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NFL Authority: J.J. McCarthy Will Be ‘Pro Bowl Quarterback’

Posted on December 9, 2025December 9, 2025 by David Shama

A source who in the past has held positions of authority regarding player personnel with NFL franchises, told Sports Headliners the Vikings have a “down the road caliber Pro Bowl quarterback” in first-year starter J.J. McCarthy.

The 22-year-old has been under a microscope this fall, with heavy criticism often directed at him amidst speculation his career will be a dud. The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said McCarthy’s inexperience while coping with a “complicated offense” has created a challenge. Results include throwing more interceptions (10) than touchdown passes (9) and generally having metrics that rank low among his competitors.

“He’s been thinking too much, holding the ball…and then making some poor decisions,” the authority said. “And (yet)…(Sunday) was an example of what kind of talent level he has, and that he’s going to continue to get better and better and better. …”

In Sunday’s home 31-0 win over the Commanders, McCarthy had his best game of the season. He completed 16 of 23 passes for 163 yards, with three touchdowns and no interceptions. His season quarterback rating moved to 67.4, after Sunday’s rating of 129.2.

It may well have been McCarthy’s best game also in going through his progressions and reading the situation on the field. “There were some occasions, yeah, when he would get locked in (on one target), or he held the ball a couple times, took sacks,” the source said. “But, hey, at least he didn’t throw any catastrophic interceptions like (Max) Brosmer did. Or like J.J. has done in the past.”

McCarthy has been under scrutiny for his throwing mechanics but that’s not the talk of the town this week. Head coach Kevin O’Connell publicly discussed mechanics in the past but the more recent message seems to be the issue can better be addressed in the offseason. “Obviously one of the factors was O’Connell told him they’re not going to worry about his mechanics as much and worry more about his decision making, and I think that showed (Sunday),” the source said.

The authority pointed out that promising young quarterbacks often take time to develop and produce expected results. He mentioned now Hall of Famer Peyton Manning who threw 28 pass interceptions during his rookie season when the Colts were 3-11. Caleb Williams, the NFL Draft No. 1 overall pick in 2024, struggled last season with the Bears but now is playing at a much higher level for his NFC North Division title contender.

The source said McCarthy has both the work ethic and talent to be exceptional. “I think he has shown his talent level which is high. I think the arm strength is high when you look at some of those long sideline throws he made on Sunday to (Jordan) Addison, to (T.J.) Hockenson. Those are where a quarterback shows their arm strength. Sometimes even more than (a) deep ball. . ..”

The growth line may continue to rise for McCarthy against the next two teams. Sunday night in Dallas the Vikings face a Cowboys pass defense that ranks last among 32 NFL teams in most yards given up, 3,543. On December 20, again on the road, McCarthy will face a Giants pass defense that has yielded 3,202 yards.

If the source sees a Pro Bowl future for McCarthy, he must believe there are at least several years ahead where he will lead the Vikings, right? “Yes. I don’t think there is any doubt but I do think they’re going to need to bring in a better No. 2 than they had this year. More durable than Carson Wentz. More reliable than Wentz.

“I think we saw enough of Max Brosmer to not believe he’s the answer necessarily. I mean over time he can develop but not for 2026. I think they have to have a guy who, if J.J. gets hurt, or he’s having a bad day, they can bring somebody in. …”

Twins Notes

Passionate Twins fans are anticipating the debut of outfielder Walker Jenkins during the 2026 season. Word is the 20-year-old former first round draft choice is likely to join the roster at some point in the season.

One of baseball’s most highly ranked prospects, the 6-foot-3, 210-pound North Carolina native has an impressive athletic make up and is said to have a mature mindset. In 718 minor league at bats, he has a career .295 batting average with 19 home runs and 114 RBI. He also has stolen 14 bases.

Jenkins would join a reshuffled roster that is expected to have several other new players, including in the bullpen. The front office has holes to fill there and could use help at first base and with a right-handed hitting outfielder.

Word is the Twins ownership and management intent is to challenge for the American League Central Division title. If so, they likely need high level production from multiple returnees including the Big 3 of outfielder Byron Buxton and starting pitchers Pablo Lopez and Joe Ryan.

Rumors of trading any, some or all of them has faded of late. Buxton has a no-trade clause in his contract so he would have to agree to playing for another team.

It’s believed the Twins’ two new minority investors will be announced prior to year’s end. The Pohlad family is likely to continue majority ownership indefinitely.

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Advantage & Disadvantages: Vikes Face former QB Darnold

Posted on November 25, 2025November 25, 2025 by David Shama

Enjoy a Tuesday notes column.

The Vikings face their 2024 starting quarterback in Seattle on Sunday. The Seahawks’ Sam Darnold is sixth in the NFL in total passing yards with 2,785 and No.1 among starting quarterbacks at 9.4 yards per attempt.

The 4-7 Vikings, beleaguered by a quarterback merry-go-round, will have better insight into defending Darnold than other rivals because of his year in Minnesota. Darnold is one of the few NFL quarterbacks with double figure interceptions this season. His 10 are part of a career pattern of interceptions and fumbles (five this year).

If the blitz-happy Vikings defense can have one of its best days, they can make Darnold feel uncomfortable and prompt mistakes. That will be a challenge because Darnold’s play for the 8-3 Seahawks has been mostly outstanding.

Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell was asked yesterday about the Vikings having an advantage in knowing so much about Darnold and also the quarterback’s advantage in knowing Minnesota’s defensive schemes and personnel. He acknowledged there will be a “little of that probably on both sides.”

He didn’t reveal any secrets about how Darnold might exploit his defense but did praise his former leader. He said Darnold can make every throw “and if we’re not airtight in our coverages, they’ll be explosive.”

Superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson has been visibly frustrated this fall. An interesting stat is in the last 14 games (11 this season) he has only two receptions for touchdowns.

The Gophers defeated Nebraska 24-6 on October 17 at Huntington Bank Stadium. It was a crisp performance and widely regarded as the best game Minnesota has played this season. Since then, they have defeated 3-8 Michigan State in overtime at home, and lost road games to Iowa, Oregon and Northwestern by a combined score of 121-51.

The fanbase has wondered why Minnesota hasn’t been able to build off that Nebraska performance. “…I thought we played tremendous against Nebraska,” head coach P.J. Fleck said Monday. “But if everybody just played their absolute best and played like that every week, everybody would be 10-11 wins. That’s not realistic.”

Fleck referred to some quality opponents since the Nebraska showcase and said injuries, inexperienced players and coaching go into the explanation of how the Gophers have performed more recently.

Minnesota lost last Saturday 38-35 to Northwestern. Trailing late in the game by three points, the Gophers had an opportunity to score the winning touchdown. Two passes that debatably could have been called pass interference didn’t draw penalties. Fleck was asked if he believes coaches in the Big Ten have a clear criterion as to what constitutes pass interference.

“…I think that’s the element of the game that will never be perfect. Just like coaching will never be perfect, and the players will never be perfect, but it’s part of the game and you’ve got to overcome. Whether you agree or disagree, whether it is or it isn’t (pass interference), you have to overcome those things, and you can’t rely on that to be the reason you win or lose.”

Malachi Coleman, the 6-5 and 200-pound wide receiver transfer from Nebraska, played sparingly early in the season but is seeing the field more now including at Northwestern where the redshirt sophomore was targeted twice and had a 52-yard reception. Fleck referred to him as a young and inexperienced talent who is a “very big receiver who can run, who can stretch the field vertically.”

Fleck, who was hired when he was 36, turns 45 next Saturday—the same day his team plays Wisconsin at Huntington Bank Stadium.

With the early signing period for high school and juco football players starting on December 3, the Gophers could be positioned to have their highest rated recruiting class of the Fleck era. Minnesota is No. 24 in the 247Sports national team composite recruiting rankings.

A recruiting insider said Triton High School tight end Pierce Petersohn, one of this state’s most coveted senior players, will sign with Virginia Tech and its new coach James Franklin. Petersohn was committed to Penn State before Franklin was fired as Nittany Lions head coach.

Quarterback Troy Huhn from San Marcos, California, who ESPN reported was interested in the Gophers, will also go to Virginia Tech, per the insider.

Good news for Minnesota snowbirds in southwest Florida who head for home by the end of February. MLB teams, including the Twins, are starting spring training games earlier than in the past. The Twins open with a February 20 exhibition against the Gophers at the Lee Health Complex and have a total of five home games in February.

Prices haven’t been announced but it’s likely a ticket will cost four-figures to watch the Twins host the Phillies on August 13 for the Field of Dreams game in Dyersville, Iowa.

The Twins ownership and management could boost their image and the club’s offense by signing free agent first baseman Luis Arraez, the former Twin and three-time batting champion. Would the 28-year-old think about a one-year deal at $18 million?

Starting pitcher Joe Ryan was a steal for the Twins last season at a reported $3 million. He will be a bargain, too, in 2026. Following arbitration, he could be awarded about $6 million for the season.

Gophers public address announcer Dick Jonckowski was told by his doctor earlier this month he is cancer free and doesn’t need to be checked again for 12 months.

When Minneota won the Class 1A state football championship last week, it was the school’s 11th title. Coach Chad Johnston has won the last eight state championships. Gary Meidt won the three earlier titles.

Owen Konrad, who led Eden Prairie in rushing this fall as a sophomore, should be one of the better running backs in the state next season.

The 5-3 St. Thomas men’s basketball team has been mostly on the road to start the season, having played only two home games at the new Lee and Penny Anderson Arena, drawing announced attendances of 5,325 (capacity crowd) for the opener and 2,658 for the second game.

Ken Patera, who was a prominent wrestler years ago in the Minneapolis-based American Wrestling Association, turned 82 earlier this month

Among the Minnesota teams and athletes doing good work in the community this week is the Wild’s celebration of Native American Heritage Day on Friday when the club hosts the Colorado Avalanche at 2:30 p.m. at Grand Casino Arena. New or gently used winter coats will be collected at Gates 1-5 from 11:30 a.m. until the game starts. The Roseville-based American Indian Family Center will distribute coats to the families they serve in Minneapolis and Saint Paul.

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Vikings Head Coach O’Connell Calls Boo-Birds ‘Justified’

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

The Vikings disappointed themselves and their sometimes booing home crowd in yesterday’s closing seconds 19-17 loss to the Bears when Chicago’s Cairo Santos booted a walk-off 48-yard field goal.

Part of the fan frustration focused on Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy whose inconsistent play included an on-point performance leading the Vikings to a touchdown drive that put them ahead 17-16 with 50 seconds to play but also included completing just 50 percent of his passes and throwing two interceptions.

McCarthy’s lack of accuracy was an issue all game, with balls frequently off target. About halfway through the third period he threw high on an incomplete pass to franchise wide receiver Justin Jefferson.

The boos cascaded down on the field inside U.S. Bank Stadium.

McCarthy, 22, made just his fifth NFL start yesterday. He has minimal experience in his first season as a starter and is dealing with a lot playing for a team with preseason playoff expectations. Head coach Kevin O’Connell was asked today if he was concerned the boos could negatively impact the confidence of the young quarterback.

O’Connell answered no and termed the disgruntlement as justified because the fans have understandable expectations for his team. “The mental toughness and the physical toughness of the player is clear and evident to everybody,” the coach said. “I understand and I think J.J. does (too), the frustration with maybe seeing Justin or (WR) Jordan (Addison) or somebody open and we don’t throw and catch that. There’s a standard we have for ourselves that I hope our fans have for us. I think all that is valid and justified. …”

O’Connell believes all the ongoing preparation work in practice can lead to better performances by his quarterback. That improvement, he said, is expected by others on the team, too.

O’Connell praised the effort and physical play of his team that is now 4-6 and plays in Green Bay Sunday against the 6-3-1 Packers, while stressing the Vikings need to be more consistent in their play. “…We’re going to keep attacking in a way that hopefully makes our fans proud of the way we’re fighting like heck to go 1-0 every week,” O’Connell said.

Worth Noting

Here is an intriguing stat from local sports talk host Phil Mackey writing on X yesterday: With McCarthy quarterbacking, the Vikings have called 16 pass plays on third and fourth downs in short yardage (three yards or less). The results? Zero completions.

Case Keenum, 37 and the quarterback hero of the 2017 Vikings, is the third team QB for the Bears but wasn’t activated for yesterday’s game.

Austin Booker, the Bears defensive lineman who played for the Gophers and Kansas, started at defensive end and the 2024 draft choice had one tackle and one assisted tackle in the game.

BetMGM has the Gophers as 4.5 point underdogs to Northwestern on Saturday at Wrigley Field in Chicago. The stadium also hosted last Saturday’s Michigan-Northwestern game and from 1921-1970 was the Bears home facility.

Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck said today planning for footwear started even in the offseason for playing on grass in late November at Wrigley, the home of the baseball Cubs.

Fleck went to high school in the greater Chicago area and recalled this morning on KFAN Radio a field trip to see the Cubs when Kerry Wood tied a MLB record with 20 strikeouts in a 1998 win over the Astros.

BTW, the view here is Fleck won’t be leaving Minnesota for any of the numerous college football head coaching openings including UCLA where his name has been rumored.

The Gophers have been outscored by 125 to 19 in three Big Ten road losses to No. 1 ranked Ohio State, No. 6 Oregon and previously top 25 Iowa.

The 3-1 basketball Gophers needed overtime to defeat Green Bay by seven points Saturday night, while 3-2 St. Thomas beat the Phoenix 80-61 on Thursday in St. Paul. But the highly respected Pomeroy College Basketball ratings yesterday had Minnesota at No. 86 in the nation and the Tommies at 161.

Reliever Jhoan Duran, part of the Twins trade dump last summer, made the 2025 All-MLB team announced recently. The Phillies’ 27-year-old right-handed fast baller had a career best 32 saves.

Congratulations to ticketing executive Paul Froehle on his 40^th anniversary with the Twins. Earlier in his career he worked in ticket operations for the NHL North Stars.

In this crowded marketplace and during the upcoming holiday season, it will be interesting to monitor both the attendance and the game results at the IHF World Junior Championship December 26-January 5. The 10-nation tournament showcases the best under 20-year-old hockey players in the world. 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

The U.S. has won the WJC seven times, including three of the past five years. The Americans are two-time defending champions having won 4-3 in overtime against Finland in the 2025 gold-medal game in Ottawa, and they defeated Sweden 6-2 in 2024 at Gothenburg, Sweden.

Minnesota hockey legend Lou Nanne and Gophers coach Bob Motzko will speak to the Twin Cities Dunkers about the tournament on December 1.

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