UST – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Murray Project Can Take KOC Closer to Great QB ‘Whisperers’

Posted on March 15, 2026March 15, 2026 by David Shama

The work of Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell with quarterback reclamation projects Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones is well documented. Now comes the opportunity with new arrival Kyler Murray to take another step toward the company of pro football’s all-time elite quarterback “whisperers.”

Both Darnold and Jones had disastrous experiences with other teams before they came under the tutelage of KOC. Darnold led the Vikings to a 14-3 record in 2024 before bolting in free agency to the Seahawks and playing a huge role in a season and postseason that culminated in a Seattle Super Bowl win over the Patriots last month.

Jones had a shorter time at “KOC U” but like Darnold flourished in Minnesota and joined Sam in leaving in March of 2025. Jones had a comeback season in 2025 with the Colts after his earlier failure with the Giants and Indianapolis reportedly rewarded him this month with a two-year $88 million deal.

Could Murray be the next summa cum laude grad? Although the Cardinals gave up on him, 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.

The 28-year-old Murray, listed at 5-10 and 207 pounds, has quickness of foot and running ability that can bedevil opponents. His ability to turn a potential loss of yardage into a big gain certainly wasn’t lost on the Vikings who picked up the free agent last week on a bargain deal that reportedly has them paying out $1.3 million while the Cardinals are on the line for over $35 million.

Murray, who The Athletic rated as only the 40^th best free agent available this offseason, has his critics. His career passing rating of 92.2 is in the average range. 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 over seven seasons. He has struggled with injuries including an ACL tear and missed most of last season with a foot injury.

Murray’s critics have questioned his study habits. Beyond his work ethic, concerns have been raised about his short stature and ability to see down field. He’s even been criticized for not running enough.

So the immediate future for Murray, who is on a one-year deal, will be interesting. He grew up a Vikings fan and at his initial presser last week gushed enthusiasm about his new start including being with KOC.

KOC will scrutinize Murray from top to bottom and will tinker with his offense to make it conducive to the new quarterback’s skillset. At the same time, J.J. McCarthy will also have to fit into the overall offense. O’Connell has declared Murray and McCarthy are competing for the starting job. No one has been named No. 1 yet.

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

As the process develops, O’Connell can take another step toward the elite names among quarterback “whisperers,” especially if the Vikings become a winning team with Murray or McCarthy who will be in his second season as a potential starter. Toward the top of a list that does not yet include KOC, are names from the present and the past: Andy Reid of the Chiefs and Sean Payton of the Broncos and past icons Bruce Arians and Mike Shanahan.

That would be nice company to join.

Worth Noting

The Vikings could see an old friend wearing dark green, gold and white next fall. The Packers are looking for a backup quarterback with Kirk Cousins a possible candidate.

If the 37-year-old continues his career after being released by the Falcons last week, it presumably won’t be just for the money. He has reportedly earned over $351 million playing for the Commanders, Vikings and Falcons, and is among the highest paid NFL players of all-time.

The Vikings have provided $600,000 to the development of high school flag football in Minnesota. That’s from Minneapolis-based attorney and writer Marshall Tanick who reported details via email about a talk given recently by Vikings top marketing executive Martin Nance to a Florida group. Although not yet sanctioned by the Minnesota State High School League, the girls’ sport is growing fast, and women’s flag football will debut as an Olympic sport at the 2028 games in Los Angeles.

Nance told attendees at the Minnesota Breakfast gathering in Naples that about 45 percent of the franchise’s fan base is women.

Nance, who was a wide receiver with the Vikings in 2006-2007, also shared this nugget: the Vikings “SKOL” chant, entering its 10th year, was derived from the Icelandic national soccer team.

Professional football scouts will have a look at these former Gophers at the University of Minnesota’s Pro Day on Wednesday. Confirmed participants are Nate Becker, Drew Biber, Le’Meke Brockington, Brady Denaburg, Deven Eastern, Jameson Geers, Darius Green, Rushawn Lawrence, Derik LeCaptain, Jalen Logan-Redding, Marcellus Marshall, Jai’Onte’ McMillan, Aluma Nkele, Dylan Ray and Devon Williams.

Football coaches can still register for the acclaimed MFCA Clinic. Headquartered at the DoubleTree Hotel in St. Louis Park, the clinic will be held March 26-28 and is a partnership with the football Gophers. https://www.mnfootballcoaches.com/page/show/2279758-mfca-clinic-information

Presenters will include Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck and selected Gopher assistants, along with St. Thomas head coach Glenn Caruso, St. John’s head coach Gary Fasching and FCS national championship coach Brent Vigen of Montana State.

A hockey aficionado tells Sports Headliners the on-ice vision of defenseman Quinn Hughes is so special it’s the best of any Wild player ever. The authority added Hughes might be the best team leader in franchise history.

The Twin Cities Dunkers scored a coup scheduling Timberwolves and Lynx owner Alex Rodriguez as a speaker later this month. Wolves and Lynx president & CEO Matt Caldwell is a Dunkers member. The sports focused organization dates back to 1948 when it was the Minneapolis Dunkers.

The field for the 2026 National Invitation Tournament will be announced tonight starting at 8:30 p.m. Minneapolis time on ESPN2. Both the Gophers and St. Thomas men are eligible for consideration, with some fans wishful of a matchup at Williams Arena.

The women Gophers, 22-8, are assured of an NCAA Tournament berth and will host first and second round games at Williams Arena. The NCAA Tournament bracket, matchups, dates and times will be announced tonight at 7 p.m. on ESPN.

Kevin Kernan, a renowned national baseball authority and guest last week on Dan Barreiro’s KFNX Radio show, was asked how the Pohlad owned Twins are regarded nationally. He labeled the ownership a “clown show” and said only the Pirate ownership is disdained more.

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Dry Spell Way Too Long on Vikings Postseason Consistency

Posted on February 4, 2026February 4, 2026 by David Shama

In four seasons under the leadership of recently dismissed GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and current head coach Kevin O’Connell, the Vikings have made the playoffs twice, qualifying in alternate years going back to 2022. Go back almost to the start of the new millennium and the Vikings have shown similar frustration and inconsistency in earning a postseason spot.

It hasn’t been since 2000 that the Vikings strung together three consecutive playoff appearances. Coach Denny Green’s teams made the playoffs five consecutive times from 1996-2000. In Green’s first season, 1992, he also started a run of three straight playoff appearances.

Bud Grant’s Vikings had a streak of six consecutive playoff seasons from 1973-1978. Although there were three Super Bowl losses in that period, it was clearly a period of glory for the franchise.

What the current Viking drought shows is the lack of consistency by the Vikings in the new millennium. NFL teams who have achieved three straight playoff years and sometimes more in that time frame include the Bears, Bengals, Bills, Broncos, Bucs, Cardinals, Chiefs, Colts, Cowboys, Eagles, Falcons, Giants, Packers, Panthers, Patriots, Raiders, Rams, Ravens, Saints, Seahawks, Steelers, Texans, Titans and 49ers.

That’s 24 of the 32 NFL teams.

Teams with the most sustained success have great quarterbacks. The Vikings have been searching for “the guy” for decades while quarterbacks like Tom Brady, Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and others have lit up defenses.

Interestingly, Green never found the savior, but he found multiple quarterbacks in the 1990s that brought success. They had the support of superb linemen and receivers and an elite running back in Robert Smith.

A veteran pro football source, who has worked as an executive for NFL teams, believes the Vikings could make the playoffs after the 2026 regular season. “…It’s such a competitive league. Injuries are going to play a big part in it. The quarterback play obviously (is vital). Neither of those things lined up for them (the Vikings) this year and they still won nine games…. It shows that there’s enough talent to get it done, and if you’ve got a really top quarterback, and if (J.J.) McCarthy becomes that player, then there’s a really good chance they could have an extended streak of consistent playoff appearances and become a Super Bowl contender.”

The Vikings will be dealt an easier schedule in 2026 because of their mediocre record last season. One that figures to be more manageable than in 2025 because the Vikings had gone 14-3 in 2024.

Worth Noting

ESPN.com’s David Purdum recently wrote that approximately $1.76 billion is expected to be wagered on Sunday’s Super Bowl via U.S. Sports Books, per the American Gaming Association. That would represent a 27 percent increase from last year. Legalized gambling via Sports Books is available in 39 states and the District of Columbia, Purdum wrote.

Marshall Tanick, the Minneapolis-based attorney, writer and historian, wrote in a recent article for the Minneapolis Times that sports wagering in America had roots in Minneapolis after World War II. “The saga started here in the backroom of a cigar store on the corner of 4^th and 1^st Avenue, in what is now referred to as the Warehouse District of Minneapolis, about two blocks from where the Target Center stands. It was initially created by Leo Hirschfield, the slightly built but highly sharp son of a Minneapolis physician,” Tanick wrote.

A publication called the Green Sheet was sold by Hirschfield to clients offering odds on games involving two of the most popular sports of the day, major league baseball and college football. Ironically, Minnesota is one of the states where legalized gambling is not available. https://minneapolistimes.com/minneapolis-was-the-mecca-of-sports-betting/

In Sunday’s matchup between the favored Seahawks and Patriots, at least one former Gopher will earn a Super Bowl ring. Linebacker Boye Mafe and tight end Nick Kallerup play for the Seahawks, while linebacker Jack Gibbens is with the Seahawks.

Vikings alumni with the Seahawks are running back Cam Akers, quarterback Sam Darnold, linebacker Chazz Surratt and former offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. Alums with the Patriots include wide receiver Stefon Diggs, quarterback Josh Dobbs, center Garrett Bradbury, linebacker Christian Elliss, offensive tackle Vederian Lowe and defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga.

Darnold can become the fourth quarterback ever to win the Super Bowl in his first season with a team. The others are Tom Brady (Super Bowl LV with the Bucs), Trent Dilfer (Super Bowl XXXV, Ravens) and Matthew Stafford (Super Bowl LVI, Rams).

Chiddi Obiazor, the defensive end from Eden Prairie listed at 6-6, 275-pounds, has transferred from Kansas State to national champion Indiana. He seems a likely starter for the Hoosiers who host the Gophers October 31.

The Gophers aren’t included in the many “way too early top 25 rankings” from many sources. Opponents drawing mention on Minnesota’s 2026 12-game schedule are Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Penn State and Washington.

Twins pitchers and catchers report for their first workout next week, February12 at the Lee Health Sports Complex in Fort Myers. First full squad workout is February 16. First spring training game is at the complex February 20 against the Golden Gophers.

The Gopher men’s basketball team is averaging 8,511 in home game attendance (similar to last year’s 8,923) at Williams Arena, capacity 14,625. The St. Thomas men’s team, playing in its new Lee and Penny Anderson Arena with a capacity of 5,400, is averaging 2,723. The Tommies averaged 1,437 last season at Schoenecker Arena.

It will be interesting to see how the Wild and other playoff contending NHL teams play after a layoff of more than two weeks to accommodate the Winter Olympics. Injuries sustained in the Olympics and the issue of team chemistry are a potential nemesis because of the long break.

The Wild plays its final game before the break tonight in Nashville against the Predators, then resumes with a key matchup in Colorado against the Western Conference leading Avalanche February 26.

The highly acclaimed annual MFCA Coaches Clinic, headquartered at the DoubleTree Hotel in St. Louis Park, will be held March 26-28 and is a partnership with the football Gophers. https://www.mnfootballcoaches.com/page/show/2279758-mfca-clinic-information

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Vikings Miss Ex-GM Rick Spielman’s Drafts, Roster Building

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

The 4-8 Vikings might be headed toward their worst season since the 2015 team won only five games. It wouldn’t be surprising if ownership is scrutinizing general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.

Although he doesn’t have a football playing or coaching background, he was hired in 2022 and has since overseen four college drafts. The results have been disappointing, with the drafts not helping the Vikings much with starting players.

A major issue in 2025 is quarterback and the failed play of three performers including preferred starter J.J. McCarthy. The Vikings chose McCarthy with their No. 10 selection in the first round of the 2024 draft and passed on Bo Nix who the Broncos chose later in that round. He was an immediate success in Denver and has been a clutch performer for the 10-2 Broncos.

It’s believed that quarterback guru and head coach Kevin O’Connell is the loudest voice in the decision-making process regarding the quarterback roster, but the Wilfs are unlikely to be too displeased with KOC. The coach almost certainly led the decision to gamble on the unproven McCarthy this offseason.

Yet the Wilfs know their coach has been nationally praised for raising the play of former Vikings quarterbacks Kirk Cousins and Sam Darnold while producing unexpected winning seasons. The personable head coach has yet to win a playoff game, but he’s led Minnesota to 13-4 and 14-3 seasons and one NFC North Division title.

Adofo-Mensah’s four drafts have produced three 2025 starters on offense (Jordan Addison, Donovan Jackson and McCarthy) and none on defense.

College drafts directed by former executive Rick Spielman prior to 2022 have provided four offensive starters in 2025 (Christian Darrisaw, C.J. Ham, Justin Jefferson and Brian O’Neill) and two on defense (Josh Metellus and Harrison Smith). Ham, a fullback, is sometimes listed as a starter and other times replaced by wide receiver Jalen Nailor from the 2022 draft. If Nailor is counted as a starter, that gives Adofo-Mensah five regulars on offense from his drafts.

Adofo-Mensah has filled a lot of positions, and often with success, particularly on defense, by signing free agents from other teams. However, that maneuver, along with the Spielman holdovers, has contributed to the Vikings having one of the older NFL rosters the last two years.

Special teams include another Spielman era vet, Pro Bowl long snapper Andrew DePaola who was acquired as a free agent. Adofo-Mensah has his own free agent standout in rookie kickoff returner Myles Price. He drafted place kicker Will Reichard who this season became the first in NFL history to have four field goals of 59 yards or more.

This last offseason Adofo-Mensah committed a reported $300 million or so on signing veteran free agents including Jonathan Allen, Will Fries, Javon Hargrave and Ryan Kelly. The total is reportedly the second highest by an NFL team last offseason. It was part of a strategy to upgrade the talent on offense and defense supporting McCarthy, rather than spending big bucks on a free agent quarterback like Darnold.

The Spielman era right now looks like the glory days of personnel acquisition. He had a long run in the front office, initially serving as vice president of personnel starting in 2006 and then acquiring the GM title in 2012.

In a position of authority where no one is even close to perfect, Spielman was right about a lot of choices in the college draft including Dalvin Cook, Christian Darrisaw, Stefon Diggs, Everson Griffen, Percy Harvin, Danielle Hunter, Jefferson, Eric Kendricks, Adrian Peterson, Brian O’Neill, Sidney Rice and Harrison Smith.

Spielman, who will be remembered as an above-average draft evaluator, had some clunkers including first round busts Mike Hughes, Laquon Treadwell and Christian Ponder. He never found a long-term franchise savior at quarterback and had his struggles acquiring offensive line talent that worked out.

But it’s telling that almost four years after he was fired, several of his players are still starting in an industry where longevity is not that common. And BTW, the 2022 Viking starters included eight players on offense whom Spielman had drafted and six on defense.

Worth Noting

The Vikings have allowed no passing touchdowns and fewer than 200 net passing yards in three consecutive games, the longest streak by any NFL team this season. This is the franchise’s longest streak since a four-game stretch in December 2018.

Interest in the Vikings is waning, with some fans turning off their televisions and ticket outlets offering admission for less than $100. StubHub advertised multiple seat locations earlier this week for the Commanders game at U.S. Bank Stadium Sunday for $62 or less. The best offer on Christmas Day to see the Lions in Minneapolis, though, was $110.

The Gophers 2026 football recruiting class, ranked No. 24 in the 247Sports composite national rankings early this week, is now No. 29 as other schools finalize their incoming classes.

With Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman unexpectedly retiring this week, could it re-open the Gopher recruiting of juco wide receiver Derrick Salley Jr. who signed his National Letter of Intent with the Wildcats? Salley, considered the best juco wide receiver in the nation, made a verbal commitment to Minnesota before switching to the Wildcats. Under the circumstances of Klieman retiring, it’s believed the NCAA would allow Salley to go elsewhere.

Former Gopher offensive lineman Greg Eslinger, ex-Saint John’s wide receiver Blake Elliott and former North Dakota/Vikings tight end Jim Kleinsasser were elected to the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame in January and will be officially inducted Tuesday evening during the 67th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas at the Bellagio Hotel & Casino.

The 2025 Hall of Fame class is comprised of 18 players and four coaches including Urban Meyer and Nick Saban. Only two one-hundredths of a percent (.02%) of those who have played or coached in the college game have earned the Hall of Fame distinction. ESPN+ will televise the event.

The College Football Playoff, with matchups announced tomorrow, will consist of four rounds. The first will be hosted by the higher seeds (5 vs. 12, 8 vs. 9, 6 vs. 11, and 7 vs. 10) on Friday, Dec. 20 and Saturday, Dec. 21. The winners of those games advance to the quarterfinals to play the 1-4 seeds as part of the Cotton Bowl, Orange Bowl, Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1. The semifinals will be hosted by the Fiesta Bowl on Thursday, Jan. 8 and Peach Bowl on Friday, Jan 9. The national championship game will be on Monday, Jan. 19, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

The 7-5 Gophers will also learn their bowl game destination tomorrow. Best guess is the Rate Bowl in Phoenix, possibly against 8-4 Iowa State. Minnesota’s eight game bowl winning streak is the longest in the nation.

A lot of Canadians are upset with the United States because of trade, tariffs and rhetoric. That’s not a positive development for ticket sales for the upcoming IHF World Junior Championship December 25-January 5 in the Twin Cities. Organizers are hoping that Canadians, who adore the annual 10-nation tournament that showcases the best under 20-year-old hockey players in the world, will attend rather than boycott.

Adding to the border intrigue is that Canada and the United States have an intense hockey rivalry including in the Junior Tournament. The Americans have won the last two tournaments, with Canada winning gold the two previous years.

The United States will play Germany in an opening game December 26 at Grand Casino Arena. A portion of the 29-game tournament schedule will also be held at 3M Arena at Mariucci. https://www.nhl.com/news/2026-world-junior-championship-schedule

Wild star Kirill Kaprizov captained the 2017 Russian team that won bronze in the tournament. In seven games he had nine goals and three assists.

Tim Leiweke, the marketing whiz who was a key figure in the launch of the Timberwolves franchise decades ago, was pardoned this week by President Donald Trump after his indictment in a bid-rigging conspiracy.

The St. Thomas women’s volleyball team that was the first in school history to qualify for a Division I tournament saw its season end yesterday in a five-set tourney loss to Iowa State at the University of Minnesota.

St. Thomas Academy freshman goalie Owen Hall went 131:14 this season before allowing a goal.

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