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NFL Authority: Don’t Look for Vikings to Trade McCarthy

Posted on May 5, 2026May 5, 2026 by David Shama

Rumors are ongoing that the Vikings might or should trade quarterback J.J. McCarthy. The 23-year-old struggled with performance and injuries last season, his first as the team’s starter.

Now the Vikings have bolstered their quarterback roster with likely starter and veteran Kyler Murray. There is depth with not only McCarthy but also veteran Carson Wentz and second-year QB Max Brosmer. All three were with the Vikings last season and have valuable experience in the offensive system.

The reasoning for rumors about trading McCarthy is he may never be more valuable in attracting return value. The Vikings might be able to obtain a future third-round draft pick or perhaps even a third and fifth. If Minnesota keeps him and he struggles next fall as a replacement for an injured Murray, his market value diminishes.

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

The million-dollar question with the young quarterback is how much will he improve in the coming seasons? Has Vikings head coach and quarterback guru Kevin O’Connell already seen the ceiling for McCarthy? NFL history is filled with both quarterback busts and those who find success, even stardom, as the years pass and experience develops.

McCarthy played for and won a national championship under Jim Harbaugh at Michigan. Now in the NFL coaching the Chargers, Harbaugh could be in the market for another primary backup to starter Justin Herbert. That guy now is Marshall, Minnesota native Trey Lance who was the No. 3 first round pick in the 2021 draft and is playing for his third NFL team.

A trusted NFL authority, speaking on condition of anonymity, predicts McCarthy will stay in a Vikings jersey this year. “They won’t give up on J.J. this year and they shouldn’t. I expect J.J. to play at least a few games when Murray likely misses a couple,” the authority texted Sports Headliners.

Murray, playing with the Cardinals, has struggled during his career with injuries including an ACL tear and he missed most of last season with a foot injury.

Worth Noting

The source, who was a front office leader with two NFL franchises, believes Minnesota’s draft selection of defensive tackle Caleb Banks was” too risky with foot issues for (the) first round unless team doctors truly believe he’ll be fine.”

He also texted Minnesota should have drafted a center before the seventh and final round when the club selected Cincinnati center Gavin Gerhardt. Another miss, he thinks, was not acquiring a day three wide receiver to compete with Tai Felton for the third receiver position now that Jalen Nailor left as a free agent.

The source likes “the big run stuffing” potential of third round defensive lineman choice Domonique Orange and another pick in that round, safety Jakobe Thomas. He’s also positive on the potential of cornerback Charles Demmings (fifth round) and speed of running back Demond Claiborne (sixth round). He added it’s necessary to wait “at least a year” to know how any draft turns out.

The authority was also critical of trading outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard to the Eagles, referring to him as the Vikings’ “best pass rusher when healthy.” The Vikings received a third round pick this year and third rounder in 2027. He texted the Vikings, who made the move for financial concerns, should have received at least a second-round draft choice.

Former Vikings and Bucs linebacker Pete Najarian has an optimistic take on Minnesota’s selection of the 23-year-old Banks who is listed at an imposing 6-6, 327 pounds. “I understand the risk but in this case, I think he was the best defensive tackle/edge rusher in the draft,” Najarian texted.

“I love his size. He’s an absolute beast but I do understand that he has had an issue with his foot. That does bother me but he’s not 28 years old, he’s closer to 21 years old guys that …tend to come back from injury much faster.”

Among the storylines tonight when the Wild plays in Denver against the Avalanche is who plays in goal. Rookie Jesper Wallstedt was terrific in the team’s first round series against the Stars but he gave up eight goals in Minnesota’s second round series opener Sunday night.

After that performance Blue Jackets coach and TNT analyst Rick Bowness suggested replacing Wallstedt with veteran Filip Gustavsson. Such a move, he said, could be protective of Wallstedt’s confidence. Reports today are that it will be Gustavsson replacing Wallstedt.

The Avs reportedly found weaknesses in Wallstedt’s game, including his glove side. Fatigue may be another factor after he played the equivalent of seven games against the Stars including three overtime periods.

The Avs, who won the Presidents’ Trophy for having the NHL’s best regular season record, have the healthier roster. The Wild will be without key injured players in defenseman Jonas Brodin and center Joel Eriksson Ek.

Tonight’s game almost feels like a must-win for the Wild who can’t afford the luxury of being down 2-0 before coming home to Minnesota to play on Saturday evening.

A piece of trivia Wild fans like is that in the last 40 years, the Presidents’ Trophy winner has only eight times gone on to win the Stanley Cup.

Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards, returning from injury, came off the bench last night to score 18 points in helping Minnesota to a Game 1 second round playoff win over the Spurs in San Antonio. Edwards is one of five players since the NBA-ABA merger (in 1976-77) to average at least 26 points per game, five plus rebounds and five plus assists through the first 25 road games of their postseason career.

The lead changed 19 times in Minnesota’s 104-102 upset win over the Spurs who are behind only the Thunder as the wagering favorite to win the NBA championship. The Wolves’ largest lead was nine, the Spurs’ seven.

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Four Names to Know as Minnesota Vikings Near 2026 Draft

Posted on April 19, 2026April 19, 2026 by David Shama

The Vikings enter this week’s NFL Draft in Pittsburgh with talent and depth needs at several positions. With nine overall picks, the opportunity is present to accomplish the goal of upgrading the roster.

The first four picks come in rounds 1 through 3. Minnesota selects No. 18 in the first round on Thursday night. Friday has the Vikings at No. 42 overall in the second round and in the third round Minnesota has two spots, No. 82 and 97 (compensatory pick). The remaining rounds of the draft (4-7) are Saturday. In that space the Vikings draft once in the fourth and sixth rounds, and three times in the seventh.

The Vikings’ first four picks in the first two days of the draft will be particularly important to their roster success this year and beyond. With that in mind, here’s a calculated prediction on four players who could well be available based on talent and team need, and might be headed to the Vikings.

Forget about Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq in the first round. The uber athletic Sadiq is all but certain to be selected before the Vikings have their turn at the draft table. But another Duck, Dillon Thieneman, could well be available and the Vikings should grab him.

Thieneman appears to have the size, speed and versatility to replace veteran Harrison Smith, 37, who may announce his retirement as soon as this offseason. Listed at about 6-feet and 208 pounds, Thieneman projects as able to play multiple safety positions. While he’s instinctive, he also is thorough in knowing his assignments, per Lance Zierlein writing for NFL.com/prospects.

A personal favorite while watching national champion Indiana was cornerback D’Angelo Ponds. He should be a welcome fit for the Vikings in the second round. Minnesota has cornerback talent and depth needs. The almost diminutive Ponds, listed at about 5-8 and 182 pounds, has the kind of toughness and smack that could remind fans of former Viking safety Antoine Winfield Sr. who played at a similar size. Ponds has quickness, speed, tenacity and confidence. Hard to see him not on the roster for years despite his size.

Last year’s starting center, Ryan Kelly, retired and it’s possible the Vikings could start a rookie at the position. It might be savvy for Minnesota to use the first of its two third round selections on Kansas State’s Sam Hecht. He played 42 games in college, per NFL.com/prospects which lists him at about 6-4 and 300 pounds. That authority praises his technique, cautions that he needs more muscle, but believes consistency can make him an NFL starter, per Zierlein. If Hect isn’t available, the Vikings could turn to Iowa’s Logan Jones who also is on the short list of best center prospects.

A rookie Vikings running back may well see the field in 2026. The team has no heir apparent to veteran starter Aaron Jones and injuries in the running back room are frequent. Stepping in to help could be Minneapolis native Emmett Johnson who the Gophers didn’t want but the Vikings should.

He became one of college football’s better backs at Nebraska despite not having top speed and looks like a worthy selection by the Vikings when they use their second third round pick.

Local football authority Daniel House, known for his football film breakdown and data driven research, has noticed the former Minnesota Mr. Football. “He was really good…(with) acceleration, deaccelerating,” House said. “Sudden, elusive type of back. I feel like NFL teams are going to like Emmett Johnson quite a bit.”

House predicts Johnson will likely be a round two or three pick. He said Johnson may not have tested that well with scouts but he “transitions” so well in space when he runs that he is an intriguing prospect. “That’s where he is elite. So, I think maybe that’s going to be the calling card for his game is the ability to make people miss. And that’s the bread-and-butter success at the running back position. …”

Worth Noting

There was second guessing on Wild coach John Hynes prior to last night’s playoff opener against the Stars in Dallas. Should he use veteran goalie Filip Gustavsson or rookie Jesper Wallstedt who had been playing well late in the season. Hynes pushed the right button going with Wallstedt who had 27 saves in Minnesota’s surprising 6-1 win.

The pressure is clearly on the Stars now to win Monday night before the possible seven game series switches to Minnesota for dates on Wednesday and Saturday. StubHub lists ticket prices, including fees, starting at $195 for Wednesday night.

The hockey Gophers have eight hockey alums in the Stanley Cup playoffs: Logan Cooley, Utah Mammoth; Brock Faber, Wild; Jackson LaCombe, Anaheim Ducks; Casey Mittelstadt, Boston Bruins; Tommy Novak, Pittsburgh Penguins; Mike Reilly, Carolina Hurricanes; Nate Schmidt, Utah Mammoth;Nick Seeler, Philadelphia Flyers.

The Twins unexpected above .500 start to the season is worth enjoying now with an eye toward how things look after about one-third of the season. Twins World Series champion manager (twice) Tom Kelly is known for saying the truth about a team comes out after about 50 games of the season.

That’s enough time usually for teams to collect data on how to pitch opposing hitters or how to approach enemy pitchers. Fingers crossed for the Twins that new talents like pitchers Taj Bradley and Mick Abel are productive long-term.

The Wisconsin athletics director job is open and longtime Northern Illinois AD Sean Frazier, who once worked for the Badgers, is drawing scuttlebutt. Before Minnesota AD Mark Coyle was hired in 2016, one -time Gopher AD McKinley Boston was promoting Frazier for the position.

Pete Najarian, the finance guru and former Gopher and Viking player, drew interest from his alma mater during that same search. Badger authorities would be wise to make an inquiry about his interest in their opening.

Reminiscing about former Gophers football coach Lou Holtz in last week’s column prompted a response from ex-Brainerd football coaching legend and longtime state prep football advocate Ron Stolski. A huge admirer of Holtz, Stolski emailed about a meeting that happened not long after the iconic coach arrived in Minneapolis in 1984:

“When coach Holtz was hired, I received a call from him. …He asked me to contact some high school coaches and invite them to attend a gathering he was hosting.at a local hotel. I did. About 30-40 attended. Coach told the group that he was totally committed to the high school coaches of Minnesota, would support them in every way he could, and pledged to recruit every player the coaches would recommend. Then he told us the bar was open, and to stay as long as we wished and left us to our musings.”

Longtime Moorhead High School and Concordia College play-by-play radio voice Larry Knutson is retiring. He started with Moorhead sports in 1979 before soon adding Concordia broadcasts, per a news report from the Moorhead Public Schools. He estimates calling 4,000 to 5,000 games, and in more recent years covering grandchildren of athletes from his early years. https://www.isd152.org/o/moorhead/article/2819553

Good news for the United States Tennis Association which promotes the sport throughout the country and stages the annual US Open in New York. According to A.I., tennis players live 9.7 years longer than sedentary individuals. That’s per the Copenhagen City Heart study over a 25-year period. Tennis has other sports beat including badminton (6.2 years), soccer (4.7 years), cycling (3.7 years), swimming (3.4 years), and jogging (3.2 years).

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Timberwolves Remain Committed to Minneapolis Arena Site

Posted on April 6, 2026April 6, 2026 by David Shama

It continues to appear that Minneapolis will be the site of a new Timberwolves and Lynx arena. “This team will never leave here. We’re going to build down the street (from Target Center),” Alex Rodriguez told Sports Headliners almost two years ago.

At the time Rodriguez and partner Marc Lore were in litigation with Glen Taylor for control of the Wolves and Lynx franchises. Since then, the two have taken control of the franchises with Taylor no longer involved with ownership.

Timberwolves owner Alex Rodrgiuez — Alex Rodriguez

During an event at the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management in February Rodriguez voiced his commitment to downtown, per a story by Jonathan Harrison on Si.com. A city insider, speaking on condition of anonymity, recently confirmed that commitment to Sports Headliners.

The source said Mayor Jacob Frey has shown a willingness to listen regarding a new arena. The insider added that Frey has appointed senior city officials to meet with basketball ownership representatives.

The source acknowledged much of the details regarding the project are yet to be known or committed to. Sources two years ago said or implied the arena site would be the Farmers Market near downtown. Neither Rodriguez or Frey has revealed a location.

Speculation about locations include City Center, the Star Tribune land in the North Loop and the Farmers Market. Regardless of location, it’s expected that the arena will be mostly or entirely privately financed.

Target Center, now owned by the city, was originally privately financed by Marv Wolfenson and Harvey Ratner. They bought the NBA expansion Timberwolves who began playing in 1989-1990, with their first season in the Metrodome before moving into the new Target Center. Wolfenson was proud of the city and initially considered naming the team the Minneapolis Polars, the nickname being a nod to his high school alma mater, the North Polars.

The city assumed ownership in 1995 with a deal made with Wolfenson and Ratner. Over the years city officials have realized the tax and parking revenue value of downtown sports and entertainment venues. During COVID, for example, the city coffers would have been badly hurt without Target Center, Target Field, U.S. Bank Stadium and theatre venues.

It’s believed the city and the basketball owners favor an arena anchoring an entertainment district. That sort of development will need public financing for endeavors such as land acquisition and roads.

While the city council has a less than enthusiastic reputation regarding big business, Frey could provide evidence to sway votes for some public funding. The State of Minnesota could issue bonds to help with an entertainment district project as an investment in jobs and tax revenues while trying to keep the state’s largest city safe and vibrant.

The Sports Headliners source referred to believes the state is likely to approve something like $200 million this spring to help renovate the home of the Wild, Grand Casino Arena and other facilities. That will help continue a precedent of state involvement with sports facilities in the Twin Cities.

The building of a new arena in Minneapolis could be five to eight years into the future. That time period could well coincide with the leadership of a new governor, likely Amy Klobuchar.

The source predicts that 2027 would be the earliest any plan is taken to the Legislature and Klobuchar could be supportive. The insider said Klobuchar recognizes the benefits of big-time sports including revenues that will benefit the city and state.

Target Center is the 29^th oldest NBA arena, exceeded in age only by venerable Madison Square Garden in New York. The facility doesn’t begin to compare with other modern palaces in the league that are creating significant revenue returns for team owners and communities.

Worth Noting

Vikings’ safety Harrison Smith has yet to announce whether he will play next season. What’s certain is there won’t be many more seasons ahead for the 37-year-old. At the No. 18 spot in the first round of this month’s NFL Draft, the Vikings might find it too tempting to resist Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman. He has size, speed and versatility, and is likely to be available in the 15 to 32 range of the first round.

It doesn’t take much noodling to figure out why University of Minnesota athletics director Mark Coyle parted ways with women’s hockey coach Brad Frost last month. The Wisconsin Badgers recently won a record ninth national championship, while the Gophers have won six NCAA titles and none since 2016. New Gopher hire Greg “Boom” May faces the highest of expectations with Coyle on record as saying the Minnesota position “is the best coaching job in the country.”

Minnesota icon Dick Jonckowski will do comedy and play his trombone kazoo starting about 8:30 p.m. April 11 at Mancini’s Char House in St. Paul, appearing prior to the Mancini’s band. “The Polish Eagle,” 82, has been entertaining at nursing homes and said he doesn’t take offense when audience members nod off.

Former Gopher basketball player Walter Bond and his wife Antoinette have co-authored a new book: “Accelerate a Champion’s Playbook to Fast-Track Your Business Success.” Bond is a longtime popular motivational speaker.

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