game stretch between October 19 and November 9 where the Vikings play the Eagles, Chargers, Lions and Ravens is “going to define the season.”

Asked about a breakout Vikings player, House identified second-year defensive lineman Jalen Redmond. “He popped at me when I was at practices. I thought that he looked more refined, quick. Feeling comfort in the system.”

House added that the Vikings’ willingness to trade veteran defensive tackle Harrison Phillips earlier this summer for future draft capital looks like a vote of confidence in Redmond as a starter. “I am on the Jalen Redmond train. I think he’s going to have a nice year.”

The Athletic’s Scott Dochterman wrote recently about how college football players are spending their Name, Image and Likeness money. Included were Gopher defensive stars Anthony Smith who bought a Dodge Ram TRX and Koi Perich’s expenditure on a scooter.

Smith said the Dodge makes him happy and he “can’t stop smiling.” Perich said he loves his scooter and it’s the only thing he rides.

Gopher Jameson Geers, who had a game shifting fumble in last year’s loss at Rutgers and dropped two passes in the 2025 season opener while also making a touchdown catch, is on the John Mackey Award watch list for best tight end in the nation. Geers, who has two seasons of remaining eligibility, caught four passes for 38 yards in the 23-10 win over Buffalo.

Geers was stopped short on a tush-push from the Buffalo 11-yard line in the first quarter of last Thursday night’s opening game. P.J. Fleck said the distance for the first down was about 1.5 yards, not one, and the Gophers head coach took the blame for the failed play, explaining it was the wrong call.

Deepest condolences to the family and many friends of former 1960s Gophers football player and assistant coach Mike Reid who passed away August 24 after battling a heart issue. A Spring Valley, Wisconsin native, Mike made his home in the Twin Cities area, and his warm personality was worthy of “All-American” status. https://obituaries.pellachronicle.com/obituary/michael-reid-1093061208

There is a write-in campaign by friends of the late Jim Carter to have the South St. Paul High School football stadium named after the Gophers’ 1969 football captain and former Packers high school star athlete.

Former Gophers quarterback Tanner Morgan will provide color commentary on Saturday’s Big Ten Network telecast of the Minnesota-Northwestern State game at Huntington Bank Stadium. The FCS Demons are located in Natchitoches, Louisiana and the football team snapped a 20-game losing streak last Saturday with a 20-10 win over Alcorn State.

Gopher communications boss Paul Rovnak writing on X about ESPN legend Lee Corso who retired last Saturday at age 90: “Before big games coach Corso would call to learn more about the Gophers. Last time was Dec. 24 to prep for our bowl game vs VT (Virginia Tech). I told him my kids loved him and thanked him (for) what he did for Minnesota. He then asked to talk to my kids so he could wish them Merry Christmas.”

Wild owner Craig Leipold told Sports Headliners he wants his team to develop a “mindset like Florida,” winners of the last two Stanley Cups. Leipold wants a team that plays together and executes on each play.

The 2026 USA Special Olympics Games will be held in Minnesota next June. CEO Christy Sovereign, along with Special Olympic athletes, will speak at the Capital Club at Mendakota Country Club on September 24. More information about the club is available from Patrick Klinger, patrick@agilemarketingco.com.

Twins’ right-hander Pablo López made his third start on rehab assignment last night for Triple-A St. Paul at Toledo. He pitched 5.2 innings, giving up four hits, no runs and striking out 7. The staff ace was placed on the Injured List June 4 with a right shoulder strain.

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Birthday Wish for WR Adam Thielen: Please Come Home

Posted on August 17, 2025August 17, 2025 by David Shama

Minnesota native and former Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen turns 35 on Friday. What a birthday present for him and the Vikings if he returned home to bolster a potentially troubled Minnesota passing game.

Will it happen? It’s possible but probably less than a 50-50 bet.

Thielen, still a productive receiver, is valued by the Carolina Panther where his experience is a settling factor for quarterback Bryce Young who is trying to establish consistency as he begins his third NFL season. Thielen, who in 2023 with Carolina had his only 1,000-yard reception year of his 11-year NFL career, is also positioned to mentor Carolina’s inexperienced wide receivers.

The lowly Panthers, 5-12 last season, might be more inclined to part with Thielen deep into the season rather than when hopes are beginning. The Vikings have a need of receiving help now, though, with Jordan Addison suspended for the first three regular season games. Addison is a star having 875 receiving yards last season, second on the team to Justin Jefferson with 1,553.

A gloomy possibility for the Vikings is the hamstring injury for superstar wide receiver Jefferson lingers into the early season. Even if Jefferson returns 100 percent, he will miss the threat Addison brings to defenses by taking attention off him. Jefferson is likely to line up on opening night in Chicago September 8 with mediocre receiver company in starters Tai Felton and Jalen Nailor.

Adding to uncertainty is that Nailor has a hand injury. Head coach Kevin O’Connell said yesterday: “…I definitely don’t feel overly concerned about a long-term thing. But at the same time, we want to make sure that…he can hit the ground running and be healthy. And that’s where we’ll make sure we know exactly what it is…(and) can I get him rehabbed and ready to roll.”

Thielen, playing the slot instead of Nailor, would be an upgrade for first season starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy. He’s going to have plenty of challenges out of the gate and could be nursed along by Thielen who played under head coach Kevin O’Connor in 2022, and he wouldn’t be an expensive addition at a base salary of $6.25 million, per Spotrac.com

The Vikings want to build confidence in McCarthy from the beginning, and they need help in the pass catching room to make that happen. Without it, look for the Vikings to depend on the running game even more than suspected prior to Addison’s suspension.

The Vikings best shot at acquiring Thielen could be by offering 29-year-old Harrison Phillips, the defensive tackle whose base salary is $7 million this season, per Over the Cap. The Panthers were the NFL’s worst defense last season and could strengthen their interior line and run-stopping with Phillips, a valuable veteran. The Vikings would still retain defensive tackle quality in Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen.

Worth Noting

O’Connell said local favorite Max Brosmer, who is trying to make the Vikings’ 53-man roster as a rookie free agent, “plays with very fast eyes, and very rarely, you know, puts the ball at harm’s way when he’s doing it, which is a unique trait.”

After yesterday’s second preseason game, O’Connell said he’s still sorting out the quarterback competition (involving Brosmer, Sam Howell and Brett Rypien) behind starter McCarthy.

Look for the Vikings to cap their season tickets at about 60,000 for home games at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Former Vikings and Packers quarterback Brett Favre continues to battle Parkinson’s Disease. Interestingly, the Hall of Fame gunslinger seldom got to throw the football in high school playing in his father’s wishbone offense. He was recruited to Southern Mississippi as a defensive back.

John Randle was a big hit as the celebrity golfer at the Ben & Adith Miller Golf Classic last week. The former Viking and Pro Football Hall of Famer helped raise $150K for the Patient Fund at Winona Health. The fund helps provide financial support to those who need healthcare but cannot afford it

ESPN’s 2025 preseason college football All-America team includes the Golden Gophers Koi Perich at second team safety.

The Associated Press, celebrating 100 years of AP college football All-American teams, named its all-time team and included Gopher legend Bronko Nagurski at defensive tackle. Honored as all-time wide receivers were Minneapolis native Larry Fitzgerald Jr. who played at Pitt, and former Viking Randy Moss, a Marshall University alum.

In advance of their August 28 season opener against Buffalo in Minneapolis, the Gophers are selling upper level $10 tickets for a 24-hour span starting Monday at 12 p.m. and continuing until the same time Tuesday.

Sushi Man, whose owners include Steve and Dorothy Erban, won the $75,000 Minnesota Derby at Canterbury Park earlier this month. Race horsing patrons for years, the Erbans are also known for their ownership of Minnesota based Creative Charters which annually takes travelers to events such as the Kentucky Derby and Golden Gophers football and basketball games.

Former Twins GM Thad Levine has a podcast worth a listen. “Rosters to Rings” started a few months ago and offers insights about sports front offices. Levine is joined by former NBA GM Ryan McDonough on the weekly podcast that can be found at: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rosters-to-rings-podcast/id1815705227

Levine told Sports Headliners the podcast was encouraged by his wife who recognized he had so many experiences to share that could give fans an inside look at what goes on with front office decision making. He said certain things or people are off limits, but he can share about “60 percent” of experiences during his career which includes leadership positions with the Rangers and Rockies

Calling it a “passion project,” Levine and McDonough might discuss what goes into making or not making trades. They might compare the MLB and NBA drafts, offering interesting nuances. Varied guests can include prominent media, too, with their unique insight on what they see, hear and who they talk with

Levine, who is also lecturing on leadership to corporations and has spoken on the subject at the University of Minnesota, has no timetable but is interested in going back into management with an MLB team. He was with the Twins from 2016-2024.

MLB.com ranked the Dodgers No. 1 and Twins No. 2 recently among the 30 farm systems. Rankings, of course, aren’t the literal gospel. A better way for fans to understand rankings is to break them into tiers or groups. The Twins, with their prospects including those acquired this summer in trades, for sure deserve to be in the top half dozen tier.

Jim Kaat, the former 86-year-old Twins pitcher in town for the weekend’s celebration of the 1965 Twins American Lague championship, is probably the only ambidextrous golfer ever to shoot his age multiple times. And he’s still playing.

That 1965 Twins team won the pennant with a 102-60 record after being 79-83 the year prior. A number of Twins had superb seasons, but perhaps none bigger and more surprising than AL MVP and shortstop Zoilo Versalles.

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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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