Vikings – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

QB Consistency, Longevity for Vikings Far Down the Road

Posted on March 12, 2026March 12, 2026 by David Shama

Because of injuries, failed performance and misjudgment, the Vikings have a revolving door at quarterback. Eight different players have been starters going back to the 2022 season.

The best of them were Kirk Cousins and Sam Darnold. The club’s decisionmakers made the right call in not meeting the mega contract demands to retain Cousins. Ownership, GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell whiffed on not retaining Sam Darnold with a new deal.

This is a franchise desperately in need of a quality starter who can perform at a high level for many seasons. In fact, Minnesota hasn’t put together a string of three consecutive playoff appearances since 2000.

It was just in August of 2024 that O’Connell told the public the team had “its franchise quarterback in the building.” After a struggling 2025 season for J.J. McCarthy, O’Connell has said he wants a “deep and talented quarterback room.”

The Vikings have seemingly hedged in their full commitment to the 23-year-old McCarthy as their starter. Martin Nance, the franchise’s executive VP and Chief Marketing Officer, recently told a social group in Florida that regarding McCarthy the club still believes he has an “upside.”

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

But at this time McCarthy, the No. 10 overall pick in the first round of the 2024 draft, might be the best bet to emerge as the longtime starter for the team. True, as of today the Vikings are the wagering favorite to land 28-year-old quarterback Kyler Murray after the Cardinals released him yesterday. As a free agent he and the Vikings may prefer a one-year deal that could allow the parties to part ways after the 2026 season.

Regarding the 2026 NFL Draft, the Vikings might be savvy to take the best player available, regardless of position. After that draft for specific needs.

The Big Ten, of course, offers players who likely could help the Vikings, including at two high positions of need, center and running back. Logan Jones from Iowa and Pat Coogan from Indiana are centers who figure to be available after the first round.

Penn State’s running back duo of Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton will be intriguing draft choices. Singleton, particularly, could be a fit for the Vikings because the club needs an explosive home run threat.

Worth Noting

Mission accomplished: Golden Gophers basketball coach Niko Medved told Sports Headliners last fall his goal for his first season was to have fans “more excited” about the program than when the season started. Interest is on the upswing after an overachieving season that included three home wins over top 25 ranked teams.

With the Wild almost assured of the third seed for the playoffs in the Central Division, it will be interesting to see if coach John Hynes rests his best players including Kirill Kaprizov and Quinn Hughes when the schedule gets closer to ending.

Myforecast.com projects a high of 59 and thunderstorms on March 26 when the Twins open the regular season in Baltimore against the Orioles. The weather site projects 40 and partly cloudy in Minneapolis for the Twins home opener April 3.

It’s a small sample size but Twins fans have fingers crossed key hitter Royce Lewis, who had disappointing seasons in 2024 and 2025, will do better than his now spring training average of .176 (three hits in 17 at bats). Two of those hits came on February 27 against the Red Sox. With a history of injuries including right side tightness currently, the Twins are cautious about his playing time in Florida.

Financial industry and community leader Dan Stoltz, the Blaze Credit Union President & CEO whose identity is seen in local TV commercials with legends from Minnesota sports, is a proud graduate of Northwestern University—St. Paul. He and his wife Robin, along with their three children (and spouses), are graduates of the school. He and Robin recently provided a generous gift to the University, and the School of Business is now known as the Stolz School of Business.

Well wishes to 1966-1967 Golden Gophers basketball captain Paul Presthus on his 81^st birthday Tuesday. An All-American player in small town Rugby, he is one of the most storied players in North Dakota basketball history. While in high school, he was on the cover of a national magazine with Lew Alcindor (later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar).

Condolences to family and friends of Dave Wicker, the longtime coach (Patrick Henry) and administrator for the Minneapolis schools who recently passed away. He was revered for how he related to and worked with others.

Comments Welcome

Hockey Icon Lou Nanne Lauds Wild, U.S. Olympic Teams

Posted on March 3, 2026March 3, 2026 by David Shama

When Minnesota icon Lou Nanne talks hockey, you listen. This morning, he spoke with Sports Headliners about the Wild, the men’s and women’s Olympic teams, and the Golden Gophers.

Does the Wild have the best personnel in its 26 seasons history?

Wild star forward Kirill Kaprizove — Kirill Kaprizov

“Oh, there’s no question about that,” Nanne said. “They’ve got three of the best players ever that the Wild have had. (Kirill) Kaprizov, (Quinn) Hughes and (Matt) Boldy are definitely as good a players as they’ve ever had, or better than they’ve ever had. You’ve got two forwards (Kaprizov and Boldy)…who can really score. They’re tremendous and they’ll be the best two productive scorers that’s ever been on that team. And they’ve got the best defenseman (Hughes) they’ve ever had.”

The talent, of course, goes deeper with other standouts like defensemen Jonas Brodin, Brock Faber and Jake Spurgeon, forwards Joel Eriksson Ek and Marcus Foligno, and goalie Jesper Wallstedt. “They’ve got a very, very good team,” Nanne said.

Only three NHL teams have more points than Minnesota’s 80 and there’s a consensus the club is a Stanley Cup contender. Asked specifically what makes the Wild special, Nanne said:

“The talent. They’ve got talent at every position. They got speed. They got goal scoring. Their goaltending has been good enough this year. Sometimes it’s been tremendous and their defense overall (when players are healthy)…is probably the best defense in the league.”

The NHL trade deadline is Friday and Nanne thinks GM Bill Guerin could make a move for a top center. “All depends on what the price is. If they can get somebody worth the price they want to pay, yeah, they’ll pick up somebody.”

The Predators’ Steven Stamkos has drawn speculation, but Nanne questions whether the Wild can afford him. The Rangers’ Vincent Trocheck is on the center rumor list and would come with a lesser salary cap hit.

Both the U.S. women’s and men’s teams won Olympic gold medals last month in riveting 2-1 overtime wins over Canada. The women’s team was not only talented but had a nucleus of young players.

Nanne predicts future gold for the women. “…The women’s team, frankly, is the best team in the world by a longshot. …I don’t think (in) the next two Olympics that anybody is going to come close to that women’s team. I think they’re going to be dominant.”

The women’s gold medal game attracted a viewing audience of over 5 million in the United States making it the most watched women’s hockey game in history. The men’s game had about four times the viewership in an electric classic for the ages featuring great players, intensity and drama. “It was just a wonderful thing to watch,” Nanne said.

Nanne was born in Canada in 1941 but had no mixed feelings about the game. He became a U.S. citizen long ago and he’s been a major contributor to U.S. hockey development for decades. He captained the 1968 U.S. Olympic team before going on to a career with the NHL North Stars as a player, coach, and front office executive.

Nanne’s alma mater, the University of Minnesota where he was an All-American defenseman, is having an atypical season. The Gophers, 11-20-2 overall and 7-14-1 in the Big Ten, are a longshot to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. “They’re very young and inexperienced…when you’re young and inexperienced…you’re not going to have a lot of success,” Nanne said.

Worth Noting

Per ESPN.com, the Vikings retained their high ranking in the latest annual NFL Players Association survey, finishing second for two years in a row. In 2023 the Vikings were No. 1 among the NFL’s 32 franchises in the survey asking players to grade their organization in a wide variety of categories ranging from ownership to food and dining. The Dolphins were No. 1 in the 2025 survey.

Interestingly, recently dismissed GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah received an A grade. Also of note was that defensive coordinator Brian Flores got a B+, while special teams coordinator Matt Daniels and head coach Kevin O’Connell both received A grades. In 17 categories, only ownership had an A+.

Former Gopher Nick Rallis, defensive coordinator of the NFL Cardinals, received a C+ in an organization whose ownership was given an F.

With Koi Perich gone to Oregon on what Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck said was for a $2million deal, it’s freed up money to pay other Gophers. Perich likely could have received similar money to stay at Minnesota. His sophomore season at safety didn’t produce as many interceptions as his freshman year, five versus one. Why? At least partially because he had to support the cornerbacks.

Condolences to family and friends of former Roosevelt head hockey coach Clayton “Bucky” Freeburg who recently passed away. A tremendous defensive coach, he led the Teddies to three state tournaments and counted Reed Larson and Mike Ramsey among his outstanding players.

Hockey historian Dave Wright emailed that his first section public address announcer assignment was the 1978 game between “Bucky’s” Teddies and a Blake team coached by Rod Anderson, brother of former Minnesota governor Wendy Anderson. The Teddies won 7-0 and advanced to the state tournament for the last time in school history.

Wright is doing public address announcing for the 35^th year at the boys’ state hockey tournament this week. Later in the month he will do eight games at the boys’ basketball tournament.

Comments Welcome

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.

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

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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